The Queen's Journal, Volume 146, Issue 8

News

2 •queensjournal.ca

Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

Mayoral hopeful Rob Matheson criticizes University District Safety Initiative 40 people stood on a roof and caused it to collapse.

“Although the Initiative is not targeted to students, we are calling it that because this is where we have seen most of the activity,” Paterson said at an AMS Assembly on Sep. 20. “My concern is that it was only a matter of time before somebody was seriously injured Raechel Huizinga or killed, and we have to react Assistant News Editor to that.”

He said the AMS was consulted In an interview with The Journal, during its creation, but AMS Mayoral candidate Rob Matheson said the University District Safety Initiative (UDSI), was a I don’t think [the “sledgehammer” in place of a “fly University District swatter.”

Safety Initiative] is Under the Initiative, partying a good approach, students, visitors and residents ticketed in the University targeting [the District during Frosh Week, student] demographic Homecoming, and St. Patrick’s specifically with a Day will be required to appear bylaw. in court and be subjected to Non-Academic Misconduct.

—Mayoral Candidate, They’ll be unable to pay their Rob Matheson fines online or by mail.

Mayor Bryan Paterson said the new model doesn’t target students. President Miguel Martinez told He added it was a step toward The Journal in June they were only increased safety in the University informed of the pilot project.

District, referring to an incident Matheson hopes to pursue a last St. Patrick’s Day when over collaborative approach to address

Election contender calls for nixing tickets with court summons

University District street parties. statement also calls for clear “We’ve got to start working geographical definitions of the cooperatively together with University District and its students to make them feel infringements, rather than welcome here,” he said. “I don’t leaving it to the discretion of think [the UDSI] is a good Kingston Police. approach, targeting [the student] “We’ve got some impetus here in demographic specifically with the policy to pursue a partnership a bylaw.” in terms of working on safe In his proposal, “Improving solutions that allow kids to have a Student-Community Relationships good time,” Matheson said. “I was through Collaboration,” Matheson a kid once. I liked to party and promises to “suspend and have a few beers once in awhile.” thoroughly evaluate” the According to Matheson, Initiative following the current cannabis could be an alternative year, examining its “effectiveness, to drinking culture and “promotes potential shortcomings, and peace, not war.” potential alternatives.”

“I’m a firm believer that the Matheson’s proposal also cannabis legalization is a good states, “this process must include thing,” he said. “There’s a professor a consultation process with the of psychology in B.C. that came out Alma Mater Society of Queen’s recently stating the legalization of University, as they have been cannabis is a potential proactive excluded from virtually all formal way of getting the binge-drinking discussion of the Initiative to phenomenon under control.” this point.”

He then called Queen’s Matheson told The Journal he decision to prohibit cannabis a hopes “to improve the relationship “human rights issue” and asked, between town-gown relations, not “why are we promoting alcohol exacerbate it.” over a potential resolution to the He proposes to avoid binge-drinking?” scheduling court hearings Matheson said he would during exam periods in favour rely somewhat on the criminal of preventing disorderly justice system for crimes conduct before it occurs. The involving vandalism, public

intoxication, and destruction of property during street parties, while still suspending the new ticketing program following the 2018-19 year.

“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel with a bylaw that specifically targets students as a demographic,” he said.

a Job Readiness Worktable, which aims to assist students in communicating their skills.

Lindsay included updates about the Student Voices on Sexual Violence survey sent out to students this past March. The data is currently being cleaned by the research company and will be presented to the government and universities this fall.

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) will work with colleges and universities to develop a reporting plan.

With the help of the Ontario Universities’ Public Affairs Council (OUPAC), the COU has created a communications plan concerning the survey.

The plan will include a response to the findings of the survey, with voices from experts in the field, Colleges Ontario, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), and the College Student Alliance (CSA).

Another update included in the report was the COU’s continued efforts to advocate funds for the Primary Healthcare Nurse Practitioners Program in the absence of participation from the

Ministry of Health.

While the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care provided funding for the program in 2017-18, they haven’t made a solid funding commitment for the current year.

The COU also wants to create a website through the Career Ready Fund providing information to employers who would like to develop experiential learning opportunities for students.

The report didn’t state how much funding the COU will receive.

The COU summarized the Ontario 2018 budget, which included a $660 million increase to MAESD, mostly to cover higher OSAP costs and new Talent Advantage Investments.

The 2018 budget also included an $11.7 million fund to support mental health promotion workers on PSE campuses.

In May, the academic colleagues gathered briefly for dinner.

The academic colleagues will meet again in Toronto on Oct. 17.

journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

SUPPLIED BY MATHESON CAMPAIGN

U.S. exchange rate Council of Ontario Universities causes library deficit submits report to Senate Head librarian questioned about service’s purchasing power

Collaborative Futures Library Services Platform project. Queen’s is working with members of the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) to establish a shared platform, in replacement of Summon and QCAT, with a search Rachel Aiken tool that accesses all Queen’s and Assistant News Editor OCUL partner libraries.

The library is also seeking to In September’s Senate meeting, upgrade available technology in Martha Whitehead, vice-provost its workspaces. Suggestions under and head librarian, admitted the consideration include adding weak Canadian dollar hit the laptops running specific course library’s purchasing power. software, and chargers and cables The Senate Library Committee for mobile devices.

(SLC) submitted a report to Senate In accordance with summarizing its accomplishments recommendations made by and discussions over the past year. the Principal’s Implementation During the discussion period Committee on Racism, Diversity, for this report, Senator Michael and Inclusion and the Truth White asked what the Library’s and Reconciliation Commission, strategy is to compensate for the the library has developed influence of the foreign exchange the Action Plan to Support rate on the acquisitions budget.

Anti-Racism, Diversity, Inclusion, In response, Whitehead said, and Indigenous Cultures.

“The majority of the library’s The plan focuses on diversity purchases are in U.S. dollars. and inclusivity training for staff as Based on a fluctuating exchange well as access to diverse research rate, it is difficult to predict and curriculums for students. expenditures, and this can result Meanwhile, the Senate will in deficits during periods of a low continue to discuss the library’s Canadian dollar.” purchasing power challenges in She said the library “engaged” future meetings. with Queen’s Financial Services and the Office of Planning and Budgeting to mitigate foreign exchange risk and make the acquisitions budget more predictable.

Alternative options will be tested this year with a goal of establishing an ongoing strategy in the next budget cycle.

The report also outlined its

News in Brief

Report touches on Student Voices on Sexual Violence survey and funding commitments Raechel Huizinga Assistant News Editor The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) academic colleagues submitted their report for the September Senate meeting.

The report details the current priorities of the COU, made up of staff and faculty members at Ontario universities.

David Lindsay, the COU President and CEO, updated the academic committees on the COU’s response to the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development’s initial draft of its upcoming international strategy.

In its recommendation to the Ministry, the Council suggested adopting a broad approach with a focus on developing the province’s economy rather than risk mitigation and regulation.

The Ministry also created City Council extends official patio season

Kingston City Council voted Tuesday to extend the patio season until the end of November. The vote passed unanimously 11-0 with two councillors absent.

During debate, Williamsville District Councillor Jim Neill

suggested council could also begin patio season earlier than Apr. 1.

Deputy Commissioner of Operations-Transportation, Sheila Kidd said in response there wasn’t sufficient “enthusiasm” about that idea due to poor weather in March.

Kidd then conceded, saying patio operators would be allowed

journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

to appear during the last week of March, rather than the last three days of the month.

According to The Kingston Whig-Standard, Neill joked climate change may push operators to ask for an earlier opening date in the future.

—Iain Sherriff-Scott

News

Election candidates outline stances on student issues Rachel Aiken Assistant News Editor On Oct. 3, the AMS hosted an All-Candidates Meeting with municipal and mayoral candidates.

The meeting offered Queen’s students the opportunity to learn more about each candidate’s platform.

Mayoral candidates Bryan Paterson, Rob Matheson and Vicki Schmolka sat on a panel to answer pre-determined questions addressing pressing issues for students.

Although not listed on the invitation, mayoral candidate Eric Lee was also on the panel.

What should be done in terms of economic development that will retain student labour after graduation?

Paterson: What we need to do is work together as a community, make sure that all stakeholders are around the same table, so we can then get that information to Queen’s, St. Lawrence, [and] RMC, so we can understand that students are going into the right programs so they can come out of that program and right into a great job that’s right here in Kingston.

Investments are exactly the foundation you need to build up that technology economy that is so appealing to so many different students.

Schmolka: It’s going to be very hard for Kingston to be everything to all students in all sectors. One thing we have to do is focus on certain sections, like green technology or maybe in high tech fibre optics. As a town of 120,000 people, we don’t really have that deep base to satisfy those needs. A lot of people are working here without being seen to be working here. We have a different type of economy and [I] think we have to exploit that for our students.

Lee: One of the reasons I’m running is economic development. First thing we need to do is repeal that vacancy tax rebate and reduction program. You’re paying the tax for the empty store and office space—where is the economic development? Obviously, you’re not going to have it.

Paterson: What we need, fundamentally, is a greater supply of housing. And that means all types of housing across all parts of the community. One of the things that

Matheson: Certainly, we have to consult with the AMS and consult with the student body, consult with Queen’s and consult with our police force. We must include students as part of the resolution to the problem.

One of the ways [to combat binge drinking], proposed by a B.C. psychologist was cannabis. I was disappointed to learn Queen’s is taking a stance where they’re not allowing cannabis on campus. They suggested a good way of mitigating drinking is to allow people to smoke cannabis.

Lee: I’ve had Queen’s students come to me for quite some time now about this problem with the Queen’s ‘ghetto’ area, as we refer to it. Many of these landlords buy a can of paint and they slap it on, and they say, “Yeah, I fixed up the building.”

They haven’t done a damn thing with the building. What this problem is going to turn into is a health and environmental issue.

As far as new housing is concerned, we always seem to make the mistake of when we award one contract, so what happens, it’s monopolized.

Matheson: We’re putting in place a lot of policies that actually exacerbate the problem, including the Landlord Rental Act. I would like to see a home share program developed where seniors who live in big spaces can share their spaces safely with other residents of the city. We need social housing. We need to invest in that ourselves.

So instead of having these conflicts in Williamsville and Sydenham districts with monster homes, there should be more intense development in [other areas].

[Regarding the University Safety Initiative,] What do you think should be done to make sure there are good relations between university students and the greater Kingston community, while also maintaining safety?

Paterson: My message to the student body is that we want you to have fun. We just want you to be safe and respectful. There’s ample opportunity within city bylaws to be able to have a great time. But at the same time, we believe there is a responsibility for all Kingston residents to be respectful of the city bylaws that we have.

The whole idea behind the Safety Initiative is simply to give a student that has violated a bylaw, the opportunity to stand in a Kingston courtroom, not for additional punishment, but so they can see and hear from someone, representative of the Kingston community, to understand that this is a serious issue. It’s a safety issue.

This is a pilot project. We sat down with the AMS and said we need your feedback.

If we need to make changes we’re open to those changes.

Schmolka: I have some troubles with some of this Initiative, that assume what’s gone on and pit people against each other in a maybe not so productive way. It’s obviously a problem the city has to address.

We need to have respect for each other and we need to have a way of people recognizing that when a party gets out of control it’s disrespectful.

I want to hear from other people what you think is appropriate.

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How will you ensure that housing prices don’t continue to rise and how do you balance that with the need for local neighbourhoods, but also having a large number of increasing rental accommodations?

Schmolka: People are going to move out of the suburbs. The [demographic] change we’re going to see are people who raised their families in the ’80s and ’90s don’t want to live in big houses now, so their houses are going to become available and there is this potential to see students and other people moving away from this area. But they’ll only do that if there’s excellent transit.

Lee: I’ve always been a fan of Queen’s students, but I have to say you’ve worked hard to come to university and the first thing you do is get ripped snorting drunk and cause problems with property damage and you get arrested by the police. There is more to life than going to university and getting drunk. If you’re going to come to school and you’re going to work hard, why ruin it by becoming an alcoholic? I am critical of Queen’s students. We have these parties at the start of every school year, it’s atrocious what happens. Fellas, come on, grow up.

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Rob Matheson: We need to inspire our young people to have jobs, to grow our economy. We need to [revise] what it means to be a sustainable economy, a green economy, that treats the environment as important as people. I would like to see more cooperatives made where workers have a stake in their business as well as a say in their business.

I’m adamant is we need to build more apartment style housing, for example, on the Williamsville corridor of Princess Street, where there are areas and pockets of properties that need to be redeveloped.

PHOTO BY AMELIA RANKINE

Municipal and mayoral candidates gather in Wallace Hall.

I S SI O

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AMS All-Candidates Meeting addresses student concerns and candidate platforms

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Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

News

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Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

Indigenous students say praise of Macdonald ‘hurtful’ Continued from front ...

Black and Martin pushed back on the recent removal of a statue of Macdonald in Victoria, B.C. “I’m asking you to recall how much Macdonald achieved. I’m not saying he was a man without faults, but his faults weren’t terribly serious. He drank, but what’s wrong with that?” Black said.

Black described Macdonald’s career as “astonishing.” He also said Macdonald was “a great statesman” and a “highly esteemed person.”

In his opening remarks, Martin said he was “mad as hell” he had to defend Macdonald’s record. “The last 11 months have been very sad because I’ve seen many attacks on Sir John A. Macdonald.”

Martin said Macdonald “deserves to be

honoured” and that people shouldn’t “take a tiny part of his life and besmirch the whole canvas.”

During the lecture, students protested outside of Macdonald Hall, boasting large signs condemning white supremacy.

“As white settlers, it’s important to think about how we engage in these issues,” protestor Sophie Vlaad The Journal about her opposition to the talk.

At the same time, the Indigenous Law Student Alliance (ILSA) and members of the faculty organized a vigil for Orange Shirt day.

The vigil—which took place in the courtyard behind Macdonald Hall—had roughly a hundred attendees.

“It was really difficult to hear that Conrad Black was coming. The whole praise of John A. Macdonald was very hurtful as an

Re-entering atmosphere ‘like coming out of surgery’ Continued from front ... you’re essentially weightless.”

Nearby medics are expected to carry the trio out the capsule into wheelchairs when they touch down in Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodome.

“They’re really not used to carrying their weight,” he said. “It’s the equivalent of when you go to the dentist and you get your lip frozen: you can bite your lip just because you’re not paying attention to it, you don’t even know.”

“You really want to ease into it, almost like coming out of surgery.”

Feustel, who earned his PhD in physics at Queen’s, spent 197 days on the ISS, first serving as a flight engineer before becoming commander.

While Feustal performed maintenance duties, such as installing antennas and cameras, he also participated in a Facebook live event and performed experiments in physics, biology, and extended navigation

relevant for future space missions.

Last January, Feustel told The Journal he hopes his work will have a lasting impact.

“I hope that the work we do makes a difference, does inspire people to do great things with their lives, does inspire us to think of travel off our planet and living off our planet to ensure the continued existence of the human species,” he said.

Richardson—who believes astronauts are heroes—thinks Feustel accomplished this goal.

“They’re the ones that are able to go up there and endure all these physical stresses and mental stresses,” Richardson said.

“Astronauts are just so inspiring because they’re the people pushing the boundaries of what we’re going to achieve over the next hundreds and thousands of years.”

“I find a lot of inspiration in that.” journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

Indigenous student,” said Lauren Winkler, Law ’20 and a member of ILSA. “We wanted to make today about honouring survivors and not celebrating the man who was instrumental in the creation of residential schools. I think it’s powerful that we’re not engaging in that conversation around John A. Macdonald—it’s more about the children who were taken,” Winkler said.

Dean of Law, Bill Flanagan, attended the vigil wearing an orange shirt. Winkler said it was meaningful that Flanagan participated.

In a mass email last week, Flanagan steered faculty away from using mass emails to debate the lecture. Instead, he’s set up an online OnQ discussion forum for students, faculty and staff to exchange ideas.

In an interview, Flanagan told The Journal he hopes the forum will see “thoughtful and respectful discussion, even about matters

that people may feel very passionate on either side of the debate.”

“Our role as a law school, as a university, is to ensure there is ample space for those conversations,” he said. Flanagan added he started the first thread of the online forum by discussing his remarks at the unveiling of words that are lasting.

Flanagan said his role puts him in a difficult situation when issues like Macdonald’s legacy flare up.

“We’re in an institution that is committed to academic freedom and respectful dialogue, and that’s my role. I don’t have great powers as a dean to command people to do things,” he said.

“The power of persuasion—that’s the only power that’s truly meaningful in a university setting.”

AMS strikes JDUC Working Group On Sept. 21, the AMS announced a new working group to oversee the creation of a new JDUC. The group will focus on marketing and communication strategies to improve the project’s appeal to students.

In an interview with The Journal, Student Life Centre Managing Director, Chloe Draeger, said feedback from last February’s referendum will guide the group moving forward.

“We’re taking [student feedback] and finding ways to channel it into future development in the project. One thing we’ve reimagined since last year is that we’ve created a system of engagement directly between the students and between the architecture of the project itself,” she said.

Draeger added feedback from students led the working group to hire an architect to secure a complete design package.

The working group is also projected to launch a large-scale student engagement survey that will affect the building’s design. It’s expected to appear within the next couple weeks.

From previous feedback, Draeger

identified affordability and limited understanding of the building’s new features and elements as key concerns.

She said the new JDUC working group has taken this into consideration, and are crafting a response.

“Students were asked to pay too much into the project so we’re exploring every avenue right now to make sure that its an affordable fee and that the cost of investing in future generations of students don’t fall on those who are the least able to pay them,” she said.

Draeger added the working group is taking measures to directly address these concerns, pointing to financial assistance proposed to the University.

“This is why we are advancing a $1 million student aid bursary attached to the fee over the course of the project so that will make the project most affordable to students who will least be able to pay out that fee,” she said.

The JDUC Working Group is set to introduce structural plans for the building in the upcoming Winter referendum.

—Madison Bendall

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Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

Features

queensjournal.ca

•5

IN-DEPTH STORIES FROM AROUND CAMPUS AND IN THE COMMUNITY

GRAPHIC BY NOUR MAZLOUM

Invisible disabilities often go unnoticed on campus.

Invisible disabilities slip through the cracks For some students, accessibility issues persist despite recent improvements Samantha Fink Features Editor

When Kaitlyn MacDonald entered Landmark Cinemas in Kingston this summer, she started to cry.

It was the first time since her Diabetes diagnosis in January that she’d seen a safe place to dispose of her insulin needles. The $8,000 pump was prohibitively expensive and she chose needles to inject her insulin, unaware of the surrounding accessibility issues.

MacDonald, ArtSci ’19, said Queen’s prides itself on its accessibility—it’s why she was surprised to struggle finding accommodation.

On campus, there were no empty, clean spaces to inject her needles, and MacDonald had nowhere to dispose of them.

She injected each time she ate, requiring her to uncomfortably lift her shirt in public multiple times a day.

For MacDonald and other students living with invisible conditions—limiting a person’s movements, senses or activities—campus accessibility can have social implications beyond physical barriers.

In its 2018-19 budget, passed this July, the University allocated $250,000 to accessibility improvements. They intend to annually increase this funding by $25,000 over the next five years.

Similarly, Physical Plant Services developed a five-year accessibility plan for barrier removal in existing buildings.

While these steps make strides for physical disabilities, accessibility progress for students like MacDonald can be small, and often specific.

One major accessibility change is that medical professionals used to be required to fill out the entire accommodations form for students. It led students to be frustrated when the professionals struggled to explain the educational barriers the

students faced. They can now write the forms themselves, and can have a medical professional sign off.

The University may not be able to address every disability, according to Andrew Ashby, Accessibility Coordinator at Queen’s. But addressing 95 per cent is impressive regardless.

While the University increases funding, the financial burdens of a disability persist. For students with a learning disability, a psycho-educational assessment in Ontario costs between $2,000 to $3,500.

It must also be renewed every three years, with only part of the cost being covered by some insurance plans.

While the University’s increased funding is a step forward for physical disabilities, invisible disabilities like MacDonald’s may not receive the same attention.

MacDonald approached Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) about the lack of available sites and needle disposal outlets. She was told they were unnecessary. Most students used the $8,000 pump and her case was too rare.

Living a 40-minute bus ride from campus and with no close alternatives, she was out of options. She started injecting insulin in the office of a friend of her father on campus, rather than continuing the public insulin injections.

Meanwhile, another student, Elijah Nadler, still carries her insulin needles home after use.

Nadler, ArtSci ’20, will have roughly 30 needles in her bag by the end of any given day. ***

For Amy Hanes, MA ’20, a flashing lightbulb in a lecture or a sudden noise is enough to trigger her epilepsy.

One time, she nervously sat through a two-hour lecture where

a bulb was flashing. Her guest lecturer joked, “I hope no one here is going to have a seizure.”

It was one of the small moments she knew her condition wasn’t always considered.

Accommodations were first recommended to Hanes when she had a seizure during a midterm.

She was okay, but arriving back in that class the next week was difficult, especially because of anxiety than can be a catalyst and a product of her seizures.

“It’s important to create a space where students can come back after incidents like these and feel minimal reliving of the trauma,” Hanes said.

Queen’s InvisAbilities, which works to combat stigma against invisible disabilities, supported Hanes through the process.

The club aims to raise awareness and offers a buddy program to support students with invisible disabilities.

“Accommodations aren’t meant to be convenient,” Hanes said.

“Being inclusive of diverse human needs is and will continue to be a tremendous challenge, but it doesn’t mean that we should just give up.”

Hanes is allowed to have a laptop in class despite a number of professors banning laptop use.

Using her computer, however, can make her the object of other students’ attention, and sometimes, resentment.

“I should be given a choice to publicly identify my disability and need for accommodation, rather than being forced out,” Hanes said.

Aerin Leavitt, ConEd ’20, was born deaf and receives in-class accommodation as well.

Her professors wear a Frequency Modulated (FM) system, which hooks up to her cochlear implant so she can hear her lectures.

One professor refused to wear the FM system and Leavitt struggled as a result.

Without note-takers in the

class, Leavitt feels she would have done “terribly.”

Not all note-takers are reliable, however, and some simply stop providing notes in the middle of the term. If no one volunteers to take over or be the note-taker in the first place, students who need them simply go without.

In some cases, her classmates remarked how lucky she was to have accommodations that get her notes written out for her.

“There is still a lack of understanding as to how difficult it is for people with disabilities to succeed in class,” Leavitt said. “People sometimes see accommodations as taking the easy way out.”

When the first term of the class ended, Leavitt tried again to get her professor to wear the system.

“He tried to say that I didn’t need it for the next term because there would be better acoustics in the classroom,” she said. “But I insisted, because it’s more important for me to have access to the information than [for him to be comfortable].”

The FM system provided by the school is cumbersome and can be uncomfortable for professors.

Leavitt now uses a smaller, more comfortable device her professors can wear more easily.

“In the end I got the proper accommodation, but I shouldn’t have to convince professors to wear it.”

Her solution still faces affordability issues—it may not always be viable for all students.

“Equal access to education is important, but it’s not always properly met,” Leavitt said.

According to Jennifer Dods, Executive Director of Student Wellness Services, just over 1,800 students with disabilities registered with QSAS and received academic accommodations in the 2017-18 school year.

That said, one in seven people in Canada have a disability, and not all require academic

accommodations. According to Ashby, the number of students on campus with disabilities is “much higher” than those who register with QSAS. As for the process, “any student with a documented disability who is registered in a course at Queen’s can connect with QSAS. Documentation will be reviewed to ensure it provides details on the functional impairments and limitations that result from the disability,” Dods said.

From that point, advisors meet with students to discuss specifics of limitations and put in place accommodations plans.

For Xin Sun—who’s been living with legal blindness for past two years—there’s still work to be done.

For Sun, ArtSci ’19, her advisor at QSAS and her professors have been very accommodating. She has also made occasional use of on-campus services such as Access Champions, which pairs her with a volunteer buddy when she needs extra guidance.

As Co-Chair of Accessibility Queen’s (AQ), Sun works to improve accessibility on campus.

Her club runs events like “Spot the Barriers” which encourages students of all abilities to look for spots on campus where accessibility could be improved.

“Satisfaction does not mean perfection,” Sun said.

The stigma against her disability is the biggest challenge.

Physical disabilities often receive more attention. Sun shares her experiences in hopes of reducing misperceptions surrounding students with invisible disabilities on campus.

She recommends facing the stigma with unconditional acceptance.

“Never question a disability,” she said. “Just do what you can to help someone who needs help.”

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Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

EDITORIALS

The Journal’s Perspective

Amelia Rankine

Excluding Black medical students hurts the entire university A university has a duty to ensure it doesn’t repeat its past mistakes—especially when it makes people of colour feel unwelcome.

In September, Queen’s Senate motioned to rescind a 1918 ban barring Black students from entering Queen’s medical school. While the policy hasn’t been enforced since 1965, it’s never been formally rejected.

If a school policy hasn’t been formally struck down, it signifies continued discrimination on campus.

While social norms may have been different when the ban was in place, it’s up to the University to make our past discrimination transparent and take constructive steps to ensure it never happens again.

Queen’s is already known for its relatively homogenous student body, often making students of colour feel unwelcome or wary. The University’s longstanding institutional bias against marginalized people only amplifies that disconnect.

Queen’s didn’t just damage educational opportunities for students of colour through its 1918 colour bar; it missed out on Black medical students’ contributions to both science and the civil rights movement.

We should remember that when we exclude vital groups of our population, we don’t just hurt them—we also hurt ourselves.

In 1918, the post-war University and its services—including The Queen’s Journal— operated in a different atmosphere, tainted by fear of difference—and they weren’t the only institutions to do so. Cases of racial discrimination are numerous, like the government’s internment of Japanese-Canadians.

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL

However, precedence is no excuse.

Queen’s must be careful not to hide or trivialize its past racism out of shame.

It needs to accept its actions, however wrong, to create a culture of transparency and change.

Our understanding of our own history is full of biases and prejudices. There’s critical value in looking back to understand how our institutional wrongs have come to be so we don’t repeat them again.

While symbolic formalities such as the Senate’s action to rescind the policy are critical, they’re not where our efforts should stop.

It’s important to remember that, while the Senate has acknowledged its historical wrongs, it’s not the primary change-maker on campus. Students, staff, and faculty are.

Many student organizations on campus, from the Queen’s Committee Against Racial and Ethnic Discrimination (CARED) to Queen’s Black Academic Society (QBAS), promote campus equity daily.

If our University’s administration wishes to promote positive change on campus, it needs to be more dynamic in its work. Queen’s would benefit from a task force to investigate and acknowledge its past discrimination and to audit its current policies.

We need to figure out how the school’s attitudes toward its demographics were shaped to avoid complacency and establish a more realistic University narrative. It’s the school’s responsibility to make the students who pay thousands in tuition feel safe on campus.

—Journal Editorial Board

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Whether it’s armrests dividing benches, or homeless people living in the city. Whilst spikes surrounding buildings, anti-homeless Kingston has homelessness prevention architecture is inhumane. initiatives in place—such as shelters and Often politely labelled “defensive rehousing programs—it’s also host to architecture,” some public spaces are architecture discriminating against its designed to interfere with activities homeless population. outside their intended use. By structurally While it’s encouraging the city has preventing loitering, cities criminalize invested in its downtown infrastructure, it’s occupying a public place without an done so without considering how it may explicit purpose.

Cities install metal rivets on low walls to prevent skateboard tricks, incline benches to “ discourage loitering, and emit high-pitched noises only heard by younger people to ward off boisterous teenagers. However, while young people are impacted, homeless people bear the brunt of these restrictive measures. In extreme cases, cities have placed animal excrement in places homeless harm other people. people frequent.

Although these examples are a less Defensive architecture divides a aggressive cousin to laying spikes on the population into those welcome in a public ground in external building alcoves, their space and those not. impact remains the same—they hide Oscar Newman, a 1970s architect, homeless people from the public eye. believed in designing urban spaces as “the Architecture can create cities that treat physical expression of a social fabric that homeless people with dignity and respect defends itself.” rather than discrimination. A Vancouver It’s easier to discourage unwanted non-profit installed benches that not only behaviour when urban spaces do it for you. allow for an individual to lie flat, but also As this idea proliferates in architecture, cities open to provide shelter against inclement become inhospitable by design. weather. These double as advertisements A police officer doesn’t have to for homeless shelters, providing tell someone not to sleep on a public safe alternatives to sleeping outside. bench if nobody can lie there in the No one should have to sleep on a bench or first place. beg for money, but this isn’t how we should In Kingston, benches throughout the care for homeless people. When we prevent city’s downtown core have unnecessary certain groups from using public spaces, we centre armrests, denying some people change the definition of what public is. the space needed to sleep. While some Defensive architecture makes our storefronts have “no loitering” signs, others communities more hostile overall. Cities have bars making it impossible to sit on should invest in helping individuals, not in the windowsills. architecture trying to hide them away.

A person can’t walk down Princess Street without encountering someone asking for Amelia is The Journal’s Video Editor. She’s a spare change. As of 2016, there were 137 third-year Fine Arts major.

Defensive architecture divides a population into those welcome in a public space and those not.”

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queensjournal.ca

OPINIONS

•7

Your Perspective

An open letter to conservatives on campus Opposition from equity groups on campus doesn’t equal marginalization

Talking heads ... what is your favourite Thanksgiving dish?

PHOTOS BY TESSA WARBURTON

“I really like stuffing, turkey’s good too.”

Annie Macgregor, Nursing '20

Daisy standing in front of the Goodes Hall entrance.

Daisy Fraser Boychuk ArtSci '20 To conservatives who identify as targets on this campus, It’s important to be conscious of where you are situated in relation to power if you want to effectively fight for a more just society.

I apply this to myself as well and to everyone with privileges similar to ours. Being aware of the degree to which we benefit from whiteness, our economic background, physical and mental abilities, and the institutions we have access to is imperative if we want our political arguments to be effective and more meaningful.

It’s well-known the majority of university campuses in Canada are host to left-leaning ideals, be that from students or faculty.

Although conservative students might call this implicitly unfair, there’s a good underlying reason for it.

Since our university’s culture of inclusion works to support students who experience oppression, it will not include your end of the political spectrum. It won’t include your politics because your politics aren’t oppressed.

Nevertheless, it’s necessary for your voices to exist on campus. It’s not a bad thing to engage thoughtfully with students from varying political standpoints.

But in doing that, it should be evident there are many intersecting powers—such as race or class—relevant to your social position. Consider this when you speak about political exclusion and the hindering of your free speech.

There’s significant attention paid to leftist social movements that are actively fighting in solidarity against oppression at Queen’s, and you might feel issues you’re advocating for receive a lack of attention because of that.

Conservatism is the status quo of our culture.

It’s defined as the conservation of traditional values and current institutions because their benefits are perceived to outweigh any detriments.

But here’s the twist: our culture’s traditional

values and current institutions only benefit certain people.

To maintain this conservative status quo is to continue to promote systems of domination you and I directly and indirectly benefit from—such as white power, colonialism, imperialism, capitalism, ableism, and patriarchy.

Alongside being conscious of privilege, some people have decided to actively stand in solidarity with oppressed groups on campus.

This shouldn’t threaten you. You should feel compelled to support these anti-oppression groups as well.

In the actual practice of interacting with oppressed students, it is a mistake to treat whatever feelings of inferiority you have in response to the attention leftist equity groups receive as valid. This isn’t your place, nor is it mine.

Feelings of inferiority develop when you haven’t questioned the power you were born into and feel excluded by oppressed groups fighting against these systems of domination.

Instead, you feel inclined to fight back and keep that group in its place—you think something is being taken from you.

In reality, nothing is being taken away—but then again, maybe it should be. You and I have immense power we did nothing for.

We should be putting our feelings of authority to rest. We should be questioning the implicit feeling that we have a right to all spaces and ownership of everything which presents itself to us due to predisposed factors.

There’s no historical oppression of conservatism and no way to rationalize feeling marginalized as a conservative.

When engaging in ally-ship, it’s important to understand that oppression isn’t just against one individual—it’s against a collective.

Yet, I haven’t once heard someone who identifies as a targeted conservative vocalize the importance of community and solidarity. Instead, there’s only talk of their select experiences and supposed feelings of inferiority.

Disregarding the importance of community and solidarity inherently weakens

PHOTOS BY TESSA WARBURTON

your platform. For example, arguments for the protection of free speech are weakened when you only advocate for your own freedom of speech or for those who hold similar views to “Sometimes my family makes sweet potatoes with cinnamon your own. and marshmallows, This is something I’ve learned first-hand: its amazing.” a movement is stronger when it includes the perspectives of as many people as possible.

Although I could talk myself blue about Rebecca Hoogkamp, how I’ve been told I’m an obtrusive queer, CompSci ‘21 a man-hating feminist, a dyke and he/she, I’d be distracting myself from what really matters: ally-ship between myself and other communities.

When Conservative is presented as being part of a targeted group, it’s denying the needs and perspectives of others within our society. Misconstruing conservatism this way is the conscious choice to put the needs of privileged individuals ahead of everyone else.

For example, if you voted for Doug Ford and continue to consider yourself an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, I feel no relationship to your support.

“Sweet potatoes with marshmallows.”

You cannot claim this form of ally-ship after voting for the conservative party this past June.

Ally-ship is not a resume bullet-point—it’s built Riley Doyle, ArtSci ’21 off of ideological commitment.

For many LGBTQ+ students such as myself, we have access to communities at Queen’s we often cannot find in the real world. Just because a university campus tries to promote equity doesn’t mean the rest of the culture is safe for us.

Nor does it take away your voice.

It doesn’t make sense for you to feel threatened by anti-oppression movements on campus. Pull your socks up and realize we stand on some of the highest platforms for speech and liberty.

You feel threatened at the ide of losing power to the hands of those you’ve taken it from.

Let it go.

“Honestly I don’t like Use your privilege for something worthwhile. Thanksgiving food so my mom Daisy is a third-year gender studies major and politics minor. They identify as gender queer and use she/they pronouns.

makes roast beef.”

Jodie Grieve, ArtSci ’21

8 • queensjournal.ca

Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

Arts ART UNVEILING

Hannah Claus’ words that are lasting unveiled at Macdonald Hall words that are lasting, hanging in the MacDonald Hall lobby.

Montreal artist explores Indigenous relationship with law Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor

On Friday, the law faculty unveiled artist Hannah Claus’ words that are lasting.

The installation increased Macdonald Hall’s Indigenous representation as the building sees growing tension over its name.

Days before a talk praising John A. Macdonald, the work was installed amid calls to remove Macdonald

EVENT REVIEW

references from the building.

A stone bench bearing his name was removed in July, and his portrait on the fifth floor was removed in September.

The Faculty Board will see a motion this fall that would remove Macdonald’s name from the building.

Meanwhile, Claus’ art was unveiled Friday to roughly two-dozen people in the MacDonald Hall atrium.

Brandon Maracle, Law ’22, began the event with a Mohawk Thanksgiving Address.

He said his role as the first speaker was to give Ohenton Karihwatekwen, or, the words before all others.

A f t e r wa r d , Principal Daniel Woolf said Claus’ art symbolized a union between

the University, the Kingston community, and beyond.

Woolf said the University is changing, though it will take a continued effort. He ended his speech, saying the installation is a sign of “meaningful and lasting change.”

Headed by Dean of Law Bill Flanagan, an art commission chose Claus’ work as the winner of an art competition to decorate the hall with Indigenous art.

At the event, Flanagan said the idea came from a conversation with student senator and TRC Task Force member, Jason Mercredi.

In the talk, Mercredi indicated nothing in the law building speaks to the Indigenous student experience.

The observation resulted

Maryam Monsef launches Women of Impact in Canada Gallery at the Agnes Minister of Status of Women moderates a roundtable discussion with gallery-featured trailblazers Madison Bendall Assistant News Editor On Tuesday, Queen’s hosted generations of feminist icons in the Agnes as it launched the Woman of Impact in Canada Gallery.

Minister of Status of Women, Maryam Monsef, led the event and unveiling of the new exhibit, which coincides with Women’s History Month. It outlines the contributions put forth by Canadian women who have made a significant impact to the nation’s history.

Monsef kicked off the event recognizing contributions from women like Kim Campbell and Margaret Atwood, who are featured in the virtual gallery.

“These are just some snapshots of a handful of stories of great women whose impact ought to be

better understood,” Monsef said.

The gallery honours the lives and legacies of more than 100 women through a series of photographs, timelines, biographies, and an interactive map available online.

The exhibit’s theme, #MakeAnImpact, celebrates the lasting impact made by women and girls from coast to coast.

Monsef said the gallery isn’t exclusively celebrating impacts made in the past, but is a celebration of contributions women will make in the future too.

The gallery encourages attendees to “Live On”—a theme proposing the list of women featured in the gallery isn’t complete. It’s a continually evolving gallery, able to grow through nominations submitted

by Canadians.

“To that end, this gallery is a

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

in a competition where artists entered pieces depicting the relationship between Indigenous peoples and law. As its winner, Claus’ work will have a permanent place in the building.

Suspended ove r h e a d and made of stained glass, words that are lasting hangs in the building’s atrium—its floor-to-ceiling windows casting light over the piece.

The work is a representation of Wampum belts, which record agreements between nations and represent a union between people. The minimalistic artwork represents peace on a grand scale.

At the event, Claus, who has English and Kanyenkehaka heritage and is a member of Tyendinaga-Mohawks, said the belts are all about relationships.

Wampum belts are made out of woven patterns of white and purple beads, historically made out of round clam shells.

The patterns of clams on the belts represent the

laws and traditions of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

From the dimensions of the beads, to the lengths of sinew hanging from the end, every part of the belt is carefully crafted. Claus captured the Wampum belt’s historical and symbolic significance, using purple, blue, and white stained glass to reflect the colour of shells in actual Wampum belts.

Claus said her artwork was representative of what the tradition symbolizes.

Upon hearing of this opportunity, she knew what she wanted to create immediately. A regular inspiration in her artwork, the belts’ historical significance in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and their representation of unity and the power of relationships, continuously appear in her work.

Claus’ art will hang over law students as debates over the building’s namesake continue.

Leadership in Politics Club (QFLIP).

Moderated by Monsef, the panel discussed the significance behind recognizing women’s achievements throughout Canadian history.

It diverged into a variety of topics, ranging from overcoming gender-based obstacles to the now infamous #MeToo movement.

Faith Dickenson discussed the interplay of her age and gender as a challenge she faces throughout her work.

She described instances where she’s “not been taken seriously” and has been “knocked off” in serious discussion.

“It’s very frustrating because I feel like I’m older ... and I feel that I belong, but some people don’t see it that way,” Dickenson said.

In a discussion of international women’s rights, as well as the #MeToo movement, Dr. Alaa Murabit discussed the obstacles faced by women when in the process of establishing a legal foundation.

“Before [legal norms] become law, they become social and cultural norms. Until those women are at the table of those traditional, religious cultural decision-making processes around the world, including Canada, we’re not going to make an impact,” she said.

As the event closed, Monsef expressed gratitude for the gathering and the continued celebration of women, encouraging audience members to honour the women featured in the gallery in their daily lives.

living legacy. The gallery will continue to grow because we’re going to continue to do the work, and we’re going to continue celebrating those who have made an impact—more importantly, we aren’t done making an impact,” Monsef said.

The launch of the gallery consisted of a panel discussion of four women, three of whom are featured in the gallery.

The panel included pioneers such as international peace advocate Alaa Murabit, Cuddles for Cancer Founder Faith Dickinson, military trailblazer Louise Fish, and associate professor in the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s, Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant.

The panel discussion was held in the Agnes Etherington Art Centre and hosted by members of Queen’s Female Left to right: Goodyear-Grant, Murabit and Monsef.

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

Arts

Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

queensjournal.ca

•9

BAND PROFILE

Cowboy Junkies talk new album, Kingston tour stop

As industry changes, ‘a Junkies record is a Junkies record’ The Cowboy Junkies will play at the Grand Theatre on Oct. 10.

Raechel Huizinga Assistant News Editor Thirty years since the Cowboy Junkies’ humble beginnings in a Toronto garage, their place in Canadian music has never wavered.

The Cowboy Junkies, made up of Alan Anton on bass and the Timmins siblings—Margo, Peter and Michael—on vocals, dums, guitars resectively, will perform songs from their 2018 album, All that Reckoning, at seven different stops in October—including The Grand Theatre in Kingston on Oct. 10.

Michael Timmins spoke to The Journal on the phone about the 11 new tracks, which he says revolve around “social, political, and personal” relationships.

“The miscommunication and the taking of sides, and I think mainly the poor treatment of one another, is a big thing in

my observation that’s kind of frightening,” Timmins said, alluding to the inspiration behind the music. “We just don’t treat each other with much respect these days.”

The tension between lovers comes across in the title-track “All that Reckoning,” which appears on the album in two parts and meditates on the fear of being stuck in a relationship and then letting it go.

The first part has a slower tempo and soft guitar in the background while the second part groans with stronger vocals and walloping bass and guitar, demonstrating the versatility of Margo Timmins’ vocals Margo’s iconic mix of melodic and rock singer rasp shows up in “Mountain Stream,” which Timmins told The Journal is based off a William Blake poem called “The Angel.”

He added the song combines Blake’s original poetry with Cowboy

Junkies’ signature lyricism, meshing them together into a single piece of writing.

With lines like “my youth and queen, my mountain stream, have been stolen by the years,” the song speaks to lost love and the cruelty of time.

The blatant melancholy of “Mountain Stream” quickly switches into the lighthearted tune “The Possessed,” which pairs the Devil with a surprising ukulele appearance.

“It’s hard to get dark when you’re playing a song on the ukulele,” Timmins said, but admitted there’s “something darker lurking” in the song, a nod to lyrics about the “devil disguised as light” who takes possession over the speaker.

Despite this new experimentation with the ukulele, the overall sound of the album is similar to the band’s previous music.

“It’s been five years since our last record,

EVENT REVIEW

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY KILLBEAT MUSIC

and I’m five years older, so the songs are different in the ways in which they look at the world,” he said. “Musically, there’s a few different textures on the record, but generally speaking, a Junkies record is a Junkies record. That’s something that’s important to us, the sound of the band and how we play together.”

Some things still change: the business side of music has changed “a zillion percent” and marked a major challenge for the band, according to Timmins.

“We’re all older now, and physically touring is difficult,” he said. “The value of recorded music is kind of irrelevant now.

That’s disappeared, which is a real shame.”

Their love of making music and playing together keeps them grounded through it all. The Cowboy Junkies are the same, regardless of tour dates or record sales.

“Nothing’s changed,” Timmins said.

Commentary: Millenials for the arts Changing demographics influence what our society deems as worthy-culture Pamoda Wijekoon Staff Writer A “culture lover” conjures up images of a wealthy old woman, gliding through a white-walled art gallery to the strains of Tchaikovsky.

In reality, it’s a young person, hooked into social media and consuming culture at an ever-increasing rate.

A 2018 study commissioned by the advocacy group Business for the Arts reveals the demographic consuming the most culture in Canada these days has received a modern update.

The study aimed to determine what culturally-inclined Canadians want out of their art.

It asked Canadians to respond if they participated in any of 34 activities at least once a year. These ranged from going to see a play and visiting an art gallery, to public parks, heritage sites, books and TV, a Globe and Mail article reported.

The study revealed Millennials aged 25-30 consume the most culture.

Moreover, this new key demographic is primarily Allophone—Canadians who speak neither French nor English as their first language.

It paints a new picture of who is most likely to be consuming arts.

Millennials are 1.5 times more likely than all other demographics to participate in arts activities on a monthly basis, and its largely facilitated through social media.

More than half of Millennials had

participated in traditional cultural events like events, and even more participated in its new forms, whether it’s attending food festivals or watching television. Groups indicated cultural engagement brought a sense of perspective and empathy, as well as a sense of belonging within their communities.

However, Canadian youths’ cultural experience is unshakably digital.

How that will come to affect the way art will be consumed in the future is yet to be seen. For now, it’s something that, for many, still hasn’t achieved the status of tangible items like concerts or fairs.

For Millennials that are breaking free

from their parents’ tradition, moving to new cities, getting married later, and having children older, that sense of belonging can be critical in forming new connections and making new places feel like home.

artists and art lovers worldwide, has made art perpetually accessible.

What might have been an occasional trip to an art gallery, or a special trip to the theatre, is now on our Instagram, YouTube and Spotify feeds. What used to be exclusive is now online for millions to see.

Through social media, art has come to mean something different for the average Millennial and Gen. Z than it may have 30 years ago.

Despite this, digital art is still largely considered to be less-legitimate Greater access to movies, TV and music, culture. However, social media sites are as well as social media, which connects increasingly more accessible platforms for amateur artists to display their work.

Largely, the country still leans towards low-tech access to arts, and tends to be unhappy with electronic encroachment onto traditional forms of art, according to the survey.

It’s worth considering the future potential for digital art to dominate culture in its current quantity, as more and more artists get their start online, and multimedia, interactive, and digital art gain worldwide distribution and integration into more established cultural centres, like museums, galleries and monuments.

As younger Canadians age, and bring with them a greater awareness of the amount of art available online, another shift in the country’s perception of culture is likely to follow.

Social media sites are increasingly more accessible platforms.

GRAPHIC BY NOUR MAZLOUM

10 •queensjournal.ca

Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

Sports

WOMEN’S RUGBY

The fourth chapter

Women’s rugby’s senior class reflect on careers, legacy, and earning one’s place This year’s senior women’s class went to the CIS gold-medal game in their rookie season.

Matt Scace Sports Editor Sitting in Kingston Hall on the eve of their women’s rugby national championships debut, nine wide-eyed first-years listened attentively to their senior teammates.

Every woman in the room sat with a picture in their hands. The photos depicted each player’s reason for why they play rugby—some had snapshots of their parents, others of them with their teammates.

Sadie Stephenson remembers the moment like it was yesterday.

“As a rookie, sitting in a room of all the vets talking about their past experiences … it was super cool to hear,” Stephenson, now a fourth-year on the women’s rugby team, told The Journal earlier this week.

“They meant every single word they said—we understand now.”

Stephenson is a part of the women’s rugby rookie class of 2015. A monumental group, comprised of nine women making up over a fifth of the team’s current roster, are now entering their fourth playoff run with Queen’s.

But not a moment goes by where that night in Kingston Hall—and every moment thereafter at the nationals Queen’s hosted that year—is forgotten by those nine players. What followed was a historic, improbable run by the women’s rugby team.

“We had no idea what it meant to be at nationals,” Stephenson said. “It was crazy.”

Under ordinary circumstances, the Gaels had no business lacing up at the 2015 CIS championships. As hosts, they were granted automatic entry to the tournament despite finishing fourth in the OUA after losing to Western in the conference’s bronze medal game.

But on home turf and listed as the eighth seed, the Gaels went into the tournament as a group who was just thankful to be there.

Most importantly, they understood the stakes couldn’t have been lower.

“If we won [the quarterfinals] it was great for us but if we lost it, it wouldn’t matter,” fourth-year row Lydia Salgo said.

“We were so pumped because there was nothing to lose.”

In the CIS quarterfinals against Acadia, the Gaels fell into a 17-0 hole early. But an all-time performance from current assistant coach Lauren McEwen, who nailed four kicks and a conversion, brought Queen’s back into the game and lead to their eventual 24-17 triumph over the tournament’s first seed.

“I can say, honestly, probably to this day, [it’s] the only game I’ve ever been in and looked at the scoreboard and seen 17-0 twenty minutes into the game and [thought], ‘We’re not going to lose,’” fourth-year back row McKinley Hunt said.

“I’ve never felt that sense of calm in a game of that magnitude, being down by that much.”

The next night, the Gaels would play Concordia, winning 27-13 and propelling the team to the CIS Championship—the first in Queen’s women’s rugby history.

“I remember McEwen saying to us that she’d waited so long for this type of opportunity to play in this magnitude of a game,” Hunt said. “I think a lot of us in first year didn’t really know how to react because we didn’t understand.”

After the game, the group of rookies would begin to understand the meaning of what they achieved for those both on and off the field.

While the Gaels would lose to McMaster in the national championship, the team walked off Nixon Field feeling accomplished, but with an undercurrent of mixed emotions.

“We’re aware of that, as a team, we just got to walk right in,” Stephenson said, acknowledging the Gaels hadn’t earned their initial spot at nationals. “It’s an interesting feeling.”

Regardless, the team looked forward to get the next season underway.

“A lot of us were rookies and we were like, ‘We’re only up from here,’” fourth-year row Hannah Greenwood recalled.

Things would go far from how they

planned in their second year. When the rookies returned, a number of players from their core leadership group had graduated—something numerous players said left an awkward void on the team.

“No one was excited for practice and in games, nothing was clicking,” fourth-year prop Harlee Bruce said. “It was bad.”

The Gaels would go on to lose to Guelph in the OUA semi-finals and to Western in the bronze medal game that season—precisely as they’d done the previous year.

Last season, however, was a major—if not the major turning point—in the women’s rugby program. Ahead of the season, Queen’s announced Dan Valley would be taking over the head coaching position. From the moment he arrived, the women were “put in place,” according to Stephenson.

“We were basically told we aren’t as good as we think we are,” she added.

According to Stephenson, Valley would challenge the women’s perception of themselves. He’d question if they deserved their CIS silver medal; he’d ask how such a talented group of players could come together and perform at such a low standard.

“He said that to our face and everyone was like, ‘True,’” Stephenson recalled.

Among the words many players used to describe the Gaels’ adopted mentality last season, the word “accountability” was a common theme—that each player wasn’t just accountable to the team, but themselves.

Early in his first training camp, Valley established that each spot on his roster would have to be earned: if a rookie outperformed a fifth-year, so be it, he’d tell

The women finished this season second in the OUA.

SUPPLIED BY HARLEE BRUCE

PHOTO BY MATT SCACE

the team.

As it’d turn out, the period of growth for the team would be exceedingly fast.

Queen’s finished the season 2-2 and overcame McMaster in a narrow 20-15 win in the OUA semi-finals, propelling the Gaels to the conference finals and, by extension, the U Sports Championships in Lethbridge, Alberta. The team would lose to Guelph in the provincial championships.

But this time, as opposed to when they hosted the championships in 2015, the Gaels had earned their spot on the national stage.

“It was our step to proving ourselves,” Stephenson said.

In Lethbridge, they’d go on to lose their first-round match against Calgary, but rebounded in the consolation round to defeat Acadia.

Going into this year’s playoff campaign, the women said they feel more confident than last season.

After capping their regular season with a 3-1 record, a calm sense of assurance has settled into the Gaels as they aim to qualify for nationals and improve on last year’s result.

“It literally just comes down to us putting it all down together,” Stephenson said. “We’ll do it.”

While the weeks leading up to the post-season aren’t a common time for reflection, this year’s group of senior women understand they have a pressing deadline.

With some graduating this year and others hanging on for a final fifth year, they’re beginning to consider their position as leaders—and how they want to leave an impact for future generations of women’s rugby at Queen’s.

Stephenson said the rookie class of 2015, a group who’s seen the top of the mountain and weathered countless storms, will leave an indelible mark on the program.

“We’re the start of the factory of great rugby players,” she said.

The group recognizes the story the program takes on after they graduate won’t be theirs to tell. But in five, even ten years, when they come back to visit, they hope their legacy will survive them.

“I would just hope this team continues to be one that supports the players around them,” Hunt said. She alluded to the lessons the senior class has learned about the necessity of earning one’s place in various walks of life, including rugby. “I hope the closeness and the drive to compete stays the same.”

“It makes you a better person.”

Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

queensjournal.ca

FOOTBALL

MEN’S RUGBY

Gaels hitting crunch time Friday against McMaster

Colborne grabs the clipboard

Sheahan calls game a ‘very big weekend’

Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor

Matt Scace Sports Editor Headed into their second-last game of the season, the football team is grappling to find routine amidst a week many would call chaotic.

“We need to be mentally ready to deal with the elements,” head coach Pat Sheahan said in a press conference on Wednesday.

After nearly shocking the OUA with a tight 26-23 loss to the Western Mustangs last Saturday, the Gaels have to deal with a shortened schedule because of Thanksgiving weekend. As a result, they’re set to play the McMaster Marauders at 11 a.m. on Friday morning in Hamilton, giving them five days to prepare.

“The schedule has thrown a bit of a wrench in the system here,” Sheahan said.

“It’s caused a little bit of an issue with our travel schedule.”

To read the rest of the story, visit www.queensjournal.ca/ sports

Former men’s rugby player takes up coaching after graduation After 16 years playing rugby, Alex Colborne hung up his cleats at the end of last season—but he’s still very much a part of the Queen’s rugby fabric.

Having seen four OUA championship matches and three Turner Trophies in his Queen’s career, Colborne’s made his peace and stepped off the pitch to find something else he loves—something easier on his body.

“My body is just indicative of 16 years of rugby,” Colborne told The Journal. “My knees are falling apart, my shoulders are just destroyed. My back is pretty bad.”

While staying in Kingston for a research position this fall, he’s been coaching with the Queen’s rugby club’s 3s and 4s teams. Queen’s varsity club, which is no longer directly associated with the varsity team, is a development squad that requires less commitment.

Colborne, who played for varsity team all through his undergrad, said he gains significant joy from developing younger athletes.

“Most of the guys coming in, the rookies especially, would have been the best guys on their high school team,” he said. “Then they come here and they’re just a tiny fish in a big pond.”

As the 3s and 4s coach, Colborne prioritizes making his teams’ training sessions as enjoyable as possible. “[It’s] why I enjoy being the coach,” he said. “I’m just taking everything I used to do

ATHLETICS

U Sports approves policy for transgender athletes Governing body of Canadian university sport introduces more inclusive mandate for student athletes Matt Scace Sports Editor Last Thursday, U Sports introduced a new transgender policy with aims of creating equal opportunities for Canadian university athletes, regardless of their gender identity and expression.

In a media release, U Sports touted the new policy as “leading-edge.” During the process, they consulted the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports, a national internal association that aims to maintain the integrity of sport within Canada. They also oversee Canada’s anti-doping programs.

U Sports said the policy became effective once the release came out, giving transgender athletes opportunities to play

• 11

in the 2018-19 season. According to the policy, “A student athlete … may only compete on sport teams of one gender during a given academic year.”

In addition, U Sports said the policy doesn’t require student athletes to undergo hormone therapy to complete a gender category.

The policy mandates student athletes to comply with the Canadian Anti-Doping Program. U Sports didn’t stipulate to what length hormones are allowed and how transgender athletes can comply with World Anti-Doping Agency standards.

In recent years, U Sports has come under fire for thwarting efforts of transgender athletes hoping to continue their athletic careers in university. Prior to the new policy, Canadian universities were left to determine the fates of transgender athletes who study at their institutions.

The policy doesn’t align with events sanctioned by international governing bodies such as the Summer or Winter Universiade, which numerous U Sports athletes attend every year.

As per standard U Sports practices, the athletes are eligible for five years of university sport.

Colborne’s goal is to spread student’s love for the game.

on my old teams in England … making them play as much rugby and love it.”

Beginning his career at age six, in his hometown of Bristol, England, Colborne has never known anything but rugby. He recalled his everyday consisting of going to school and playing rugby.

“I think I had too much energy as a kid, and my parents were like, ‘Get this kid into a contact sport,’” Colborne said of his early career.

By high school, Colborne was at one point playing for four teams as often as five times a week, from September until May. Despite roots in Britain, Colborne was familiar with Queen’s because his father completed his PhD at the university.

When Colborne visited his older brother at Queen’s, as a high school student, he couldn’t resist—especially given the calibre of the school’s rugby program.

Currently, Colborne hopes to show his players that rugby is more of a team sport than in high school. He said his entire coaching philosophy is built around his favourite aspect of the game: camaraderie.

“At Queen’s, we have 100 plus people in the [rugby] system,” he said. “You have this massive family, these people you’re going to be inherently tight with, [and] just because you’re playing rugby.”

PHOTO BY MAGGIE GOWLAND

Along with playing for the Queen’s varsity team, Colborne played for Team Ontario while on contract with the Canadian 7s junior team in the summer of 2017—an experience he described as “pretty frustrating.”

“I don’t think the Canadian rugby system is very well organized,” Colborne said. “So that put me off rugby coming into Queen’s last year—as soon as I was back playing with guys I like in a better system and on a dominant team, [it was] pretty nice.”

Since he won’t be playing rugby for the foreseeable future, Colborne doesn’t know what his relationship with the sport will be once he leaves Queen’s for good at the end of the semester.

“I’m trying to get into yoga,” he said.

“I might do some more coaching and maybe [refereeing], take it slow. I kind of want to just work on [the] professional side of my life,” he said, having recently graduated from mechanical engineering His career post-Queen’s isn’t set in stone either—Colborne has been working to find his passion in engineering so far, but it isn’t the same love he’s had for rugby.

“I’m kind of trying to step back and explore,” Colborne said. “[I want to find] what I like other than rugby.”

12 •queensjournal.ca

Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

MEN’S HOCKEY

Gaels to take on defending OUA champions in season opener Gibson talks new roster, challenges ahead of new campaign Jasnit Pabla Copy Editor The men’s hockey team lives and trains by one motto: karma.

“We talked as a coaching staff and we talked as a team,” head coach Brett Gibson told The Journal in an interview. “I truly believe in karma. Especially at the U Sports level.”

This season marks Gibson’s thirteenth year heading the men’s hockey program. He welcomes new coaches to his staff, fresh faces to his roster, and the opportunity to be challenged as a coach.

“It’s fun,” Gibson said about the excitement of a new season. “[The players] keep you on your toes and it’s refreshing. As you get into coaching for a while, it’s nice to be challenged.”

During their 2017-18 season, the Gaels fell short of their championship dreams during a heartbreaking secondround match-up with the Concordia Stingers, losing in overtime in the fifth and deciding game of their playoff series.

The Gaels boasted the third-best record in the OUA last year, breaking a program milestone with 19 regular-season wins. Gibson said that while it was a disappointment not returning to the U Sports national championships after qualifying in 2016-17, his team had an impressive run.

“I think we had a fantastic year last year,” he said. “[W]e probably had a better year than when we went to nationals [in 2016-17]—that doesn’t make it a bad year.”

Since their playoff loss in March, the Gaels have shifted from a roster heavy with upper-year players to a younger lineup. For Gibson, this translates to speed and new skill to work with.

Coming into this season, the

The men’s hockey team plays McGill in their first game this weekend.

Gaels bid farewell to forwards Darcy Greenaway and Eric Ming, defenceman Warren Steele and goaltender Kevin Bailie. They introduced two new goalies into the lineup, Jack Flinn and Justin Fazio, though Gibson has yet to name a starter for the position.

“We lost three key clogs … But what we gained was young enthusiasm, speed, and skill,” Gibson said. “I think we have more skill this year, but does that translate to wins? I don’t know, but I like the way we’ve started.”

Gibson, who’s been rotating Flinn and Fazio during the Gaels’ three pre-season exhibition matches, added deciding between the two players has been “a good problem to have.” Both

rookies come with significant junior-hockey level experience and bring a competitive air to the team.

To kick-off their preseason, the Gaels were victorious against the RMC Paladins 6-0; in the East vs. West exhibition tournament, the team defeated the Waterloo Warriors and Western Mustangs in back-to-back matchups 2-1 and 5-3, respectively.

Both Flinn and Fazio have at least one win heading into the regular season, with the former having a shutout under his belt.

After more than a decade coaching at Queen’s, Gibson will also take on his third coaching gig with Hockey Canada, acting as head coach of one of two Canadian teams competing at the World

PHOTO BY JASNIT PABLA

under-17 Hockey Challenge this coming November.

“It’s an honour to get the call to Hockey Canada, because it means you’re doing something right,” Gibson said. “You get to bring back things from the elite coaches in the country that we have, and it makes our program better.”

The Gaels travel to Montreal on Oct. 5 to face off against the McGill Redmen, where they’ll open their season against the 2017-18 OUA champions.

“Every year is different,” Gibson said. “I’ve grown as a coach and I can’t compare this team to last year’s team. I can only deal with what’s in front of me, and I really like what’s in front of us right now.”

Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

queensjournal.ca

Lifestyle

• 13

PRODUCTIVITY DISTILLED

How to conquer an overwhelming week Prioritizing may be the key to lowering your stress levels Prioritize tasks ahead of time

Izzy Hazan Contributor Here’s a situation every Queen’s student knows all too well: it’s Monday morning and you have a massive list of things you didn’t get to last week. You glance at your calendar to find more jam-packed weeks ahead with no time to slow down.

With midterm season gearing up, job applications in full swing, and extracurricular responsibilities seeping into your once-coveted free time, life is beginning to feel a tad overwhelming.

If you’re starting to feel burnt out, it’s critical to approach the weeks ahead in control rather than stressed and overwhelmed.

While it may be satisfying to spew out everything you need to do on a sheet of paper, massive to-do lists are often counter-productive and hide the differing levels of importance between our tasks. Although emailing a professor about Research Assistant positions and getting new highlighters may both be on your to-do list, they're not equal.

Don’t get me wrong: I love fresh highlighters too, but new school supplies don’t have the same impact an uncomfortable task like emailing a professor might.

We tend to de-prioritize the tasks which are most uncomfortable for us to do, and it’s why we may see the same

RECIPES

Homemade mac and cheese recipe

things on our to-do lists week after week. This pattern boils down to playing a constant game of mental Jenga with our to-do lists, only pulling out the tasks which look right in the moment.

While this strategy means your lighter tasks may get done, the important ones end up buried—providing short-term feelings of accomplishment instead of the long-term pay-off we crave and set out for.

A useful strategy to combat avoiding important tasks is starting each week by prioritizing your tasks. Outline the five most important jobs of your week, then another five slightly less pressing ones, and finally, five additional tasks which don’t get touched until everything else is checked off.

This prioritization forces you to

Cap off a stressful

week with this famous comfort food Samantha Misner Contributor Ingredients:

Mac and cheese is a great meal to share with friends.

PHOTO BY ERIN BURNS

STAFF PICKS

Journal Staff We all know of a million stressors that can overwhelm students at university. Something less discussed, however, are the many ways students can practice self-care to achieve emotional balance.

In honour of Mental Health Awareness Week, The Journal asked its staff to share some of their favourite ways to destress. *** “My favourite self-care practice involves a healthy combination of a Pitbull-loaded playlist and running along the Kingston waterfront. I understand this could be characterized as me literally running from my problems, but I think it’s actually the furthest thing from that.

Getting my legs moving is a therapeutic experience—I get to out-race the bubble of anxiousness stewing and push some clean air into my lungs. It might just be the view of the lake, but I've worked through more problems than I can count while crossing the LaSalle Causeway.”

—Matt Scace, Sports Editor

—8 oz dry macaroni —1/4 cup butter —1/3 cup all-purpose flour —3 cups whole milk (may substitute with skim, 1%, or 2% milk) —250g brick of cream cheese (cubed)

A messy to-do list.

GRAPHIC BY NOUR MAZLOUM AND JOSH GRANOVSKY

move down your to-do’s in order of importance, distinguishing the “want-to-do” from the “need-to-do.”

For the rest of the week, start each day by identifying the most important task. This is the task which, if it was the only thing you accomplished that day, you would still consider that day to be productive.

Pre-structured journals, like the popular Productivity Planner, provide accountability by outlining this weekly and daily structure for you. Having this

format laid out can be helpful, especially when starting with a structure like this for the first time.

However, this habit of prioritizing your tasks can easily be adopted in a blank journal or existing agenda—all it takes is two minutes and a little intention.

By committing to a structure like this on a weekly basis, your overflowing stress levels may dissipate and you’ll begin to see just how much can get done in a week if you plan effectively.

—3 oz sharp orange cheddar (grated) or cold-packed cheddar (crumbled) —1 squirt of yellow mustard

sauce, whisking until the paste is completely dissolved.

Once the mixture is fully combined, let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until the sauce thickens. The sauce may be thin at this stage, but will be thicker than regular milk.

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. While it cooks, prepare the cheese sauce.

2. Start the cheese sauce by melting butter over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour and continue mixing and cooking for about two minutes. You should be left with a paste called a “roux.”

3. Gradually add milk to the

Journal staff ’s preferred self-care practices Our favourite ways to destress and practice self-love “When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I typically recharge with an at-home spa day. I use the terms ‘spa’ and ‘day’ loosely; most of the time, I settle for a long, hot shower and experiment with all of the fancy skincare products I otherwise neglect.

Although I love a good do-it-yourself project, I’d much rather lay in bed with face cream on than mash bananas for an effortful, YouTube-inspired face mask.”

—Ally Mastantuono, Assistant Lifestyle Editor “My best, but sometimes least favourite, form of self-care is getting my s—t together. My anxiety is usually made so much worse by impeding deadlines, and results in me not doing a

single thing out of overwhelming stress. Occasionally, I have to force myself to check a few things off my bucket list and hold back the tide of anxiety so I can relax afterward.”

—Tegwyn Hughes, Copy Editor “I generally don’t subscribe to the popular ‘laughter is the best medicine’ doctrine used for decades to employ clowns in hospitals. But I do find watching funny videos is an easy way to summon positive emotions in times of stress.

I have a YouTube playlist saved on my computer that consists of short videos which consistently make me happy, including a bizarre video of animated characters fake-auditioning for The Voice and any talk show appearance

Kristen Wiig has ever made. The playlist, which totals half an hour in length, often puts me in a good mood and allows me to later evaluate what’s going on in my life without immediately focusing on the negative.”

—Josh Granovsky, Lifestyle Editor “Unlike essays or articles, writing in a journal doesn’t require the hassle of planning or revising.

Whether it’s scribbling down what’s worrying me at the moment or a list of things to be grateful for, journaling helps put life into perspective, and remembering that all I have to do to succeed is take one step at a time.”

—Zier Zhou, Editorials Illustrator “For me, self-care equates to being in tune with myself and how I’m feeling with certain

4. Turn the heat down to low, and slowly add the cream cheese and cheddar. Stir until melted. Add salt and pepper and a squirt of mustard for taste.

5. Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and mix gently but thoroughly.

points of stress in my life. It’s helpful for me to start the day by lighting some incense and running through a morning yoga flow, which I follow with a meditation session. This practice keeps me grounded and helps start even the most stressful days with a clear head.”

—Jasnit Pabla, Copy Editor “While spending the first few minutes of my day scrolling through my Instagram feed is tempting, I’ve been trying to swap that habit with something better for me.

I now start my mornings blasting some upbeat music—usually the Mamma Mia! soundtrack. Jamming to 'Super Trouper' before my classes really takes the edge off academia.”

—Amelia Rankine, Video Editor

SUPPLIED BY MATT SCACE

LIFESTYLE

14 •queensjournal.ca

Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

SEX COLUMN

Tri-colour Sex Diary: Spicing up a long-term relationship gone wrong An attempt to bring sex toys into the bedroom yields unexpected results Long term relationships can be hard.

It's difficult to constantly keep things interesting while balancing school, a job and a million other responsibilities. If I’ve learned anything in my 20 years of life, it’s spicing things up in the bedroom is essential to keeping a relationship alive.

I was fortunate enough to meet the man of my dreams in my first year at Queen’s. Although our sex has improved since we met, it's not as flirty and spontaneous as it used to be.

A couple months ago, at a sex shop, my boyfriend and I came across Clone-A-Willy. The product allows you to take a silicone mould of a penis and make a vibrating dildo out of it.

After a little bit of coaxing, my poor, loving boyfriend agreed to let me clone his penis.

"It'll be so fun!" I told him.

"What could go wrong?"

Frankly, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I bought the Clone-A-Willy kit and watched instructional videos to prepare.

The problem, among others, was I probably chose one of the busiest weeks of our lives to undertake this project.

Right off the bat, things went awry. What followed was the most stressful experience Julia Balakrishnan Production Manager

It’s Libra Season, which makes it the perfect time to work on finding balance in your life and establishing routine.

Now that you’ve more or less got a grasp on your classes, social life, and goals for the coming

I’ve ever had. I'd like to see Tom Cruise partake in the Clone-A-Willy experience because it was Mission Impossible. I take that back, I wouldn’t like to see that at all.

To properly duplicate my boyfriend’s penis, I had two minutes to mix the moulding gel mixture, pour it into the provided tube, insert his penis into the gel, and wait for it to harden.

Throughout each of these steps, my boyfriend was supposed to maintain a full erection.

The whole experience involved a lot of back and forth, no clear plan of action—and a little bit of crying.

The biggest issue we had was the actual sex we attempted, which was supposed to keep my boyfriend erect long enough for the mould to set.

Unfortunately, our sex kept getting interrupted by the dildo making, and it was hard for my boyfriend to maintain an erection while switching between the

two activities.

With two minutes on the clock, I quickly grabbed a bowl and mixed the moulding powder with water. While trying to stay as sexy as possible, I poured the mixture into the tube and quickly handed it to my boyfriend as he put his penis in the makeshift machine.

I could tell from his face it wasn’t working.

In the process of mixing and pouring the moulding powder into the Clone-A-Willy tube, I spilled a bunch of the mixture on the floor.

There ultimately wasn't enough of the mould in the tube to fully cover his penis.

In the face of a disappointing attempt to spice up our sex life, I simply sat on the floor and began to cry. I didn’t think I’d elicit this kind of response, but it was 1 a.m., I had two quizzes the next day, and this whole experience had proved stressful.

After taking my boyfriend’s penis out of the tube, the mould looked better than expected,

HOROSCOPES

A locked diary on a desk,.

but I was still pretty upset we somewhat failed at making a legitimate dildo. The next step in the cloning process was waiting two to eight hours, where we’d then pour a hot pink silicone mixture into the penis mould.

I poured the silicone into the mould the next morning and spilled half of it on my desk. At this point, I was highly skeptical this penis cloning project would be successful.

I’d classify the end result of my Clone-A-Willy experience as moderately successful.

There were a couple of structural flaws I had to fix once the penis was out of the moulding tube. Since the whole experience wasn’t very enjoyable for my boyfriend, the dildo wasn’t properly sized, if you know what I mean.

The Journal’s October 2018 horoscopes Looking into Libra Season year, focus on the little details of your daily life. Tending to small, reoccurring things helps keep your stress levels down.

With that in mind, using sun placement relative to Kingston and birthdates, here’s what this

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

upcoming month may have store in you.

ARIES (Mar. 21—Apr. 19)

Don’t let the emotional wave of this month carry you away.

You tend to respond to both positive and negative events in extremes, and there’s going to be a heavy mix of these—especially in the workplace.

Focus on bringing beauty and warmth to the people you love.

TAURUS (Apr. 20—May 20)

When friends approach you for advice this month, admit when you don’t know something.

Those who feel wronged by you can easily turn into enemies.

Listen when others speak, especially romantic partners.

There’s passion in you, but you must understand others to be understood yourself.

GEMINI (May 21—June 21)

You can finally reap the rewards of all your hard work.

This is an exciting time for new relationships, open and easy communication, and

domestic harmony. You’ll also find financial opportunity.

Just be weary of keeping secrets and say what’s on your mind—let your positivity flow.

CANCER (June 22—July 22)

If you’ve been feeling unsatisfied, look at the quality of your relationships.

Accept the advice of your friends—they want you to be happy again.

This month is also a very bad time to have a casual fling.

It will only re s u l t in confusion and hurt feelings.

LEO (July 23—Aug. 22)

Relationships have been a bit strained lately because of a dip in confidence, especially with body image. This month is a time for rebirth. Look at the person you love instead of the mirror. They know how beautiful you are.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Despite these flaws, I still gave the dildo a try. This whole process was too stressful for me not to try and have a happy ending.

Rating this experience out of 10, I would give it a solid five-and-a-half. It wasn’t as fun and sexy as I expected it to be. It was very stressful, and left both my boyfriend and I extremely frustrated.

If anything, this experience was a testament to how crazy I am for making my boyfriend do this, and how much he’s willing to do for me. Putting myself in his shoes, I wouldn’t be comfortable—nor sane enough—to stand in my partner’s room, naked, with my genitals in a mould.

Reflecting on our sexual experiment, I’m glad we got to do it together. Even though the Clone-A-Willy wasn’t sexually satisfying, partaking in an unforgettable experience like this one undoubtedly brought my boyfriend and I closer.

Want to submit your own tricolour sex diary? Email journal_lifestyle@ ams.queensu.ca and tell us a little about yourself.

VIRGO (Aug. 23—Sept. 22) Locate the source of your cluttered mind: Is the small issue you’re sweating over really why you feel so uncomfortable?

Meditate and appreciate all the good things. You’re doing a great job handling all your responsibilities, but be conscious of the impression you make on others.

LIBRA (Sept. 23— Oct. 22)

Outwardly, you’re a dictionary’s definition of achievement .

On the inside, you’re still pining for a happily ever after.

Romance has no chance to bloom if your ideals block out the sun.

To read more horoscopes, visit queensjournal.ca/ lifestyle

LIFESTYLE

Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

queensjournal.ca

5TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

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STUDENT TICKETS ONLY $13!

“The gifted composer, violinist and pop-music maestro” THE GLOBE AND MAIL

18 19

Tickets from $26 | Students: $13 | Queen’s Faculty/Staff: $22 TICKETS: 613.533.2424 (M-F, 12:30-4:30 PM) ONLINE: QUEENSU.CA/THEISABEL

QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY, ISABEL BADER CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, 390 KING STREET WEST

The Isabel’s 5th Anniversary Season Benefactor JOSEPH S. STAUFFER FOUNDATION

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The Kingston Connection Series is supported by the J.P. BICKELL FOUNDATION

Hotel Sponsor

Media Sponsor

• 15

LIFESTYLE

16 •queensjournal.ca

Thursday, Oct 4, 2018

POSTSCRIPT

Opening up about my silent struggles with mental illness Why I kept quiet about my experiences with anxiety and depression

Jonathan discusses the importance of breaking the mental health stigma.

Jonathan Karr Staff Writer Growing up, I was under the impression mental illness was the result of some trauma or difficult upbringing, leaving me safely unaffected.

However, in grade 10, my doctor said I may have anxiety after I recovered from an 18-month-long undiagnosed stomach illness that led me to miss school. While it was intended to somewhat validate what I’d gone through, I had more questions about this potential diagnosis than answers.

I struggled throughout my sickness and was sidelined from almost a full year of school.

The thought that something like a stomach illness—which felt comparatively small—could bring about a mental disorder felt embarrassing, confusing, and wrong.

While I was initially skeptical of my diagnosis, the effects of my anxiety began to appear once I returned to high school the following year. I was overwhelmed by how much had changed academically and socially at a place I used to be so familiar with.

I was hyperaware of how frequently I heard my peers—and some adults—stating, “everyone has anxiety,” and you have to “suck it up.” I wish I had the courage to defend myself and others with anxiety; to make the clarification that while everyone may feel anxious at times, that’s not the same as suffering from an anxiety disorder.

Instead, I resigned myself to listen to them.

I briefly tried seeing a psychotherapist, but when it didn’t pan out, I decided I could “suck it up” and treat the anxiety on

my own.

Time went on, and my self-managed anxiety remained at a steady—though far from ideal—level. I eventually saw a new therapist, who officially diagnosed me with anxiety.

I left this therapist as I prepared to move to Queen’s, though that had more to do with leaving Toronto than it did my mental state.

I didn’t feel equipped to take on university with so much still on my plate, but I kept it to myself.

The issue didn’t seem notable

feel equipped “toI didn’t take on university with so much still on my plate, but I kept it to myself.

”

enough to warrant intervention.

My first semester at Queen’s passed without any notable shifts in my mental health. I mistook that consistency with stability, making the false assumption everything was under control.

In second semester, my mental health turned for the worse. I blew off classes, skipped assignments, slept all the time, and distanced myself from several of my friends.

The communication required to maintain friendships seemed too arduous to manage.

While I knew my situation was worse than before, I only realized the severity of my poor mental health once I missed a deadline for an assignment worth 30 per cent of my final grade. I wasn’t even aware I had an assignment.

Throughout this time, I tried to act as a strong figure to my friends struggling with their transition into university—while leaving my own struggles down at the bottom of my priorities.

Facing severe academic

consequences, I finally got the nerve to share the extent of my anxiety with my parents, who’d previously been under the impression I was thriving in my new university environment.

I called them, recounting everything that had happened since I moved to school. I went home the next day.

I wish I finally came to terms with what I was going through once I told my parents, but I still found myself lying to friends about the reason I left school.

I blamed my absence on immovable, necessary follow-up appointments from my stomach illness three years prior.

This trip home to Toronto, however, did kick off the next phase of battling my mental illness. My parents took me to a psychiatrist who promptly diagnosed me with depression and put me on anti-depressants.

The rest of my first year still didn’t end the way any student would want it to. I never handed in the big assignment I’d forgotten about, and I had to make several phone calls to academic advisors in hopes they’d let me into the major I wanted despite my incomplete course.

Once I received this diagnosis and all my academic issues got sorted out, I felt like I’d finally solved my problem. At the time, I seemed equipped to deal with depression and anxiety myself.

My second year quickly proved how naïve I was to believe that telling someone what was wrong was the only step required for recovery.

Despite a strong start to my semester, circumstances spiraled out of control again, leading to my parents returning to Kingston. I was forced to drop two courses and I’m still dealing with ramifications of the decision, retaking those

courses now while my peers have moved forward in their degrees.

However, this time I had a more proactive response to my anxiety and depression. I spoke with a psychologist frequently to monitor my condition and looked for strategies to maintain good mental health, leading to almost daily calls home.

Not every day has been perfect since then, but I haven’t had a depressive episode in almost a year, and I finally have enough self-knowledge to know when I’m feeling off. I increased the dosage of my medication before beginning the current school year, and have access to a psychologist anytime I feel less stable than usual.

Based on experience, it doesn’t take much to reach a low point.

I’m cautiously optimistic about openness with friends and family, talking to my parents almost daily, and admitting to myself when something is wrong.

I hope to take the necessary steps to get a grip on my mental state before I spiral out of control.

Admitting I needed so much help to get back on track, when it felt like nobody around me even missed a step when entering university, was without a doubt the hardest thing that I’ve ever had to come to terms with throughout this experience.

Looking back, I can see all the opportunities I had to reach out and ask for help without judgment.

In my lowest points, I didn’t feel like I could ever regain control of my life. But each time I reached out and took a step in the right direction, I've found my friends, family, and professors supporting me. They simply needed to know there was a problem before they could offer a solution.

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

As we conclude Mental Health Awareness Week, I believe it’s important to note mental illness is an illness. Period.

A large part of breaking the stigma surrounding mental illness is reinforcing this consistently and affectively. Nobody would treat strep throat by lying in bed and telling themselves that it’ll get better by itself.

People struggling with mental illness aren’t weak. We must open ourselves to help and offer support for those close to us, so that anyone struggling feels comfortable enough to speak up when they need assistance.

We must open “ ourselves to help and

offer support for those close to us, so that anyone struggling feels comfortable enough to speak up when they need assistance.

”

I wish I had.

If anyone with mental health struggles of their own is reading this, I hope my story is a reminder your feelings are valid and deserve to be heard, whether or not you live a privileged life.

There are so many people and resources available to help cope with mental health issues in the world. All it takes is opening up to finding them.

Anyone in need of support is encouraged to contact Student Wellness Services at (613)-533-6000 ext. 78264 and/ or the University Chaplain Kate Johnson at (613)-533-2186. After hours, students can contact Campus Security at (613)-533-6733.