The Queen's Journal, Volume 146, Issue 9

News

2 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, Oct 12, 2018

News in Brief University strikes two new search committees The University has struck two search committees, according to an Oct. 4 press release.

The first new addition is the Headship Search Committee for the Department of Surgery. It will provide advice on the current and future status of the Department of Surgery, as well as future headship positions and prospects.

The second is the Advisory Search Committee for an appointment to Associate Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education.

The current Dean Brian Bennett will resign effective June 30, 2019. The Advisory Search Committee will make recommendations to Bennett to appoint his successor.

Richard Reznick awarded honourary fellowship from Royal College of Surgeons in England

On Oct. 10, the Royal College of Surgeons in England awarded Richard Reznick, Dean of the Faculty of Health Science, an honourary fellowship.

Dr. Reznick has kept a strong relationship with the College and the British surgical community for 25 years, centering their partnership on improving and accelerating modern surgical training.

As well as earning a fellowship at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Reznick has been awarded honourary fellowships from the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland and Edinburgh.

Kingston Police break up fight between bicycle owner and alleged thief

On Oct. 5, at around 5:30 p.m., a Kingston policer officer broke up a fight between two males on Princess and Clergy Street.

The complainant was eating dinner in a Princess Street restaurant when he saw the accused attempting to steal his bicycle.

After the complainant ran outside to

confront the thief, the two began to punch each other.

The intervening officer arrested the accused and searched his bag, finding a pair of bolt cutters and a cut bicycle chain.

The 37-year-old alleged thief was brought to police headquarters, where he was conditionally released with a set court date. The accused was charged with theft, possession of break-in tools, and breach of probation.

Queen’s receives $15.5 million of Government of Canada’s $558 million discovery research investment

On Oct. 9, Minister of Science and Sport Kirsty Duncan announced a $558 million investment in discovery research funding.

Over $15.5 million will be distributed to more than 70 faculty and students across various disciplines at Queen’s, which will use the funding to support scientific research.

This is the largest 2018 investment made by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for the Discovery Grant programs.

The funding comes from the Government of Canada’s plan to attract global talent and accelerate advancements in science.

Queen’s hosts conference to celebrate Indigenous Health Network mentorship initiative

The Indigenous Health Network recently implemented a nationwide initiative to support the next generation of Indigenous health scholars.

Queen’s was one of many host institutions that launched links to the network and created a community hub for local Indigenous scholars.

On the launch date, Queen’s held a day-long conference for community members, scholars, staff and faculty to learn more about the initiative and the importance of mentorship for Indigenous peoples.

The Queen’s network hub will host networking events where mentors and those seeking mentorship can meet.

—Raechel Huizinga

Don't Be Late Nominate!!

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

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

DEADLINE: October 15, 2018

Todd Zimmerman.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S

Todd Zimmerman appointed new director of campus security Police retiree approaches directorship with community-based philosphy Raechel Huizinga Assistant News Editor This fall, Todd Zimmerman retired from 35 years of police work to become the new director of campus security at Queen’s.

Zimmerman, who has a degree in law and security from Athabasca University, spent 33 years with the Greater Sudbury Police before moving to Espanola, ON, where he served as police chief for one year.

When the latter position was replaced during the town’s transition to OPP law enforcement, Zimmerman decided to try something new.

“I wanted a new experience and a new challenge, and I saw an advertisement for Queen’s University,” he said. “I thought, that’s awesome. I can’t wait. I’d love that to happen.”

During his policing career, Zimmerman was a criminal investigator, a sexual assault investigator, and a forensics officer.

As well as spending time as an inspector, Zimmerman specialized in break and enter cases during his seven years working for the Canadian Securities Institution.

With twelve years of experience in upper management and running the criminal investigation division and uniform branch in Greater Sudbury, Zimmerman believes his versatile experience in police work will assist him in his new role at Queen’s.

“I’ve pretty much done everything you can think of in policing,” Zimmerman told The Journal. “Every aspect of security and every part of my function, I’ve done it before, in either a big or small setting.”

One of the main methods Zimmerman hopes to transfer from police work to security is the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police community safety and wellbeing plan.

In the safety and wellbeing plan, officers work with different partners and agencies to “make things better for society,” according to Zimmerman.

Zimmerman said he plans to take this community-based model and apply it to Queen’s by connecting with both students and local resources.

“You can’t accomplish anything without the support of the community or the public,” he said. “That’s my philosophy coming to Queen’s.”

Looking to engage with student leaders, Zimmerman consulted the Society of Graduate and Professional Students and is planning to do the same with the AMS. His vision for the relationship between students and security is one of support and accessibility.

“It’s getting out to the student population to be there for them and support them,” Zimmerman said. “That’s where I want to go with security here at Queen’s.”

One of his goals is to make his security team a resource for students seeking help outside of emergency services.

“If people need assistance with Student Wellness [Services] or any other student groups or victim services in the community outside of Queen’s, we can help them get what they need,” he said.

“We want to help them get engaged with the right people, making them aware of the options.”

When it comes to major campus events like Homecoming and student protests, Zimmerman said he aims to ensure a safe environment for everyone.

“The security is for everyone,” he said.

“Our goal is to make sure everyone is safe, but if it does get out hand, we have to rely on the Kingston Police Service.”

While it can still be necessary to call police back-up, Zimmerman wants to emphasize a supportive nature in his security team.

“There’s going to be times when stuff’s going to happen and we’re going to have to take that enforcement role, but there’s lots of other times we can be supportive,” he said.

“We’re part of the student experience, and we want it to be a positive student experience.”

News

Friday, Oct 12, 2018

queensjournal.ca • 3

Candidates divided on cannabis retail, attracting youth Continued from front ...

“If we don’t have that information by mid-January, it’s better for the city to opt out,” Vacancy Rebate and Reduction Tax. he said. “You can always opt in later once “We should not have to pay tax on you have all the information you need.” properties we don’t own,” he said. “We While Schmolka criticized Paterson’s end up with empty stores, empty offices, platform, she stressed the importance and higher unemployment.” of ranked ballots, the city’s public transit When asked how Kingston can attract system, and the need for transparency in young adults, Lee focused on the struggles City Hall activities. of Kingston’s seniors and didn’t “I believe that Kingston is at a mention youth. crossroads,” she said. “Following He also expressed concern the current path Bryan Paterson’s about the density of cannabis path—the city’s roads and retailers when asked if the sidewalks will have more cracks city should opt out of private and potholes. Very few affordable marijuana retail before the housing units will be built. High mid-January deadline. rises with expensive rents will be “Every second block we’re going jammed into downtown and along to be selling pot,” he said. “Come on the waterfront, regardless of our folks, gee whiz, there must be more official plan.” to downtown than that,” he said.

Schmolka said the city In his responses, Matheson said could attract young people he’d tackle infrastructure, drawing as mass retirement opens up on his background as a cab driver opportunities servicing Kingston’s and educational experience in aging population. the social sciences, business She said a lack of “common administration, and public relations. pride and a common sense of If elected, Matheson also hopes purpose” divides the community, to address Kingston’s sustainability, Schomlka, but didn’t expand into homelessness, and vacancy policy suggestions. rate—which is the lowest in “I just want to acknowledge Canada. that we can do much better with “We need to make Kingston respect to young people,” she said. a better place for all of us,” he Agreeing with Paterson, said. “We’ve done some good Schmolka argued it would be prework in the cultural and economic mature for the city to opt in with PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO aspects—depending on who Kingston residents pose questions to mayoral candidates at City Hall on Thursday. private retail cannabis without all you are—but societally and the information. environmentally we are lacking, and we Mayor Paterson based his platform on He also suggested collaboration with However, Schmolka criticized need to fix that.” three pillars: embracing a policy of growth, local high schools to guide students Paterson’s lack of consultation with Additionally, Matheson said the City designing the city for people, and seizing into applicable training for available the public in making cannabis retail could attract young adults by considering global opportunities. employment in Kingston. location decision. its inaccessibility.

He also wants to invest in new green Paterson was concerned about the “We have to consult with the public,” “We would need to expand our transit spaces, entrepreneurship, and different proximity of cannabis retailers to schools she said. “It’s up to leaders in the service to allow our seniors to use it, modes of transportation to Kingston. and a lack of information from the community to help organize perhaps free of charge, and allow students “I believe the job of the Mayor is to be a p r o v i n c i a l g o v e r n m e n t a discussion.” and young people to use it free of charge,” champion for the city, a team leader for the a b o u t h ow much zoning The 2018 Municipal elections will be he said. “We need to make our city accessible community, and someone who is willing agency municipalities will have. held on Oct. 22.

Bryan Paterson.

and connected to everyone.”

On cannabis policy, Matheson was in favour of the opt-in for private retail outlets, calling them a “social and economic driver for our community.” He said the demand wouldn’t be high enough to overwhelm the downtown area.

He added he hoped to protect tenants’ rights as mayor.

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

Vicki Schmolka.

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

to get up each and every day to be able to expand and create opportunities.”

Paterson provided three ideas about how to make Kingston more attractive to young adults: housing, employment, and cultural vitality.

“We need more housing, so that young professionals can find affordable, decent places to live,” he said.

Eric Lee.

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

Rob Matheson.

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

Reznick to counsel Ford government on healthcare Dean joins Premier’s Council on Improving Health Care and Ending Hallway Medicine Iain Sherriff-Scott News Editor On Oct. 3, the Ford government appointed Dr. Richard Reznick to serve on the

Premier’s Council on Improving Health Care and Ending Hallway Medicine, according to a statement from the University.

Reznick, the dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and one of the highest earners at Queen’s, is one of 11 experts appointed to counsel the Ford government on healthcare.

The new council is comprised of individuals with both private and public sector experience in healthcare. Reznick, however, is only one of two deans to be appointed to the council.

“There are dramatic needs to improve According to a statement from the our performance in healthcare, including University, the Council’s role will be to ending hallway medicine,” Reznick said “recommend strategic priorities and advise in a statement. on actions that can be taken to improve “As dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario’s health outcomes and improve I see on a daily basis both the strengths and patient satisfaction, while making Ontario’s weaknesses of our system, and am very health care system more efficient.” excited to be a part of the Premier’s Council When asked for comment regarding on Improving Healthcare and Ending Reznick’s appointment, Queen’s did not Hallway Medicine that will help us move respond in time for publication. forward in delivering the best possible care to our patients across Ontario,” he said. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

News

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Friday, Oct 12, 2018

CMA ‘takes a stand’ Continued from front ... copied speech.

It was a “surreal” experience, according to Simpson, vice-dean of Queen’s School of Medicine and a former CMA president. He was in a conference room in Reykjavik, Iceland, when Eidelman’s inaugural speech started sounding suspicious.

“When he used the term social contract, that’s a very Canadian term in the medical context, and I thought, ‘Oh that’s weird,’” Simpson told The Journal in a phone interview.

“It really hit me was when he began one fairly long paragraph. I knew immediately it was word for word from my inaugural speech in 2014,” Simpson said. “Right down to the punctuation.”

Simpson turned to the person beside him, and said “that’s my speech” before speaking simultaneously with Eidelman’s address.

In a statement announcing its withdrawal from the international organization, the CMA wrote it’s “taking a stand” against Eidelman’s plagiarism.

“As an organization that holds itself as the arbiter of medical ethics at the global level, the WMA has failed to uphold its own standards,” CMA President Dr. Gigi Osler wrote in a statement. “The CMA cannot, in all good conscience, continue to be a member of such an organization.”

Founded in 1947, the WMA describes itself as an “independent confederation of free professional medical associations” which have committed to upholding the medical ethics of physicians.

Simpson felt the conference—which was focused on medical ethics—should have held Eidelman to a higher standard.

“As you know in the academic community, we take plagiarism very seriously. We hold our students to a higher standard, they can be dismissed [from university] for plagiarising,” he said.

After Eidelman’s address, the Canadian delegation compared the speeches. They concluded Eidelman hadn’t only plagiarized Simpson’s 2014 speech, but also plagiarized from other sources without attribution or recognition.

“It became pretty clear that a substantial part—probably even most of his speech—was directly plagiarized from other sources,” Simpson said.

In addition to the CMA’s withdrawal, Simpson, with the support of Osler, also demanded Eidelman’s resignation in response to the incident.

To review Simpson’s allegations, WMA council went into a private session to consider the Canadian delegation’s request. “The council, when they studied it, found as a matter of fact that plagiarism had occurred. But the motion for him to step down didn’t pass,” Simpson said.

The result of the vote was “difficult to understand,” he added.

Later, Eidelman apologized for his actions in front of the general assembly. The Canadian delegation didn’t stick around to watch.

“For the head of an international body that’s all about medical ethics, to go completely unsanctioned, was clearly over a

line for us,” Simpson said.

As an educator, Simpson said it would be “hypocritical” of him to return to his students having left Eidelman off the hook for plagiarism.

In a statement, Osler said the CMA will turn its “attention and energy” to other ways it can participate in international initiatives.

In the coming weeks, Simpson said the CMA plans to hold a board meeting to determine the organization’s next actions and review the issue of Eidelman’s plagiarism. Simpson added he’ll also be speaking at the meeting.

Simpson’s outlook for the CMA is optimistic. “There are a lot of practical international collaborations that can happen outside of the formality of the WMA,” he said.

“We’ll continue to be very active on the international stage, but exactly what forms that will take, I’ll leave to our board to decide.”

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•5

Features

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

Legal opioid prescriptions can lead to substance abuse.

Hannah Stafl Features Editor Maybe it would all have been different if Emily* hadn’t fallen that day.

She slipped on ice when she was 15, falling down the stairs on her way to her car. It was her first day off crutches following a skiing accident.

Everywhere the granite stairs hit her neck and vertebrae, she was injured. She didn’t receive proper treatment, like physiotherapy, and her spine never fully recovered.

“It was awful to be in some level of pain every single day,” Emily said.

Arriving at Queen’s as a first year in 2007, Emily went to see Queen’s Health, Counselling and Disability Services (HCDS), now known as Student Wellness Services (SWS).

After her first doctor’s Tylenol prescription didn’t work, Emily was referred to another doctor within HCDS. The doctor prescribed Emily Percocet and Oxycontin instead.

“By the time I was in fourth year, I had running prescriptions for Percocet and at least two Oxy’s a day,” Emily said.

While Emily’s experience was legal, a 2016 National College Health Assessment Survey reported 5.5 per cent of Canadian post-secondary students had used prescription pain relievers not prescribed to them in the past 12 months.

Their use, even when prescribed, can sometimes lead to abuse.

As opioids, the drugs manage pain and “produce a state of relaxation or euphoria,” according to educational material from Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health (KFL&A). The effects can be achieved through legal prescriptions or illegal street opioids.

Narcotics, including opioids, are still prescribed at Queen’s by SWS, according to its Director, Jennifer Dods. However, they’re prescribed rarely, and students who do receive prescriptions are monitored closely. They’re are also required to sign a treatment agreement regarding the drugs’ use, in addition to

A pill for the pain Two alumni share their stories of drug abuse while University takes precautions complying with regulations.

The drugs’ illegal use is often minimal on campus.

However, in the past year and a half, Staff Sergeant Keith Hill of the Kingston Police Drug Unit said he’s seen a steady increase in illegal opioid busts around the city.

None so far have occurred within the University District.

“Fentanyl and other opiate drugs are so prevalent that it can’t help but go into all areas of the city of Kingston,” Hill said.

The University District may be no exception.

So far, Kingston’s fentanyl supply has not shown up on campus and no overdoses have been reported, according to Todd Zimmerman, Director of Campus Security & Emergency Services at Queen’s.

If there were students using illegal opioids—not selling—Zimmerman said security would take the approach of helping the student.

“If an individual is in distress due to personal use or an unexpected exposure, then getting assistance for the victim is the most important step and there is no intent to punish the student,” Zimmerman said.

Even with no fentanyl incidents to date, campus security has begun carrying Naloxone kits.

The kits work like an epi-pen for opioid overdoses, temporarily halting the drug’s effects.

Additionally, SWS Health Promotion Coordinator Beth Blackett said they also “delivered substance training to all Orientation leaders and Residence Life student staff which included how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose.” ***

As she dealt with her spinal injury, Emily was taking a heavy dose of OxyContin. She found it difficult to concentrate while on

the drugs. Her trouble focusing in school, as well as the tolerance she eventually developed, led her to begin abusing the medication.

Emily would hoard the pills and take several days’ worth at once.

“When I was having a really bad day, I’d crush them up and take it like a line of coke,” she said.

She loved the numb, fuzzy feeling they brought.

Emily never bought opioids illegally. All of her uses—and abuses—were prescribed and lawful.

Every month, she would go see her doctor to renew the prescription. She was tested for drugs in her system, but the test didn’t detect the amount—meaning the times she would overuse couldn’t be recognized.

She believes more access to counselling could have helped mitigate her addiction. During her time at Queen’s, students could only attend a certain amount of sessions per year through HCDS. Currently, counselling sessions have no cap. However, wait times can still be a concern for some students.

Emily still wishes there was more effort to fix the root of her pain, rather than mask it.

More than a decade later, Emily cites her recent trip to the chiropractor as the most effective solution to her constant discomfort.

“I was in pain every day for 12 years,” she said. ***

Shannon* made the same trip to HCDS following the development of horrible muscle pain in her stomach.

She walked with a cast due to a torn ligament in her foot. Her injured foot was an inch or two higher—an imbalance that caused the significant stomach pain.

Shannon went to her local ER

during Christmas break of her first year in 2006 for the pain.

After several tests that couldn’t find the cause, she was sent home with Percocet.

Still in pain back at Queen’s, Shannon went to the HCDS walk-in clinic to refill her prescription. The clinic doctor filled her script again and sent her on her way.

The pills weren’t helping, so finally she went to her chiropractor, who diagnosed the cause of her pain and gave her stretches to fix it.

With her pain now gone, Shannon was still dependent on the pills. She went back one more time to the walk-in clinic. “[The clinic doctor] just took me on my word that my doctor had prescribed it, [and] my doctor had given no refills,” Shannon said.

She doesn’t even recall being asked if she had the pain any more.

The doctor gave her 30 pills—but Shannon needed more.

Back in her dorm room, she scratched the “3” into an “8.”

The pharmacist didn’t buy it. He called her doctor and confirmed it was fake. Shannon pleaded ignorance and blamed it on her roommate.

While Shannon and Emily never took the drugs illegally, the prescription-to-abuse pattern has become common. ***

Recently, attention has been focused on the high number of overdoses from illegal, nonprescribed street opioids, which can be cut with more potent fentanyl. According to the Government of Canada, there were 3,996 opioid-related deaths in Canada in 2017, an increase of 32.9 per cent from 2016.

Illegal fentanyl is connected to legal prescriptions, according to Dr. Samantha Buttemer, a Senior Public Health and Preventive Medicine Resident Physician

with KFL&A Public Health.

She explained users can get hooked on prescriptions and turn to illegal drugs once they run out.

Prescription opioids are one of the few publicly funded tools doctors can use to treat pain. The drugs—particularly OxyContin— were heavily marketed beginning in the 1990s.

Alternatives like massage and physiotherapy usually aren’t publicly covered. These factors all make opioids a more available tool for some doctors.

Dr. Buttemer added the rise in overdoses in the past few years is due to a shift from predictable opioid prescriptions to street opioids cut with fentanyl. Its potency can mean overdoses occur much more easily.

“It’s kind of a web of many problems that have all [created] this terrible situation that we’re really having a hard time getting a handle over,” she said.

OxyContin was delisted, meaning it wouldn’t be covered by the government, in 2012.

This caused many users to turn to illegal opioids, according to Justine McIsaac, a harm reduction counsellor at the KFL&A Public Health Overdose Prevention Site, operated just blocks away from Queen’s.

“We left a whole bunch of vulnerable people [with] no choice but to then turn to the black market,” McIsaac said. ***

After her attempted forgery, Shannon’s pharmacist told her she was lucky not to spend a night in jail. Shannon took her encounter as a wake-up call.

She flushed her pills down the toilet, never using them again.

As she reflects on her experience, Shannon echoes Emily’s sentiment—the doctors she saw tried to conceal the symptoms rather than fix them.

“The pain went away when I was taught a way to stretch and move in a specific way that fixed the [problem], as opposed to just masking the side effect or the symptoms,” Shannon said.

“I didn’t know that [Percocet] was [so] addictive.” *Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of students.

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Friday, Oct 12, 2018

EDITORIALS

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL

The Journal’s Perspective

Volume 146 Issue 9

Conversion therapy for youth needs federal ban Conversion therapy’s sustained traumatic impact on LGBTQ+ youth has permanent repercussions on their lives and harms their sense of self-worth.

Over 2,500 Canadians have recently signed an online petition pressing the federal government to ban conversion therapy—the practice of trying to counsel LGBTQ+ youth to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.

While illegal in Ontario, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia, conversion therapy practitioners operate quietly in other provinces, convincing youth their identity is abnormal and wrong.

Conversion therapy is often religiously motivated, and has been formally rejected by every mainstream medical and mental health organization in the country. The Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), for example, has stated the practice’s n e ga t ive outcomes, “including distress,

anxiety, depression, negative self-image,” and “personal failure.”

Youth in Canada need the federal government’s denial of conversion therapy to both symbolically and practically defend their fundamental right to safety.

Symbolically, the federal government’s ban or criminalization of conversion therapy would protect young people.

Conversion therapy teaches youth their attractions are wrong or immoral—and no child should be taught they’re defective.

The imposition of abusive ideals on a developing person is troubling, yet it makes up the cornerstone of conversion therapy—which often includes electric shocks and nausea-inducing drugs.

It’s damaging to tell children their feelings are wrong and should be withheld.

While connecting religious belief to one’s feelings is valid, it is unacceptable when i t threatens a

ILLUSTRATION BY ZIER ZHOU

Tegwyn Hughes

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

Queen’s students need to take responsibility for our drinking culture The university administration has made every effort to educate Queen’s students on the adverse effects of our drinking culture.

Now, it’s our turn to make a change.

In the past few years, the University has made an admirable effort to counteract the prevalence of alcohol consumption and partying among its students. From maintaining the Campus Observation Room (COR) to papering residence buildings with endless information, our administration is running out of ways to convince students excessive drinking has a negative impact.

Yet all the same, Queen’s is ranked third in “hours partying” by Maclean’s magazine.

This reputation va l i d a t e s an ongoing stereotype that

everyone at Queen’s consumes alcohol frequently and excessively.

The responsibility for reforming the drinking culture lies in the hands of the students. This isn’t to say Homecoming should be spent sober—unless it’s your preference—but it means students need to be more mindful of their impact on others.

Don’t pressure your friend to do another shot if they’re already stumbling. Don’t host your campus club’s end-of-year party at a bar. Don’t set up your beer pong table in the street on a quiet Monday night.

A 2016 Student Health Survey at Queen’s found that 88.8 per cent of Queen’s students who replied had consumed an alcoholic beverage in their lifetime.

www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board Editors in Chief

Sebastian Bron

Nick Pearce

Production Manager

Julia Balakrishnan

Digital Manager

Angus Merry Iain Sherriff-Scott

News Editor

growing child’s basic safety.

Assistant News Editors Rachel Aiken Madison Bendall Conversion therapy’s advocates include Raechel huizinga Graeme Lauber of Journey Canada, an Features Editors Samantha Fink organization offering “spiritual care” for Hannah Stafl non-heterosexual adults. Lauber claims to Editorials Editor Meredith Wilson-Smith Sophia Spencer have reconciled his faith and sexuality as a Opinions Editor Arts Editor Brigid Goulem gay man with a wife and children.

Brittany Giliforte It’s critical to acknowledge this Assistant Arts Editor Matt Scace is Lauber’s choice—he entered Sports Editor Maggie Gowland treatment as an adult making Assistant Sports Editor Josh Granovsky an independent decision. Lifestyle Editor Assistant Lifestyle Editor Ally Mastantuono Conversely, minors under the Chris Yao care of a guardian cannot consent to Photo Editor Assistant Photo Editor Tessa Warburton conversion therapy because they lack Video Editor Amelia Rankine sufficient autonomy and information.

Assistant Video Editor Christian Siriano The practice describes the LGBTQ+ Graphics Editor Nour Mazloum experience as an obstacle to overcome, Editorial Illustrator Zier Zhou rather than an integral part of a person’s Copy Editors Tegwyn Hughes identity they must accept to feel fulfilled.

Jasnit Pabla But young people set the tone for a Editorial Intern Lillian Gao society’s future—and the harm this message causes can ripple Contributing Staff Staff Writers and Photographers through generations.

Lauren Trossman A formal ban is material action and more effective than an apology on Contributors Michelle Boon behalf of the government—it ensures Carolyn Elia discriminatory conversion tactics don’t cause Allie Fenwick Dana Meilach damage in the future.

Kaylee O’Meara Laws like this set an important Quinn Scarlett Andrew Schjerning precedent because they solidify and balance cultural norms. A federal conversion Business Staff therapy ban for youth would acknowledge Morgan Dodson Canada’s historical discrimination against Business Manager Head Sales Representative Aidan Chalmers LGBTQ+ communities across the board, Sales Representative Ben Johnstone protecting vulnerable individuals.

Sales Representative Callum Nesbitt The quicker a national ban is Office Administrator Liveny Krishnakumar implemented, the more potential there is to permanently change a culture discriminating against marginalized groups.

Want to contribute?

For information visit: —Journal Editorial Board However, respondents also cumulatively guessed 98.2 per cent of the Queen’s population had drank before.

The perception here is that everyone at Queen’s drinks.

I know first-hand the effects of this.

Starting in high school, every attempt to drink alcohol, even one cooler or beer, resulted in a night of sleeplessness and vomiting.

I persisted in trying to drink at social events for two more years after coming to Queen’s, despite my stomach’s obvious aversion to alcohol. I didn’t want to be at one of Canada’s top party schools without being able to participate.

The 2016 survey’s results mean about one in 10 students, not including those who previously drank but no longer choose to, may consider themselves excluded from the overall Queen’s culture.

As a non-drinker, I belong to this group—I feel disconnected from my peers every time the weekend rolls around. It’s hard to suggest to your friends to spend their Friday nights at the movies, an escape room, or any other alcohol-free space without worrying you’re a buzzkill.

If students want to take the first step toward reversing Queen’s drinking culture, they should look to their own actions.

Challenging friends to drink when they don’t expect it or posting Instagrams of beer funnelling can cause more harm than expected.

The University can host endless awareness campaigns and keep the COR open every weekend, but it’ll mean nothing if students aren’t listening.

Tegwyn is one of The Journal’s Copy Editors. She’s a third-year history major.

www.queensjournal.ca/contribute or email the Editor in Chief at journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca

Contributions from all members of the Queen’s and Kingston community are welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions.

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

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

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OPINIONS

•7

Your Perspective

Male mental health a silent crisis on campus Eliminating stigmas surrounding young men and mental illness requires cultural shift Quinn Scarlett ArtSci ‘19 The Canadian Mental Health Association labels men’s mental health as a “sleeper issue,” which—until recently—has rarely been taken seriously.

Although steps have been taken to dissolve stigmas surrounding the issue of male mental health, Queen’s campus represents a microcosm for a much larger, cultural problem.

By making the conversation about depression and anxiety a more open one, more male students might be able to self-identify their behaviour and struggles, and seek out resources for help.

Many factors contribute to the issue, but the high-octane academic environment fostered at Queen’s makes the pressure to ignore mental illness even greater for men.

Male students are often caught between feeling they need to meet the standards of masculinity while they effectively manage their academic stresses. One in five men will experience some form of a mental health issue, with 50 per cent of those not even aware they have it, according to data from Psychology Today.

While it often goes undiagnosed, the most common cases of mental illnesses for men in their formative years are depression and anxiety—diagnoses that men statistically are unlikely to share with those around them.

We’ve fostered a culture on campus where men have to perpetuate an image of being tough. But if our definition of what it means to be tough shifts to include men engaging in healthy methods of coping with mental health, this problem wouldn’t exist.

Men have long faced social humiliation for any form of gender deviation. Through shame tactics and

ostracization, those falling outside the norm of a tough man face rejection from their peers.

Attributes such as emotional vulnerability aren’t truly considered to be masculine, and some men may feel weak when they conceal their feelings of self-doubt.

But being open and honest is a sign of mental strength and fortitude. We simply haven’t been socialized to think as such.

Increased conversations on campus promoting openness on issues like binge drinking or peer pressure could make all the difference to young men who may be hesitant in seeking help.

A study by Psychology Today said that men with a mental illness are twice as likely to have a substance abuse problem compared to the general population, which highlights a significant amount of men tending towards unhealthy methods of coping.

Queen’s is no exception.

In a 2016 study I helped conduct with two Queen’s faculty in the Department of Health Policy Studies, Heather Stuart and Kate Humphreys, we found Queen’s has one of the highest rates of alcohol abuse and binge drinking culture in Canada—especially amongst males.

Although this can be credited to a myriad of factors, there’s no escaping several of our male peers engage in unhealthy drinking behaviors to cope with their mental health struggles.

Whether it’s stress stemming from school work, time management, relationships or something else entirely—binge drinking and substance abuse are some of the more prevalent coping methods for many male students on campus.

That needs to change for the betterment of our gender as a whole. Making the conversation about getting help in a healthy

Scarlett outside Stauffer Library.

way is non-negotiable.

In my work serving as the co-director for Queen’s for the Boys, I help our work to increase conversations within male-identified communities on campus and eliminate stigmas surrounding male mental health. We strongly believe that through relatable, succinct, and powerful messaging, we can be a part of the movement that seeks to mediate what’s becoming a crisis in our society.

However, one club can’t solve the issue entirely by itself.

For the remainder of the student body, particularly the male community, we all have the opportunity to offer our collective voices to support young men affected by mental health.

When conversation increases, the barriers to seeking help slowly disintegrate.

This problem isn’t necessarily entirely on he University’s shoulders—they haven’t let the issue take a back seat. From the

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

AMS peer support system to counselling services, there’s an abundance of resources available to students on campus.

Eliminating stigmas around male mental health requires a culture shift and everyone on campus, regardless of gender, to be a part of a constructive, healthy conversation.

Reaching out to a male friend who has been “off,” or quiet lately, a buddy who’s been hitting the bottle a little harder than normal, or even checking up for the sake of checking up. The smallest gestures and actions can completely alter a situation and impact someone’s life.

Your side of the conversation is imperative, and makes a difference in the cultural shift of making young men more comfortable to talk about their mental health struggles.

Quinn Scarlett is a fourth-year Biology major.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Josh Granovsky (The Journal’s Lifestyle Editor) wrote an editorial a couple of weeks ago about the world’s need for gentleman-like qualities to be instilled in all men as the norm rather than an exception, especially in the wake of the recent #MeToo movement.

Granovsky’s writing is thoughtful and well-written but I think that his criticism of our current society’s attempt to turn boys into men misses the mark. It’s true that we do not need more gentlemen, but I think that instead our focus should be on raising good people.

Most would agree that in our current social climate men and boys are being fed toxic ideas about what it means to be a man, both in relation to women and other men (not to mention non-human animals and our environment). This consensus should bring us further questions: what sorts of ideas should we be telling young men and boys about the meaning of manhood? What qualities constitute the ideal masculinity?

These questions however are problematic. They necessarily lead us to differentiated ideals for men and women, which will necessarily lead to power differentials between the sexes (think of the supposed “separate but equal” legal doctrine of the Jim Crow southern United States). Not to mention the complications that arise when we finally start to

consider the implications of these ideals for gender non-binary or gender-fluid individuals.

Why is it that my sex characteristics should determine the way that I must present myself and interact with others? Many would likely reply, “well men are bigger and stronger than women and therefore have a responsibility to protect them.” Not all men are bigger and stronger than all women. “Yes, but on average men are the bigger and stronger gender.”

Why use these rough, imperfect categorizations then? Why not raise all individuals regardless of the genitalia they may or may not possess to help those whom they are in a position to help?

Forget a more compassionate masculinity. We should free men and boys from the constraints of masculinity and instead teach them to aspire to a more compassionate humanity.

—John Hannant-Minchel

8 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, Oct 12, 2018

Arts

PHOTO BY AMELIA RANKINE

The Nuremberg Chronicle on display at Douglas Library on Oct. 10.

Amelia Rankine Video Editor

On Tuesday, Principal Woolf introduced the 1493 edition of the Nuremberg Chronicle, the library ’s newest rare book acquisition.

The historical text was on display in Douglas Library, at an event hosted by the Queen’s School of Religion at a lecture for its Religion and Art course.

Woolf described the book as “the holy grail of early printed history.”

It’s the most extensively illustrated text from the 15th century. Printed a few decades after the invention of the Gutenberg Printing Press, it features text and images that were printed simultaneously. Its content covers both biblical and historical events from the 15th century.

“This is a particularly impressive item, both in […] world intellectual history [and] in the history of art,” Woolf said.

Queen’s School of Religion professors Sharday Mosurinjohn and Richard Ascough hosted the lecture component.

“Because the Nuremberg Chronicle is a text and image

CONCERT REVIEW

EVENT REVIEW

Queen’s Library opens historical Nuremberg Chronicle for students ‘The holy grail of early printed history’ displayed at Douglas Library hybrid, it calls us to account for the interplay between the visible and readable,” Mosurinjohn said.

“You might come to think of the two modes, text and image, in more egalitarian terms, as two sides of same coin.”

Containing almost 2,000 woodcut prints, the book is filled with illustrations. With images often reused multiple times, the book contains plenty of maps, designs

and cityscapes framing the text.

Donated by Seymour Schulich, this copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle is unique for being hand-coloured and annotated.

Signed by Joannes Cincinnius and dated in 1521, the colour and scholarly marginal annotations add another layer of depth and expand upon the images and text.

While the book could

Decades later, Mellencamp still wows audience at Leon’s Centre Aging rocker plays hits for crowd and proves relevance Carolyn Elia Contributor Last Thursday, I time traveled for the first time.

That night, John Mellencamp and his band took the entire Leon’s Centre for a trip back to the ’80s, serving heaping doses of nostalgia to rock fans as they relived his glory years.

At 67 years-old, Mellencamp

belongs to another time. His early concerts didn’t have cell phones flashing constantly through slow songs, and overthe-top special effects were rarely the main draw to his concerts.

Instead, he built a committed fanbase through earnest, powerful songwriting.

Each song is a love letter to his fans, and it transcends any time period. This is music to take a lighter out and sway to, regardless

of your age.

Mellencamp took us back to a time of pure, soulful rock ‘n roll on Thursday—with of course a hint of country from his new album Sad Clowns & Hillbillies.

Never in my life have I seen an audience, or even myself, so captivated by an artist. His stage presence was a powerful lesson in the fundamentals of a strong performance, with from-the-heart delivery.

only be printed in black ink due to the limitations of woodcut printmaking when it was published, years after its original printing, Cincinnius painted the book’s illustrations by hand with water colour.

“This activity not only changes Johannes’ status from consumer to a sort of collaborator, but also would punctuate his reading,” Ascough said.

When Mellencamp croons “Jack and Diane,” you can fool yourself into believing it’s his first time playing the tune.

I’ll be honest: I never thought I would go—or even have the opportunity to go—to a John Mellencamp concert.

As any self-respecting student, I would be guaranteed to choose a Kendrick Lamar or Luke Bryan concert over him.

At least I would’ve before last Thursday’s concert.

Mellencamp opened my eyes to a whole new kind of artist and performer. I’d never seen a musician make such a raw connection with the audience and his fellow musicians on stage. As they played off one another, with easy camaraderie and a joyful performance, it made up for Mellencamp’s age.

It was music for its own sake, played for fans that hung around

While there are many available copies of the Nuremberg Chronicle, few have the breadth and quality of additional content as the copy in Queen’s collection.

The colouring has stood the test of time and the illustrations are still vibrant today.

Guests at the lecture were allowed to handle the 500-year-old Latin text as well as other books from the collection. Groups of students and faculty members flocked to the large well-preserved chronicle, serving as a landmark example of a primary resource for intersecting research in the field of history, religion and visual art.

“It’s becoming an artifact that is not only treasured and protected but available for study as an object as a work of literature and a rich cache of visual art,” Mosurinjohn said.

It will be available as a resource for students in the W.D. Jordan Rare Books & Special Collections in Douglas Library. long after hit singles stopped arriving. For the younger audience members, it proved classic rock songs could still carry all the heft they did in their hey-day.

As a student, I felt like I’d missed something when I left the Leon’s Centre. Mellencamp was proof that yesterday’s music still mattered, regardless of popularity.

After turning 67 years old, he’s still rocking out as hard as he was when his 1982 hit “Jack and Diane” dropped. Mellencamp’s still one of the most urgent and motivated artists there is. The decades since his classic releases were nothing when he was on stage last Thursday.

Mellencamp lived up to his well-deserved title as a legend—thanks to little more than a guitar.

Arts

Friday, Oct 12, 2018

queensjournal.ca

ARTIST PROFILE

Keeping the art of pen craftsmanship alive Matt Vainer’s pens on display.

Student creates fountain pens out of unusual materials Michelle Boon Staff Writer While most students grab a coffee and hit the books after class, Matt Vainer, ArtSci ’20, heads to the workshop to perfect his latest fountain pen.

These nib-tipped pens have lost popularity in favour of Bic ballpoints, but Vainer keeps the tradition alive through his pen-making project,

AUTHOR PROFILE

Longbranch Woodcraft.

Discovering the hobby in high school through one of his friends, Vainer has carried his craft into university, and created a small business. Partnering with local shops, he discovered a small community of niche craftsmen. You can find Vainer’s work alongside leather-bound journals in Kingston boutique, Ars Libri, or in Canada eh? a gift shop in Fort Henry run by a local silversmith.

Although an antiquated item, Vainer’s fountain pens have found their market as gifts for men. He believes that men are more difficult to shop for, and his pens are a higher quality version of something they use every day.

Graphic novel explores sexuality and self-acceptance Queen’s alum educates students outside of the classroom Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor After years of hiding his sexuality, Queen’s alum Mark Julien wrote his journey into a graphic novel—Justin Case and the Closet Monster.

On Oct. 19, Julien will return to Kingston to share how these experiences and struggles shaped his new book at Duncan Macarthur Hall.

His graphic novel follows Justin, a closeted gay man who struggles to accept his sexuality. Justin bottles up his identity, fearing how the world would react if he came out.

Then, one day, a monster from a parallel dimension emerges in Justin’s closet.

He can’t hide his identity anymore as the monster “helps him to come to terms with being gay,” Julien told The Journal in an interview.

The story mirrors Julien’s own journey towards self-acceptance. Growing up, he was afraid of sharing the truth and revealing his sexuality. After years of homophobic bullying, Julien said he “definitely had a problem coming out of the closet.”

“Unfortunately, I became homophobic,

and that was my way of dealing with things.

I thought that if I pointed a finger at somebody else, then the bullying would stop for me,” Julien said.

The harassment didn’t stop.

When he began to study at Ontario College of Art and Design, he realized he was attracted to men.

Before coming to Queen’s for the Artist-in-Community Education program, Julien started writing and illustrating Justin Case and the Closet Monster, but he put it on hold. He thought it was easier to be gay now than it was years ago. His message wouldn’t be r e l e v a n t anymore.

When Julien started teaching high school in Kingston, he saw how wrong he was. During his teaching placement, Julien witnessed bullying that mirrored his own experiences PHOTO SUPPLIED BY MARK JULIEN g r o w i n g up. He realized his book could help someone.

“When I went to teacher’s college and began teaching I realized a lot of the same problems that I faced were still in the classroom,” Julien said.

This realization came during his time at Queen’s, when he was starting to come out to his classmates and colleagues. After years of living in fear and denial, he was starting

PHOTO BY MICHELLE BOON

The process of making most of his pens begins with a piece of wood. He drills holes through a halved block of wood, secures the brass pen barrel, and then lines the two pieces up on a lathe to begin carving with a steel chisel. After some buffing, the rest of the metal pen parts are added.

While the process for each pen is relatively the same, Vainer described pen making as “halfway between art and craft.”

He sees potential in a wide array of materials from Bethlehem olive wood to woolly mammoth tusks, and creates a piece that shows off the grain and texture of the media.

Vainer also works with resin casting, to come to terms with his identity and come out to the important people in his life.

However, it came too late for some.

“My dad got sick with Alzheimer’s disease and so, by the time I was ready to tell my dad, he wasn’t able to understand me anymore,” Julien said.

In an attempt to reach his father despite his illness, Julien finished Justin Case and the Closet Monster.

Using a graphic novel allowed Julien to accessibly share his experiences. His dad could listen to the story and hear his son’s truth, without even knowing it.

It isn’t simply a fantasy graphic novel about a monster. It’s Julien’s own story and his own journey, and a last-ditch effort to connect to his father.

He hopes the book will one day be a valuable teaching tool to use in classrooms,

•9

which is similar to mixed media sculpture.

He has the creative mobility to mix different colours and suspend a wide variety of materials in the resin. One of his most visually stunning pieces is an ocean-themed pen made from crushed pearl, abalone, turquoise, and opal, cast in a shimmery resin called pearlescent epoxy.

Materials aside, each of Vainer’s pens tells a story. He specifically chooses natural materials with either a biological or historical significance. For one, the Bethlehem olive wood comes from a 3000-year-old grove in Palestine.

Another one of his pens is made from a piece of vine that fell off Grant Hall in a storm. His most historically significant pen was made from the oak deck of the HMS Victory, best known as Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Some pens are more sentimental. Vainer often receives requests to use wood from trees from childhood homes. In other pens, the material itself has a story. One of the most interesting materials he employs is called motor agate—a synthetic stone made from layers of paint in car factories. It looks like a precious stone, and each ring of colour is from a different car.

As a student, Vainer cannot always make it to the workshop. However, he treats his craft like a part-time job, spending the day in the workshop when he can.

What started off as a hobby has turned into a small but successful business that he hopes to continue in the future. engaging with students about what it’s like to come out. According to Julien, that can be a rare opportunity when teachers face restrictions in the classroom.

“I think unfortunately there’s not a vehicle for us to be able to talk about these issues with students,” Julien said.

His writing allows him to employ his own approach to education, outside of the confines of a traditional institution.

He can teach through public readings of his novel, like the one he will be giving at the Queen’s ACE homecoming event.

He can teach by continuing to tell Justin’s story—and his own.

“There’s definitely more to Justin’s story than I told in the book. I think a lot of Justin’s journey was the same as my own and I think there’s still a lot of my story I would like to be able to tell,” Julien said.

10 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, Oct 12, 2018

Sports WOMEN’S SOCCER

Wolever dominates in final season

Senior striker leads OUA in goals, points amidst her final year with Queen’s PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

Jenny Wolever leads the OUA in goals this season with 13.

Andrew Schjerning Contributor When Jenny Wolever scored in the closing minutes against the UOIT Ridgebacks last Sunday to seal a 2-0 win, the Gaels breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The goal clinched a crucial three points for a team firmly positioned to grab a toptwo finish in the OUA East. None of that would be possible without Wolever—the Gaels’ most dependable player throughout the 2018-19 season.

With her goal against UOIT, Wolever has now scored a staggering 13 goals, good for first among all players in the OUA. She’s been prolific this season, seemingly scoring at will and, as evidenced with her late goal against the Ridgebacks, when her team has needed it most.

“It comes down to working hard up front,” Wolever told The Journal about her knack for scoring. “It’s assuming you’re going to get to the ball when the defender makes a mistake, and it’s also up to my teammates giving me good balls … I’m making the movement, I’m in the open, but they make the passes.”

Despite her individual success, Wolever was quick to credit her teammates as being vital to her accomplishments this season.

She said the close bond the Gaels share has proved crucial to the team’s strong run of form.

GRAPHIC BY NOUR MAZLOUM

“We all love each other. We hang out all the time and have a blast,” Wolever said about the closeness she feels with her teammates. “We spend most of our time hanging out and studying together … it’s a really cool team dynamic that carries over and helps on the field.”

Wolever credited Head Coach Dave McDowell for creating a positive team dynamic.

“He’s very encouraging which is nice [and] he genuinely seems to care about us as people and as soccer players.”

Wolever, who’s in her fourth year at Queen’s, will be leaving the soccer program along with five other graduating seniors at season’s end. She only has fond memories of her time with the Gaels—and for good reason.

ROWING

In 2015-16, Wolever was named an OUA Second Team All-Star as a rookie, and in the following year was honoured with the title of U Sports Championship All-Star—the team’s best season during her collegiate career, claiming fourth place at the U Sports National Championships.

“I don’t think there’s been anything I would change,” Wolever said about her time at Queen’s. “[T]he team’s been a huge part of my four years here. It’s flown by, and I can’t believe it’s already almost done.”

“I would definitely do it again.”

The future of Wolever’s career after Queen’s is far from certain. She said she’s toyed with the idea of making the jump to professional soccer, but her education comes first.

“It hasn’t been something I’ve considered too heavily. Just this past summer, I started thinking about it a bit. I would have to see where I’m at with school, because for me, that’s the most important thing,” she said.

“Soccer’s close, but [school] comes first.”

Wolever also hopes the infrastructure for professional women’s soccer leagues continues to develop in Canada. It will greatly impact her decision about whether to play professionally or not.

“If more women’s leagues come to Canada, I would definitely consider it more,” Wolever said, adding she’s hesitant to play soccer abroad.

Ultimately, she said, it’s going to be about finding a balance.

“If I could make both things work, that would be ideal.”

Queen’s rowers off to blazing start Gaels spend Thanksgiving weekend at Brock, come away with six gold medals Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor Queen’s rowing had plenty to be thankful for this past weekend.

Coming out of their second regatta of the season at the annual Brock Invitational, the Gaels placed in ten events on Saturday, bringing home six gold medals in total. Each race was two kilometres in length.

On the women’s side, Cassidy Deane and Paige Adams came out on top in the women’s double. The duo would add another gold medal in the women’s quad with teammates Charlotte Deacon and Katherine Walker.

To cap off the women’s group, fourth-year Greta Chase came second in the women’s lightweight single.

On the men’s side, fourth year Gavin Stone finished top of the podium for the heavyweight men’s single race and placed in second for the men’s heavyweight double competition with Michael Bryenton.

Meanwhile, Alex Bernst picked up two gold medals in the men’s lightweight single and the men’s double with long-time boat-mate, Nick Grubic. The two have raced the double together four consecutive years.

Grubic landed gold later that day with first-year Daniel Stret in their first race as a lightweight pair.

Louise Munro, who was unable to race her events due to illness, was a notable absence in the Gaels’ lineup this weekend.

Munro won a silver medal at nationals last

year in the women’s single.

In an interview with The Journal, Alex Bernst said Munro will contribute to better results at the upcoming OUA Championships in October.

“I’d argue we would have had eight [gold] medals if she had been able to compete,” Bernst said.

Having raced in just two regattas, the Gaels are enjoying massive success to start their season, which could be a symptom of recent structural changes to their schedule. In recent years, Queen’s has slowly reduced its competitive schedule to focus on a more complete and consistent training schedule.

“It’s hard to keep interrupting your training with races,” Bernst said. “You almost get more value out of staying home and training.”

Perhaps the most notable transition the program has undergone this season was the departure of Head Coach Phil Marshall, who accepted a position with Rowing Canada last spring.

Bernst said it doesn’t feel much different without Marshall, as a lot of the changes

that were made in his time as coach are still in place.

“The changes were cultural,” Bernst said. “The way the team behaves and [how] everyone goes about their training and interact[s] with each other. Those were the bigger changes that we’ve made, and those are the changes we’ve kept.”

Currently, Rami Maassarani is the team’s volunteer head coach, working with Assistant Coach Katie Bruggeling.

Maassarani has been the team’s assistant coach since 2013.

“It feels like we have two head coaches, because Katie does so much of the work and Rami has been with the team for so long,” Bernst said.

Next up, the Gaels will get on the water for the OUA Championships on Oct. 26-27 in St. Catherines.

Bernst said the team is feeling calm and confident after their performances over the weekend.

“I can’t see that any of the results will be any different at OUA’s [from this weekend],” Bernst said. “I think everyone’s pretty excited.”

Bryenton (left), Stone (right) placed second in their race.

SUPPLIED BY MICHAEL BRYENTON

Friday, Oct 12, 2018

queensjournal.ca

• 11

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Gaels raising the bar in 2018-19 campaign Queen’s look to make third consecutive appearance at U Sports Championships Matt Scace Sports Editor The past two seasons for the women’s hockey team have been a constant flow of progress. This season, there’s no desire to take a step back.

“Our mission, our vision, our dream this year is to not only get to nationals, but to compete for a medal at nationals,” Head Coach Matt Holmberg told The Journal before an early morning skate with his team on Tuesday.

Queen’s has participated in the U Sports national championships for two consecutive years. The first came by way of an automatic berth when they hosted the tournament in 2016-17, and the second by officially qualifying through an OUA Finals appearance last season. At the national championships in 2017-18, they’d

SIDELINE COMMENTARY

lose both their pair of games to Manitoba and St. Francis Xavier.

Holmberg said he’s a big believer in setting tangible targets for his team this year. Reflecting on last season’s loss in the OUA finals to Western, Holmberg thought the Gaels had a slight mental lapse after qualifying for nationals.

“We already knew we were going to nationals before we played Western in the finals and it may have mentally stunted our preparation for that game. We achieved our goal for the season before the OUA finals,” he said. “What was left? What was next?”

At the moment, the women’s team has a number of steps to take before they can begin thinking about their long-term goals. The end of last season marked a significant turnover by a number of departing players—most notably within their defensive core.

Previous captain Jessica Wakefield, Micaela Smith and Amber Sealey will all be missing on the blue line due to graduation, while three rookies will take their places.

Now, 14 of the Gaels’ 24 players are in their first or second year.

Parity is the fuel to the OUA’s engine Wide array of competition key to Canadian athletic progress Matt Scace Sports Editor Before the season started, the expectations for the Queen’s men’s rugby team were clear: championship or nothing.

They weren’t ambitious expectations.

The Gaels have won the Turner Trophy five times in the last six seasons. This year, they’ve dominated in all six of their games—including a rematch of last year’s OUA Final with Guelph, which they won handily 40-13. Frankly, it’s a remarkable streak considering the levels of year-to-year turnover in collegiate sports.

While the inherent lack of competition isn’t a problem for the Gaels, it’s a problem for the OUA and U Sports, the provincial and national governing bodies of university sport in Canada.

In 2016, Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) was rebranded as U Sports with aims of turning the governing association into a business. Leaders of the change cited an untapped opportunity to draw the Canadian public’s eyes towards their students athletes.

Plenty was left for the public to interpret—making the association a business was the most apparent shift towards the modern idea of an athletic association being profitable.

The decision to rebrand was a clear attempt to bridge the gulf-sized divide between the CIS and NCAA, the United States’ university athletic body.

U Sports continues to understand it’s a peak they’re far from reaching.

But what surpasses every website revamp and corporate restructuring U Sports makes, is their ability to consistently deliver a quality product: the sports and competition.

As such, the men’s rugby team presents one of the biggest barriers for the OUA and U Sports in their push for progress.

The alarming lack of parity in the league makes it fun for Queen’s fans, but only a handful of fanbases—Guelph and Laurier, specifically—will have a glimmer of hope in their eyes when the men’s rugby playoffs roll around. And for the common spectator, there’s not a lot to cheer for at all.

It’s a critical factor completely |antithetical to U Sports’ idea of progress. It squashes the idea of putting out a product that sells.

Some leagues have managed to accomplish this. Currently, the OUA’s football standings hold four teams with six points and two with eight. Arguably U Sports’ marquee sport, they brought in over 10,000 spectators for last year’s Vanier Cup and had it broadcasted nationally.

While U Sports will never be the NCAA or create such a renowned event like March Madness, there are aspects they need to try to emulate.

The allure of March Madness—the NCAA’s massively popular basketball tournament—comes from the upsets and unpredictability. If U Sports and the OUA can emulate a small piece of that, there’s grounds for progress.

U Sports’ mission is the right one.

Canadian student-athletes deserve the recognition they’re starting to get, and it’s because of this remodelling that it’s slowly happening. But there’s a difference between bringing awareness to past and present students and drawing real genuine interest from the average person.

It’s not an easy task, and it won’t happen overnight. But it can start with some simple, tight competition.

Hailey Wilson (left) and Stephanie Pascal (right) last season.

Holmberg said while it’s hard to see so many veteran faces go, much of the team’s youth has the experience necessary to make a run for a national medal. Because the vast majority of the team has played in a national championship tournament—eight of the Gaels have experienced two—he’s less concerned with their experience on a high-pressure stage.

“Being at nationals for the past two years has served the players with the experience, the pace of play, the types of teams that make it to nationals,” Holmberg said.

There’s an endless number of roadblocks in the Gaels’ way to a gold medal. In one of the most competitive leagues in the OUA, Holmberg said there’s no guaranteed wins against any team this season.

“Every point is going to be well-earned and well-fought. I can’t really think of a weak sister in any of the 13 teams in our league,” he said. “It’s that crazy. There are going to be really good teams that don’t make the playoffs.”

The Gaels are set to move headlong into

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

the regular season this weekend, where they’ll host the Laurentian Voyageurs and Nipissing Lakers on Friday and Saturday, respectively, at the Memorial Centre in Kingston. Nipissing will be Queen’s first big test of the year, as the Lakers ended five points short of Queen’s last season.

With the day-to-day grind of the 24-game season at their doorstep, Holmberg said the Gaels are keeping their focus on weekly tasks. As such, they’ve placed their long-term goals on the back-burner.

“Since our team retreat in August, we haven’t really thought about it,” he said “We’ve talked about our process goals that don’t tie into wins or losses.”

With that in hand, Holmberg is firm in his belief that the Gaels can prove themselves as one of the OUA’s biggest threats.

“If the team works hard, stays united, then it’s possible at the end of the year we have a shot at going beyond what this team has ever accomplished before.”

12 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, Oct 12, 2018

MEN’S HOCKEY

Gaels boast clean record following first set of games Men’s hockey upsets McGill in overtime on the road, sweeps RMC at home Duncan Campbell scored the game-winner against McGill.

Jasnit Pabla Copy Editor The Gaels kicked off their regular season with two wins on Saturday and Wednesday, defeating the defending OUA champion, the McGill Redmen, 2-1 in overtime on the road and the RMC Paladins 4-0 at home.

Against McGill, Queen’s went into the game with hopes of keeping it a close contest.

“Anytime you go into Montreal you know it’s going to be a tough game,” Gaels captain Spencer Abraham told The Journal in an interview.

It was a difficult start for the Gaels. McGill got on the board right away, scoring an early goal two minutes into play past Queen’s rookie goaltender

Justin Fazio.

However, Fazio would shut out the Redmen for the rest of the night, making 32 saves in his OUA debut.

The Gaels knew what they had to do after the first goal. Abraham said the moments after were more important in bringing them back into the game. “We know it’s a game of momentum,” he said.

“Whether you score the first goal or give up the first goal, that next shift after is really important.”

Going scoreless into the second period, the Gaels found their stride with four power play opportunities against the Redmen—one of which allowed Queen’s defenceman Nevin Guy to sling a wrist shot into the back of the net to put his team on the scoreboard.

PHOTO BY MATT SCACE

A scoreless third period pushed the two teams into three-on-three overtime.

Following a big save from Fazio with only two minutes left in the overtime period, Queen’s defenceman Graeme Brown carried the puck to the Redmen’s zone and took a shot that was pushed aside by the McGill goaltender. Forward Duncan Campbell scooped up the rebound and put it into the net to complete the Gaels’ upset. “[This win’s] just confidence going forward that we can hold our own against anyone in this league, and I think with a short season that’s really important because every game matters,” Abraham said.

Head Coach Brett Gibson said it was a crucial win for his young

team, which has 17 first and second years making up their 29-man squad. “[This game] sets the tone for the season,” Gibson said. “Our new kids need to know what it’s like to play against the best and McGill is the best until you knock them off the playoffs. They’re the best in the league right now.”

With a win under their belts, the Gaels returned to the Memorial Centre to take on the RMC Paladins for the second time this season. In an exhibition matchup just weeks before, Queen’s defeated the Paladins 6-0.

The Gaels began the game with first-year goaltender Jack Flinn in net for his debut.

In the thick of a foggy Memorial Centre, both teams picked up their momentum with aggressive hockey in the second period.

The Gaels buried two goals in the period, with an early goal by forward Caleb Warren and

another less than five minutes later by defenceman Patrick Sanvido.

Aside from goals, high sticks on the Gaels’ end sidelined two Paladins with injuries and resulted in a brawl.

Queen’s finished the game with a 4-0 win, but not without another brawl in the closing minutes, drawing five cumulative penalties for roughing—three penalties going to the Gaels, two to the Paladins.

Despite the Gaels’ big win over RMC, Abraham was pleased with the way they stifled the Paladins on both ends of the ice.

“You can’t take anyone for granted in this league regardless of their record and history,” Abraham said. “They’re a tough team.”

The Gaels move into the weekend with a 2-0-0 record and are scheduled to take on the UOIT Ridgebacks in Oshawa on Friday night.

Friday, Oct 12, 2018

queensjournal.ca

Dana Meilach Contributor This article discusses sexual assault and may be triggering for some readers. The Journal uses “survivor” to refer to those who have experienced sexual assault.

We acknowledge this term is not universal.

Brett Kavanaugh, a man accused of multiple counts of sexual assault, has been appointed to a lifetime position on the Supreme Court of the United States of America.

This is reality, and it isn’t something that can be undone.

Instead of wallowing over the appointment or debating the nature of the Christine Blasey Ford hearing, we need to understand why Kavanaugh’s appointment is important, how the Republican Party attempted to clear his name, and what this decision means for the culture of Canadian university campuses.

Over the last few decades, the Republican Party has strategically targeted the Supreme Court in an effort to regain a conservative majority. Any Republican judicial nominee would’ve created the five conservative to four liberal judges majority—so why were Republican senators so insistent on supporting Kavanaugh?

One reason could be Kavanaugh’s unique view that a sitting President shouldn’t be bothered with criminal prosecutions and investigations while in office.

“In particular, Congress might consider a law exempting a President—while in office—from criminal prosecution and investigation,” Kavanaugh wrote in the Minnesota Law Review in 2009.

“Criminal investigations targeted at or revolving around a President are inevitably politicized by both their supporters and critics.”

Considering special counsel Robert Muller’s investigation on Russian collusion and obstruction of justice in the 2016 Presidential Election,

Lifestyle Christine Blasey Ford testified in front of the U.S. Senate about her assaulter.

QJ POLITICS

Why an accused sexual assaulter got appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court Explaining the system that empowered Brett Kavanaugh and what it means for campuses Kavanaugh’s opinion could be critical for the Trump administration.

Republican Senators may have also pushed for Kavanaugh’s appointment because they didn’t want to risk restarting the long process of vetting a new judicial nominee. Kavanaugh’s nomination occurred in late July and it took months to get him appointed.

With the upcoming midterm elections around the corner and Democrats making gains in recent polls, it'd be a race against time to find a new Republican Supreme Court candidate.

If Democratic senators flip enough seats in the coming election, the Republican Party’s majority in the House of Representatives would be

THE LAZY ECONOMIST

lost—as would their hope of approving their preferred candidate for Supreme Court judge.

Lastly, if senators were to show they accept sexual assault allegations as reason to disqualify an experienced judge, it carries implications about the sitting president who accumulated over 22 allegations of sexual misconduct between 1975 and 2015.

If Republican senators hold one man to the very low standard of not sexually assaulting women, protestors would scream hypocrisy for the Party backing someone who brags about grabbing women “by the p—y.”

None of these reasons make

What's the United States' beef with Canadian dairy?

Looking into the industry where Trump is trying to gain economic power Hannah Stafl Features Editor President Trump seems to have a “huge” problem with Canadian dairy—as if there's anything to hate about cheese and ice cream.

Canada’s high tariffs on international dairy products have created a rift in its trade relationship with the United States.

With tariffs—or taxes—on some non-domestic goods hitting as high as 270 per cent, American farmers are finding it difficult to sell dairy to nearby Canadian consumers.

While setting boundaries on the Canadian dairy market's accessibility to the US helps keep domestic dairy prices steady, it’s resulted in a struggle

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY

for economic power between the countries. At the G7 Summit in June, Trump made as much clear.

For all this to make sense, you first need to understand the trade balance that exists in every country. It sets the rules of the whole international trade game.

A trade balance is the measure of exports to imports. If you think of a country as one person, exports would be like that person making money and imports would be them spending money.

Generally, every country hopes to make more money than they spend. That's why a common goal is to have a trade surplus, in which they export (sell) more than they import (buy).

The flip side of a surplus is a deficit, where imports are greater than exports.

It's easy to miss the fact that, by design, not every country can run a trade surplus. After all, if you're selling an export, another country

will have to buy it and act as an importer.

Trump views international trade as a game, and he wants to be the winner. The reason he's at odds with Canadian dairy is because he's been on the losing end of the dairy trade relationship throughout his presidency.

He wants to export more American dairy to Canada in hopes of lowering the US’ trade deficit.

Trump’s been focused on dairy, because of the firm grip Canada has on the industry.

The Canadian government limits the supply of outside—think international—dairy to keep the good’s domestic price stable. This works because if the supply of milk was to increase, prices would drop.

Consider if you wanted to sell a textbook you bought last year for $75. If there's 10, 20, or 100 other students selling the same textbook

Kavanaugh’s confirmation less unsettling—but they do provide insight.

If men and women in the US' highest offices can overlook the testimony of a survivor, it doesn't bode well for cases of sexual assault out of the national spotlight.

These aforementioned reasons for why Republican senators confirmed Kavanaugh’s appointment aren’t confirmed.

However, the ways politicians justified their vote to the public seem less plausible than they’d like us to think.

Many Republicans said Dr. Ford’s allegations would ruin Kavanaugh’s career, even though he’d remain eligible to be a judge on a lower court if his nomination wasn't confirmed.

Others suggest Dr. Ford was sexually assaulted, but mistook the identity of her assailant. They believed survivors but only in the event of keeping Kavanaugh’s name clean.

These baseless defences perpetuate rape culture and marginalize experiences of sexual for $50, you can't hike up the price by $25 and expect other students to buy from you.

By enforcing high tariffs on milk imports into Canada, the supply and price of milk stay steady because it's cheaper to buy milk domestically.

Trump’s angry with this strategy because it makes it more difficult for American dairy farmers to sell their products to Canadian consumers.

His anger might seem justified—not being able to sell without significant barriers to a large, nearby market like Canada.

But this is where Trump appears hypocritical. He fights for access to our dairy market, yet taxes Canada heavily when it tries to export products into other American markets, like softwood lumber.

There's nothing really surprising about his

• 13

assault by placing Kavanaugh’s reputation and credibility above the woman who says he sexually assaulted her.

At Queen’s, we’re not under Kavanaugh’s rule—the U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t directly affect our everyday life.

But this judicial confirmation has likely emotionally affected someone you know, because it communicates to survivors of sexual assault that their experiences and pain don’t matter.

Two of the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh occurred during his time as a student at Yale. His actions as a university student represent the privileged culture on university campuses today: young, privileged white men often think they have an inherent right to touch a woman’s body—even if they do so jokingly or flirtatiously.

After being on Queen’s campus for three years, I can assure you there’s no shortage of these type of students here.

Two weeks ago, a young man stuck his hands under my friend’s jeans to grab her vagina at a club.

This man was a stranger. His defense for his actions was that he wanted to have fun and it was his friend’s birthday.

If this doesn’t remind you of President Trump’s infamous “grab her by the p—y” remark, and reasons for justifying sexual assaults allegations like Kavanaugh’s, you’re not paying attention.

One can blame sexual harassment at universities on the booze or the clothing women choose to wear, but sexual assault doesn’t happen without someone believing they have a right to another person’s body.

Survivors have horrible memories of their assault engrained for life. As Dr. Ford eloquently recalled in her testimony, she will forever be stuck mentally replaying “the uproarious laughter between [Kavanaugh and Mark Judge], and their having fun at my expense.” This pain is shown to mean nothing if the experiences of survivors have the possibility of ruining a young man’s potential.

Appointing Kavanaugh despite the sexual assault allegations levied against him feeds to the idea of entitlement without lasting consequences. behaviour—every world leader usually places their own country's priorities above another's.

The surprising part is that Trump expects Canada to not respond in the same self-interested manner that he would.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALLY MASTANTUONO

LIFESTYLE

14 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, Oct 12, 2018

TV

Big Mouth’s second season continues reign as TV’s funniest cringe-comedy Netflix comedy ups its serious content without losing laughs Lauren Trossman Staff Writer When Netflix’s animated comedy series Big Mouth came out with its first season last summer, audiences were surprised by its star-studded cast, bizarre-but-amazing premise, and cringe-worthy puberty jokes.

Its second season, which was released on Oct. 5, doubled down on its wacky sense of humour while also delving into some of the deeper difficulties of becoming a teenager.

Big Mouth follows seventh grade best friends Nick Birch and Andrew Glouberman—voiced

by Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, respectively—and their interactions with peers, parents and teachers.

The show’s sophomore season focuses on Nick starting puberty and getting his own hormone monster, who turns out to be an unhelpful and decrepit version of the monster Andrew got last season. It touches on more serious and relatable issues than its first, like shame and depression, but still manages to avoid getting too dark.

In addition to the hormone monsters of last season, Big Mouth’s second season introduces

STUDENT STORIES

The characters of Big Mouth comically grapple with puberty.

the Shame Wizard, voiced by David Thewlis.

The Shame Wizard is the enemy of hormone monsters, and he haunts kids with their deepest fears. Even though the show uses an outlandish mythical creature to portray this emotion, Big Mouth still manages to give an accurate depiction of how shame really feels—especially at such a self-conscious age.

Despite the Shame Wizard serving the constructive purpose of depicting embarrassment in teens, his torment still provides loads of laughs, especially in a bit where he becomes best friends with man-child coach, Steve.

Another powerful storyline in season two explores how openly

Reflections on a summer of adventure and growth My experience abroad as an au pair in Italy Kaylee O’Meara Contributor Last year, a friend reminded me that undergrad would likely be the only time in our lives when we get four-month summers. Having always wanted to travel, I decided it was time to take a leap and put my savings into action.

After speaking to friends who’d been au pairs before, I realized this was the best way for me to travel without breaking the bank.

So, last May, I hopped on my first ever transatlantic flight and spent the summer working as an au pair in Torino, Italy.

Over the course of three months, I lived, breathed and tasted Italian culture alongside my host family. I tutored children

in English each day and they, in turn, taught me about their world—along with some Italian.

Prior to the trip, I’d only travelled to a handful of places in Canada and the US, and I’d never been away from home longer than a month. Traveling alone for the first time proved to be both terrifying and incredible.

In exchange for childcare and English tutoring, I received free room and board with my au pair family and a small stipend for expenses. My hosts were incredibly welcoming and tried their best to make my experience—both as their au pair and guest in Italy—as positive as possible.

They were generous, and gave me time off to explore the country.

Kaylee travelled across Europe while working as an au pair.

Using Torino as my home base, I visited several beautiful places in Italy and France. I explored Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, Alberobello, and 11 other European destinations.

I was frequently alone or with near strangers, thousands of miles away from Queen’s. I vividly remember stepping into my hostel room in Venice and immediately breaking into tears because it felt so wrong to be staying in an unfamiliar city where I knew absolutely no one.

However, I was constantly humbled by the beautiful places I saw and the wonderful people I met along the way.

During my most homesick moments in the summer, I’d remind myself this first step away

SUPPLIED BY KAYLEE O'MEARA

gay student Matthew, voiced by Andrew Rannells, feels left out from his peers and doesn’t think he fits in with the boys or girls in his grade.

The show gives an honest account of what it’s like to be an LGBTQ+ adolescent but never sacrifices its comedic appeal, shown through another character’s nickname for Matthew

SCREENSHOT FROM NETFLIX

being “baby Billy Eichner.”

One of Big Mouth’s highlights continues to be its stellar cast, featuring the voices of comedy icons Jason Mantzoukas, Jenny Slate, Fred Armisen, Maya Rudolph, and Jordan Peele.

Kroll, a co-creator of the show, impressively voices seven different characters throughout the season, including protagonist Nick, hormone monster Maurice, and seventh grade mean girl Lola.

Big Mouth’s sense of humour can be dirty and outlandish, but the second season doesn't fails to provide humour along with nostalgia about our own coming-of-age years. The show is self-aware and employs many meta jokes, such as a whole bit where Nick and Gina talk about how much they love Netflix before a scene where they begin discussing sharing passwords, which is suddenly cut off.

Though its second season touched on more serious issues than it previously has, it avoided feeling preachy while still getting the message across about the difficulties of puberty which mainstream media rarely covers.

from home would be hard no matter when or where it was.

Looking back at photos, videos and journal entries from the trip, it feels strange that it was really me on this trip. Reminiscing feels as though I’m watching a long-winded, emotional movie about a girl finding herself in Europe.

I’ve been back in Kingston for six weeks since my travels, and when people ask how my summer was, I have to stop and think, “Did I really do that?”

Still, I know I’d do it all again.

Travelling alone taught me that change is as worthwhile

as it is scary. There’s always a hundred reasons not to do something—waiting for the perfect time to travel isn’t always realistic.

Getting on that plane in May was a leap of faith. It was frightening and unnerving, but I’m so glad I pushed myself to do it.

Whether it was discovering I have a reserve of strength and courage I didn’t think once I had, or knowing the fact that there’s no limit to the amount of parmigiano one can put on pasta, I’ll carry the countless lessons I learned along the way with me forever.

The show gives an honest account of what it’s like to be an LGBTQ+ adolescent but never sacrifices its comedic appeal.

LIFESTYLE

Friday, Oct 12, 2018

queensjournal.ca

• 15

POINT/COUNTERPOINT

Do subtitles help the viewing experience?

Two writers debate the value of watching shows with captions Yes If you've ever watched a movie or TV show with me where I've been in control of the device settings, there's a 100 per cent chance it's been accompanied by subtitles.

There's also a 50 per cent chance you've groaned the second a small caption written

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

in an unassuming, plain white font appeared in the bottom eighth of the screen.

To the disbelief of many, I genuinely believe watching anything with English subtitles enhances the viewing experience, even if they're not used or needed for accessibility purposes.

Though it may not seem like it at first, turning on subtitles doesn't mean having to only read the words and neglect the rest of the screen. Your brain eventually processes the words in perfect harmony with their accompanying images.

You'll also be able to focus more on the visuals when need be, or glance down towards the

No

Watching movies or TV shows with subtitles is more pain than convenience. With the dialogue constantly popping up on the screen in bold letters, it’s difficult to pay attention to words and images simultaneously.

For someone who’s easily distracted, subtitles force me to decide whether writing or action holds more value in a film or show.

This can be a difficult choice to make—especially at the beginning of a show, when your eyes are adjusting to

text when you miss a line or can't decipher what certain characters are saying at a given time. It's like looking at a promotional movie poster—sometimes you may zero in on the eye-catching image, or you might focus on the text to find the film’s cast.

Either way, you're generally able to equally grasp the movie title and the poster's image.

Subtitles also help in distinguishing a well-written show from a carefully disguised train wreck.

I consider a show or movie's script to be its foundation. No matter how impressive the other production elements

the light and movement on the screen.

With subtitles running, I often find myself needing to deliberately shift my eyes between the words and images. I usually turn off the subtitles part way through if I can.

Subtitles can create a blatant distraction from the formal elements of your entertainment. This is apparent if you’re trying to analyze a film—whether it’s for a course or hobby—because it’s difficult to focus on the camera movement, dialogue, and sound simultaneously.

It’s a given subtitles will

are, most programs can't sustain themselves across multiple hours of storytelling without solid plot, dialogue, and characters.

Subtitles can help me notice early on in a TV show that most of the dialogue fails to progress its plot by offering new information, or is comprised of sentences more likely to be spoken by robots than humans.

With this poor writing put into the spotlight, I can jump ship before I get sucked in to an eighteen-hour commitment of wasted time—looking at you, Netflix's The Staircase.

—Josh Granovsky, Lifestyle Editor

cut off part of the screen, so why use them if it’s not necessary?

Most movies aren’t meant to have subtitles, and in effect part of the action gets covered or blocked off. It’s particularly noticeable if you’re watching something on a small screen—which, nowadays, most of us are.

Most movies aren’t meant to have subtitles, and in effect part of the action gets covered or blocked off.

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

Subtitles aren’t key to your understanding or enjoyment of a film. They’re useful for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or are watching a foreign film.

Outside those circumstances, they tend to be more distracting than helpful.

You don’t need subtitles to judge whether you like a film or TV show, and if the sound quality is good enough to let you hear all of a program’s action, subtitles have limited benefit.

—Allie Fenwick, Contributor

EC S H C E T R O G IN R E E IN G N E STED IN WORKING IN THE

INTERE

TOR?

ENG&TECH

FAIR 2018

L L A H T N A R G | m p 0 :3 3 0am :3 0 1 | 8 1 0 2 , 7 -1 6 1 R E B O T OC FOR UNDERGRADUATE & GRADUATE STUDENTS RESUME REVIEWS AND CAREER ADVISING ON-SITE VIEW THE COMPLETE LIST OF EXHIBITORS AT: careers.queensu.ca/events-workshops/engineering-technology-fair

LIFESTYLE

16 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, Oct 12, 2018

POSTSCRIPT

Applying minimalism to the student lifestyle How I used the tenets of simplicity to be happier and more productive

Jasnit found what's truly important to her through minimalism.

Jasnit Pabla Copy Editor In September 2016, I came to school with a truck full of boxes and a mind cluttered by expectations.

It would be a few months before I sought help and turned to a minimalist lifestyle—a way of life that seeks value in non-material things and declutters more than your personal space.

Minimalism focuses on devoting more time to personal tasks, growth and the people around you, but is often perceived as the product of white-on-white room design, multi-functioning furniture, and capsule wardrobes.

For me, minimalism wasn’t just about my space, but rather my values, future aspirations, and personal identity.

At the beginning of my first year at Queen’s, my residence Don passed around key-shaped cutouts to everyone on the floor asking each student what their goal was during their first year of university. Mine was simply, “Figure s—t out.”

While it was therapeutic to unpack my familiar belongings into my small West Campus room, something felt wrong. No amount of posters, books, or fuzzy blankets prepared me for that new journey.

As my first weeks went on, I couldn’t focus on my course work. I felt pressured to integrate myself into the student culture around me and chase non-academic goals. I began to distance myself from my high

school habits, abandoning TV series I'd once loved, maturing in my style, and never touching any of the books I lugged to Kingston.

The posters on my walls and the books I’d once adored lost their worth, but instead of taking them down, I made space for more.

New posters, new books, and new clothes began to find their space in my small room.

At the time, I thought my room could hold everything. I didn’t need to get rid of past belongings and I could keep my old self close.

Little did I know this space couldn’t keep itself together for much longer—and neither could my sanity.

During my first exam season, I realized things needed to change.

I couldn’t focus on studying and devoted increasing sums of time towards cleaning my space.

My problem wasn’t that I was a messy person. It was that I’d filled my room to the brim with things stealing my attention. Even with a standard first-year Arts course timetable, I felt overwhelmed.

By January, I still hadn’t figured out anything—except how to strategically pack an overweight suitcase and casually hoist it onto a VIA train bound for Toronto. I had a lot of things, but was nowhere near as happy and organized as I wanted to be. I needed help.

I found guides to minimalism in two forms: literature and YouTube.

The former, Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, taught me how to declutter my space and life, and vloggers on YouTube provided me with a guide for the spiritual journey needed to approach the lifestyle.

My journey also required me to set aside time—not to clean, but to throw things out. This proved extremely difficult for someone who identified with what she owned, what she wore, and her social media presence.

Adopting minimalism forced me to ask myself whether all the material goods I had were really making me happy. The short answer was no.

I hadn’t let go of the past, which I kept in worn books, sports shirts, and gifts from old friends. This process was forcing me to release it all.

In a small memory box, I began to keep the tiny, compact things that reminded me of the important milestones in my pre-university days. Today, it’s filled with small knick-knacks, photographs, and seashells that remind me of the places I’ve been and people I’ve met.

That small box makes me happier than any designer piece of clothing.

Another aspect of the minimalistic lifestyle I adopted near the end of the school year was cutting down the time I spent online. I slowly deleted all my social media accounts—a venture that took me two years, frustrating some of my friends.

I began to devote more time to self-improvement rather than comparing myself to others, something I regularly used Facebook and Instagram for.

By the end of this process, my walls were bare and my bookshelf held only 10 of my favorite books.

I was relieved my space was decluttered, and I was happier and more focused than ever.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS YAO AND NOUR MAZLOUM

I turned away from identifying with possessions and purchases, and towards achieving my academic and non-academic goals.

I spent more time engaging in face-to-face conversations with the people I met and sought out new hobbies away from my computer screen, like yoga.

The process wasn’t an overnight ordeal, nor did it take me a mere 30 days like some YouTube vloggers advertise.

Learning minimalism took me two years and is still ongoing.

Decluttering also looks different for different people. I may have gotten rid of more than three quarters of my wardrobe, but I still keep three fuzzy blankets on hand because they make me happy. Minimalism is about finding what’s important for you, and only you.

I no longer feel bound to the things that I buy and I don’t hesitate to get rid of the things that no longer bring a positive influence to my life—including more than just physical items.

Minimalism applies to all aspects of life, even relationships.

It forces you to confront what no longer brings you joy and may even be toxic to your wellbeing.

That can translate to friendships that were once built on mutual interests but are no longer supportive. It can even mean letting go of negative feelings towards someone who’s hurt you in the past.

Minimalism is a way of life that promotes growth and can do so for anyone who needs a fresh start—no matter where you are in your university career. It can also work if you just need

to be reminded of who you are and how you want to spend your time.

is a way “ofMinimalism life that promotes

growth and can do so for anyone who needs a fresh start—no matter where you are in your university career.

”

For someone with a full course schedule, a job, and various personal goals and projects I wish to accomplish on regular deadlines, minimalism has granted me the ability to do all that and keep my focus where it matters most.

I’ve come to a place now where I feel confident and prepared enough to think ahead in life, know exactly what I want, and spend my money responsibly—my bank account is a lot better than it was near the end of that first exam season in 2016.

Minimalism starts with clearing your space, but results in decluttering your life. By putting aside the things that hold you back, and finding value in people, hobbies, and personal growth, minimalism helps you zero in on what fulfills you.

Whether that fulfillment goes towards a stress-free exam season, or developing a future plan, minimalism can play a major part in post-secondary growth for university students—growth that really helps you “figure s—t out.”