Queen's Journal, Volume 141, Issue 19

PAGE 3

Feature: Why aren’t there any gay bars in Kingston?

F R I D AY , N O V E M B E R 1 , 2 0 1 3 — I S S U E 1 9

THE JOURNAL QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY — SINCE 1873

Sports

Banner weekend Four teams, four titles Page 13

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SAM KOEBRICH

AMS

TAPS could run dry Alfie’s rebrand not expected to bring in more revenue for service B Y S EBASTIAN L ECK AND VINCENT B EN M ATAK Journal Staff

A rebrand may not be enough to revive TAPS.

PHOTO BY SAM KOEBRICH

Despite a costly rebrand, the Underground isn’t faring as well as expected financially, according to AMS Vice-President (Operations) Nicola Plummer.

Plummer said the recently-renovated nightclub

Inside this issue:

throughout the year.

She said the nightclub has done especially poorly during the last two years, as it covered its expenses in previous years.

“I wouldn’t say profitable … but we broke even, things were fine,” Plummer, Comm ’13, said.

The Journal reported this summer that TAPS was projected See We on page 7

TOWN-GOWN

Mayor, Principal talk police costs

News

Clubs’ reaction to Referendum results page 2

Opinions

Daniel Woolf to consider recompensating City for homecoming street parties

Why campus racism needs discussion page 10

B Y S EBASTIAN L ECK Assistant News Editor

Arts

What it takes to do naked yoga page 11

Postscript

Fencing is more than just sword-fighting page 20

is projected to run a deficit comparable to what was projected last year for Alfie’s. The rebranding was designed to improve the nightclub’s finances.

Plummer told the Journal that The Underground, formerly known as Alfie’s Nightclub, has seen sales similar to last year’s, and will be reviewing their operations

The University considers police payment to the City.

PHOTO BY JESSICA CHONG

Mayor Mark Gerretsen met with Principal Woolf this Tuesday to discuss compensation for Homecoming policing expenses, which Gerretsen estimates at $150,000.

Gerretsen has been calling for Queen’s to pay for city policing costs since the first Homecoming weekend, which saw hundreds of

party-goers gather on Aberdeen St., and resulted in 16 arrests and 133 alcohol-related tickets.

During the second weekend, which saw heavy rain, police made only four arrests and issued 16 tickets.

Principal Woolf said that he found the meeting productive, and he is considering the mayor’s request for compensation.

However, he said, no decisions

See Gerretsen on page 7

NEWS

2 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

AMS

Fall Referendum results announced Following technical difficulties and week-long delay, some clubs expressed disappointment with outcome B Y A BBY A NDREW Assistant News Editor Official Fall Referendum results were released on Wednesday, determining the financial future of many clubs.

The voting turnout was 15.8 per cent, falling below the 20 per cent cutoff, resulting in the groups needing a 55 per cent vote in the affirmative instead of 50 per cent.

MUSE Magazine’s opt-outable fee of $0.50 was discontinued, with a 54 per cent vote in the affirmative — one per cent from the required voting threshold.

Andrea Nazarian, one of the two editors in chief, said the whole team is disappointed with the results.

“We need funding to produce our magazine because it obviously costs money to print

and distribute … these were kind of crucial funds that we need to pass on to the future of MUSE,” Nazarian, ArtSci ’14, said.

The team was surprised by the results.

“This year MUSE is starting to get a little bit bigger [on campus] than we have been in previous years [and] people are more aware about the club and talking about the magazine a bit more,” she said.

Emma Hoffman, co-editor in chief, said that she feels last week’s technical difficulties, which resulted in 6,000 students not receiving their initial voting logins by email, heavily affected the voting results.

“It wasn’t fair with the whole debacle with sending out the emails,” Hoffman, ArtSci ’14 said. “I definitely think it affected the results.”

She said that students aren’t educated enough about the Referendum and how it can affect campus activities.

“It should be the AMS’s responsibility to educate students about [it],” she said.

The problem is that students are voting without knowing exactly what they are voting for, she said.

“Clubs can be some people’s lives,” she said.

Ultraviolet Magazine was another publication with an unsuccessful Referendum result.

The publication was looking to establish a $0.50 fee, subject to individual opt-out.

Rya Marrelli, one of the co-editors, said the team was disappointed that they lost by such a small margin.

“52 per cent said no and 48 per cent said yes. The exact same thing happened to us in the Winter Referendum last year and it’s unfortunate to see the same results,”

Marrelli, ArtSci ’15, said.

She said that last week’s email issue was not the AMS’s fault.

Despite this, she said it most likely hindered the vote.

“We really don’t know if it’s that people just don’t know about us, or if people voted no for all the publications,” she said.

Golden Words and Life Beat Newspaper were also voted down in the Referendum, making all four student-run publications on the list unsuccessful.

“Unfortunately we won’t be able to put out print magazines … because we are not at all funded by the University,” Marelli said.

The club will continue to run with fundraised money and will publish their magazine online.

Despite the lack of success of four clubs, TEDxQueensU had the highest affirmative vote at 73 per cent, resulting in the establishment of an opt-outable $0.75 fee.

The club holds yearly conferences with speakers to showcase Queen’s creativity, ingenuity and innovation. Last year’s speakers included Dean Tripp, a professor in the psychology department.

Aditya Varambally, the club’s director, said that the fee will help support the costs of the conference.

“We want to keep our delegate cost relatively low comparative to other conferences and still allow people to watch at home for no cost,” Varambally, ArtSci ’14, said.

Varambally said that the well-known brand TEDx’s association with the club could have added to their success in the Referendum.

“A great number of students voted yes. I think we had the highest number for all clubs that were trying to establish the fee, I was quite excited about that,” he said.

Friday, November 1, 2013

queensjournal.ca

•3

Feature LGBTQ

No bar, no problem After a natural ebb and flow of the local gay bar scene, Kingston’s LGBTQ community sees few consequences B y Vincent B en M atak News Editor Around four years ago, Kingston’s last gay bar — Shay Foo Foo’s — shut its doors for good.

Since then, LGBTQ community members are unsure if they even want one at all.

Throughout the late 1980s, an upper section of The Plaza, a bar near Princess and Montreal Streets that’s now a strip club, catered to Kingston’s LGBTQ population — then considered a taboo subsection of an otherwise conservative society.

The club, referred to as The Office, had its identity discretely tucked away behind The Plaza’s heterosexual façade: people came and went on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, mingled with others of similar sexual persuasion and were left unquestioned by staff and passersby.

Nearly 30 years later, with changing attitudes towards the LGBTQ community, it’s up in the air whether the safe haven of a gay bar should remain, according to some members.

Greater tolerance of gay culture, they argue, has dissolved solidarity in Kingston’s LGBTQ community, as they branch out and lose touch with the difficult reality of having once been a targeted minority.

Keith Bilow, who has been involved in Kingston’s LGBTQ scene since the early 1970s, said Kingston’s small-town atmosphere, coupled with a growing culture of acceptance toward alternative sexual lifestyles, has contributed to a divisive and apathetic LGBTQ community.

The result is an overwhelming lack of support for LGBTQ-related activities and events. More specifically, according to Bilow, people don’t know if reviving an LGBTQ bar scene is even worth it. “[Now] you can dance anywhere in this town as a gay man, really,” Bilow, 61, said. “You can go to Stages Nightclub or the Grizzly Grill or you can go to Ale House.”

Any form of consistent LGBTQ-oriented club or bar needs to have two things, he said: a committed owner and a committed community. As time has revealed, he added, Kingston lacks both.

The Office rebranded as The Backdoor in late 1988, but closed down its operations the following year. Since then, multiple attempts to establish a regular hangout for the seemingly sexually alienated have fallen short: more publicly housed gay bars became repeated sites of gay-bashings and erratic ownership that eventually wrought financial misfortune, Bilow recalled.

General mismanagement, coupled with a growing

dissidence between gay groups and lesbian groups and their own cliques within, led to a growing dissatisfaction with Kingston’s gay scene, he added.

Members boycotted certain events to avoid people, later boycotting establishments altogether — a petty social exchange that betrayed the concept of a unified, gay community founded on ideals of acceptance and liberation.

“You can’t cater to [the entire community],” he said. “You can’t think you can have a lesbian and a gay man enjoying the same thing.

Never the two shall meet.”

Two gay bars — Wally’s near the Greek Islands on Bath Rd. and Club 477, located at 477 Princess St. — opened shop in the early 1990s, but dwindling interest took its toll. Club 477, a popular spot for gay men that decade, became repeatedly subject to heckling and hate-based assaults given its central location on Princess St., Bilow said.

Bilow, a real-estate agent at the time, sold the property to its first owners, who turned the space into a gay bar.

Club 477 featured a cruising ramp, a walkway meant to scope out potential hook-up partners, which made the bar particularly popular among men, he added.

Despite its popularity, a growing presence of homophobia eventually lead to its closure. Shay Foo Foo’s, which opened in 1999, had the same fate after its owners — a straight couple — split up and the venue later became a sports bar.

A bartender at Ben’s Pub, located near Clergy and Princess Streets, who has worked at the establishment for over 17 years, echoed Bilow’s sentiment. The bartender, 51, has been involved in Kingston’s LGBTQ scene since 1988. He requested to remain anonymous, given his ties to the community. “[The community] wants segregation … amongst themselves and [it] doesn’t stick together,” he said. “They have little cliques and they boycott places and that’s why they always fail.”

The attitude doesn’t seem to extend beyond Kingston, he said. Compared to other Ontario cities, Kingston’s lack of gay establishments seems to suggest it’s culturally stagnate with a sinking LGBTQ community.

London, a city with roughly 450,000 people, has two gay bars. Sudbury, relatively similar to Kingston in size and population, also houses one.

“With Kingston as small as it is, it needs the community to stay together or there isn’t any support to keep a bar open,” he said.

“I am sad to see that they just don’t get the support from the community because it’s really hard to grow up in redneck situations

and ... have nowhere to go.”

He believes Kingston still faces a fair share of gay-bashing, despite its reputation as being fairly tolerant, meaning a lack of gay venues could be a reflection of an underlying conservative climate in the city.

The hate letter sent to Kingston couple Susan Belyea and Karen Dubinsky this summer, calling for them to move out or face “deadly serious consequences,” is one example.

Brody Hatch, ArtSci ’14, was also subject to a homophobic incident at Alfie’s Nightclub three years ago, when club-goers taunted him after he made out with a male friend on the dance floor.

“Some guys assumed that we were together ... I was taunted and gay slurs were said towards me,” he said. “This [was] a bar that [was] heavily filled by Queen’s students — my peers — that are on campus every day when I go to class.”

“It’s upsetting not just towards me, but towards other openly gay

students to know this is the reason why so many LGBT members of the student community are too afraid to really show their emotions.”

Despite this, the resistance to reviving a gay bar in the city may also rooted in a financial risk, according to William Fisher, a part-owner of the Mansion, a bar located downtown on Princess St. Due to an increasing acceptance for LGBTQ patrons since the 90s, they’re more likely to frequent mainstream bars.

“There’s gay clientele that come here and feel pretty comfortable, maybe there isn’t a need for such a specialized niche place,” he said.

“Over the years, there’s been a couple [gay bars] but just from gay friends that I’ve had it’s younger gay friends or clientele [that] tend to move to the bigger cities,” he added.

Kingston isn’t without it options, however.

Ben’s Pub hosts a “gay night” every Sunday.

Revolutions Nightclub, which closed this summer, also featured LGBTQ-oriented events. The Toucan, located near Princess and Bagot Streets, is also LGBTQ-friendly, among others.

The current AMS executive campaigned with the idea of hosting a weekly LGBTQ night at Alfie’s Nightclub. Since the club’s recent rebranding as The

Underground, however, it was decided not to implement the idea due to logistical and financial restrictions.

Instead, a “Pride Night”, recently held at the establishment was specifically marketed so as to not exclude students who didn’t identify as “LGBTQ.” Justin Reekie, AMS hospitality and safety services director, said that marketing a bar or a particular event for the LGBTQ community runs the risk of excluding heterosexual individuals.

“We decided to call it [that] instead, the reason being that calling it an ‘LGBTQ night’ would mean it would be inaccessible to heterosexuals,” he said.

“We want to celebrate every sexual orientation.”

He said reestablishing an LGBTQ-oriented bar in Kingston would have to be based on demand. Reekie, who identifies as a part of the LGBTQ community, said that he feels safe frequenting more mainstream establishments.

“I obviously can’t speak for the entire community because I wasn’t around when [more gay bars] were open,” he said, “but that being said, a lot of [LGBTQ] people already feel comfortable enough going to [mainstream] bars or clubs.” ­ — With files from Rachel Herscovici

The Plaza, located downtown, was once home to a discreet gay bar until the late 1980s.

Photo by Sam Koebrich

News

4 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 1, 2013

OMB

Hearing concludes Members disapprove of City decision B y O livia B owden Assistant News Editor The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing concerning the realignment of the City’s electoral districts came to a close last Thursday, with the status of the appeal yet to be determined.

The OMB will announce the decision of whether the appeal will be successful sometime before January.

During the hearing, the City and student representatives debated between two possible district options.

Option four, supported by the AMS and the Sydenham District Association (SDA), would keep Sydenham District together and retain four councilors for the student area.

The majority of City Council voted for Option one, which would create larger boundaries by dividing Sydenham District, and provides students with three councillors. If the appeal is rejected, this option will be passed.

The AMS, Sydenham District Association (SDA) and Kevin Wiener, JD ’15, launched the appeal in June in response to the proposed district reorganization by

the City of Kingston.

Reelignment would provide less representation for students, they argued.

Thomas Pritchard, AMS vice-president (university affairs), who attended most of the four-day hearing, said the hearing went well.

He said that the OMB board member, Sylvia Sutherland, seemed to disapprove of the City’s stance.

“I was surprised that the City kept consistently making the argument that students don’t vote,” he said. “[Sutherland] didn’t seem particularly receptive to that argument.”

Sutherland, former Mayor of Peterborough, is the sole decision-maker on whether the appeal passes.

Pritchard said AMS President Eril Berkok participated as a witness, where he was cross-examined for a short amount of time. “[The City] didn’t ask anything too substantive,” he said. “Eril just talked about how [Option one] doesn’t provide effective representation, and it’s not fair to not count students.”

Pritchard said the City argued that AMS representatives could replace council representation.

The electoral realignment would dissolve Sydenham District into Williamsville.

“The City was kind of taking the idea that our students don’t need representation by councillors because that’s what … the AMS are there for,” he said.

He said students still needs representation from city councillors.

“No matter how many students vote, that doesn’t mean [students] wouldn’t go to [councillors] with issues,” Pritchard said. “[The City] still needs to be able to represent all their people effectively.”

He said the AMS remains optimistic about the future results as many individuals advocated for students.

“We felt pretty optimistic about

the hearing,” Pritchard said. “The three councillors that spoke added a lot of weight to it as well.”

One of the Councilors that spoke in favour of Option 4 was Williamsville councillor Jim Neill.

Neill said the AMS and SDA had strong representation and arguments, and that the City’s argument was inadequate.

“The only countercase the city seemed to be presenting was well, ‘nobody does it this way,’ and ‘we’d be setting a dangerous precedent’,” he said.

He said most university districts in Ontario don’t officially count students, making the City uneasy about being the first to do so.

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Neill said the City’s arguments continue to puzzle him.

“The City argued that the fact that students have a low voter turnout was a reason not to count them,” he said. “It should be about representation, not voter turnout.”

He said if the appeal fails he would represent approximately 20,000 individuals as opposed to 10,000.

He said he was pleased the appeal process has caused cooperation between the AMS and the SDA. “I’ve never seen the SDA and the AMS work so closely together.

It’s created a very positive alliance,” Neill said.

Research

Movember millions

Men’s health organization awards $1.7 million to researchers B y N atasa B ansagi Contributor A Queen’s research team has received a $1.7 million grant from the Movember Canada organization, spurring a three-year research project that will examine substance use in first-year male students.

Movember, a men’s health

organization, has set aside $12 million in funding for mental health initiatives, submitted by research teams across Canada.

Seven projects were funded under this initiative, one of which was spearheaded by a team of three Queen’s researchers.

Heather Stuart, a professor in the department of community health and epidemiology in

the Faculty of Health Sciences, Shu-ping Chen, a post-doctoral fellow in the same department, and Terry Krupa, a professor in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy, comprise the team awarded the funds.

Funding from the grant will cover many aspects of the project, including staffing, operational funds for summits, student activities, technical development and first-year male student surveys.

Four components of the research portion of the project include examining social norms, contact-based education and a mental health promotion model Study aims to prevent substance abuse in males. photo by Charlotte gagnier adapted for substance use.

“When you have a summit, you “A second component is “When you think about the ... the patterns of behaviour contact-based education,” she said. take student thought leaders from that are established in first-year “That happens when somebody different schools, you put them university, they’re the kind of things who’s experienced a problem together in a room and you educate them using all of these techniques, that can follow you throughout educates their peers about it.”

The third component involves including contact-based education,” your life,” Stuart said. “If we’re letting young men learn to misuse a “substance use continuum she said.

Stuart says the research also substances, by virtue of some of model” that evaluates health-based has the potential to apply to a our own activities, our orientation on behaviours.

A proposed smartphone app broader audience. activities [and] their misperceptions “If it works in three universities, about what they should be would allow users to locate their doing … it will, it could affect their place on this continuum and find it should work in every university. tips, in an attempt to promote So you could see that something mental health.” like this could have huge impact The project will begin on healthy behaviours.

“So people don’t have diagnostic across the country, and elsewhere campus but will also extend to Dalhousie University and the labels, they have colours,” she even, because it could go beyond said. “You’re green, you’re healthy; Canada,” she said.

University of Calgary.

“At the end of three years, we “We thought it might be a you’re yellow, you’re starting to good idea for us to target young get into a problem area; orange, should be able to say to the world: men in their first year coming high risk; and … red is going to be ‘if you want to address substance into universities because that’s where you have a significant illness misuse in your young men, in your university population, here are the a time when they have a lot of or substance abuse problem.”

As another component, summit things you need to do.’” different social pressures,” Stuart said, emphasizing the importance gatherings will allow the project of education to prevent to expand its reach beyond the individual level, she added. substance abuse.

News

Friday, November 1, 2013

queensjournal.ca

•5

accessibility

Crowd celebrates website launch

Accessibility event attracts over 60 attendees

B y A bby A ndrew Assistant News Editor A full crowd gathered on Wednesday to celebrate the launch of the Accessibility Hub, an online resource for accessibility at Queen’s.

The website will help prospective and current students living with disabilities navigate through resources such as mental health initiatives, counselling and disability services and adaptive technology options.

The website places all disability resources together online to improve access for those in need.

Despite the high attendance of around 60 people at the launch yesterday, the majority of the attendees were non-students.

The launch event at Stauffer Library featured the keynote speaker Melissa Vassallo, ArtSci ’02, who is an active disability and healthcare advocate.

During her fourth year at Queen’s in 2002, Vassallo was in a severe car crash with friends on the way to Florida for Reading Week.

Two out of the five passengers were killed, but Vassallo survived, resulting in 82 injuries, including collapsed lungs and extensive damage to her internal organs.

She spent a year in the hospital and received more than 50 surgeries prior to her recovery.

“My mom unfortunately got that

call that we all fear, that I was in a terrible accident,” she said during her speech.

Vassallo, who’s partnering with the Accessibility Hub and remains actively involved in the campaign, spent eight years recovering from the accident. After initially using a wheelchair, she moved from using crutches to walking on her own.

“It’s been really wonderful to come back and help support the school and institution that really helped to support me with my journey,” she said.

She was able to complete her degree following rehabilitation.

“When I left Queen’s in 2002 to go on spring break, I had every intention to come back and graduate, so when the accident happened, I felt a little bit robbed of my time here,” she said.

Although she volunteered throughout high school, the accident motivated Vassallo to devote her time to disability and health care advocacy, she said.

“I think accessibility should be a part of all the events here at Queen’s,” she told the Journal following the event. “It shouldn’t just be that thing over there where maybe if there’s extra money we will consider, it should be inclusive.”

Laeeque Daneshmend, deputy provost and department head of mining engineering, spoke

From left to right: Melissa Vassallo, Heidi Penning and Andrew Ashby.

photo by Charlotte gagnier

Andrew Ashby, the University’s at the launch on behalf of the and the creation of the Hub is just adaptive technologies specialist, University. He said that the Hub another way of doing so.

“Although Queen’s is not is the Hub’s technological is a place to start making campus immune to [accessibility] coordinator who designed the more accessible. “[We are] a community that rolls barriers, the Hub exemplifies our website and organized the resources up our sleeves and works together commitment to identifying and in an accessible way. Ashby also to create an environment where preventing arbitrary barriers going utilizes a wheelchair.

“I am biased, but I am very proud everyone has an enriching and forward,” she told the Journal via … transformative experience,” he email. “There is a true desire of the website coming together,” to put Queen’s on the map as a he said. said.

With the help of the Equity Barriers still exist at Queen’s ‘go-to’ university for students living Office, Ashby created a that challenge accessibility, but with disabilities.”

Penning works to ensure that the comprehensive space to find acknowledging their existence is a resources good start to breaking them down, University exceeds the standards accessibility-related of the Accessibility for Ontarians at Queen’s.

Daneshmend said.

While Penning laid out “We share a responsibility with Disabilities Act, which lays the to identify existing barriers and framework for the development the groundwork for the Hub, mandatory standards Ashby created the website and prevent new barriers that arise in of organized the information in an on accessibility. the future,” he said.

“Today … we took time as a understandable way.

Heidi Penning, the University’s “[The difficulty] was taking equity advisor, was a leading Queen’s community to celebrate coordinator in the launch of the hard work of students, staff the mass amount of information the Hub. Penning works to and faculty that all meaningfully and trying to get it into a usable build an inclusive and accessible contributed to making the website,” he said. environment on campus, she said, Accessibility Hub a reality,” she said.

Academics

Female engineering enrolment top in country Queen’s has the highest rate for female enrolment in engineering in Canada for post-secondary B y O livia B owden Assistant News Editor More than a quarter of students within Queen’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences are female, the highest average for female enrolment in the country.

Approximately 28 per cent of this year’s incoming class is female, compared to the national average of between 17-19 per cent.

In 2011, 2,687 were admitted to the Faculty, 687 of who were

female. In the previous year, there were 632.

Lynann Clapham, associate dean of the Faculty, said female volunteers help promote female enrolment.

“The female engineers are very strong boosters. They come out in droves to our recruiting events,” she said.

Although the Faculty doesn’t specifically market towards females, Clapham said this female volunteer base encourages

Queen’s has the highest rate of female engineering students.

female applicants.

She said presence of female students and a female dean and associate dean make a difference.

“We just give the usual [promotional] talk,” Clapham said.

“I think the fact that I’m there and the [Dean] is there. That speaks louder than what you could say.”

She added female students tend to feel more comfortable studying engineering at Queen’s Clapham said that the typical first-year structure at Queen’s,

photo by Charlotte gagnier

where students take general (WISE), a student-run organization engineering courses makes the that reaches out to the Kingston program less competitive, which community to promote the sciences to young girls. appeals to women.

Nicole Proulx, the president She added a focus on community of WISE, said she feels also draws women to Queen’s.

“We’ve had the ‘Create, Queen’s engineering creates a Collaborate, Communicate’ positive environment.

“It’s a good thing that they have mantra for 10 years, we really focus on that. I talk about how that a greater support network with creates a better engineer,” she said. the female students in engineering,” This ‘mantra’ is placed Proulx, Sci ’14, said.

She said that WISE runs on the front of the Faculty’s brochures they give out to activities with boys and girls clubs, girl guides and elementary schools prospective students.

“We simply stand on our to promote an early interest principles, and those principles in science.

Students aren’t adequately seem to be principles that do attract a larger proportion of girls informed about engineering prior to university, she added. than other programs,” she said.

“I think the [enrolment] numbers Despite this, she added work still needs to be done to encourage for females are so low because young people don’t know what equality in the sciences. “[Society] doesn’t do very well engineering is before they actually in general in attracting women into get into it,” she said, adding that science, technology, engineering, it’s important for future engineers and math. I don’t think we can to see women in the field. “[Outreach] programs provide ever rest on our laurels,” she said.

She said reaching out young role models for [girls], because students is the best way to foster a they see women who are studying engineering and succeeding,” future career in science.

“We do everything we can to she said.

“Being a female engineer has promote the cause of science and math to young girls,” she said. never posed any issues for me, and “We let them know that this is a I’ve only heard positive stories.” normal thing to do for girls.”

The University is also home to Women in Science and Engineering

News

6 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 1, 2013

Research

Students take to Poland to promote policy Brenna Owen, ArtSci ’14, and Kristine O’Reilley, MSc ’16, address importance of Arctic issues at UN conference B y A bby A ndrew and N icholas W heeler -H ughes Journal Staff On Nov. 13, two Queen’s students are heading to Poland to make their mark in the Arctic.

Brenna Owen and Kristine O’Reilly are set to attend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as accredited delegates of the Students on Ice Alumni Delegation.

The conference gathers together 15,000 delegates to have high-level discussions on climate change and how to follow up on the Kyoto Protocol.

The students are working on a proposed recommendation that they hope will draw attention to pervasive problems in Canada’s far North, which they claim aren’t being properly addressed.

The document will emphasize the importance of taking urgent action on climate issues at the North and South Poles, Owen said.

The aim of her recommendation, she said, is to secure the rights of indigenous groups in the the Arctic.

The paper also recommends setting up protections that will mitigate the effects of climate change in the north.

The paper is still in a working draft but will focus on recognizing the rights of Indigenous people across the north, not just in

Canada in terms of climate change.

“I am meeting with Queen’s Biology professor John Smol next week to discuss Arctic policy -— he will help us fine tune the last stages of our recommendation paper,” Owen, ArtSci ’14, said.

While developed countries are the main source of air pollution and climate change, we are also the least affected by it, she said.

Owen and O’Reilly, a first-year

A UN climate change conference, which took place in Bangkok.

Campus Calendar Saturday Nov. 2

Nov. 11-15

Science Formal Open House Grant Hall

Queen’s Holocaust Education Week Walk-through Exhibit Lower JDUC

10a.m. - 3p.m.

Monday Nov. 4 International Exchange Fair Biosciences Complex 5p.m. – 7p.m.

Thursday Nov. 6 Queen’s TALKS De-stressor Event “You’ve got a friend in the PSC” Red Room, Kingston Hall

1 p.m.

Monday, Nov 4

5:30p.m. – 8p.m.

Thursday Nov. 7

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Queen’s TALKS Week Rally Common Ground Coffeehouse

Monday, Nov. 4

Monday Nov. 11 Queen’s Holocaust Education Week: Talk by Annette Weisberg Stirling Hall A 7 p.m.

Food Insecurity and the Pitfalls of Charity with Dr. Elaine Power Queen’s Centre, Second Floor, Room 506 6 p.m.

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her emotionally, sparking her motivation to help change the future of the climate.

Within the next 20 to 40 years, it has been predicted that summer sea ice in the Arctic will melt, she said, adding the lack of ice will severely affect food security of indigenous groups in the area, who hunt seal, walrus and fish.

“Seals come up for air every 20 minutes or so, breathing through small holes in the ice above them.

Hunters use this time to capture the seal, but with no ice, they will be able to do no such thing,” she said.

The ice conditions remain less predictable, she also said, increasing the risk of death of hunters who hunt on the ice.

“When the permafrost [also] begins to thaw, it will cause buildings to crumble and roads to crack,” she said.

Large corporations are entering these northern areas and endangering them, she said “In 2012, the Harper government auctioned off an area of the Arctic Ocean to energy companies for experimentation: an area half the size of lake Ontario,” Owen said. ”This is absolutely ludicrous and something that simply cannot be allowed ... there are things that can be done that are not being done.”

email us at journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

News in brief

Saturday, Nov. 2 Football - OUA Semi-Final Richardson Stadium

experienced the effects of climate change for ourselves,” she said.

Owen’s interest in Arctic issues began in 2008, she said, when she travelled with the organization Students on Ice throughout Iqaluit and up the coast of Baffin Island.

She interacted closely with members of a small community, Qikiqparjuaq, located on the eastern coast of Baffin Island.

Owen said the trip affected

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10a.m. - 5p.m.

Getting Around Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice Kingston-Frontenac Public Library

7p.m. – 9p.m.

Masters of Science student, will be presenting the recommendation paper to the Canadian Minister of the Environment, Leona Aglukkaq.

Owen’s group will be amongst the only youth to attend this conference. Charlie Nakashuk from Pangnirtung, Nunavut will also be attending with them.

“The amount of apathy we see here in Ontario concerning problems of climate change is because we haven’t really

Professor wins award

engineering education.

Hutchinson is currently conducting a research project with 37 fourth-year geological engineering students, involving design issues associated with mining cycles.

The Screening Room will then show Austenland, an Jean Hutchinson has won the Austen-themed film, on Nov. 9 Thomas Roy Award for his and 10, and the 2005 film Pride contributions to the field of and Prejudice will be played at the engineering geology in Canada.

Calvin Park branch of the library The Thomas Roy Award, whose on Nov. 22. winner is chosen by peer review, At the Isabel Turner branch, — Vincent Ben Matak the event “Turning the Page: is facilitated by the Canadian Geotechnical Society.

Austen Edition” will be held on “I really love the open-ended Jane Austen tribute kicks off Nov. 19, which will be a time aspect of this field, there is never for book lovers to gather and one answer,” Hutchinson said in a The Kingston Frontenac Library discuss Austen’s works. Finally, the news release. begins a month-long tribute to Austen Ball will be held on Nov. “I also love being outdoors Jane Austen this November, with 30. It will include English country — researching, exploring. I love presentations, films and an English dances from Austen’s time period, that part of my job, being able country dance event. with a workshop held earlier in to work in the field and teaching The month is in celebration the day on hairstyles and dress students.” of the 200th anniversary from the 1800s.

Hutchinson, who currently of the publishing of Pride “It’s a chance to get people works as the geological engineering and Prejudice. excited about one specific thing in department head, has been at Librarian Alice literature but then also spin them Queen’s since 2001.

Robinette-Woods organized off in other directions by attending She specializes in rock the month’s events, which are the talk or learning about the engineering, risk management and sponsored by Friends of the Library. costumes, learning about the social site characterization for mining Queen’s professor Robert customs of the time,” Laura Carter, and transportation infrastructure.

Morrison will give a presentation manager of branch operations at She works with both on the works on Jane Austen the Central branch, said. undergraduate and graduate on Monday, Nov. 4 to start off students to promote geological the month.

— Sebastian Leck

News

Friday, November 1, 2013

queensjournal.ca

•7

“We haven’t hit capacity on Wednesday for a while now,” according to Plummer Continued from page 1

to have a $30,000 deficit in the 2012-13 academic year, although figures that have yet to be audited.

Audited revenue numbers from the 2012-13 school year will be released next week, along with unaudited numbers from the last two months.

Plummer said theme nights, such as Throwback, have continued to be profitable, while Wednesday club nights and Monday karaoke nights have been less successful.

“It’s been hit or miss with the karaoke nights. Some nights are really popular, some aren’t,” she said.

Turnout likely corresponds with workloads for students, she said.

Wednesday nights are also “question marks”, according to Plummer, since AMS marketing research found most students don’t go out on Wednesdays.

“Tuesday night is a really busy night, and not many students want to go out twice in a row,” she said.

Nothing has changed over the last two years in terms of daily operations, she said, and the renovation has improved the aesthetics of the Underground.

“If anything, the nightclub downstairs is better … it’s a cooler space to be in,” she said.

Plummer said the AMS will be

conducting marketing research and collecting data to find out what students want out of a nightclub experience.

“What I want to focus on is which nights are the most popular,” she said.

The AMS marketing office is currently developing surveys for students, she said, which will focus on patrons of The Underground and Queen’s Pub. “We know anecdotally, but we really need to collect data and find out,” she said.

She said the TAPS teams also will be having conversations with patrons to find out whether the services met their expectations.

The space has never been hugely profitable, according to Plummer.

“I think Alfie’s has oscillated around zero. Some years it’s super popular, sometimes it’s not,” she said.

She added that the profitability of the nightclub doesn’t necessarily reflect its popularity among students.

“Maybe one year Alfie’s doesn’t do so well, but that doesn’t mean students aren’t going, sometimes the expenses side just wasn’t managed very well,” she said.

The perception of large line-ups at the Underground may also hurt it financially, she

campus catch-up

said, because it’s a complaint she hears frequently.

“We haven’t hit capacity on Wednesday for a while now,” Plummer said. “It’s a left-over from two years ago when that was the case.”

However, she said she believes

it’s still worthwhile to have a campus nightclub and pub service, even if it’s not always profitable.

“I think it’s important to lobby and advocate for always having a safe place on campus for drinking,” she said.

The future of the nightclub

The Underground isn’t expecting to be profitable this year.

Photo by Sam koebrich

Gerretsen says he doesn’t regret Homecoming remarks Continued from page 1

it during consultations.

Each weekend cost the City $75,000 in police overtime costs, he said, so the University should compensate the city a total of $150,000.

He said both weekends induced the same costs for the City, since the city had officers on standby on the second weekend.

“Regardless of the turnout on the street, we had the same number of officers on duty and ready to go,” he said.

The City saved some money by sending officers home early, but not by much, he said.

Gerretsen said he stands by his initial claim, which he believes is not unreasonable.

“It’s not trend-setting, it’s something we’ve seen in other municipalities, such as

concerning policing costs or on campus. future Homecomings will The Royal Canadian Mounted be made until he consults Police (RCMP) has deployed with stakeholders over the A survey run by the Sex Information bike-patrol officers, dog service coming weeks. and Education Council of Canada officers, forensic experts, and “I plan to speak further with and Trojan Condoms reported that members of the Emergency City officials, Kingston Police, the only 51 per cent of students who Response team in response to Police Services Board, students had sex last year used a condom the crisis. and other stakeholders on this,” The RCMP revealed on Tuesday during their last sexual encounter. he told the Journal via email.

The survey was filled out by that six attacks, rather than three, Gerretsen said the meeting 1,500 undergraduates. One-third have occurred in the last month, was “cordial” and he was satisfied of the respondents described their with the most recent attack with the outcome. last sexual encounter as a casual on Sunday.

“We were both able to express “In all situations, the women hookup, and half said they were our concerns and our interest in not concerned about sexually were assaulted while walking on moving forward,” he said. “I think the campus late into the evening transmitted infections. it was a well-received meeting.”

Of the students surveyed. 23 or into the early morning hours,” Gerretsen said Principal Woolf wasn’t averse to the idea of per cent also said that they think said RCMP Sgt. Thiessen at a contributing to policing costs, but there is a vaccine to prevent HIV, news conference.

In one attack, the suspect while another 21 per cent reported needed more time to think about attacked a woman from behind being unsure.

The study is not the first to and tried to drag her into a wooded area, while punching her report underuse of condoms.

The National College Health in the face.

In each case the suspect was Assessment (NHCA), a survey which has filled out by 34,039 described as a tall, thin man students at 32 Canadian schools, in his late 20s wearing a black also reported that only half of hooded sweater.

Emergency floor meetings were students said they used condoms held in university residences on during vaginal sex.

The NHCA revealed that Saturday to inform students about one in every 100 students had safety tips and address questions.

Janice Robinson, director of been treated for chlamydia. Five hundred students out of those residence life & administration, surveyed reported being treated said students were advised not the for HIV/AIDS. walk alone at night and to put numbers in their phones for a taxi — Sebastian Leck company and Safewalk.

Safewalk is a service that sends student employees to walk students RCMP investigate assaults home at night, similar to the AMS A manhunt is underway at the Walkhome service.

University of British Columbia — Sebastian Leck (UBC) for a suspect alleged to have committed six sexual assaults The City is in talks with the University over repaying policing costs.

Study says students care less about sex

may depend on how well students receive the Underground brand, she said.

“A brand takes a while to build,” she said. “Maybe students’ tastes will change and it will become popular to be on campus again next year.”

Peterborough,” he said.

He said Trent University compensates Peterborough for policing expenses during the Head of the Trent weekend festival, an event which is similar to Homecoming.

Because it isn’t unprecedented, he said, he is optimistic about getting compensation for the weekend. “[It’s] what taxpayers have been asking for all along,” he said, “so I’m confident that the Principal will make the right decision.”

Principal Woolf said he would contact Gerretsen in a few weeks, the mayor said, before making the decision public.

“He said it would be a few weeks, about two to three weeks in my understanding,” Gerretsen said.

photo by Jessica chong

8 • queensjournal.ca

Editorial Board Editors in Chief

Janina Enrile Alison Shouldice

Production Manager

Alex Pickering

News Editor

Vincent Ben Matak

Assistant News Editors

Abby Andrew Olivia Bowden Sebastian Leck

Features Editors

Rachel Herscovici Emily Miller

Editorials Editor

David Hadwen

Editorial Illustrator

Katherine Boxall

Opinions Editor

Erin Sylvester

Arts Editor

Meaghan Wray

Assistant Arts Editor

Kate Shao

Sports Editor

Nick Faris

Assistant Sports Editor

Sean Sutherland

Postscript Editor Photo Editors

Katie Grandin

Charlotte Gagnier Sam Koebrich

Graphics Editor

Web Developer

Jonah Eisen

Friday, November 1, 2013

Dialogue

Editorials — The Journal’s Perspective

“The tactic of last-second smears before elections is one that should be condemned.”

campus politics

OPIRG lacking, sent packing

This week, the local chapter of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) lost a referendum vote to receive an AMS opt-out fee, the second time in two years it’s been unsuccessful in this attempt.

Both losses may be attributed to the fact that OPIRG has had to contend with NOPIRG, a campaign formed by some students opposed to their endeavour.

NOPIRG’s campaign has been misleading in the past, but the fight over OPIRG’s funding reached an ugly low when an anonymous flyer was distributed to mailboxes in the Student Ghetto in the lead-up to the vote. The flyer accused OPIRG of “anti-Semitism” and “violence”.

NOPIRG leaders claim their campaign had no involvement with the distribution of the flyer.

It’s unfortunate that OPIRG lost their opt-out fee, as they are a constructive presence on campus

and no more political than many other organizations that have similar fees. However, OPIRG hasn’t advocated their position effectively — they could stand to be more transparent and actively address NOPIRG’s arguments.

The tactic of last-second smears before elections is one that should be condemned. Those who made the flyers should be ashamed, as OPIRG’s inability to respond to these accusations brings the election results into question.

Since OPIRG’s out-optable fee was voted down, it’s tempting to condemn Queens’s students for falling for NOPIRG’s tactics, in addition to the exaggerated information on the anonymous flyer.

However, only 15.8 per cent of eligible students actually voted in the referendum, meaning that either NOPIRG managed to rally a

small minority of students to their side, or most students were already opposed to OPIRG’s fee.

OPIRG members have been effectively intimidated from taking a stand, as no one likes to be smeared.

That said, OPIRG could stand to be more transparent and could actively promote their work, much of which is fairly benign.

OPIRG should have an opt-out fee. Much of the work they do is positive, and students who disagree with them could opt-out individually. NOPIRG is an unnecessary campaign that has sometimes used questionable tactics. However, despite their members’ legitimate feelings of intimidation, OPIRG should have made a better case for themselves.

— Journal Editorial Board

Michael Wong

Blogs Editor Copy Editors

Jessica Chong Anisa Rawhani Megan Scarth

Contributing Staff Staff Writers Josh Burton Jordan Cathcart Jaehoon Kim Chloe Sobel Erin Stephenson Jerry Zheng

Contributors

Natasa Bansagi Lang Bunka Jacob Halpenny Adam Laskaris Brent Moore Nicolaas Smith Emily Wong

Business Staff Business Manager

Kevin Kim

Sales Representatives

James Bolt Clara Lo Stephanie Stevens

Friday, November 1, 2013 • Issue 19 • Volume 141

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.

Contents © 2013 by the Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the Journal.

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

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

Subscriptions are available for $120.00 per year (plus applicable taxes).

Please address complaints and grievances to the Editors in Chief.

Please direct editorial, advertising and circulation enquiries to: 190 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3P4 Telephone: 613-533-2800 (editorial) 613-533-6711 (advertising) Fax: 613-533-6728 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca The Journal online: www.queensjournal.ca Circulation 6,000

Issue 20 of Volume 141 will be published on Friday, November 8, 2013.

illustration by Katherine Boxall

Campus culture

Time to fret over student pets In last Friday’s issue of the Journal, we published a feature profiling student pet owners, outlining the ups and downs of having a pet in a student household.

While there are genuine benefits that come with adopting or fostering an animal companion, the drawbacks are significant, and students should avoid adopting pets during their time at Queen’s.

Before animals are given to adoptive owners, organizations like Kingston’s Humane Society ask questions and request references.

Because these associations have

scarce resources, they can’t always be certain that animals end up in proper homes. For example, they usually don’t do house inspections.

Ultimately, the quality of an animal’s care comes down to those adopting it.

Having an animal friend is fun on a day-to-day basis, and for students who are wary of being away from home for the first time or are stressed, a pet can provide a welcoming atmosphere.

However, the safety of adopted animals should be given as much consideration as the needs of their owners.

Some houses in the Student

Ghetto are a genuine threat to health — human or animal. Student schedules are often inconsistent and behaviour can sometimes be raucous and unclean, which isn’t conducive to animal ownership.

Animals can be incredibly expensive and time-consuming.

Students on tight budgets shouldn’t take on an animal; vet bills can cause financial stress and conflict.

Students who want to adopt a pet should think long and hard about the realities of providing for one, as animal ownership tends to be incompatible with the average student’s lifestyle.

— Journal Editorial Board

Anisa Rawhani

Gen why?

The trigger can be anything.

Maybe it’s that billionth time you’re asked: “so, why are you studying _____?” Maybe it’s that half-baked essay spawned out of yet another all-nighter — fueled mostly by caffeine and terror.

Between these moments, you stop and ask yourself: “what am I doing?”

Welcome to the quarter-life crisis — the trademark of Generation Y. It doesn’t happen to all of us, but since entering Queen’s, I’ve noted the frequency of these confused and guilt-ridden conversations.

It’s easy to subdue feelings of unease by answering the infamous question of “what am I doing?” with society’s over-prescribed formula: finish high school, choose a career path, get an education, make a living, breed, retire and die. This seemingly straightforward individualistic progress is considered normal.

But is “making a living” and achieving personal success everything? Is that how I’m expected to lead a meaningful and fulfilling life? I struggled with myself over these questions for some time. I think, most of us would intuitively answer “no” to them, but may not be able to say exactly why.

Sometimes we respond to this uncertainty in extremes.

On one hand, we can turn into dragons who sit on piles of gold until they corrode away. On the other hand, sometimes it seems like the only way to contribute in a meaningful way is to drop everything and ship ourselves off to a remote Liberian village.

Western society pushes individualism, but we aren’t independent beings. Not only are we constantly interacting with others, but we are constantly benefiting from what others contribute — socially, economically and technologically.

So, why is our personal growth and society’s growth considered mutually exclusive?

Think about the brilliant minds that have revolutionized technology, international relations and culture.

Their love of knowledge and constant desire for excellence resulted in major changes for society.

It’s time we re-evaluated the purpose of our education, and what our goals are. Are we simply here to better ourselves? Or are we using our education to develop our own capacities so that we can better contribute to society?

It all sounds very utopian, but I refuse to believe that all everyone is capable of is “making a living”.

Anisa is a Copy Editor at the Journal.

She’s a third-year English major.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

KATHERINE BOXALL

Coping spread When faced with stress, I find refuge by staying organized with a disciplined routine as well as a few coping mechanisms.

Even when we aren’t especially stressed, we all have habits that “get us through the day.” Whether it’s a critical morning coffee, a workout routine or an episode of Breaking Bad between readings, we find ways to keep ourselves in a balanced state of control.

Last spring, an important term project had me working day and night under tremendous pressure. Every night I would reward myself with toast and peanut butter for my long day’s work.

But one night, I couldn’t find my jar of peanut butter.

When faced with stress, I find refuge by staying organized with a disciplined routine as well as a few coping mechanisms.

Heart racing, I frantically rummaged through my kitchen desperate to find my ‘fix.’ To my horror, I found the jar empty in the recycling bin, and my world shattered.

I immediately stormed into my housemate’s room and launched the empty peanut butter jar at her. I screamed at her for

DIALOGUE ruining, what at the time felt like, my entire life. The absence of toast, my unconscious stress-coping mechanism, exposed my true, out-of-control emotions.

After this completely irrational reaction, I started to wonder if addictive habits make us more susceptible to stress, even though they’re designed to do the exact opposite.

If habits can help us feel better about our stressors, they could potentially mask the origin of our anxiety and prevent us from resolving our problems.

By failing to reduce my stress properly, I sentenced myself to a breakdown by way of a peanut butter craving.

I realize this sounds overdramatic, and it is, but what I’m trying to iterate is that we shouldn’t be afraid to break out of our regimented routines, question our rituals and face our underlying issues head-on.

By failing to reduce my stress properly, I sentenced myself to a breakdown by way of a peanut butter craving.

We live in a society that glorifies being busy, overly-caffeinated and exercised as proper methods of coping with everything else we’re expected to accomplish. What if abusing your methods of coping caused more stress than they served to manage?

What if they were so distracting that they prevented you from prioritizing your energy and managing your emotions?

Habits are normal. However, it’s critical to be aware of their power and remind ourselves what our true priorities are if we want to achieve personal satisfaction. We should challenge ourselves to find refuge by facing our real stressors, instead of reaching for a jar of tasty spread.

Katherine is the Journal’s Editorial Illustrator.

She’s a third-year fine arts student.

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

•9

Dialogue

10 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 1, 2013

Opinions — Your Perspective

Talking heads

Racism

Own up to society’s racist basis

... around campus Photos By Erin Sylvester

Would you take a naked yoga class?

Our contributor argues that we can only rid our culture of racism if we talk about it

“No, because naked yoga is for the bedroom.”

Emily Wong, ArtSci ’15 Racism exists at Queen’s. Don’t think it’s an issue? That’s because you haven’t heard about it.

Discussions of race can make people uncomfortable.

Nobody wants to be labelled a racist, and that fear might stop people from asking questions about race because they’re afraid of offending someone. It’s seen as a topic that is too loaded and dangerous to talk about.

But if we don’t talk about racism, we won’t know it exists, and as a result, we won’t take the first steps towards addressing it.

Racism exists here at Queen’s, as well as in Kingston, in Ontario, in Canada and all around the world. We need to have open, honest conversations in order to break it down.

Recently, a friend of mine was trying to describe someone to me and asked if she could mention the person’s race. Bringing up a person’s racial background isn’t necessarily racist, but this reflects the fear that many people have of openly talking about the subject.

One morning, I logged onto Facebook and clicked into the “Overheard at Queen’s” group. The usual posts were all there: funny quotes and squirrel pictures, but something I wasn’t expecting caught my eye.

There was a comment thread with heated discussion on whether ”Overheard” was an appropriate place to have a discussion about racism.

We don’t all want to talk about race, and this is why platforms such as social media are so important. While there are people who scroll right past posts like this, there will always be people who stop to read, even if they don’t participate.

That initial awareness is absolutely crucial — recognition is the first step in sparking critical thought.

A lot people expressed the idea that this Facebook group is meant for amusement and isn’t a forum for debate on social issues.

One of the suggestions was to create a page just for these discussions. Yet what’s significant about the placement of this comment thread in particular is that people who would

Alex Kelly, ArtSci ’15

“Yes, but only if it’s not hot yoga.”

Jeffrey Ingold, ArtSci ’13 Refusing to acknowledge racism makes it an elephant in the room.

otherwise be oblivious to issues of racism see that people are talking about it. A separate page for those discussions would only attract people who are interested, despite the fact that talking about racism is everybody’s discussion.

By refusing to talk about race, we are sweeping the problem under the rug rather than openly addressing it. We can’t break down racist barriers if the problem remains unacknowledged.

Too many people tend to think of racism as singular actions, like the use of racial slurs or hate crimes such as the attack on Muslim students here in Kingston a few weeks ago.

In reality, racism is an overarching institutionalized system that exists today but was established by a history of European colonialism, privileging people who are white over people who aren’t.

Bringing up a person’s racial background isn’t necessarily racist, but this reflects the fear that many people have of openly talking about the subject.

For example, you’ve probably never heard a white person asked how white people feel about a certain issue — to speak on behalf of their entire race. But this is a common anecdote heard amongst visible minorities.

Misunderstanding racism in this way informs a lot of the reluctance to talk about race.

We don’t all want to talk about race, and this is why platforms such as social media are so important. While there are those who scroll right past ... there will always be people who stop to read ... That initial awareness is absolutely crucial.

People don’t seem to understand that you can be racist without racist intentions. “You’re being too sensitive” or “it was just a joke” are common phrases used to silence people who object to oppressive statements.

Similar to the way you might accidentally elbow someone in the face, that comment or joke you make could be racist even if it wasn’t meant to be.

If someone is offended by something you say because they perceive it to be racist, the most appropriate thing to do is apologize (the same goes for the elbow).

A friend of mine filed a human rights complaint after being repeatedly asked about their ethnic background by a Queen’s University staff member.

The complaint was eventually resolved by a mediated discussion. After this, my friend

Illustration by Anisa Rawhani

said they felt the instigator understood why the comments were inappropriate after they were made aware of the issue.

We need to have more conversations like these because they help us deconstruct the ideas that perpetrate racism.

Some people claim they don’t see race (i.e, they purport to be “colourblind”). In doing so, they completely erase the historical and cultural racial contexts that our society is built on.

Nobody is colourblind; pretending not to see race provides cover for more subtle forms of racism, such as asking a visible minority where they’re “really” from, or the persistence of stereotypes.

Instead of pretending to be “colourblind”, we need to acknowledge race. Recognizing that we are different allows us to address the inequalities some of us face due to those differences.

People don’t seem to understand that you can be racist without racist intentions. “You’re being too sensitive” or “it was just a joke” are common phrases used to silence people who object to oppresive statements.

Ultimately, this will help move us toward more inclusive, equitable practices.

“No, because I would probably feel too self-conscious.”

Joanna Shi, BFA ’14

“I’d want to but I wouldn’t because I’d be too shy.”

Brittany Moore, ArtSci ’16

“Probably not because it’s an awkward situation.”

Joshua Arduini, Sci ’16

Agree or disagree with our content? Want to contribute to Opinions?

Send letters and pitches to: journal_letters@ams.queensu.ca

“Sure, because nature is beautiful.”

Vlad Bejan, Nurs ’16

Friday, November 1, 2013

queensjournal.ca

• 11

yoga

Arts

Bare essentials

Dallas Delahunt, owner of Studio 330, brings naked yoga to the Limestone City

B y K ate S hao Assistant Arts Editor

All of Delahunt’s classes, including naked yoga, will be completely donation-based.

Photo by charlotte gagnier

Concert pReview

Getting lost in the pines AroarA will hit the Grad Club this weekend with their book of poems B y K ate S hao Assistant Arts Editor They recorded in the pines — literally.

The Montreal-based duo AroarA released their debut album In The Pines earlier this year and will be touring this fall, making a pit stop in Kingston on Saturday.

“A friend let us use her house in the woods,” band member Andrew Whiteman said. “It challenged us to make a record there.”

The band gets its name from their names. The two, Whiteman

and Ariel Engle, have been married for over four years.

“It’s because of Andrew and Ariel,” Whiteman said. “There’s a lion in between us.”

This may be the duo’s first album together, but they aren’t new faces on the Kingston music scene.

The band played this past summer at the Wolfe Island Music Festival.

Whiteman is also one of the founding members of Canadian music collective Broken Social Scene and Apostle of Hustle. His Broken Social Scene ties have

lent their hand in the creation of In The Pines.

Leslie Feist, most well known by her last name, let the pair record their album at her cabin. She and Whiteman played together in Broken Social Scene for years.

AroarA took a different approach to the recording process.

In addition to working in the woods, they also used a friend’s Toronto basement and their own living room in Montreal as studio space.

“It was done on a laptop, very cheaply, very low-fi,” Whiteman said. “That’s kind of the way we

The practice goes beyond the physical by literally stripping everything away.

Dallas Delahunt, owner of Studio 330 on Princess St., started Kingston’s first naked yoga class last month.

The idea first came to her through an interested student about two years ago.

“He was interested in exploring the practice,” Delahunt said, “but everywhere he searched for it was only for gay men, and he wasn’t interested in exploring in that way.”

Those who practice yoga are able to love a little more, be more present in the moment and less reactionary, she said.

But this spiritual aspect didn’t come to her right away.

The self-proclaimed gym rat took a yoga class on a whim at the former Downtown Workout in 1998, without fully knowing what she was getting into.

The class had a long-lasting impact and yoga eventually became a way of life for Delahunt.

“There wasn’t anything I didn’t notice in my life [after the class], wanted it.”

Each track on the LP is simply titled with a number.

Each number signifies a poem from the American poet Alice Notley’s 2007 book, also titled In The Pines. There are 14 poems and 14 songs. The tracks are ordered in musical sequence instead of the order they appear in the book.

“14 is a good number for a number of songs,” he said. “It just all made sense.”

With permission from the award-winning poet, Whiteman transformed her literature into lyrics paired with

whether it was sitting down to pee, putting my socks on or rolling over in bed at night,” Delahunt said.

This sense of awareness is further heightened while practicing in the nude.

She has never participated in naked yoga herself. While instructing, she prefers to remain clothed, but still fully believes in the practice.

Naked yoga may sound overtly controversial to some, but not to those who practice it.

There’s a lot more to it than its face value.

Delahunt recalled the thought-provoking experience of one particular participant.

The woman was new to the studio. She was inspired to take part in naked yoga because she didn’t want to see labels on clothing.

“It’s interesting for me, in a sense, because I am one of Lululemon’s ambassadors and I hardly wear the clothes,” Delahunt said.

She was appointed as the brand’s ambassador in Kingston for the third time earlier this year, but does it primarily for the community and philosophical aspects behind the brand.

See Looking on page 12

spine-chilling melodies.

“I love poetry and Alice Notley is just a leader,” Whiteman said.

“She’s a real distinctive voice.”

Notley’s book follows a woman undergoing strenuous Hepatitis C treatment. With lyrics like “my defect is so beautiful now, it’s all that I am” in “#7”, her words spill out tales of the tumultuous experience.

Whiteman didn’t select Into The Pines, he said it chose him.

“There’s pieces of old American gospel songs and country songs in the work,” he said.

The idea to rearrange Notley’s poems came about when Whiteman noticed those musical influences.

“While you’re brushing your teeth you just have an idea,” he said. “That’s how that idea came about.”

When Whiteman read Notley’s work to his bandmate and wife, she exclaimed that “if Alice were church, we’d go.”

The two began collaborating about two years ago with something along the lines of Arabic disco music, he said, as their first way of speaking together musically.

After a friend built him a fretless, goatskin banjo, the duo’s music took its own direction.

“When you have that sound as one of your key ingredients and you like disco,” Whiteman said, “then things start to go in a certain way.”

The creative twosome will embark in another musical exploration come wintertime, Whiteman said.

“I’m really not sure what’s going to happen,” he said, “but whatever it is, it will probably be tight.”

AroarA will be playing at the Grad Club on Saturday night.

AroarA’s debut album, Into the Pines, adds melodies to American writer Alice Notley’s book of poems.

Supplied by Adrienne Amato

ARTS

12 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

THEATRE

Affectionate and morbid parody Local theatre company Meistersingers delightfully presents an adaptation of the Frankenstein tragedy B Y J ANINE A BULUYAN Staff Writer Forget “Thriller,” because this Halloween everyone is dancing the “Transylvania Mania” from Young Frankenstein, a musical theatre production presented by Kingston Meistersingers.

Based on Mel Brooks’ original musical film masterpiece, Young Frankenstein is an affectionate parody of film adaptations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

The production sings the story of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein — a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein — as he journeys from his modern New York life back to Transylvania, where he

takes on the family business of making monsters.

The dry run dress rehearsal on the evening of Oct. 30 was raw and delightful.

Performed in The Octave Theatre on Dalton, the isolated and off-the-beaten-track location was perfect. The small stage changed from New York City to the Transylvanian castle of the Frankenstein family, and from the infamous Frankenstein laboratory to a forest and village.

The tone of the show was set with a beautiful and haunting violin here, classic light musical scores there, with a touch of jazz and swing everywhere.

The performance was filled with bold characters, great musical

numbers and plenty of innuendo.

The energetic cast of characters included: the moustachioed young Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, hunchbacked sidekick Igor, voluptuous assistant Inga, stern housekeeper Frau Blucher, madcap fiancé Elizabeth and, of course, the beloved Frankenstein monster.

Musical highlights were “He Was My Boyfriend”, “Transylvania Mania,” and “Putting on the Ritz”.

Especially full of innuendo were “Roll in the Hay” and “Deep Love.” In context, the former was performed when the voluptuous assistant Inga was being hired by Dr. Frankenstein, and the latter was courtesy of Frankenstein the monster’s new love.

Morbid and inappropriate

lyrics were sung with zest and heavy moments were contrasted with humor.

In one scene, young Dr. Frankenstein discovered the family trade in “How I Did It” by Dr. Victor Frankenstein, while the others in turn drank tea and played Go Fish and BINGO. In short, Shelley’s tragic “Frankenstein” blended the right amount of inappropriate singing, dancing and dark humour to

produce comedic and fun Young Frankenstein.

A musical is a challenge to produce but the strong and dedicated cast succeeded in their efforts. The audience, ranging in age from teenagers to adults, appeared well-entertained.

Young Frankenstein will be opening this evening followed by performances from Nov. 1 to 2 and Nov. 6 to 10.

Studio 330 offers yoga by donation for all levels of practice.

SUPPLIED

Looking inward Continued from page 11

The Kingston Meistersingers presents Young Frankenstein, a musical full of innuendo.

SUPPLIED

According to the Lululemon website, the opportunity to be an ambassador is “extended to unique individuals in our store communities who embody the lululemon lifestyle and live our culture.”

“I’m not into the label thing,” she said.

Naked yoga allows people to explore their practice in an intimate and personal way, without material distractions.

“We put it out there to honour the human body and bring people together so they don’t have to hide behind the make-up and labels and all that stuff,” she said.

Delahunt chose to make the class co-ed, instead of making it exclusively available to gay men.

She found that gender differences didn’t complicate the flow.

The class is connected on a deeper level as they aren’t distracted by things like adjusting the material of their clothing, Delahunt explained.

Without the distractions of clothed yoga, naked yoga leads one closer to oneself.

“Being more centered would only provide an opportunity to go inward toward their true self, to their sense of truth and wealth,” she said. “To me, that would ultimately lead to our connection to the spirit.”

These connections are the essence of the practice, for her.

“Ultimately, I just want people on the mat, it makes no difference to me,” she said.

For Delahunt, yoga of all forms goes beyond the physical.

It stretches to notions of social change.

Yoga, she said, means a union between two different people or groups and the world.

“Until we understand [the meaning],” Delahunt said, “we’re not going to be able to make a big impact on changes in the world.”

Delahunt’s naked yoga class is on the first Friday of every month at Studio 330 at 8 p.m, payable by donation.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

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SPORTS

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SAM KOEBRICH

RUGBY

Golden double in sight for tricolour Familiar foes await Queen’s at Nixon Field and in Quebec City, with a pair of titles just a few wins away

MEN B Y E RIN S TEPHENSON Staff Writer Men’s rugby has found themselves in a rematch of epic proportions.

The Gaels will host the Western Mustangs tomorrow at Nixon Field in the 2013 OUA championship game.

This is the second straight season these adversaries have met in the league final. Last year, the Gaels took home the top prize with a 29-18 victory.

This season, both teams have been heavyweights in their own rights. Queen’s has had an undefeated season (7-0), outscoring their opponents by a combined 303-50.

Comparatively, the Mustangs have had a nearly perfect season (6-1), with their only loss coming by a score of 36-18 to the Gaels on Sept. 28. They sit second in the OUA with 296 points for and 71 points against.

The Gaels aren’t going to have an easy time securing a victory at Saturday’s game. As head coach Peter Huigenbos has said, the playoffs are an entirely new season, so the question remains whether the team can bring home another OUA banner.

Huigenbos thinks this year’s team is equal to, if not better, than last year’s squad, and victory is a likely possibility.

“This year’s team is very focused on individual accountability and making sure every player is prepared to do his job on the day — just a lot of ownership,” Huigenbos said. “The team is going to work if you have

committed individuals working hard, knowing what to do and being mentally prepared to do what you need to do on game day.”

Huigenbos emphasized the club’s defensive improvement since September’s meeting with the Mustangs.

“We gave up a lot of line breaks to Western,” he said. “They have talented players that got outside us and scored some tries. Since that

WOMEN game, we’ve been much better at defence on the outside.”

Huigenbos also said the team has improved as the season has continued.

“Set piece work with our forwards has improved every week since that Western game,” he said.

“It is a relatively short season, so you want to be better in a lot of facets of the game each week.”

Fourth-year player Jacob See Final on page 18

Men’s rugby cruised past Western on Sept. 28 by a score of 36-18 en route to a perfect regular season.

Football

PHOTO BY LANG BUNKA

B Y N ICK FARIS Sports Editor Coming off the biggest win in program history, women’s rugby’s first national medal is within grasp.

A 19-15 triumph over the five-time defending OUA champion Guelph Gryphons last Saturday gave Queen’s their first-ever league banner and a number two seed at the CIS championships.

For a Gaels side boasting fifth-place CIS finishes in 2010 and 2012, it’s a chance to finally reach the national podium.

“The focus has been really great,” said Gaels head coach Beth Barz.

“They had a chance to celebrate, and enough of the girls have been to CIS before that they understand the grueling schedule that it is.

They’re focused and ready.”

Queen’s enters this year’s CIS tournament — which runs throughout the weekend in Quebec City — ranked atop Pool B, alongside the third-seed Alberta Pandas and the number six Laval Rouge et Or. The Gaels had never won a round-robin match at nationals until yesterday, when they topped the host Rouge et Or 19-17 in their first of two preliminary games.

They’ll face the Canada West champion Pandas tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. If Queen’s wins, they’ll advance to Sunday’s gold medal game.

“We know we’ll have some good rugby on our hands and some good players across from us,” Barz said. “Once you get to this point in the year, all the teams are going to

PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE GAGNIER

The Gaels’ Lauren McEwen was named Russell (East) Division MVP this season.

be gifted and good and have their own strengths and weaknesses, as well — more strengths than weaknesses.”

Guelph is pooled with the top-seeded St. Francis Xavier X-Women — who beat the Gryphons 37-0 in last year’s national final — and the fourth-ranked McGill Martlets, champions of the Quebec conference.

National championship seeds are determined by the classification of the previous year’s tournament, rather than a subjective ranking system.

Guelph’s status as national runner-up in 2012 ensured this year’s OUA champ would enter as the second seed.

Queen’s fifth-place finish See Alberta on page 19

PAGE 15

Guelph, again

Basketball Tip-off tonight

Women’s soccer PAGE 14

Through to the Four

PAGE 16

SPORTS

14 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

FOOTBALL

Script flipped in semis Fifty-two weeks ago, Guelph stunned Queen’s in the OUA playoffs. Tomorrow is the Gaels’ chance for total revenge B Y J OSH B URTON Staff Writer

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Guelph erased a 22-point deficit in last year’s playoff game, then won in overtime.

The location has changed since last year, but the stakes are the same.

After a busy week off, Queen’s is ready to face the Guelph Gryphons at Richardson Stadium again.

The Gaels defeated the Gryphons 37-23 in the final game of the regular season two weeks ago, dealing Guelph their first loss and ensuring the Gaels finished the season 7-1, obtaining a first-round bye.

Tomorrow, they’ll face off at Richardson in the OUA semi-finals, after Guelph defeated the Windsor Lancers 31-21 last Saturday.

This season’s matchup against Guelph was in stark contrast to 2012, when the Gaels squandered a chance at home-field advantage

by blowing a late fourth quarter lead to the Gryphons in the regular season.

In a horrifying episode of déjà vu, the Gaels were eventually eliminated by Guelph in the semis after giving up a 22-point lead with 10 minutes remaining.

Saturday’s showdown will be the teams’ fourth meeting in two years. According to Gaels head coach Pat Sheahan, both sides may still have a trick or two up their sleeves.

“It becomes a little bit more of a chess game,” said Gaels head coach Pat Sheahan. “There has to be a curveball or two in there so you have to try and anticipate where your opponent will strike next.

“The old adage ‘don’t coach PHOTO BY SAM KOEBRICH against ghosts’ works most of the Queen’s scored 30 unanswered points in their 37-23 time, but in the playoffs, you’re regular-season win over Guelph on Oct. 19. going to see a few wrinkles.”

In order to advance to the Yates defence to take chances for the ball struggled this season when they haven’t played to their potential.

Cup, the Gaels will need to stick and to look for interceptions.

“Under pressure, you want to be With a Yates Cup berth on the line, to the game that brought them success this season: run the ball able to go out there and deliver an Queen’s needs to show they’re the well and use quarterback Billy effort that you put your signature better team and squash any chance for an upset early in the game.

McPhee’s elite arm strength to take on,” Sheahan said.

If the Gaels can control the time Experience is on Queen’s side. shots downfield.

Slot receiver Scott Macdonell Most Gaels starters are fourth- or of possession, run the ball well to will likely be instrumental to fifth-years who are used to playing open up the vertical passing game and get big plays from their defense, Queen’s success. The towering in high-pressure situations.

The relatively healthy veteran there’s nothing that should stop a receiver gives the Gaels a serious mismatch in the centre of the field, group is finally looking like the Yates Cup matchup in London with as he’s too fast for linebackers to team their talent level would the Western Mustangs.

Sheahan knows his team must keep up with but too big for a suggest, which doesn’t bode well play their best football under for the Gryphons. safety to easily bring down.

The Gaels are the superior pressure, an ability all championship Getting the ball and scoring early and often will allow the Gaels’ team on paper, and have only teams have.

“That’s why championship teams only happen every now and again,” he said. “Everyone is waiting to see what our team brings to the ballpark.”

CIS Football Playoff Schedule OUA Semi-finals Guelph Gryphons @ Queen’s Gaels, Nov. 2, 1 p.m. (Kingston) McMaster Marauders @ Western Mustangs, Nov. 2, 4:30 p.m.

(London) Yates Cup OUA semi-final winners, Nov. 9 (hosted by higher seed) Mitchell Bowl OUA champ vs.

Canada West champ, Nov. 16 (hosted by Canada West champ) Vanier Cup National semi-final winners, Nov. 23 (hosted by Laval)

SPORTS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

WOMEN’S SOCCER

West’s best up next Western, Laurier main barricades in Gaels’ road to nationals B Y C HLOE S OBEL Staff Writer After a stunning upset of the top-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees last Sunday, Queen’s will play in the OUA Final Four for the fifth straight season.

Joining them in the provincial semi-finals are the Laurier Golden Hawks, the Carleton Ravens and the host Western Mustangs.

Fifth-year striker Riley Filion, the 2011 East MVP, is an OUA first-team All-Star this season, while fourth-year defender Melissa Jung, fifth-year midfielder Alexis McKinty and rookie defender Micah Vermeer are second-team All-Stars.

The other three teams in the in the Final Four also claim a high number of All-Stars, with the two teams representing the West Division bringing in three major OUA awards.

Tonight, the Gaels will face a Western squad that boasts the OUA West Rookie of the Year, defender Jenna White.

The Mustangs finished the regular season undefeated, with five draws and sent six players to the All-Star teams. Their head

coach, Martin Painter, was named OUA West coach of the year.

Despite Western’s success this year, Queen’s head coach Dave McDowell said the Gaels are at a similar level.

“Western is very good, but we think we can play with them,” he said. “As a group, we’re confident if we come out and play well, we’re going to give them a good game.”

Laurier is led by striker Emily Brown, the OUA West MVP. Her 18 goals in the regular season led the league.

Alongside Brown, three other Golden Hawks are first-team All-Stars this year.

Laurier finished the regular season 9-3-4 and have made the Final Four each of the past four seasons.

“Laurier is an old favourite,” McDowell said. “We’ve certainly seen a lot of them in the last four years, in terms of Final Fours and national championships, so no strangers there.”

Carleton finished the regular season 9-3-4, finishing third in the OUA East. In two meetings with the Ravens this year, the Gaels defeated them 1-0 and drew 2-2.

The Gaels spent this week

MEN’S SOCCER

End of the run

Core set to graduate after playoff defeat B Y B RENT M OORE AND S EAN S UTHERLAND Journal Staff This year, men’s soccer was unable to build on last season’s success.

In 2012, the Gaels finished first in the OUA East and made a run to the Final Four. This season, they finished fourth in their division and fell in extra time to the Carleton Ravens in the OUA East semi-finals.

Head coach Chris Gencarelli said the team’s struggle to meet expectations impacted the early part of their season, until the team found their game later in the year.

“We weren’t getting the results we desired, which I think caused some of the players to play with a lack of confidence or play too timid,” he said. “I thought close to the end of the season we were hitting our stride and players were starting to realize their potential.”

Several of the team’s top players will be graduating, including captain Joe Zupo, goalkeeper Dylan Maxwell, defender David Tom and striker Lucas Lobo.

Gencarelli said that while the graduating players were key members of the squad, he thinks younger players will step up next year.

“We have a young core of players that can absolutely step up to the plate next year,” he said. “It’s not about replacing [the graduating players], it’s about the younger players finding their own identity and placing their own identity on the program.”

While the team didn’t win the title, Gencarelli said he was still proud of their performance,

and the growth of the younger players, including rookies Tonko Bacelic and Rohan Sarna, as well as second-year midfielder Andrew Martin.

“They’re going to be instrumental to our success moving forward,” Gencarelli said.

The Gaels’ leadership core will undergo a shift next season with the graduation of Zupo, the captain for the last three seasons. After four years with the Gaels, he’s set his sights on the next challenge — a possible pro career overseas.

Zupo was named to the OUA East All-Star Team for the fourth year in a row. Four other Gaels — Maxwell, Tom, midfielder Henry Bloemen and striker Tommy Hong — were named second-team All-Stars.

Maxwell, a fourth year, will vacate the starting keeper position he’s held for three years.

Zupo said Maxwell was a major part of the team during recent seasons.

“He’s been our team MVP two

making sure everyone on the team was recovered from injuries. For a team that has struggled with game-impacting injuries throughout the season, this is of paramount importance for the weekend ahead.

McDowell said Sunday’s Ottawa game introduced the younger Gaels to the style of play in the playoffs, something that will help them moving forward.

“The Ottawa game was typical playoff soccer, very hard-nosed, very physical,” he said.

The winner of tonight’s match between Queen’s and Western will advance to the OUA gold medal game and will automatically advance to the CIS championships.

The losing team will play for the OUA bronze medal.

— With files from Sean Sutherland

Women’s Soccer OUA Final Four Schedule Semi-finals Laurier Golden Hawks vs. Carleton Ravens, Nov. 1, 5 p.m.

Queen’s Gaels vs.

Western Mustangs, Nov. 1, 7 p.m.

Bronze Medal Game Semi-final losers, Nov. 3, 11 a.m.

Gold Medal Game Semi-final winners, Nov. 3, 2 p.m.

Semi-final winners advance to CIS Championships — Nov. 7-10 @ University of Toronto.

years running,” Zupo said.

Heading into next year, Zupo said defender Ben Fenech will take on a larger role with the Gaels, after spending three years playing behind him on Queen’s backend.

“He’s going to come out of that third-choice shell and really embrace the fact that he’s going to be playing a lot more,” Zupo said.

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SPORTS

16 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

BASKETBALL PREVIEWS

High hopes on the hardwood Stars and second-year classes prepare to battle stiff OUA East competition

MEN B Y J ORDAN C ATHCART Staff Writer With 11 returnees to the men’s basketball squad, things can go nowhere but up.

With added experience and the continued scoring touch of veteran players Greg Faulkner and Nikola Misljencevic, there’s little doubt this season will be an improvement from last year.

The Gaels are looking to boost last season’s 10-10 record, which ended with a first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Laurentian Voyageurs.

Nine players on the roster are in their first or second year. The recent development of this young core may make or break the Gaels’ success this season.

Gaels head coach Stephan Barrie believes his squad, particularly the substantial second-year core, worked hard over the summer to improve on last season’s record.

“Patrick Street, Ryall Stroud and Andrew

Mavety are guys who have really changed in terms of what they were last year,” Barrie said. “Sukhpreet Singh and Roshane Roberts, who were really important players for us last year, will continue to be so.

“It’s important to remember they are young — they aren’t fourth-year guys and they are still learning,” he said.

The two fresh faces in the mix for the upcoming season are 6’10” centre Mike Shoveller and Mike Mullins, a defensive-minded guard.

Shoveller will see playing time right away, as the Gaels hope his tenacious rebounding skills and much-needed shot-blocking prowess will bolster a small line-up.

Barrie was pleased with the centre’s play in the pre-season.

“Shoveller has already had an impact in pre-season, and we are just looking for him to get better,” Barrie said. “He’s a presence just by simply being as big as he is, and for us, it is just a matter of being patient with him.”

With a roster virtually the same as the previous season, the Gaels will likely fall behind the powerhouse Carleton Ravens, Ottawa Gee-Gees and Ryerson Rams

WOMEN B Y J ERRY Z HENG Staff Writer

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Liz Boag scored 13.9 points and doled out 3.9 assists per game in 2012-13.

Despite losing four veteran players, women’s basketball head coach Dave Wilson is confident this season’s squad is the best he’s assembled in years.

The Gaels finished an injury-plagued 2012-13 season with a 7-13 record, before embarking on a playoff run that saw them eliminate the Ryerson Rams and fall to the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the second round.

This year, the Gaels hope to make a deeper push in the playoffs with their improved roster.

Last year’s leading rebounder Sydney Kernahan is one of four members of last year’s team no longer with the Gaels. Also gone are centre Hanna Koposhynska, guard Rachel Urosevic and forward Emma Stallwood.

in the OUA East.

All three teams currently rank in the top four nationally.

Even though the Gaels will be in tough within their division, Barrie embraces it.

“We are in hands down the toughest division, let alone conference, in the country,” he said. “As of right now, we are in the second group of teams and we will try and find our way into that top group.”

If Faulkner continues scoring around his usual 20-points-per-game clip — he finished third in the OUA with 19.9 last season — and the Gaels’ defence remains stingy, Queen’s could upset a top OUA team and snag fourth place in the East.

Barrie’s goal this season remains simple: to keep improving and to continue building towards the team’s success.

“We’ve got to take what we did last year and get better,” said Barrie, noting that rebounding well and limiting turnovers will be significant areas of focus.

“We need to continue to work on these two things, because they will be critical factors for our success come playoff time.”

Greg Faulkner led last year’s

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Gaels in scoring as a third-year transfer.

A quartet of rookies will replace the four departed players. Forwards Nicole Barnard and Amy Cotton, post Andrea Priamo and guard Abby Dixon will add depth to the Gaels heading into the season.

Wilson said a pair of the new faces should quickly enter the Gaels’ rotation once the season starts.

“There’s no question that two of them have stood out right off the bat: Abby Dixon and Andrea Priamo,” Wilson said.

The rookie class could be tested early, since the injury bug appears to have again struck the Gaels before the season has begun.

Guard Emily Hazlett suffered a shoulder injury during their pre-season game against the Ryerson Rams, while Liz Boag, last year’s leading scorer, only played half of one pre-season game due to a sprained ankle.

Also injured is Barnard, who had an unresolved foot issue before she joined the Gaels, while forward Gemma Bullard, guard Meaghan MacDougall and post Nicole Morse all have knee issues ailing them.

Many of them will be game-time decisions

for tonight’s season opener.

Despite the injuries, Wilson believes his team will play better this year due in part to their improved offseason training, which has become more rigorous.

“They’re in better shape and much stronger,” Wilson said. “Almost every game we’ve played, the coaches come back and say, ‘wow, your kids are really physical.’”

Boag said the players were asked to shoot 1,000 shots per week over the summer.

“We’re a deeper [team] than we were in the past, so that gives me a lot of optimism because we can throw so many threats and bodies at different teams who maybe don’t have as many weapons,” Boag said.

This season’s second-year players, including standout post Robyn Pearson, played more minutes than usual in their rookie years due to the slew of injuries that kept their teammates from playing.

They come into this season with much more OUA experience than typical rookies, giving the Gaels more all-around depth.

SPORTS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

WEEKEND WRAP-UP Men’s hockey: Queen’s wins twice Men’s hockey continued their winning ways with a pair of victories on the road over the weekend.

The Gaels defeated the Nipissing Lakers 6-4 on Friday and the Laurentian Voyageurs 6-3 on Saturday to extend their winning streak to three games, tying them for first place in the OUA East division.

Forward Taylor Clements potted four goals in the victory over Laurentian. It was the first time in his hockey career that he scored that many in a game.

“It was a coming-out party for him of sorts,” head coach Brett Gibson said of Clements’ performance.

The Gaels started both games similarly, jumping out to 2-0 leads after the first period.

On Saturday, Laurentian came back fighting, taking a 3-2 lead early in the third before the Gaels went ahead for good. Queen’s scored four goals in the third period against the Voyageurs, the last three of which came from Clements.

“[Victoria] does well in difficult conditions — she has her entire career,” Boyd said.

On the men’s side, the Gaels were led by fourth-year Jeff Archer, who finished in fifth place.

— Sean Sutherland

Rowing: Silver and bronze Matt Christie reigned over Ontario on Sunday.

The third-year Gaels rower won gold in the lightweight men’s single at the OUA championships in St. Catharines, posting Queen’s best individual result.

Months after competing for Canada at the Under-23 World

Championships, Christie was named 2013 OUA Oarsman of the Year.

While Christie and the women’s heavyweight eight claimed first-place medals, Queen’s also secured a pair of overall podium finishes, with the women’s side taking silver and the men bronze.

Queen’s women, the defending OUA champions, were topped by the Western Mustangs on Sunday.

“We’re disappointed that we didn’t achieve our highest expectations,” said head coach John Armitage. “I would have given the women an A-plus had we won, but the fact that we fell short is still a very good finish.”

— Nick Faris

FOR FULL VERSIONS OF THESE RECAPS, GO TO QUEENSJOURNAL.CA/SPORTS.

— Adam Laskaris

Women’s hockey: Three of four points The Gaels came out of the weekend with a win and an overtime loss, extending their point streak to seven games.

The team, ranked fifth nationally, earned a convincing 5-2 win on Friday against the UOIT Ridgebacks. Playing in their first road game of the year in Oshawa, the Gaels were led by four point-performances from forwards Taryn Pilon and Nadia Larocca.

Gaels captain Morgan McHaffie scored a pair of goals against UOIT, including the game-winner in the second period.

Despite a late comeback attempt from the Ridgebacks, Larocca put the game away early in the third with her first CIS goal.

The next day, the Gaels returned home to the Memorial Centre to square off against the York Lions. Despite dominating for large stretches, Queen’s fell short in a shootout and lost 3-2, earning a single point.

“As a team, we still have a lot of things to work on, but it’s been nice that we’ve been having some success so far,” said Gaels head coach Matt Holmberg.

— Jaehoon Kim

Cross-country: Fourth and fourth Despite standout performances from top runners, neither cross-country team found the podium at the OUA championships this weekend.

With rain pouring down, both Queen’s teams finished in fourth place.

Victoria Coates and Julie-Anne Staehli continued their incredible seasons, taking the top two spots in the women’s race. Coates won with a time of 21:50.2, with Staehli finishing 11 seconds behind.

Head coach Steve Boyd said Coates’ ability to run in less than pristine weather conditions helped her to the gold medal.

Andrew Binks signing and reading from his 2nd novel, STRIP, at Novel Idea,156 Princess St. Wednesday November 6th 7-9pm

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SPORTS

18 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

ON DECK CIRCLE FOOTBALL

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 p.m.: Gaels vs. Guelph Gryphons (OUA semi-final).

Sunday, Nov. 3, 3 p.m.: Gaels (1-0) vs. RMC Paladins (0-1).

MEN’S RUGBY Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 p.m.: Gaels vs.

Western Mustangs (OUA Championship).

WOMEN’S RUGBY Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 p.m.: Gaels vs.

Alberta Pandas (CIS round robin in Quebec City).

WOMEN’S SOCCER Friday, Nov. 1, 7 p.m.: @ Western Mustangs semi-final).

Gaels (OUA

MEN’S HOCKEY Friday, Nov. 1, 7 p.m.: Gaels (3-0-2) @ Ottawa Gee-Gees (1-5-0).

Saturday, Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m.: Gaels vs. UOIT Ridgebacks (1-4-1).

WOMEN’S HOCKEY Saturday, Nov. 2, 2:30 p.m.: Gaels (5-0-2) @ Waterloo Warriors (3-3-1).

Sunday, Nov. 3, 3 p.m.: Gaels @ Laurier Golden Hawks (5-2-0).

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Sunday, Nov. 3, 1 p.m.: Gaels (1-1) vs. RMC Paladins (0-1).

MEN’S BASKETBALL Friday, Nov. 1, 8 p.m.: Gaels (0-0) vs. Lakehead Thunderwolves (0-0).

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Final back at Nixon Continued from page 13

Rumball is confident the Gaels’ forwards will dominate Western physically and lead Queen’s to victory.

“Perfection in line-outs and scrums, on both sides of the ball, is our goal for Saturday,” Rumball said.“It’s essential that the forwards are able to be physically dominant.

Outworking Western will allow our backs to capitalize on their speed and skill outside.”

Like last year’s final, the game will take place at Nixon Field. Rumball said home-field advantage will be a benefit for the Gaels tomorrow.

“There’s nothing better than playing for gold in front of a home crowd,” he said. “It’s days like Saturday that we play rugby for.”

Back-to-back championships have become a rarity in OUA rugby, with no team bringing home banners two years in a row since the McMaster Marauders in 2006.

Still, Rumball is confident that his team is well-trained and ready for anything.

“Preparation throughout the week is essential — we’ll be practicing and fine-tuning many aspects of our game so that we can come out on Saturday ready to deal with anything that occurs on the pitch,” he said.

Saturday, Nov. 2, 8 p.m.: Gaels vs.

Guelph Gryphons (0-0).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Friday, Nov. 1, 6 p.m.: Gaels (0-0) vs. Lakehead Thunderwolves (0-0).

Satuday, Nov. 2, 6 p.m.: Gaels vs.

Guelph Gryphons (0-0).

WOMEN’S LACROSSE Saturday, Nov. 2 to Sunday, Nov. 3: Gaels @ OUA Championships (Kingston).

WATER POLO Friday, Nov. 1 to Sunday, Nov. 3: Gaels @ Queen’s Invitational (Kingston).

JOURNAL FILE PHOTOS

Behind an early try from former captain Dan Moor (right), Queen’s raced to a 29-18 victory over Western in last year’s OUA championship game at Nixon Field.

Follow @QJSports.

Université d’Ottawa

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University of Ottawa

Graduate StudieS

Open HOUSE Meet professors. Visit facilities.

Learn about scholarships.

And much more !

Thursday, November 7, 2013 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Registration and travel subsidy info at

discoveruOttawa.ca

Friday, November 1, 2013

Sports

queensjournal.ca

Alberta up tomorrow Continued from page 13

guaranteed that slot for the other OUA qualifier, but the Gaels’ win last Saturday earned them the higher position.

“It was great that Guelph’s performance last year meant we could be seeded second,” Barz said. “We feel like we’ll be able to represent that seeding well.”

With one of the country’s deepest rosters, Queen’s is well-stocked heading into nationals.

Five Gaels were named Russell (East) Division All-Stars this season, while third-year centre Lauren McEwen won divisional MVP honours.

As the OUA’s second-highest scorer in the regular season, McEwen led the league in individual points during the playoffs.

Rookie wing Karley Heyman finished second on the club in scoring, while fourth-year props Claragh Pegg and Devon

Stride and third-year forward Loren Baldwin were also tabbed as All-Stars.

Despite losing Nadia Popov, the 2012 OUA Rookie of the Year who’s currently training full-time with the Canadian national program, this Gaels squad has gone further than any before.

“The biggest thing that I can see is the belief of being able to win,” Barz said. “The girls were [physically] strong before 2012, they were strong before 2013. I think it’s the mental strength that’s really making a difference for us.”

On the cusp of history for the second time in as many weeks, Barz said her team is fixated on the season’s final stretch.

“Earlier in the year, we were chatting a little bit more about gold medals and stuff, and that died down a little bit,” she said.

“I think the expectations are [that] we don’t really need to talk about it. Keep going and win each game.”

• 19

2013 CIS Women’s Rugby Championship Pool A Schedule

Pool B Schedule

Game 1 — Oct. 31

Game 1 — Oct. 31

Guelph Gryphons 37 St. FX X-Women 12

Queen’s Gaels 19 Laval Rouge et Or 17

Game 2 — Nov. 1

Game 2 — Nov. 1

St. FX X-Women vs. McGill Martlets 10:30 a.m. (Telus Stadium, Quebec City)

Laval Rouge et Or vs.

Alberta Pandas, 1:30 p.m.

(Telus Stadium, Quebec City)

Game 3 — Nov. 2

Game 3 — Nov. 2

Guelph Gryphons vs. McGill Martlets, 10:30 a.m. (Field #11, Laval University)

Queen’s Gaels vs. Alberta Pandas, 1:30 p.m. (Field #11, Laval University)

Playoff Schedule (Nov. 3) 5th Place Game

Championship Game

3rd Place Pool A vs. 3rd Place Pool B, 10 a.m.

1st Place Pool A vs.

1st Place Pool B, 2 p.m.

Bronze Medal Game

*All games at Telus Stadium (Quebec City, Que.)

2nd Place Pool A vs. 2nd Place Pool B, noon.

ACROSS

1. — in (collapsed) 6. Oft-bracketed word 9. Rule, for short 12. Tourist’s query 13. Actress Gardner 14. Commotion 15. “West Side Story” heroine 16. Dizziness 18. Candy brand 20. Pre-owned 21. Spelldown 23. Round Table address 24. Fourth estate 25. State with certainty 27. Boxer who appeared in “The Hangover” 29. Throw off track 31. Lucky number 35. Transparent 37. “Ratatouille” rat 38. It’s a dyeing art 41. “Tasty” 43. Regret 44. Ireland 45. Zodiac twins 47. Sofia of “Modern Family” 49. Egg box quantity 52. Compass pt.

53. Tarzan’s son 54. Sleep soundly?

55. Young Scot 56. Ram’s mate 57. Doctrine

DOWN

1. Welsh valley 2. “Eureka!”

3. “Girl With a Pearl Earring” painter 4. A Great Lake 5. College VIPs 6. Tasty 7. Currier’s partner 8. Auto 9. Lift 10. Rims

11. Merchandise 17. “What’s Love Got to Do With It” singer 19. Name 21. Awful 22. Leading lady?

24. D.C. VIP 26. NASCAR goings-on 28. Antitoxin 30. Sort 32. AT&T competitor 33. Ostrich’s cousin 34. “Science Guy” Bill 36. Ensign’s affirmative 38. Cut at an angle 39. Sports venue 40. Weary 42. In the thick of 45. Get bigger 46. Zilch 48. Cent portrait 50. Before 51. Profit

Last Issue’s Answers

20 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 1, 2013

postscript

Photo By Nicolaas Smith

Sports

Foiled by the flourish The Queen’s Fencing Club brings romance back to athletics B y J acob H alpenny Contributor As I entered the gym at Duncan McArthur Hall last week, the clashing sounds of cold steel signalled an evening of competitive camaraderie.

Here at the Queen’s Fencing Club’s practice, value isn’t placed on size or strength, but on mental endurance and light-speed reaction time.

Something about this sport is magical, creating an atmosphere of hair-splitting tactics involving flourishes and reposes, parries and counters.

The nature of fencing, Jimmy Wintle, M.Ed ’10, explained, involves such a precise amount of defence and offence that scoring can be a matter of a few fractions of an inch.

“In fencing there are three different disciplines: Foil, Épée and Sabre,” Wintle, who has been captaining the men’s team for the past five years, said. “Each of them has a different target and slightly different rules but essentially it’s based on the Western martial art of sword fighting.”

This has proven to be a large draw for beginners. Wintle acknowledged, however, that fencing’s strict rules and code of conduct can feel restraining to those who join under the misconception of violence.

“We definitely have a lot of people coming out and for them it is like fulfilling a fantasy,” he said, “but sword fighting is not a sport, and fencing is not sword fighting. So we do ensure that people learn the right technique.”

Wintle explained that the rules and technique are in place for safety, as many people join fencing to satisfy a desire to play with swords.

Giving me a tutorial on the basics of these techniques, Wintle showed me how to shimmy back and forth so that my legs never crossed over each

other, keeping them bent at all times.

Soon he had me lunging forth and I felt my legs push off the gym floor like a spring.

The lunge to strike an opponent is a stretch — it’s a full body effort so that the fencer reaches with not only his sword, but with his entire body.

Wintle explained the importance of repose, a sort of counter-move where a fencer can deflect their attacker and strike back at their opponent.

I soon learned the action of fencing is as physically taxing as it is mentally.

“There is a certain amount of precision required in fencing, but like any sport if you put the time and dedication into it, you can certainly pick up on the rules and technique easily,” Wintle said.

Once I had begun to spar with him, I immediately realized that fencing is not easy in the least.

Wintle later told me that I had been holding the foil wrong. My hand had to face up with my forefinger and thumb gripping the handle tightly, hand pointed to the ceiling.

He showed me the proper way of striking with a foil — a direct thrust forward. He said a fencer should only do this if they are certain they have a chance to strike and gain points.

Fencing head coach Hugh Munby, who has held the post since 1985, said the rules and the code of conduct ensure that the team holds up a standard of excellence.

“It is the only Olympic sport in which a weapon is used and the target is the human body.”

Munby said. “There’s a code of conduct which involves saluting, and the salute is formalized and it has to be done properly.”

The salute, which involves a flourish of the sword brought up in front of the athlete’s face and back down to attention,

mental shape.

What seemed at first a passionate expression of violence, turned out to be a tentative waiting game of strategy, focus and mental endurance.

My dreams of being the next Captain Jack Sparrow had been swiftly crushed.

“In Pirates of The Caribbean,” Munby said, “they have to move slowly. Otherwise you can’t see it — a stage fight has to be slow.

If you fenced that slow 200 years ago in the streets of Paris, you’d be dead.”

Munby explained, is done to show that the match is solely for the sake of sport.

Opponents salute each other, the audience and the judges.

In a sport that’s primarily about striking and slashing your opponent, a tremendous amount of effort goes into making It is like fulfilling sure that everything is done a fantasy, but sword according to the code. fighting is not a sport, “It has a certain romance to it and fencing is not and you know, there is a finesse sword fighting. in the sport that you don’t find in the other sports — you don’t find it in body contact sports much,” — Jimmy Wintle, men’s fencing captain he said.

Munby said that the sport is instinctual and tactical, My illusions of grandeur requiring its athletes to quashed, it seemed that Hollywood be confident and in good had steered me wrong.

“

”

While fencing is a serious sport, everything I had come to understand as fencing on the stage and screen was false.

Fencing is anything but brutish, Épée division captain Kristian Kraemer, Sci ’17, explained.

“When it comes to a real fight, fencing is probably about as useful as ballet,” he said.

While fencing may not carry the harshness of sword fighting, Kraemer said competitive energies can rise during a match.

“When people are actually in the heat of competition or a bout, then their tensions run pretty high,” he said. “Fencing usually gets a rep as a gentlemanly type of sport ... it’s not.”

Although it involves weaponry, Kraemer said the strategic sport has a fairly low injury rate relative to other sports.

“Pretty much the worst thing you’ll see is like knees and ankles ... but besides that you don’t see any serious injuries, so that’s a good thing,” he said.

When engaging in a match, fencing opponents must abide by the code of conduct.

Photo By Nicolaas Smith