The Queen's Journal, Volume 145, Issue 12

the journal Vol. 145, Issue 12

Queen’s University

F r i d ay N o v 3 , 2 0 1 7

since

1873

Roberta Bondar delivers lecture on human health & space at Queen’s Bondar speaks to packed lecture hall at Queen’s School of Medicine building

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PHOTO BY IAIN SHERRIFF-SCOTT

Roberta Bondar delivering her lecture in the Queen’s School of Medicine building on Wednesday.

I ain S herriff -S cott Assistant News Editor

Bondar’s extensive education in the sciences spans more than a decade. She holds a Bachelor of Science in zoology and agriculture, a Master’s of Science in experimental pathology, a PhD in neurobiology and a medical degree.

For over a decade, Bondar led an international research team at NASA. During her time there, she aimed to find better ways to treat recovering astronauts and to use this information to help treat neurological illnesses back on earth.

In an interview with Bondar before her lecture on Wednesday, she told The Journal in terms of human resilience, “we’re going to have to work things out before we go to Mars.”

“We’ve already had one [accident] with the Virgin Galactic type of spacecraft, but we can’t let these things stop us and say one accident is going to mean we can’t do this. What it does, is make us say ‘how do we make it smarter,’ ‘how do we become smarter,’” she said.

During the lecture, Bondar discussed developing countermeasures to the effects of space on the human body, but claimed there’s still work to be done.

“People who think they are going to get to Mars in 2020 and still be around, I think are whistling up the chimney,” she said,

In 1992, Roberta Bondar became the first Canadian woman to enter space. While the experience was undoubtedly incredible, Bondar told a group of Queen’s students her return to earth wasn’t easy.

This Wednesday, Bondar presented her lecture “Beyond Earth — A Cautionary Tale,” at the 33rd annual H. Garfield Kelly Visiting Lectureship event at the Queen’s School of Medicine. She discussed her experiences as an astronaut and the physiological challenges humans still face in both long-term and short-term space flight.

During Bondar’s lone trip to space, she conducted dozens of experiments in the Discovery shuttle’s space-lab for the first International Microgravity Laboratory mission. Bondar was a “prime payload specialist” on the eight-day space flight orbiting earth. “[After the mission], they took us down to Loma Linda to have CT scans of our heads to make sure we hadn’t had strokes,” Bondar told to a packed lecture theatre on Wednesday.

“The countermeasures, as I mentioned, we try very hard … But we also have to know that there is probably an end-point to human physiology [in space] and we have to keep trying to figure out ways around it,” she said.

I Love First Peoples organization holds shoebox charity drive

Kingston chapter hoping to establish long-term presence with campaign building J asnit P abla Assistant News Editor

Starting this month, Canada’s I Love First Peoples (ILFP) Kingston chapter is accepting gift-filled shoebox donations for Indigenous youth.

ILFP is a registered Canadian non-profit organization focused on empowering Indigenous youth to stay in school. Currently, ILFP’s projects reach remote communities and promote education through donations and awareness campaigns.

“This is our first ever shoebox drive,” Kingston chapter President Nilita Sood told The Journal in an interview.

Following a visit to Winnipeg where she See Bondar on page 4 witnessed the suffering of First Nations

What’s Inside?

peoples who lived on the streets of the city, Josée Lusignan founded ILFP in 2013. She returned to Quebec and began her engagement with the community of Rapid Lake.

After Lusignan’s visit to the Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre this March and information night about the organization, the Kingston chapter was launched. Not only did Sood get involved, but she actually met the people that would become her ILFIP team. “[Lusignan] reached out to the Kingston community for anyone interested in joining the team and it just started from there,” Sood recalled. “Our core function here is to run See Drop on page 4

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JUSTICE KING

NEWS

EDITORIALS

OPINIONS

SPORTS

Alumni and student start-up joins L-Spark accelerator

Newspapers need to differentiate between fact and opinion

Student leaders should focus on all students during election season

Women’s cross country team wins OUA championship

Rocky Horror Picture Show taught me more than I expected

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Friday, November 3, 2017

SUSTAINABILITY

Society for Conservation Biology to hold sustainability seminar with United Nations Attendees to receive sustainability training certificate from UN Foundation for Environmental Stewardship Renee Sands Contributor The Society for Conservation Biology Kingston Chapter will join forces with the United Nations Foundation for Environmental Stewardship (FES) on Nov. 16 to provide students with va l u a b l e skills in sustainability leadership.

The Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) is an organization of Queen’s students and faculty members with the collective aim to preserve biodiversity.

With a local focus, the group’s advocacy is implemented largely through educational

programs and interactive events focused on environmental conservation.

According to the event description, the Foundation for Environmental Stewardship (FES) is an accredited “youth-led, youth-serving sustainable development” UN organization, which aims to “create a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future by empowering youth.”

Called the Queen’s University United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Youth Training Seminar, the Nov. 16 event will welcome over 200 secondary and post-secondary students from Queen’s and Kingston to the Isabel Bader Centre for sustainability training.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals put forth by the United Nations.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Youth Training program was devised as a part of Canada 150 celebrations. The program’s stop at Queen’s is one of 50 training sessions being held in colleges and universities across the country this year.

According to SCB Co-President Ashley Concessio, the SDGs Youth Training Seminar will “mobilize youth and teach them the skills they need to become the leaders of a sustainable tomorrow.”

During the seminar, a United Nations speaker will address students on how best to influence policy, practice advocacy and promote

sustainability developments.

“This youth training seminar not only provides youth with a certificate in sustainability but also supports local clubs like our own in implementing our own projects that will benefit the Queen’s and Kingston community,” Concessio wrote in an email to The Journal.

Not only will this event offer attendees the opportunity to connect with UN officials and policymakers, but they also have the chance to meet with public policy activists who have been on the forefront of the sustainable development movement around the globe.

According to SCB Vice-President Zoe Walters, the development goals are designed to essentially be a “catch-all for turning the world.”

“The UN has these in place, basically, to save the world,” Walters told The Journal. “[The seminar] is meant to be engaging and meant to feel worthwhile. We want people to come out of it really feeling like they [are] trained.”

For participating in the seminar, attendees will receive a certificate in sustainability training from the Foundation of Environmental Stewardship.

Walters said the training will encourage students to support SCB’s local sustainability efforts, which will in turn have a direct and immediate impact on the Kingston and Queen’s community.

“Queen’s has so many clubs that hold so much value, but a lot of the work is done far away,” she said. “We want to instill a feeling of value for the environment they want to conserve, because as we know, half of conservation is conserving it in your own backyard.”

While tickets were originally priced at $250, many partners and sponsors of the FES made contributions to subsidize the tickets. Students can now purchase tickets online for only $25.

GRAPHIC SUPPLIED BY UNITED NATIONS

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Engineering students develop bicycle for teen with cerebral palsy Janessa Gerhardt now biking several kilometres everyday Cassandra Littlewood Staff Writer Because of her cerebral palsy, Napanee teenager Janessa Gerhardt was never able to find a bicycle suited to her limited range of motion. Thanks to engineering professor Claire Davies and a group of her students, Gerhardt now bikes several kilometres everyday.

Gerhardt’s physiotherapist at Hotel Dieu Hospital Karen Forbes contacted Davies, who runs a Building and Designing Assistive Technology (BDAT) lab at Queen’s, to develop a bike for Gerhardt’s use.

Davies told The Journal that the BDAT lab

Janessa Gerhardt’s new bicycle.

“is designed around working with people the project. with disabilities in increasing independence.

Davies mainly tasked her students Although accessible bikes is one aspect, with redesigning the crankshaft of a there are many other projects that we work three-wheeled bike previously donated to on to positively impact the lives of people Gerhardt. Both teams adjusted different with different abilities.” aspects of a stationary bicycle such as the The process took approximately 12 height, pedals and crank to make it easy for months and two teams of students to Gerhardt to ride. complete. Comprised of fourth-year One of the students involved in the engineering students working on their project, Andrew Gowthorpe, Sci ’18, said, Capstone Project, the first team worked “Janessa was so happy to be able to ride her from September 2016 until April 2017. bike. This bike was donated to her two years The second team of students took over ago, so for her to be finally able to ride it was during the summer months, implementing amazing to see.” recommendations put forth by Elizabeth Hoskin, Sci ’17, also worked the first group of students to finish on the bike and said the experience was

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ELIZABETH HOSKIN

extremely rewarding. “I knew she was happy with it but hearing her talk about the freedom that it granted her [showed] how much it means to her.”

Gerhardt told the Queen’s Gazette that the bicycle gives her “exercise and freedom and [her] legs work like they are supposed to.” “[Gerhardt] rides it a few kilometres every day, sometimes even twice a day if she’s feeling good,” Gowthorpe said. “It gives her freedom and independence to be able to get out on her own without relying on her motorized wheelchair.”

News

Friday, November 3, 2017

queensjournal.ca • 3

Queen’s start-up admitted into Canada’s Top Software Technology Accelerator PropertySpark now has over 300,000 users

PropertySpark co-founders Matt Graves (left), Sam Battista (centre) and Damon Richardson (right).

Matt Ierino Contributor

admission process spanned a period of approximately four months. After narrowing the Co-founded by a group of applicant pool from 400 groups to Queen’s students and alumni, seven, PropertySpark was selected PropertySpark has been admitted as a finalist. into Canada’s Top Software PropertySpark’s website says Technology Accelerator, L-Spark. the company is “the social media According to their website, solution for realtors.” The digital L-Spark was created to “help platform targets realtors who a new generation of software want to advertise and publish their companies flourish in Canada.” content on social media.

The program connects Software Realtors purchase a as a Service (SaaS) entrepreneurs subscription to PropertySpark with Canada’s SaaS experts to help and are then given access to the them develop their companies, platform’s features. Real estate access resources and form advertisements are generated potential partnerships. and strategically distributed PropertySpark co-founder throughout their geographic Matt Graves, Comm ’18, told The area of expertise. The platform Journal the L-Spark Accelerator has garnered over 300,000

News in Brief

VIA Rail announces more departures between Toronto and Kingston According to an Oct. 30 announcement, VIA Rail plans to increase the amount of trains running between Toronto and Kingston effective Nov. 5.

VIA Rail will add a tenth round-trip on the To r o n t o - K i n g s t o n - O t t a w a route to increase departures, as well as a new evening departure from Toronto to Kingston.

The new evening departure will leave Toronto at 7:35 p.m. and stop in Oshawa, Cobourg and Belleville, arriving in Kingston at 9:53 p.m.

The changes will also include a new weekend stop in Trenton-Junction and a new daily stop in Guildwood when traveling from Toronto to Ottawa.

In a press release, VIA Rail President and CEO Yves

users to date. what I didn’t realize was that Along with Graves, the Sam was still working out of his start-up was co-founded by Sam dad’s basement,” Graves said.

Battista, Comm’ 16, and Damon After discovering this, Graves was Richardson, Sci ’17. ready to dive in and asked Battista “It started as a way to help “Where do we start?”

Sam’s dad, Phil, manage his Despite their early successes, social media accounts. Once Sam Graves remains committed to realized that his help caused Phil’s completing his degree. While revenue to go from $110,000 to working out of Toronto from $210,000, he knew that there Monday to Thursday, Graves’ was an opportunity for social is enrolled in five courses this media-based business,” Graves told semester. This requires him The Journal. to commute between campus After agreeing to help Battista, and work throughout the Graves packed his bags and moved week. In addition, Graves also to Toronto from Kingston. Despite manages a team of four people the big move, he didn’t fully realize at PropertySpark. the opportunities PropertySpark When asked how he balances was going to bring him. working at PropertySpark and “When I arrived to Toronto, pursuing his degree, Graves says

Desjardins-Siciliano said the increased trains would allow more passengers “to make the sensible choice to leave their cars at home.”

“With each added frequency, VIA Rail sees a significant increase in ridership. On this popular segment, the number of travellers has increased by 40 per cent since 2014. With this addition, we will be able to serve more Canadians, help reduce the carbon footprint of their journeys, and improve our financial performance,” Desjardins-Siciliano said.

— Iain Sherriff-Scott

Collective bargaining resumes in Ontario colleges province-wide strike

In a news release on Wednesday, David Scott from the College Employer Council said the negotiations regarding the current Ontario Colleges strike will resume Thursday, Nov. 2.

After the Ontario Public

A VIA Rail station in London, Ontario.

Services Employees Union (OPSEU) and faculty failed to reach an agreement on Oct. 16, Ontario colleges went on strike. Since both sides have yet to come to an agreement, over 300,000 students have been left in limbo about their academic future.

In the news release, the Chair of the Colleges’ Bargaining Team

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY MATT GRAVES

that “there’s never really a balance, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

Graves believes entrepreneurs shouldn’t be afraid to take on risks, even financial ones. “If you’re going to be an entrepreneur, you need to take on debt,” Graves said.

With the support of L-Spark, Graves anticipates PropertySpark to continue its growth. They currently have nine employees and will be recruiting for more in the new year.

“We’re expanding and we know that there are people who have like-minded interests, we’re always looking to chat and we’re looking for the next best thing.”

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY WIKIMEDIA

Sonia Del Missier said, “[t]his According to President strike has gone on for too long. and Executive Director of the We need to end the strike and St. Lawrence College student get our students and faculty back association, Beth Insley, issues that in the classroom. We can reach have been raised by faculty include, a settlement quickly and have “wage increases, job security, classes start again early next week. part-time and full-time employee We will focus our efforts at the ratios and academic decision table and work very hard to reach making processes.” a deal that ends the strike.”

News

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Friday, November 3, 2017

Bondar says physiological effects of space travel on humans raise concern Continued from front

Roberta Bondar delivering her lecture on Wednesday.

PHOTO BY JASNIT PABLA

AMS ASSEMBLY

AMS Assembly creates new PIP judicial appeals process

prompting laughter in the audience. “When we start thinking about going to the stars, and going beyond earth. We have to really look at [the question]: is human tissue able to do this?” Bondar said.

This wasn’t Bondar’s first visit to Queen’s.

In 1997, she was selected for the Brockington Visitorship at Queen’s and delivered a lecture

titled “More than Aliens Come from Space.”

Bondar concluded her lecture with her personal reflections on being an astronaut.

“When we go into space, of course we are the front people for everybody who is on the ground and it is sometimes embarrassing to get as much attention as we get, when it is other people’s successes,” she said. “It is really the only reason we are here and I am standing in front of you.”

Drop off donations for Indigenous youth on campus

Nov. 2 AMS Assembly recap Iain sherriff-scott Assistant News Editor On Nov. 2, AMS Assembly debated and passed a motion to create a new judicial appeals board for internal AMS policy infractions called the Policy Infringement Protocol Appeals Board.

The meeting concluded with a closed session, during which assembly members debated the contents of their letter to be submitted to the Board of Trustees and Senate regarding Daniel Woolf ’s potential re-appointment as Principal.

Motions

“It is the opinion of the Judicial Affairs Office that a party to a Policy Infringement Protocol proceeding should also be able to appeal a matter that is internal to the society.”

The new committee will be chaired by AMS President Jennifer Li and will include the Student Senate Caucus Chair and the Student Trustee.

Concurrent Education Students’ Association (CESA) President Liam Dowling voiced concerns about the potential conflict of interest in having President Li chair the appeals committee.

Dowling said he struggled to think of a situation in which a conflict of interest wouldn’t arise with Li as chair, given PIP appeals will deal specifically with infringements within the AMS. Sidhu reassured the assembly that if a conflict were to arise, Li would recuse herself from the matter and a stand-in would take her place.

AMS Assembly passed a motion forming a new committee to deal with appeals coming from the AMS Policy Infringement Protocol (PIP) called the Policy Infringement Protocol Appeals Board (PIPAB).

AMS policy defines PIP as “the system for Reports dealing with alleged violations of AMS Policy and/or the AMS Constitution, with authority In his written report, Vice President derived from the Constitution.” In the case (University Affairs) Palmer Lockridge that a student infringes AMS policy, their said he and the executive team case would be handled by the Judicial Affairs attended the OUSA General Assembly Office of the AMS. at Laurier University earlier this week.

Judicial Affairs Manager Seema Sidhu Along with eight other delegates from told assembly the appeals board is meant to universities in Ontario, the Queen’s fill a gap in the AMS judicial process. Sidhu team met to “debate and approve policy said the new appeals board will ensure papers,” regarding Indigenous students, there hasn’t been “a clear and definitive accountability, system vision and open bias in [the PIP] ruling.” She added that it’s a educational resources. “matter of procedural fairness.”

Lockridge said the policy papers will “A student should be able to appeal their “form the basis” of their advocacy efforts at ruling if they think there was a miscarriage the provincial level, “especially during the of justice,” remarked Sidhu.

Lobby Conference,” in late November at According to her report in the assembly Queen’s Park. agenda, this new appeals board is meant As well, Lockridge highlighted the efforts to mimic the system implemented by of OUSA, the College Student Alliance, the the University in cases of Non-Academic Council of Ontario Universities and Colleges Misconduct (NAM).

Ontario in drafting a “framework for the “As the AMS Judicial System currently future design and funding of mental health stands, an individual is able to appeal a systems” on university campuses in Ontario. decision on the matter of a Non-Academic Released on Thursday, Lockridge Misconduct case to the University Student explained this report aims “to inform the Appeals Board (USAB),” Sidhu wrote. creation of party platforms ahead of the

An ILFP shoebox donated in Kingston.

2018 Provincial election.”

Commissioner of Municipal Affairs Stefano Hollands wrote in his report that planning for the 2017 University District Housing Fair is underway. “The Housing Fair is an open-house event that brings landlords and resources together to guide students as they enter the world of tenancy,” Hollands wrote.

According to Hollands, the purpose of the fair — to be held in Wallace Hall — is to create an environment where students can look into housing options “while becoming educated on their rights as tenants.”

Last Friday, the “Appreciation Not Appropriation” campaign wrapped up its five-day long awareness and education campaign. Social Issues Commissioner Ramna Safeer wrote in her report that the on-campus discussion was a “resounding success.”

Sexual Violence Awareness Week will kick off on Nov. 20. The campaign will feature Robin Doolittle, a reporter for the The Globe, set to deliver a keynote speech on Nov. 22. The week will also feature “key players” in sexual violence prevention and response across campus.

Safeer also announced the creation of the inaugural Black History Month Grant.

The grant has allocated $2,500 through the SIC and has been matched through Deputy Provost Teri Shearer’s office, totalling $5,000. The grant will be awarded to Black Student Groups hoping to organize events for Black History Month this year.

In his written report, Commerce Society President Emlyn Folkes announced that several ComSoc assembly executive members will be “conducting a study” over the next few months to understand mental health in the Commerce Society.

Continued from front

PHOTO BY JASNIT PABLA

an annual gift-filled shoebox collection in Kingston.”

According to ILFP’s website, the drive invites people across the country to donate shoeboxes full of gifts for Indigenous youth. Individuals are asked to fill the shoebox with toys, hygiene items and supplies depending on the specific age range and gender of the recipient in mind.

The shoeboxes can be brought to one of 28 drop-off points across the country at any time throughout the year. There are three drop-off points in Kingston, including the Queen’s Society of Graduate and Professional Students office in the JDUC. With the boxes distributed throughout the country, the Kingston chapter collections will specifically be a part of a cumulative donation to communities listed under the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.

Even though the drive operates nationally, the organization ensures donations remain in-province and are given to local communities. Along with each shoebox, a separate $5 donation is requested to cover shipping costs, as some communities are only accessible by plane.

“Our long-term goal right now is to establish a presence in the community,” Sood said. “We want to get people talking, have them engaged and make them aware of the change that they can make.”

She hopes the team’s presence on campus and future collaborations with St. Lawrence College and RMC will aid in generating awareness about the project.

“The goal of the shoeboxes is to show Indigenous youth that Canadians care, that we are listening and they are valued,” she said. “These shoeboxes are a tangible way to practice and engage in the ongoing project of reconciliation in Canada.”

Friday, November 3, 2017

queensjournal.ca

The risks and rewards of being a varsity athlete

•5

Features

An in-depth look at the sacrifices of being a student athlete at Queen’s Sebastian Bron & Sarina Grewal Journal Staff Being a varsity athlete at a Canadian university often comes with a lifestyle filled with sacrifice.

For most, future prospects to pursue a professional athletic career are scarce. Most will go on to pursue careers or paths that lie outside of the sphere of professional sports, but the dedication for sport shown by student athletes isn’t to be underestimated.

Despite knowing this, student athletes continue to put their bodies and lives on the line. Whether it’s in terms of their financial situation or mental health, athletes face hurdles that are often left unmentioned.

Looking at the potential financial insecurities a student athlete may experience throughout their undergrad, otherwise hectic schedules for student athletes shift from challenging to seemingly unsustainable.

Albeit finding himself financially stable, men’s soccer captain Jacob Schroeter admitted a lot of varsity athletes have to find work so they can support themselves.

With packed schedules — school, studying, practice and workouts — he can’t imagine where these students find the time.

“There isn’t really time to [work],” Schroeter said. “It’s nearly impossible to have a part-time job and be a student athlete.”

Despite Queen’s providing financial assistance for a selected groups of athletes, many rely on employment or support from their parents to make ends meet.

Within the province, the maximum amount of money given to an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) student athlete through the athletic conference’s Athletic Financial Award (AFA) is $4,500. According to Statistics Canada in 2016, the average tuition fee for an undergraduate student in Ontario was $8,114 — highlighting the considerable gap between AFAs and domestic tuition rates.

“

It’s nearly impossible to have a part-time job and be a student athlete.

”

AFAs are allocated based on a unit-per-team system by U Sports, the national organization that oversees university athletics in Canada. They don’t guarantee every student athlete the maximum amount an award can provide.

U Sports Chief Operating Officer David Goldstein said there’s no fixed amount of money given to a specific number of athletes.

In the end, it really depends on the school.

Student athletes at Queen’s face additional barriers beyond managing their athletic training schedules.

“A unit is the value of tuition and fees for one student at a given institution,” Goldstein told The Journal via email. “A unit can be divided by a school so that one student athlete receives part [of a unit] and another receiver the rest.”

Goldstein added “there is no requirement [for] schools to give any AFAs — [U Sports] only uses units to describe and regulate the maximum amount of money a particular athlete can receive.” “[AFA’s] are helpful,” Schroeter, who’s received one throughout his undergrad, said of the school’s efforts to financially assist student athletes. “[But] it’s nothing compared to what’s offered south of the border — it’s nothing.”

Within the province, the “maximum amount of money

given to an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) studentathlete through the athletic conference’s Athletic Financial Award (AFA) is $4,500.

”

Universities in the United States tend to offer varsity athletes full scholarships, wherein an athlete’s tuition and living expenses are nearly entirely covered. As reported in 2016, the National Collegiate Athletic Association can offer students up to $50,000 — a significant difference from the OUA. The OUA’s financial mandate also doesn’t account for other expenses a student athlete may bear, including rent and food. During the AMS’ University District Summit last February, a report found that landlords in Kingston charged tenants roughly $500-$750 per month, setting the yearly average at $7,500.

Another challenge for varsity athletes is finding time to focus on their mental health while balancing their academic and sport schedules.

As to whether students are adequately prepared to cope with the rigors of a varsity athletic schedule on campus, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies Luc Martin said it’s a difficult question to answer.

With his research focused on the psychosocial influences present in sport and physical activity settings, Martin said coming to university is a “big life transition [for student athletes] — over and above just the sport element.”

More than just attempting to balance school and sport schedules, athletes also have to deal with the stress of constant evaluation. As a result, Martin said a student’s response to that stress — and their coping mechanisms — are important to consider when a student is being evaluated. “[T]hey are dealing with two almost separate worlds that are very demanding,” he said.

Martin said the doubling up of school and sports can draw a student’s attention in multiple directions.

“Now also maybe competing for a [playing] position or playing spot — and being stressed and having increased arousal in these [types of] situations is a natural response,” said Martin.

Nonetheless, in some cases, the student athlete experience with their mental health is positive. Women’s rugby player Nadia Popov says Queen’s is supportive of student athletes’ mental wellness.

After leaving Queen’s in 2014 to spend two years with the women’s national rugby team in B.C., Popov returned to campus last year to finish her studies. During her return, the rugby centre wrote an article for CBC in 2016 which discussed her experiences with depression while on the national team.

In the article, she wrote “[t]he pressures of competing and working at a high level require a special kind of commitment and dedication, and sometimes that impacts your personal life.”

also maybe competing “Now for a [playing] position or

playing spot — and being stressed and having increased arousal in these [types of] situations is a natural response.

”

In an interview with The Journal, Popov said this article garnered a positive reception from the varsity athletics community.

“When I released that article ... I had people in administration contact me and ask, “What can we do better as your support team to help athletes?” she said.

Popov also commented on the culture at Queen’s surrounding varsity athletics: “I think it is something that athletes still struggle to talk about because you don’t want to appear weak, and if you’re

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

fighting for selection on a team or for playing minutes, it can prevent some athletes from speaking openly about it,” Popov said.

Despite these heavy pressures, Popov says being an athlete at Queen’s has had a largely positive impact on her mental health, and the culture at Queen’s surrounding student athlete mental health has been changing for the better. “[The] culture is starting to change, the more we talk about it as a team and within the varsity community, the more people feel like it’s okay to talk about having bad mental health days,” Popov said.

The dual stresses of academia and athletics can often affect each other as well.

While the school provides backing in way of tutoring services and other means of support, the difficulties of managing heavy academic and athletic schedules persist for many athletes.

“We all take a lot of pride in how we play and perform on the field, and that can be stressful at times, but most of us take that exact same pride in our schoolwork,” Popov said of pushing through low levels of energy and motivation.

It seems that Queen’s athletes have largely been able to strike the balance between their sport and school.

According to a document published on the GoGaelsGo website, the 2015-2016 academic school year saw 87 students earn U Sports Academic All-Canadian status and 84 garnered OUA Academic All-Star status.

Both recognitions require students play in U Sports or OUA-sanctioned sports and achieve an academic average of 80 per cent or higher.

Despite long hours of athletic and mental duress accompanied with the challenge of trying to balance a full-time class and sport schedule, players display a dedication and drive for their team that shines.

“I love my team, they’re my friends and my family, and so at the end of the day, not getting to go out four nights a week doesn’t seem like a sacrifice anymore,” Popov said.

With crippling financial burdens and mentally-taxing time commitments — not to mention the improbability of pursuing sports in a future professional capacity — it begs the question: Why do Canadian varsity athletes even play at the collegiate level?

In the words of Schroeter: “It’s for the love of the game.”

6 • queensjournal.ca

In a time of distrust between news outlets and their readers, newspapers have a responsibility to clearly label their content as either fact or opinion.

The Toronto Star recently published a column about Jeopardy!, painting Alex Trebek as disliking a contestant. The column was the subject of criticism — some from Trebek himself — because it didn’t clarify that the statements in it were based on personal opinion rather than fact. In the aftermath, The Star’s public editor published a follow-up article discussing the need to differentiate stories as opinion and fact to help clarify for readers.

In this situation, the title of the piece caused the most trouble because it didn’t communicate that it was an opinion story right off the bat. Since the average reader doesn’t finish or even fully read articles before sharing, commenting or believing them, the headline can be one of the most important

Friday, November 3, 2017

EDITORIALS

The Journal’s Perspective

News media needs to differentiate between fact and opinion communicative devices a news organization has.

When news outlets fail to look at things from the perspective of someone outside of their industry, they can often get stuck in a feedback loop. What

might look good for those inside the paper might not communicate it well enough for everyone else.

Publications can’t assume everyone has the capacity or time to learn and differentiate between fact and opinion when looking for information.

With the average

ILLUSTRATION BY STEPHANIE JIANG

Despite its virtues, living in a more socially interconnected world has made us more susceptible to basing our self-worth on the opinions on others.

Fro m instantaneous communication to the maintenance of relationships with people a world away, the revolutionary benefits of social media aren’t lost on many. Whether it be through ‘likes’, ‘retweets’ or follower ratios, hierarchy pervades our online presence across social media. Aside from plaguing your profile with privacy-enhancing preferences, there isn’t a way to exist socially online without being subject to such distinct indicators of popularity.

While beneficial in a business sense, this ranking-based design creates greater divisions between the socially popular and their inferior counterparts.

And let’s face it — many of us have marvelled at the pages of Insta-famous superstars, which sport a myriad of beautiful photos and an inconceivable number of devoted followers.

But in fostering this ‘more is better’ attitude with regards to virtual popularity, social media has made it easier for us to attach our personal sense of self-worth to the amount of likes and followers we receive online.

The glorification of online exposure has conditioned us to consider whether or not our posts

E jaz Thawer

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

Prioritizing the self in self worth

reader spending little time on an article, it’s the responsibility of the media to spell out that difference for their readers in every way they can, including their titles.

There will always be readers who won’t take basic cues or even finish articles before making up their minds about them. You can’t force anyone to be informed, but you can make it harder for them to misinterpret information.

Clearly labelling opinion pieces like columns and editorials on their website and in print is the easiest way for news organizations to improve their accessibility for readers. Another is to provide an FAQ page to explain news media terms to those who are unfamiliar. Finally, having a public editor in place can help bridge the wide gap between writer and reader.

To help create a more informed readership, news outlets need to be doing everything they can. Reading between the lines shouldn’t be solely the reader’s responsibility when it comes to newspapers.

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Volume 145 Issue 12 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board Joseph Cattana

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Features Editors

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Opinions Editor

Caleigh Castiglione Nick Pearce

Arts Editor

Clayton Tomlinson

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Sports Editor

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Lifestyle Editor

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Ejaz Thawer

Contributing Staff Contributors Michelle Butterchew Matt Ierino Anna Reynolds Renee Sands Lauren Trossman David Walker Staff Writers and Photographers Abbey Dudas Joshua Finkelstein Kiera liblik Cassandra Littlewood Amanda Norris Carolyn Thompson

— Journal Editorial Board

Business Staff will generate widespread approval before we share them. While we admittedly should value the honest opinions of our close friends and family, we must also be careful. We can’t fall into a trap where critical comments, or a lack of virtual likes, have a significant effect on the way we feel about ourselves.

As cliché as it may sound, being comfortable with who you’re — without the approval of others — is a luxury that’s tough to afford in an environment where our lives are increasingly featured online.

Beyond fostering a dangerous cycle of dependency, linking your self-worth to the opinions of others seriously undermines the value of healthy self-critique and introspective reflection. As opposed to allowing others’ opinions online to dictate your sense of self-worth, being honest with yourself about both your current self-image and the type of person you aspire to be is a much more worthwhile confidence-building exercise.

All of this isn’t to say that we should avoid social media altogether. But when navigating this online universe, we need to remember our self-worth should be determined by honest personal reflection, not the judgments made by others.

Ejaz is one of The Journal’s Copy Editors. He’s a fourth-year Political Studies major.

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

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

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

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Friday, November 3, 2017

queensjournal.ca

OPINIONS

•7

Your Perspective

Don’t forget to put students first The impact you’ll leave as a student leader will be with those who don’t mirror your campus experience Dave Walker outside of the John Deutsch University Centre.

DAVE WALKER, ARTSCI ‘17

Looking back at my term as Vice President (Operations) last year, there were countless times where I sat at my desk in the AMS offices and wondered if I was actually bettering anyone’s student experience. This wasn’t because I didn’t believe in the magnitude of influence students can have on each other, but more, the kind of influence I was having.

November might be known as the time when mid-terms are wrapping up, but for some, this is when they put together teams to run for the elections in January.

When I ran two years ago, this month was just the beginning of the long hours we spent to discuss our vision for the AMS, choose slogans and campaign colours. Ultimately, it was the time where we began to believe that we could better our student body.

For those of you considering to run, I’ll be very honest with you, it’s not easy and it won’t always be fun.

But is it worth it? Absolutely.

There’s a certain level of apathy when it comes to student leadership and I don’t believe it’s a problem where we can place blame on the student community. Rather, it’s on those of us who are trying to represent it to work to engage all students in our conversations.

I’m not writing this opinion piece to reflect on my time in the AMS, but rather to give my advice to those who may be thinking of running in the upcoming elections.

I hope you can learn a few things much sooner than I did.

As a former elected leader

myself, it took me a while to understand why students were quicker to jump on our mistakes than they were to celebrate our successes. I found myself constantly questioning why people always expected the worst of us. I mean, it was those students who elected us to represent them in the first place, right?

The reality was, we were a team that won by a slim margin of 41 votes. This meant that not only did a lot of people not believe in our vision, but they didn’t think we could represent their views.

Even though I’m forever grateful for every person who believed in our vision and publicly supported us, I’m equally as grateful for those who challenged it, because it was those students who made me want to be a better leader.

You might not be aware of this early in the process, but the most important impact you’ll have on Queen’s won’t be with those who mirror your experiences on campus, it will be with the students who don’t.

Students must be able to criticize their elected leaders without fear of consequence when they believe they’re failing to represent them.

Without accountability, we risk losing the opportunity to move forward and progress as a community.

I’m by no means placing blame on or singling out any individual or team for a lack of accountability. I understand that often it becomes the default strategy of retreating into the JDUC when things get tough, and I’m certainly not

excluding myself from this.

Whether I agree with other student leaders’ viewpoints or beliefs at all, I applaud every person who has put themselves forward to represent students.

It’s undoubtedly a privilege to participate in any election and it’s an experience that only a few of us have had or will have.

If we can understand that those of us who get elected aren’t an accurate representation of every Queen’s student, we will be one step closer to making decisions that benefit all members of our student body, rather than only a few.

During your campaign and hopefully your time in office, it will be your job to represent every student at Queen’s. To do this, you’ll find yourself questioning your own viewpoints, beliefs and confronting the biases that youll unintentionally bring to the offices. I promise you, this will be the most difficult, stressful and rewarding obstacle you’ll confront.

As you begin writing your platform, consulting with fellow students and making promises, I encourage you to think about the impact you can have on your peers. By virtue of participating in the election process, you’ll open yourself up to all students. You’ll have the opportunity to amplify the voice of students who feel as if they aren’t being heard.

It’s not fair or right to the Queen’s community if you only cater to those who support you.

Knowing and understanding this will help make any candidate (or candidates) better suited to serve our campus.

From my experience, I wouldn’t wait for students to seek you out.

Find the opportunities — starting on the first day of campaigning until the last day in office — to learn and amplify all voices on campus.

I wasn’t free of mistakes during my term, but neither were those who came before me, nor are those who come after. It’s impossible to predict the challenges you’ll face, but it’s necessary to work hard in order to mitigate the self-created challenges from the choices you’re entrusted to make.

I could’ve prevented a lot of the stresses I had if I remembered to step out of my office and ask others how they may be impacted by my decisions. That’s not to say everyone will be happy with your decisions, but remembering to consider all students would’ve left me better suited to actually represent all students.

Let’s face it, no single person is always happy with their elected politicians. But trust me when I say it’ll be a lot easier to sleep at night knowing youve done your best to factor all students into a decision.

As a campus, we’re constantly confronting difficult issues, engaging in debates on what is or isn’t best for the collective and challenging each other to be better.

As a university community, we’re at a crossroads; one where we look to celebrate the success of our past, but one where we must recognize our failures and how we can learn from them in order to strive to be better at representing our entire campus.

As both elected and non-elected student leaders, we must think

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

hard about our student community, how we got here and where it is that we’re looking to go.

We must continue to question ourselves and think critically about our traditions and customs. Most importantly, we need to get better at listening to those students who may not always feel heard.

As teams begin to form and ideas turn into promises, I encourage every candidate to ask themselves why they’re best suited to represent our campus; a campus diverse in beliefs, values and principles. Youll be able to better represent the student body come January if you can understand your own position on this campus and open yourself up to ideas and viewpoints you haven’t yet considered.

Having a successful term in student government isn’t defined by the projects that will add a legacy — remembered by a few. These jobs aren’t just for resume-building, and they’re certainly not about self-interest.

Theyre about hard work, a desire to progress and knowing the importance of leaving this campus in better shape than you found it.

As I often heard from former student leaders at the beginning of my own term, each year is just one chapter in a much larger book. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to influence how it gets written.

Dave is a fifth-year economics student and the former Vice President (Operations) of the AMS.

Talking heads ... around campus

PHOTOS BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

Who are you listening to?

“Music to Watch Boys to — Lana Del Rey.” Leanne Johnston ArtSci ’18

“New Choppa — 21 Savage and Metro Boomin.”

Chris Osei-Kusi ArtSci ’19

“Put Your Love On — Teyana Taylor.”

Nafanta Fadiga ArtSci ’20

8 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, Nov 3, 2017

ARTIST PROFILE

ARTS

Living through a lens Student photographer captures urban scenes with unique eye

Ramolen Laruan Staff Writer In his final year of university, John Fleming is patiently taking a shot at his dream of becoming a filmmaker.

“You want to find your passion, and if you [can] make a living off it, then that’s your career. That’s what people should do, in my opinion,” Fleming, ArtSci ’18, said.

Despite his love for cinema, Fleming at the moment is focused on his interest in photography as a stepping stone in his hopes to eventually becomes a filmmaker, planning to develop his skills behind the camera before jumping to the art of motion pictures.

“I started trying to make film [but] there’s a lot of work that goes into that,” Fleming said. “So, I started to backtrack, then I got into photography as a way of practicing my photogenic eye.”

Fleming has mainly learned his skills from his stepdad who’s a photography hobbyist, often borrowing his lenses to experiment with. Recently, the two have begun to use drones, something Fleming wants to bring into photography and film in the future.

“I’m lucky to have [my stepdad] as a resource,” Fleming said. “I think his support and insight has really given me an edge in picking up certain techniques quickly, but at the same time I’ve put in a lot of time into learning techniques on my own.”

Besides this influence, Fleming also admits to gaining a lot of his own expertise from hours Clayton Tomlinson Assitant Arts Editor

This article first appeared online on Oct. 31st This past weekend, The Dan School of Drama and the Dan Studio Series (DSS) staged a series of performances about life on the margins.

The fall installment, titled DSS: Embrace, was comprised of four one-act performances thematically centred on the idea of a journey towards self-acceptance.

The pieces varied from a typical one-act play in “Not As I Do” to a mixture of dance, spoken-word and monologues in the final piece, “Isolation Was Welcome.”

The opening performance, titled “Gay Agenda”, demonstrated the new meanings the word “gay” has evolved to contain over time.

Even though the five characters in the piece all identify as bisexual, they’re incorrectly labelled as being homosexual by others since they express interest in people of the same gender. Even though the characters have little in common, they were lumped together because of their sexuality.

The vignettes ultimately showed how the term “gay” could be used to limit a person’s identity and misrepresent the experience and

upon hours of watching YouTube videos Everything from finding the best lighting to using a certain effect on Adobe Premiere or After Effects, Youtube has often been there to teach him what he wants to learn.

Away from the screen, Fleming is interested in “just seeing people live their lives” through street and urban photography. He often walks the streets hoping to capture candid moments he can share and make into something more special than a run-of-the-mill, everyday scene. Fleming explained his belief that photography allows for the unique chance to tell a story in a single frame.

“I try to catch people in candid, but if I catch someone looking at me, I’ll look at them, smile, and point at my camera [to ask] if they want to take a photo,” he said, aware some may not want their pictures taken.

Fleming explained his determination to capture anything that catches his eye, even if it means sometimes stopping a person to ask for a photograph. This inspiration came into play this past

weekend when he visited Toronto.

Intrigued by the sight of a homeless man with a cat on his shoulders, Fleming inquired about taking his picture and was instructed to donate a sum of money in order to do so.

Back on campus, Fleming’s

creative impulses are practiced in Studio Q as a staff photographer, while his remaining work and projects are shared on his Instagram account @visualframeofmind.

“The goal is to get into film full-time, but until that point, I’ll probably just be working some

COMMENTARY

The Dan Studio Series grapples with identity in DSS: Embrace Drama School teams up with students to produce show about self-acceptance A selection Canadian films.

nuance of their sexuality. The actors ended “Gay Agenda” by talking about how society often uses this one aspect of a person to colour everything else they do.

The strongest part of the piece was the use of a giant notebook and equally oversized pencil the actors brought out to introduce the scenes. The actors penciled in introductions on the notebook with progressively larger numbers and titles to suggest a nauseatingly long “gay agenda,” offering a lighter take on what could be heavy-handed subject matter.

A segment titled “Not As I Do” followed, this time tackling mental health issues.

The play begins with four characters sitting in a psychologist’s office, waiting for the doctor to arrive.

One character, Harper, is seeking a new shrink and talks about how she feels she has to lie about coming to therapy because no one thinks

it’s important enough to reschedule things for her otherwise.

In a restrained and nuanced performance by actress Maddie Hendricks, Harper reveals the pain and loneliness that often comes with mental illness. The character shows the potential for isolation of mentally ill people who live in a society prone to suggesting they’re faking or simply “feeling down” that day.

In the end, it’s revealed that the patients were delayed because the psychologist has committed suicide. The characters are at a loss and become angry at him for abandoning them. Only Harper remarks upon the loneliness he must have felt as a mentally ill psychologist.

The second half of the show featured pieces “Olaf The Viking” and “Isolation Was Welcome.” Both sketches focused on embracing one’s identity in the face of societal pressure to conform.

PHOTOS BY YIXUAN LIN

In the former, Olaf and Gik are two Vikings who discuss the pressures of being men — and true Vikings. Olaf, to Gik’s horror, decides to slow down his rampaging to live with a girl, garden in his free time and run through meadows.

The discussion was a funny, playful take on the nature of masculinity — the main point being, you should do what you enjoy in your life regardless of societal expectations or you’ll most likely feel trapped in an unhappy existence.

The production closed with a striking depiction of the loneliness many of us face in our daily routines despite being surrounding by people — much like the actors who are surrounded by their ensemble.

One man in the group recites a day in his life, explaining that he goes to work and stares a screen, goes home and talks to a friend over Facebook, then goes to bed

PHOTOS BY JOHN FLEMING

job and doing it [film] on the side.” For now, Fleming has some freelance work lined up back in his homeland of Newfoundland.

Long-term, he hopes to travel to Iceland with his stepdad for a photography and filmmaking trip opportunity.

As for those who wish to take on a new hobby, Fleming says it’s not about genius; it’s more about self-expression.

“It’s just about embracing the learning curve,” he said. “If you want to paint something, it doesn’t have to be the next Picasso.

It could be something that you appreciate or others appreciate.

You should just do it. Do it for yourself.”

at 11:23 p.m. and wakes up again to repeat the day’s events all over again.

The unnamed character shares his difficulties and feelings of isolation from his daily schedule, illustrating the reality of technology replacing real person-to-person interaction.

Each member of the ensemble proceeded to share something about themselves in this way while the other members moved around them, hugging and reassuring them.

The final performance began and ended with the same actor asking the audience how fulfilled each of us were with our lives.

Previously asked in the introduction of the series, these questions seemed more hopeful the second time around. The change came from the newlyfound mutual support each performer gained from sharing their stories. Growing and learning with one another became a way for the characters to escape their own loneliness.

The four acts of DSS: Embrace examined the difficulties many face in struggling with identity, meeting the expectations of their surrounding communities and being forced to hide their true selves to meet societal expectations.

Arts

Friday, Nov 3, 2017

queensjournal.ca

•9

COMMENTARY

A film geek’s guide to Canadian horror movies A list of the greats from David to Brandon Cronenberg

Clayton Tomlinson Assistant Arts Editor

most powerful weapons possible.

The film also has a scene where a guy’s head explodes, which is always a bonus in a good horror film.

Scanners presents classic Cronenberg gore and has the ability to make your skin crawl.

A selection Canadian films.

What do you get when you cross exploding heads, teen wolves and vigilantism? The glory of Canadian horror movies.

The following five flicks span the past 25 years of Canadian film and My Bloody Valentine (1981) have made an immense impact on the genre. Since it’s the Halloween This next film was shot in season, it seems natural to keep the Nova Scotia and came out in spookiness alive.

1981. Although not necessarily considered a “good” movie, My Scanners (1981) Bloody Valentine presents a classic, There’s no one quite like cheesy Canadian horror flick.

A little unclear as to its relation Canadian director David Cronenberg, not just when to Valentine’s Day, the film tells the speaking of the horror film genre tale of a miner who goes crazy and but also the film industry as a starts killing people with a pickaxe.

The stupidity of connecting whole. His earliest works are the the tale of a spree killer wearing a stuff of pure horror magic.

One standout film, and his mining outfit with Valentine’s Day first big success, is 1981 sci-fi is only remedied by seeing the horror film Scanners. The spilling of guts and blood.

When it was sent to the film’s plot features a group of supernatural characters with American movie rating board, powers of telepathy, telekinesis members had to cut nine whole and mind-control — dubbed minutes from the original film Scanners — recruited by an because of the extreme goriness organization called ConSec to act as and violence. There was an American remake of My Bloody human weapons.

Scanners takes place in a Valentine made recently that was world where corporations act truly awful. But good for one thing, without restraint in making the the remake only seemed to make

the Canadian version better.

Ginger Snaps (2000)

Werewolves, teen sex and a fascination with death — Ginger Snaps has it all.

This film follows two girls in high school who have to deal with the abnormalities of having a werewolf in town. One of the girls, Ginger, is bitten by the creature and begins to have all the classic signs of that affliction — howling at the moon, growing hair all over and exuding pure wolfishness.

During this bizarre transformation, Ginger also begins menstruating and having unprotected sex and, well, going through werewolf-style puberty.

This added element, not just of strong female characters but of actually exploring the lives of young women on film was unheard of in horror movies at the time.

This film presents a scary,

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY

iniquitous world that’s only world where people are obsessed separated from our own realities with celebrities to a sickening degree. The protagonist Syd works by some supernatural oddity. at a clinic where people infect Hobo with A Shotgun (2011) themselves with the same diseases as various celebrities with the Following his Blade Runner belief that these shared infections fame, Rutger Hauer plays the titular will somehow connect them.

It also features a meat market hobo in this 2011 film who goes on a killing spree in a town where which sells the cloned flesh of famous people to feed the homeless people are mistreated.

Like many of the exploitation obsessions of society. In other films made in recent years, words, Antiviral features a Hobo is an empathetic take decent take on the overzealous on homelessness featuring consumption of celebrity news a highly complex and and pop culture that’s present in today’s society. sympathetic protagonist.

While this is a niche aspect of The murderous actions of Hauer’s character are gross and film, there are evidently some gems despicable, but they’re also the only in Canadian horror films. These five choice he has due to the systematic movies exhibit the best of not just discrimination and subsequent this genre, but the Canadian film lack of protection he faces as industry as a whole.

While many people can identify a homeless person.

Canadian horrors from not being polite to the phrase ’Prime Antiviral (2012) Minister Harper,’ few can identify Sometimes, there’s commentary Canadian horrors in film. These in the carnage, and this proves five movies are great examples true in the film Antiviral released of Canadian horror movies from by director Brandon Cronenberg the past quarter-century to watch around Halloween. in 2012.

The story takes place in a

ALBUM REVIEW

Gord Downie’s ‘Introduce Yerself is a’ poignant farewell Downie’s final album.

Nick Pearce Arts Editor

This article first appeared online on Oct. 31st From the first haunting notes of the piano, Gord Downie’s Introduce Yerself is a slow goodbye that unfolds over the course of two years and 23 songs.

Released on Oct. 27, the bulk of the album — 17 songs worth — was written and recorded soon after Downie was diagnosed with brain cancer in early 2016, before it was publicly announced.

Consequently, it’s impossible to listen to this record and separate it from these circumstances.

Often using first takes, the album takes Downie out of the rock band setting he grew famous

under and re-introduces the Kingston artist in an intimate, reflective mood. Lyrically leaving it all on the table, Downie is confessional in Introduce Yerself, clearly aware these will be his last musical words.

With The Tragically Hip, Downie’s lyrics were sometimes a challenge for the band’s most committed fans to analyze. While Downie’s tracks on the new album can still be enigmatic, that’s not always the case here. There’s nothing to decode in songs like “The Lake,” Downie’s tribute to Lake Ontario.

In Introduce Yerself, Downie sounds like a man taking a sober-eyed stock of the various pieces of his life.

“I always stared at the lake,” Downie sings. “My entire life / but

GORD DOWNIE

I saw something there today / the love of my life.”

Along with the amount of tracks it features, the thorough clarity of this record could be considered self-indulgent in less capable hands. Instead, Downie exercises an impressive amount of restraint while still exploring new avenues for his music.

Strings swell quietly in the background of the album closer “The North,” barely audible over Downie’s emotive delivery of lines referring to the presence of colonization and the “Canada we should never have called Canada.”

This song is a touching tribute to the victims of residential schools and a fitting capstone to Downie’s activism on behalf of Indigenous issues in Canada. However, it’s also

Double album offers a stripped-down, vulnerable side of the singer’s final years a clear example of how to listen to these songs.

Introduce Yerself is an intricate album, woven with humour and subtlety demanding the listener’s full attention. It’s not because these songs are so complex that a listener could lose track by taking their headphones off for a second — it’s the opposite.

The slow-building humanity of Downie’s finale is filled with tender jokes and references that work best as a whole, taken at once.

It’s the combination of things like geese honking at the end of “The Lake” and the personal, letter-like specificity of each song that draws you in and ask you to reflect.

It’s a credit to Downie and his

producer that they give each song room to breathe, allowing the listener to spend time with each sentiment before moving on. Even when they’re short — “Yer Ashore” clocks in at a speedy 1:31 — they take the space they need to have maximum impact.

As a result, they might not have the same longstanding place at campfires as many Hip classics, but they’ll live on in a quieter, more dignified way. This isn’t an album to take lightly, but it’s still one to enjoy in its own way, even if it won’t be in an arena.

As hard as goodbyes can be, they’re rarely so beautiful.

10 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, Nov 3, 2017

Sports CROSS COUNTRY

Historic weekend for cross country Women’s team ends Guelph’s 13-year reign at top, men finish with bronze

PHOTO BY NICOLE LANGFIELD

Women’s cross country won their first provincial title since 2003 on Saturday.

Matt Scace Assistant Sports Editor Queen’s rushed in the dawn of a new era in women’s cross country on Saturday.

Led by gold medalist Branna MacDougall, the Gaels officially ended Guelph’s 13-year reign as OUA champions — winning Queen’s first provincial title since 2003 in Windsor last weekend.

In a statement win, the Gaels finished ahead of the second-place University of Toronto Varsity Blues by 25 points. It was also a strong weekend for the men, who finished with a bronze medal.

“It was a very good day, but I think we can do even better,” head coach Steve Boyd said on both team’s performances.

Fifth-year Claire Sumner echoed similar sentiments on the race, with a clear goal of progress as the team prepares for the upcoming U Sports National Championship on Nov. 11.

“We brought home the gold and that’s what we wanted,” she said. “[H]opefully we’re going forward to [Nationals] and competing for gold.”

Following MacDougall’s championship performance, Gaels Amy Stephenson and Sumner followed shortly behind in fourth and fifth place respectively.

“I think I ran pretty well,” MacDougall, who’s in her first season with the Gaels after transferring from Iowa State University, said.

“I had a lot of fun with the race and I think Matt Scace Assistant Sports Editor

This article first appeared online on Oct. 31, 2017.

It couldn’t have been a better home opening weekend for the women’s hockey team.

With matchups against the nationally seventh-ranked Guelph Gryphons and the York Lions, Queen’s looked to continue their undefeated start to the season. After beating the Gryphons 3-1 on Saturday and the Lions 4-1 on Sunday, women’s hockey coach Matt Holmberg said the team’s performance was where he hoped it would be.

“Any time you can get six points out of six is huge and with the parity in our league, that’s really important for us,” he said.

With 29 saves, goaltender Stephanie Pascal played a major role in upsetting the nationally-ranked Gryphons. Queen’s was able to take a 2-0 lead into the second period thanks to goals from Katrina Manoukarakis and Micaela Smith.

After only needing to make four saves in the first period, the Gryphons went on the offensive in the second and third period, registering 26 shots. Although Guelph was

that helped me run really well.”

MacDougall noted the pace early on in the race was slower than she expected.

Many of the expected frontrunners — such as U of T’s Sasha Gollish — had a slow start, confusing herself and her teammates.

“I normally like [races] with steady pressure the whole way so it was different from any other cross country race I’ve ever ran … we were all waiting around for [Gollish] to make a move,” MacDougall said.

“It was kind of weird, but when I decided to go, it was getting to a point in the race where I wasn’t comfortable having that many people around me.”

The race was less successful for Sumner — who placed fifth — after winning last year.

“It wasn’t the race I wanted … I went into the weekend not trying to put the pressure on because it was going to be a hard year to follow,” Sumner said. “I didn’t race tactically smart … but it was a good learning experience for me.”

The most shocking result of the day, however, was tenth-place finisher Molly Steer.

After being a member of the team in the 2015-16 season, Steer was cut last year after failing to meet their baseline performance standard. Back after a summer of training in Kingston, she impressed her coaches with her determination and was brought back to the team in September. able to cut their deficit in half with a goal in the second period, Addi Halladay scored an empty-net goal in the third period, securing the win for Queen’s.

Despite being winless on the season, York was a handful for the Gaels on Sunday as well. After a scoreless first period, Halladay picked up from where she left off on Saturday, sniping a shot through the five hole of the York goaltender on a Gaels power play to take a 1-0 lead.

Forward Bryce Desa scored off a cross ice pass from Taylor Hicks just two minutes later, increasing the Gaels lead to 2-0. Even though York was able to raise their intensity following Hicks’ goal, they were unable to gain momentum. With five penalties on the day, Queen’s was able to capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes, going 2-5 on the power play against York.

“One of the three keys to success today was to win the special teams game.

Unfortunately we gave up one but scored two of our own so we won that,” Holmberg said. “Last year, our power play was not very successful at all and we definitely targeted that as one of our keys for this year to ramp that up.”

With the two wins, the Gaels currently sit

After seeing Steer in the top 15 at the halfway point in the race, Boyd was stunned.

“I [couldn’t] believe it,” Boyd said.

Steer’s performance proved key to the Gaels’ winning overall gold, as veteran Shannen Murray fell ill in the week prior and was unable to finish the race.

Boyd added Steer’s performance gave him a great sense of pride.

“The best teams do that,” Boyd said, alluding to the team’s embracement of a ‘next-player-up’ mentality. “They have people that come out of nowhere out of their back-end and run well when someone else doesn’t … it just shows you where [the team] is at.”

The men’s team, who finished in third place behind McMaster and Guelph, were only content with their race. “We came up a little short of where we should’ve been going in,” Boyd said.

Despite an impressive outing from fourth-year Eric Wynands — who placed third — the Gaels’ supporting act was unable to create the same magic as the women’s team.

Alex Wilkie, still recovering from hip surgery, came out quickly but fell back from the eighth spot to finish in 27th. Rob Kanko, expected to be the closest follower to Wynands, finished in 22nd.

With Saturday now in their rear-view mirror, the men and women turn their focus to the national championships, which take place in Victoria, BC in just over a week.

“We’re all feeling confident as a team,” Sumner said in regards to the coming race. “[T]here are a few of us that want to improve on OUAs, but as a team, as long as we can stay healthy, we should be able to come out with that gold [medal].”

The Gaels upset seventh-seed Guelph over the weekend.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

PHOTO BY AMANDA NORRIS

Statement weekend for women’s hockey Queen’s defeats Guelph and York in perfect weekend at home

atop the OUA standings with 13 points and a perfect 4-0 record.

Even though the Gaels might find their way into the U Sports top 10 because of their undefeated record and win against a nationally ranked opponent, Holmberg said the Gaels are focused on something more meaningful.

“The national rankings are what they are — they’re a bit subjective and we don’t make it a part of our goals or strategy,”

Holmberg said.

The Gaels now set their sights on the tenth-ranked Nipissing Lakers, who will be travelling into Kingston on Saturday night to take on the Gaels.

“That’s going to be another test,” Holmberg said. “Certainly we have good reason to go into that game with confidence, but I think that will be tempered with the fact that we know it’s going to take a great effort to be successful against them.”

Friday, Nov 3, 2017

queensjournal.ca

• 11

Commerce students bring hockey and charity together The Cure Canadian Classic committee has high hopes for its second Commerce vs. Engineering hockey game Sebastian Bron Sports Editor The Cure Canadian Classic has recently taken a different approach to philanthropic giving.

Since its inception in 2002, the Cure Canadian Classic (CCC) — which runs through the Commerce Society and the Smith School of Business — has hosted a range of hockey-related charity events in support of cancer research. For instance, the CCC Classic is an annual hockey tournament featuring students from eight to ten Canadian business schools. Over the last decade, the event has contributed over $100,000 to the Canadian Cancer Society.

But in the wake of the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research being established and The Tragically Hip’s final concert, the committee’s charitable giving focus shifted.

“With [Downie’s] recent passing, we feel there’s no better

time to raise funds and awareness for this important cause,” CCC co-chair Tom McDonell said on exclusively donating to the Downie Fund and brain cancer research.

McDonell further noted the committee particularly finds this to be “a more local cause and [one] that resonates with the Kingston community.”

In line with this philanthropic change, the CCC hosted its first ever Commerce vs. Engineering hockey game at the K-Rock Centre last year. McDonell said the committee’s new main event was a success by nearly every measure.

“The atmosphere was just incredible,” he said, adding the event garnered a crowd of over 1,500 people and drew upwards of $11,500 in ticket sales and donations.

Taking place on Nov. 9, the second rendition of the Commerce-Engineering game will act as a prelude to a weekend inter-faculty tournament hosted by the CCC at the Invista

Paul Langlois (second to the left) at the Commerce-Engineering game in 2016.

Centre — also a first for the committee. “[W]hat we’ve found with these charity events especially is that they’re a lot more effective and you’ll raise a lot more money if events are fun for the people attending,” McDonell said.

Barring Commerce and Engineering, the faculties with registered teams in the tournament are Kinesiology, Arts, Science and what McDonell described as an “All-Star” team composed of students from smaller faculties like Law and Medicine.

The committee’s goal for the weekend, through required sign-up fees to which each faculty team adheres to, is that more

money in total will be raised for the Downie Fund this year. Teams are required to fund $2,500 each, along with participants paying a player fee upon registering.

Although optimistic and excited about the inter-faculty tournament, the committee remains focused on the potential of the Commerce-Engineering game. The game will be broadcasted live on TV Cogeco and Downie’s bandmate and Hip guitarist, Paul Langlois, will participate in the ceremonial puck drop for the second consecutive year.

“We see [the game] as something that would be on-par with the Carr Harris Cup … This is more of a local rivalry and kind of hits home with Queen’s students especially,” McDonell said.

Treasurer to the CCC Fiona Windrim said with each passing year the committee believes the event can continue to draw in larger crowds.

“I think every year that it

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY FIONA WINDRIM

happens, we get a bit of wider audience,” she said. As the event grows in popularity, “more and more people will come to know about it — and not just from Queen’s, but the community-at-large.”

Despite a considerable turnout during last year’s game, the committee is confident — and hopeful — that they can get up to 4,000 people to attend this year.

“It’s got that dual aspect to it,” Windrim said of the event. “People think of it as, ‘It’s a good time for a good cause.’”

Both McDonell and Windrim agreed there’s a fun, light animosity between the two programs, giving the game a rivalry feel.

“We hopefully want to see this run for years to come — and run well,” McDonell said.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Gaels through to OUA semi-finals

The Gaels celebrate captain Laura Callender’s equalizer.

Sebastian Bron Sports Editor This article first appeared online on Oct. 31, 2017.

The pouring rain and cold weather couldn’t dampen the women’s soccer team’s playoff hopes on Sunday afternoon — nothing could.

Queen’s hosted the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees at Richardson Stadium on Oct. 28 — the third matchup between the two this season — for an OUA quarter-final bout that saw both teams go toe-to-toe before the Gaels squeezed out a win over the visitors by way of penalty kicks.

Following the game, head coach Dave McDowell said the Gaels’ familiarity with the Gee-Gees was something the team used to their advantage in their

bye-week prior to the game.

“We knew we got the toughest of the [OUA] quarter-finals, I thought, in terms of quality of the two teams that are playing,” McDowell said on how the Gaels fared on paper against the Gee-Gees. He added that although it’s helpful to not play a mid-week first round post-season game, it’s still “tough coming in — it’s just the energy that’s not there anymore [from the season] … You can’t replace it.”

Even though the visitors scored first to take the lead in the 22nd minute, the Gaels didn’t change their approach to the game. The home side continued to push the pace in wet conditions and just before halftime, OUA leading scorer Laura Callender found the back of the net to level the score at 1-1. In the second half, the momentum swayed in the Gaels’ favour. Maintaining possession

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ROBIN KASEM

in the Gee-Gees’ end for a large majority of the final 45 minutes, Queen’s was looking for a way to end the game prior to extra-time.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case, as the final whistle came with the score still tied. “[It] was back-and-forth,” McDowell said on the second 45 minutes. “I thought we played very well, and I thought we kind of showed in the second half — and mostly in the second half — signs of good play.”

After 30 minutes of extra time, the teams lined up anxiously at the halfway line in anticipation for penalty kicks. Although a pressure-filled moment, Queen’s looked unfazed and prepared as the rain hailed down. After the game, McDowell said his team “rehearsed [penalties] all week”.

“We were hoping not to go to them,” he continued, “[especially] after scoring so many

Women’s soccer beat UOttawa Gee-Gees 2-1 (5-4 in penalty kicks) to advance to OUA semi-finals goals this year, you know?”

“But playoffs are a different bag of tricks sometimes.”

Through the first four rounds of penalty shots, Queen’s and the Gee-Gees remained tied at 4-4.

After OUA assist leader Jenny Woelver pushed the Gaels ahead 5-4, the pressure was all on the foot of the Ottawa player. Converting on her shot would’ve extended the shootout another round; a miss or a Queen’s save would grant the Gaels a win.

Once the UOttawa final shooter kicked the ball high off the Queen’s goal, the home side’s players and bench erupted in unison. With a 2-1 (5-4 on penalty kicks) win, the Gaels met with their goalkeeper, Anna Stephenson, outside the 18-yard box. Knowing they were going through to the OUA semi-finals, the Gaels jumped and cheered in celebration.

After the game, McDowell said

he thought his team was “clinical” in the shootout, executing what they had practiced earlier in the week. Even though their goal of an OUA championship is still on the line, McDowell said the team is going to take the postseason “one step at a time.”

“We’ll keep taking the next step as it comes to us,” he told The Journal on a soggy Richardson turf while his team celebrated behind him.

“I told [the players] before the game, ‘Each playoff journey is about the first step and then taking the next step’, and so for us the next step would be on Friday … wherever that is.”

Queen’s will travel to UOIT next weekend in a game that will carry with it its fair share of bad blood after the Ridgebacks beat the Gaels 1-0 in last year’s OUA finals.

12 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, Nov 3, 2017

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Queen’s starts season on strong foot

Women’s basketball beat Lakehead 77-61 at the ARC on Friday Myriam Fontaine boxes out for a rebound.

Joshua Finklestein Staff Writer This article first appeared online on Oct. 31, 2017.

The women’s basketball team opened up their regular season on Friday night with a commanding 77-61 victory over the Lakehead Thunderwolves.

Following their record-breaking 2016-17 season, the Gaels were welcomed back to the ARC by an enthusiastic crowd. Last year, the team finished with an 18-1 OUA

record — including a 16-game win streak to tip off their season — an OUA silver medal and a U Sports final four appearance.

Despite starting off slow against the Thunderwolves on Friday, the Gaels managed to settle in by the half. With 30 second quarter points, the team’s offensive surge propelled them to a 48-33 lead they wouldn’t let slip away.

Queen’s was on cruise control in the second half and ultimately took the game by a final score of 77-61.

Fourth-year Marianne Alarie

FOOTBALL

Gaels’ season ends in Hamilton

PHOTO BY AMANDA NORRIS

led the way with 21 points from the backcourt, while fellow senior Maddie Morris added seven of her own points along with 11 rebounds.

Speaking after the game, head coach Dave Wilson noted his satisfaction with starting the season with a win.

“We’ll take the outcome,” he said, though mentioning the play at the start of the first half wasn’t entirely up to standard. “When we settled down in both [halves], I thought we did a much better job against [Lakehead],” he added.

One aspect of the game the Gaels had to adjust to on the fly was the Thunderbirds’ half-court defense. While the Gaels were effective at running the court and

scoring quick points, the team required some extra creative ball movement once the game slowed down.

To combat this, Wilson said the team spent time this week breaking zone schemes in practice.

“We had a couple things that we run that we’re pretty comfortable with at this point … I thought we did some pretty good things with it.”

This included some strong passing plays to open up the Gaels for shots from the wings, he continued.

“The biggest thing from when you start in league play is learning to adjust to the scouts,” Wilson said. By Wilson’s estimation, the Gaels were 90 per cent successful in following this instruction.

When asked if there were any other specific improvements the team would be focusing on in the

next week, Wilson needed little time to respond.

“Always,” he noted succinctly.

In particular, he mentioned how he wasn’t entirely satisfied with the team’s performance in terms of rebounding and second-chance opportunities.

These improvements will be key for the Gaels when they welcome McMaster and Brock for next weekend’s double-header, as they hope to maintain their undefeated start before heading on the road in the coming weeks.

Overall, the head coach saw the game as an important step towards reaching the same heights as — and improving upon — last year’s finish.

“It was a pretty good game for them to have as an example — stick with what we were trying to do and we will be successful.”

Football drop OUA quarterfinal to McMaster 12-9

Sebastian Bron Sports Editor Queen’s football left it all on the field last Saturday afternoon.

After battling their way into the OUA’s final playoff spot, a narrow 12-9 loss to the nationally-ranked seventh McMaster Marauders ended the Gaels postseason run. Despite the cold and rain, the Gaels left with their heads held high.

“Coach came in [after the game] and said it was a good year and what happened was unfortunate … it was a tough game,” quarterback Nate Hobbs said. “But he congratulated us [and] said he was really proud of us.”

The team’s offense opened and closed the game relatively flat-footed — made evident by their nine total points and no touchdowns — but much of that could be credited to the playing conditions. Their defense kept McMaster at bay, particularly in the second half when the home side was shut out entirely.

“I guess the word to describe it would be ‘frustrating’,” Hobbs said of the loss. The quarterback said the team’s quick playoff exit doesn’t define the Gaels’ overall play against the Marauders.

“We thought we played well and represented ourselves well against one of the top three teams in the [OUA].”

Though the Gaels’ defense limited McMaster to just 12 points, their front-seven was exposed throughout the afternoon.

Although he failed to score a touchdown, Marauders tailback Jordan Lyons ran for an OUA season-high 319 yards rushing.

Hobbs — who noted the mood in the locker room as “somber” following the final whistle — said the team understood “there were a lot of chances for us to go out there and win the game.”

“I think that’s what’s most frustrating,” he continued. “[T] here are about four or five plays where if we just played a little better or tightened up a little bit, we were going to win the football game.”

The Gaels caught fire at just the right time this year — finishing their regular season on a four-game win streak and clinching the OUA’s last available playoff spot. Their midseason turnaround was a testament to “how tight we were as a group,” Hobbs said.

At 0-4, the quarterback remembered thinking, “This is where everything could potentially fall apart, right?”

“But football’s a crazy game.

We got hot at the right time, stuck together and salvaged our season.”

Looking ahead to next season, Hobbs — who plans to stay a fifth year — said the team is optimistic to say the least. “[You’ve] got to be,” Hobbs said. “I think the guys are looking forward to going out there and tearing it up next year.”

The quarterback particularly noted the start of next season as a point of emphasis next fall — “[P]ulling out those first two games will be key,” he said.

“Start fast, win a couple games early. Just keep climbing and try to peak at the right time — hopefully we can win a championship like that.”

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Friday, Nov 3, 2017

queensjournal.ca

• 13

POINT-COUNTERPOINT

Does Stranger Things 2 live up to the hype?

Lifestyle

Our writers debate if the season is bogged down or brilliant Lauren Trossman Contributor

For months, Netflix has been releasing images and trailers to promote the second season of Stranger Things, building a hype the quiet premiere of the first season never had. As the release date of this second season approached, I wondered, could it live up to these impossibly high expectations?

After watching, my answer is … not really.

As the only one of my friends to spend my Halloween weekend binge-watching the second installment of Stranger Things, I’ve been bombarded with questions about how it compares to the explosive first season. My answer is always a solid “I don’t know.” Sure, it’s great entertainment, and it’s far from being bad television. But, it’s just not the first season.

Stranger Things 2 emphasizes character Will’s difficult transition back into normal life a year after his recovery from being lost in the alternate dimension known as “the Upside Down”. Will struggles with being labelled “zombie boy” by his classmates and laments being treated like a victim. Though this focus on Will’s PTSD is compelling, it moves slowly and this kind of pacing is not what Stranger Things does best. Unlike the first season, which immediately dove into Will’s disappearance, Stranger Things 2 has a more lethargic start and takes its time to dive into the action. Basically, it lacks the gripping suspense that characterized the first season.

Without the action and suspense, it feels as if Stranger Things 2 didn’t quite know what kind of story it wanted to tell this time around.

Despite its slow start, a highlight of the new season of Stranger Things is Eleven’s relationship with Hawkins police officer Jim Hopper. He’s taken in an on-the-run Eleven and the bond they build together is beyond touching. Eleven has never had real parents, and every loving interaction between her and Hopper is a cry-worthy high point of the season.

Another highlight is the new dynamic of Will’s friend group. After Will’s disappearance, Eleven became a crucial member of their group, building an especially strong relationship with Mad Mike. With the addition of Max to the group, Mike feels the loss of Eleven more than ever and the exploration of their longing for each other is heartbreaking to watch.

Despite enjoyable plot lines, Stranger Things 2 lacks the instant suspense and engrossing stories of season one, making it hard to get into and much less binge-able than the original.

That being said, this season is definitely not bad and if you have the time it’s worth the watch. The 80s movie homages are nostalgic as ever, and the humour is on point, making it a fun escape from the many essays and midterms October has to offer.

And, most importantly, Barb might finally receive the justice she deserves.

SCREENSHOT VIA NETFLIX

Sarina Grewal Assistant News Editor To this day, it boggles my mind how long it took me to finally sit down and watch Stranger Things.

The show was a surprise hit that quickly became one of the most talked about series of 2016, with its charming cast, engaging plotline and 80s theme nostalgia. When I finally sat down to watch season one towards the end of 2016, it instantly had me hooked: I finished the show in a day, and have been eagerly anticipating season two ever since.

Going into the second season this week, my hopes were to experience a season that echoed the first in its execution, but not necessarily in its plot. And to my joy, I found myself as in love with second season as I was with the first.

The nine episodes of Stranger Things 2 maintains the 80s nostalgia that was so prominent throughout the series’ first season, through its excellent selections of music, pop culture references and aesthetic.

I also appreciated a few specific plot points. The recognition of Barb’s death felt conducive to the plot, despite the season taking place a year after the events of the first. In this new season, Barb’s death is used as a means of depicting trauma and character growth for Nancy, rather than pandering to the #JusticeforBarb meme

that took social media by storm after the series’ debut.

As well, they included more female characters that added to the plot. Max is a strong character who doesn’t let others, specifically her stepbrother Billy, dictate her actions or who she associates herself with.

As well, Eight is a vengeful but autonomous character who could prove in later seasons to be a solid connection for Eleven.

The school dance scene specifically was a Hallmark moment for me. It displayed numerous tropes of the 80s that augmented the emotion of the episode, but beyond that, it highlighted one of the main reasons why this show has done so well: the relationships amongst the characters. Will and Jonathan’s brotherly bond, Eleven and Mike’s feelings for each other, Billy and Max’s conflicting relationship — the very real and very human interactions between the characters is what immediately draws you in. The horror, thrills and sci-fi elements of the show are what keep you hooked.

The show this season was not without its flaws: it’s definitely busier than the previous season and I still think the female characters, while strong, could still have more significant roles and influence in the show. But all in all, the second season worked to build off of the first, and provided a satisfactory continuation of the story of the people in Hawkins, Indiana and the Upside Down.

POLITICS

Taking my seat: Let’s talk about the table in the room How to make room and take your seat

Carolyn Thompson Staff Writer I’ve been writing this column for two months now and I realized I hadn’t taken the time to explain my thought process behind the column name ‘Taking my Seat”.

The idea of taking one’s seat and being a part of a conversation while still making room for others is so important.

We need to understand that these hypothetical tables we’re each sitting at affect ourselves and those around us everyday.

If you’re at a table and talking about an

SUPPLIED BY CAROLYN THOMPSON

issue like women’s rights but you notice your friend, a woman, isn’t getting their chance to speak, give them a seat at the table.

Make space for their voice and consider their experience.

We need to think about it through a political lens. Two weeks ago, Quebec announced Bill 62, a law that bans women from wearing veils and niqabs at public services.

Since the announcement, the bill has been argued as being repressive to women who choose to wear veils for their own religious choices.

As it relates to taking a seat at the table,

we need consider whether Muslim people, specifically Muslim women, were consulted before the bill was passed. Were Muslim women given the opportunity to explain why wearing a veil or niqab is important or empowering for them?

It’s almost as if the Quebec government made an assumption, like many people do, about Muslim women wearing veils.

They assumed by being forced to cover your face you’re all of a sudden ‘less than’ someone else.

If I learned anything from Paul Hennessy in 8 Simple Rules, “When you assume, you make an ass out of [you] and me.”

Well Paul, I think your quote hits the nail on the head with the government’s passing of this Bill.

Our hypothetical table is an everyday, every person issue and I think it’s an important symbol for people to be constantly thinking about how to challenge themselves to do better. We need to start calling in the experts more often.

And what makes someone an expert?

Lived experience.

You’re not going to have a panel

to talk about gender equality in the workplace without women present, right?

Oh wait, wrong.

Just last year, Paypal planned an event focused on, “how men and women can work together to achieve a better workplace.” That seems like an important time to make sure you invite women to the literal table and yet, they forgot to invite the female panelists.

We see this a lot at Queen’s too — we miss strong, important voices in our education system when we don’t hire diverse faculty.

I use these examples to show you how pervasive this problem is. It’s not a women’s issue or an issue for people of colour, it’s a human issue. It’s an issue in our classrooms, boardrooms and governments.

We need to work together, call each other in and hold each other accountable at this table.

Be conscious of your table and every one you sit at. If you notice speaking time is given substantially more to men or to white people or to loud people, make room.

We’re a community for a reason and all it takes is for one person to shuffle over, make some room and invite someone else in.

LIFESTYLE

14 •queensjournal.ca

SEX IN THE LIMESTONE CITY

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

We need to follow our own dating rules Why we can’t keep up with society’s dating advice Dating in the modern age can be difficult – there’s no denying it.

I’ve both voiced complaints myself and heard numerous others from friends about how hard it is to actually have a relationship in our millennial era. In a generation that’s often overcome by social media, ever-changing societal norms and constant pressures to juggle multiple commitments at a time, maintaining a healthy relationship can seem near impossible.

Michelle Butterchew Contributor

Believe it or not, I’ve found someone that will never judge you when you complain, call you out when you’re in the wrong without giving unwanted advice and always remember what you were wearing on a certain day, even when you don’t.

This someone is yourself — in the form of a journal.

A friend once told me she was “not fascinating enough” to keep a journal. Who would ever want to read about her repetitive days of sleeping, eating and studying?

Everyone has a different excuse why they choose not to keep a journal — it’s too much work, it’s too invasive if someone else might read it, and the list can go on and on. But regardless of these excuses, journaling can provide an incredible outlet and can be an amazing way to reflect on your emotions.

Here are four explanations of how journaling changed my life, and can potentially do the same for you.

Immortalizes memories

The first time I started journaling was when I was in third grade — and the entries I made are all as awkward as expected.

But regardless of that, they’re an immortal representation of who I was at the time, and how much I’ve changed or stayed the same since.

The daily routines of your life are fascinating enough to be remembered regardless of what you may think. Perhaps not always the actions we perform, but the

That being said, I think it’s very possible that a lot of the time, we actually make it much harder than it needs to be by setting dating rules we think we need to abide by to properly approach a relationship.

These rules can include things like waiting three days to call or text someone, waiting three dates to sleep with someone for the first time or waiting on ‘the universe’ to provide signs before initiating a relationship.

In whatever way we decide these rules, whether we take them from unrealistic romantic comedies or from advice from our friends, more often than not these rules actually hinder rather than help our dating experience.

Waiting three days to call or text someone is one of the most cliché and commonly known rules out there. The conception of this rule came from wanting to keep your partner guessing on your levels of interest and to avoid

Iain writing his daily journal entry.

LIFE HACKS

Friday, Nov 3, 2017 looking too desperate right off the bat. The way I interpret this rule is that anyone following it is wasting a perfectly good opportunity to tell someone how great they are, and instead making them feel like they left a first impression unworthy of a follow up text or call.

When I first met my current partner, he texted me that night to tell me he wanted to see me again. And call me crazy but this didn’t make me block his number for coming on too strong or desperately. Instead, it only solidified what I already thought — that he was a great person and clearly worth getting to know better.

As for the rule of waiting until the third date to sleep with someone for the first time, I don’t know who made it up but I’d like an explanation. I understand the underlying concept of guarding yourself against dates who may only be interested in sex and not a relationship. However, you can never really know what someone truly wants in a relationship and it can be unproductive to hold back and make assumptions.

If you’re both on the same page — wanting a physical as well as an emotional relationship — you may just be putting off the discovery of whether or not you have great sexual chemistry. My advice on this subject is that if you’re both feeling it, go for it, whether that’s 10 minutes or 10 months into dating.

At the end of the day, you shouldn’t be living under a timeline unless you’re comfortable with it.

The TV show of our generation, How I Met Your Mother has many of the characters constantly looking

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

The importance of journaling How to get the most out of your journal entries thoughts and feelings we have while doing them are unique and important. Being able to look back on them later in our lives is valuable.

Inspires mental organization

How many times have you ever actually thought in full sentences?

Our minds are a constant, incomplete stream of multitasking consciousness. Forcing our minds to take the time to organize the endless snippets of ideas we have can make our thoughts clearer and easier to reflect upon. According to

the Learning Solutions Magazine, the human mind forgets 50 per cent of new information after 24 hours and 90 per cent in a single week. This proves to be both inevitable and beneficial: we clear out our heads to make room for more important things. But there are some things you don’t want to forget, no matter how small they seem to be. Our minds simply can’t hold it all — but a journal can.

Acts as a cathartic release

I’ve heard many times that it’s best to write about one bad thing

and two good things within each entry — even if that ratio doesn’t always reflect how your day went.

Writing about an ache you’re going through can be unbelievably cathartic. I don’t need to reread and relive the entries that hurt, the pages that are warped from tears dripping on the paper or the entries where I surprise myself with how angry and mean I once was. But writing them down in the moment can act as an incredible way to consider how you feel and release any negativity.

Increases self-awareness

for signs from the universe to make major life decisions like deciding if the random person they just met in the bar is “the one”. Looking at it objectively, it seems illogical to think someone would hold off on making a decision based on an undependable universal sign but people do this all the time in real life.

Oftentimes, we look for signs without even realizing we’re doing it. How many of us are guilty of believing in strange connections, such as both thinking pineapple belongs on a pizza, as being an indication of finding the one?

Instead of these silly alliances, we should be looking at whether or not we share core values with a person that are necessary to make a relationship work.

This also happens when people look to horoscopes to figure out their most compatible sign. It’s illogical to think there are people out there who will refuse to go out with someone great because they’re a Libra and not a Virgo.

There’s an important quote from How I Met Your Mother where Ted realizes, “you can ask the universe for signs all you want, but ultimately, we only see what we want to see, when we’re ready to see it.”

We can follow dating rules all we want but it’s only until we find the person that makes all these rules sound ridiculous that we can actually understand we’ve found someone worth being with. And at that point we make our own rules.

—Barrie Cradshaw

In recounting certain situations to my friends or family, I’ve sometimes found I’m warping the story, even though I don’t even realize in the moment. Even if it’s unintentional, it happens, being inevitably affected by my perspective and experience.

In writing down how an event occurred, you’re forced to reflect on the reality of the situation and how you might be altering the story in your mind as a result of your own emotions.

Ask yourself: am I making assumptions about my scenario?

Am I being unfair? Think of similar past scenarios you’ve experienced, how you handled them and then, propose next steps. Maybe you’re angry, but deep down, you know you’re in the wrong. Writing out the facts has helped me countless times to look past my own emotions and see the rational side of arguments.

Even if only for 15 minutes a few times a week, journaling is such a small activity with such a beneficial outcome. It doesn’t have to be artistic and you don’t have to be a terribly articulate person.

A journal lets you look back and see the exact moment you made a big decision, the moment as a child when you stopped being afraid of the dark, or your thoughts on the day you met your best friend or your significant other. It can be proof that you survived a burden you thought you could never overcome at the time of writing.

It’s a testament to your experience, your individuality and your growth and something I promise you won’t regret trying out.

LIFESTYLE

Friday, Nov 3, 2017

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PSYCHOLOGY

The psychology behind being friends with your ex The pros and cons of keeping an ex in your life Abbey Dudas Staff Writer Needless to say, breakups are hard.

Most of us have either experienced a breakup first hand or have watched someone go through one and, no matter what, it’s never totally painless. Some people end on such bad terms they can’t even imagine having anything to do with their ex ever again. But, there are also some people who think maintaining a friendly relationship with their ex is worth a shot.

What are the motivations behind wanting to transition from lovers to friends, and does it ever really work?

There was a study recently conducted at Oakland University in which researchers asked 800 students around campus why they might want to be friends with someone they used to date. Overall, they found seven main motivations for wanting to continue having a friendly relationship with an ex.

One of the main incentives to maintain this friendship is because an ex-partner is

often still able and willing to act as a reliable and supportive friend.

Your ex might be someone who supports you in a way that’s different from the support you receive from other people, since they know you in a completely unique and often more personal way. In potentially knowing your strengths, weaknesses and aspirations better than some of your friends, it can be hard to completely shut an ex out of your life.

As well as potentially knowing you best, your ex might also have useful qualities you’re selfishly not ready to say goodbye to. Whether it be close social connections like their friends, family, or their delicious culinary skills, it can be tempting to keep that person around when you don’t want to give up the benefits you’ve gotten used to.

Along the lines of mutual friends, it can also be near impossible to break the friendship if you’re in the same social network as your ex. For the sake of your friends and your group dynamic, it can sometimes be easier to stay civil

A couple breaking up.

than to break ties and force people into “choosing sides.”

Additionally, you might still have feelings for this person. This is unsurprisingly one of the most popular reasons someone might want to stay friends with an ex — the hope that one day, that person might change their mind and it might work out the second time around.

It’s also possible you simply aren’t attracted to them but still enjoy their company. Some people end relationships because the chemistry simply isn’t there

QUEEN’S CLUBS

Besties for Breasties copresident reflects on Breast Cancer Awareness Month Co-president Daniel Habashi talks the growth of the club SUPPLIED BY BESTIES FOR BREASTIES

Josh Granovsky Assistant Lifestyle Editor

For most of us, October signals the beginning of fall, the return of Homecoming and the re-emergence of pumpkin spice lattes. However, if Besties for Breasties co-presidents Daniel Habashi, ArtSci ’18, and Niki Bayat, ArtSci ’18, achieve their goals, the month of October will also become wholly synonymous with breast cancer support and prevention.

The main objective of Queen’s club Besties for Breasties is to raise awareness and funds in support of breast cancer treatments. According to Habashi, the three-year-old club formed out of a lack of breast cancer education and awareness at Queen’s.

While Besties for Breasties is active year-round, the club’s busiest time of the year occurs in October — a month universally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

This year, the club held numerous on-campus events. This included handing out pink cookies in the ARC, having students sign a large ribbon in support of those fighting breast cancer and staging a pink clothing takeover that nods to the infamous “on Wednesdays, we wear pink” quote from Mean Girls.

The club also made an educational ‘spin and win’ game in which a large wheel was divided into different aspects of breast cancer history. Participants were given the chance to learn about whichever category the wheel landed on.

Another large aspect of Besties for Breasties’ October this year was collecting donations at their various events for Breast Cancer Action Kingston.

“Breast Cancer Action Kingston is a

local organization that helps breast cancer patients [in Kingston],” Habashi told The Journal, “and all the money raised goes towards them.”

The funds raised go towards covering Kingston breast cancer patients’ expenses for medication, nutrition, wigs and more.

While grateful to be representing such an important cause, Habashi noted October isn’t necessarily the best time for student engagement at Queen’s.

“October has all the midterms, Homecoming ... we tried our hardest to do as much as we can,” he said, “but obviously education comes first.”

With October behind us, Besties for Breasties now looks ahead to organizing more events throughout the year — they aim to have around two or three per semester.

Their biggest event each year is typically a “puppy booth” in which the club brings in dogs to the ARC during midterm season for students to pet with the goal of helping them de-stress while also raising awareness.

Another strategy the club uses to get the word out is partnering with local bars like the Underground or Ale House to sell line skip tickets with proceeds going to Breast Cancer Action Kingston.

Habashi’s short-term goal for Besties for Breasties moving forward is pretty self-explanatory: he wants the club to grow.

“I hope this club can keep going on and get bigger and bigger,” he said. “I hope that if people have some sort of breast cancer affiliation, they can join the club because that would add a whole other layer of experience and value [to what we do].”

The long-term goal is on a much larger worldwide impact.

“Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women,” Habashi said. “One in nine women will be affected by breast cancer at some point in their lives. Hopefully

through the awareness we spread, people will take the disease more seriously and start taking early tests to prevent [its onset].”

To get involved with the club, “like” the Besties for Breasties Facebook page or join

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

anymore, but they still value that person so moving into a friendship might be an easy transition.

Some of these motivations might seem justified, but does this kind of situation ever really work? For many people, it simply isn’t possible because it’s too hard to push aside all the old feelings they have for that person.

Relationships take two people, and so do friendships, so it’s likely that if your relationship didn’t work out, your friendship won’t either.

Before entering this post-relationship transition, understanding why the relationship ended is important.

If it’s because your ex didn’t respect your opinions or didn’t listen to your feelings, then maintaining a friendship probably isn’t going to be the healthy option for either of you. On the other hand, if it’s something like a lack of sexual attraction that ended things, moving into a friendly relationship might actually work for you.

Like most things in this world, you have to figure out what works best for you. No two people are the same and therefore, no two relationships are going to be the same.

The more you understand yourself and what might have gone wrong, the easier it will be to move past a relationship or move into a friendship. the Besties for Breasties 2017-18 Facebook group. To get tested for breast cancer, visit Student Wellness Services on campus or consult your family doctor.

LIFESTYLE

16 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, Nov 3, 2017

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY

POSTSCRIPT

The transcendental effect of Rocky Horror Picture Show We have to remember the past to shape our future Anna Reynolds Contributor Seeking a true Halloween experience this past weekend, I decided to go see The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Screening Room.

Knowing little about the actual content of the film prior to this Halloweekend, I was surprised by how blatantly Rocky Horror tackled issues like gender structures, sexual liberation and many aspects of the LGBT community were way before its time when released in 1975.

Sitting down before the movie began, I was told “regular theatre etiquette” didn’t apply — something which proved to be true. The traditions passed down by Rocky Horror fans everywhere are delightful and won’t be mentioned here — they should remain an enigma for those who want the full experience. Needless to say, it really puts the “cult” in cult movie.

Besides all of the physical shock my body went through during those extraordinary 90 minutes, I was also surprised to learn it came out in 1975. I knew it was an older film — although Susan Sarandon looks remarkably unchanged — but, considering its progressive characters and subject matter, it was surprising to learn it was barrelling towards its 50th anniversary.

I could only think of the experience its first young viewers would’ve had, especially those in the LGBT community. Before explicit LGBT representation was

introduced in mass media, gay, lesbian and transgender youth were forced to seek validation in other places, often from ostensibly straight characters.

Judy Garland was a famous icon among gay men for her The Wizard of Oz character Dorothy’s accepting nature and desire to live in a better, more colourful world.

As a result, homosexual men began cryptically describing themselves as “friends of Dorothy” in the 40s.

During this time, most characters were coded as queer or trans and became cautionary tales from morality plays. Their storylines often ended with their symbolic deaths or assimilation into heterosexual society. Early in the film, fear of homosexuality was wrapped up in a larger conservative fear of youth sexuality and changing gender roles.

But by the 70s, the tide was changing. The LGBT rights movement had been jump-started by the Stonewall riots, as well as s e c o n d - wave fe m i n i s m being in full force across college campuses.

The release of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1975 came at a watershed moment in the sexual liberation era. It became an instant cult classic, through word of mouth inspiring thousands of teens who might have previously felt alienated from their straight-laced, utilitarian peers.

Before watching the film, I had always felt uncomfortable with the little knowledge I had of the character Dr. Frank-n-Furter, the “transvestite from transsexual Transylvania.” I was always under the impression his character was

a joke made at the expense of gay men and trans women — two groups whose identities were equated in the 70s.

After watching the movie, I realized he’s certainly not an unproblematic poster child for the LGBT movement — he’s, after all, a cannibal. But there was something electrifying in the way the movie straddled the line between subverting homophobic and transphobic stereotypes. By playing into them the film subverts and accepts tropes of all kinds.

The rest of the film is undoubtedly a celebration of fluidity in sexuality and gender, where the joke is on characters who are uncomfortable with these changing norms. The comically innocent Janet sings of how she “wants to be dirty,” while having sex with a buff monster literally covered in mud. The film revels in the hedonistic character of Dr. Frank and satirizes the idea that all sex is equally corruptive.

One of the final scenes depicts an orgy in Frank’s swimming pool, an aerial shot metaphorically showing the characters in pristine, pure waters.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is nothing if not a reminder that societal progress isn’t as straight-forward and linear as we might imagine it to be.

I’ve spoken to several older gay activists who admitted to feeling more comfortable being openly gay in the 70s than in the following decade, because the AIDS epidemic and the rise of conservatism in the UK and US spurred homophobia among the general public.

The 1975 classic has been touring the world as a musical for decades, but its most highprofile restaging was the Rocky Horror live television musical produced by FOX last year. This 2016 remade version reminded me of the lopsided ways society progresses.

Laverne Cox, probably the most notable trans actress today, played the role of Dr. Frank-n-Furter.

Considering Cox’s lived experience, Frank’s lines about “not being much of a man” are imbued with increased sincerity and depth.

But despite this progressive casting choice, reviewers were disappointed by the omissions of sex scenes and sexual innuendos from the original script.

Television has become light years ahead of Hollywood in its representation of LGBTQ, non-white and other minority characters; yet network television still can’t do justice to Rocky Horror’s message of sexual freedom — a message that’s now 42 years old.

I especially see the lopsided progress of society’s attitudes towards sexuality when I look at the policies of supposedly progressive first world countries like the United States.

Australia, Canada’s upside-down commonwealth cousin, is currently debating the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Australian politicians’ arguments against same-sex marriage often dwell on the corrupting powers of homosexuality — something that Rocky Horror, as silly as the movie may seem, addressed so many

years ago.

Additionally, the United States keeps edging closer and closer to a full-blown culture war between its majority of non-white, queer-friendly cities and its isolated rural areas. This distinction existed in the 70s, when the Rocky Horror Picture Show came out. At this time, there were only a few neighborhoods in a select number of cities in which LGBT people could be open and supported.

And while the time period is often associated with feminist victories such as the Roe v. Wade ruling, which occurred two years prior to Rocky Horror’s belief, the evangelical right was stealthily gaining more and more power throughout the decade.

In the 80s and 90s, the widespread moral frenzy known as the Satanic Panic would sweep suburbs across the nation leading to books being banned and subversive rap and metal music being censored.

Rocky Horror represents everything that terrified those panicking — hedonism, gore, sexual fluidity and the sullying of 50s cultural touchstones they held dear.

In an increasingly uncertain present state of society, it’s important to look back to the markers of change in society’s collective thinking. Watching movies that were so ahead of their time, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, allows us to reflect on how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go as a society.