The Queen's Journal, Volume 149, Issue 5

the Queen’s University

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journal

Vol. 149, Issue 5

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Friday, September 10, 2021

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Situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples.

Since 1873

‘Underutilized’ Graduate Peer Support Centre indefinitely suspended PSAC 901 advocating to university for better mental health supports C assidy M c M ackon Opinions Editor On Sept. 1, the Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) announced the indefinite suspension of the Graduate Peer Support Centre (GPSC).

Established in 2019, the GPSC operated with a number of graduate and professional student volunteers offering support to fellow graduate students in need of mental health supports. According to SPGS President Justine Aman, the service was suspended after being underutilized.

“While reviewing the usage statistics and student uptake of the GPSC, it was apparent that this service was underutilized and, as a result, overfunded. This compelled us to consider what resources are available to students that are better serving their needs,” Aman wrote in statement to The Journal.

“This review also alerted us to the need for a good mix of professional mental health services, including both on campus and third-party support. While some students prefer speaking to someone locally, others prefer EmpowerMe, a virtual mental health service offered to Queen’s students through the SGPS inpartnership with the AMS and Queen’s, because of the increased sense of anonymity it provides.”

According to Aman, the suspension of the GPSC will allow the SPGS time to consult with students on what mental health resources are needed.

Based on student consultations, the service will either reopen or close permanently with the SGPS looking to provide graduate students with other resources to support their mental health.

Graduate students who are currently looking for mental health supports can access EmpowerMe, which is a service that provides a range of options for students seeking help.

Students impacted by the closure of the

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

GPSC can provide anonymous feedback via on online form.

Should the service be permanently cancelled, fees required to fund the service would be reimbursed to the graduate students, Aman said.

The SGPS is currently meeting with PSAC Local 901 to discuss access to professional mental health supports to graduate students on campus.

According to Rohit Revi, Vice President of Research Assistants for PSAC Local 901, the closure of the GPSC only further widens the existing care gap for graduate students.

“The GPSC is an example of how labour [of aiding graduate student mental health] gets thrust upon unpaid graduate students. It was a replacement for an effective solution for the crisis of mental health of graduate students,” he said.

“It was always going to be ineffective because you cannot replace the need for well-funded mental health supports with unpaid labour of graduate students.”

Revi added that PSAC is in the bargaining stages with the University requesting the University provide funding for an expansion of professional mental health services at Queen’s and provide financial assistance to students who are currently paying out of pocket for mental health supports.

“Graduate and professional students find themselves in extremely precarious conditions, both in terms of the financial situations we find ourselves in and in terms of our overall mental wellbeing,” he said.

“Students shouldn’t have to be paying out of pocket when a lot of their ill-beings are tied to the nature of the work they do for the university.”

Revi said that PSAC has sent their proposed solutions to the University and are currently waiting on a reply. He added that he “believes [Queen’s] does have the financial capacity to be able to expand care.”

According to Aman, SGPS recognizes the concerns reflected by PSAC Local.

“We agree that the University needs to increase the number of, and diversity among, mental health professionals at Student Wellness Services,” Aman wrote.

Season Preview: Men’s and women’s soccer Coaches Christian Hoefler and David McDowell are more than ready to get back on the pitch this fall A ngus M erry Senior Sports Editor After 15 months without facing other competitors, the Queen’s Men’s and Women’s soccer teams are, understandably, ready to pick up exactly where they left off two seasons ago.

“We expect to be ultra-competitive with everyone in U Sports,” Women’s head coach, Dave McDowell told The Journal in an interview. “That’s where we’re heading.”

After missing a full season’s worth of

Soccer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both squads are itching for the opportunity to get back on the field and show their competitors how lethal they are.

For McDowell, this means following up on the women’s team’s stellar 2019 campaign, which saw them go undefeated (12-0-1) in the regular season and tie for the number one OUA ranking alongside uOttawa ahead of the postseason.

Despite brandishing an accomplishment which only three other teams in the program’s history can speak of, those same OUA playoffs ended in disappointment for the women’s team, as the Gaels were upset by the University of Toronto (UofT) Varsity blues 3-0 in the quarterfinals.

“Last year was the first year in, I can’t remember when, [that] we weren’t in the final four,” McDowell said.

To read the full story, visit queensjournal.ca/sports

PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY ATHLETICS & RECREATION

Kingston police “disappointed” with unlawful gatherings

Entrepreneurial spirit at Queen’s

Student voting at a disadvantage this fall election

Interview with gospel singer Omega

Kanye and Drake face off with Donda and CBL

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News

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NEWS

QTODA co-chairs sit down with The Journal to discuss the club’s goals and achievements.

Friday, September 10, 2021

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

Queen’s Tissue and Organ Donor Advocates encourages students to give the gift of life ‘There’s someone out there at Queen’s who signs up to be an organ donor that wouldn’t have otherwise’ Anne Fu Assistant News Editor “People shouldn’t be dying on a waitlist.”

On Sept. 8, The Journal sat down with the co-chairs of Queen’s Tissue and Organ Donor Advocates (QTODA), Ethan Cooney, MSc ’23 and James King, ArtSci ’22. The two discussed the importance of becoming an organ donor.

In 2019, 4,400 Canadians were on standby for an organ transplant. Nearly 250

people died while on the waitlist. Canada’s organ donor rate of only 21.8 donors per million people is one of the lowest amongst all developed countries.

To the co-chairs of QTODA, these are statistics that need to change.

“In a country like Canada, we have an amazing health care system, and people are still dying. Canadians are very, very selfless people, and I think no one really wants to see that happen,” King said.

According to King, founding a tissue and organ donation advocacy group was an idea that had already been on his mind for some time. He decided to make the club a reality after discussing the cause with students.

“I think people would really get behind supporting this kind of idea if we can just provide a bit more education and knowledge about what

the process is,” he said.

“When we think specifically about Queen’s students, what I think is great about working with the student demographic to increase the number of organ and tissue donors is that we have the potential throughout our hopefully many, many years of life, to make a difference in this way.”

One of the driving forces behind King’s decision to form this club was his connection with his grandfather, who received a heart transplant. The outcome of this life-saving procedure opened King’s eyes to the importance of organ donation.

“Not only had [my grandfather] been able to be a part of my life [due to this transplant], but from the stories I was told, he was able to completely turn around his life too and have a second shot at life. I feel this whole issue of organ and tissue donation is something that I want other people to be able to benefit from as well.”

Kingston Health Sciences Centre vaccine policies met with protests ‘We respect Canadians’ rights to protest peacefully,’ Kingston Health Sciences Centre says Sydney Ko Senior News Editor An anonymously-organized protest against COVID-19 vaccination mandates took place on Sept. 7. The demonstration was held in front of the Kingston General Hospital (KGH), site of the Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC).

Around 50 socially distanced people, backed by People’s Party of Canada (PPC) candidate Shelley Sayle-Udall, stood in front of KGH on Stuart St. On Sept. 7, KHSC announced that all

staff, volunteers, and students must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 22. This decision was made due to the province’s deadline for Ontario hospitals to have a vaccine policy in place.

Currently, over 90 per cent of KHSC health-care workers are vaccinated, Elizabeth Bardon, Incident Commander for KHSC, said in an email to The Journal.

“We are thankful that the protest today across from Kingston Health Sciences Centre’s (KHSC) Kingston General Hospital site was peaceful and did not impede people’s ability to access care,” Bardon wrote.

Since implementing the provincial policy on immunization, which come into effect on Sept. 7, all KHSC staff who don’t provide proof of vaccination against the virus will have to submit a negative COVID-19 test at least once every seven days.

“While we respect Canadians’ rights to protest peacefully, it is disheartening that the location was chosen specifically

to be in full sight of our many dedicated staff who have worked tirelessly for so many months to provide compassionate

Last year, QTODA’s capstone event was the organization of Green Shirt Day—a day that aims to promote organ donation registration and awareness across Canada.

The event was founded in 2018 in honour of Logan Boulet, a victim of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, whose organs were donated after his death to save six lives. News of Boulet’s gift inspired more than 150,000 Canadians to register as organ donors in the weeks following the crash.

To commemorate Green Shirt Day, QTODA partnered with Canadian Blood Services to hold a gift basket giveaway, with every person who completed a short quiz on organ and tissue donation facts being entered into the prize draw. The club also held a donor registration drive that encouraged students to register as an organ donor through a link on their Instagram account.

“A lot of people are able to sign up [to be a donor] whenever you go to renew your license or go get your driver’s license in the first place,” Cooney said.

“This link online just provides yet another avenue for people to sign up to become organ and tissue donors.”

King and Cooney are optimistic about QTODA’s future. This year, they hope the club can educate more people about organ donation and ways to sign up to become a donor.

“Depending on the situation, we would like it to be more in-person, more involved.

It would be lovely to see Queen’s students walking around campus with green shirts on Apr. 7—that would be my goal,” King said.

He also touched on the possibility of having the club organize and talk to local officials on policies surrounding organ donation.

But some indicators of success aren’t always as visible or as easily measured as event turnout numbers or policy changes, King insisted. Above all else, he says QTODA’s ultimate goal is to convince more people to give the gift of life.

“There’s someone out there at Queen’s who signs up to be an organ donor that wouldn’t have otherwise, and saves lives because of it,” he said.

“If we’re able to educate and hopefully get at least one person this year to sign up, then we’ve made a difference in however many people’s lives that one person can benefit,” Cooney added.

care—including to hundreds of patients with COVID-19.”

“On behalf of the 90 per cent of KHSC health-care workers who are already vaccinated, we remain steadfast in encouraging everyone to get vaccinated to ensure our health-care system is not overwhelmed in this fourth wave of the pandemic.”

Approximately 50 people stood on Stuart St. in protest of mandatory vaccination.

PHOTO BY ASBAH AHMAD

News

Friday, September 10, 2021

Dialogue app to connect students with health practitioners online.

queensjournal.ca

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

AMS introduces apps to support student life

For students, Compass and Dialogue are “just a tap away” Asbah Ahmad Assistant News Editor On Sept. 9, the AMS announced the launch of the Compass app. Compass is meant

to be an additional resource for students to better navigate mental health and wellness support.

“Compass is the AMS’s newest holistic student life platform. The platform centralizes mental health and wellness support, as well as events happening across campus—with the ability to favourite what is most relevant to you,” the executive, Team RTZ said in an email statement to The Journal.

According to RTZ, the app development consulting company Compass has been contracted to develop the app for AMS students. AMS President Zaid Kasim is also currently the AMS correspondent for Compass.

The AMS wants the Compass platform to act as a “one-stop-shop” for all student needs.

“Compass addresses the need for a centralized, consistently updated platform for mental health

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and wellness resources, support, and information,” the AMS Executive said.

“Students can also access OnQ, Solus, A&R [Athletics and Recreation] booking, and more through the Compass platform.”

The AMS also recognizes that Queen’s has previously had gaps in centralizing services for students.

“Compass is actively filling the gaps that our institution has by providing a holistic approach to mental health and wellness for students at Queen’s.”

The Compass app will have Queen’s Single Sign-On (SSO) to protect student data and privacy.

“The platform has been fully vetted and secured through Queen’s ITS, passed all safety tests and was determined low risk,” RTZ said.

Along with Compass, the AMS also launched “Dialogue” for student use on Sept. 1.

Dialogue is an online platform that allows students, including those abroad, to virtually connect with multilingual health practitioners through a mobile or web app.

“To further support students’ health and wellness, students covered by the AMS Health & Dental Plan have access to virtual health care,” RTZ wrote.

“Wherever our students are, health care is always just a tap away, and you never have to wait in line at a clinic, 90 per cent of requests receive a response from a health professional within 2 hours.”

For news tips, email journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

‘Time is running out,’ Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change says Professor John Smol discusses recent climate change report with The Journal Rida Chaudhry Assistant News Editor On Aug. 9, the United Nations (UN) released a 4,000 page report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The report compiles comprehensive research and expert opinions to emphasize the “code red for humanity”reflected in the current of state of our climate.

“

We really have wasted so much time, we have this alarm bell going off and we keep pressing the snooze button”

In an interview with The Journal, John Smol, Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change in the Department of Biology at Queen’s, discussed what the

IPCC report means and how students can advocate for climate action.

“The IPCC puts out these reports every few years, and you’ll notice that with every report they become more and more urgent and more certain with the science.” Smol said.

The Paris Agreement, a legally binding international agreement adopted in 2015, introduced a rigorous climate action plan for the world to limit global warming and neutralize carbon emissions by 2050. Despite adoption of the agreement, global emissions of carbon dioxide continue to rise.

We have to realize that the “environment is an important part of every equation, especially the financial one”

“We really have wasted so much time, we have this alarm bell going off and we keep pressing the snooze button,” Smol said.

Smol said there are three ways students can take action to reduce their own carbon footprint.

“We have the power of our individual actions, the power of our wallet, and the power of our vote. We should use all of them,” he explained.

“Partly because this is such a global problem, it’s easy to feel helpless.”

When considering the size of the climate crisis, Smol said we can’t afford to ignore the power people hold. If each individual becomes more climate-conscious in their actions, there will be a significant reduction in global carbon emissions.

According to Smol, it’s also important to vote for leaders who are willing make substantive change.

“We have to realize that the environment is an important part of every equation, especially the financial one.”

Smol added many politicians justify their lack of progressive climate action because of cost factors and the perceived lack of threat to major industries in the governments’ interest to preserve.

not going as fast as “IIt’s would’ve hoped but at

least we’re moving in the right direction. I’m being an optimist, but time is running out” “The environment affects everyone sitting at the cabinet table. The environment affects health, forestry, agriculture, the economy, fisheries, tourism—the list goes on,” he said.

“It’s not about how much it’s going to cost to fix this problem, it’s how much it’s going to cost not to.”

In 2016, Queens introduced a climate action plan to be carbon neutral

by 2040. Since then, the university has made changes towards environmental consciousness through sustainability initiatives. These projects included limiting the use of disposable products in campus food locations and encouraging students to download NetZero, an app allowing Queen’s students to track their carbon footprint.

“Queen’s is progressive on a relative scale.

It’s all positive progress. We didn’t have this five years ago,” Smol said.

“I’ve been on some committees for 10 years now and I’ve been saying that this is a smoking gun. There’s going to be a point in time where students decide where they will go based on environmental impacts.”

He stressed climate action is in the interest of post-secondary institutions. As a research facility, our institution’s actions can prompt others.

“It’s not going as fast as I would’ve hoped but at least we’re moving in the right direction. I’m being an optimist, but time is running out.”

“The time to have done this was 30 years ago.”

This article was first published online on Friday, Sept. 3 at queensjournal.ca/news.

News

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News in Brief Kingston police “disappointed” by unlawful gatherings Sydney Ko Senior News Editor Principal and AMS President urge students to follow public health guidelines The principal and AMS president have urge students to follow public health guidelines.

On Sept. 1, a 2,000-person street party on University Avenue was broken up by Kingston police.

In an email sent to Queen’s student body, Principal Patrick Deane and AMS President Zaid Kasim urged everyone to be responsible upon returning to campus.

“This is a flagrant disregard for public health and for the law of our province.

We support our city enforcement officers and police as they work to address these illegal activities and we will work with our partners when they refer students to us for processing under our Student Code of Conduct,” Deane and Kasim wrote.

Deane and Kasim stressed the behaviour of a few shouldn’t compromise the rest of the students at Queen’s.

To ensure students are aware of

city by-laws, the AMS posted a guide to navigating the University District Safety Initiative (UDSI), Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs), and Nuisance Party By-Laws on Instagram.

“Understanding these programs is important for students, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, because of how offences and penalties are being treated this year,” the AMS wrote in an Instagram post.

AMS Summer in review Team RTZ reflects on their first four months as AMS executive Sydney Ko Senior News Editor On Jul. 28, The Journal sat down with the AMS executives to discuss what the society has prepared for the upcoming semester for both incoming and returning students.

As September kicks off, the AMS shared how they’re ensuring a smooth transition to campus for students.

“The commissioners have been working to help develop the second year STRIVE [Students Taking Responsible Initiatives towards a Viable Environment] program, which helps students who are coming to campus for the first time,” AMS President Zaid Kasim said.

In addition to the program, Kasim said the AMS is creating social media campaigns geared towards second-year students to help them navigate campus.

“We are also looking to implement an international students’ buddy program that is aimed towards incoming and upper year international students. There will be both online and in-person orientation events for incoming first year students,” Kasim said.

Additionally, the executive stressed the importance of mental wellness for all students, noting that the Peer Support Centre will be operating in a “hybrid fashion.”

“Traditionally, the PSC is hosted in person, but due to the pandemic, it has been shifted to an online service using Zoom,” Tiana Wong, Vice-President (Operations) said. “[This] year, the [PSC] will be in-person and online to serve as many students as possible.”

with city by-law, Kingston Police will continue to enforce all applicable laws including the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA), City of Kingston By-Law 2018-53—a law that regulates nuisance parties within the city of Kingston—the Liquor Act, and other provincial statutes.

City closes Breakwater Park, Gord Downie Pier

Wong added that, since the transition back to on-campus learning can be difficult for new and returning students, the PSC hours will be flexible and accessible to the community.

Academics One of the goals RTZ is working towards is academic supports.

“I think that, last year with COVID-19, it was very unprecedented,” Kasim said. “[First-years] had to go through a whole bunch of challenges for the first time and experience things for the first time.”

“We really want to make sure that the [academic] quality for the students is top-notch.”

According to Kasim, the AMS has been doing advocacy work to ensure all students are able to receive academic accommodations as they progress through their degrees.

Aside from advocating for academic accommodations, RTZ also intends to

On Sept. 2, the City of Kingston decided to close Gord Edgar Downie pier and the beach area at Breakwater Park as students returned to campus.

Until Sept. 20, the pier will remain closed to reduce large gatherings and risk of potential spread of COVID-19.

People who attempt to access the closed pier and beach area during the emergency closure could subject to a $2,000 fine.

Rector debate to take place on Sept. 28

Kingston Police “disappointed” with unlawful gatherings In an email sent to The Journal, Chief Antje McNeely said the Kingston Police continues to be “disappointed” with unlawful gatherings in the University District.

“We are also concerned with the increased display of willful disregard for public safety and the hostility directed at both police and by-law officers as they attempted to clear the streets, not only to allow traffic and emergency vehicles to move freely in the area but also to address the concerns about individuals walking on the roadways and into live lanes of traffic,” McNeely wrote.

The Kingston police issued eight Part 1 Summons for having open alcohol contrary to the Liquor Licence Act and one Part 1 Summons for person under 19 have consuming alcohol contrary to the Liquor Licence Act. McNeely noted that, in partnership

Friday, September 10, 2021

Info-session saw two students in attendance Sydney Ko Senior News Editor On Sept. 7, the AMS held its first rector info-session for interested candidates.

During the session, AMS Secretariat Laura Devenny and Chief Electoral Officer Erica Johnson led the meeting. Hosted over Zoom, a total of two students attended the session.

“The rector serves as a resource for students at Queen’s through their office hours and their virtual and in-person office hours on academic issues, legal issues and housing resources,” Johnson said.

According to Johnson, the rector is available for any discussion on course curriculum, thoughts on tuition, and other advocacy projects. ensure students are engaged on campus.

“The academics also have a huge effect on engagement within the student body,” Wong said.

“We want to reach out to second-year students who didn’t have the chance to be on campus in their first year, whether it be the interactions with the AMS services or the on-campus clubs, we are diligent in offering the experiences that second-year students haven’t had yet,” Kasim added.

Over the summer, the AMS expanded their relationships with other faculties and societies.

“We’ve made huge strides with other clubs and faculties already in the summer,” Kasim said. “We’ve been having lots of collaborating, helping each other.”

Improving AMS Culture One of the key goals in RTZ’s platform was restructuring AMS culture. Wong said the executives focused much of their work on training AMS staff members over the summer.

“We believe training is an integral part in facilitating a professional and inclusive work

“The rector is the first student leader you see at orientation week and the last student seat at convocation.”

Campaigns should run predominantly online from Sept. 23-30. All validated candidates can publicize and promote their campaign upon receiving approvals from the election team.

“All candidates are encouraged to explore creative means to advertise and connect with all the AMS community,” Johnson said.

Candidates are required to follow a set of campaign policies.

“All disputes regarding violation of AMS elections and policies will be submitted in a way that is determined by the elections team,” Johnson said.

The rector candidates’ debate will take place online on Sept. 28. Students will be voting via email ballot between Oct. 1-2 through a preferential ballot system.

Results of the election will be posted at 10 p.m. on Oct. 2.

environment, so we’re standardizing all AMS training,” Wong said.

This year, the AMS also onboarded a permanent human resources staff member to the team.

“It’s important to have a professional to support the office and handle sensitive subjects in the human resources field,” Wong said.

“We have a new system called HRDownloads that is incredibly useful to keep everyone on track and accountable,” Kasim said.

According to the execs, the permanent HR professional is also dedicated to helping the AMS develop a variety of HR policies.

In addition to the HR policies, the AMS also hosts monthly equity training, Ryan Sieg, vice-president (University Affairs) said.

“It is run by our student management team and our commissioner of social issues,” Sieg said.

Sustainability According to Sieg, the AMS will be hosting a sustainability month in October. More updates will be released closer to that time.

On the services end, both Printing & Copy Centre (P&CC) and Common Ground Coffeehouse (CoGro) have also implemented sustainable initiatives, Wong added.

According to Wong, P&CC has switched to using eco-paper, a more sustainable printing option.

“Common Ground will continue to run and promote the Huskee Swap program, which they’re also partnering with ASUS orientation program,” Wong said.

This article was first published online on Friday, Sept. 3 at queensjournal.ca/news .

Society to assist incoming students with transition from remote learning.

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

Friday, September 10, 2021

FEATURES

Features

queensjournal.ca

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SHELBY TALBOT

Staff and studemts reflect on their experiences in entrepreneurship.

The spirit of entrepreneurship at Queen’s

Determination, teamwork, and integrity Julia Stratton Features Editor

Many successful businesses have started out of Queen’s. From Iris Technologies creating an LCD computer for people suffering from concussions to Red Gold of Afghanistan selling saffron to help women in Afghanistan, Queen’s has created and supported many student entrepreneurs.

The Journal spoke with students and staff about their entrepreneurship journeys and lessons learned.

“Taking more control of our destiny is a really important part of an entrepreneurial mindset,” Greg Bavington, executive director of the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre (DDQIC), said in an interview with The Journal.

“I could change circumstances around me to the benefit of myself and to the benefit of others.”

“It encourages you to accomplish what you can with what you have and what you can readily get your hands on.”

Entrepreneurs need to be resourceful and start by using what’s available to them to create the change they want to see in the world.

“I didn’t have to put up with what was or tolerate what I was born into,” Bavington said. “I could change circumstances around me to the benefit of myself and to the benefit of others.”

Wealthy entrepreneurs tend to be motivated by trying to make the world a better place rather than trying to create

something that will make them rich.

“You have to have a passion beyond just trying to accumulate wealth for yourself,” Bavington said.

The rewards of entrepreneurship can be enormous, but it’s almost impossible to know whether a business will boom or fail when it’s just starting out. For this reason, entrepreneurs have to get very comfortable with uncertainty.

This uncertainty is in stark contrast to university programs that can promise students a more stable and secure life after they finish their education.

“That mess of uncertainty is quite different from what we spend most of our time grappling with at school,” Bavington said.

“If you think of STEM disciplines in academia, usually there’s an exam assessment. There’s exactly the right amount of data given to be manipulated to produce the one correct answer, all other answers being completely wrong.”

“That’s not the way entrepreneurship works or the way the world works,” he said.

“There’s all kinds of decisions that have varying degrees of rightness and wrongness […] you have to be comfortable with uncertainty.”

Being comfortable with uncertainty helps students perform better at their job once they graduate, whether they end up pursuing entrepreneurship or not.

“I got all that technical knowledge through my degree, but the practical application of being handed a problem and then trying to figure out the best fit solution was something that I definitely gained from the [Queen’s Innovation Centre Summer Initiative (QICSI)] entrepreneurship program,” Jessica Dassanayake, PME ’23, said in an interview with The Journal.

“I currently work in the government at national defense and I do a lot of work with military, so the solutions I have to build are fast-paced. If something’s coming up for the military […] I get a really vague problem and I have to go out and fetch those requirements.”

In addition, being part of an innovation program helped Dassanayake come up with new ways of doing things that brought a fresh perspective to her workplace.

“I’ve been able to bring in a fresh perspective of ‘maybe we should take a step back and write out the requirements or have another conversation with the customer and fully understand what’s going on,’” she said.

“There’s all kinds of decisions that have varying degrees of rightness and wrongness […] you have to be comfortable with uncertainty.”

“Bringing up those fresh perspectives and offering up my opinion—also a diverse opinion—at the table, is something that entrepreneurship really prepared me for because I’m comfortable having those conversations rather than sitting back and letting the status quo happen.” *** Media may portray most ultra-successful entrepreneurs as lone-wolf types who build their business on their own. The reality is that most successful businesses are backed by extraordinary teams.

“There isn’t a company in the world that wouldn’t admit that […] if they didn’t have good people who worked well together, they’d be in big trouble,” Bavington said.

One of the top skills employers

look for in job applicants is teamwork. However, since semesters at university are only 12 weeks long, students don’t get the experience of working in teams long-term.

“Within academia, until you move to graduate studies, everything’s so short term in regards to teams,” Henry Lee, M.Sc. Computing ’22, said in an interview with The Journal.

“It takes time to get really good teamwork in place.”

Lee worked alongside two co-founders throughout QICSI on a company called Viriene.

Viriene aims to help women find properly-fitted bras.

“It took us a month or two of small disagreements here and there and understanding each other’s workflows,” he said.

“Then adjusting to get the team set right where everything’s running smoothly.”

Working with and having relationships with people long-term means that a team is bound to experience disappointments.

It’s important for entrepreneurs to have empathy for their teammates through ups and downs.

“Life happens—especially when you’re starting out a venture,” Dassanayake said. “People are sometimes not always available to do things they may have promised to […] always be empathetic for everyone around you.”

Despite its elusiveness to those watching from afar, the experience of being a successful entrepreneur requires humility and cooperation.

“Often people who are very good at something derive a certain amount of their pride in that accomplishment from it being exclusive,” Bavington said. “A lot of the pride in having an Olympic medal comes from the fact that very few people have an Olympic medal and you beat a lot of people in a competition who wanted the same medal.”

“Entrepreneurship is not like that,” he said. “It’s a team sport.”

*** “Regardless of the outcome of your first venture, or your second or third or fourth, if you gain the [entrepreneurial] mindset and the skill set, it will serve you regardless of the outcome of your venture,” Bavington said.

From working with many students since co-founding the DDQIC in 2012, Bavington noted that the most successful students were committed, coachable, and curious.

“Commitment because it’s hard, […] coachability because you’re not an expert in much or even anything. Curiosity breeds this broader understanding of what problems is society experiencing,” he said. “There’s nothing that [entrepreneurs] see that doesn’t just fascinate them.”

Bavington believes that “[entrepreneurship] is attainable for everyone.”

“When you’re in entrepreneurship, the market doesn’t give a shit. You either succeed and get your act together or you disappear,” Entrepreneurship requires integrity and doing your best every single day.

“When yo u ’ r e in entrepreneurship, the market doesn’t give a shit. You either succeed and get your act together or you disappear,” Lee said.

Entrepreneurship pushes students to their limits and motivates them to do what they can today to make the world a better place tomorrow.

“Time is limited,” Lee said.

“When you really do understand that, you become so hungry for something tomorrow, as opposed to ‘well, I can put that off.’”

6 • queensjournal.ca

Editorials

EDITORIALS

Friday, September 10, 2021

The Journal’s Perspective

Cancelling the ‘Vote On Campus’ program leaves university students at a disadvantage

ILLUSTRATION BY CLANNY MUGABE

In light of the Sept. 20 election, Elections Canada cancelled their Vote On Campus program. But blaming the pandemic and the lack of time for preparation doesn’t justify the destructive effect the decision will have on young people’s ability to vote.

Students need the Vote on Campus program—which allowed them to cast ballots in our home ridings on campus—as many of us move far from our homes to attend school.

The existing voting measures for students away from home aren’t as accessible as they’re promoted to be. Little is being done to promote alternative ways to vote to students living outside their home ridings.

Without any external help, it’s too easy to give up on navigating the voting system.

Cancelling Vote On Campus because of logistical issues related to the pandemic and the sudden election is a weak excuse.

Just as universities and colleges are welcoming students back for in-person classes with health precautions, Elections Canada could’ve planned an accessible and safe voting option for students.

Neither the pandemic nor snap elections are new concepts—surely the organization could’ve thought of something.

The lack of public discussion on voting options is frustrating—when paired with the cancellation of Vote on Campus, the situation seems like a deliberate, planned act of voter suppression.

For many students, the 2021 election will be their first opportunity to vote. Seizing this opportunity is foundational for making voting a lifelong habit.

The presence of voting booths on campuses encourages students to safely exercise their voting rights. Integrating voting into the university lifestyle is a

powerful way to defeat voter apathy.

Seeing the “I voted” stickers are frequent reminders of our duty to vote. On campus, voters can be physically drawn to booths—if only because their friends are voting too. The data shows that no other option would result in such a large, committed turnout from the student demographic.

Shuttering the Vote On Campus program disrupts the right to vote of a broad group of people, which is a disservice to the electoral system. Throughout history, Canadian elections have gathered consistently decreasing voter turnouts, exposing a larger failure to make voting accessible and worthwhile for everyone.

Regardless of an individual party’s political agenda, Canada needs to foster a society of citizens actively engaged in politics.

Despite all the obstacles, it’s crucial for students to vote. Votes impact policies dictating the comfort and prosperity of our future lives.

Even if the physical spaces are taken away from us, we still have the power of social media behind us. In the current technological age, Instagram stories are the new lawn signs. Expressing political ideas and supporting candidates can encourage thousands of conversations in the comments, likes, and retweets—keeping the political dialogue alive.

The voices of youth will not be silenced.

Canada’s government must support programs, like Vote on Campus, amplifying the opinions of the country’s future.

—Journal Editorial Board

Canada’s COVID-19 requirements for the US/Canada border are unrealistic and unwelcoming for international students Madeleine McCormick The Canadian government’s requirements for crossing the border are unrealistic: the strict and unforgiving limitations, including the time crunch for negative COVID-19 tests and the ArriveCAN app upload, create an unwelcoming environment for international students attempting to enter the country.

While the Canadian government must prioritize the health and safety of residents, flexible and accommodating regulations would create a more welcoming and realistic passage for fully-vaccinated travellers.

As of Aug. 9, American citizens—provided they demonstrate proof of a full vaccination, a negative molecular PCR test, a quarantine plan, as well as identification and travel documents—may enter Canada. These requirements, along with the date, time, and location of entry, must be uploaded to the ArriveCAN app prior to crossing the border.

Restrictions like these are necessary to combat the spread of COVID-19 from the United States into Canada. However, they present unrealistic challenges for those who wish to cross the border safely, particularly international students with in-person school deadlines rapidly approaching.

Canada only accepts negative PCR tests processed within 72 hours prior to crossing the border. Although these tests typically take 24-72 hours to process, the waiting time can extend to a week or more especially if testing sites are overwhelmed and resort to shipping the tests to an alternate processing location.

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Volume 149 Issue 5 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board Editors in Chief

Aysha Tabassum Shelby Talbot

Production Manager

Violetta Zeitlinger Fontana

News Editor Assistant News Editors

Features Editors

Sydney Ko Asbah Ahmad Rida Chaudry Anne Fu Kirby Harris Julia Stratton

Editorials Editor Editorials Illustrator Opinions Editor

Anna Fouks Clanny Mugabe Cassidy McMackon

Arts Editor

Ben Wrixon

Assistant Arts Editor Sports Editor

Mackenzie Loveys Angus Merry

Assistant Sports Editor Lifestyle Editor

Natara Ng Alysha Mohamed

Assistant Lifestyle Editor Photo Editor

Madeleine McCormick Spencer Hendrickson

Assistant Photo Editor Video Editor

Curtis Heinzl Nathan Carter

Assistant Video Editor Copy Editors

Leah Smithson Martin Hayes Suzy Leinster

Graphics Editor

Dharmayu Desai

Podcast Coordinator BIPOC Advisory Board Members

Lauren Thomas Alysha Ahmad Anya D’Souza Yvonne Tan

Contributing Staff Contributors

Jack Burnham Collin Chepeka Michael Di Gennaro Hillary Fotheringham Pravieena Gnanakumar

Business Staff Business Manager Sales Representatives Fundraising Representative Social Media Coordinator

Yoli Wang Medhavi Maurya Will Stewart Riya Shah Francesca Lim

Want to contribute?

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

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

Situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The Journal’s Editorial Board acknowledges the traditional territories our newspaper is situated on have allowed us to pursue our mandate.

We recognize our responsibility to understand the truth of our history.

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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PHOTO BY SPENCER HENDRICKSON

Clearly the border’s allocated validation time window wasn’t implemented with the PCR test’s processing time in mind.

At this rate, American or Canadian travellers must hope their tests aren’t the ones sent across the country for a week of processing. Moreover, PCR test results are dragged out and testing locations are clogged as the Delta variant becomes more prevalent in the United States.

Despite being a double-vaccinated dual citizen of both Canada and the United States, I had to jump through hoops navigating these restrictions to access my education and home.

After taking a PCR test in preparation for my entry, I waited five days for my results, by which time the border’s 72-hour testing time had long since expired.

All international students have a responsibility to comply with reasonable requirements and protect the community they’re entering. However, students paying

for tuition, utilities, groceries, rent, and travel expenses shouldn’t have to consider the financial and mental strain of being turned around at the border if they are safe to enter.

The Canadian government must encourage and mobilize all citizens and visitors to comply with COVID-19 regulations. However, to create a more considerate and accessible approach for international students, Canada should consider accepting rapid antigen tests as a valid indication of COVID-19 status for vaccinated students and granting a 24-hour extension on the testing deadline.

If Canada hopes to re-establish a sense of normalcy in its post-secondary educational institutions, it must first allow international students to cross the border safely and accessibly.

Madeleine is a third-year English student and The Journal’s Assistant Lifestyle Editor.

The Queen’s Journal is printed on a Goss Community press by by Metroland Media in Toronto, Ontario.

Contents © 2021 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal.

Opinions

Friday, September 10, 2021

OPINIONS

queensjournal.ca

•7

Your Perspective

Collin feels that students should vote for the parties that best align with their political ideologies.

SUPPLIED BY COLLIN CHEPEKA

Individual votes matter more this election Voting for a lesser of two evils further removes power from smaller parties COLLIN CHEPEKA Contributor This election season, some voters may be tempted to cast their ballots for either the Conservatives or Liberals in an effort to ensure their ideologies are reflected in Parliament. With many key issues at stake, strategic voters should look to cast their votes for the parties that best represent their values.

With the federal Conservatives taking a lead in the polls over the incumbent Liberal government, many voters will be faced with the choice between voting for the party that more closely aligns with their values, or voting for the party that has the best chance at beating the one they don’t want in power.

Partisanship aside, this issue affects both the left and the right.

On the right, Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada (PPC) promises a more thoroughly right-wing platform than Erin O’Toole’s Conservatives, yet O’Toole looks like he has a solid chance of winning the election.

The same is true for left-leaning voters. Trudeau has the best chance, according to polls, of beating the Conservatives, yet for voters concerned with issues such as climate, voting for the party that purchased a doomed pipeline project seems to conflict with a deep

commitment to tackling climate change.

Unfortunately, due in large part to inner-party disintegration, it’s highly unlikely that Annamie Paul’s Green Party will even win a seat.

Having to pick a lesser of two evils in an election to prevent a party you dislike from winning is as old as Canadian democracy itself.

According to a study done by researchers at Duke University, a substantial amount of Canadian voters cast their ballot strategically.

That is, they vote for the candidate they think has the best chance at winning instead of the candidate that best aligns with their political values.

This results in supporters of smaller parties like the New Democratic Party (NDP) or PPC abandoning their first preferences and voting for larger parties with similar ideologies.

The prevalence of strategic voting in Canadian elections has some calling for a change in the way we vote, as they argue that Canadians should be able to vote for who they want rather than who will beat who they don’t want to win.

A popular alternative to our first-past-the-post (FPTP) system known as proportional representation (PR) would allows votes to more directly reflect the actual level of support for candidates than our current system does.

However, researchers have found that in PR systems, the level of strategic voting that occurs is roughly the same as in our current system. Further, given that Trudeau campaigned on electoral reform only to abandon

the project, it’s unlikely we will see substantial change in our electoral system anytime soon.

With the upcoming election you will soon see a plea from both the Liberals and the Conservatives to shift your support away from smaller parties towards them as they stand the best chance of winning the election.

If your goal is to keep either O’Toole or Trudeau out of power, odds are you will end up voting for the lesser of two evils. However, I want to present another strategic option that allows you to vote for who you want and potentially keep who you don’t want out of power.

Let’s say you’re a New Democratic Party (NDP) supporter but really don’t want the Conservatives to win. You could vote for Trudeau, who stands the best chance at winning outright against the slow creep of Conservative support. Or you could go ahead and vote for the NDP. Unfortunately, with the latter, it seems the Conservatives have a better chance of winning.

But that’s not the whole picture.

As it stands, the Conservatives look like they could win with approximately 34 per cent support of Canadians, whereas the Liberals have 31 per cent and the NDP only 20 per cent. So the Conservatives win, but that’s not the end.

In the Canadian parliamentary system, a party can either win a majority or minority amount of support. In a minority, the ruling party needs to rely on support from the other parties in power in order to pass legislation.

Without this support, the ruling party basically can’t do anything because the majority of power belongs in the hands of the

parties who did not win the election.

In situations like these, the parties who make up the majority of votes can choose to work together by forming a coalition government. This means they team up with each other and call a vote of non-confidence in the ruling party. This allows the coalition to then take power and rule as a cooperative government made up of multiple parties.

So, let’s say the Conservatives win a minority government because you chose to vote NDP. Hypothetically, the NDPs and the Liberals, who are already closely aligned in terms of policy outlook, could form a coalition government with 50 per cent of support versus the Conservatives 34 per cent.

This would force the Conservatives not only out of office but out of the position in which they could block legislation they disagree with. Thus, for NDP supporters, it could be just as strategic to vote for the NDP. The same is true of voters on the right who feel like the Conservatives have moved too close to the centre of the political spectrum. If a party like the Bloc Quebecois gained even 10 per cent more support, they could successfully form a coalition government with the Conservatives should the Liberals win. Until then, Conservative voters have less flexibility when it comes to this strategic alternative.

While voting for the lesser of two evils is a strategy, it’s not the only one. Further, it’s far from clear if this kind of strategic voting has any real impact on election outcomes. Canada’s parliamentary system allows for another

option: the coalition, which is arguably more democratic than single-party rule as more interests are represented by the ruling parties.

When two parties rule together, more people can see that their vote made a difference.

The Conservatives know this, which is why Erin O’Toole in early August warned against other parties conspiring to form a coalition government should he win.

The only thing standing in the way of a left-wing coalition government made up of the Liberals and the NDP would be Justin Trudeau’s desire for a majority government. Should Trudeau lose, it would be wise of him to team up with the NDP to form a government rather than wait for another chance to try and win another majority government.

As a student, go against the grain this year when going to the polls. It’s strategic to vote for your first preference.

Voting for smaller parties allows for more voices to be heard and provides a bulwark against the kind of bipartisan politics that characterizes the United States.

Despite its drawbacks, our current FPTP system does allow our individual votes to make a significant difference when it comes to who is in charge.

Collin Chepeka is a PhD candidate in the Philosophy department.

To submit an opinon, contact journal_letters@ams.queensu.ca

Arts

8 • queensjournal.ca

ARTS

Friday, September 10, 2021

Student curators launch book exhibition ‘What are you reading?’ gives viewers a glimpse into Union Gallery’s archives Mackenzie Loveys Assisstant Arts Editor

Queen’s Union Gallery features an interactive curatorial series.

SUPPLIED BY UNION GALLERY

New virtual escape room inspired by Queen’s culture

Highlighting the beauty within its archives, Union Gallery has debuted a unique exhibition by student curators Charlotte Beyries, ArtSci ’23, and Anna Douglas, ArtSci ’22.

Their interactive book exhibition What are you reading? opened in Stauffer Library’s Union Gallery on Sept. 7 and will be available to viewers until Dec. 11.

What are you reading? features eyecatching images and newsletters from past exhibitions, as well as books that viewers are encouraged to pick up and read. It shows the different ways we consume art and media.

The title What are you reading? welcomes viewers to think critically about what books and materials they’re consuming as they engage with the exhibition.

“The fact that [What are you reading?] is a question makes it so you can answer that question for yourself and turn to yourself thinking about the things you’re reading and media you’re consuming,” Beyries said.

By replicating the appearance of a collaged bedroom wall, the exhibition takes a playful tone meant to draw people into the gallery. “[We] wanted to bring the students into the gallery,” Beyries said. “Some people just don’t know about the gallery at all because it’s kind of hidden away.”

One of the exhibition’s goals is to showcase the gallery’s extensive archive collection, hopefully making it a new and useful resource for many students.

“Union Gallery is more than art. It can be a resource to students in a lot of different capacities,” Douglas said.

“I think blending text and visuals from the newsletters together gives a microcosm of what the archives are for Union Gallery and how students can access it.”

Beyries and Douglas’ curation of this exhibition began about a year and a half ago during their time spent as Union Gallery archive volunteers. They hope their work inspires future gallery volunteers to keep What are you reading? going with their own artistic touches.

“The blueprint of the exhibition can be passed on to volunteers,” Douglas said.

“It gives them the opportunity to play with something without having to start from absolute scratch—the archives are so rich. You could go on forever.”

The books, images, and writings in What are you reading? demonstrate the importance of art curation and the powerful relationship between art and history.

The exhibition holds the potential to showcase both past and present works in a complementary way, illustrating the growth within the artistic community.

Douglas believes the exhibition also raises attention to how archives can be helpful, showing viewers how necessary they are in the field of art and art curation. She feels that because they’re often out of sight, they’re unfortunately often out of mind.

“We’re hoping that the exhibition acts as an iceberg effect,” she said.

“We’re showing the tip of the iceberg of what Union Gallery has, and we’re hoping that through the question, ‘What are you reading?’ students and viewers will explore something that piques their interest.”

Puzzles in the ‘The Graduation Situation’ filled with tricolour references Ben Wrixon Senior Arts Edtor ‘The Graduation Situation’ is a new virtual escape room that debuts on Sept. 7.

The Journal spoke with Matt Rothwell, PheKin ’05 and director of games at Sherlock’s Escapes, about how his long-standing relationship with Queen’s inspired his newest puzzles.

“We tried as much as we could to keep things rooted in the culture and community of Queen’s,” Rothwell said in an interview with The Journal.

“You’re able to learn more about your community through an escape room, which I think is pretty cool.”

Now a father and business owner, Rothwell is far-removed from his studying days, yet hasn’t fallen out of touch with the university.

He still remembers what it feels like to be a student.

He saw an opportunity when the Queen’s Enrichment Studies Unit (ESU) asked him to create a new game for their students at the beginning of the summer. What started as a re-skinning of old puzzles quickly became an exciting platform-building experience.

The game’s clever narrative has players investigating the theft of graduation caps by comparing clues hidden in a fictionalized version of The Journal. Successful participants will uncover the thief’s identity and save the day by game’s end.

“Once we started working on it, it just kept growing,” Rothwell explained. “It went from re-skinning some of our old

puzzles into 95 per cent new puzzles and using a new platform that we haven’t used much before.”

“This was our first full release of a game using Telescape.”

Telescape is an online platform that delivers escape rooms virtually.

Rothwell is excited about the freedom it will provide to those who play his newest game.

‘The Graduation Situation’ forgoes the presence of a room host—as featured in Sherlock’s Escapes other online offerings—while keeping the experience on a timer to up the tension.

It costs $30 to play ‘The Graduation Situation.’ While the online access code provided to players works for up to 10 people, Rothwell recommends tackling his newest creative challenge in groups of four or five for the best experience.

“If you want to play with 10 people, play against each other and see who can do it faster,” he said. “It’ll cost you twice as much, but you’ll enjoy your experience [more].”

Rothwell hopes new students, in particular, embrace his latest game.

“I think that this is the kind of game that is absolutely perfect for first-year students,” he said. “Some of the puzzles in there talk about the engineers or talk about Harkness Hall or the various locations on campus and streets around Kingston.”

Visit the Sherlock’s Escapes website to Creator Matt Rothwell is passionate about puzzles. book or find more information.

SUPPLIED BY MATT ROTHWELL

Arts

Friday, Spetember 10, 2021

queensjournal.ca

•9

Omega Edwards discusses her music and its purpose

SUPPLIED BY OMEGA EDWARDS

Edwards’ music weaves her faith with universal themes.

Singer believes her gospel music spreads messages of hope and joy Absah Ahmad contributor

Omega Edwards, Con-Ed ’22, believes her music can help people on their life’s journeys. Edwards sat down with The Journal to discuss her work, the gospel industry, and the expectations she faces as a Black artist.

“Singing and writing music allows me to communicate words that I don’t know how to say. It tends to capture people’s attention more easily than when I speak,” Edwards said.

Edwards first discovered her musical talents in kindergarten.

Since then, she has used music to express herself and to stay grounded in a chaotic world.

Many of her tracks are about the struggles of life, with her Christian faith remaining a central theme.

“The act of writing a song and

having a melody come to me made everything okay; it is my peace,” she explained.

“With some of the music I write, it’s centred around the ‘struggle,’ it is hard to get through each day.

Because I am a Christian, I always direct it back to my faith, and I recognize that the ‘struggle’ is real, but so is God.” Performing has always been important to Edwards. She believes her time at Queen’s has taught her how to connect with an audience and communicate the feelings of her music.

“The music program at Queen’s taught me to keep my eyes open when I’m singing,” she said.

“Singing in church, the person singing will often close their eyes to show their passion and worship of God. I got very comfortable with closing my eyes, but by practicing opening my eyes [during

performances], I learned to better connect with the audience.”

Coming to Queen’s also expanded Edwards’ musical horizons and skill set.

“I had no background in classical music,” she said. “By learning classical music, I could apply those techniques to my own music. An example is improving my head voice.”

This growth applies to writing lyrics, too.

“I like to write music that is substantial [...] my music is not intended to be catchy. It’s supposed to speak to your soul,” Edwards said.

These qualities can be heard in Edwards’ latest track, “God.” The song is about being accustomed to one’s surroundings and is a reflection on her personal experiences.

“I was in my first year of

university, and I was getting accustomed to the environment at Queen’s,” she said. “I don’t come from a partying background, and I was worshipping, and thinking about how the world works [...] I thought of a scripture in the Bible, and the words started to flow.”

Edwards believes her style of gospel music is crucial to her identity and is a form of empowerment for her and the Black community. She sees a clear relationship between the gospel music industry and entrepreneurship.

“Gospel music is an extension of entrepreneurship, in the sense that the Black community has always been striving to ‘make it,’” she said. “It is good and inspiring music that says, ‘you can make it too,’ and it happens to be made

by Black artists.”

As a Black artist, Edwards also recognizes the challenges of the music industry for racialized folks.

“Generational wealth and success don’t come as easily to Black people as white people,” Edwards said.

“As a white person, you always look the part. If I were to go to an event, I would have to spend extra time looking a certain way. There’s a higher chance that I might not be well received by society because I dress comfortably.”

Edwards believes gospel music and her music should be universal for all people. It’s true beauty is in its ability to spread joy.

“Joy comes from within. It can’t be altered by external events.

Gospel music is able to impart joy within us and a peace of mind that can’t be taken away.”

Sports

10 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, September 10, 2021

SPORTS

Jaden Lindo hired by the Pittsburgh Penguins as Manager of Community Hockey Programs Gaels alumnus in a new role with the NHL team who drafted him in 2014 Natara Ng Assistant Sports Editor

Lindo’s hockey the Penguins? No, I’m experience runs deep. not going to lie, I didn’t.

From 2012 to 2017 he But I’m extremely happy Jaden Lindo’s impact on the game played five seasons in the and fortunate that they of hockey has transcended varsity Ontario Hockey League, offered the position to me, sports and reached the National four seasons with the and I couldn’t be more Hockey League.

Owen Sound Attack excited to start working The former Gaels hockey and one with the Sarnia with them.” forward, who graduated from Sting, scoring 114 total Lindo isn’t short on Queen’s last spring, was hired points—derived from 56 cherished moments by the Pittsburgh Penguins goals and 58 assists—in throughout his career.

Foundation as the Manager of 277 games.

Playing varsity hockey Community Hockey Programs Lindo currently at Queen’s from 2017 to on Aug. 31. He will oversee plays with the 2021, Lindo powered hockey initiatives and programs Jamaican national the Gaels to their 2019 for youth and minorities in the team and captained Queen’s Cup victory where Pittsburgh community. his squad to a firsthe was named game MVP. The Journal sat down with place finish at the “That was a very Lindo to discuss his new role and 2 0 1 9 AmeriGol pinnacle moment for me learn more about how his hockey I n t e r n a t i o n a l in my hockey career […] career led back to the Penguins.

Hockey Association that whole day is just “It felt unbelievable,” Lindo Championship. engrained in my brain and said on being hired. “I’m Evidently a success I honestly just replay that PHOTO SUPPLIED extremely happy and excited on the ice, Lindo has Jaden Lindo played hockey moment over and over,”

BY JADEN LINDO to be back within the hockey also strived off the ice at Queen’s from 2017-2021 he said. world in a different role than to make his mark on “My experience with I would’ve imagined.” hockey culture. feels extremely fortunate about the Queen’s hockey team has One program that Lindo will In 2015, he starred in Souls the opportunities the organization been unbelievable. It’s been so oversee in Pittsburgh is the on Ice: Past, Present & Future, a has given him, from being drafted welcoming and supportive.”

Willie O’Ree Academy, which documentary that reveals the seven years ago to being hired in At Queen’s, Lindo was also a provides training and enrichment contributions of Black hockey this role last week. positive force for equality and to Black youth hockey players players throughout the history of “Being drafted was a dream diversity in hockey, heading and gives them a strong the game. In the film, Lindo’s arc come true for me. It was all- initiatives such as Pushing for social support network. culminates with the 2014 NHL around a fantastic experience and Change, a fundraiser for the “I feel absolutely honored to draft, where he was picked by the I think that’s something I’ll be Hockey Diversity Alliance that be able to lead that program and Pittsburgh Penguins in the sixth able to leverage in the role I have aimed to bring awareness to make a contribution to growing round, 173 overall. now,” he said. “I think everything racism in hockey and increase the game in a positive way,” Returning to Pittsburgh is a happens for a reason.” diversity in the sport. In doing so, Lindo said. full circle moment for Lindo. He “Did I expect to be back with Lindo quickly learned that being a

player isn’t the only way to impact the game—being an advocate and a role model is another way he can give back.

“I know the challenges and the barriers that minorities go through just from my personal experience […] I don’t think that’s something that anyone should have to endure.”

Lindo keenly expressed his gratitude for the support he felt from the university and the hockey team during his chapter at Queen’s. “[Queen’s] gave me the platform to allow me to express my passion for the change I’d like to see, and I appreciate that. I really had a great time at Queen’s, it was such an important part of my life.”

Hanging up the skates wasn’t necessarily an easy choice for Lindo, who’s been in the game for over twenty years, but he sees the silver lining in it, and he is ready to start his next chapter.

“The beauty of this position is that it allows me to be within the game, still be on the ice with the youth minorities,” he said. “It’s like the best of both worlds where I still get to […] be involved within the hockey culture but at the same time work in a professional role.”

“I’ve always wanted to give back to the game and I’ve always wanted to leave the game in a better place.”

Exploring the social power of Queens’ pick-up basketball scene

The lesser discussed pastime has one of the most welcoming communities on campus Michael Di Gennaro Contributor For those who know it, Queen’s is home to a very vibrant pick-up basketball scene, and like many pick-up basketball communities around the world, its social roots run deep.

Though there are a large number of students playing during pick-up hours, most of them are regular or semi-regular attendants.

Not unlike classes, residence, or clubs, the more students show up, the more people they remember.

“Everyone who plays is one degree of separation, at most, from everyone else,” said regular pick-up player Alex Gittens, ArtSci ’21, in a brief interview with The Journal.

“Once you meet a few people, you’ll meet the people that they know, either at the courts or outside of it. You get to know everyone really fast.”

Typically, the biggest barrier for someone looking to join an unorganized sport community ,like pick-up basketball at Queen’s is a feeling of intimidation.

However, according to Deshane Richards, ArtSci ’21—another regular pick-up basketball player—the notion that Queen’s

students need to be skilled to play and enjoy pick-up basketball on campus is a fallacy.

“Effort is what matters,” he said in an interview with The Journal.

“If you hustle and work hard on every play, people will enjoy playing on your team, no matter how good you are technically.”

Another pick-up fanatic,

the game’s over, you’ve already built a friendship with whoever was involved in the game.”

As a form of athletic competition, pick-up at Queen’s can naturally be a high-intensity atmosphere.

Yet, as Tighe mentioned, the competitive circumstances which define it allow players to develop strong social bonds with one another.

the “healing touch”—a form of energy therapy based on physical touch—they found that even small interactions like high-fives and handshakes provided “a sense of affirmation, and acceptance that may lead to enhanced human connections and relationships.”

Additionally, pick-up basketball games can often be some of the most diverse spaces around,

and observation, DeLand wrote that pickup basketball games acted as a space where “[a] Buddhist philosophy enthusiast, Israeli immigrant carpenter, a [B]lack hip hop band leader, a white real estate developer, and a Latino bartender arrive at the park to build, populate, and dwell together inside a vivid gaming context before bidding farewell and re-entering their separate biographical trajectories.”

The difference between DeLand’s study, done at a public park in California, and the pickup basketball at the ARC, is that instead of leaving to their separate spheres, nearly everyone that plays pick-up basketball at Queen’s lives within walking distance of one another. The connections that DeLand writes about are still likely made, but they also carry the ILLUSTRATION BY CLANNY MUGABE potential to grow outside the gym as well.

Ethan Tighe, ArtSci ’20, spoke Playing basketball with relative and their ability to bring people Currently, the ARC isn’t to how pick-up can lead to frequency comes with physical from all backgrounds together is able to offer open gym time strong social bonds. health benefits, but it can also certainly worthy of attention— for basketball, but the parks “During the game, you want have positive impacts on players’ particularly at Queen’s. around student housing—places nothing more than to beat who mental health, too.

A 2014 dissertation by Gonzaga like Victoria or Friendship you’re playing against. That According to a 2019 study by sociology professor Michael Park—have become hotbeds intensity brings people together,” University of Georgia Kinesiology Francis DeLand explores how for pick-up while we continue he told The Journal. professors Katja Sonkeng pick-up basketball creates such to recover from the pandemic.

“Competing builds mutual and Jepkorir Rose Chepyator- diverse and inclusive spaces. respect between people. So once Thompson, whilst examining After four years of research

Friday, September 10, 2021

LIFESTYLE

'CLB' and 'Donda' dropped within a week of one another.

Lifestyle

ILLUSTRATION BY DHARMAYU DESAI

‘CLB’ vs ‘Donda’: Rap royalty go head-to-head

Both Kanye and Drake have proven themselves impossible to ignore Hilary Fotherinhgam Contributor Fans of rap royalty Drake and Kanye West have probably only taken out their headphones to sleep over the past week.

On Aug. 29, West released his much-anticipated tenth album, Donda. The following week, Drake released Certified Lover Boy (CLB)—the timing of which instantly pitted the projects against one another.

Both albums had been originally set to release significantly earlier this year, so by the drop dates anxious anticipation had been long built-up.

Certified Lover Boy currently sits at number one on the iTunes charts, and Donda sits at a close second place—a ranking I can confidently agree with.

CLB is an hour and a half of pure lyrical reflection and

honesty, consistent with Drake’s long-lived—and much-loved— style. Featured artists include Travis Scott, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Future, Young Thug, and Jay-Z, who serve to further bolster the talent and skill within the album.

Drake’s new album is solemn, with the exception of “Way 2 Sexy,” and the overarching theme of the album seems to be romantic love.

In addition to his romantic journey, Drake analyzes his emotional maturity in “Fair Trade” featuring Travis Scott: “I've been losin’ friends and findin’ peace, honestly that sound like a fair trade to me.” He also focuses on women in “Girls Like Girls,”

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which delves into sexuality, and “TSU,” which features a storyline related to the plight of a sex-worker.

Drake himself describes CLB as an exploration of “toxic masculinity and acceptance of truth which is inevitably heartbreaking,” which certainly holds true. However, in terms of overall album quality, CLB can be criticized for showcasing a certain aversion to change, as some fans might find it sounds too familiar.

Drake is emotionally honest throughout CLB. Perhaps it’s his remarkable consistency that draws listeners back with each drop.

Ultimately, CLB is well-mixed and structured, whereas Kanye’s Donda can be interpreted as disorganized, with some hidden gems embedded within the chaos.

Donda, named after Kanye’s late mother, is a deeply personal project, which makes it immediately fascinating. But the album has been extremely polarizing for fans and music critics.

When looking at Donda, it’s important to consider exactly what it is that has always made Kanye a cultural rap icon and whether or not these qualities are present within this new release.

The opening track, “Donda Chant,” peaks interest and confusion immediately, but I believe this was the desired effect.

Although unconfirmed by Kanye himself, it has been speculated by fans that the chant is designed to mimic his mother’s last heartbeat.

It’s quickly apparent that

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Donda focuses on Kanye’s grief.

However, there are other themes being explored, including religion in “God Breathed” “Praise God” “Jonah” and “Jesus Lord.” The religious theme is consistent with Kanye’s 2019 album, Jesus is King “Jail,” the second track, has a heavier rock sound than most other pieces on the album, with a brilliant Jay-Z verse, making it a stand-out song.

Undoubtedly, there’s irony and hypocrisy in the overtones of this album which come off as selfrighteous as Kanye criticizes the very ‘cancel culture’ he has fallen victim to himself.

There are tracks on the album which showcase the qualities of Kanye that make him a captivating artist—vulnerability, chaos and unbound expression. However, it’s the messiness of the album that ultimately takes away from the listening experience.

The overall quality of the album is weakened by its length of almost two hours, making the meaningful, expressive moments easier to overlook and difficult to appreciate.

All of that said, with Donda, Kanye has yet again established himself as a bold artist who’s tough to ignore.

It’s undeniable that both Drake and Kanye have released projects that although different, each display remarkable creativity, and both serve as effective reminders of why they sit at the top of hip-hop culture today.

Dev Patel is conventionally attractive—he’s just not white I shouldn’t have been obsessing over Zac Efron when Dev Patel exists Pravieena Gnanakumar Contributor Sometimes, I look at a man and wonder if he’s actually attractive or if I’m just jumping on the bandwagon. But Dev Patel isn’t one of those people— Dev Patel is objectively and incredibly hot.

In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, even Mindy Kaling, who’s well known for only casting white men as her love interests in her show, The Mindy Project, praises Patel’s attractiveness. Kaling justified her choice by saying, “I mean did you see him at the Oscars? Hello, Dev Patel.”

The YouTube comment section was filled with people arguing about whether Patel is actually attractive or not. Some even commented that Kaling was racist for finding him attractive, or that he was dreamy solely because of his race.

Growing up, I found myself watching movies in which the conventionally attractive ‘boy next

We should celebrate brown men the same way we do their white counterparts.

door’ was almost always white.

As I got older, it seriously affected the features I found "attractive" in myself and others. Eurocentric beauty standards had me in a chokehold.

I used Zac Efron, Chris Pine, and Channing Tatum as the standards for men’s attractiveness. The men who never made the cut in my head were usually brown men who shared similar features to myself.

This was my self-hating brown girl era, when I was constantly wishing for blue eyes, thin lips, blonde highlights, and lighter skin. While I so

desperately wanted to embrace my brownness, I wanted to look white so that white guys would like me instead of questioning why I wasn’t paying attention to non-white men.

I’d placed white men on a pedestal. This isn’t to say that white men aren’t attractive, but I was equating "white" with a classic heartthrob who would turn my life into a romantic comedy.

I didn’t think brown men could give me what I wanted because movies never let brown men be the romantic leads. They were always the funny friend the main

ILLUSTRATION BY DHARMAYU DESAI

character vented to or the IT guy who ended up with the nerdy and shy girl at the end of the movie.

Though they aren’t cast in typical leading roles, there are successful brown men in Hollywood: Dev Patel, Kumail Nanjiani, Riz Ahmed, and Sendhil Ramamurthy are just a few.

Sendhil Ramamurthy, who plays the dad in the Netflix original, Never Have I Ever, is ridiculously attractive—and I know I’m not the only one who thinks so. Many people on TikTok have pointed it out, too.

But aside from myself and the very niche section of TikTok, I wish

we took more time to praise the brown men in Hollywood.

On some days, I wish we could just obsess over brown men for being hot. I’m tired of the media only celebrating brown men in Hollywood at select times for very pointed racial reasons.

At the end of the day, equity, diversity, and inclusion are necessary in the film industry.

However, representation cannot be isolated to being purely trauma focused.

We need to maintain our appreciation for brown men in Hollywood in the same way we celebrate their white counterparts.

Brown men in Hollywood like Dev Patel remind me that we can find them attractive without forcing a larger and overarching narrative.

If the number of politicized conversations about actors of colour in Hollywood were cut in half, perhaps that other half would just be regular conversations about the actors—no baggage, just thirst . Representation doesn’t mean that every movie needs to turn into such a big deal that it results in an Instagram activism-infographic.

If I think Dev Patel or any other brown man is attractive, you shouldn’t need an explanation.

Dev Patel’s name followed by a smirk should say more than enough.

Lifestyle

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Friday, September 10, 2021

POSTSCRIPT

PHOTO BY SPENCER HENDRICKSON

Navigating a white male dominated political arena.

The realities of being a young woman of colour in politics How working on a federal campaign illuminated invisible barriers in the political arena Alysha Mohamed Senior Lifestyle Editor I never understood why women of colour are so underrepresented in Canadian politics.

I’ve read textbooks with chapters on intersectionality and barriers to political engagement, and I’ve heard female politicians discuss gendered coverage and covert discrimination in the political arena.

Despite my theoretical knowledge, I couldn’t wrap my head around why I had so few role models in politics—why I felt like no one was paving the way for future generations of unapologetically feminine, racialized leaders.

My first-ever political campaign was anchored in the unique experience of working under a whip-smart, charismatic young candidate—who happened to be a woman of colour. I had the honour of working as Sabrina Grover’s executive assistant as she campaigned to be the next Liberal MP in Calgary Centre. In an overwhelmingly white, male political arena, I witnessed the complexities of race and gender intertwine as we canvassed the streets of Calgary.

For the first time, I understood the intricate game racialized women are forced to play if they're brave enough to run for office.

Working under Sabrina Grover taught me many things, but seeing her navigate discussions charged with anger, resentment, and microaggressions was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. As if she was leading a dance, Sabrina maneuvered conversations away from hate and into understanding without the other party even realizing.

of colour "don’tWomen have the luxury of decoupling our identities from prevalent Canadian issues.

Feelings about climate change not being real turned into chats about an emerging energy sector, concerns about "illegal immigrants" were debunked with grace, and sympathetic nods were given out every time a constituent attacked Trudeau’s incompetency.

The majority of Calgarians we interacted with were absolutely lovely. Even if they disagreed with Sabrina’s political affiliation or her platform, they treated us with respect and basic decency. This is what I would expect from the Canada I know and love.

However, in more heated moments as we stood outside the doors of a complete strangers, I realized that women of colour

don’t have the luxury of decoupling our identities from prevalent Canadian issues.

The majority of political leaders are blank slates; issues they champion aren’t consistently linked to their racial identity because whiteness is still the norm. Many politicians are also able to discuss issues of race and social justice without grappling with a personal connecti on to policies.

When I hear someone rant about “all the Syrians being let into the country,” and how “too many Muslims” in a city is a problem, I have a deeply personal emotional response as an immigrant and Muslim myself. Being linked to issues like immigration and diversity can be a positive motivator for individuals to reform systems and create a more tolerant Canada, but personal ties also make objective conversations increasingly difficult.

Gender also plays an interesting role in interactions fueled by anger. When constituents raised their voices and started making aggressive hand gestures, my first thought was whether or not I’d be able to protect myself in the worstcase scenario. It was a similar feeling to when I walk alone at night and feel a man walking behind me.

Thankfully, I never experienced a violent interaction, but the underlying fear was still present.

In addition to attempting to control myself in conversations about race and learning how to present myself to predominantly white constituents, I also

understood what it felt like to be the only young woman in a room full of men.

"

We need to be passionate but not emotional, intelligent but not cocky, and charismatic without being perceived as flirty.

Women of colour in politics walk an impossible tightrope.

We need to be passionate but not emotional, intelligent but not cocky, and charismatic without being perceived as flirty.

In the political arena, I was often the only 20-year-old woman in groups of predominantly older, more experienced men. My own insecurities and comments from the men I worked with often made me feel like I was nothing more than a pretty face, regardless of how hard I was working.

I was hit on at events and at the doors by multiple men. The question I heard most on the campaign trail was, “how old are you?” which may not seem inappropriate, but was something I never heard men ask each other.

There were comments about my looks and more questions about my love life, which I never knew how to answer.

In these instances, I laughed and deflected with humour—often trying to bring the conversation back to the election and the political issues at hand. I’m

naturally extroverted and have no trouble conversing with new people. However, men often take my personality as an invitation for romantic and sexual advances, whereas women often keep the conversation professional.

Seeing how the women around me conducted themselves and kept conversations professional but still personable was essential for my learning. I know I’ll struggle to be witty and charismatic without being perceived as flirty, and struggle to set boundaries without losing political support from potential voters. However, shadowing a woman of colour was an extremely unique experience that made me feel safe and represented despite all the invisible barriers.

There are so many ways that Canadians can support women of colour who enter the political arena: donating, providing fair media coverage, interacting with respect and decency regardless of political affiliation.

I have gained a newfound level of respect for the trailblazing women of colour who deal with microaggressions, sexualization, and systemic barriers every day in order to represent their communities and build a better nation. I’ve realized that they're paving the path for future generations—we just don’t see it.

I hope, one day, I can add my name to the list of resilient women who carved a space for themselves in Canadian politics, and did so their own way.