Inside: StudentS LACK AWARENESS of STI TRANSMISSION. THE WOMEN’S MARCH FIGHTS ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION. CANADA’S FOOD GUIDE AMPLIFIES STUDENT HEALTH CONCERNS. EREZ AND THE PEARLS DEBUT. JOURNAL SPORTS EDITORS RANK VARSITY TEAMS.
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J asnit P abla News Editor In online voting from Jan. 17 to 18, Queen’s students will have the opportunity to vote for the redevelopment of the JDUC—or to vote against it again. In an email released to Queen’s students on Jan. 9 by AMS Vice-President (University Affairs) Munro Watters, the new model for the JDUC’s redevelopment was presented. “The JDUC is in desperate need of improvement,” Watters wrote. “It you’ve spent any time there, its deficiencies become self-evident: it’s inaccessible, unsustainable, and does not fulfill modern student needs.” Last February, the AMS attempted to push the JDUC’s redevelopment through with an $89 fee that passed with SGPS voters but narrowly missed the mark from undergraduate voters. As stated in the Feb. 13, 2018 AMS press release, 51.1 per cent of students voted against the redevelopment. Then-AMS President Jennifer Li released a statement recognizing the small margin and sought to continue consultation in
Vol. 146, Issue 18
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hopes of understanding the undergraduate voting pattern in that year’s referendum. Now, almost a year later, the fee structure and design of the JDUC have been reworked to allow for a more financially accessible project. “After last year’s referendum campaign failed to secure support by a narrow margin,
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First province-wide reduction to see OSAP restructure, loss of interest-free grace period J asnit P abla News Editor The province announced new changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Plan (OSAP) on Thursday that—while proposing cuts to tuition—could see out-of-pocket student fees increase. In a press release, the Ontario government announced their pledge to reduce the costs of publically-assisted college and university tuition by 10 per cent—but will simultaneously cut free tuition for low-income students with new changes to OSAP. The cuts will come into effect for the 2019-20 academic calendar. The expected losses in revenue, according to the CBC, have been calculated at $360 million for universities and $80 million for colleges. Institutions will be expected to absorb the losses in revenue themselves, according to minister of Ontario Training, Colleges and Universities, Merrliee Fullerton. During the live press conference, Fullerton said operating grants made available to post-secondary institutions will require compliance with the new tuition cuts proposed by the government. In a statement released the same day, Principal Daniel Woolf said, “The tuition fee reduction will have an impact on the University’s budget.”
He added because of Queen’s current fiscal situation, which includes a “significant deficit,” the University will have to work to off-set the fee reduction to ensure unhindered operation. The Provost’s Advisory Committee on Budget has been instructed to begin researching the options available to the University going forward. It will provide options within the next two months concerning how the budget will meet the reduction. The University will work alongside the government and partner institutions to assess the situation moving forward. “We will keep you informed of what is learned as we commence more planning to ensure our ongoing financial sustainability and the integrity of our teaching and research core missions,” Woolf wrote. Meanwhile, individual student savings have been estimated to approximate to $660 for the average university student and $340 for college. The proposed changes will apply only to domestic students. The Ontario PCs have cited the Liberals’ OSAP spending as their reason for restructuring grants and loans available to students in the province. “The previous government believed in handing out OSAP money to some of Ontario’s highest income earners with virtually no meaningful criteria for success,” said Fullerton in Thursday’s press release. In response, the province has announced a plan to cut the overall cost
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we went back to the drawing board and committed ourselves to listening,” AMS Director of Communications Rachael Heleniak told The Journal in a statement. “We have tried to improve the proposed JDUC Project by clarifying the core objectives, reducing the student fee, and incorporating the extensive
Province to cut tuition costs by 10 per cent, nix free enrollment
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student feedback we received into the conceptual design.” Instead of $89, the current AMS Executive has pushed for a fee schedule that will ultimately contribute $26 million to the project and 41.1 per cent of its total contribution, according to the JDUC redevelopment website. Student financial aid is
also available, according to Heleniak, who estimated that at least 500 students could receive aid annually over the life of the project. She added the AMS employed professional architects and “utilized the thousands of student engagements [they’ve] had to envision a bold, beautiful, and functional JDUC.” The rest of the funds will result from a $3.4 million contribution from graduate students through their SGPS fee, $11.8 million in cash contributions and $22 million of financing support from the University. The fee structure for student contribution won’t remain linear, however. The proposed schedule will have students pay $40 for the first two years of collection, increasing to $73.92 in the fee’s third year in 2021-22. The website indicates construction is scheduled to be finished by 2022. The website for the new JDUC Redevelopment Project includes proposed images for the construction and floor plans to map out the potential locations of AMS services such as QP and P&CC.
Reel Honey carves space for female and non-binary writers
How an alumni turned her pop culture passion into a burgeoning website A lly M astantuono Assistant Lifestyle Editor When Sydney Urbanek, ArtSci ’17, launched her online magazine Reel Honey in April of 2017, she never expected the extent of its current success. Over a year later, the crowdfunded film and pop culture site, which exclusively features the work of young women and
non-binary people, boasts over 100 paid contributors. Since its inception, Reel Honey has published weekly written pieces alongside one themed issue every three months. Each issue critiques films, television series, and cultural icons. Although the platform shines for its nuanced exploration of pop culture, what sets Urbanek’s website apart is its mission to help young, underserved writers hone their skills and gain experience for future careers. Urbanek discovered her passion for pop culture writing during her third year of Queen’s film and media program, when she began reviewing movies for The Journal. “I was shocked—in a good way—at how much easier it was to write about something that I already lived and breathed, not to mention studied,” Urbanek told The Journal in a phone interview. “That got me thinking about how I wanted to do more of that.” u
Sydney Urbanek.
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Speaker shares realities of male sexual trauma
‘We can’t leave anyone behind,’ says Men and Healing clinic founder
Friday, January 18, 2019
Man attempts to record woman in Stauffer washroom Raechel Huizinga Assistant News Editor A woman fled a washroom in Stauffer library last month when a man reached under her stall with a cellphone and tried to record her. The 21-year-old man entered the women’s washroom at around 6 p.m. on Dec. 18. After the victim ran from the washroom, she alerted a passerby and together they confronted the man when he left the washroom. After a short conversation, the man left, and the victim contacted campus security.
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Rick Goodwin.
Raechel Huizinga Assistant News Editor This article discusses sexual assault and may be triggering for some readers. The Journal uses “survivor” to refer to those who have experienced sexual assault. We acknowledge this term is not universal. One in six males is survivor of sexual abuse, but there’s limited conversation about male sexual trauma and only a handful of services for male survivors in Ontario. This past Tuesday, Queen’s University Sexual Violence Prevention and Response held a discussion on the realities of male sexual trauma, inviting Rick Goodwin, founder of Ottawa’s Men and Healing clinic, to lead the discussion with students, staff, and community members. “There are many conversations about sexual violence that are really important,” Barb Lotan, sexual violence prevention and response coordinator, wrote in an email to The Journal. “Acknowledging
There are many conversations about sexual violence that are really important. Acknowledging that men are also survivors is essential.
—Barb Lotan
that men are also survivors is essential.” “Our students, staff, and employees want to be supportive and help to create a safe environment for survivors, but sometimes people are unsure how to do it. Offering some workshops provide opportunities for those conversations to happen.” The first workshop, Sexual Violence Against Males: What We All Need to Know, addressed the misconceptions surrounding male sexual trauma. In a phone interview with The Journal, Goodwin said many people believe sexual arousal during sexual assault or abuse makes the survivor an equal participant. “One could be sexually terrorized and yet could experience arousal,” he said. “For the boy or the man, when he knows, when he recognizes that his body is being aroused, then he also believes this isn’t abuse, this is not assault, that there’s a part of him
that’s agreeing to it or else he wouldn’t be aroused.” Goodwin said a traumatic consequence can be a dislike or distrust among male survivors for their physical bodies. “That becomes a presenting issue for men even years and years after the abuse or the assault,” he said. Goodwin also touched on the intersection
It’s a painful, painful contradiction [men] have in the experience of vulnerability and victimization.”
—Rick Goodwin
of toxic masculinity and victimhood, which results in a reluctancy among male survivors to report sexual assault or abuse. “If someone is invulnerable, it’s impossible for them to be victimized,” he said. “And yet we know that males are victimized. It’s a painful, painful contradiction [men] have in the experience of vulnerability and victimization.” Goodwin’s second workshop, Male Sexual Trauma: The Essentials for Those in the Helping Professions, aimed to teach professors, counsellors, and other members of public services about male trauma sensitivity. Goodwin said it’s important for instructors and other members of public services to understand there could be “a much bigger story” to certain kinds of male behaviours indicating trauma symptoms, such as drinking, low self-esteem or the inability to complete goals. “[If people] become trauma sensitive in their understanding, then we’re going to be able to help folks out much better than we have done in the past.,” he said. People are only just beginning to create resources and services for male survivors of sexual violence, according to Goodwin. Meanwhile, upcoming events and workshops can be found on Queen’s Sexual Violence Response and Prevention Facebook page. “I think, unfortunately, we leave a lot of victims of sexual violence behind so far in our community services,” he said. “If you believe the campus community needs to be supportive, not just academically but in terms of mental wellbeing, we’ve got to address these issues, and we can’t leave anyone behind.” journal_news@ams.queensu.ca
“In this case, the victim did the right thing by contacting Campus Security and Emergency Services,” Todd Zimmerman, director of campus security wrote in an email to The Journal. Working with campus security to identify the offender, Kingston police were able to arrest the 21-year-old on Jan. 9 and charge him with voyeurism. The perpetrator was released on the same day of his arrest under certain conditions and a court date yet to be set. The University would not disclose whether the man was a Queen’s student. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca
SGPS, United Way drive asks for clothes, non-perishables
Donations open in JDUC till end of January Suet Ling Wong Contributor A winter clothes and non-perishables drive from the SGPS and AMS Student United Way Committee ends this month. The drive, which began in November, will support partner organizations of United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox, and Addington (KFLA). The collected items will pass on to organizations supported by KFLA United Way such as St. Vincent de Paul, Kingston Interval House, Kingston Youth Shelter, One Roof, Home Base Housing, L&A Interval House, Kingston Community Health Centres, and Dress for Success. Queen’s community members can support the drive through donations of non-perishable food items, new unopened toiletries including diapers and menstrual products, gently used clothes, socks, shoes, boots, and winter clothing. In an email to The Journal, SGPS
Vice-President (Community) and PhD Candidate in Art History, Isabel Luce, spoke to the creation and purpose of the drive. While the AMS has supported monetary campaigns in the past, the collaboration focuses its efforts on collecting tangible donations to be distributed throughout Kingston. “They’ve done quite a few exciting campaigns this fall to raise money for the United Way, and we thought it would be a great opportunity to collaborate on a Winter Drive that would start before the holidays and end at the end of January,” Luce wrote. “I know a lot of graduate students would love to be part of the fundraising campaign, but are finding it hard to make ends meet,” she added. The drive is meant to be an inclusive way for students to donate items that are otherwise found in the average student apartment. The SGPS will continue accepting donations at its main office in JDUC room 021 until the end of January.
The drive will remain open until the end of the month.
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Friday, January 18, 2019
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Claudia Rupnik Assistant News Editor On Jan. 9, Queen’s formally adopted the Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges, committing to health and wellness on campus. The Charter calls on post-secondary institutions to incorporate proactive wellness strategies into every aspect of their campuses, with consideration of students, staff, and faculty. Queen’s joins 18 other post-secondary institutions across Canada in adopting the Okanagan charter. The University hasn’t released any information suggesting what changes can be expected on campus as a result of the Charter. “It’s a little early to describe how the wellness initiative will manifest itself; the work of the committee has only really just begun and there will be a series of campus consultations aimed at answering this very question,” said Dr. Duncan Hunter, a member of the Provost’s Advisory Committee that recommended the move. Established as an outcome of the 2015 International Conference on Health Promoting Universities and Colleges, it was designed with the input of individuals from a range of backgrounds, including researchers, practitioners, administrators, students, and policymakers. “I think all individuals and organizations have an obligation to do what they can to improve the health of communities and the persons that live in communities,” Hunter said to The Journal. “The Okanagan Charter is about promoting health on campus, and
Health and the work of the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Mental Health. “It’s important to emphasize that the initiative is not only aimed at students but also at staff and faculty,” Hunter said. Queen’s has also committed to working with campus partners—research institutions on campus e n ga g e d in health-promotion to research advance teaching, knowledge exchange, and
Queen’s announced its commitment to the Okanangan Charter on Jan. 9.
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Queen’s adopts Okanagan Charter
Pledge calls on the improvement of health and wellness for students, staff, and faculty I can’t think of a single reason that Queen’s [wouldn’t] sign on.” By adopting the Charter, Queen’s has made two general commitments that are centered on collaboration with Queen’s members to develop campus-wide policies and support research with campus partners. Queen’s will first collaborate with members of the Queen’s
community to develop a campus-wide system of wellness policies and programs which apply to all aspects of the University. As per the Charter, changes would be wide-reaching and reach a greater portion of campus. This part of the commitment will be achieved through the work of the newly formed Campus Wellness Project—an independent,
private funded wellness initiative at Queen’s. The Charter aims to develop a formal structure for the University to ensure that campus health and wellbeing are considered in all actions, processes, policies and programming. It builds off recommendations in a 2012 report from the student-focused Principal’s Commission on Mental
“[A]ll individuals and organizations have an obligation to do what they can to improve the health of communities and the persons that live in communities.”
—Duncan Hunter
action, locally and globally. The Committee believes the Okanagan Charter builds on the concept of wellness defined by the 1986 World Health Organization Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. According to the Ottawa Charter, wellness must extend beyond the health sector through the establishment of health p ro m o t i o n f ra m e wo rks that allow the public to improve physical, mental, and social well-being. “Health is created and lived by people within the settings of their everyday life: where they learn, work, play and love,” the Charter states. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca
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TECH SECTO R O G IN R E E IN G N E E H T IN ED IN WORKING
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L L A H T N A R G | m p 0 :3 3 m JANUARY 23, 2019 | 10:30a FOR UNDERGRADUATE & GRADUATE STUDENTS RESUME REVIEWS AND CAREER ADVISING ON-SITE VIEW THE COMPLETE LIST OF EXHIBITORS AT: careers.queensu.ca/events-workshops/engineering-technology-fair
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Friday, January 18, 2019
Queen’s professor appointed as Member of the Order of Canada Dr. Heather Stuart recognized for mental health stigma research with Bell Let’s Talk Claudia Rupnik Assistant News Editor Before the Bell Let’s Talk campaign hits on Jan. 30, its Mental Health and Anti-Stigma Research Chair—and Queen’s professor—Heather Stuart joined the Order of Canada. On Dec. 27, Governor General Julie Payette appointed Stuart to the Order, which recognizes individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the improvement of Canadian society in any field of research. A professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, Stuart received the award for her commitment to mental health stigma research. “It’s really humbling, but it’s also encouraging because it tells me that [our work is] starting to make a difference,” Stuart told The Journal in an interview. “I’m not the first mental health person to have done that, but it’s the first time for somebody doing stigma work.” In 2012, she was selected to serve a five-year term as the inaugural Bell Canada Mental Health and Anti-Stigma Research Chair at Queen’s. Bell Canada established Bell Let’s Talk in 2011 to raise awareness for mental health
News in Brief
issues and advance research. While establishing the program, it funded a number of pillars, including stigma reduction. This pillar addresses the three different types of stigma: structural, public, and self. Structural stigma describes the policies and practices that allow organizations to marginalize people with mental illnesses, whereas public stigma encompasses the way the public perceives those with a mental illness—the stereotypes, misconceptions, and prejudices that incite discrimination. Self-stigma concerns how people with mental illnesses think about themselves, based on their internalization of public stigma.
in the last year, according to Stuart. However, this number decreases throughout older age groups. “Mental illnesses usually begin in young adults so that’s when the stigma is first experienced, with devastating effects. You’re a young person, and you realize that your family is withdrawing, your friends are disappearing,” Stuart said. In 2017, Stuart was confirmed for a second term as Research Chair. The program is best known for its annual Bell Let’s Talk Day on Jan. 30, where Bell committed to donating five cents to mental health initiatives across Canada for every text, call, tweet, snap, and post in support of the campaign. Stuart believes it’s an effective approach because it incorporates both the awareness and action pieces of advocacy, giving people the chance to “I’m not in favour do something small that makes a of campaigns that big difference. just raise awareness “I’m not in favour of campaigns because I don’t think that just raise awareness because I don’t think that they translate that they translate into into behaviours. What’s behaviours. What’s different about this one is that it different about this one asked people to do something. is that it asked people You can see the immediate to do something.” behavioral effect. You can measure it in the money that comes in. It’s translating “Basically each kind stems awareness into behaviours, from the fact that people devalue and we have a great those that have mental metric to judge how we’re illnesses. They don’t give them doing every year,” Stuart said. policy priority, social priority,” Since 2011, Bell Let’s Talk Stuart said. Day has raised over $9 million People are at the highest risk of for mental health initiatives across stigmatization in the early onset the country. of an illness. About 65 per cent of Stuart has also acknowledged young people with a mental illness the concern about mental have experienced stigmatization health resource availability at
Service Directorate at the University of Gondar. Announced in 2017, Queen’s is currently in a 10-year partnership with the University of Gondar, the oldest medical school in Ethiopia. The Mastercard Foundation is supporting the partnership, which is designed to expand Mastercard Foundation law inclusive higher education student to study Ethiopian for young people with disability laws in Canada disabilities, develop new occupational therapy programs, Mastercard Foundation recipient and further research for inclusive Hiwot Mekuanent will advance education in Africa. her research on the rights of The Foundation has committed people living with disabilities in to contributing $24.2 million over Ethiopia to Canada. this time. As part of her distinction, As per the partnership, the Mekuanent is currently University of Gondar will provide completing her PhD in Law 450 students—290 undergraduate at Queen’s, with a special and 160 master’s level focus on human rights law degrees—with post-secondary and disabilities. Additionally, education in a range of fields, Mekuanent earned an LLM including health sciences, in human rights law from Addis law, education, nursing, and Ababa University in Ethiopia, and rehabilitation sciences. is now a lecturer and the director The program is especially for the Disability Studies and oriented towards engaging
yo u n g people with disabilities—and those from conflict-affected countries. Faculty members at the University of Gondar will also be granted study opportunities at Queen’s, where they’ll learn about new research in the field of education and further their own research projects. Mekuanent has focused her scope of research on issues faced by people with disabilities in Ethiopia. She’s analyzing the country’s legal rights for persons with disabilities, and discriminatory laws that persist despite the country’s commitment to equal human rights for those with disabilities. Following graduation, she plans to form an organization dedicated to ensuring the accessibility of public institutions as a practical application of her research and experience. —Claudia Rupnik
Heather Stuart is a professor at Queen’s.
Queen’s, stressing the problems on campus are reflective of a greater structural issue. “Wherever we go in the world—it doesn’t matter where, what country, what sector—there’s never enough [resources]. I don’t know that we’ll ever have enough,” Stuart said. In light of these limitations, she believes that universities should take a more proactive approach to student wellness. “We could think about ways in which the university could create a culture of wellness for students, staff, and faculty so that we’re thinking about that in everything we do. Let’s look at this from the perspective of wellness, in a holistic way.” She suggests students can make a difference by monitoring changes in behaviour from their
SUPPLIED BY HEATHER STUART
peers, adding, “We don’t want to create mini-therapists, but we could create gatekeepers: people who know how to tell when somebody is in distress.” On Jan. 22, Stuart will be the chair of the Let’s Talk Mental Health event on behalf of Bell Let’s Talk and the Faculty of Public Health Sciences at the University. It will be a formal opportunity for students to share what changes they believe would promote wellness across campus. “Before Bell, it was difficult to find anyone to put money into anything - there’s more possibilities now for people to get the funding,” said Stuart. “Bell has really changed the conversation.” journal_news@ams.queensu.ca
INFORMATION FOR ALL STUDENTS IMPACTED BY SEXUAL VIOLENCE GET HELP, GIVE HELP queensu.ca/sexualviolencesupport Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Coordinator, Barb Lotan bjl7@queensu.ca
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Friday, January 18, 2019
Queen’s researcher breaks ground on Alzheimer’s prevention Hormone produced through exercise linked to treatment, reduced risk of disease Rachel Aiken Assistant News Editor Nature Medicine published Fernanda De Felice’s study on irisin and its effect on and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease on Jan. 7—and since then, her findings have garnered international attention. An adjunct professor at Queen’s within the Department of Psychiatry, De Felice has been at the university for two years. However, her collaboration history with the school’s Centre for Neuroscience Studies (CNS) stretches as far back as a decade. After a 2012 Harvard study identified irisin—a hormone produced by the muscle following exercise—De Felice narrowed her research to study the hormone. “Because of my previous studies with other hormones in the brain, I decided to study irisin in the context of Alzheimer’s disease—this research started more than six years ago in my lab,” De Felice told The Journal in an interview. When De Felice and her colleagues started their research, it wasn’t known whether irisin would be present in the brain or not. “The first experiment was to see: ‘Okay, what is going on in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients regarding this molecule, irisin,’” De Felice recalled. They turned to the hippocampus—the brain region
known for its role in learning and memory—and looked at levels of irisin in both people of a control group and people with Alzheimer’s. Levels of irisin were decreased in the hippocampi of the Alzheimer’s patients. The same results occurred in testing the Cerebrospinal Fluid of both groups. De Felice and her colleagues concluded that there might be a link between reduced irisin and Alzheimer’s. The resulting published study names co-authors from the University of Rio de Janeiro, where De Felice also holds a position as an associate professor. Her research moved onto experiments in animal models—mice could be trained so their performance and memory of training can be evaluated. When treated with irisin, animal models of Alzheimer’s disease showed improved memory and decreased cognitive impairment. To increase levels of irisin in the brain, mice were subject to an exercise protocol—they had to swim in a small pool five times a week for five weeks.
“De Felice and her colleagues concluded that there might be a link between reduced irisin and the disease.”
Researchers isolated irisin as the key to cognitive improvement by observing that when irisin was blocked in mice, even with exercise, their memory performance didn’t improve. “This indicates that this molecule is actually very important, it is a key molecule stimulated by exercise that mediates the beneficial effects on memory,” De Felice said.
Although there’s currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, this discovery is a significant contribution to potential drug treatments to treat it. For those already affected by the disease and unable to exercise due to age-related health problems, identifying the effects of irisin on the brain presents the possibility for potential treatment options. However, for those capable of regular physical activity, naturally occurring irisin through exercise could be a preventative measure. Alzheimer’s can develop decades before real symptoms show and before a person has reached an age vulnerable to memory deficits, according to De Felice. “Even when you’re 40, 30, some problems start to occur and it progresses silently,” De Felice said. “I think that what this study [shows] is that we have some natural ways to prevent the brain from getting the disease later in life.” De Felice stresses that a healthy lifestyle, not irisin alone, is crucial to maintaining a healthy brain. “It’s all very connected,” she said. “We can identify how the brain gets sick by finding the connection between the periphery and the brain, but then we can also try to find natural ways to protect the brain if we better understand [that] connection.” De Felice has received grants from the Weston Brain Institute and the Alzheimer’s Society to continue her research into irisin and its relationship with Alzheimer’s. “[To students] I would say hit the gym, don’t forget to do your exercise.”
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Smith MMAI program awarded scholarships in Artificial Intelligence Five Queen’s students among first to receive honours
believes it has provided a platform for students to share ideas beyond the classroom. “The Smith students among the first cohort of Vector Scholars represent some of the best and brightest from the inaugural MMAI class,” wrote Director of the Rachel Aiken program, Stephen Thomas, in a Assistant News Editor statement to The Journal. The Vector Scholarships in Five students from Smith School AI are merit-based, awarded to of Business have been awarded master’s students studying fields Vector Scholarships in Artificial related to AI. Intelligence (AI) in the honour’s The scholarship was awarded first year. to 66 students from nine Ontario Levi Burns, Meghan Fotak, universities, including Queen’s. Tyler Hennick, Victoria Sopik, “The MMAI at Smith is one and Brian Yee were announced of only 13 master’s programs as recipients by the Smith recognized by the Vector Institute School on Dec. 17. They’re all as having a curriculum that equips students in Queen’s Master graduates with the skills and of Management in Artificial competencies being sought bythe Intelligence (MMAI) program industry today,” Thomas wrote. at Queen’s. This year was first time the Smith’s MMAI program Vector Institute has offered educates its students in the the scholarship. technical principles of AI, “The Vector Institute will drive while preparing them for the excellence and leadership in ethical, economic, and societal Canada’s knowledge, creation, and implications of the technology. use of artificial intelligence,” reads The program also focuses on the Vector Institute website. the application of business “Vector has introduced the management and communications Vector Scholarships in Artificial to AI. Intelligence (VSAI) to recognize Yee told The Journal in an top students enrolled in core email that the application process technical AI-related STEM and consisted of a nomination which complementary AI-related required letters of reference and master’s programs.” grade considerations. Based on the success of the “There is always risk and scholarship’s first round, Vector uncertainty when exploring new will be continuing the program. technology and not necessarily The 2019-20 competition will everyone wants to take on that launch in early 2019. risk,” Yee wrote. “Scholarships “As artificial intelligence help reduce that barrier and continues to be considered for encourage individuals to be every function within organizations, pioneers [by] forming a community and the need for talent continues and by providing financial support.” to grow,” Thomas wrote, “the Yee noted the scholarship Vector Scholarships in AI will provides an invaluable help ensure we are attracting and opportunity to network with graduating top talent into this leading researchers in AI. He also burgeoning field.”
Ontario to charge interest during six-month grace period Continued from front ... of tuition by 10 per cent for all students in public colleges and universities, while focusing OSAP’s resources on families in greater need. This reduction could see students paying hundreds less for tuition, with fees expected to freeze the following year. According to the government’s release, students can opt out of non-essential student fees, those which don’t concern health, wellness, or security on campus. There is a trade-off, however. To ensure the sustainability of OSAP, the government will be reducing OSAP coverage for those
previously receiving full coverage for their tuition. According to the release, the cost of OSAP during the 2018-19 academic year is $2 billion, and could continue to rise; the figure doubled initial estimates made of the program last year. The Auditor General’s Report cited concerns over the enrollment numbers themselves. Despite increased funding from the past government, enrollment numbers only increased one per cent for universities, two for colleges. “The changes to OSAP that took effect in 2017-18 cost considerably more than the Province anticipated,
and will likely continue to cost more in the next few years,” the report reads. As a result of this, changes to OSAP were released alongside the province’s initial press release concerning the tuition cut Thursday morning. While maintaining the current $25,000 annual income requirement for the Repayment Assistance Plan, the Ontario government will begin to charge interest during the six-month grace period—the period between when students leave their studies and when their loans become repayable. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca
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Friday, January 18, 2019
STI rates rising, but sex-ed adrift
Features
Facing changing landscape, university services attempt to progress sex-ed *Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of students. Samantha Fink Features Editor Most first-year students in residence know they can get condoms for free or cheap from their Dons or the Sexual Health Resource Centre (SHRC) on campus. Their knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), however, often ends there. With a range of birth control options available today—including pills, patches, and IUDs—the risks posed by unprotected sex often go unnoticed. And when formal sexual education hasn’t been conducted since the beginning of high school, students often lag behind on sexual health education. Teaching students about their sexual health remains a difficult task: while unplanned pregnancy rates are on the decline, the rate of STIs is on the rise. Granted, the advancement of diagnostic tools, such as the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT), also likely plays a role in higher national rates of STIs. Between 2005 and 2014, national reported rates of chlamydia rose by 49 per cent; gonorrhea by 61 per cent; and syphilis by 95 per cent, according to the Government of Canada’s 20132014 Report on STIs. According to the same report, all three STIs are most prevalent in young adults, aged 20 to 29. This age range is also when STIs pose their highest risk to long-term health. As young adults enter their mid-20s and their peak reproductive years, both chlamydia and gonorrhea have the potential to lead to infertility in both men and women, if they advance untreated. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are the most commonly diagnosed STIs on campus, according to Dr. Carolyn Borins, Medical Lead at Student Wellness Services (SWS). Where is education hiding?
At Queen’s, it seems sexual education can be hidden in the corners of our campus—but students often forget to seek it out. According to Queen’s National
Collegiate Health Survey, last conducted in 2016, 55 per cent of students reported using a protective barrier during sexual activity most of the time; 18 PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON per cent reported using one Fifty-five per cent of Queen’s survey respondents regularly use condoms during sex. sometimes or rarely; and 14 per cent reported never using one. phoned Jack* and told him he may room at SWS was a little too upon request, education on These reports are consistent have gonorrhea, Jack visited SWS public already. campus can be more reactive with the 2014 Canadian for an urgent check. Although her results came back than proactive. Community Health Survey, which In the past, Jack had consistently negative, she felt that the nurses Ashley*—a student who found 58 per cent of people aged gone for routine STI testing to and doctors in the waiting recently underwent STI testing at 20 to 29 use condoms. KFL&A, since he heard his peers room too openly discussed SWS—feels her sexual education While the male condom share negative experiences her symptoms in front of the was not consistent with that of is certainly the most popular about SWS. other students. her peers, since she came from barrier used, it’s not necessarily “I had heard about SWS being “It’s nice to be a different province. While she foolproof, nor is it the a subpar health service,” Jack comfortable,” she said. expected university was going to only option. said. “But looking back at the “But things can be a bit improve her knowledge, it failed “Not all barrier methods experience I’ve had, I’d go too casual. I think it comes to catch her up. work the same and there are back there.” from disorganization.” Despite being somewhat in misconceptions about what kind Jack underwent testing and the dark about her sexual health, of sex leads to the transmission of treatment for gonorrhea. After a Where to find it Ashley regularly visits SWS for STIs,” J. Aksel Richard, Director of quick injection of the antibiotic STI checks . the SHRC, said. ceftriaxone and a prescription of While students may have to A quick blood test there is Using a barrier method pills, he was told he could resume seek it out, SWS is responding to the answer to her worries. She, during intercourse often doesn’t sexual activity in approximately the rise. too, hopes to lend SWS a better account for STI transmission four weeks. The peer-led sexual health reputation than it’s received in from oral sex. For that According to him, health team runs The Ask Me Anything the past. purpose, dental dams—latex care professionals can be About Sex campaign, an online Whether discouraged by stigma sheets used between a mouth and inconsistent about when it is forum on which students can pose or simply uneducated about vagina—can be found at the SHRC. acceptable to resume sexual anonymous questions related to the prevalence and symptoms, Gloves, non-latex condoms, and activity. Another partner of Jack’s sexual health. Answers are posted the fact remains: STIs are on reality condoms (female condoms) who may have had gonorrhea was on Health Promotion’s Facebook the rise, and people are avoiding can also be found at the SHRC as told he could have sex again one page each week and read by getting tested. alternative methods. week later. an average of 1,000 students, Perhaps they don’t know how Only 60 per cent of students N e ve r t h e l e s s , J a c k ’ s according to Dr. Borins. or where to get tested—or they reported ever receiving any treatment was quick Peer Health Educators also think that testing positive could information from Queen’s related and painless—and it made SWS collaborate with Residence derail their life. to STI prevention—and 69 per seem like a more approachable Life to create presentations in In reality, the most common cent of students indicated interest resource on campus. residence. One example is a trivia STIs are cured in a one-time in receiving more, according to a People who want to avoid game focusing on STIs dosage of pills or an injection Queen’s 2016 survey. telling their past partners about t h a t also f u n c t i o n s of antibiotics. their STIs have the option to give as an educational workshop. The scariest part, perhaps, is past partners’ contact information Outside of residence, some telling others. Chlamydia, the to a public health nurse, who will faculty Orientation Weeks include With mounting STI rates, then call and encourage them to a presentation by the Health education is available, but most common STI get checked. Promotion, which gives a general sometimes hidden. Students are on campus, fails to According to Jack, being open overview of taking care of health forced to adapt, often without an show any symptoms about his STI is a step toward ending while at Queen’s. adequate guide. the stigma associated with them. While specific STI-related in 70 per cent of For Rebecca*, the waiting information is all available
women and 50 per cent of men.
People often believe that having no symptoms indicates good sexual health. In fact, chlamydia—the most common STI reported both on campus and nationally—fails to show any symptoms in 70 per cent of women and 50 per cent of men. The stigma that surrounds STIs, however, can cause people who are affected to refrain from telling past and future sexual partners. This can contribute to their spread, potentially causing reinfection. When a previous partner
Uses condom regularly No response
Uses condom occasionally
Uses condom never
Condom use
0
25
50
Percentage
75
100
GRAPHIC BY SAMANTHA FINK
Friday, January 18, 2019
queensjournal.ca
EDITORIALS
The Journal’s Perspective
THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL
Canada’s food guide amplifies student health concerns
Volume 146 Issue 18 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873
Editorial Board Editors in Chief Production Manager
Sebastian Bron Nick Pearce Julia Balakrishnan
Digital Manager News Editor Assistant News Editors
Angus Merry Jasnit Pabla Rachel Aiken Raechel huizinga Claudia Rupnik
Features Editors
Samantha Fink Hannah Stafl
Editorials Editor
Meredith Wilson-Smith
Opinions Editor
Sophia Spencer Brigid Goulem
Arts Editor
Brittany Giliforte
Assistant Arts Editor
Matt Scace
Sports Editor
Maggie Gowland
Assistant Sports Editor
Josh Granovsky
Lifestyle Editor Assistant Lifestyle Editor
Ally Mastantuono Chris Yao
Photo Editor
Tessa Warburton
Assistant Photo Editor
It’s difficult to prioritize fresh-pressed juice and other healthy alternatives when you’re thinking about where your next meal is coming from. As headlines spread about Health Canada’s proposed changes to the country’s food guide, one critical fact goes largely ignored: a large portion of Canadians can’t afford to follow the guide, let alone count on three meals a day. While 90 per cent of students from grades 6 to 12 don’t meet the daily quota recommended for fruits and vegetables, many Canadians face far harsher restrictions. One in every six children in Canada is impacted by household food insecurity, and 70 per cent of children in Nunavut go to bed hungry. The federal government doesn’t seem to be concerned with what’s become a cross-country concern. Canada is currently the only G7 country without a national school food program, and Health Canada has stated there are no immediate plans to implement such an initiative. Research proves poor childhood nutrition can lead to mood problems, depression, and other chronic health issues. As younger generations grow older, these concerns are only amplified. A child without an informed understanding of nutrition
ILLUSTRATION BY ZIER ZHOU
matures into an under-informed adult—it becomes cyclical. Canada needs a national school food program to set children up to lead healthy and productive lives. Hungry children can’t live or learn to their full capacities, and they deserve better. While prioritization of a national food guide is beneficial, our government needs to put money where its proverbial mouth is. Despite initial taxpayer resistance, a national school food program could alleviate future costs in a range of areas. Consistent nutrition positions children to do better in school and, eventually, in the workforce. It encourages a sense of stability, improves overall mental health, and decreases the likelihood of breaking the law. Further, food insecurity has been
repeatedly linked to high suicide rates across Canada. This is particularly relevant in historically marginalized Northern and Indigenous communities with less economic opportunities. A universal food program would help to level the playing field. Families wouldn’t have to choose between paying rent and putting healthy food in their children’s lunchboxes. An investment in student health is an investment in Canadian communities. It has massive implications for social justice and health. Of the many benefits Canadian taxes provide, a national school food program would be a worthy endeavour. It’s not enough for our federal government to verbally support social equity and increased opportunities for its citizens. A raft of policies addressing reconciliation and equality among marginalized communities doesn’t mean much without addressing the many basic needs—like nutrition—that impact Canadians’ daily lives. People who can’t afford lunch are still Canadian citizens—they just don’t seem to be supported as such. —Journal Editorial Board
The Canadian government needs to take serious action on climate change
If you have a phone or internet access, you’ve probably seen the 10-year challenge floating around—people posting photos of themselves in 2019 contrasted with 2009. People’s pictures have highlighted how they age—or haven’t seemed to—yet one change that’s been particularly alarming in the past 10 years is the degradation of the environment—a process that’s gone unimpeded for the last decade. Despite being warned about the catastrophic consequences of climate change year after year, we continue to do nothing. The clashes between the RCMP and protestors from the Wet’suwet’en First Nation in British Columbia illustrate how our federal government has failed yet again in committing to meaningful climate action. In Wet’suwet’en, the gas company Coastal GasLink is trying to access Indigenous land to create a natural gas pipeline that will supply a natural gas plant in Kitimat, B.C. The project is slated to bring 2,500 jobs to the area and grow the domestic economy, but that’s not enough. In a recent Toronto Star article, writer Rebecca Thomas pointed out our skewed priorities. “We subsidize, clear cut, extract, and mine resources without much thought as to what
PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN
Brigid Goulem
comes next—as though these resources are infinite in their time frame as long as we can squeeze one more paycheque out of the ground,” Thomas wrote. Many of Canada’s decisions are made for an immediate economic return without much care for long-term costs. But we’re at a point where we can no longer ignore what’s happening to our earth. A recent UN report says we have only 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe. If not, we’ll be faced with floods, droughts, and other ecological disasters that could plunge
•7
hundreds of millions of people into poverty and, possibly, worse. To avoid large-scale climate disaster, we need to make drastic changes as a society. As an oil- and gas-dependent economy, Canada has the opportunity to take a lead role in this endeavour. Yet, our government continues to push our economy in the direction of fossil fuels, squandering our opportunity to take an active role in the fight against climate change. We need to seriously realign our economic priorities if we want to ensure a safe future for coming generations. The Coastal GasLink programs further entrench our economic dependency on oil and gas and prove Canada has little regard for its impending doom. The federal government needs to invest in green infrastructure and sustainable jobs. An economy based on our environment’s destruction through extraction industries cannot create viable, long-term economic benefits for Canadians. The time for change is yesterday—we need to pay attention to our planet and stop making decisions based on profits. Brigid is The Journal’s Arts Editor. She’s a fourth-year Politics student.
Amelia Rankine
Video Editor
Christian Siriano
Assistant Video Editor
Nour Mazloum
Graphics Editor
Zier Zhou
Editorial Illustrator
Tegwyn Hughes Abigail Kingswood
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Editorial Intern
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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. 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. 190 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3P4 Editorial Office: Business Office: Fax: Email:
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Please address complaints and grievances to the Editors in Chief. The Queen’s Journal is printed on a Goss Community press by Performance Group of Companies in Smiths Falls, Ontario. Contents © 2018 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal. Circulation 3,000
8 • queensjournal.ca
Friday, January 18, 2019
OPINIONS
Your Perspective
In support of the Women’s March
Through collective action, the protest breaks barriers for women and fights all forms of discrimination Neve Russell, ArtSci ’20 The Women’s March is an accessible and pragmatic way to engage yourself in political activism. As a feminist in today’s world, actions speak much louder than words. As a result, the March sends a message of resistance. By joining this feminist movement, established in 2017 to empower women creating social change, you’re choosing to resist systems of domination that oppress women. The Women’s March recognizes when gender intersects with other marginalizing factors, discrimination becomes
more pronounced. The March takes a stand for other groups as well: using an intersectional approach, it fights bigotry and discrimination in all forms. Beyond addressing gender inequalities, racial discrimination and LGBTQ2+ issues, the March also supports economic equity and works to end the wage gap. These goals require providing rights for unpaid caregivers, labour law protection of undocumented workers, breaking barriers for women with disabilities, and decriminalization of sex work. While dismantling current systems is hard, the Women’s March teaches us it’s not impossible. Working to bridge thought and action, The March is a tangible movement towards progressive change. While discussions regarding women’s rights in classrooms is constructive, the March works for something greater—change through stronger of numbers. In 2017, over 2.5 million people
across the globe marched to condemn oppression and celebrate diversity. When people march, it gives women the opportunity to gain agency over their bodies.
“I don’t have any.”
“Good—drinking a lot of water, haven’t done readings yet, though.”
The March is a tangible movement towards progressive change.
There’s more attention devoted to reproductive freedoms, and fewer women being criticized for celebrating their bodies. By marching, we challenge mainstream political systems linked to colonialism, racism, and heteronormative patriarchy, turning instead to collective action. Looking at our community, it’s an important step. In Ontario, it’s no secret sexual assault continues to be a serious issue across college and university campuses. According to the Canadian Federation of
Students-Ontario, one in five women experiences sexual assault while attending a post-secondary institution. Indigenous women are three times as likely to be victims of sexual violence than non-Indigenous women. By participating in the Women’s March this weekend in Toronto, I’ll be taking a stand against gender-based violence because it’s our social duty to speak out against systemic problems. The March operates in honour of all the people who’ve suffered from discrimination and violence, and calls for belief in survivors of sexual assault. It acknowledges all those before us who have fought for women’s freedoms. This weekend, I’m joining women all over the world to stand up for what I believe, using my platform for advocacy to bridge thought and action to bring collective change. Women’s rights are under attack, and we must assert our place in this world as one of
PHOTOS BY TESSA WARBURTON
freedom, peace and power. If you have the privilege to march, you should consider it your social obligation to—for all the women who don’t or can’t. When a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.
If you have the
privilege to march, you should consider it your social obligation.
The day of the Women’s March isn’t about an individual battle or taking a selfie with a sign—it’s about fighting for all women’s basic rights. Neve Russell is a third-year Concurrent Education student, majoring in Global Development Studies with a minor in Gender Studies. The Women’s March 2019 will take place this Saturday, Jan. 19th.
Talking heads ... around campus
PHOTOS BY TESSA WARBURTON
How are your New Year’s Resolutions going?
Matthew Kooij, Eng ’20
Connie Trin, ConEd ’19
“Well, I’ve eliminated many toxic people from my social media.” Fred Hook, ArtSci ’21
“None for me. Thanks.” Kayla Zammit, ArtSci ’21
Friday, January 18, 2019
queensjournal.ca
•9
Arts MUSIC
Pop-punk rockers Glass Cactus move into The Mansion Glass Cactus will be playing the Mansion this Friday, Jan. 18.
Lead singer talks songwriting behind band’s new single Ellen Nagy Contributor Glass Cactus will bring the edgy, emotive spirit of pop punk to town this weekend. The Toronto-based, indie-alt band will be returning to Kingston this Friday when they play The Mansion. The evening promises to be a high-energy performance coupled with a playful, light-hearted atmosphere. The band—composed of Aidan Fine as vocals and rhythm guitar, keyboardist Kai DeDonato,
guitarist David Zimmer, bassist Ezra Sherman, and drummer Kabir Malik—reflects the outgoing guitar work and vocals of their pop punk inspiration. Today, Glass Cactus has found their creative niche as a five-piece, but their roots stretch back to high school in 2013, when Fine, DeDonato and Malik first met. Since then, the band has seen its sound evolve into a stronger, more confident iteration with layers of relatable personal experiences softened by a self-described silly delivery. Following this newfound experience, Glass Cactus released their debut album This Morning Would Suck(s) Without You in December of 2016, and dropped a new single, “Anastasia,” in 2018. In an interview with The Journal, Fine described the band’s musical style, revealing the story
behind its creative process and light-hearted dynamic. “We always say that we’re kind of a pop punk influence at heart,” Fine said. That influence has seeped into their newest single, “Anastasia,” the lyrics of which describe a wronged lover’s insatiable feelings for his love interest. Songs like “Mango Ice Cream” and “It’ll Be Okay” showcase power chord electric guitar stylings and the upbeat, earnest melodies of pop punk, with speedy tempos and catchy choruses that’ve become hallmarks of the band’s music. Even their name, Glass Cactus, reflects the vulnerability the band works to achieve through their music. Trying to create a name that matched the addition of Zimmer and Sherman in 2016, the band
struggled to find something that reflected the personal touch its members invested into the act’s sound. “We were just shooting ideas back and forth and Dave shot the name Steel Cactus,” Fine recalled. Eventually the band decided on Glass Cactus, which they felt better represented the vulnerability they hoped to deliver through their music. Glass Cactus’ emotional authenticity comes directly from its members’ personal experience, demanding the ears of its listeners with driving instrumentation
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY GLASS CACTUS
and tempos. But don’t mistake their sincerity: Glass Cactus isn’t above the fun of a performance. For those who attend their upcoming gig, there’s the chance to win prizes like shirts and stickers for participating in the show. “In all of our shows we’re trying to be silly and create an environment that everyone can have fun in,” Fine said. Their show at The Mansion this Friday looks to be a fun, entertaining event—something that can’t be replicated over social media.
MUSIC
Erez and the Pearlz make their musical debut Soul singer and new band to bring originals, cover on stage
Brittany Gilifortte Assistant Arts Editor Erez Zobary almost lost her singing voice once—but she won’t let it happen again. For Zobary, ConEd ‘19, losing her voice left her with a distinctive, sultry sound that became the foundation to her performances on campus. A regular in the local Kingston music scene, Zobary is shaking things up with a new band in their debut performance at The Mansion on Jan. 26. Zobary, Adam Eisen, Nicholas Ashmore, and David Lipson make up the singer’s new band, Erez and the Pearlz. From a fear of singing in public to growing vocal nodules that impaired her voice, Zobary’s come a long way in her
music career. In high school, she developed growths on her vocal chords and couldn’t sing for over a year. Before this, though, she was a constant soundtrack in her family home, performing Broadway showtunes for her parent’s enjoyment. After a year and a half of vocal therapy, Zobary lost her high singing register, leaving her with a gruffer, sultry sound. She moved onto what she felt was the natural next step: R&B and soul. “Once I got my voice back, I thought, ‘Now you have to actually use it, because who knows when it might go? You’re just lucky to have it back,’” Zobary said. She began singing in her high school talent shows and when she arrived at Queen’s, her confidence
and love of performing only grew. This was when Zobary started performing around Kingston with her friends. She still does—and loves it even more than when she first started. On a typical concert setlist, you can find a mix of Zobary’s originals, Destiny’s Child mashups, and a selection of classic throwbacks like, “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You,” and “I Want You Back.” The song selection, coupled with Zobary’s stunning voice, keeps people coming to her concerts. With 100 tickets already sold, Erez and the Pearlz’s upcoming show at The Mansion is no exception. The first time she knew she could attract a crowd of this size was last year, when more and more
Zobary, ConEd ‘19.
people began attending her shows. “In fourth year, we had a few big concerts, one at the beginning of the year, [and] that was the first time we realized we can rent out our own space and get upwards of 150 people to come and just have a good time,” Zobary told The Journal. After four years of booking and hosting her own shows, Zobary developed an affinity for themed concerts. At the end of the year, a Christmas show saw a huge crowd turnout, but the following April’s goodbye concert evoked an emotional outpouring from everyone in attendance. “We did another one for the last Friday of our undergrad and it was such a surreal moment, people were crying from the beginning,” Zobary said. “Everyone that we loved was in one room saying goodbye to that chapter of our lives and hugging each other.” Remembering the end of her
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY EREZ ZOBARY
undergrad brought back plenty of m e m o r i e s —Z o b a r y ’ s sentimental, and moments like these are close to her heart. Wanting to express this sentimentality and her love for her friends sparked an idea. A Thank You concert, dedicated to her friends, would be a fitting capstone to their four years of undergrad together. She decorated a room in the Isabel with plants, fairy lights and even set up paint stations. Once her friends arrived, Zobary sang a song to each of her friends, letting them know how much they meant to her. She ties music in closely to each aspect of her life. Being in her last year of teacher’s college, she’ll combine her passions—teaching and music—in the coming years. “I think I’ve just come to the conclusion that music and education are always going to be part of my life.”
Arts
10 •queensjournal.ca
Janibek rides a horse through the Mongolian mountains in Boy Nomad.
Friday, January 18, 2019
SCREENSHOT FROM VIMEO
FILM
Banff Film Festival banishes the winter blues Outdoor documentaries return for 27th rendition Brigid Goulem Arts Editor This weekend, the Banff Film Festival will make its annual stop at the Bader Centre to showcase some of the best Canadian mountain culture has to offer. The films bring viewers to exotic mountain locations and cultures across the world, and introduces the audience to thrilling mountain sports thatappear out of
reach to many. Every fall, following the week-long festival in Banff, Alberta, the Banff Film Festival takes its top ranking films from over 400 submissions on the road. With 550 stops in over 40 countries, each community’s organizers customize the selection of films to fit the interests and needs of the community. Despite the variety, each community sees films that, according to the website, are “an exhilarating and provocative
EVENT
Celebrating 1,000,056 years of art Union Gallery hosts Art’s Birthday Party Alexandra Mantella Contributor When turning 1,000,056 years old, it’s rare to have a DJ at the birthday party. On Wednesday, the Union Gallery and Tone Deaf Festival celebrated art’s 1,000,056th birthday with short performances, film screenings, and a collection of Queen’s students’ paintings. Queen’s students, staff and guests rang in another year of accomplishments in the arts with a rendition of “Happy Birthday.” Each guest decorated their own party hat, giving personal flair to their headwear. The host of Art’s Birthday Party in Kingston, Matt Rogalsky, told the crowd the event allows for international and local artists to come together despite any differences to celebrate their passion. While quirky, it’s a global phenomenon. Brooklyn and Helsinki hosted hat-making events, while in Antwerp one
exploration of the mountain world.” Running from Saturday to Monday at the Bader Centre, the festival will be returning for its 27th year in Kingston, where for the past few years, it’s sold out months in advance. Sponsored by Trailhead Kingston, the Kingston stop showcases films revolving around mountain culture, which organizer and Trailhead General Manager, Michelle McShane, said up of sounds that were directed by a student-conductor. Union Gallery organizer Ashley Newton said the event brought artists together into one space to celebrate the impact of art in their everyday life. “This event allows for international artists to come together despite differences, countries and communities and communicate,” Newton told The Journal. Newton also said the party was to celebrate the way art has the ability to unify communities in shared spaces. It allows people of all backgrounds and artists of all disciplines to celebrate a common interest. The diversification of the musical performances attested to this very fact. Encompassing multiple musical and artistic disciplines, the venue
included activities like skiing, mountain biking, and exploring mountainous terrain. While many of the films are set in Canada, others showcase mountain culture in communities across the world. While the name of the festival conjures up images of rock-climbers and outdoor landscapes, the films are deeper and more profound. With a recurring focus on the trials and tribulations of family and personal life, the films deal with myriad of complex and compelling issues outdoors, which people experience all around the world. One of this year’s highlight is Boy Nomad, a coming of age story that features 9-year-old Janibek living in the mountains of Mongolia with his family. The film follows their challenging winter migration that threatens their animal stock. It’s a compelling story. While the film depicts a tale so different from Kingston life, the content is relatable. This is part of the overwhelming attraction of the film festival. There are many other films on the docket for this weekend, and for only $20, guests can access all of the films being shown at the festival. Another film follows an 11-year-old skiing prodigy who is not old enough to be world class but can do backflips going down the mountain. Sadly, if you were thinking of attending chances are slim that you’ll find a ticket. Each year tickets sell out months in advance, as Kingstonians flock to the cinematic world of mountain slopes to escape cold, windy winters. While those without tickets are out-of-luck for this year, the festival will return in 2020 with a fresh batch of films. Tickets go on sale in early spring—and sell out quick. In the dead of winter, it’s an easy opportunity to see the wilderness with none of the drawbacks. successfully brought together artists of all walks of life in a positive, encouraging way. The event focused on art’s role on campus, including its global influences. While sometimes overlooked, the event noted how our galleries, theatres, and arts faculties are an introduction to the wider creative scenes. The birthday unabashedly highlighted artistic achievements, whether they were centuries or days old. This party is proof of a great respect and appreciation for art in our own communities. It’s a way to give thanks to the artists who create some of our favourite work and remind people of the rich history surrounding us. After a million and fifty six years, art lovers can rest easy with a yearly celebration.
gallery hosted a grand feast for guests. The event’s global attention points to the importance of art in our communities, offering communication, and entertainment while making the world a more beautiful place. After the candles were blown out and the guests had eaten their cake, there were performances from students in an electroacoustic music composition class, a short film by Ariane Grice, poems read by Bob Mackenzie and Angus Merry, and a jazz performance by Queen’s Graduate student Paul Clifford, ConEd ’11. The electroacoustic composition class boasted an impressive orchestral performance and unique approach to choral instrumentation. Called the Small Devices Orchestra, each student in this quasi-chorus used applications from their phones to make a musical mash The electroacoustic music class at the Art’s Birthday Party at the Union Gallery.
PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK
Friday, January 18, 2019
queensjournal.ca
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Sports
PHOTO BY MATT SCACE
Makenzy Arsenault is second in the league for goals-against average (1.31).
WOMEN’S HOCKEY
Matt Scace Sports Editor Before the 2018-19 season, women’s hockey goaltender Makenzy Arsenault knew her time was coming—she just thought it wasn’t for another year. She and the women’s hockey coaching staff had it laid out: fifth-year starting goaltender Stephanie Pascal would finish her graduating year, and Arsenault would step in to fill the spot in her third year. Now two months into the season, none of that went according to plan. In a preseason exhibition game against McGill, Pascal suffered a concussion and was immediately ruled out for the beginning of the season. While no one knew how long Pascal would be out for, the stage was being set for Arsenault to take the helm, even if temporarily. “It was like, ‘Well, Mak, you’re in,’” Arsenault remembered telling herself. While Pascal, last year’s OUA Goalie of the Year, recovered in the stands for much of the fall semester, Arsenault has played in 10 games this season, going 6-4 in that stretch. Three of her wins have been shutouts—two of which
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Makenzy Arsenault rewrites the script Women’s hockey goalie making most of opportunity in the crease
came in consecutive wins against York and Brock. “It was good for me to play in those games,” Arsenault said. “It gave me some confidence.” In turn, her confidence has been absorbed by the coaching staff—she’s currently splitting the goaltending duties with Pascal as the team moves into the final eight games of their regular season. Statistically, she’s second in the league for goals-against average (1.31) and fourth for total goals against (13). Despite playing in 10 of Queen’s 16 games thus far, she ranks fifth in the OUA for wins with six. The 2018-19 season marks a significant jump in playing time from 2017-18, where Arsenault played just four games and won three. The Whitby, ON local said
her experience in goal this year is a taste of what’s to come when she imminently takes over the starting position next season. “It was definitely a lot more pressure and stressful than being backup,” she said of adapting to a starting role. “You have to prepare ahead of time that you’re focused, [have good] nutrition, hydration […] it was definitely a big step.” While understanding the daily processes of a starting goaltender was a leap, for Arsenault, nerves have rarely been an issue. When
they’ve popped up, it hasn’t been about the stakes of the moment. Rather, they derive from a desire to translate her self-belief into confidence. “I wanted to show myself I could do it, [and] that I could win a bunch of games and play well,” Arsenault said of her first game this season, adding it didn’t take long for her to feel at home in the crease. “Once I got a couple shots, the nerves kind of went away,” she said. Arsenault knows she’s next in
line for the top job on the Gaels. It’s an opportunity she’s excited for but also bittersweet about—her most prominent mentor in Pascal is about to make her final saves in a Queen’s uniform. Arsenault said it’s Pascal’s habits and practices, both physically and mentally, that have given her the foundation to pull off the run she has this year. Now, with less than half the regular season to play, she’s taking all she can get from Pascal with the time she has. “[I’m] definitely gonna miss Steph,” Arsenault said. “It’s kind of a safety net or a mentor being lost.” Ultimately, Arsenault’s grateful for the opportunity this season’s given her to prepare for being a starting goalie in the OUA. “I kind of need to take everything I’ve learned and put it into practice,” she said. “I’m definitely looking forward to it, but for this year, I hope we have a good ending too.”
Gaels ready to fight through last half of season Team enters final stretch with 5-4 record Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor The women’s volleyball team has to work for the OUA playoffs—but it’s not out of reach yet. The Gaels (5-4) resume play this weekend after a winter
break on seven weeks of rest. In an interview with The Journal this week, Head Coach Ryan Ratushniak said his team is looking good since the hiatus from the competitive action. “We were improving our game, certainly, in different areas at the end of November,” Ratushniak said. “We were a little bit rusty
The women’s volleyball team currently boasts a 5-4 record.
at the end [of first semester], but we’ve gotten them back to where we want and we’re continuing where we left off.” Despite being on the heels of
a three game winning streak, the Gaels have struggled this year relative to their play last season. In 2017-18, Ratushniak’s first as head coach, Queen’s was 6-2 heading into the winter
PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON
break. But the pressure doesn’t loom from one season to the next, the coach said. Story continued on page 13
Sports
12 •queensjournal.ca
Friday, January 18, 2019
Winter Varsity Power Rankings Matt Scace and Maggie Gowland Journal Staff
1
The Journal’s sports editors rank each winter team’s mid-season performances
Men’s Hockey (15-5-0)
Men’s Volleyball (7-2)
2 PHOTO BY MATT SCACE
Currently ranked second in the OUA East, men’s hockey is riding the hot streak heading into the latter portion of the season. It doesn’t seem the team is on track to slow down, Through 20 games, the Gaels have scored 85 goals—forward Slater Doggett is fourth in the OUA with 15—while impressing on the other side of the ice. Young goaltenders Justin Fazio and Jack Flinn have impressed while splitting starter duties. The pair of goalies led the OUA in save percentage: Fazio at .942 and Flinn close behind at .939. Paired with his team’s evident talent, Head Coach Brett Gibson reached a 150 win milestone last October. Now in his thirteenth season as the team’s head coach, Gibson will need to keep his team hungry if they hope to reach OUA glory. For now, the Gaels have won eight of their last 10, preparing for the postseason on the horizon.
3
Women’s Basketball (9-5)
PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO
After reaching the U Sports National Championships last season, the men’s volleyball team’s had the fewest speedbumps of any Queen’s team this year. Injuries haven’t been a problem; fourth-year Zac Hutcheson is putting up a team-leading 137 kills—putting them third in the OUA—after sitting out most of last season. Developing the Gaels’ youth into leaders has been a breeze for first-year head coach Gabriel DeGroot: second-year Zane Grossinger is third in the OUA for assists per set (9.54) after winning OUA Rookie of the Year last season. Importantly, all signs point to a team that’s bought into DeGroot’s game plan after head coach of 31 years Brenda Willis retired at the end of the 2017-18 campaign. Nine games into the season, the Gaels have beat the U Sports bronze-medalists McMaster Marauders, defining them as a contender in the OUA. Perhaps the only thing holding the team back from the first spot in their division is inexperience—two short years ago the team bowed out of the playoffs in the first round after finishing fourth in their division.
Women’s Volleyball (5-4)
PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO
The women’s basketball team has spent much of the season in limbo. Suffering from early-season injuries to second-year Sophie de Goede and post Veronika Lavergne, the Gaels are finally near full health. With two players back in the starting lineup, Queen’s has nine games to find its stride in order to make a deep postseason run. Most questions surrounding the team are whether they can get past the OUA East’s three powerhouses: Ottawa (12-2), Ryerson (12-2), and Carleton (11-3). They’ll get two more shots at each of the Ottawa-based teams and one more against Ryerson before the regular season ends. One will be a likely playoff matchup down the road, as the third and fourth seeds play either the first or second seeds in the event that they win their first round games. Women’s basketball has one of the more consistent histories of success at Queen’s—before last season’s quarterfinal loss to Ottawa, the team hadn’t lost in the first round of the playoffs since 2011-12. The next month will show us if they can continue the trend.
Women’s hockey (9-7-0-0)
5
PHOTO BY MATT SCACE
Coming off two straight seasons of U Sport Championship appearances, the women’s hockey team’s play has dipped this season. With a current 9-7-0-0 record, the Gaels have matched last season’s mark for games lost. They’ve gone 0-4 against the league’s top three teams in Guelph, Western, and Nipissing. However, the Gaels have two things on their side. First, they have eight regular season games remaining, four of which are against teams with losing records. Queen’s is also playing in one of the closest leagues in the OUA; they sit just seven points out of first place in the conference, a margin that can be made up with two wins and an overtime loss. Regardless, it’ll be a tight race for them to finish first in the OUA for the second year in a row. The Gaels have a wealth of experience on their side—all but their eight first-years have played at the U Sports Championships. The current task is to find a way to get the whole team there.
4 PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON
With a 5-4 record as they return from the break, the Gaels will have to strengthen in a number of areas if they hope to make the OUA Final Four. Currently, they’re ranked fourth in the OUA east, tied with York (5-4), and trailing both Toronto (8-1) and Ryerson (8-3). After taking both Toronto teams to five sets in their first meetings this season—and even besting Toronto—the Gaels have proved they can compete against any team in the league. The real question is if they can do it again. After failing to move past the OUA quarter-finals since the 2011-12 season, women’s volleyball has its sights set high to buck its trend of crashing out of the playoffs early.
Men’s basketball (8-6)
6
PHOTO BY MATT SCACE
After being nationally-ranked for the first-time since 2007-08, the men’s basketball team has struggled to find a consistent rhythm on the hardwood this season. Despite an 8-6 record, the Gaels have proved unpredictable relative to both results and play. In their first three wins of the season, the team had an average margin of victory of 21 points—but won their next four by an average of just seven. Similarly, Queen’s’ first two defeats of the year came by an average of three points. Meanwhile, the team lost their next three by an average of 24 points. While the Gaels are sitting at the bottom of the rankings, they have the chance to redeem themselves before the season ends. Five of their next nine are against the OUA East’s three strongest teams, laying the ground for change. Though they currently sit at fourth in the OUA East, if the Gaels hopek to make a dent in the playoffs, they’ll need to string together a number of consistent performances.
Sports
Friday, January 18, 2019
queensjournal.ca
• 13
BASKETBALL
Mixed results for basketball teams over weekend Women fall to No. 3 Ryerson, win big against U of T to tipoff winter semester
Men optimistic despite losses to Ryerson, U of T, move to 8-6 record
Matt Scace Sports Editor
Aleena Yusufzai Contributor
This story was published online on Jan. 15, 2019
This story was published online on Jan. 15, 2019
The women’s basketball team (9-5) faced two teams with two very different trajectories in the OUA standings this weekend. Playing at home for the first time in nearly two months, the Gaels came up short against Fifth-year Marianne Alarie moves down the court. the nationally-ranked third Ryerson Rams (12-2) 79-58 on Friday, and went on to decimate the University of Toronto Varsity Blues (3-11) 87-38 on Saturday night. Against Ryerson, the Gaels spent the first half of the game outmatched. Mustering together seven points to Ryerson’s 17 in the first quarter, Queen’s fell into an early deficit they struggled to dig themselves out of. Down 38-15 at halftime, the Gaels went into the locker room going 6 of 29 from the field—a 20.6 per cent shooting percentage. Ryerson, meanwhile, shot 48.5 per cent. “[Ryerson is] a very good team, they have great shooters,” Head Coach Dave Wilson told The Journal. “I was just disappointed with our execution. We had opportunities to score that were very similar to theirs.” Third year Harry Range reaches for the layup.
PHOTOS BY MATT SCACE
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The men’s basketball team were dealt back-to-back losses at home this weekend by the Ryerson Rams and University of Toronto Varsity Blues. Against the nationally-ranked second Ryerson on Friday night, Queen’s found itself in a deficit early, struggling with consistent play and trailing 47-27 at halftime. The Gaels picked up their play and found a groove in the third quarter, though, outscoring Ryerson 27-20 in the frame—a run that brought them within seven points of the Rams. Ryerson ultimately ran away with the game after outscoring Queen’s 17-8 in the final quarter, winning 84-62. “We got down in a big hole early. We show that we can play good basketball but lack consistency,” Head Coach Stephane Barrie said of his team’s play against Ryerson. “Our league is too good to have these moments. We want to work on attacking that in practices and making strides in those components.” Similar to Friday’s game, the Gaels lacked consistency against U of T on Saturday.
‘Focus on the moment’ Continued from page 11 ... When playing Western in October—the team who knocked the Gaels out of last year’s OUA playoffs—Ratushniak said his team did well to stay in the moment, despite losing the match 3-2. “We try to focus on the moment,” Ratushniak said. “Basically, nothing is won on paper or lost—it’s whichever team goes out and performs the best.” “We’re going out and focusing on our performance. Taking it point by point and set by set.” Statistically, Queen’s is on par with its play last season. The team averages roughly the same amount of kills, hitting percentage, assists and blocks per game—the only anomaly comes by way of digs, where last season the team had 14.40 a game to this year’s 11.5. Although the results haven’t favoured them, Ratushniak said his players have shown signs of extra motivation going into the final stretch. “It’s exciting—we have some seniors on the team that I think want to finish strong this year, and they want to get good results. The key is focusing on the process to get those results,” he said. Ratushinak added his team, considering last season’s early exit, still has the
playoffs looming in the back of its mind. The Gaels haven’t won a first-round playoff match since 2011-12, when they were crowned OUA champions. “Making the playoffs is very important to us and we still have some work left to do there,” Ratushniak said. “We can’t take anything for granted, and [we’d] love to make it to the Final Four and compete for an OUA Championship.” Despite a near-.500 record, Queen’s has together some impressive performances this season, including taking both the University of Toronto Varsity Blues (8-3) and Ryerson Rams (8-1) to five sets. While the team fell to Ryerson away from home in a tight five sets, it beat U of T in a game which saw the Gaels commit no errors in the final set. On schedule for this weekend, the Gaels hit the road to play successive matches versus the Guelph Gryphons (5-5) and Waterloo Warriors (9-0). The following weekend, the women return home to host current OUA East leaders U of T and Ryerson. With ten games to play before the postseason, Ratushniak knows his team will be tested—but it’s nothing they wouldn’t be prepared for. “I don’t think there’s any team in this league that’s unbeatable, that we can’t beat. But having said that, there’s a lot of work to do to be competitive,” he said.
14 • queensjournal.ca
Friday, January 18, 2019
Lifestyle STUDENT LIFE
Delving into the community of serious dreamers My experience with subconscious analysis and emotional healing Claudia Rupnik Assistant News Editor I’ve always treated my dreams as entertainment. However, after a few weeks of restless and dream-filled sleep last semester, I found myself scouring the internet for theories to interpret my dreams.
found myself scouring Ithe internet for theories
of dream interpretation.
Some people believe dreams are meaningless, others argue they’re a dialogue between the subconscious and conscious mind. Sigmund Freud held to the latter view, saying “the interpretation of dreams is the royal road to the unconscious” because they often reveal repressed feelings or knowledge. Montague Ullman, a psychiatrist, furthered Freud’s theory
by presenting dreams as metaphorical explanations of real-life experiences. “We find ourselves, for example, in a dream, driving downhill in a car with no brakes,” Ullman wrote. “Metaphorically speaking, some aspect of our life has gotten out of control.” Ullman spent his career linking dream analysis to emotional healing. He believed this connection could be optimized through a Dream Group—a small gathering of people who have specific intentions of analyzing their dreams. Dream Groups give participants the opportunity to share their dreams for collective interpretation. I was skeptical about the validity of Dream Groups as a means of revealing deep truths about my life. But following weeks of waking up anxious and exhausted, I was willing to try anything. After reading the online
PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON
Claudia organized a Dream Group to reveal truths about her life.
accounts from other modern Dream Groups, I learned they had become a social event. So I gathered my closest friends, ordered a pizza, cracked open a bottle of wine, and opened up about my dreams. Per Ullman’s instructions, the process begins with one participant sharing a dream, after which the remaining participants ask technical questions about its content. Next, the dreamer is asked to remain silent while others interpret the dream as if it were their own. This process involves identifying the emotional response the dream incites and examining the imagery of the dream like it’s a visual metaphor for the feelings and tensions of real-life experiences. The final step invites the dreamer back into the discussion by allowing the group to ask the individual deeper questions about the dream’s
POP CULTURE
subject matter, such as the events that occurred in the dreamer’s life which may have shaped their dream. The dreamer concludes the discussion with a personal analysis, using information revealed in the discussion. My friends and I used a dream dictionary to help us interpret the symbols we identified, propelled by a shared exasperation over our confusing dreams. I was surprised at how quickly we transitioned from a discussion of dream imagery to personal difficulties. For example, the appearance of someone’s father in a dream led to a discussion of our fear of failure. Our discussions also revealed our self-censorship, whether it be out of fear, embarrassment or shame. The Dream Group was a safe environment that relied on the vulnerability of its participants. I was honest in a way I previously hadn’t been
and, in return, learned new things about my closest friends, even though they’re people I talk to everyday.
discussions also Our made me aware of the
way people censor what they share about their lives, whether it be out of fear, embarrassment, or shame.
When we ended the night, we immediately made plans for our next meeting. After my experience holding a Dream Group, I think Ullman was correct in identifying a connection between dream analysis and emotional healing. Verbalizing my dreams in a judgement-free space allowed me to recognize the mental load of my real life—to acknowledge my dreams and move past them.
The unsung genius of Missy Elliott Celebrating the rapper’s induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Josh Granovsky Lifestyle Editor When you hear Missy Elliott’s music on a dance floor, you become flooded with nostalgia and go hard. There’s no half-hearted head-nodding along to a Missy Elliott song—you give your all when you dance to her music because you know she gave her all making it. It’s a shame then, after all the work she’s done to get the party started, that Elliott is so often left out of today’s cultural conversations. This past Sunday, the Songwriters Hall of Fame announced Elliott would be one of its 2019 inductees. She’s the first female rapper and first woman in hip-hop inducted into the Hall, as well as the second rapper ever. Elliott’s honour is as momentous as it is deserved, though its news marked a rare moment of public coverage for a musician who plays by a different set of rules. For musicians today, social media doubles as the leading method for music promotion and keeping oneself culturally informed. Today’s most popular female rappers, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, generate TMZ articles with Instagram stories about
potential collaborations and endorsements—or, better yet, potential feuds. Even Iggy Azalea, whose music has received little airplay since the chart-topping single “Fancy” in 2014, gets weekly write-ups in The Daily Mail about bikinis she wears in Instagram photos. By using their social media channels as a means of publicizing their brands, these female rappers successfully promote themselves. Missy Elliott’s quite the active poster on her social media accounts. However, she trades shade-filled comments for videos of her pint-sized dog, Fendi Dior. Instead of posting Fashion Nova-sponsored photos,
she writes emoji-filled captions in response to videos of fans dancing to her songs. She rang in the New Year by posting a minute-long video to Twitter singing karaoke to Whitney Houston’s “I’m Every Woman” with a streamer in her mouth— and yes, I retweeted it, because it’s the embodiment of happiness.
Elliott is the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Elliott’s posts might not be as headline-grabbing as her genre counterparts, but this wouldn’t be the first time she’s had to fit into a music landscape that looks nothing like her. When Elliott first stepped onto the popular music scene with her debut album Supa Dupa Fly in 1997, she was already unlike anything out there. The ruling female musicians of the late 90s were young, thin, and blonde, like icons Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. The ruling female rappers were still mostly undiscovered. Elliott had little precedent to follow as a female rapper and hip-hop
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY
producer, so she played by her own rules and ventured into uncharted rap territory. She took a Punjabi-inspired beat and turned it into the club-ready “Get Ur Freak On.” She decided the perfect hook for sex-positive banger “Work It” was a lyric played backwards to sound like gibberish.She spent her downtime writing hits like Ciara’s “1-2 Step” and Aaliyah’s “One in a Million.” While Elliott may lack the larger-than-life persona now seemingly a requirement for modern superstardom, her ideas have always extended beyond any boundary imposed upon her.
[Elliott’s] ideas have
always extended beyond any boundary imposed upon her.
Elliott’s induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame should serve as a reminder that she’s one of the best artists to ever put pen to paper, and we should regard her as such. Rest assured that as other stars work to perfect their public images, Missy Elliott is waiting for the right moment to change the rules once again.
Lifestyle
Friday, January 18, 2019
queensjournal.ca
STUDENT START-UPS
• 15
CULTURAL COMMENTARY
Reel Honey founder: Breaking down the ‘never even expected Super Bowl Halftime to be running [the Show controversy Backlash follows after Maroon 5, Travis Scott site] a year later’
Continued from front ...
Already frustrated by the lack of entry-level opportunities for young people to write about pop culture, Urbanek came across several articles highlighting the scarcity of women in film writing. While women exist in the industry, they’re less likely than their male counterparts to belong to professional organizations, land staff writer positions, and be assigned bigger stories. By the time Urbanek entered her final year at Queen’s, she’d already applied for the Reel Honey trademark, planning to create a film and pop culture website catered specifically to young women and non-binary people. When classes finished in April, she launched a platform which not only creates a space for marginalized writers, but also pays them for their work. In her first published Editor’s Note, Urbanek wrote that if Reel Honey inspired one writer to pursue a professional career in film criticism or journalism, she’d be satisfied. Since then, the website has connected her with over 100 young writers and visual artists—some of whom have used Reel Honey to build portfolios for graduate school and full-time positions at other companies. Urbanek believes a key part of the platform’s success is her willingness to connect with and learn from contributors. “I’m not a veteran film critic or an established person in my field,” she said. “I’m very much a peer who has grown as a writer myself, alongside all the writers
whose work I edit.” Although Urbanek is pleased with Reel Honey’s rapid growth, she’s even more proud of the quality of the writing, which has attracted the online attention of filmmakers and actors. When stars like Tina Majorino from Veronica Mars and Alyssa Edwards of RuPaul’s Drag Race connect with the site’s work, Urbanek is reminded of how far Reel Honey has come. “Almost everything that’s happened with the site since April of 2017 is not something that I could have expected or predicted beforehand,” Urbanek said. “I never even expected to be running it a year later, let alone almost two. I didn’t expect anyone other than my Queen’s classmates to be writing for it—but I was also proven wrong there.” Going forward, Urbanek plans to continue raising money for Reel Honey, hoping one day to expand her site’s coverage to include music. Through founding and running her website’s online magazine, she’s discovered the importance of embracing the unexpected. “Literally nobody knows what they’re doing. Not the influencer that you regularly checkup on [and] probably not the newest Silicon Valley whiz-kid,” Urbanek said. “I wish someone started telling me that when I was in high school … because my career trajectory seems to change literally by the month.” “It’s really okay to be comfortable in just being uncomfortable and not having a sense of what exactly happens next.”
announced as performers
Samara Lijiam Contributor
You don’t have to be a football fan to know ex-NFL player Colin Kaepernick. The quarterback-turned-activist famously took a knee during the National Anthem in 2016 in protest of racial inequality and police brutality in America. Since then, he’s been exiled from the league while standing at the centre of its controversies regarding athletes and activism. The recent announcement of the Super Bowl Halftime performers has brought Kaepernick back into the spotlight, as fans question why their favourite artists are aligning themselves with the controversial football league. The NFL confirmed this past weekend that the long-rumoured headliner for this year’s Halftime Show in Atlanta would be Maroon 5. Rappers Travis Scott and Big Boi will join them onstage during the show to perform their own sets. The announcement comes on the heels of reports that the league was struggling to find anyone to perform. After all 32 NFL teams were unwilling to sign Kaepernick due to his kneeling during the national anthem, many artists—including Rhianna, Pink and Jay-Z—refused association with the Super Bowl in support his cause. Cardi B, who seemed likely to join Maroon 5 after her feature on their newest hit, “Girls Like You,” similarly dropped out of
discussions to perform at the halftime show until “[the league] hires Kaepernick back.” Even before the official announcement, rumours that Maroon 5 would be performing had a backlash. A petition titled “Maroon 5: Drop out of the Super Bowl Halftime Show” went viral and reached almost 85,000 signatures of their 150,000-signature goal. The petition now asks that the band, along with Scott and Big Boi, take a knee during the game’s national anthem in protest. Scott’s agreement to perform was met with similar disappointment amidst reported attempts by others to talk him out of it. His involvement with the show came with a stipulation though: he agreed to perform as long as the NFL donated $500,000 to “social justice accelerator,” Dream Corps. “I back anyone who takes a stand for what they believe in,” Scott said in a statement after the announcement. “I know being an artist that it’s my power to inspire. So before confirming the Super Bowl Halftime performance I made sure to partner with the NFL on this important donation.”
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Lifestyle
16 •queensjournal.ca
Friday, January 18, 2019
POSTSCRIPT
Entering the Lion’s Den of residential Kingston Starting an accidental feud with local resident
Jamie got in trouble with a Kingston resident over a stolen pylon.
Jamie Urbanek Contributor
Getting too comfortable in your environment is a sin. After a run-in with a local Kingston resident, I realized that’s for good reason. After three years in Kingston, I’ll admit my cockiness has the tendency to get the better of me. I tend to forget I live in a real town and not a student jungle gym. My most recent wake-up call involved a pylon, a Fiat, and an angry, elderly Kingstonian. My friend Eli and I had given a presentation in one of our classes and were hungover after a night out. However, our success after presenting in a less-than-refined state was all the more satisfying. Flying high on our ridiculous achievement, we bought a couple of lattes in celebration. On our walk back to Eli’s parked car, both of us mulling over the events of our night out, we were stopped in our tracks by an unlikely enemy: a large, orange pylon.
were stopped “[W]e in our tracks by an unlikely enemy: a large, orange pylon.
”
The two of us were well-acquainted with this pylon. For the past two weeks, we’d return to Eli’s parking spot to find a pylon in front of the car, blocking our exit. I told Eli I was tired of the pylon
blocking our exit everyday. She agreed, and I offered a suitable solution to our problem: “Let’s just take it.” I’m not historically known for good ideas. When my older sister complained to me about her loose tooth many years ago, my instinct was to hit her in the face with my Makeup Mindy doll to knock it out. Years later, In elementary school, I told my teacher a kid had injured himself so she’d leave the room and I could steal candy from her desk. I thought placing the pylon in the back of Eli’s car would make me a hero for the second time in my life. Laughing harder than was appropriate, we drove away with our new suburban souvenir in the backseat, stashing it in a city park. Later that day, Eli parked in the same spot with no issue. After class finished, we went to Eli’s car and I appreciated leaving without the pylon in our way. As Eli started the engine, we watched an elderly women leave her front door. She walked down her steps, pulled out her iPhone, and began taking pictures of us. She rudely didn’t even bother to snap my side profile, which is my ‘good side.’ Once she had enough of those, she snapped close-ups of Eli’s license plate. When she finished taking pictures, the woman made eye contact with us and made an, ‘I’m watching you,’ gesture with her fingers. She returned to her house, passing a sign on her mailbox that read, “You’ve Entered the Lion’s Den.”
Mouths agape, Eli and I looked at each other. The woman’s entrance to the street, photoshoot, and exit into her house had taken about thirty seconds altogether, but it felt like the longest half-minute of my life. “Is this about the pylon?” Eli asked. “Oh my god. It’s her pylon.” We had to get it back to her, but there was a problem: we lost it. Eli quickly made the connection between our earlier theft and the unusual behaviour: We’d stolen this elderly Kingstonian’s pylon. The easy solution would be to simply return the pylon to where it belonged and flee. Unfortunately, we couldn’t remember where we’d
solution would “Thebeeasy to simply return
the pylon to where it belonged and flee. Unfortunately, we couldn’t remember where we’d stashed it.
”
stashed it. Facing a predicament, we drove to every park in Kingston, searching for the pylon. How we forgot which park we dropped it off at, I couldn’t tell you. But with a little bit of luck, and on our third location of the day, we found it. Convinced this woman already had the cops tracking Eli’s Fiat, we were terrified this pylon would get us thrown in jail. We pulled it together and devised a game plan: We’d drop the pylon off near the woman’s house, telling her we’d moved it up the road to allow cars to pass.
Before parting ways with our pylon, we did take several pictures with it in the parking lot, for evidence of the showdown. On a post-hangover rush of adrenaline and caffeine, we approached the woman’s door. We rang the doorbell several times with no answer, and we were ready to give up when we heard a woman yelling and swearing at her husband on the other side of the door. Hopeful that we’d finally come face-to-face with her—and also gravely terrified we knocked on the door again. After a solid 45 seconds of trying to open the door from the inside, the woman poked her head out. “Yes?” she asked. Eli and I braced ourselves and said, “We’re the people you were taking pictures of. We just wanted to let you know that we’d only moved your pylon down the road to move it out of traffic. It’s just a couple houses over.” The woman looked over to try and spot her pylon. When she did, her face immediately beamed. “Oh my,” she responded. “Thank you very much. My mistake. I thought you two were thieves but, as it turns out, you’re humanitarians!” My heart rate dropping, I wondered if she believed our story, though I quickly moved on. I figured it didn’t matter either way. “Thank you for making sure I knew where it was, girls,” the woman continued. “I’ll be sure to delete those photos.” She entered
PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO
her house and closed the door behind her. Eli and I stared at each other in disbelief and walked back to the car in silence. As we drove home, Eli and I agreed she certainly wasn’t deleting the photos. Now, weeks later, I’ve had sufficient time to reflect on the teachable moments of this messy situation. The incident taught me that—quite shockingly—there are repercussions for theft. I also learned the importance of keeping track of my belongings at all times, especially if they’re not actually mine. I also realized that a higher power will punish you for going to class hungover. Most importantly, I discovered how easily Queen’s students can forget that this town we live in isn’t our playground. Kingston is, in fact, a real town, filled with real people. Before you go stealing a pylon from a residential neighbourhood out of pride, remember you’re in someone else’s home, and it’s illegal to
discovered how “Ieasily Queen’s
students can forget that this town we live in isn’t our playground.
”
steal things. Watch how you treat the oft-overlooked town around us—you never know, a moment of glory could have you entering the Lion’s Den.