the journal Vol. 146, Issue 21
Queen’s University
Friday, February 8, 2019
Since 1873
men’s hockey takes devastating loss at carr-harris cup • Queen’s falls to RMC 5-1 in 133rd Carr-Harris Cup • Gaels outshoot RMC 47 shots to 30, rack up 18 penalty minutes to Paladins’ 8 • Game sees record attendance of 3,888 fans
PHOTO BY MATT SCACE
Goaltender Justin Fazio made 18 saves before being pulled in the second period.
AMS grapples with ‘significant damage’ after Student Choice Initiative ‘We are very disheartened to see our Government do this,’ Society VP Munro Watters says R aechel H uizinga & J asnit P abla Journal Staff On Thursday, the AMS held an emergency assembly to discuss the future of the Society in its current form. The meeting was held after the province released a presentation to university administrations across Ontario. The presentation revealed essential fees will pertain to “athletics and recreation, career services, health and counselling, academic support, student ID cards, transcripts and convocation processes, financial aid offices, student transit passes, walksafe programs, and student buildings.” Students can opt-out of the remaining fees, spelling a significant cut to funding student unions and services.
At Queen’s, the AMS opt-out rate is usually 30 to 35 per cent, according to an email Vice-President Munro Watters (University Affairs) sent to AMS staff on Wednesday. The Society anticipates this rate could increase with the new provisions. In Thursday’s three-hour Assembly, members discussed which student fees should be considered essential and how the AMS might save the revenue lost to student opt-outs. The Board of Directors is projected to enact these changes within 48 hours after the meeting. “We are currently working with the AMS Board of Directors and AMS Assembly to determine what changes we can make to ensure the AMS can carry on at all as an organization,” Watters wrote in her email on Wednesday. She added the Ministry of Training, College, and Universities has tasked universities with overseeing fee categorization. “If Universities were to incorrectly categorize fees with the Ministry’s given framework, they risk
How its observance taught me about vulnerability and the complexity of my identity u
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
FEATURES
EDITORIALS
ARTS
Following OSAP changes, international student tuition rates could rise
Reproductive autonomy is essential when taking birth control
Indigenous artists challenge gallery visitors at the Agnes
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News
Friday, February 8, 2019
Queen’s to lose $31.4 million in revenue following tuition cuts Interim Provost and Vice-Principal speaks to expected impact on operating budget with students Claudia Rupnik Assistant News Editor Queen’s is developing their 2019-20 academic year budget—despite an expected $31.4 million drop in revenue. On Jan. 17, the provincial government announced impending tuition cuts, changes to OSAP, and the creation of the Student Choice Initiative. The provincial government has also pledged to lower tuition fees at post-secondary institutions by 10 per cent for domestic students enrolled in funding-eligible programs. The fees will remain at the reduced level for the following year. Earlier this week, Interim Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Tom Harris explained how the cuts will impact Queen’s in an email to The Journal. “The cuts to tuition fees will have a significant impact on the operating budgets
of post-secondary institutions in Ontario, including Queen’s,” Harris said. While the specifics of the changes are currently unknown, tuition makes up approximately 38 per cent of the annual operating revenue for Queen’s. During the 2018-19 academic year, the University’s total operating revenue was $638 million, with $244.4 million coming from domestic student tuition fees subject to the cuts—an expected loss of $24.4 million. The University was expecting a three per cent increase in domestic tuition fees as per the tuition fee cap established by the previous Liberal administration in December of 2016. Without the projected Queen’s to lose millions in revenue. increase, Queen’s will lose a further $7 million in tuition-based revenue. Harris said the University can’t “cut Overall, Queen’s will experience a total its way to excellence,” and will seek reduction in operating revenues of $31.4 collaborative options that align with the million in the 2019-20 academic year. University’s long-term goals. In the following year, the reduction will “Throughout the budget planning increase by an additional $7 million as a process, we will remain focused on our result of the tuition freeze. core academic mission of excellence in Principal Daniel Woolf requested teaching, research, and service to our that Harris, through the Provost’s communities,” Harris said. Advisory Committee on Budget, provide The University currently offers financial “multi-year response” options support to students in need, and plans for the University to tackle to adapt their assistance programs to this financial challenge by the accommodate for changes made to end of February. OSAP so the institution remains
SGPS secures University funding despite revenue cuts
‘Executive thrilled to receive news,’ Society President says Jasnit Pabla News Editor Graduate student funding is secure at Queen’s despite sweeping province-wide reforms, an SGPS press release announced Monday. On Jan. 17, the Province announced a 10 per cent cut to tuition, decreasing revenue for universities. For Queen’s, that amounts to $31.4 million. “The SGPS has been meeting with our University’s administration since the announcement to determine what the effects on graduate students would be,” the release read. “We are happy to announce that Principal Woolf and Provost Harris have ensured the SGPS Executive that these cuts will not affect funding provided to students from the School of Graduate Studies.” The release adds this announcement ensures the University won’t adjust their standard funding through the Queen’s Graduate Award, International Tuition Award, and other graduate student funding packages. “In a time of budget cuts, this commitment from the University is a clear sign that they are dedicated to graduate success and well-being,” the release said. In a statement to The Journal, Interim Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Tom Harris reiterated the University’s commitment to graduate students. “In looking at budget impacts and possible options to mitigate recently announced tuition cuts, the university decided to maintain the same level of funding,” he wrote,
JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
financially accessible. Queen’s is also in the process of organizing a new fundraising endeavor to increase available funds for student assistance programs. No details have been released at the time of publication. More information about the restructuring of OSAP is expected in the coming weeks. “Various strategies for revenue generation and cost reductions are being explored to help the university adjust to this reduction in revenue,” Harris said. “Further information will be shared with the Queen’s community once we have identified a path forward.”
AMS emergency Assembly recap
Continued from front ...
the Government stripping them of their adding, the funding would be maintained operating grants that are essential to primarily through the packages named in institutions’ operations,” the email read. the release. “We are very disheartened to see our Harris also noted that for individual Government do this,” Watters wrote. packages, students should be aware of “[H]owever, as an organization we their own unique circumstances when will continue to work as hard as we approaching other funding routes. can to support our students and help SGPS President Tyler Morrison began campus thrive as this is what we are conversations with the University only a mandated to do.” day after the government’s announcement on Jan. 17. AMS Emergency Assembly Recap “From there, conversations continued to happen with different administrators about President Miguel Martinez began the the effects of the announcement and what meeting by revealing AMS hiring—which this meant for SGPS members,” Morrison was supposed to begin on Feb. 8—will wrote in a statement to The Journal. be delayed until the Board of Directors The initial goal of the Executive was to determines where cuts will be made. “find out as much information as possible.” These decisions will be made over the Morrison commented on the vagueness next 48 hours. of the government’s original statement, “We will have to cut a significant amount pushing to understand the impacts the of our programming, a significant amount changes have on the Society moving forward. of the services we offer,” Martinez said. “The University has made very few “As much as we don’t want anything to promises when it comes to their repose to go, some things will unfortunately the provincial governments announcement have to go.” so for them to make graduate student Martinez projected large infrastructural funding a priority sends a strong message,” changes and “significant damage” to the Morrison wrote to The Journal. AMS, but asked Assembly and members Despite the news, Morrison believes it’s at-large to provide insight into which difficult to know what the future holds in areas of the Society they consider valuable. terms of the University’s response to tuition All commissioners gave a 10 minute reduction. He added the SGPS will, however, presentation about the value and continue its advocacy for graduate students operations of their commissions before at Queen’s. the floor opened for discussion. When asked whether the sentiment Cost-saving proposals ranged from of relief is shared among other graduate decreasing salaries to cancelling the students, Morrison was cautious to ReUnion street festival, restructuring embrace optimism. committees as clubs, and running “While this is fresh news I have not been Queen’s Model Parliament once every able to discuss with many grad students two years. as of yet,” he wrote. “However, I have to Martinez maintained nothing was believe that knowing certain portions being decided that night. However, some of their funding packages will remain at Assembly members felt uncomfortable current levels will give them some piece with the discussion’s short notice. of mind as we move further into this time ASUS President Sagal Sharma, while of uncertainty. “ recognizing the importance of the
emergency discussion, said she would have preferred to have more statistics available and data-driven conversation. “Personally, I feel very unprepared for this meeting,” she said. “While I can familiarize myself with AMS practices, I can’t speak to the levels of engagement.” Sharma added unless Assembly goes line-by-line into what happens within the AMS, she wasn’t “too sure how to have the most effective conversation.” Sharma added she would write her own report and send it to Mikela Page, chair of the board of directors, and encouraged others to do the same.
“We will have to cut a significant amount of our programming, a significant amount of the services we offer,” Martinez said. “As much as we don’t want anything to go, some things will unfortunately have to go.”
Page said if any Assembly members chose to email her personal reports, they would have until 10 a.m. on Feb. 8 because of the restricted timeline. In response to several concerns about which positions and services will be cut, Martinez stressed the difficulty of the Society’s standing in deciding what services would be removed. “It’s going to be challenging. Mistakes will be made,” he said. Students can email their thoughts about the AMS budget and which fees should be considered essential at board@ams.queensu.ca.
News
Friday, February 8, 2019
queensjournal.ca • 3
Fire alarm dye smokes out malicious pulls
Six malicious activiations in 2018 were fire alarms alone.
Residences see decrease in prank alarms after prevention project Raechel Huizinga and Angus Merry Journal Staff Students pulling residence fire alarms are facing an unexpected consequence: a bright blue hand. Until this year, a malicious fire alarm activation occurred, on average, once every eight days in Queen’s residences. In response, using 0.2 per cent of its annual budget, Residence Society installed tamper dye on hundreds of fire alarms across its buildings this year. Tamper dye, which is extremely difficult to r e m o ve , stains the hands of the person activating
the alarm, making them easy to identify. If a person tries to wash the tamper dye off with water, it turns bright blue and spreads, increasing the chance of identification. The average fire alarm acitivation is now once every 30 days. “Malicious fire alarm pulls occur each year, which is not only costly and an inconvenience, but ultimately a safety risk to students and the Kingston community,” ResSoc President Michael Coldwell wrote in a statement to The Journal. “Dealing with false alarms is an arduous process that takes time, money, and allocation of resources.” The number of malicious activations of fire alarms and extinguishers in residences increased from seven to 29 between 2015 and 2018. Six of the 29 malicious activations in 2018 were for fire alarms alone. Coldwell wrote ResSoc recognized this increased number
INFORMATION FOR ALL STUDENTS IMPACTED BY SEXUAL VIOLENCE GET HELP, GIVE HELP
of malicious pulls at the beginning of the school year, causing the Society to team up with Residence Life and Queen’s Environmental Health and Safety to install the dye in the majority of residence pull stations. The tamper dye was advertised to students through posters and social media once installed. “We believe that tying in this initiative with the educational piece has been why it has proved successful,” Coldwell wrote. He added the initiative’s small up-front costs and long-term savings make the tamper dye installations “well worth the cost.”
The number of malicious activations of fire alarms and extinguishers in residences increased from seven to 29 between 2015 and 2018.
“We saw this as a win-win in terms of student wellness, community safety, and fiscal responsibility,” he wrote. Coldwell also wrote that, because the tamper dye is expected to last several years, it’s
a sustainable solution. According to Residence Life Director Kate Murray, there was still active dye on some of the fire alarms treated with tamper dye eight years ago. She also cited the installations of Stopper II’s last fall as a “major deterrent to malicious pull stations activations” in a statement to The Journal. Stopper II’s are translucent covers placed over pull stations to add an extra layer of deterrence for individuals activating fire alarms. To get to the actual fire alarm, the cover has to be opened. “When opened there is a loud, high-pitched alarm, which tends to scare people,” Murray wrote. If the Stopper II’s alarm deters a malicious pull, Kingston Fire and Rescue won’t come to the scene and Residence Life will avoid getting billed for an unnecessary activation. Kingston Fire and Rescue gives everyone a clean slate at the beginning of each year, and the first time a false alarm occurs, buildings get off with a warning. The second time, the fee goes up to $250. Every false alarm after that results in a fee of $500. “We are billed for certain types of activation, for example, malicious tampering of a detector or a fire alarm activation due to a
PHOTO BY ANGUS MERRY
fire extinguisher being discharged maliciously,” Murray wrote. “Some of these activations may be student related activity.” Students still cover malicious activations through their student fees, even if the culprit wasn’t a student. “Residences operations are self-sustaining and so when residences are billed for a false fire alarm activation, operating costs are collected from fees,” Murray wrote. Because malicious activations of fire alarms are a criminal code offense, any individual behind a malicious activation falls under the criminal system, in addition to non-academic discipline. The Residence Conduct system can apply sanctions up to and including removal from residence to individuals who maliciously activate alarms. “One thing that I’d like to emphasize is that, at the end of the day, our biggest priority is safety for students and the community,” Coldwell wrote. “While we believe that we’ve made great strides in improving fire safety this year, we recognize there’s always room for improvement, and are always eager to chatting about new ideas or initiatives to help create a safer culture in residence.”
queensu.ca/sexualviolencesupport Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Coordinator, Barb Lotan bjl7@queensu.ca
Victoria Hall.
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News
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Friday, February 8, 2019
Ontario’s largest post-secondary survey findings months behind promised publication 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 year ago, more than 650,000 post-secondary students were invited to participate in a survey about sexual violence. The results are nowhere to be found a year later. The Ministry of Advanced The survey was administered one year ago. Education and Skills Development (MAESD) launched the Student Voices on Sexual Violence survey last February to better understand sexual violence on university campuses in Ontario. It was the largest post-secondary survey ever conducted in Ontario and achieved the participation of more than 160,000 students. C o n d u c te d by CC I Research—located in Orangeville, ON—reports on the findings of to view some provincial and sector satisfaction with institutional the survey were promised to level survey results.” responses to sexual violence [and] both institutions and the public There are no survey results behaviour of bystanders.” last fall. available anywhere on the Made up of more than 50 The Student Voices on Sexual website. Queen’s has confirmed questions, the survey asked Violence website, however, has to The Journal on more than students questions about a wide been inactive for months. one occasion it hasn’t received variety of topics, from consent “Over the coming months, the any results. and the process of disclosures data collected will be analyzed According to its website, the to transparency about a school’s and reports will be provided to the survey’s five main themes were sexual violence, policy, and Ministry of Advanced Education “knowledge of sexual violence bystander intervention. and Skills Development as well supports, services and reporting For example, one section of as each institution,” the website procedures, perceptions of consent, the survey asked students to rate states. “Check back here in the Fall experiences of sexual violence, their level of agreement with
JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
University yet to receive Student Voices on Sexual Violence survey results
statements like “consent for sex one time is consent for future sex” and “if you and your sexual partner are both drunk, you don’t have to worry about consent.” The survey further collected information on whether institutions were actively informing its students about the processes of filing reports and receiving academic accommodations following an incident of sexual violence or leaving it up to students to find on
their own. The survey also aimed to analyze institutional response to disclosures of sexual violence. It asked students to rate the likelihood of whether, after an incident of sexual violence, a student “would be believed” and if supports would be offered to the student by their schools. Aside from practical information, the survey also asked students probing questions such as, “How often have you been in a situation in which someone touched you in a way that made you feel uncomfortable?” or, “Sent or posted unwelcome sexual comments, rumours, jokes, or pictures of you by text, email, social media, or other electronic means?” After providing students with a trigger warning, survey participants were also asked whether they’d ever been sexually assaulted, with the question explicitly describing the act. Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Merrilee Fullerton didn’t respond to multiple requests by The Journal for an interview by time of publication. The MAESD promised a compiled report of the findings would inform school sexual violence policy changes and suggest ways institutions can improve its relationship with survivors. In 2016, the Ontario government passed Bill 132, a law requiring all post-secondary schools to create and implement sexual violence policies and review them once every three years. With that deadline looming for Jan. 1, 2020, it remains to be seen whether the voices of over 160,000 students will be considered. This story is developing and will be updated with more information. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca
AMS signs province-wide plea for Student Choice Initiative repeal President Martinez and Universities Merrilee Fullerton. The AMS was one of the student unions involved in the drafting and publication of the letter. “Everything that the AMS is able to provide would be impacted by Luca Dannetta this [change]” President Miguel Martinez said in an interview with Contributor The Journal. “Anything from a bus On Jan. 29, student unions from pass to peer support services to across Canada signed an open the Queen’s Pub to the Publishing letter criticizing Ontario’s Student & Copy Center could potentially be Choice Initiative. under threat.” The announced initiative According to Martinez, allows post-secondary students opt-outs could threaten the to opt out of “non-essential” fees funding for orientation week, the that fund student-led clubs and Academic Affairs and Social Issues organizations. The open letter calls Commissions, and committees Ford’s recent educational finance for environmental stability and reforms “a firm step backwards” mental health. which will result in more student He cited the significant debt and less access to affordable employment opportunities that post-secondary education. could be eliminated by threats The letter was collectively to funding. “This initiative, here drafted and revised by student at Queen’s alone, could eliminate representatives from universities close to a 1,000 [jobs],” he said. across Ontario and signed by more The letter indicated that than 70 students’ associations without “stable, predictable from across Canada, claiming funding, student unions will be to represent over 1.3 million forced to end a wide variety of post-secondary students. It was programs and services.” addressed to Premier Doug Ford It urges Premier Ford to repeal and Minister of Training, Colleges, the Student Choice Initiative and
warns against precedent set by education reform
Student unions signed the letter on Jan. 29.
consult with student associations before moving forward. The letter compares the Student Choice Initiative to “allowing voters to opt-out of paying their taxes to police services or libraries.” Martinez additionally pointed to fees being passed through frequent referendums. Every three years, several student activity fees are up for renewal, cancellation, or adjustment on the basis of a popular vote. “Fees do get cut sometimes,” Martinez said, “but students have
continued to support these fees because they continue to support the initiatives that the fees are going to.” “This is an initiative that won’t necessarily just impact students in Ontario: it sets precedent on a national scale.” The sentiment is echoed in the letter, warning, “students will be less safe, more vulnerable to failure, and less able to gain the skills and work-related experience they’ll need to find jobs after graduation.” Among the Province’s other changes to OSAP,
GRAPHIC BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN
the Ford government cut grant-based funding and removed the six-month post-graduation interest-free grace period for tuition. The program also redefines the designation of mature student by requiring students to be out of high school for six years instead of four before qualifying as an independent. The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance has since published a forum where students can share how the recent change have affected them.
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EDITORIALS
The Journal’s Perspective
THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Volume 146 Issue 21 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873
Editorial Board Sebastian Bron
Editors in Chief
Nick Pearce Julia Balakrishnan
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Job interviews could use some spontaneity
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When a prospective employer asks for a skit or to see your Spotify playlist during an interview, they may be promoting creativity—but they owe interviewees some rationale. Olivia Bland, a 22-year-old U.K. woman, recently went viral for her description of an “interview from hell,” where a web company’s CEO criticized everything from her posture to her playlists in an interview. The firm’s avoidance of structured interview questions was allegedly intended to foster an informal sense of interviewees’ working personalities. However, the executive’s derisive input calls unstructured interview formats into question. As tech, design, and other creativity jobs abound in the employment market, potential employers have every right to pursue a sense of their candidates’ work styles and characters. Interview questions ranging from a favourite movie to a favourite meme often reveal people’s personality and character. But when those questions make people feel uncomfortable, they diminish the professional nature of the interviewing company as a whole. Traditionally, interviews are structured,
ILLUSTRATION BY ZIER ZHOU
asking every candidate the same questions. for. Even within our own student This format allows candidates to prepare government’s hiring processes, and gives everyone a fair chance. They the opportunity to express your mitigate bias, limiting interviewers’ chances individuality is valuable when pursuing to pursue questioning that could reveal a position. personal biases or prejudices. Unstructured interviews should That said, creative companies benefit always have a clear intent. For instance, from creative questions. They bring out if interviewing for a design firm, technical personality because they’ll eventually be questions might be followed by asking working side-by-side with their successful a candidate about their favourite design candidate, and they ensure the chosen work. Similarly, someone interviewing in person reflects their workplace’s values food services might be asked about their and spirit. favourite meal. That mix of structured These questions can cross appropriate and unstructured questions assess boundaries. Bland’s case went too far candidates for their originality. when her interviewer actively expressed Bridging the divide of fun and formal his opinions about her responses to his brings out people’s personality, but only unstructured questions—he diminished the where effective. A workplace needs to entire company’s professionalism through encourage best-suited candidates to his criticism. flourish under the strictures of the While it’s beneficial for interviewees to institution’s environment and goals. understand the person interviewing them, Whether that’s accomplished that can’t come at the cost of a candidate’s through anti-oppressive hiring respect and dignity. training or a curated list of “fun” Unconventional interview questions questions, job candidates need to can be more telling than cut-and-dried be treated with respect and professionalism, lines of inquiry. They show candidate regardless of their favourite meme. personality and working style, revealing who those people are and what they stand —Journal Editorial Board
Autonomy is essential
when taking birth control PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON
T egwyn H ughes
When someone starts to consider taking birth control, they might not be getting the full story. The level of information women receive from their doctors about hormonal birth control can vary wildly. What too many doctors don’t communicate to their patients is that when a person takes hormonal birth control, the bleeding they experience on a placebo dosage isn’t a period. Instead, the body experiences withdrawal bleeding—a reaction to the lack of estrogen when hormonal dosage stops. ‘Skipping’ your period on birth control by ignoring placebo pills has been widely misunderstood. Medical studies show minimal effects when skipping withdrawal bleeding.
If someone’s concerned about becoming pregnant, the placebos can be reassuring. Additionally, someone skipping placebo pills may experience inconvenient breakthrough bleeding. However, some may prefer the alternative. Cramping, acne, headaches, and symptoms worsened by conditions like endometriosis—the abnormal growth of uterine tissue outside the uterus—can be reduced by taking hormonal birth control continuously. It’s vital to establish there’s nothing wrong or unnatural about menstruation—it’s part of a person’s reproductive cycle. However, it can also be painful and inconvenient. According to historian Jonathan Eig, the male doctors who developed the hormonal contraceptive pill inserted a monthly break in the pill’s cycle to make it seem more natural to patients. As a result, a marketing technique invented by men has dictated the reproductive habits of women since the 1950s. It shouldn’t be up to a doctor’s discretion or marketing norms to determine whether someone’s informed about their options or not. Women should be given a clear choice about how they can use hormonal
birth control. This is one of the many ways women are blocked from making their own educated choices. Doctors have recently been cited for refusing to perform elective sterilizations on women. The common justification is that women will change their minds and want children in the future. Considering how accessible vasectomies are for men, this explanation feels biased. On the other hand, a group of 50 Indigenous women sued the province of Saskatchewan in 2017 after doctors allegedly forced them to be sterilized. In both instances, doctors barred women from making autonomous, fully-informed decisions about their bodies. Doctors must face their biases and respect the wishes of their patients. Until that happens, women need to educate themselves about the medical care they receive. The first step towards reproductive autonomy is education. Where it’s lacking in the examination room, it must be encouraged in patients.
Tegwyn is The Journal’s Copy Editor. She’s a third-year History major.
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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: 613-533-2800 Business Office: 613-533-6711 Fax: 613-533-6728 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Please address complaints and grievances to the Editor in Chiefs. The Queen’s Journal is printed on a Goss Community press by Performance Group of Companies in Smiths Falls, Ontario. Contents © 2019 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
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OPINIONS
Your Perspective
•7
Talking heads ... around campus
When circumstance leads to insight: women undervalued in university settings
PHOTOS BY TESSA WARBURTON
How are you dealing with the cold weather?
How patriarchy impacts the standard of education comparison to men who’ll confidently shout their answer without reluctance. Even volume, something that seems insignificant, differs between men and women. Repeatedly, I watch female students raise a point in class, only to be yelled over by a boy—sometimes with an identical point—whose voice is prioritized. Upon discussion, my high school peers observe the same phenomenon, regardless of whether they’ve gone into ArtSci, Kinesiology or Commerce. But when I brought the topic up to my friends educated in co-ed environments, these classroom trends were considered typical. Despite the fact my classmates at Queen’s see this as normal, male students receive more instruction from teachers and are eight times more likely than girls to call out answers, according to a report by the American Association of University Women. PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON Carolyn advocates for gender equality in academics. Gender discrepancies at Queen’s don’t exist in a Carolyn Svonkin, students, while disregarding right vacuum. Male contributions in the ArtSci ’22 answers when they’re supplied by classroom are valued over female female students. contributions—no matter how The male dominance in academics At the beginning of first subtly—based on the history of at Queen’s is subtle. But coming semester, I often waited to male-dominated culture. from a unique background, it’s participate until I knew I could More often than not, the amplified for me. offer TAs a correct answer. In biases we hold are implicit and Having spent the past six high school, this wasn’t the slowly fostered since childhood. years in an all-girls school, the case. The all-girls culture Most of my male friends would idea of gendered spheres didn’t was one. where we were be just as shocked and upset exist simply because they couldn’t. encouraged to use our wrong to hear that I feel secondary or Granted this perspective, my answers as a means of finding uncomfortable in class. first year at Queen’s unveiled the the right ones—participation By 2019, much of the presence of male preference in had validity. blatant sexism our mothers and co-ed classrooms—from subject Now, I find myself afraid grandmothers experienced in matter to verbal evaluation. of being shot down if I say the past has been addressed I first noticed it in my something incorrect. and accepted as a problem. tutorials, when male students However, that doesn’t were often afforded the benefit Repeatedly I watch mean these attitudes have of the doubt more than females dissolved. female students raise a completely when they answered questions In my history class, we point in class, only incorrectly. They often received read the works of 66 thinkers a response from TAs of, “I that are supposed to represent to be yelled over think maybe what you mean is an overview of the Western by a boy—sometimes intellectual canon. Six of those […]” rather than being told they with an identical were wrong. thinkers are female. Anecdotally speaking, a friend Similar ratios exist in many point—whose voice of mine shares this frustration of my other classes, giving the is prioritized. with their TA, who constantly impression that women are questions every girl’s answers simply spectators in a great male in her tutorial while being far In isolation, this could be story of humankind. This kind more accepting of similar points chalked up to normal frosh fear. of academic preference made by men. Although reactions But in reality, my behaviour is encourages gender disparity in to these instances may appear part of a wider trend of women’s the study itself. oversensitive, this is a common voices in the classroom being When women in history theme throughout most overwhelmed by that of their aren’t sought out as much as post-secondary institutions. male counterpart’s. they should be in attempts for Studies show that teachers I often notice my female peers equal representation, it implies tend to overlook wrong answers waiting patiently and quietly female voices are unimportant. when interacting with male with their hands raised, in Gender preference at Queen’s
“
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goes beyond these academic subtleties—it’s embedded into the physical institution. In December, I took an exam in an engineering building. When I asked where the washroom was, I was told I’d have to go through a corridor that connected the building to the neighboring one. The building my exam was in simply didn’t have a women’s washroom. A quick Google search led me to find out that at Queen’s, female professors are paid approximately $11,667 less per year than male professors—and this is one of the smaller wage gaps as far as Canadian universities go.
women “inWhen history aren’t
sought out as much as they should be in attempts for equal representation, it implies female voices are unimportant.
”
All of these facts seem to chalk up to an overall undervaluing of women as academics and members of the Queen’s community. This is the direct context of the behaviour I’ve noticed. If this is the sentiment our courses and infrastructure at Queen’s imbue in us, we can’t be shocked that it translates into real effects in the classroom. While a societal re-vamp may be out of reach, Queen’s specific factors aren’t. We can easily push for the inclusion of a wider variety of authors in our syllabi and support female professors by showing up to their talks and citing their research. Once we become more aware of classroom gender dynamics, positive and progressive changes in behaviour will follow. Raising these issues from the subconscious to the conscious doesn’t take much, but it can make a big difference. We’ve been afforded the post-secondary privilege of time and opportunity to think about our ability in influencing culture and perceptions. If we’re aware of the challenges gender presents in academia both societally and systemically, we can begin to dismantle them. Maybe by the time our kids get to Queen’s, equality won’t take as much effort.
Carolyn Svonkin is a first-year General Arts student.
“Appropriate footwear and leaving early for class.” Tyler Mizuyabu CompSci ’19
“I’m drinking a lot of chai lattes, and spending a lot of money.” Jehan Irfan ArtSci ’22
“Oh god. I skip more classes than I go to.” Ellie Hoard ArtSci ’21
“I try to stay in as much as possible.” Sampson Lu ArtSci ’19
Contributions
Like what you see? Contribute an op-ed to journal_letters@ ams.queensu.ca
8 • queensjournal.ca
Friday, February 8, 2019
Arts
SINGER PROFILE
Singer-songwriter Amanda Rheaume finds her roots Musician uses new album to explore Anishinaabe heritage Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor Amanda Rheaume hated singing. Now, it’s her strongest connection to the family she never met. Over the last decade, Rheaume has established herself in Canadian music in a variety of genres. Ranging from country to Americana roots pop, Rheaume’s voice has a folksy soft crackle that makes for smooth, easy listening. In her new album, The Skin I’m In, Rheaume explores her roots through stories she’s recovered about a family she never got the chance to meet. Playing at Trout Forest Music Festival in Ear Falls, ON in 2017, she met a man named Rob, who owned Cherob Resort, where she was staying. He recognized her last name and mentioned that he grew up with her great grandfather Gerald, a man Rheaume never met herself. The resort owner offered her a new opportunity to learn about where she came from. It was overwhelming, and Rheaume ended up waiting until the following summer to take advantage and listen to his stories. “I went back a year later [in 2018] and I brought a recorder, rented a cabin, then
She’s reflected and worked hard to feel more comfortable in her own skin, shedding her insecurities. “It’s [music] about loving yourself, and then hopefully encouraging others to do got Rob and his brothers to that as well,” Rheaume tell me all the things they said. “It’s about becoming could remember. They comfortable with who I am, took me out on a boat and all the different facets and to Gerald’s hunting cabin and all that make up me.” the places I never would’ve seen if I One thing Rheaume has never played that festival,” Rheaume told learned through this journey The Journal. is that people don’t Hearing about her great grandfather’s have to look life gave her insight into Anishinaabe or act a culture and the side of her family that certain way she’d never known. to be who Her great grandmother had they are. been sent away from Gerald “I wanted when she was young. The to raise decision was meant to awareness offer her a “better life,” about body but resulted in Rheaume norms, gender growing up completely n o r m s , disconnected from sexuality her culture. norms, all Now, Rheaume uses her these societal music to process what she’s norms that learned about her distant I think we relatives, and her great all feel like PHOTO SUPPLIED BY BETH CAVANAUGH grandmother’s original Amanda Rheaume. we have home. She explores themes to fit into. of identity through her music, especially in She said her music helps her to uncover If you’re an Indigenous person you her most recent album, The Skin I’m In. that identity for herself and learn more look this way, if you’re a woman “Connecting back with Anishnaabe every day. you look this way, if you’re trans, culture and ways of life is an ongoing The Skin I’m In has nine songs, one you look that way.” process for me. I grew up in Barrhaven, a of them being the title track which “So I wanted to do something suburb in Ottawa,” Rheaume said. “I grew Rheaume hopes inspires others that brought awareness to the fact up really white and with no complaints at to explore their own identity that we don’t have to look one way if all, I just didn’t have to deal with things that the way she has over these last we identify in one way,” Rheaume said. a lot of Indigenous people have to deal with.” few years.
PERFORMANCE
Project Red takes student fashion ‘pulse’ Campus fashion show educates students on heart health Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor Project Red is working to make heart health fashionable. This Friday, the organization is hosting its annual fashion show in Grant Hall to raise awareness and donate to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. In its ninth year at Queen’s, Project Red also aims to educate students on the dangers of heart disease and unhealthy habits. Using student skills in fashion, dance, and videography throughout the night, Project Red’s hope is to attract enough students to meet their top donation goal of $30, 000. Last year, they raised enough to write a cheque—which was signed and delivered onstage—for $25,000. With an aim to at least meet the same amount, they hope to raise more. “We’re hoping to raise $30,000 if the sales go as projected, but we definitely don’t want to go below $25,000,” co-director Natalie Shaw, ArtSci ’19, told The Journal. “We want to keep getting bigger and better every year just to make the people who started this club proud.” Reflecting on Project Red’s success throughout the years, Shaw said the event is rewarding despite the hard work. This year, she managed a team with up to 12 sub-committees. Being a co-director, she said the hiring was an inspiring process. “When you go to meetings or a model or dance practice, you walk in and see people from different walks of life interacting. It’s
neat to see everyone become friends and will start with a genesis stage, followed by an look out for one another,” Shaw said. adolescence, maturity, and rebirth stage. This When hiring creative director, Tamam year’s emphasis is on celebrating our health Fadhil, ArtSci ’19, Shaw said his confidence and the bodies that take us through so many and commitment to achieving a creative experiences. vision from the start. “This year, more so than ever we’re “I had no idea he had a creative bone in focusing on appreciating our bodies for the his body. When he came to his interview fact they allow us to be in the world, rather with all these ideas, I said I loved them than getting upset [they don’t] look a certain and asked if he could make them come to way,” Shaw said. life and he said, ‘Watch me do it,’” Shaw The event is relevant on a university said. “Now he’s been taking this whole campus, Shaw said, despite the common year by storm.” perception that heart disease is an older Shaw credits the success of Project Red person’s problem. to the hardworking and talented students who apply each year. She said that without their dedication to important causes—like student health—Project Red wouldn’t be able to support the Heart and Stroke Foundation to the extent they do. Part of the appeal is each year’s unique theme. This year, it’s “Pulse.” Starting at 7:30 p.m., the show’s is a celebration of life. Not through the physical appearance of models—as is typical with fashion shows—but by exploring how our bodies function. Shaw says the show Ishta Xavier, Lindsey Soon, Cassidy Timlin, Jessica Somersall.
She added Project Red works hard to educate people throughout the year, not just at their fashion shows, about how heart disease is also a young person’s issue. Many women d o n’ t know that birth control affects your heart function, and smoking while on the pill can worsen the problem dramatically. “I think it’s important to educate people and make sure they’re aware of how important it is,” Shaw said.
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY NATALIE SHAW
Arts
Friday, February 8, 2019 Ellen Nagy Staff Writer An exhibit at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre features contemporary Indigenous artists weaving their voices and identities into the fabric of Queen’s. Soundings: An Exhibition in Five Parts, on display until April 7, l e ave s visitors with a disoriented feeling, echoing the unsettled state Canadian Indigenous communities occupy as a consequence of settler colonialism. The exhibit is affiliated with The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, providing visitors with a rich display of Indigenous culture through various modes of art, including music, theatre, dance, and visual arts. Soundings, curated by Candice Hopkins and Dylan Robinson, features fourteen Indigenous artists who’ve devised clever ways to communicate an Indigenous voice and presence on campus. The Queen’s acknowledgement of territory reads, “Queen’s University is situated on traditional Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Territory,” but this exhibit diverts from this clear cut assertion of Indigenous land, and presents identity as subtle, interactive, and innovative.
COMMENTARY
queensjournal.ca
VISUAL ARTS
Indigenous artists challenge gallery visitors
Soundings art exhibit reclaims identity and space at the Agnes There are multiple layers to These experiences, combined An example of this is the many of the installations. Some with visual displays, demand vinyl transfer on Mac-Corry include Indigenous Hall entitled “Never artifacts at later Stuck” by Ogimaa dates during the Mikana, an artist exhibit’s run, some collective focused on have live music affirming Anishinaabe performances identity in the attached to them, public sphere. and others require This installation participation from has an accompanying museum visitors. booklet in the Soundings is also Agnes, both written a listening exhibit. in the language It incorporates a of the Anishinaabe variety of different people. The work sounds, ranging from focuses on resistance the sound of glass of the Anishinaabe beads on metal to before, during and after classical composer colonization. There’s George Rochberg’s Raven Chacon and Cristobal Martinez’s PHOTO BY ELLEN NAGY no translation of the “Caprice Variations for “A song often played on the radio.” written words. solo violin,” to drum The expectation is portraits, to film audio. the attention of visitors, that visitors will experience asking them to consider how Anishinaabe culture through orchestration and music the language. resist colonization. Soundings also embeds The exhibit extends beyond the itself into Queen’s culture in Agnes, with installations found other ways. Tania Willard’s across campus. “Surrounded/Surrounding”
Québécois films are worthy of national exposure Canadian Screen Awards recognizes French films Brigid Goulem Arts Editor French-Canadian films dominated the nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards. For those who follow the French-Canadian film scene closely, this was no surprise. But for most Canadians, this is the first they’ve ever heard of most of the films nominated. Films such as Une colonie, Chien de garde, Genèse, Dans la bume, and La grande noirceur, sound more like your list of high school French vocabulary
words than the nominees for Best Film at the Canadian Screen Awards. You can’t blame anglophone ignorance either, as most of these films have barely seen the big screen outside of Quebec. The reality is most Fre n c h - C a n a d i a n films rarely make it outside francophone communities. In a recent article for the Globe and Mail, film critic Barry Hertz praised the celebration of these films but was quick to recognize that many of them are massively under-appreciated outside of Quebec—and he was happy to take responsibility for his own complicity. “The sad truth is that I’ve only seen La grande noirceur, at this past fall’s Toronto International Film Festival, and I’d wager that few other English-language critics, to say nothing of audiences, have been exposed to the works,” Hertz wrote. The fact so many French-Canadian films are produced with little fanfare in Canada is surprising given they tend to be the most successful films in the country. H e r t z
Theodore Pellerin in Chien de Garde.
writes that seven of 2018’s top-grossing films in Canada were from Quebec. Ricardo Trogi’s comedy, 1991, which is the highest grossing Canadian film of the year, having raked in $3.05 million this year, hasn’t been properly screened in Toronto or Vancouver. This year, Canada’s submission to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film was Chien de Garde, yet Hertz points out many Canadians would have never recognized it as a Canadian film. Perhaps the reason these films receive so little attention outside of Ontario is there are so many English alternatives coming out of Hollywood—we’re flooded with American options. For theatres, it makes more financial sense to screen big Hollywood
films rather than lesser-known, French-Canadian films. While these films do well in Quebec as well, dubbed over scripts rarely connect with
If the best content we are producing is in French, it should be distributed to the rest of the country.
audiences. In Quebec, there’s more of a market for French language films, as v i e we r s a re looking for high-quality films that are accessible to them in their first language. There are plenty high of quality films coming out of Quebec, but it doesn’t make sense that these
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is composed of four parts. The physical piece of the installation is the display of a score and fire ring surrounded by stumps of wood. The setting is inviting and fosters conversation, bringing people together. The fire ring and wooden stools will be donated to Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre once the exhibit has concluded, leaving a lasting impression on the Queen’s community. The exhibit is by no means easy to navigate. It can be overwhelming to try and decipher the multiple levels of meaning embedded within the installations. The reception staff is helpful at answering questions, but the exhibit is also meant to be dizzying. The artists of the exhibit have effectively communicated the uncertain feeling Indigenous communities experience in Canada as a result of the effects of colonization. The exhibit plays a recording of Toronto based violinist and composer Pamela Attariwala performing Pe t e r M o r i n’ s “NDN Love Songs,” singing, “[a] decolonized body has the ability to remake love/loving/ sex/sexuality”—a particularly relevant sentiment. The exhibit is unsettling in the way it speaks to visitors, but it shakes the observer into a new way of thinking about what it means to decolonize and reclaim space.
SCREENSHOTS FROM YOUTUBE
films aren’t being screened elsewhere. There should be a greater onus on theatres to offer viewers the opportunity to view French-Canadian films. Canadian viewers enjoy our culture. If the best content we are producing is in French, it should be distributed to the rest of the country. The linguistic barrier doesn’t seem l i ke a good enough excuse. Films like Incendie and Bon Cop, Bad Cop are quite popular among anglophones and had both critical and popular success . Evidently, viewers don’t have an aversion to subtitles or unfamiliar languages if the films they’re watching are good. Canadians deserve a chance to decide if these French films are worth it.
10 •queensjournal.ca
Friday, February 8, 2019
Sports
MEN’S HOCKEY
Gaels lose 133rd Carr-Harris Cup 5-1 to RMC
Queen’s score once despite 47 shots, lose Cup for first time since 2017
Powderpuff football is a three-team women’s football league, with 90 athletes.
RECREATION
PHOTO BY JEFF CHAN
Forward Alex Row.
PHOTOS BY MATT SCACE
Powderpuff football tackles female engagement All-female team making sport more accessible for women on campus Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor There’s a new face for the future of football at Queen’s—and it’s female. Powderpuff is a women’s-only winter flag football league with approximately 90 women split between three different Kingston Powderpuff teams. Each team is separate from one another and holds different practice times. They compete in at least two tournaments at universities across Ontario and routinely against other Queen’s teams. Currently, Kingston Powderpuff isn’t associated with the University because of an infraction the team made after winning a tournament at Wilfred Laurier University in 2013. It was reinstated in 2014, but not under the Queen’s moniker—it acts separately from the university. At other Canadian institutions, Powderpuff teams are run by upper-year women. But at Queen’s, the league is organized by members of the men’s football team when their varsity season ends. One of the Kingston Powderpuff coaches, fourth-year wide receiver Chris Osei-Kusi, said about half of the women in the league are varsity athletes—though the sport is open to everyone. “It’s just another avenue for girls to play a sport and do something active and live an active lifestyle,” Osei-Kusi told The Journal in an interview. To promote inclusivity, no women are cut from the team. “Skill level isn’t a number one
priority for us. If you’re committed, we’ll coach you,” he added. Osei-Kusi said Powderpuff athletes have become more dedicated to the sport over time. Whereas in past years recruiting players fell on coaches, this year the athletes have been proactive in reaching out. “We’ve definitely transitioned to having girls who want to be there every single week, want to play games, girls that want to get better.” Fourth-year Courtney MacNiven, who’s played on Osei-Kusi’s Powderpuff team for two years, said much of the recruiting process for players comes from the women already on the team. Their team this season has seen plenty of players return for their second year in the sport. “We realized how fun it was,
“We need to establish a strong female presence in the flag football community to create more inclusion in high school.” —Connor McQuilkin
and we wanted to get others,” she said. MacNiven also mentioned a number of her teammates used to play similar sports in high school, but didn’t pursue them at the collegiate level. “Varsity is a really big commitment, and it’s hard to balance things often times,” she said. “If [women] don’t make the teams [at Queen’s], [Powderpuff] is a really good alternative that’s really competitive and fun.” MacNiven noted turning the team into a Varsity Club would be beneficial to the structure of future teams.
Since being desanctioned in 2013, Queen’s Powderpuff team has rebounded quickly with ex-football player Luke McQuilkin starting the team up again in 2014. His younger brother, fourth-year Connor McQuilkin, is currently the head coach for one of Queen’s three Powderpuff teams. He said anyone can play—and many women find athletic skills they didn’t know they had in the process. “So many [women] watch [football] and understand the rules and how to play it,” McQuilkin said. “Some of these girls are so Captain Spencer Abraham celebrates scoring the Gaels’ only goal. willing to learn, and they improve every practice because they listen to us and they actually trust our process.” McQuilkin is excited to have a hand in the new direction of football at Queen’s. “I’m just trying to create a sport where it’s not male-dominated,” he said. “Because right now, most sports have a women’s and a [men’s team], but for football it’s mostly male,” he said. “With all the studies with football and head injuries, the future in youth football—elementary, junior, high school—is going to be flag football,” he added. “But we need Forward Duncan Campbell. Forward Alex Row. to establish a strong female presence in the flag football community to create more inclusion in high school.” MacNiven said her experience with Powderpuff has been an indelible part of her Queen’s experience. “Powderpuff has been a great way for my teammates and I to relieve stress and have fun in a competitive setting,” she said. “No matter how my week’s been, I always end up happy and excited to share the field with some amazing athletes and coaches.” RMC celebrates their first goal of the game.
Friday, February 8, 2019
queensjournal.ca
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WOMEN’S HOCKEY
Gaels earn much-needed points in weekend wins Gaels beat Laurier 3-0, squeeze past Waterloo 3-2 in overtime This story first appeared online on Feb. 5.
each other, Waterloo amassed three penalties—one for hooking and two for slashing. Matt Scace Despite Queen’s going scoreless in the Sports Editor five-on-three powerplay, Waterloo was handed a fourth penalty with 2:28 left for With a share of luck, the women’s hockey body checking. Just over 20 seconds later, team (12-8-1-0) came out of their final home fourth-year Katrina Manoukarakis tied the stand of the season with two wins. game, sending the teams to overtime. On Friday, the Gaels shut out the Laurier Fourth-year Katrina Manoukarakis Golden Hawks (4-16-0-1) 3-0, and on scoring the game-tying goal. Saturday night’s senior’s game, snuck past In overtime, DeBruin streaked up the left Waterloo (9-6-1-4) 3-2 in overtime. The side of the ice, slid past Waterloo’s defender pair of wins brought Queen’s into sixth place and squeaked the puck into the back of the in the OUA, and they have three games left net. Despite taking a few seconds to register in the regular season to better position she’d scored, the Gaels’ bench stormed the themselves come playoff time. ice to celebrate. Against Laurier, the Gaels took control “We were called throughout the game early on with a goal from forward Caroline for retaliation,” Holmberg said of Waterloo’s DeBruin midway through the opening late-game penalties. “The refs just kept it period. After the first intermission, Queen’s consistent and called them for doing the built on their lead twice in the first four same thing.” minutes with a goal from defenseman Devon Despite an unexpected ending, Holmberg Greenough and another from DeBruin. knew the game would be close: Waterloo Limiting Laurier to only 17 shots, trailed Queen’s by three points in the OUA goaltender Makenzy Arsenault backstopped standings going into the game. PHOTO SUPPLIED BY KARLY KADRINKO the Gaels in her fourth shutout of the season. “Waterloo’s a very good team, as we Karly Kurdinko (right) finished third in the her division. With the win, Arsenault put herself atop know from past years. I’m not surprised that the OUA for goals-against average with 1.17. it went to overtime,” he said. WRESTLING “I thought we had a really good start and Now sixth in the OUA, Queen’s has three I was happy with our overall game,” Head games left and the opportunity to finish Coach Matt Holmberg told The Journal of his top-four in the league. Their 38 points put team’s 3-0 win over Laurier. them closely behind Toronto (39), Nipissing On Saturday’s senior’s night, in front of a (39), Ryerson (40), and Western (42). crowd of the team’s parents, the Gaels were Guelph has unofficially secured first in the locked in a fight with Waterloo until the league with 50 points. final whistle. Despite leading 1-0 going into “If we can win the next three games, top the second period, Queen’s gave up their four is almost a certainty. That would get us first goal of the game midway through the home-ice in the first round, so that’s our goal second. Backed by strong goaltending, both right now,” Holmberg said. teams entered the final frame tied 1-1. The Gaels’ final three opponents all sit Looking to break the tie in the third behind them in the standings—on Thursday period, Waterloo went up 2-1 10 minutes they’re set to play the University of Ontario into the final period after a scrum in front Institute of Technology (9-11-1-1), and will of goaltender Stephanie Pascal. Unable to take on the York Lions (5-10-3-1) on Friday. generate offense, the Gaels’ luck turned “Hopefully we’re peaking at the right in the final six minutes. Within 1:33 of time,” Holmberg said. Max Bradshaw exciting,” she said. After going down 8-0 Staff Writer early in the match—reaching 10 points seals the win for a wrestler—Abel fought back. The women’s wrestling team made it onto “She came back in the second round to pin the podium twice at the OUA Championships the girl. For her to come back after that sort in Guelph this past weekend. of deficit was really exciting.” Wrestlers Megan Abel and Karly Both were large victories for the Kudrinko both finished in third place in the comparatively smaller Queen’s team. 51 and 55 kilogram divisions, respectively. Kudrinko spoke on behalf of the team Overall, Queen’s finished in sixth place about their performance this season, among the female programs competing exuding pride about overcoming Ontario’s at the tournament. Brock added to their larger programs. dominant reputation, finishing in first place “We surpassed a lot of people’s for the fifth straight year. expectations. Even though we are a According to Kudrinko, Brock’s been the small program, coming sixth at the OUA strongest wrestling program for some time. championships on the women’s side was a With Brock’s women’s team having won strong result.” 18 of the past 22 OUA titles, she said the With the provincial championships Gaels often struggle to break through to the behind them, the Gaels are now turning podium. The Gaels’ sixth place finish was a their attention to the U Sports National large improvement from 2017-18, when Championships. With the tournament they finished eighth overall. on Feb. 22-24 in Calgary, the Gaels are “They usually have athletes competing in primarily proud to be representing Queen’s Athabasca University has over 850 courses every weight class, while we only had a total on a national scale, Kudrinko said. to choose from to meet your needs and of eight athletes competing at OUA’s this “We don’t really have expectations year,” Kudrinko said. going in. We’re looking forward to going to courses start every month. AU has over Kudrinko and Abel both had a chance Calgary and we’re happy that all of our 6,600 transfer agreements around the world to give Queen’s a podium finish and they hard work has given us the chance to (including with this institution). capitalized on the opportunity. Kudrinko compete for Queen’s on the national level.” said her match was a little shorter, defeating The team is hoping to build off a strong her opponent in the first few minutes. 2018-19 season, and will try to keep “It was pretty quick—I pinned her in the their momentum from nationals rolling first round,” Kudrinko said. into 2019-20. Abel, meanwhile, had an uphill battle “We have quite a few [wrestlers] going into the second half of her match returning, and we’re hoping to do some in the 51 kilogram class. Kudrinko recruiting for next year, so, hopefully described watching her teammate we can have a bigger OUA team with from the sidelines to The Journal. athletes competing in more weight “[Abel’s] match was more classes,” Kudrinko said.
Women’s wrestling comes home with two OUA bronze medals Abel, Kudrinko only Gaels to medal at provincial championships
fill a gap
in your program
12 •queensjournal.ca
Friday, February 8, 2019
VARSITY ATHLETICS
Crunch time: varsity playoff probabilities The Journal’s sports editors break down best and worst-case scenarios for Queen’s varsity teams as they close their regular seasons
Every varsity team currently has a shot of making the OUA playoffs—or has already clinched their spot.
Matt Scace & Maggie Gowland Sports Editors As varsity teams near their final regular season games, we sat back and crunched the numbers. These are our outlooks for all six teams. We’re hoping for the best—but preparing for the worst. Men’s basketball—10-9, fifth in OUA East
Outlook: While the men’s basketball team has time to make amends for winning two of their past seven games, their final four are coming against some of the best in the country. This weekend, they’re slated to play the UOttawa Gee-Gee’s (13-6) and Carleton Ravens (18-1). The next weekend, they’re up against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues (7-12) and Ryerson Rams (18-1). Meanwhile, Queen’s is battling with the Laurentian Voyageurs (11-8) for fourth in the OUA East—the teams are facing identical opponents for their last four games. In the event both teams finish in either fourth or fifth, they’ll play each other in the first round of the OUA playoffs. The winner would then play the conference’s top team. Best Case: Gaels upset UOttawa, beat U of T, and finish regular season with 12-11 record. Laurentian finishes the season 0-4, putting Queen’s fourth in the OUA East to play the Voyageurs in the first round. Worst Case: Queen’s loses all four final games and finish 10-13. U of T wins final four games of season, and Queen’s plays UOttawa in the first round of playoffs.
Women’s basketball—12-7, fourth in OUA East Outlook: Having clinched a spot in the first round of the postseason, the women’s basketball team has four games left this season. At this point, they’ve all but ensured a fourth place finish. Currently, the Gaels are matched up against UOttawa (17-2), Carleton (15-4), U of T (4-15) and Ryerson (15-4) to close out their season. With three of those four matchups come against teams above them in the OUA East, the Gaels will need to fight to keep home court advantage in the first round. Behind Queen’s are the York Lions (8-11), who play the same four teams as the Gaels over the next two weeks. York would have to win all four to tie with the Gaels. With a pair of surprise wins against top-ranked teams, they could sneak into third in the OUA East, but they’d also need Carleton or Ryerson to lose all four of their games. Best Case: Win all four matches while Ryerson or Carleton lose at least three, tie for second in OUA East. Worst Case: Lose all four matches, finish regular season fourth in OUA East. Men’s hockey—18-9-0, third in the OUA East
Outlook: With only one regular season game remaining against the McGill Redmen (16-7-4), the men’s hockey team will be a contender come the OUA playoffs. Now, they’re looking to rack up the final points needed to clinch home ice advantage.
After losing to the RMC Paladins (6-19-2) in the 133rd Carr Harris Cup, the Gaels will matchup against McGill on Saturday to determine who takes third in the OUA East. While tied for third in the OUA East, if McGill wins, the Gaels will fall to fourth after their devestating loss to RMC. Currently, the Gaels lag behind Carleton (16-5-5) in the standings by a point. The Ravens’ two final games are against the UOIT Ridgebacks (13-8-5) and Laurentian (9-16-1). If the Ravens lose one game and Queen’s beats McGill, the Gaels will jump to second in the OUA. Best Case: Gaels win over McGill while Carleton loses one of their final games, finish second in OUA East. Worst Case: Lose to McGill, fall to fourth in OUA East. Women’s hockey—13-8-1-0, third in OUA East
Outlook: The women’s hockey team (13-8-1-0) faces the most complex situation of any Queen’s team as they jockey for playoff positioning. With their win against UOIT (9-12-1-1) on Thursday afternoon, the Gaels leapfrogged into third in the OUA. Now with two games left, they’re guaranteed to finish at fifth, but can finish as high as second. Due to the nature of the OUA playoff structure, the Gaels are most likely to play one of three teams in the first round: U of T (11-6-2-2), Ryerson (10-5-4-2), or Nipissing (9-6-5-2). Including Queen’s, the four teams are currently filling the third to sixth spots in the divisional standings.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MATT SCACE AND MAGGIE GOWLAND
Granted the Gaels beat York (5-10-3-1) on Friday night, Queen’s will be within the top five of the league. While a win over Brock (7-6-5-2) the following Saturday would help their cause, some of the top teams will have to rack up late-season losses for Queen’s to finish second in the OUA. Best Case: Gaels win final two games of season, competitors lose last set of games. Queen’s finish second in OUA. Worst Case: Women fall in final two games while opponents win and ascend in rankings. Gaels finish seventh in OUA, play second seed in first round of playoffs. Men’s volleyball—12-3, first in OUA East
Outlook: With three games remaining, the worst case scenarios for the men’s volleyball team aren’t realistic. Playing RMC (1-14) twice with a game against Trent (0-13) in between, the team’s focus is slowly shifting towards the playoffs. Behind them, Ryerson (10-5) and U of T (10-5) both sit four points behind in the standings with a difficult schedule to cap off their regular season. With that in mind, plenty is on the line going into this last stretch for the Gaels. A win in the quarterfinals over the OUA West’s fourth seed would afford Queen’s the chance to host the OUA Final Four, giving them home court advantage throughout the semi-finals and, if successful, the OUA Championship. Best Case: Gaels win final three games—the highest likelihood—securing first place in
OUA East. Worst Case: Men drop final three games and Ryerson or Toronto wins last three, conceding first place. Women’s volleyball—9-6, third in OUA East
Outlook: After a slow start to the season, the Gaels have recently picked up momentum and look likely to sweep their final four games of the regular season. Luckily for Queen’s, they’ll close out their season twice against the RMC Paladins (0-15), with a game each against the Trent (1-13) and Lakehead (1-14). Currently, women’s volleyball’s only a win behind U of T (10-5) in the OUA East. Toronto also has four regular season games left, and if the Gaels win all four while Toronto loses one of their next three matches, the teams will be tied for second in their division. In the event of a tie in records, the Gaels will claim second—they have the season series in hand over U of T. Right behind the Gaels in the OUA East are York (7-6) at fourth, who have six games to go. If York goes 4-6 in that stretch and Queen’s goes 2-4, the teams will be tied for third in the OUA East. Queen’s also has the advantage in the team’s head-to-head this season.
Best Case: U of T goes 3-1, Gaels win final four regular season games and finish second in OUA East. Worst Case: York leapfrogs Queen’s after the Gaels loses four straight, drop to fourth in OUA East.
Friday, February 8, 2019
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Lifestyle BEHIND THE SCENES
Pilot season: TV’s cutthroat hit factory The stressful season mixes future stars with dashed dreams
Josh Granovsky Lifestyle Editor This May, five networks—NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX and The CW—will shut down New York City and tout new shows premiering for the 2019-20 TV season at the Television Upfronts. While these announcements are heavily publicized and popular TV trailers rake up millions of views, hordes of shows that almost made it to screen never manage to emerge out of pilot season. Dubbed by Vulture as “TV’s Hunger Games,” the infamous pilot season occurs each year from February to May, when broadcast networks commission dozens of prospective shows to vie for spots on their schedules. Executives race to cast marketable t a l e n t , s c o u t j aw- d ro p p i n g locations, and hire the best crews possible—all in competition with other competing networks. Pilot season got its name because each show ordered will produce its
“pilot episode,” which is what airs as the first episode should the series be picked up for a full season. While the season’s dates have been stretched year-round by many streaming services, these next few months will prove crucial—and stressful—for talent hoping to work on the next hit show. Since pilot season only films one episode, each TV show must line up commitments for full casts and crew without knowing if their work will extend past a week or two. Actors and crew members often sign standard seven-year contracts before starting work on a new show, though the networks decide if those deals ever extend beyond a single episode. While condensing the development of hundreds of shows into three or four months may not make sense, the competitive edge of pilot season offers a nice alternative to typical Hollywood practices. Production companies often let movies sit in development stages
for years at a time, waiting to find the perfect personnel while catering to various schedules. This strategy can lead to films taking years before reaching audiences. Even Avatar, one of the most successful films in history, went through 15 years of various development stages before seeing the light of day. The rigid deadlines set by television networks—every show must be ready to sell to advertisers by May—can force creativity and keep the TV-making process from dragging. Pilot season inevitably produces hits each year. Any show you’ve ever seen on broadcast television, like Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or The Office, started off as a pilot. Since even the first episodes of shows have the potential to become immensely popular, networks take pilots very seriously—especially with their spending. The average pilot for a one-hour drama costs $3 million, while the average half-hour comedy pilot comes in at $2 million. For the 2019-20 season, the five top broadcast networks currently have 56 shows in development, 34 being dramas and 22
comedies. This means the networks will roughly spend a collective total of $146 million on these potential shows. Only about a third of those pilots will ever get an audience and even less will survive past their first season. This money may seem like it’s being thrown down the drain, but potential earnings justify costs. Friends earns its production companies approximately $1 billion dollars every year in syndication fees, even though it went off the air 15 years ago. If any initial pilot payment could lead to similar levels of future profitability, it could be the best investment those companies ever make. Looking at a list of prospective pilots can also reveal what executives think their viewers are interested in a given year, with various trends and patterns emerging across the different networks’ projects. This year’s pilot list includes various remakes, a heaping dose of procedurals, and three separate shows about cross-timeline love stories because networks assume all we want to watch is This Is Us—and they’re not wrong.
STUDENT LIFE
Reducing your animal product consumption Tips for saving the environment and your money Ally Mastantuono Assistant Lifestyle Editor On a student budget, it’s easy to get into a repetitive food routine. Whether that means you stock up on certain reliable products or cook the same meal three times a week, sometimes buying and making food is done on autopilot. There’s something to be said for breaking free from habits and trying something new, and that can start with choosing to purchase and consume less animal products. According to recent studies, avoiding meat, dairy, and eggs is one of the best ways to reduce your environmental impact. If you approach this lifestyle change the right way, you can lower grocery costs too. Even Canada’s updated food guide favours plant-based protein, promoting “protein foods” instead of the “meat and alternatives” group of the past. Meat and poultry now share the spotlight with legumes, beans and nuts, encouraging Canadians to branch out with their food choices and kickstart a more balanced diet.
PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN
Despite a wealth of tasty options, changing old routines can be difficult. Hopefully, these three tips will inspire you try out some new meatless recipes in lieu of defrosting yet another chicken breast.
When cutting out meat, look for protein alternatives.
include sweet potatoes, canned beans, and brown rice.
can be transformed into a curry that will last you the whole week.
Although people often rely on meat and eggs as their major sources of protein, a variety of foods—seeds, soy, greens—pack just as big of a punch. Swapping protein sources can be as simple as adding flaxseeds or peanut butter to your smoothies, or walnuts instead of chicken to your salad. Choosing a veggie burger every once in a while, or adding ‘meaty’ flavours to dishes with mushrooms and BBQ condiments, can also help stave off cravings. While building most meals around vegetables might require more planning at first, with long-lasting—and often cheap—staples in your cupboard, it’s never hard to find the star of your next meal. Easy vegetables to add into your diet
Weaning yourself off meat, eggs, and dairy can be a lot easier when you rely on convincing alternatives. However, while products like almond milk and cream cheese substitutes can hit the spot, sometimes they can be costly. Instead of constantly seeking out expensive pre-made alternatives to meat or dairy, try experimenting with products you already have on hand. The Internet is full of plant-based recipes that turn everyday ingredients into flavourful and filling meals. Researching the plant-based cuisines of other countries, like India, can also provide some great ideas. Given the right inspiration, an 88 cent can of chickpeas
Having one day a week where you don’t consume any meat can be a fun and productive project to take on with your housemates. Taking turns cooking house meals on that day can help you stick with it, while also shouldering off some of the responsibility. Working as a team to prep and cook will leave you with a full arsenal of meatless dishes. If you’re ever stuck for an idea, joint meatless takeout every now and again is a great way to keep your pledge. If you’re tackling a weekly meatless day as a lone wolf, you can join the worldwide Meatless Monday campaign and pledge. Their website provides plenty of tips and free recipes to help get you started.
Cut your daily serving size of meat
Experiment with different proteins, grains, and veggies
Choose a meatless day of the week for you and your housemates
LIFESTYLE
14 •queensjournal.ca
Friday, February 8, 2019
Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor When I was younger, I hated Sundays because they were when football took over my life. They were always dedicated to my mother’s beloved Chicago Bears. She was the biggest football fan I’ve ever met, who’d scream at the TV each week sporting a full navy-and-orange fit. By the playoffs, when the Bears had usually run their course for the season, attention shifted in our household to my father’s more quietly supported New England Patriots. Any weekend trip to visit my grandparents was always cut short; everything would be crammed into the back of the car by noon so we could whiz down the 401 in time to catch the game for 1 p.m. At the time, unsurprisingly, I didn’t understand what was great about 15 second plays and a bunch of men slamming their heads together. But to avoid boredom, I learned the rules of football to mitigate my weekly dose of suffering. Now I’ve managed to be a fan of the sport, I’m having a hard time being a fan of its league. On top of being the lowest scoring—and, to the opinion of many, the most boring—Super Bowl in history, this year’s game had the lowest ratings and viewership since 2005. Even the halftime show, which felt like a hallucination complete with a SpongeBob cameo, fell short of previous years’ shows. Outside of an overly strong defensive performance from both teams, the problem with Super Bowl LIII was the result of celebrities publicly boycotting the game. Most of the boycotts were the result of the NFL’s poor treatment
SPORTS
What went wrong with Super Bowl LIII? The consequence of the NFL’s actions on a lifelong viewer
Entertainment shouldn’t come at the cost of other athletes’ struggles.
of Colin Kaepernick, who was released from his contract with the San Francisco 49ers after choosing to kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality against African American citizens. President Donald Trump himself chimed in, painting Kaepernick as a public enemy and saying he should find another country for kneeling to the anthem. In response, the NFL chose to create a policy expecting players to stand for the anthem—unless they chose to remain off the field. Any protest from players would result in fines. Since then, the policy has been dropped—but Kaepernick remains a free agent after all 32 NFL teams refuse to sign him. Nike opted to support the former quarterback by making him part of an advertising campaign titled “Dream Crazy,” which caused sales
to spike. When I dreaded football and thought it was boring, it carried no political weight for me. It was just a bunch of people beating each other up to get a ball. It served as a strange form of entertainment. But there’s nothing entertaining about the NFL failing to protect their players, and that extends beyond politics.
[T]here’s nothing entertaining about the NFL failing to protect their players, and that extends beyond politics.
The NFL long tried to silence the science behind the concussion crisis affecting retired football
RECIPE
Milkshake recipes for any season Three recipes to satisfy your craving
Erin Burns Contributor
PHOTO BY ERIN BURNS
The arrival of snow prompts us to put away all our summer gear and say goodbye to popsicles, smoothies and shorts. However, there’s one cold staple that stays cool for any season: milkshakes. Milkshakes are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth while warding away more caloric dessert options. If you’re spending your winter inside curled up in blankets, milkshakes are a delicious way to indulge in
the cold spirit—without the frostbite. Below are some of my favourite recipes for blender-ready milkshakes. Mint Chocolate Chip
Ingredients: — 2 to 3 generous scoops of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream — 1 cup of whole milk (3 per cent)—whole milk is key for consistency but can be substituted for other milks or almond milk if you’re looking for a leaner option — 1 tablespoon coconut oil — 1 teaspoon vanilla Classic Cherry
Ingredients: — 1 cup of frozen wild sour cherries (try to freeze beforehand
to get an icy consistency) — 1 cup of orange juice — ½ cup of whole milk (3 per cent) or other milk substitute — 2 to 3 generous scoops of vanilla ice cream — 1 teaspoon of vanilla, to reduce the orange juice’s tang Homemade Reese’s Pieces
Ingredients: — 1 large spoonful of peanut butter — 1 frozen banana — 2 to 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, or 1 cup of Greek yogurt — 1 tablespoon of honey — 1 teaspoon of vanilla — 1 cup of almond milk or other milk substitute — 1 scoop of peanut-butter chocolate protein powder (use cocoa powder if you don’t have protein powder)
players, and didn’t admit to the long-term effects of concussions until 2009. Simultaneously, the inclination to give prescription opioids to help players return from injury has resulted in a league-wide addiction crisis. With over a quarter of retired NFL athletes reporting misuse of painkillers, the league’s Players Association has filed a grievance against the NFL about the misuse of painkiller prescriptions. NFL players are devoting their life to a league that’s repeatedly shown they can’t be bothered with taking care of its athletes. Instead of addressing their issues, the NFL seems to be treating players with an “out of sight, out of mind” attitude. The NFL owes their players the support they need to thrive; they shouldn’t treat them as pawns in their multi million-dollar industry. Exploiting athletes and disregarding their health proves the NFL has little regard left for anything but profits. In a smaller community like ours at Queen’s, our athletes deserve to know they’re supported and respected, as coaches and administration strive to
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALLY MASTANTUONO
show them respect. There’s no reason for this to dissipate as athletes climb the ranks and make it pro.
The NFL owes their players the support they need to thrive.
SB LIII was little more than an entertainment event—a broadcasted spectacle tainted by injustices. Yes, seeing Tom Brady win his sixth Super Bowl was exciting. But that excitement shouldn’t come at the cost of other athletes’ struggles.
LIFESTYLE
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Friday, February 8, 2019
LIFESTYLE
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Friday, February 8, 2019
POSTSCRIPT
Personalizing Black History Month How its observance taught me about vulnerability
For Asantewa, Black History Month should make room for personal stories, hopes, and dreams.
Asantewa Nkuah Contributor
Mental illness doesn’t stop for any occasion. I’ve spent birthdays and family vacations playing tug of war with depression, anxiety, and ADHD. I’ve found myself immobilized by fear minutes before leaving my house because the mere idea of being in a room full of people was overwhelming. Try as I may, events have always been a problem for me. As you can imagine, this makes Black History Month (BHM) a difficult time. BHM isn’t just a singular event. It’s an ongoing month of observance with community—in this case, the African diaspora and all its allies—as a central theme. I didn’t critically evaluate my thoughts on BHM until I came to Queen’s, more the result of circumstance rather than any mediated effort on my part to ignore it. Canada officially recognized BHM in 1995, six years before I arrived in this country from Ghana. I grew up in Albertan suburbs and attended predominately white schools. As a Ghanaian immigrant, I quickly learned I come from a country grossly misrepresented by the media. My West African background has been the focal point of many uncomfortable conversations and ignorant statements. Based on my experiences, it makes sense to not be thrilled at the prospect of putting myself out there, especially taking my anxiety into account. There’s a sense of vigilance that often comes with anxiety, further compounded by the fact that I navigate the world as a visibly black African woman.
I live with the knowledge there are people out there who think my identity makes me an acceptable target for dehumanization, so my hypervigilance tends to peak during busy occasions, like BHM. The pressure to perform has never been higher, which then leaves the question: who am I performing for, and to what end?
“
I live with the knowledge there are people out there who think my identity makes me an acceptable target for dehumanization.
”
With my mental health struggles comes a sense of exhaustion that rarely leaves. The constant feeling of needing to meet expectations only to fall short doesn’t leave either. And though I have every intention of contributing meaningfully to BHM, and of making the most of what I’m given, that doesn’t always work out. In the words of drag queen Gia Gunn, “What you wanna do is not necessarily what you’re gonna do.” It’s hard to contribute when you don’t feel like a whole person. Splitting my attention between my racial identity, cultural background, mental health, and personal standards of acceptable behaviour is beyond mentally and physically taxing; it leaves me feeling fragmented and vulnerable. It seems odd that a month of cultural celebration within the African diaspora would prove so challenging for me. But then again, worrying excessively is something I unfortunately have a knack for.
On one hand, seeing the events that groups on Queen’s campus like Queen’s Black Academic Society and African & Caribbean Students’ Association put together every February does excite me. Specifically, I love the opportunities for education and discussion afforded by BHM because it makes socializing and networking with others a little more accessible to me. On the other hand, I can’t help but wonder if all my overthinking inadvertently contributes to feelings of isolation. The extent to which my struggles are self-inflicted is a question I grapple with every month. Within the context of BHM, I wonder if my many fears about how I will be perceived only serve to ostracize myself from a community I need in a non-racially diverse city like Kingston. However, I also think about the ways I could be putting myself at risk when I don’t admit to my personal limitations. At the heart of my dilemma is this need to fit myself into the overarching institutional structure of BHM. Exploring this issue is tricky—I don’t want to internalize unhealthy feelings of isolation and otherness. That said, I’d do a disservice to myself if I failed to acknowledge all that I am, good or bad. The relationship we, as members of the African diaspora, have with ourselves is intrinsically linked to the power of public narratives, including those we choose to explore using BHM as a medium. If Blackness is tied to strength and an ability to withstand generational trauma, am I less
worthy because of my ongoing battles with mental illness and self-image? If blackness is defined in terms of proximity to African cultures, what do we say to our brothers and sisters who cannot fully map out their roots? In the end, Blackness and Black History Month must make room for the personal: personal stories, personal hopes, and personal dreams. When I look to BHM, I think of what’s contained in my own body. The African diaspora contains many histories. My family has a history; I have a history too. When we approach culture and history in a personal, empathetic way, it makes room for all intersections of oppression and identity.
When we approach “culture and history in
a personal, empathetic way, it makes room for all intersections of oppression and identity.
”
In doing so, we can ultimately foster a more inclusive environment, teaching us as a community that we belong anywhere and everywhere. The theme Kingston has chosen for BHM 2019 is “Black Excellence.” For me, the celebration of Black excellence necessitates the acknowledgement of Black vulnerability. Viola Desmond is a woman who’s fondly remembered as the “Canadian Rosa Parks,” but many forget that she didn’t walk into a movie theatre expecting to be harassed, physically assaulted, or jailed by the Nova Scotian government.
PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON
We remember Harriet Tubman as a tough-as-nails abolitionist, but what I find especially astonishing is she accomplished all that while experiencing severe headaches and seizures for most of her life. She was never properly diagnosed, but the general historical consensus is that she had a form of epilepsy. Within stories of excellence, you can often find struggle, pain, and a constant facing of the unknown. Through these qualities, the ways we’ve triumphed become clearer. I search for that vulnerability, and I make sure that it’s known, shared, and remembered—that’s how I personalize BHM Not only does this assure me others have struggled the way I do, it tells me maybe I’m not doing so bad after all. In her book The Ways of Tenderness, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel writes: “What happens to a hurt people? We forget that we are butterflies bearing up in the wild winds. We forget that we are tender from the suffering.” I think to be Black will always mean working through complex feelings about identity, mental health, and wellness. Sometimes I need to step back and remember that while I belong to a community—multiple communities, in fact—I also belong to myself. Black History Month is just another chance for me to celebrate all that I am and all that I come from. It’s both tempting and easy to get lost in the folds of your identity, or to view it only as something to be detangled, processed and unpacked. But in my view, we are also cocooned, or protected, by who we are. In this way, too, we are butterflies.