Queen's Journal, Volume 146, Issue 15

the journal Vol. 146, Issue 15

Queen’s University

Friday, November 23, 2018

KHSC Shooter faces 9 charges, including attempted murder

Since 1873

‘Coming back never an option’ for resigned head football coach Pat Sheahan’s tenure at Queen’s ends after 19 years with the program M att S cace Sports Editor

The outside of Kingston General Hospital.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS YAO

One injured after suspect disarmed officer, fired shots I ain S herriff -S cott News Editor This article first appeared online on Nov. 20.

On Monday evening, police responded to gunshots in Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) after an inmate receiving treatment took an officer’s handgun and injured one person.

Inmate Corey Ryan Ward, 32, faces nine charges for Monday’s shooting, according to police.

Police charged Ward with three counts of attempted murder, taking the weapon of a peace officer, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose and three counts of discharging firearm with intent to wound or endanger life.

Ward was brought to the

hospital on Monday after he was found unconscious and in need of medical attention at Millhaven Institution. He was rushed to KGH’s emergency department under the supervision of two correctional officers.

“

When Ward came out of the washroom, he grabbed an officer’s handgun out of its holster. The officers kept the firearm pointed at the floor as they brought Ward to the ground.

”

After initially cooperating with officers, Ward’s restraints were removed and he was permitted to use the washroom.

While the officers struggled to bring down Ward, he discharged the firearm, striking a victim in their lower body.

Before Ward was restrained, a second shot was fired, hitting a wall.

According to Kingston Police, the victim suffered “serious, but non-lifethreatening” injuries from the incident.

In response to the shooter, the hospital declared a “code silver” which has since been lifted.

Calling the shooting a “major incident,” Constable Fil Wisniak tweeted there’s no longer a threat to public safety and that more information would follow from the Kingston Police Major Crimes Unit.

Ward attended a bail hearing Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Queen’s Athletics and Recreation (A&R) announced football Head Coach Pat Sheahan had left the program after 19 years with the team.

In a press conference at the Alumni Lounge on Thursday afternoon, Sheahan told reporters he “never quit anything in his life” and the program is experiencing a “generational change.”

“The program is moving in another direction,” he said. “It’s been a great run, but apparently, it’s time for a change.”

According to A&R, Sheahan will serve as a special advisor for the team until the end of April.

Sheahan leaves Queen’s with three OUA Coach of the

SUPPLIED BY JEFF CHAN

Year awards and one U Sports Coach of the Year award, which he earned in 2008. In 2009, he led Queen’s to a Vanier Cup title and made three Yates Cup appearances (2002, 2009, 2013). He’s the fifth all-time winningest coach in U Sports history.

An A&R press release detailing Sheahan’s resignation said the Gaels’ former coach was “turn[ing] over the reins to a new coach for the 2019 season,” but didn’t provide reason for his departure.

See Sheahan on page 10

D oes the L ecture S till H ave V alue ?

Read our Editorial on page 6

ILLUSTRATION BY ZIER ZHOU

FEATURES

OPINIONS

ARTS

SPORTS

LIFESTYLE

Homeschoolers go from a class of one to 24,000 students

Drug addiction is a health issue, not a crime

If/Then explores the paths of life at Rotunda Theatre

Men’s rugby takes aim at national championship

‘Emo rap’ wastes its chance to discuss mental illness

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Friday, November 23, 2018

PROVINCE

Visiting campus, Scarborough MPP criticizes conservatives’ economic outlook report Richardson Hall.

UNIVERSITY

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Principal’s Office release first draft of free speech policy Policy up for public feedback until Nov. 23

on existing policies that protect free speech on campus.

The policy also protects “lawful and peaceful” public protests and demonstrations, as well as an environment where members Raechel Huizinga of the university community can Assistant News Editor safely live, study, teach and work “free from harassment.”

As promised, Principal Woolf’s The Ford government laid out a first draft of the incoming free number of standards universities speech policy draws on existing must meet when constructing University guidelines.

The Principal’s Office released its first draft of the incoming Free The Ford government Speech Policy on Nov. 14 to receive laid out a number community feedback before the of standards policy is finalized for the January universities must meet deadline. Responses will be accepted until Nov. 23. when constructing As required by the Ford their free speech government, the first draft policies, including provides a definition of free speech as “the right of a requirement to an individual, a group, or a make student groups community to communicate compliant with the their opinions and ideas without interference, censorship, new policies or or sanction.” face limited The policy’s definition of free financial support. speech also extends to the right to engage in peaceful protest and states students, faculty, staff and visitors to Queen’s “remain their free speech policies, free to exercise free speech while including a requirement to make on campus.” student groups compliant with The scope of the policy covers the new policies or face limited campus and all those who financial support. “lawfully” use campus, according In response to this requirement, to the draft. the first draft of the policy states As Woolf said in an October “student groups are encouraged senate meeting, the policy builds to consider and adopt policies

Province says plan creates affordability, avoids tax hike Raechel Huizinga Assistant News Editor

Former Minister of Education Mitzie Hunter said provincial cuts have a price in a visit to campus on Monday with former Kingston MPP Sophia Kiwala.

H u n t e r, MPP for Scarborough-Guildwood, was responding to the Fall Economic Outlook released by the Ford government on Nov. 15. The statement featured a $500 million that align with this free speech on deficit cut and a committment to campus policy in accordance with lowering Ontario’s debt to $14.5 their own governance frameworks.” billion.

While the draft doesn’t impose The Ford government also disciplinary conditions for loss of cut $3.2 billion to services finances or recognition on student groups, it does outline procedures for those who may wish to lodge a complaint.

According to the policy draft, students who wish to complain about compliance with the policy can lodge a complaint with the University Ombudsman.

In terms of student discipline, the policy draws upon the Student Code of Conduct and Non-Academic Misconduct procedures to deal with any threatening interferences of University events that may include academic debate.

In a post on his Principal’s Blog last February, Woolf said respectful debate is central to academia and expressed his commitment CHRIS YAO to protecting academic freedom MPP Mitzie Hunter. within the context of freedom of speech. and programs in Ontario and The first draft of the policy implemented a hiring freeze across addresses this commitment by public services. stressing the University “should In a press release issued on not restrict debate or deliberation Nov. 15, the Province stated, “the because the ideas put forth may plan does not raise taxes, makes be callous, disturbing, hurtful, life more affordable for people, and offensive, or unpopular.” safeguards vital public services The policy also states, although and programs they rely on faculty, students and staff are “free every day.” to criticize, contest and condemn” Hunter called the economic opposing views, they may not outlook “very disappointing” in an interfere with the free speech interview with The Journal. of others.

“They’re using an inflated deficit they’ve actually created, it’s now at $14.5 billion, as an excuse and a cover for very deep cuts to education programs and health care programs that people in Kingston really rely on,” Hunter said.

According to Hunter, the Ford government’s plans to decrease the province’s deficit by cutting investments to programs and services will slow down the

economy and job growth.

“I know for students at Queen’s, that’s not news they want to hear,” she said. “They want to hear our province is growing and there are opportunities for them, whether it’s in health care or education or in business or the environment.”

In their press release, the Ford government stated the decrease is a result of reduced spending, not front line services, which include policing, corrections and fire services.

The utlook revealed a $2.7 billion loss in revenue, which Hunter believes is linked to the government’s decision to cut programs like Cap-and-Trade, a program intended to reduce carbon emissions in Ontario.

The program’s cancellation will cost the government billions in revenues, which could have been invested in clean technologies and industries, according to Hunter.

“If you’re going to be cutting programs, you’re going to be reducing revenues,” she said.

“No one is getting ahead under this administration.”

In the press release, the Ford government stated the cap-and-trade tax cut would give “individuals, families and businesses important tax relief.”

H u n t e r, meanwhile, expressed concern over a lack of job opportunities following post-secondary graduation.

“It’s going to be harder for our young people coming out of universities and colleges to find employment and to access the careers they’ve studied for,” she said.

Citing the Liberal government’s investment in free tuition for post-secondary students in Ontario, she also took issue with the Ford government’s plans for investments in the province’s colleges and universities, like their cancellation of funding campus projects.

The Ford government recently cancelled funding for three new Ontario campuses last October, claiming the province’s $15 billion-dollar deficit created “new fiscal restraints,” leaving the Ministry financially unable to support the projects.

To protect universities from further investment losses, Hunter urged young Ontarians to become more involved in politics.

“University students have a strong voice and can become politically active and politically engaged, making sure this province reflects the outcomes you want to see as young people,” she said. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

Friday, November 23, 2018

News

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Queen’s moving forward on joint pension plan The University is moving ahead with a partnership between two other Ontario universities to create a joint pension fund.

Queen’s will partner with the University of Toronto and the University of Guelph in 2019 to merge the three pension funds into one jointly sponsored pension plan (JSPP)—barring union and member consent to the change.

According to Queen’s, the University will continue to work with the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) to create the JSPP. “Discussions with participating employee unions regarding conversion and implementation issues are anticipated this fall, in addition to information sessions for Plan members,” read a Sept. 20 report to Senate.

The University hosted a town hall on Thursday for members of the Queen’s community to receive updates on the JSPP. Three more town halls will be held for union members and pensioners on Nov. 30 and Dec. 14.

COU is aiming to launch the member consent vote mailing in March 2019.

Some Saudi Arabian students to finish degrees in Canada

Some Saudi Arabian undergraduate students in Canada will be allowed to remain in the country to complete their degrees, the Government of Canada confirmed on Nov. 19.

Saudi international students in the final year of their degrees, graduate students and medical trainees have also been allowed to remain in Canada.

After the recent diplomatic fallout between Canada and Saudi Arabia, the latter withdrew more than 15,000 international students who were studying in the country.

Of the 79 Saudi Arabian students at Queen’s before the withdrawal, 37 are medical trainees at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC).

Queen’s hasn’t released a statement addressing how many undergraduate students will remain under the new order.

Two faculty members help select Viola Desmond for new bill

Starting Monday, Canadian civil rights icon Viola Desmond will be the new face of

News in brief the $10 bill.

A panel of experts chose Desmond for the honour. The group included Queen’s professor Johnathan Rose and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Barbara Crow, according to a statement released by the University on Monday.

“A currency is a public expression of national identity so it’s only appropriate that citizens should have an important role in deciding who should be on it,” Rose said in a statement.

According to the statement, both Rose and Crow said the bill’s introduction is a “turning point in Canada’s narrative.”

Recognized for her 1946 stand against racial segregation in Nova Scotia, Desmond will be the first Canadian-born woman to be featured on a Canadian bank note.

That year, she was famously arrested after refusing to leave a whites-only section in a movie theatre. The incident became the focal point of one of the highest-profile civil rights cases in Canadian history.

“What I think is incredible about the choice is that all of us can stand up to injustice, and [Desmond] did. Every single Canadian can stand up,” Crow said.

City cancels bike-sharing program, pledges to relaunch in 2019

Marred by component recalls and recent weather, the City has cancelled its bike-sharing program for the year on Friday.

Dropbike Inc., the company contracted to run the program, suffered delays in launching earlier this year due to a recall of bike components. After a large snowfall on Nov. 16, the City decided to scrap the program until the spring of 2019.

The program was originally slated to begin in June, but was pushed to July after Dropbike’s recall. It was then later projected for September, and again missed a full rollout.

Last week, the City intended to launch a small amount of bikes but cancelled those efforts due to the weather.

Before the delays, Dropbike ran a local pilot in 2017 and was chosen to provide bikes for the City from 2018 to 2021.

The program would include 50 bike-sharing stations where bikes could be picked up and left for use around Kingston.

In a statement, Paul MacLatchy, the City’s environment director, said, “We continue to see the value in the Dropbike program as it provides a community bike-sharing service that will support our active transportation and climate action goals at no cost to the city.”

“While the [C]ity is disappointed that Dropbike was unable to provide service during 2018, the program will be fully ready to roll out in the spring of 2019,” MacLatchy said.

Queen’s arts apprenticeship program expands after donation

An apprenticeship program connecting recent Queen’s graduates with local businesses has expanded this year after a donation from Ottawa-based philanthropist Alan Rottenberg.

The Queen’s Career Apprenticeship Kingston program, which began as a pilot in May, will support 35 positions by 2019, up from its current 10.

Graduates who enter the program will have the first four months of their salaries paid for, while a local employer funds the remainder of the year-long program.

The program not only aims to help graduates from the arts and humanities enter the workforce, it’s also meant to incentivize graduates to stay in Kingston.

“It strikes close to home because I have two sons who graduated in arts, one from Queen’s, and I saw how their struggle to get a job and some of their friends try to get a job—young men, young women—and I thought, ‘This is crazy,’” Rottenberg told Global News.

“We’ve got to get these people employed.”

—Iain Sherriff-Scott

New hires in the Office of Indigenous Initiatives Following hiring recommendations set forth in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission task force report, Queen’s has hired new staff for its Office of Indigenous Initiatives, the University announced on Nov. 16.

Haley Cochrane was the first support Kanonhsyonne (Janice Hill) hired after she was appointed as Director of Indigenous Initiatives in 2017. Kanonhsyonne’s position has since been elevated to vice-principal (Indigneous Initiatives).

Cochrane was hired as the Coordinator for the office in May of 2018.

“When I saw this position, it was appealing because of all the Indigenous work happening at Queen’s and the momentum that’s already been built,” Cochrane said in a statement.

Cochrane was involved in the hiring of the Cultural Advisor, Te howis kwûnt (Allen Doxtator), and the Knowledge Keeper, Grey Thunderbird (Tim Yearington).

Te howis kwûnt is concentrated on education and bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples.

“We need to be able to pull ourselves together—both Indigenous Peoples and settlers—and stand up for each other and support each other.”

Since being hired, Knowledge Keeper, Grey Thunderbird, has hosted education sessions with staff, as well as PhD candidates involved in Indigenous research.

“It’s about helping people learn and remember,” Grey Thunderbird said. “It’s about helping people learn and remember the traditional ways, which are really about being better people.”

—Rachel Aiken

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Friday, November 23, 2018

UNIVERSITY

Halted student appeal prompts recommendations for Senate Lengthy appeals of dismissed student highlight ‘inconsistency’ between policies Iain Sherriff-Scott News Editor The appeals of a dismissed Queen’s student have prompted recommendations to fill gaps in University Senate policies after the student’s fourth appeal was halted.

According to a written report to Senate, the appeals of an anonymous student have highlighted “inconsistency” between Senate policies governing appeals.

In response, the University’s Harassment and Discrimination Complaint Board recommended three solutions to the policy gaps.

The report recommended Senate write the principle of “double jeopardy” into policy, stating it will “prevent re-litigation of student complaints.” According to the report, Queen’s abides by this principle, though it isn’t reflected in written policy.

Double jeopardy maintains that if a student is charged under one policy, whether acquitted or found guilty and sanctioned, those events cannot be the basis of a later process under another policy like the Harassment and Discrimination Policy or the Sexual Violence Policy.

The report suggests Senate “periodically review its policies” to ensure there isn’t “unnecessary overlap, duplication, or

inconsistency between various policies, and The USAB concluded while there that the relationship or priorities of policies was “limited evidence” to support an is clear.” argument that some in the department According to the report, the unnamed had concerns about the student’s criminal student’s appeals stemmed from his poor charge, there was “overwhelming” evidence academic performance in late 2015 and his of his academic concerns which led to failure of a qualifying exam. his failure of the qualifying exam and In February of 2015, some members required withdrawal. of the student’s department learned the “The USAB concluded that “the evidence student was facing a criminal charge for a does not bear … out” the claims of [the sexual offence. As a result, the University student] about bias or discrimination, barred the student from working as a against either those on his Examining Teaching Assistant, but maintained his Committee or the Department Head,” the funding support and allowed him to remain report read. at Queen’s.

According to the report, the University In November of 2015, a supervisor told Student Rights and Appeals document the student his thesis proposal suffered “key states decisions made by the body are final and substantial weaknesses,” suggesting he and not subject to further appeal. Despite defer his thesis defence. this, the student sought further advice from According to the report, despite detailed the Human Rights Office. warnings of serious academic concerns, the When consulting the Human Rights Office, student proceeded with the qualifying exam the student was informed he could still on Nov. 20, 2015, which he failed. make a complaint based on discrimination The student appealed internally, but to the Harassment and Discrimination failed his second attempt at the test on Complaint Board (HDCB). A complaint to April 1, 2016. He then appealed to the the board isn’t “explicitly precluded” by the department head, who reviewed the rights and appeals guidelines. student’s case and maintained he must “As a result of his meetings at the withdraw from the program based on poor Human Rights Office, [the student] came to academic performance. “understand” his “unfair treatment,” in the The student then went to the University words of his counsel at the HDCB hearing,” Student Appeals Board (USAB). In a written with a “new lens,”” the report read. statement of appeal on May 19, 2017, The student decided to file a complaint the student wrote, “the primary basis of with the HDCB, naming the History this appeal is that I have been treated Department, the School of Graduate Studies, to discrimination and bias/prejudice by and seven faculty members who had been not only the History Department, but the involved with the student during his time University as a whole.” at Queen’s in the complaint.

ALUMNI

According to the report, the student’s complaint to the HDCB contained “almost exactly” the same claims as his prior appeal to USAB. “When asked at the HDCB hearing whether there was any new or different evidence from that presented at USAB, his counsel acknowledged that there was not,” the report read.

In response to the complaint, the University Counsel made a preliminary objection about “Issue Estoppel”—the reason for the report to Senate. Issue Estoppel applies where an issue in a legal action was decided in a previous action.

The move follows the principle of double jeopardy that the University already abides by.

The board heard arguments about whether the University’s objection applied to the student’s case, finding eventually that it satisfied the conditions of Issue Estoppel.

The report to Senate acknowledges the potential for the student’s case to create a precedent for future cases within the university and submitted recommendations to Senate.

In a memo to Senate, Lon Knox, university secretariat, recommended that Senate refer the case document and recommendations to the Office of the University Ombudsman in order for it to conduct a policy and procedure review.

The Ombudsman will report back to Senate with recommendations by its March, 26, 2019 meeting.

Alum’s online course addresses workplace sexual harassment With history tackling misconduct at Queen’s, Bay Ryley’s efforts now include digital resources

“It’s a pretty powerful learning management system,” Ryley said about the course, which is available on smartphones and tablets, as well as computers.

While accessible, it also provides a required service. In 2016, Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act was amended to mandate all employers provide Rachel Aiken training on workplace sexual harassment.

Assistant News Editor “There’s more of a need for this training For Bay Ryley, ArtSci ’93, MBA ’96, a safe in terms of complying with the legislation workplace can start online. in Ontario,” Ryley said. “A lot of the U.S. She’s developed online training jurisdictions have this too, California, SUPPLIED BY BAY RYLEY which addresses sexual harassment in a New York, more and more provinces and Bay Ryley. professional environment. The initiative, states are coming on board to make sure Ryley Learning, can be used to educate it’s mandatory.” media attention when male students to the Kingston Sexual Assault Centre, employees on how to prevent, identify, and However, the implementation of displayed signs in their residence windows, among other actions. report misconduct. workplace training isn’t motivated by responding to a “No Means No” campaign Later, she founded The Queen’s Feminist Now a Toronto-based human rights legislative compliance alone. “It’s about on campus.

Review, an academic publication for lawyer and an executive of the Ontario preserving the value of your company and As previously reported in The Journal on papers written by women and chaired Bar Association’s labour and employment its reputation,” Ryley said.

Oct. 13, 1989 in an article titled “Residents the Queen’s Women’s Issues Committee in section, Ryley charts her work back to Employee’s progress through the training try to ‘lighten up’ campaign,” the slogans the AMS. campus. During her time at Queen’s, Ryley can be tracked by the employer, making used included “No Means More Beer,” “No Referencing her recent work, Ryley observed sexual harassment on campus, it easy to ensure employees complete Means Kick Her in the Teeth,” and “No said she “didn’t learn the same things as and it left a lasting impact. the course and for companies to certify Means Harder.” commerce students, but here I have a “In your undergrad, you’re developing compliance with legal requirements.

Ryley called the fall semester of 1989 business about public policy, about the law, your political ideas. These events informed The training is comprised of “pivotal” for her. about human rights and it all matters.” my thinking at the time, and looking back, four 10 minute animated videos and “I was in first year and I remember Ryley said she believes “in terms of I can see how it lead me in this direction,” interactive exercises, and follow employees walking across from my residence in Morris students, it’s important that young people she said. and employers at a hypothetical company Hall to have lunch in Leonard Hall and know their rights in the workplace.”

“I’ve litigated many sexual harassment experiencing sexual harassment. The seeing the signs for myself.”

“Whether you’re working on campus, or cases over the years and wanted to move user either witnesses harassment or is a “I remember feeling very shocked. It was in Kingston at bars and pubs and other from proper practice to this business of manager who has to appropriately deal a learning moment,” she said. “Then there businesses, it’s important that young people providing training,” Ryley told The Journal in with the situation. It also features content was the Montreal massacre that December. know their rights in the workplace,” she said. an interview. “It’s a way to make an impact specifically addressing orientation and It was a very heated political time “You have a right to a safe workplace, you among more people.” gender identity. on campus.” should know what the policy is and what The platform has been available for the The initiative builds on experience Ryley Following the pressure from groups on behaviour is not acceptable.” past year, after development started two first gained as an undergrad at Queen’s. campus, Queen’s committed to a women’s years ago.

In her first year, the University garnered safety audit and donated financial support journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

Friday, november 23, 2018

Features

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IN-DEPTH STORIES FROM AROUND CAMPUS AND IN THE COMMUNITY

Students who were homeschooled in childhood transition to university classrooms.

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

From a school of one to a campus of 24,000 Students discuss their social and academic transitions from homeschooling to campus Samantha Fink Features Editor When Kori Altenpohl walked into CHEM 112 three years ago, she had classmates for the first time.

Before that, Altenpohl’s only fellow student was her brother. Like roughly 30,000 other school-aged kids in Ontario, she was homeschooled.

While post-secondary education doesn’t always appeal to the unique mentality of those who grew up homeschooled, Altenpohl’s parents supported her decision to go to Queen’s.

According to Queen’s official Home Schooling Policy, the University will consider home-schooled applicants as long as they can provide proof of an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, or another recognized high school graduation certificate.

Meanwhile, University Admissions in Canada defines a homeschooler as a student without a recognized high school graduation diploma.

To be eligible to apply, Altenpohl, ArtSci ’20, started online classes towards the end of high school.

With her Grade 12 classes online, Altenpohl had her first glimpse of post-secondary education’s online blended model. Entering first year, she was already comfortable with self-directed learning—which can be challenging to some first years.

“As far as living in [residence] went and coursework, it was an easy transition just because I had been at home self-motivated and self-led for the last couple years,” Altenpohl said in an interview.

As a child, Altenpohl made friends through after-school activities. By high school, she had a boyfriend and a solid group of friends who she visited at their school during lunch hour.

“The only thing I feel like I missed out on not being in high school was the drama,” Altenpohl said. “I’d watch them and I’d be like, ‘This is a mess.’”

Altenpohl is proud of her homeschooling experience, and would take the same approach if she has children. For one, she enjoyed childhood longer than her peers—which was one reason her parents

chose to originally homeschool her.

She was independent. Her choices and interests were never the result of peer pressure. Nonetheless, she knows what homeschooling seems like to an outside perspective.

“People think of homeschooled kids and they think, ‘Extremely reserved, antisocial, socially awkward, kept-in-a-closet-and-hitwith-a-Bible’ types,” Altenpohl said. But for her, this doesn’t ring true.

“Everyone asks me: ‘If you’re homeschooled, why are you normal?’”

Jessica Knelson also felt the stigma

“Everyone asks me: ‘If you’re homeschooled, why are you normal?’”

— Kori Altenpohl, ArtSci ’20

around homeschooling—especially when others learned about her past. Her peers were quick to assume that she’d be different because of her schooling.

“People always go, ‘Oh, you’re so normal,’” she said. “It makes me kind of sad, though, because people only have one view. I feel like no one really knows homeschooled kids.”

Knelson, ArtSci ’19, began her traditional education in high school. But getting her start in homeschooling inspired a lifetime of curiosity.

“I was allowed to learn about whatever I wanted to as a little kid,” Knelson said.

“If I was really interested in dinosaurs, for example, I could make a school project out of it. So I feel like now I’m more curious.”

At Queen’s, Knelson found that other students were competitive and eager to compare themselves to others. Since she spent less time around peers as a child, she now finds herself less caught up in the social comparisons common in high school and post-secondary.

“I didn’t grow up with any perception of what’s cool,” she said.

While she’s grateful for that, Knelson is sometimes blindsided by pop culture references, and often uses the language of her parents’ generation. They’re tiny quirks,

but they can make her feel “dorky,” she said.

Like her choice of slang, her academics departed from students’ experience in traditional schools. She chose the books she read for English class, and most of her other schoolwork involved reading.

The only thing she resents about her schooling was its approach to math.

Without a strong foundation, she often struggled in the subject. She ultimately met the educational gap and began pursuing a Certificate in Business, but she would’ve appreciated the early experience.

Socially, Knelson is comfortable but still notices differences in her classmates.

“I still feel very different from my peers sometimes and I always wonder if it’s to do with [my homeschooling],” she said.

For Joel Hamersley, Sci ’22, academics were also heavily self-directed.

He grew up in an isolated community in British Columbia where homeschooling was common. He spent his days year-round learning subjects like math, history and English alongside hands-on skills like gardening, fishing, and wood trapping.

His older brothers made their way into high school and eventually university.

Admiring their lives and discovering the uniqueness of his own community, Hamersley realized he too longed to see

“I still feel very different

from my peers sometimes, and I always wonder if it’s to do with [my homeschooling].”

— Jessica Knelson, ArtSci ’19

more of the world.

“I think all three of us knew pretty early that we love our parents and they had a fascinating, incredible life that they lived, but I don’t want to live that way,” Hamersley said.

When Hamersley left homeschool and entered a classroom for the first time in Grade 10, he began to notice some inconsistencies in the history he was taught at home.

The events weren’t different—his parents’ perspectives were.

“In history, there were just very different focuses on what we would learn [in homeschool],” he said. “I’m not sure [my parents] were ever completely wrong. I would say it was just different interpretations on the same event.”

Like most kids, Hamersley wasn’t discussing history with peers, and was surprised by the lessons in Grade 10 social studies.

“History was changed a little bit,” he said.

“I’d [been] taught that 9/11 was a more complicated thing than [how] the world looks at it now. Obviously it was a horrifying terror attack and everybody saw that. [But] my parents saw it more as an oppressed group trying to make a statement.”

When it came to other historical events discussed in classes like law or history, Hamersley raised his hand and proudly voiced his parents’ views.

One time, he ended up in the principal’s office for questioning how much power the Prime Minister had in stopping terrorism.

“My parents were very proud of me that I had stuck to my guns,” he said. “Now, obviously, I see it in a very different light.”

After being sent to the principal’s office for voicing his parents’ opinions, Hamersley began to question his upbringing more.

Currently, he sees more than one sides to any issue.

Despite some focused lapses in his academic childhood, Hamersley isn’t resentful.

“They really did give me a good life growing up,” he said. “I don’t think I would do that to my kids. But for me, personally, I don’t think it’s impacted me negatively at all.”

“On the counter end, I do that [at university] as well. I’ve learned to never take one side of the story. I’ve learned to try to get as many views as possible before I make a decision. I think lots of people just take the first one they hear.”

Although his education was unusual, Hamersley, like other homeschooled kids, was easily inspired and has always been anxious to learn. He saw school as an adventure rather than a burden.

“As a kid, I never stopped learning.”

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Friday, November 23, 2018

EDITORIALS

The Journal’s Perspective

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Volume 146 Issue 15 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board Editors in Chief

Sebastian Bron

Nick Pearce

Production Manager

Julia Balakrishnan

Digital Manager

Angus Merry Iain Sherriff-Scott

News Editor

Rachel Aiken Madison Bendall Raechel huizinga

Assistant News Editors

Features Editors

Samantha Fink Hannah Stafl

Editorials Editor

Meredith Wilson-Smith

Opinions Editor

Sophia Spencer Brigid Goulem

Arts Editor

Brittany Giliforte

Assistant Arts Editor

Matt Scace

Sports Editor

Maggie Gowland

Assistant Sports Editor

Josh Granovsky

Lifestyle Editor

Ally Mastantuono

Assistant Lifestyle Editor

ILLUSTRATION BY ZIER ZHOU

In defense of boring lectures Disliking a room packed with 200 people at 8:30 a.m. is no reason to give up on lectures.

Over the course of university, lecture sizes dwindle from as large as 500 to as small as 50, and seminars, tutorials and labs take precedence. During that time, students learn to deride lectures for their in-class distractions.

After all, one professor can’t stop every student from fidgeting, doodling, or napping in class.

But the so-called “sage on a stage,” as coined by Alison King in 1997, involving one instructor standing at the front of a passive audience, has plenty of benefits.

Lectures are distracting. However, that’s due to class size and a professor’s delivery, which aren’t comments on the overall model.

In a class of 500, odds are that at least one student will be online shopping—and pulling students away from class.

Furthermore, many professors earn their PhDs because they enjoy research, leading

to engaging or creative lectures taking a backseat.

All this is to say that, though their execution needs work, lectures aren’t to blame for failing to engage students.

In 2018, lectures are more flexible than ever before. Professors typically include visual components, from animated slides to videos, and students are often welcome to ask questions throughout.

It’s also critical to acknowledge that they’re seldom the only option. Lectures are typically accompanied by tutorials and workshops for lower-year students in need of guidance when processing information from their readings.

Lectures provide the passive learning students need before they apply their knowledge through projects, presentations, and groupwork.

The classes’ consistent format regardless of student level provides a space to learn subject matter without feeling the pressure of participation and

perceived instructor judgement.

In seminars, outgoing peers can dominate discussion. This can encourage students’ feelings of inferiority when racing those around them to answer a question for participation marks. While these smaller class sizes allow students to bond with professors and engage in conversation, they can also trigger anxiety or disengagement.

No one size fits all—lectures aren’t a perfect solution to effective university learning. But lecture and seminar-style classes co-exist at universities across the country.

Everyone learns differently, and the passive nature of academic lectures shouldn’t be discounted because they’re traditional.

What lectures might lack in style, they make up for in substance.

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

Hannah Stafl

Feeling like we need a digital witness in our own lives extends past the 10 seconds lost on our phones.

It takes away from our ability to experience a moment. Whether it’s through others watching our stories, liking our posts, or commenting on our photos, it pulls us away from those we’re with to those viewing and validating us from behind a screen.

Tessa Warburton

Assistant Photo Editor

Amelia Rankine

Video Editor

Christian Siriano

Assistant Video Editor

Nour Mazloum

Graphics Editor

Zier Zhou

Editorial Illustrator

Tegwyn Hughes Jasnit Pabla

Copy Editors

Lillian Gao

Editorial Intern

Contributing Staff Staff Writers and Photographers Lauren Trossman Claudia Rupnik Contributors Michelle Boon

Alexandra Mantella

Geneviève Nolet

Kelly Xu

Alina Yusufzai

Business Staff Business Manager

Morgan Dodson

Head Sales Representative

Aidan Chalmers

Sales Representative

Callum Nesbitt

Office Administrator

Liveny Krishnakumar

—Journal Editorial Board

Want to contribute?

Social media shouldn’t validate your experiences

If we don’t post our daily experiences on Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook, they didn’t really happen.

That may seem farfetched—of course, reality exists independent of social media.

However, in an era where we post every outfit, event, and accomplishment online, this truth is becoming less clear.

The creation of social media platforms like Facebook initially invited only certain things to be posted online—engagements, new jobs, university acceptances. They marked important milestones and shared news with friends and family in a single post.

But in 2018, it seems the majority of daily life goes documented.

As more social media platforms have given users the option to share everything from thoughts to photos and videos, their use has increased.

In fact, it’s reached a point where the urge to document moments online is just that—animpulsiveurge.It’sasifanexperience must be captured and publicized to the world in order to validate that it happened.

I’m the first to admit I’ll grab my phone to take a picture of a restaurant or a reunion with a friend, even if it adds nothing of value to the experience itself.

However, although social media doesn’t always add value, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s innocuous.

Chris Yao

Photo Editor

In an age where comparison runs rampant, social media requires you to prove you’re worth as much as anyone else.

Ultimately, posting our experiences can degrade them.

Using social media as a tool to solidify events and craft personas of how we’d like to come across—stylish, carefree, or popular—isn’t harmless, and we shouldn’t behave as if it is.

Your experiences are just as real if you don’t post them for others to see. A dinner is as delicious, an accomplishment as exciting, and a sunset as beautiful when it’s not posted to social media.

You don’t need to delete Instagram, but it’s worth considering why you enjoy posting on it, and if there’s something about the validation it gives that makes your posts a compulsion rather than a choice.

We enjoyed our life experiences before social media and we can still enjoy them without it. If we can take our eyes off the screen for a moment, our surroundings can become much clearer.

Hannah is one of The Journal’s Features Editors. She’s a third-year student in the Politics, Philosophy, and Economics program.

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

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

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

190 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3P4 Editorial Office: Business Office: Fax: Email:

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Please address complaints and grievances to the Editors in Chief.

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

Contents © 2018 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal.

Circulation 3,000

Friday, November 23, 2018

queensjournal.ca

OPINIONS

Your Perspective

GENEVIÈVE NOLET, ARTSCI ’20

Drug addiction needs to be treated as a public health issue—not a crime.

Drug users are people too, but that’s rarely reflected in their treatment. This stigma surrounding substance abuse in Canada is the result of laws that place retribution ahead of rehabilitation.

Alternatively, if the federal government were to decriminalize all drugs, it’d prioritize users and empathize with their reasons for using.

Emphasizing punishment over treatment for using drugs does little to solve the longstanding problem of addiction in Canada.

By taking an empathetic approach toward addicts, we accept rather than exclude and encourage their hopes of getting healthy.

It’s vital to remember, the act of using isn’t more important than its intent. Decriminalizing drugs and recognizing the conditions that lead drug users to use will both decrease the stigma and reduce excessive drug use.

Many drug users use drugs as a way to self-medicate, whether that be for physical or psychological pain relief.

Consider an athlete who suffers a severe injury and is prescribed opiates to relieve pain. If their physician were to suddenly cut off their prescription—which has been the case for some when OxyContin was delisted in 2012—they’d have to find other means to relieve their pain, like through black-market dealers.

Decriminalizing drugs in Canada would be a constructive approach to decreasing the stigma around substance abuse stigma while placing an essential focus on the user as a valued person.

By funding drug plans, harm reduction methods, and healthcare for people suffering from substance use, the government would prioritize users’ safety and have greater quality control of all drugs.

Similarly, with the increasing pervasiveness of fentanyl in street drugs, a controlled substance program would limit the contamination and lacing of drugs. In Ontario, opioid-related overdoses have become more

•7

Geneviève Nolet believes in a more empathetic approach toward drug users.

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

Looking beyond the addiction

Why we must eradicate the stigma surrounding substance abuse issues and more common—they’re now ranked as the third most common cause of accidental death in the province, with more than 5,000 deaths since 2000.

Introducing quality control over street drugs would also reduce criminal rates. If users were to get their drugs from a state-owned dispensary, they wouldn’t resort to crimes such

as theft and prostitution to get their fix.

Decriminalization would make substance users’ health a priority. Instead of spending money on tackling crime, the government could dedicate more resources to prevention and harm reduction programs, like healthcare, housing, and support groups.

This wouldn’t only save thousands of endangered addicts, it’d also make cities safer by reducing drug-related crimes and allowing police officers to focus on more severe offenses. In other countries, this approach to substance abuse has proved successful.

Since decriminalizing all drugs in 2001, the drug-related burden

Talking heads ... what is your least favourite course this semester?

on Portugal’s criminal justice system was reduced drastically.

Opiate-related deaths and sexually transmitted diseases also decreased significantly.

The Portuguese government further implemented a job creation program that encouraged users to contribute to society—giving them a sense of purpose and increasing their quality of life.

If Canada were to adopt a similar strategy, it’d lead to a society where more people are included and encouraged to contribute.

Struggling users would feel accepted, and receive the support needed to address the root cause for their substance abuse. In any case, it’s more logical and realistic to emphasize harm reduction and safe drug use rather than complete abstinence.

Education on the risks of taking drugs as well as harm reduction and drug treatment is also fundamental for the stigma around substance abuse to resolve.

Offering one way of teaching prevention is a Naloxone kit, a treatment that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose like fentanyl. These kits are currently available for free in Ontario pharmacies, where training is offered to anyone with a valid OHIP card.

This is particularly important for students, given the common use of drugs at parties, bars, and events such as Homecoming and St. Patrick’s Day. While decriminalization is still far off, progress is being made. In July, the Kingston Street Health Centre launched their Overdose Prevention Site, where local substance users can receive nonjudgmental support, supervision, and clean supplies while using drugs.

There are real steps being taken toward empathy and acceptance, though much needs to be done to fix our current social and judicial treatment of drug users and how to confront addiction.

We need to support substance users with help, love, and compassion. After all, they’re people deserving of respect just like anyone else.

Geneviève Nolet is a second-year languages, literature and cultures major.

PHOTOS BY TESSA WARBURTON

“Without a doubt, macroeconomics.”

“Business Decision Models.”

“Maybe English 160.”

“Defintely organic chemistry.”

Sonya Patel ArtSci ’20

Claire Zhou Comm ’21

Maria Shaheen Art Sci ’19

Trinity Vey ArtSci ’21

8 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 23, 2018

REVIEW

Arts

Generocksity parties for charity Philanthropic campus club helps Kingston Youth Shelter Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor Philanthropy and partying—it’s how Generocksity plans to assist homeless youth.

The campus club returned to the Brooklyn on Thursday to raise money for the Kingston Youth shelter. Before press time, the club expected to raise about $15,000 with the help of Bo Wellend, Local Band, and Sierra Roberts.

By taking advantage of the party scene on campus, G e n e ro c ks i t y ’ s Q u e e n’ s chapter lived their motto, “Party for a Purpose.”

The club was first created in Vancouver five years ago by a group of students who wanted to make a change in their community using the one

thing university students are best at—partying.

“Generocksity was created as a way to try to get university students involved in philanthropy.

[In] Kingston, we try to do as much as we can in the community and get the University students engaged so that they can do something to help out the local community,” Generocksity President Simon Israel, told The Journal.

Since its creation, the club has grown and evolved to incorporate events that go beyond concerts.

Every Generocksity club chapter has a different approach to reaching students and raising money. What works for one campus, may not work for

WATCH

Artist Profile: Charlotte Smith

Step into the studio with Charlotte Smith, ArtSci’19, as she works on her BFA thesis project. Watch as she explains the cinematic inspiration for her paintings and prints. michelle boon

Staff Writer

In its opening song, Queen’s Musical Theatre’s (QMT) winter production, If/Then poses the constant question: what if?

Running from Nov. 29th to Dec. 8th in the Rotunda Theatre, the show follows Elizabeth, who moves to New York City after divorcing her husband.

Upon meeting two friends in Madison Square Garden, her life splits into two timelines and different versions of herself, respectively named Liz and Beth.

Liz meets handsome army doctor, Josh, while Beth receives a call from her old colleague, Stephen, to become a deputy city planner.

Speaking to The Journal,

To watch the full video, go to queensjournal.ca/video

the show’s d i re c to r, Courtney Day, described it as both an emotional and physical marathon. Set over the course of five years, the show follows the lives of Liz, Beth, and their friends.

Fr o m marriage, having children, infidelity, to abortion and the death of a loved one, the show captures life’s highs and lows.

New York City is the backdrop for this self-discovery, matching each moment with physically demanding musicalnumbers, some of which required multiple scene changes.

To keep up with the show’s many moving parts, Day stripped back the production, relying on few props, minimalistic sets, and dialogue to establish each change of setting. As an

Generocksity at the Brooklyn last year.

the next.

“It’s grown and grown over time and sort of changed its dynamic. So I think right now we’re at seven different locations across North America, with one in New York, and it’s pretty amazing. We started in Kingston about four years ago now,” Israel said. “It’s been amazing to see it grow as a whole.”

Each branch of Generocksity finds their niche area in their community.

For Kingston, it’s no surprise it focused on live music.

“We find that these live music events really work well in the Kingston community,” Israel said.

According to Israel, the cause “provides support and a stable environment for all kids in the Kingston community.”

The club doesn’t just benefit local organizations and charities, it teaches student about the city and the needs of their community.

Street team member and photographer Caitlin Hebert appreciates the club for showing her a side of the community she hadn’t seen while at Queen’s.

“Generocksity is an enriching experience, we get to connect with the Kingston community and learn about organizations we wouldn’t otherwise have known about. We don’t focus on one

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY SIMON ISRAEL

charity. Rather, [we] try to reach out to as many as we can,” Hebert said.

The club is working hard to show students how easy it can be to help their community: people don’t have to donate massive amounts of money to make a difference.

Generocksity proves money spent on an average night out in the hub, can be enough to support local charities.

“With local Kingston bands and 100 per cent of our proceeds going to charity, we feel that we are truly helping the Kingston community that has done so much for us already,” Hebert said.

COMMENTARY

If/Then to take the road less traveled at Rotunda Theatre Experience two musicals in one with QMT production

audience aid, the dialogue gives verbal queues to suggest the timeline it’s currently following.

The music similarly lends itself to establishing the setting and plot. True to its musical theatre form, modern show tunes and power ballads propel the story forward. However, if you are not a fan of Sondheim, the show may still have something for you.

The honest lyrics and raw emotion of the songs will hopefully appeal to a wide range of music tastes, regardless of past musical experience.

In the past few years, QMT has opted for more light-hearted productions such as Avenue Q and How to Succeed in Business.

This year, Day and producer, Rebecca Lebel, pursued a more mature production to challenge the performers as well as their audience.

However, the themes of the

show are still relatable.

Although Elizabeth is in her 40’s for most of the show, her journey mirrors the experience of university students. “[Students] are transitioning into a more independent stage of our lives, giving us so much more freedom to make our own choices and ask ourselves ‘What do I want?’” Day told The Journal through email. “This freedom can sometimes be daunting but this show teaches us to embrace our choices and to see them as possibilities.”

It’s true: student life is filled with life-altering decisions.

The uncertainty of those options is what makes them so terrifying.

If/Then offers a rare feeling of satisfaction because it gives the audience the ability to watch a character’s alternate choices play out.

The show tries to answer life’s unknowns through a broad cast of characters navigating their own uncertain stories; each is different but vital. Audience members can identify with a character on-stage.

The interconnected narrative shows how one person’s decision can affect others. The lives onstage have infinite possibilities, but it’s the relationships in any timeline that make the characters’ choices worthwhile.

Both timelines have their equal share of loving and failed relationships, but Elizabeth takes these connections and grows from her experience.

Ultimately, her friends are there to support her.

Day hopes students will leave the theatre, and take a moment out of their hectic day to embrace their connections with the people around them.

Arts

9 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 23, 2018

ALUM PROFILE

Paul Fenniak returns to mentor young artists BFA alum talks development, artistic education Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor Ask any artist: a creative career is no easy task. Paul Fenniak is an exception.

Fenniak, BFA ’88, returned to Queen’s on Nov. 22 to share his experiences and offer advice to young artists. He gave a lecture in the Fine Arts department, talking about his artwork and career, and offering advice to young artists.

His career started early. From seven years old, Fenniak was fascinated with painting. Unlike artists stuck on a piece’s message, he was more interested in the physical painting, and its textures and brush strokes.

“Seeing Rembrant in Amsterdam when I was seven years old, I was obsessed by the paint textures on the sleeve of The Jewish Bride,” Fenniak told The Journal. “As a kid, I remember being struck—not by the pictures themselves so much as by the physical qualities of them.”

It sparked his interest in painting.

However, it wasn’t until much later that he made his first effort.

When Fenniak was in high school, his art teacher inspired him to pursue his passion as a career, not only a pass time.

“I had one good art teacher who really used to be on top of things who kept a stack of art magazines and was really enthusiastic. He was important,”

Fenniak’s Hotel Corridor.

Fenniak said.

This teacher was the first of many creative mentors for Fenniak.

Throughout his education in the arts, teachers guided his continued success and challenged him.

For one, he recalls a professor at Queen’s who prompted him to research foreign artists for an essay. It’s how he found his anti-realist, anti-minimalist style.

“It was because of that professor and his insistence that we look at more obscure artists that I discovered a taste for a certain kind of figurative art instead of abstract art,” Fenniak said. “Queen’s turned

PLAY REVIEW

Pages woos the Isabel First entirely student-written show is uplifting queer theatre

Alexandra Mantella Contributor For many, the most frightening thing about university is graduating.

However, Queen’s Students on Broadway’s musical Pages refused to be afraid.

The show—which ran from Nov. 15 to 17 at the Isabel Bader Studio Theatre—is an uplifting answer to graduation anxiety.

Its fearlessness proved successful.

The show broke Queen’s records for ticket sales at the Isabel Studio Theatre.

The Studio theatre reached 82 per cent capacity at every performance, which is well over the average 70 per cent capacity seen with the theatre’s other productions.

Directed and written by Bryan Cuypers, with music by Lilac Toh, Pages explores the realities of graduating from university, all while being the first entirely student written show to take the stage at the Isabel.

With a small cast, Pages empathizes with graduating students’ fears of moving into adulthood after university.

It tells the story of Grace, a recent Queen’s graduate. In the musical, she wakes up in her favourite storybook, and manages to escape from the reality of her

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY PAUL FENNIAK

my attention to a vein of work that I stayed on ever since.”

Through this assignment, his professor challenged him to try a new style.

He soon developed his distinctive dreamlike painting figures and scenes that stuck with him, and led to his success.

Fenniak currently works almost exclusively with oil paints, re-creating the thick, broad stroked textured look he fell in love with in his youth.

The texture is only one aspect of his approach to creating what he refers to as “hypnagogic experiences.”

Killers and Sara Bareilles.The former inspired Toh’s song, “On the Bright Side,” an infectious answer to Cuyper’s belief in creating more positivity in queer theatre.

Despite what Cupyers and Toh called “hiccups” in Pages’ production—like the last minute construction of their main set piece of a tree—the show surpassed expectation.

Toh and Cuypers wouldn’t change anything.

“Everything we went through in the process of creating Pages was something we needed to go through for the production to be as successful as it was,” Toh told The Journal in an interview.

“Everything that happened we had to go through for it turn out the way it was,” Considering Pages’ ticket sales, the

recent graduation.

While graduation was one aspect of the production, Cuypers’ also set out to address the lack of uplifting queer theatre at Queen’s. As a result, his writing process was inspired by one positive moment.

“The initial concept behind Pages was the ‘wooing scene’ where the main hero woos the prince, since most theatre that deals with queer issues is depressing,” he said. “We’re trying to subvert what other theatres do with queer productions.

We built the rest of the play around that ‘wooing’ scene.”

This mixture of modern romance and anxiety for the future is set against a strong soundtrack that compliments the coming-of-age story’s uplifting themes.

While writing the show’s music, Toh drew inspiration from The QSB performing Pages at the Isabel.

“It’s a kind of experience where you’re half between sleeping and waking,” Fenniak said. “It’s the middle space.”

“I’m interested in making work about inner experiences by paradoxically using close observations of the outside world to talk about what’s going on inside people.”

Fenniak’s work blurs the lines between dream-state and reality. He thrives on the ambiguity. It allows him to create an instability that truly confuses viewers.

He wants the viewer to feel like they’re on unsteady ground. Despite this, Fenniak doesn’t want his art to have a message.

“A message? No. I have no interest in saying something rhetorical, there’s no conclusion I wish to present. It’s all about trying to create the opportunity for an intimate experience. A sharing of an experience,” Fenniak said.

Sharing experiences is something Fenniak prioritizes in his artwork.

He’s given a few lectures to students in the past, but always tries to give them hope and valuable advice for the future.

This time around, Fenniak told his students to serious consider how they’re going to live, and to establish a support system.

“That’s a very cynical but practical piece of advice,” he said.

While he’s aware of the many challenges that students graduating from Fine Arts face, he can’t be more proud of them for pursuing it.

“When I look at how difficult it is, how much the odds are stacked against young artists, or artists period, it makes me just love them all the more for doing it.

It’s such a heroic sacrifice in a way.

Someone’s got to do it,” Fenniak said. approach appears to have worked.

Cast member Katy Scott said part of Pages’ success relied on subverting expectations of genre.

Instead of creating a cliché storyline, the show recognizes its tropes, poking fun along the way.

This good-natured humour offered a surprising relatable narrative for students tired of predictable takes on graduation and adulthood.

“None of us know what we are doing. We are all in the same boat. We are all in the same wariness,” Scott said. “But, I think it’s reassuring that everyone is going through the same thing and trying to figure it out.

You have to make your decisions in your own time and you have to make your own choices.”

PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK

10 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 23, 2018

Sports

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

Sheahan said he knew this season was important to keeping his job as head coach.

‘It looks like we’re trying to get our house in order’ Continued from front ...

In an article published by the Kingston Whig-Standard, Executive Director of A&R Leslie Dal Cin didn’t directly address reasons for Sheahan’s departure.

His resignation marks the sixth coaching change among the 13 varsity teams at Queen’s in the past two years.

“We recognize this is a significant transition for the football program. After 19 years as our head coach, we look forward

to continuing to work with Pat in his new role as a special adviser over the next six months,” Dal Cin told the Whig.

Sheahan said prior to this season, he knew his team’s performance might impact his job security. Queen’s finished with a 3-5 record this season and missed the playoffs—just short of the team’s 4-4 finish last year that saw them lose in the first round of the playoffs. The Gaels haven't won a postseason game since 2013.

“I think it was made clear this

was an important year,” Sheahan said. “I didn’t show it to the coaches or the players—I didn’t think it was appropriate to put pressure on them.”

“I was ready to come back,” he later said, adding he was never extended the opportunity from A&R to return for the 2019-20 season.

“Coming back was never an option.”

Despite the Gaels narrowly losing their last three games by five points or less, Sheahan acknowledged the necessity of winning—especially this past season.

“A lot of those very close losses, although they showed great character from the team, were damaging,” he said.

“There’s money being infused into the program and when that happens, there are expectations.

I’ve dealt with that my entire career. I’ve had 30 years where they could get rid of you at any moment.”

That said, Sheahan believes he’s in the prime of his coaching career.

“The ironic thing about the whole thing is that I think I’m the best version of me that I’ve ever been,” he said. “And unfortunately, I won’t be coaching here.” The national search for Sheahan’s successor was effective immediately following his resignation.

Sheahan said with a new head coach, he’s unsure of the Gaels’ current coaching staff’s job security or whether there will be

any position turnover. As head of the program, Sheahan played a role in appointing most of the team’s position coaches and coordinators. “[Picking the staff will] be up to [them] and I sincerely hope [they] take a good look at the [current] staff,” Sheahan said. “The coaching staff here is in great shape—some of them might even be candidates for the job.”

As for his own job, Sheahan said he’ll be pursuing a coaching opportunity elsewhere—he’s just unsure of where he’ll land.

“I’m a coach, that’s what I do to make my living,” he said. “I’m disappointed I won’t be coaching this team next year … but it looks like we’re trying to get our house in order here.”

With nearly 20 years of his coaching career spent at Queen’s, Sheahan said it’s been an emotional week for him. On Monday, he met with his coaching staff to deliver the news, and on Tuesday, he met with players on the team.

“It was a very, very difficult time,” Sheahan said of his meeting with his players. “I told them, ‘Regardless of what you feel right now, you need to embrace the change. There’s going to be a new walking boss … you’ve got to go out and impress him.’”

Shortly after, Sheahan paid a visit to an old friend.

After the meeting with his players, he drove to Gananoque to visit the grave of former Queen’s assistant coach, Hal “Moose” McCarney. The late McCarney was on the storied Queen’s Head Coach Frank Tindall’s staff when the Gaels dominated in the '50s, '60s and '70s—Sheahan called him “Mr. Queen’s football.” “[McCarney] challenged me. He said, ‘You better stay here longer than I did.’ And that was 22 years,” Sheahan said. “I said, ‘Moose, it ain’t happening. It’s not going down that way.’”

“I was waiting for him to answer, but he didn’t.”

MEN’S RUGBY

Gaels sweep way to national championship final Wins over University of New Brunswick, Victoria see Queen's earn finals berth Matt Scace Sports Editor After running away with the Turner Trophy just two weeks ago, the men’s rugby team is one win away from the Canadian University Rugby Championships in Victoria, B.C.

On Wednesday, the Gaels decisively beat the University of New Brunswick Ironmen 76-5 in the tournament’s first match. They claimed the game as their own early, scoring the first six tries of the match in the first half. The Gaels never lost the lead and went into Thursday’s match with the University of Victoria Vikings with their winning streak at 21 matches long.

Queen’s faced a taller task against the Vikings, who finished their season with a 5-4 record ahead of the tournament. Before the match, Head Coach Dave Butcher said his team’s match against the Vikings would be

The men’s rugby team is riding a 22-game win-streak.

one of their hardest of the season.

“I’m sure they’ll be very competitive,” Butcher said on Tuesday. “They’re a very good program, very well coached, so I think it’ll be [one] of the hardest games this year.”

Butcher’s predictions were true: against Victoria, the Gaels

didn’t score until the 23rd minute when second-year Sam Ibbotson ran in the team’s first try of the game. Going into halftime, Queen’s led just 7-5.

In the second half, the Gaels trailed for the first time all season after the Vikings hit a 3-point penalty kick and led

PHOTO BY MATT SCACE

8-7 going into the final minutes of the game. Opting not to take a penalty kick 25 yards out, third-year Trevor Helgason ran in Queen’s second try of the game with three minutes to go.

Continued on page 11

Sports

Friday, November 23, 2018

queensjournal.ca

• 11

ROWING

Stone’s eyes set on senior national rowing team Gaels rower to take winter semester off to train full-time

Gavin Stone was named the 2018 OUA Rowing Male Athlete of the Year.

Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor Gavin Stone is set on reaching the international stage.

The fourth-year rower—who was recently named OUA Male Athlete of the Year after finishing first at the Canadian University Rowing Championships and winning two OUA gold medals this season—is putting his academics on hold next semester to train with Canada’s rowing program.

Stone’s no stranger to competing at the national level. A current member of the under-23 rowing team, he’s represented Canada at the past two under-23 world championships.

In 2017, during his first season with the under-23 team, Stone had the opportunity to live and train at the National Training Centre (NTC) in British Columbia, which he said had been a goal of his “for a while.”

“To make [the team] kind of confirmed that I do have the potential to go further,” he said.

Shortly after Stone began training with the national team, he competed at his first under-23 world championships, held in Sarasota, Florida. It was his first glimpse of international competition.

“Going [international] for the first time and seeing all the different countries—it blows your mind how many people are there,” he said. Stone raced in the men’s 4x, his boat placing first overall in the B final.

In 2018, Stone competed in his second

‘We go to win’

Continued from page 10 Hitting the conversion, the Gaels would hold on and win 15-8. It was their smallest margin of victory all season—their closest game came in their 40-13 win against Guelph during the regular season.

The win propelled Queen’s to the National Championship final, which will take place this coming Sunday at 1 p.m.

Ahead of the tournament, Butcher said he expected the Gaels to continue their winning streak, all the way to the finals.

“Every time we go into something, we go to win, so obviously the expectation is to go and perform to our capabilities and

under-23 world championships in Poznan, Poland, as a part of the men’s 8x, the technical term for an 8-man boat. They placed fifth in the “A” final—the strongest class of rowers.

“It’s pretty cool to race against the best in the world, even at the [under]-23 level, because you kind of get to see where you’re

“It’s an exciting opportunity

for sure.”

—Gavin Stone

strong and where you’re weak,” Stone said. “[I]t gives you time to make improvements so that next year you can do better.”

Most recently, Stone had the opportunity to race against people who have already achieved his goal of reaching the Olympics at the Canadian National Rowing Championships. Beside him on the starting line was New Zealand rower Mahe Drysdale, who is a current Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion in the sculls. Canadian Olympic silver medalist Will Crothers was also on the water.

Stone, 21 years old, finished ahead of Drysdale in second place.

“That was really cool. That was probably my favourite race [of my career],” he said.

In his current attempts to make the senior team, rowing has become Stone’s full-time job. When he moves to B.C. for the winter, it’ll be his sole focus. win every match,” Butcher said. “I think the boys will do what they did [at the OUA Championships].”

Playing two games in two days was an irregularity by all accounts for Queen’s—during the OUA regular season, they played one game each week. The championships shortened each game by ten minutes to compensate for the high volume of rugby being played.

“It’s a lot of games in a short amount of time … but it’ll be a big psychological and physical test for the boys to stay on form for that amount of games,” Butcher said of his players’ fitness.

On Thursday, the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds defeated Guelph to cement their spot in the finals. The Thunderbirds—who finished their season with a 9-2 record and beat Victoria 45-26 earlier this year—will be the Gaels’ final roadblock to being crowned the best in the country.

“[Rowers at the NTC are] doing a lot of volume right now […] the winter is definitely their building phase,” he said, which he claimed may make transition difficult.

Regardless of his strong performances for the under-23 team, Stone intends to make the most improvements possible before the senior team is selected in late March. With the resources of the NTC at his fingertips, Stone believes his ceiling for growth will be much higher.

“It’s obviously the best training environment, and it’s an exciting opportunity for sure.”

While selection for the senior team is only four months away, Stone said that if he doesn’t make the senior national team, he’ll be able to remain in B.C. to train for his last year as an under-23 athlete.

If Stone secures a spot on the national team, he’ll be competing at the senior world championships this year.

The championships serve as the qualifying races for the 2020 Canadian

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY MICHAEL BRYENTON

Olympic team.

A certain number of the top boats at the championship regatta qualify the country’s boat for the Olympics—but not the specific athletes. The athletes are not guaranteed a spot at the Olympic Games, and are selected at a later date.

But this works out to Stone’s advantage—if he isn't named to the senior national team this summer, he’ll still have a chance at getting selected to compete at the Olympics.

“Because I’m in a position where I might be likely to make a boat, I’ll stay out there for the full year and try to commit to it,” he said.

Depending on his performance this summer, Stone may not return to Queen’s until his future in rowing is determined.

“It’s a big change and putting school on hold is obviously a pretty big decision, but I feel as though [I] kind of have to,” Stone said. “I obviously want to see how far I can go in rowing.

“I have potential in front of me.”

Sports

12 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 23, 2018

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

Jaz Bains scored 22 points in Saturday’s game.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Queen's split pair of home games, hold 4-3 record Gaels lose big to Laurier, rebound over Waterloo

Alina Yusufzai Contributor After a rough 93-65 loss on Friday night against the Laurier Golden Hawks (5-3), the Gaels (4-3) rebounded Saturday night

against the University of Waterloo Warriors (1-7) with a 83-75 win last weekend.

Against Laurier, the Gaels found themselves behind early.

Down 33-15 by the end of the first quarter, Queen’s

ATHLETICS

Athletics recognizes student athlete academic achievements

Over 360 athletes receive U Sports award for 80 per cent average or above Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor On Wednesday morning, Queen’s student athletes were honoured for their academic achievements over the past year.

Using the 2017-18 academic year, 365 student athletes were honored and earned the title of Academic All-Star, which is awarded to athletes who earn at least a 3.5 grade-point average while participating in university sport.

At Queen’s, approximately 41 per cent of student athletes received an Academic All-Star award. According to Ann Tierney, vie-provost and dean of student affairs, Queen’s has consistently produced enough Academic All-Stars to rank top five among all Canadian universities each year.

Since the inception of the U Sports Academic All-Canadian honour in 1988, Queen’s has honoured 2,377 students with the

faced slow progress for the remainder of the game. At half, they trailed by as much as 29 points.

Despite keeping the third and fourth quarter close, the Golden Hawks kept the Gaels at bay and finished the game with a convincing 93-65 win. It was Queen’s largest margin of defeat this season.

The following night, the Gaels continued their shaky play against Waterloo. The Warriors finished the first half up 40-34 while shooting an impressive 57 per cent from the field.

But in the third quarter, Queen’s began to pull ahead.

Led by fifth-year guard Jaz

Bains, the Gaels scored 26 points coming out of the half and

Caroline Livingston—members of the men’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams—also recognized two high-school student athletes through the Pathways to Education program.

As well, the Nixon Leadership Award was given to four students who demonstrated excellence in their academics, community service, and sportsmanship. The awards are named in honour of

“The second half was

really where we found our rhythm and got the pace of the game where we wanted it.”

—Head Coach

opened the fourth with a narrow 60-57 lead. Bains—who’s fourth in the OUA in scoring

award. Only McGill University at 2,563 and the University of Alberta at 2,750 have more.

For varsity teams, the highest overall GPAs were cross country, followed by a tie between women’s volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s soccer, and rowing; for club teams, the highest overall GPAs were squash and curling.

To start off the reception, Executive Director of Athletics & Recreation Leslie Dal Cin and Interim-Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Tom Harris addressed athletes with opening remarks.

Tierney also gave a speech, and said the number of student-athletes at the reception “reflects [Athletics’] commitment to providing you with the encouragement, support, and resources that you need to excel.”

During the reception, Varsity Leadership Council Presidents Harry Range and The all-star reception took place in Grant Hall on Wednesday morning.

with 22.2 per contest—chipped in with 10 of his 22 points in the quarter.

“The second half was really where we found our rhythm and got the pace of the game where we wanted it,” Head Coach Steph Barrie told The Journal after the game. “At some point in the third quarter, we slowly got where we wanted to be and ended up taking control [of the] game.”

Both teams traded baskets throughout the fourth quarter and were knotted up 75-75 with 1:20 left to play in regulation. With the shot clock about to expire, Gaels forward Tanner Graham connected on a three to give his team the lead—and that sealed it.

Including Graham’s three, Queen’s went on a 8-0 run to finish the game, winning their fourth game of the season 83-75 and maintaining their winning 4-3 record.

“We’ve been working on that segment of games in the last two weeks of practices. I was pretty confident that we were going to execute,” Barrie said of how his team’s approach as the game winded down.

“I always try to look for the guys that are making subtle differences. Our main guys, Tanner [Graham], Jaz [Bains] and Quinton [Grey]—when it was time for the second half, they really stepped up.”

Graham’s 17 points brought him to surpass the 1,000-point mark in his career with Queen’s. He’s currently sixth all-time among Gaels players for points with 1,015, slightly behind Mike Burleigh (1987-91) who’s scored 1,048.

Holding a 4-3 record, the Gaels are currently fourth in the OUA with Laurentian (4-2) and UOttawa (4-2) ahead tied for third.

They all sit behind the undefeated Ryerson Rams (7-0) and Carleton Ravens (6-0).

This coming Saturday, the Gaels hit the road to take on the Lakehead Thunderwolves (2-4) in their lone game of the weekend.

Gord and Janet Nixon.

The recipients were Caroline Wisheart (women’s cycling), Zach Baum (men’s sailing), Megan Saftich (women’s basketball), and Elliot Hall (men’s rowing).

SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S ATHLETICS

Friday, November 23, 2018

queensjournal.ca

• 13

Lifestyle CULTURAL COMMENTARY

Emo rap needs to end The genre squanders its chance to have a serious discussion about mental illness Josh Granovsky Lifestyle Editor

The emo music genre of the early 2000s was defined by eyeliner-donning men stalking around a stage and lyrically releasing pent-up rage. Today, emo music dominates pop culture as emo rap: joylessly auto-tuned rap songs about numbing pain with drugs, and often sung by face-tattooed men with more criminal charges than they have hits.

The burgeoning genre of emo rap fuses elements from classic hip-hop, like 808-heavy beats and objectifying women, with aspects of classic emo music, like dark narratives and blaming women for heartbreak.

Emo rap's place in mainstream music is well-established—Kid Cudi and Kanye West made melancholy hip-hop an integral part of their brand more than a decade ago. The difference today is how much space the genre occupies within the music landscape, as stars like Juice WRLD, Trippie Redd and Tekashi 6ix9ine continue to

gain popularity.

XXXTentacion and Lil Peep, pioneers of the genre who passed away before seeing their 22nd birthdays, also continue to see their fanbases grow as supporters champion their legacy and propel their posthumous releases to top Hot 100 charts.

These rappers all draw from the same lyrical well of musings about depression and heartbreak.

Juice WRLD's "Lucid Dreams," which peaked at second on Billboard's Hot 100 a few weeks ago and currently sits sixth, touches on using drugs and suicide to avoid confronting his true feelings for a woman. He talk-sings in the second verse, "You were my everything / Thoughts of a wedding ring / now I'm just better off dead."

Juice WRLD’s recently released album, Goodbye and Good Riddance, delves deeper into these feelings and even extends to a point where he discusses murdering the woman who broke his heart: "Baby do your worst / I've come to the conclusion that you can't kill me if I kill

Rappers like Tekashi 6ix9ine and Juice WRLD popularized the emo rap genre.

TV REVIEW

you first."

Trippie Redd, whose latest mixtape currently holds the top spot on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart, raps about similar violence against women, and even brings guns into the mix. The mixtape's lead single, "Topanga," aggressively discusses his feelings towards a girl: "If you run out on me then I’m gunnin’ / Hit you in the stomach / we tote 'em in public." Tekashi 6ix9ine extends this destructive theme on his biggest hit, "FEFE," where he raps, "N—s say they killin' people, but I really f—ng do it / I don't really want no friends."

Trivializing violence and treating women as sexual objects are rooted in rap's history. It’s long been accepted by society as part of what hip-hop is, and the influences of underprivileged areas where facing crime and domestic violence.

Emo rap adds new elements to this already problematic message: it popularizes the notion women are to blame for men’s drug addictions and

mental illnesses.

These rappers don't only talk the talk—their behaviours show the way they refer to women in songs, transfers into the real world too.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's list of crimes include beating the mother of his child and posting a sexual video of a 13-year-old girl on Instagram. Trippie Redd has been arrested for assault twice this year, once after hitting a woman with a pistol. At the time of his death in June, XXXTentacion was facing charges for aggravated battery of his pregnant girlfriend, and built up a reputation for inciting violent riots at his concerts.

There's immense value in men sharing their experiences with mental illness. Talking openly about suicidal thoughts and experiences with depression could lead others onto a better path by providing appropriate resources to cope. Instead, current emo rap consists of rappers using destructive behaviour, placing their burdens on

sixth-grader with epilepsy who adopts Rory—a medical alert dog who’s trained to notify others when Corinne has an epileptic episode. The episode also follows Meghan, a young girl with a spinal condition who has trouble balancing herself. Meghan’s family adopts Strax, a service dog who helps her with balance.

For both girls, their dogs not only help them manage their disabilities, but quickly become their intimate companions and best friends. As Meghan’s mother put it, instead of her daughter being the girl with the disability, she’s the girl with the dog.

The combination of cute kids, adorable dogs, and supportive families in the episode show both humans and dogs’ capacity to love and care for each other.

Other episodes in Dogs depict anything from a man rescuing his dog from Syria, a fisherman and his canine companion, a dog shelter in Costa Rica, and more.

Each episode brings its own

dog-related tale that will make you cry uncontrollably and start googling nearby dogs up for adoption.

The docuseries highlights the relationship between humans and dogs, and will restore your faith that there’s good in the world.

Dogs proves that even in the toughest situations, the forces of good and love can survive.

In episode two’s heartwarming tale, refugee Ayham and his friends risk their lives to rescue his dog, Zeus, from war-torn Syria to reunite him with Ayham in Germany.

The series takes advantage of one of the only things everyone can agree on being wonderful: dogs.

It uses dogs around the world as a way to connect people and highlight their similarities. By creating a series that features an American family, a Syrian refugee, an Italian fisherman, and Japanese dog groomers, Dogs shows humans and dogs’ love for

each other is universal.

Not only does the show’s subject matter make you want to cuddle the nearest living thing, but it’s also extremely visually appealing.

The show is b e a u t i f u l ly shot, with plenty of close ups of puppies that will leave all your aesthetic needs satisfied.

If you’re looking for a show that will give you a cathartic cry and make you book the next train home to go cuddle your dog, this docuseries is the one.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY

women, and releasing it in a format that pushes listeners to mindlessly shout harmful lyrics at a nightclub.

Emo rappers don't push people to healthily confront their mental illnesses or emotional dilemmas. They perpetuate a world where there's no light at the end of a depressing song—what exists is an endless cycle of drug abuse to avoid embracing how we feel.

Emo rap has the tools and platform to become a constructive means for discussion about the hardships of mental illness, and the ways to which you can improve your condition. But with its current roster of hopeless lyrics and the absence of positive role models, shining a spotlight on emo rap does more harm than good.

Netflix's Dogs is a refreshing depiction of the human-pet relationship

The docuseries follows canines all over the world Lauren Trossman Staff Writer

If long nights of bingeing true crime shows left you questioning your faith in humanity, you need Netflix's docuseries, Dogs.

With each episode having a different theme, the series—released in full last Friday—follows dogs and their owners in a unique way.

Focusing on one dog and its human counterparts in various locations all over the world, the show highlights the purity and goodness of canines.

The first episode tells the story of two families’ journeys to adopt service dogs for their children with special needs.

Corinne, for example, is a

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY

JOSH GRANOVSKY

LIFESTYLE

14 •queensjournal.ca Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor A 70-year-old man robbing banks and escaping prison is an unusual swan song.

Not for Robert Redford.

In a fitting send-off, the film icon and Academy-Award winning director starred in recently released The Old Man and the Gun to wrap up his acting career.

The biopic follows real-life American criminal Forrest Tucker, who robbed about 60 banks with two accomplices, Theodore Green and John Waller. He was arrested, convicted,

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALLY MASTANTUONO

MOVIE REVIEW

The Old Man and the Gun: a perfect farewell to Robert Redford The film icon’s last movie is one for the books

and successfully escaped prison 18 times.

Despite its unusual story, the film’s title suggests a far more destructive character than the one

POP CULTURE

Redford depicts.

Tucker isn’t violent, abrasive or even rude—he’s never even shown holding his gun onscreen. He robs banks with a balance of charisma and decency that make audiences eager to excuse his actions. He even goes as far as to flirt with the bank tellers, charming them with lines like, “Don’t go breaking my heart now.”

Throughout the film, Redford is shown in shots reminiscent of past films from his storied career.

In one scene, he sits on a horseback in the fog and wrapped in a fleece blanket, looking just like The Sundance Kid from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In another, he’s shown from the back with his shoulders raised up, like he could be back playing a newlywed alongside Jane Fonda in Barefoot in the Park.

Signs of his age are undetectable

Mumford and Sons bring back the banjo on Delta Folk band’s new album is a return to their roots Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor Nine years since the release of their debut album, Mumford and Sons have returned to their roots.

Delta, released last Friday, delivers 14 tightly-written, yearning-filled folk tracks. Each song is a unique, emotional build towards catharsis.

The hopeful undertones of Delta’s lyrics offer a more mature outlook on romance and relationships than any of the band’s previous albums.

Compared to the agony expressed in their earlier music, the new album suggests frontman Marcus Mumford’s made peace with his youthful angst.

After the band’s third album, Wilder Mind, failed to feature any of the band’s signature banjo, Delta gives it a triumphant return.

It’s a return to their debut 2009 album Sigh No More, when the U.K. band exploded onto an already-crowded music scene.

Sigh No More has sold over four million copies in the U.K., two million in the U.S, and nearly 200,000 records in Canada since its release. The band’s also been nominated for 18 Billboard Music Awards, along with 13 Grammy nominations—securing

Friday, November 23, 2018

two—and countless other international awards.

Mumford and Sons’ unique sound has set a precedent for indie-folk, and the genre’s been at the forefront of trends for the past decade. After their headway, popular bands like The Lumineers and Hozier have carved their place in a pop-heavy music scene, echoing the success of Mumford and Sons.

Now, four studio albums later, the band’s had ample time to experiment with their sound.

Instrumentally, Mumford and Sons combined elements of all their previous works—slow strings arrangements, upbeat electronic backbeats, acoustic instruments—into what feels like the purest representation of what the band has to offer.

The fourth track on Delta, “Beloved,” opens on the band’s timeless banjo riff, coupled with painfully honest lyrics and the boom of Mumford’s voice. Over layers of acoustic guitar, steady percussion, and soft piano, the emotion of the song can't

in these scenes—he’s timeless.

In this vein, The Old Man and the Gun is an ode to Redford’s accomplishments in film. The film’s director and screenwriter, David Lowry, even featured photos and footage from Redford’s life in cinema.

Seeing Redford both young and old onscreen gives the film a documentary feel: it’s as if the story is about the actor himself.

Despite Redford’s strong performance, the film has its flaws. There are storylines that never came to fruition, and missed opportunities for evocative storytelling that aren't taken advantage of.

In one short scene, we meet Tucker’s daughter, played by

Elisabeth Moss. She never met her father because he was always in jail or on the run, and wouldn’t want to meet him even if he was caught again.

But this is the last time we see her. The storyline ends there—no cathartic reunion or embracive reconciliation. In defense of Lowry, this dismissed storyline reflects Tucker’s approach to life. He doesn’t need anyone else to be happy, and he doesn’t need to be caged by familial restraints.

The Old Man and the Gun eulogizes Tucker in a way where viewers can gravitate towards him—and it makes Redford’s farewell to cinema all the more mournful and fitting.

The folk band's latest album came out last Friday.

be contained.

Standout track “Woman” is layered with background vocals that produce a haunting and hymnal sound. The tempo is slightly faster as Mumford tries to understand the woman he loves, singing, “I can’t read your mind / Though I’m trying all the time.”

Delta’s interpretation of love is more hopeful than the band’s previous efforts. “The Wild” is a gentle love ballad, while the upbeat “Rose of Sharon” sees Mumford forcefully promise that, “So long as I have breath in my lungs / Long as there’s a song to be sung / I will be yours and you will be mine.”

In the title track “Delta”—the last on the album—Mumford

SUPPLIED VIA FLICKR

finds reassurance in love “when it feels like nothing else matters.”

In a callback to the album’s first track, “Guiding Light,” Mumford croons, “[Because] even when there is no star in sight / You’ll always be my only guiding light.”

By the end of the album, the listener glimpses Mumford’s view of love. In “Wild Heart,” he sings, “I wouldn’t have you any other way” before begging the question, “Who wants a love that makes sense, anyway?”

Whether Mumford’s love makes sense or not, Delta does.

Whatever the band’s guiding light is, it’s succeeded in bringing them home to the folk identity where they belong.

INFORMATION FOR ALL STUDENTS IMPACTED

BY SEXUAL VIOLENCE GET HELP, GIVE HELP queensu.ca/sexualviolencesupport Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Coordinator, Barb Lotan bjl7@queensu.ca

LIFESTYLE

Friday, November 23, 2018

queensjournal.ca

• 15

ASTROLOGY

Unpacking my astrological identity Exploring the space where psychology and astrology overlap Claudia Rupnik Staff Writer On Nov. 22, the planets in the solar system shifted—and just like that, Sagittarius season began.

My relationship with astrology is complicated. I read my horoscope both religiously and ironically, never quite convinced of the truth in astrological predictions, nor completely dissuaded from analyzing my celestial destiny.

Astrology is an ancient art that links planetary movement on the zodiac to the course of human affairs and the development of the natural world. In Western astrology, there are 12 signs of the zodiac that account for relatively equal periods of time throughout the year.

Beyond horoscopes, astrology is about understanding the conditions of the universe at the date and time that one entered into it, so that one’s intrinsic nature as a person can be more fully understood.

I’m an Aries: a fire sign

with a reputation for being strong-willed, competitive, sensitive, and stubborn.

These characteristics aren't prescribed hard-and-fast, but rather as identifiers for possible behaviours among individuals born under each sign. Essentially, astrology accounts for why some people exhibit these characteristics more explicitly than others.

I closely identify with the Aries sign because these behaviours have proven to be determinants of how I engage with the world.

When a friend remarked I was being over-competitive about a casual game of Monopoly, my brain immediately rationalized my behaviour with astrology. I’ve always been categorized as an Aries to a fault, and often analyze my interactions through this lens.

Earlier this week, while reading my horoscope, I paused to consider the origin of this association.

What came first? Was my identity written in the stars, or did I subconsciously shape my identity to suit my astrological assignment?

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

Claudia closely identifies with the Aries sign.

Luckily, I’m not alone in my curiosity about the space where psychology and astrology overlap.

In 1994, psychologist Jan J.F. van Rooijasserts sought to answer the same questions about astrological identities informing behaviours. The study she conducted, called “Introversion-extraversion: astrology versus psychology,” assessed the astrological premise that those “born with the sun in a positive sign (Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius) are extraverted and those with the sun in a negative sign (Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces) are introverted.”

The results of this study were confirmed, but only among

subjects who were aware of their star sign beforehand. This finding asserted that psychological processes such as self-attribution and selective self-observation allow the knowledge of an astrological identity to influence people’s true identity.

In social psychology, self-attribution is the process of connecting behaviors to particular causes, whereas selective self-observation is the examination of these same aspects through a limited lens that allows the observer to find specific results.

These results suggest I’m subconsciously choosing to view my identity from a specific perspective that allows me to relate to my astrological assignment. For

example, I associate myself with the Aries sign, and its competitive behaviour. It’s likely that I lean into demonstrations of competitiveness to reaffirm my belonging to this category.

Rooijasserts’ study didn’t disprove the validity of astrology, though it did offer some insight into the way people associate with their zodiac signs.

I’m not ready to give up on astrology just yet, and will likely still offer up my astrological identity as some form of explanation for my behaviour.

However, I learned to reconsider the characteristics I attribute with myself for the sake of separating my core identity from the identity that was written in the stars.

LIFE HACKS

Re-thinking creative study breaks How music became my way to stay engaged

For Sophia, playing piano is the perfect study break.

Sophia Spencer Opinions Editor My second language is music.

As a student, it's become the perfect destresser.

When I was three, I was taking violin lessons, and soon after piano, voice and saxophone lessons. It wasn’t something I could just enjoy—it required practice, discipline, and patience—and I grew to resent the task-oriented relationship I had with it. Repeatedly playing the same pieces and scales to absolute perfection removed the

creative and expressive elements it once had.

However, when I arrived at Queen’s, there wasn’t anything else I craved more than to play piano and escape my hectic academic and social commitments.

Beyond the obvious difference in subject matter, there are similarities between mastering a song on a given instrument and writing an English essay—both take time and practice to perfect. But the way your brain operationally functions during each activity

PHOTO BY JOSH GRANOVSKY

couldn’t be more different.

Many students listen to classical or instrumental music while they study to remain engaged. Music unconsciously stimulates your brain without distracting you from your work.

However, I found listening to music alone wasn’t enough to put me in a study-ready mood.

This predicament helped me rekindle my relationship with piano. Using it as a creative break from my studies, I played piano instead of watching Netflix—and I found myself reenergized because of it, even

without coffee or rest.

Using piano as a break didn’t disrupt my working mood. Even though I was taking a mental break from whatever I’d been studying, I remained motivated to return to it.

Playing piano requires meticulous attention to music notes—making sense of them, forming a kinetic connection to them, and so on. But while you shift your attention from one note to the other, your brain is simultaneously working consciously and subconsciously.

The left side of your brain deals with logical and spatial thinking, while the right side focuses on tasks that require creativity and self-expression.

The communication between the brain’s left and right sides is significantly more developed in pianists than those who don’t play the instrument.

By playing piano as a brief break from studying, your brain not only exercises logical

thinking and attention, but it also begins to exercise creatively. For most, this means increased cognitive exercise and a new found sense of creative accomplishment.

Watching a Netflix show as a study break decreases attentiveness, and results in fatigue and a lack of motivation.

Although shows or movies might be more relaxing than playing piano, the brain suffers more in terms of happiness if you’re not engaging in healthy habits.

Rather than effortlessly watching other characters live out their lives on a screen, the happiness you can gain from a creative accomplishment is more worthwhile in the long run.

Whether it be an adult colouring book or an instrument, engaging in a creative outlet as a break from studying improves the quality of your work and keeps your brain active.

LIFESTYLE

16 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 23, 2018

POSTSCRIPT

Students and alumni share how they met their Queen’s housemates

How men’s bathrooms and a love of dinosaurs make lifelong friendships first-years to hang out. Most of the time, we don’t just drop them off and leave.”

—Caleb Plett, ArtSci ’20

“When my housemate and I met, I was wearing jean short overalls.

We both had toy dinosaur figures and really liked that about each other, as most five-year-olds do. We went to play with them while our parents chatted. I don’t have a clue what happened next—but our relationship revolved around dinosaurs for at least two years from that point.

Thirteen years later, we moved into Chown Hall together, sharing a tightly-packed double room. My dad gave us each a dinosaur figurine on the day we moved in.”

—Matt Scace, ArtSci ‘20

This time of year, some students have to write exams and house hunt.

Journal Staff The end of first semester means two things: stress, and for some, house hunting.

When you’re already pressed for time, it can be hard to decide where you want to live and who you want to live with.

The Journal asked Queen’s students to share how they met their housemates. Hopefully, these stories will help some deal with their indecision, and remind others how lucky they were to find their housemates. ***

“I met my now former housemate on move-in day on West Campus. I was brushing my teeth in the boy’s bathroom—because it was closer to my room and I’m lazy—when a girl walked in with her mom to brush her teeth as well.

The mom introduced herself, and introduced me to her daughter. After we said, ‘Hi,’ I asked her if she cried when she found out she was living on West.

She said yes and we’ve been best friends ever since.”

—Brigid Goulem, ArtSci ’19

“In first year, I was sitting in my Intro to Archaeology class when a girl walked up to the seat next to me and asked, ‘Is your name

Brittany?’ It was an old friend from dance class who I hadn’t seen since eighth grade. We went our separate ways in high school, and didn’t know we were both students at Queen’s.

We caught up in archaeology class and decided to be housemates for second year.

Now we’re both in fourth year, and although we don’t live together anymore, she’s still one of my closest friends. To this day I don’t know why I enrolled in archaeology—but I’m glad I did.”

—Brittany Giliforte, ArtSci ‘20

“In first year, the big question after Christmas break was: Who are you living with next year?

Although offers were made around tables at Leonard Hall and over Moscow Mules at Clark Hall Pub, I chose to live with the first friend I made at Queen’s, her Victoria Hall roommate, and another friend.

We rented a run-down, semi-detached house on Johnson Street and it was a great experience. We became fast friends with the students on the other side of our unit and merged the following year—moving to a large house on Albert to accommodate us all.

Thirty years later, my housemates and I keep in touch even though we live in cities across the country. Although we

GRAPHIC BY NOUR MAZLOUM

don’t get to see each other very often, our friendship lasted.”

—Sharon Nagle, ConEd ‘88

“I’m pretty shy and I didn’t know anyone else coming to Queen’s. I was nervous about making friends. However, I was also interested in connecting with the Christian community in Kingston, and during Frosh Week I met three third-year guys from a Christian club on campus called Power to Change.

They invited me over to their place without realizing their housemates already invited a bunch of friends from the club.

When I got there, there was about twenty people crammed into their tiny living room.

The guys who invited me remembered they had another engagement and basically abandoned me at the house with a bunch of strangers.

But it turned out well in the end—I met a lot of great people and I’ve been involved with the club ever since.

I decided to live with other first-year guys from Power to Change in second year. We loved that the club’s upper-years lived together, and opened their house for community events and welcoming first-years to Queen’s.

I now live in a house with six other guys. Every September we make a point of inviting

“On the first day of my first year, I was walking down the middle of Stuart Street toward Chernoff. On the sidewalk, several feet away from me, I heard someone sneeze. She was far away but when I said, ‘Bless you,’ she looked up, smiled, and said, ‘Thank you.’

She asked if I was heading to HIST 124. I was, and she asked if she could walk with me, since she didn’t know where it was.

We walked to class together, sat with each other, and then got lunch at Ban Righ Hall.

For the rest of first year, we alternated between staying in my room in Chown Hall and her room in Waldron Hall. We lived together for the rest of university, and have been best friends ever since.

When her grandfather died in fourth year, we were the only people in the room with him.

When my marriage was ending, she was the only person I talked to about it.

It’s been more than eleven years since we met, and to this day, she’s my favourite person. I’m grateful every day that I was there when she sneezed.”

— Gillian Shields, ArtSci ’12

It’s been more “ than eleven years

since we met, and to this day, she’s my favourite person.

”

“We met first year of university at the Bader International Study Centre in England. We were randomly assigned

as roommates and nervous at first.

After about two days of knowing each other, we decided to get school supplies before classes and took a bus to the nearest town, Eastbourne.

We spent the whole day together shopping and exploring the town. Instead of buying school supplies, we bought wine and hair dye. That night we bonded and dyed each other’s hair. We’ve been housemates and best friends ever since.”

—Melanie Bateman and Danielle Dettlinger, ArtSci ‘20

That night we bonded “and dyed each other’s hair. We’ve been housemates and best friends ever since.”

”

“Finding two good friends to live with in second year was easy— everyone I knew was excited to find the University District house of their dreams and live happily ever after.

However, shortly into second year, one of my cute, quirky roommates began exhibiting unusual behaviour. Additionally, our house was close to West Campus and the trek down Union Street—which I made a couple times a day—was more than annoying by the end of second year. I knew it was time to find new living arrangements.

My older sister lived in a perfect house on Albert Street—seven students lived in the front of the house, and seven in the back. Her place seemed like university living at its finest. When she and her friends graduated, I was thrilled she promised the place to me. I quickly filled the seven spots with friends who also made poor decisions back in first year and were unhappy with their living arrangements.

Little did I know my sister’s roommate also promised the house to her brother in engineering. I was devastated.

How would we ever decide who would live in the house?

After a meeting of siblings, her brother and I decided it could be fun to join forces. Our first house meeting of his two engineering friends and my three girlfriends was a success!

The seven of us lived happily until graduation.”

—Nancy Mastantuono, ConEd ’86

To read more stories,

go to queensjournal.ca/

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