The Queen's Journal, Volume 147, Issue 11

Become a contribu tor : Wr i t e , e d i t, photograph.

the

Queen’s University

–

journal

Volume 147, issue 11

–

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

–

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

since 1873

Nearly a thousand rally against racism C laire M acpherson Contributor A week after a racist and homophobic note was found on the door of a fourth-floor common room in Chown Hall, nearly a thousand students, faculty and staff rallied to condemn it.

On Oct. 18, streets on campus were filled with students, University administration, and community members. Marching to support Indigenous and LGBTQ+ students, the rally was hosted by Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre. A police officer at the rally said close to 1,000 people were in attendance.

Before the march began, supporters

gathered at Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre to hear speeches from students and members of the Queen’s administration, including Ann Tierney, vice-provost and dean of student affairs.

“It was uplifting to see so many members of the Queen’s community attend the students’ march on Friday, and stand

up to the vile, hateful, racist, violent and homophobic sentiments expressed in the poster placed in Queen’s residence,” Janice Hill, director of Four Directions, wrote in a statement.

“We came together to support the right See rally on page 2

Women’s Rugby OUA Champs J ack R abb Sports Editor The women’s rugby program delivered on the promise of their undefeated regular season with a dominant championship performance, besting the Guelph Gryphons 46-17.

The Gryphons have been a monkey on the back of Queen’s for the better part of the last decade. Coming into their regular season matchup this year, Queen’s hadn’t beat Guelph since 2013.

The Gaels won that game in convincing fashion, but the spectre of the Gryphons’ playoff dominance loomed large—Queen’s has been eliminated by them for the past three years, twice in the provincial finals.

The pre-Homecoming audience of students and alumni were crowded into packed stands and around much of the field in hopes of witnessing captain Sophie de Goede finally accept the OUA championship trophy on behalf of Queen’s.

They weren’t disappointed. The Gaels looked to be in control from the outset, scoring first and often, and eating up large chunks of the field with every phase.

The scoring started with Celia Martensson in just the sixth minute, and Rachel Hickson followed with her own try 11 minutes later. A conversion by de Goede made the score 12-0 early.

However, Guelph wasn’t easily discouraged. The three-time defending OUA champs quickly rebutted with a try by April Wright that cut the Queen’s lead to seven.

After that, it was all Gaels. The women scored 27 unanswered See championship on page 9

Supporters stop outside of Richardson Hall during the Oct. 18 rally.

PHOTO BY CLAIRE MACPHERSON

Gerretsen clinches second term NDP candidate finishes second, Conservatives fall to third place R aechel H uizinga , S ydney K o , I ain S herriff -S cott , J ack R abb , C laire M acpherson Journal Staff Kingston and the Islands Liberal candidate Mark Gerretsen was re-elected for a second term on Oct. 21, capturing 46 per cent of support and 30,688 ballots.

Gerretsen will be one of the Liberal Party’s 157 seats in the House of Commons, where the re-elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must now navigate a minority government.

NDP candidate Barrington Walker came in second with 15,592 votes in the riding.

In a rare step for Kingston and the Islands, the Conservative candidate, Ruslan Yakoviychuk, was pushed to third place with 12,808 votes. Green Party candidate Candice Christmas followed with 5,867 votes.

The People’s Party of Canada candidate Andy Brooke finished last in the riding with 1,717 votes. The PPC failed to win a single

seat in Parliament, and Maxime Bernier, the congratulate Mr. Gerretsen on his victory. party’s leader, was not re-elected in his home I will not give up and I will fight another riding of Beauce. war again.”

Leading Walker by more than 8,000 votes Green Party candidate Christmas told at around midnight, Gerretsen celebrated See election on page 2 the win at the Cloverleaf Lanes bowling alley across the street from his campaign office.

“Kingstonians have decided to send me back to Ottawa and I’m extremely humble for that opportunity,” Gerretsen told The Journal.

“I look forward to continuing to represent them in any way that I can.”

“I look forward to working with the folks at Queen’s, to continue to advocate on their behalf, to make sure we get our fair share when it comes to money going out to universities throughout the country,” he said.

Walker trailed Gerretsen, settling in at just over 20 per cent support after 12 a.m.

Celebrating his campaign at The Loyal Oarsman on Bath Rd., Walker spoke about the importance of his family in his speech to supporters.

“Without you, this wouldn’t have even happened,” he said.

Conservative candidate Yakoviychuk gathered with approximately 20 supporters at Our Lady of Fatima Parish on Division St. Yakoviychuk came in third, capturing under 20 per cent of the vote.

“It’s obvious people aren’t ready for the change,” he told The Journal. “I want to MP Mark Gerretsen. PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

IN THIS ISSUE: Kingston’s radical climate activism p. 5, SVPRC disclosure requirement must go, p. 6, A haunting two-hour piano recital at the Isabel, p. 10, Supernatural stories from Kingston Pen p. 12. queensjournal.ca

@queensjournal

@queensjournal

@queensjournal

@thequeensjournal

2 • queensjournal.ca

News

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

“We’re going to let this strengthen us”: students of Chown Hall floor speak to racist note “It was terrifying,” Dorey said. “A couple people didn’t stay overnight [the night of Oct. 10] in the building because they didn’t feel safe.”

Since the beginning of the school year, life on Chown Hall’s floor four had been an Carolyn Svonkin idyllic freshman experience for its residents.

Assistant News Editor “We’re all very good friends. We talk all the time, we were always hanging out in our This article originally appeared common room,” Ruttan said about her floor. online on Oct. 18.

“I wasn’t expecting such an awesome c o m m u n i t y,” Emily* was on her way to class on the added Dorey. morning of Oct. 10 when she found a note Emily agreed. “It was really welcoming taped to the wall in her common room on and inclusive right from the start,” she said. the fourth floor of Chown Hall.

The note—which came seven months The note was written in verse and after racist and anti-Semitic graffiti addressed to LGBTQ+ and Indigenous appeared on campus—attracted wide students using derogatory and attention. Principal Patrick Deane, the AMS, violent language.

ASUS, SGPS, and Four Directions Indigenous Emily wrote a message to her floor’s Student Centre released statements group chat about the note. It immediately concerning the incident. shocked Sian Ruttan, Con Ed ’23, and Staff members from the Four Directions Charlotte Dorey, ArtSci ’23, two other Indigenous Student Centre were present at students on the floor.

Chown immediately following the discovery “I felt my stomach drop and my blood of the racist note, according to Dorey. She boiling,” Ruttan said in an interview with said they’ve gone to Chown multiple times The Journal. “It was really upsetting.” since the initial discovery to perform The note also referenced an incident on smudging rituals, and they’ve also hosted a Oct. 9 in which posters and flags, including a Sacred Fire.

Métis flag and Ruttan’s Pride flag, which had “They really opened their arms to us,” Dorey her full name and phone number on it, were said. “I feel like the school has been really stolen from the fourth-floor common room. behind us on this.”

Leading up to the discovery of the racist Ruttan told The Journal information note on Oct. 10, residents of Chown’s fourth has been provided to Chown residents floor put up signs asking for their flags about how to access therapists, social back, which were anonymously defaced. workers, Empower Me, and Student According to Ruttan, Dorey, and Emily, Wellness Services. students on the fourth floor had reported The students said they feel the Queen’s this incident to their residence don. community has rallied around them, The three said there were messages pointing to chalk drawings messaging of support in their group chat all day support for Indigenous and LGBTQ+ as the students dealt with the shock of students and condemning the note’s what happened. sentiments around campus, as well as Four

Affected students grateful for support they have received

Queen's raised flags in support of Friday's rally.

Directions Indigenous Student Centre’s March in Solidarity scheduled for Friday, Oct. 17.

At the time of publication, almost 300 students had committed to attending the march online.

Though they’ve experienced support from their floormates and the Queen’s community, the three first-years admitted things have changed since the incident.

“It’s been really hard,” Ruttan said. “It was a moment where a lot of people had to grow up really fast, because it was so painful.”

“I still feel pretty safe on my floor, but going to and from class there’s suspicion, because at this point we don’t know which individual or individuals have done this,” Dorey said.

Security presence has increased at Chown Hall. One of Dorey, Ruttan, and Emily’s floormates told them he saw Campus Security patrolling their floor.

When The Journal visited Chown Hall on Wednesday, there was security in the lobby that Dorey said is new since last week’s racist incident.

In Chown Hall, once an person has entered through the two sets of locked front doors, they’re able to access any of the residence’s four floors. This is unlike other Queen’s residences, such as Victoria Hall or

PHOTO BY AMELIA RANKINE

Brant House, where each floor has a locked door and is only accessible through keys given to residents of that floor.

In a statement posted by the Queen’s Gazette on Oct. 10, Deane wrote that the Kingston police had been notified and the incident is under active investigation.

None of the students interviewed by The Journal have spoken to police, including Emily, who initially discovered the note.

All three students are looking forward to moving on from the incident. Ruttan hopes it will serve as a tool for educating the Queen’s community.

“This isn’t the first time something racist has happened at Queen’s and it’s time for it to stop. It’s time for it to end. There’s no need for it,” Ruttan said. “I hope this will be the last time Queen’s ever experiences something so negative on campus.”

Dorey said they’ve restored a lot of their posters and one of their floormates gave them another flag.

“I’m happy with the support I’ve gotten, and I’m feeling confident that I have people who support me,” Ruttan said. “I want people to not let this ruin how they started university. We’re going to let this strengthen us.”

*Name has been changed to protect the anonymity of the student.

Rally stops in front Brooke felt "at peace" of Chown Hall as PPC Continued from front...

the event to demonstrate their support,” Erdman wrote. of our collective peoples, Indigenous, Queer, To encourage staff participation, the AMS Trans*, Racialized people, and Allies, to closed its offices early at 1:30 p.m. on the day be our authentic selves and to take up of the rally. space and belonging in this institution,” “Since it’s so fresh, we haven’t had time Hill added. to come up with a direct plan of action.” Will The Kingston Police were invited by the Greene, AMS vice-president (University march’s organizers to escort the procession Affairs) said in an interview during through campus. the march.

The march came to a halt twice over He added the AMS has reached out to the duration. The first time in front of clubs at Queen’s in hopes of developing a Richardson Hall, the location of Principal plan of action informed by the individuals Patrick Deane’s office, where an Indigenous most impacted by the racist and homophobic song was performed. incident at Chown Hall.

The second time was in front of Chown “Seeing everyone whether they were Hall where the violent note was posted. in the parade or lining the streets as we All photography and videography were walked down was really fulfilling to see. asked to stop as a sacred Indigenous song I was very happy,” Jessica Dahanayake, was performed for students on the fourth AMS vice-president (operations), told floor who were affected by the racist and The Journal. “There are some strong homophobic note. voices that came out and I think Mark Erdman, Queen's community that as a community, it makes those relations and issues manager, told The Journal voices stronger.”

Deane couldn’t attend the rally because he “Seeing everyone march hopefully sends was out of the province on a message that Queen’s doesn’t tolerate pre-planned business. hate, racism, or bigotry,” AMS President “I believe most, if not all, of the senior Auston Pierce added. administration that was on campus attended

failed to win a single seat Continued from front...

The Journal she “felt zen” watching the results come in at the Merchant with supporters and campaign staff.

After an “exhausting” campaign, Christmas said it was gratifying to vote with her daughter and father, who she said voted Green for the first time.

People’s Party candidate Andy Brooke, who joined the party after running for the Conservatives in Kingston and the Islands four years ago, told The Journal at his election night headquarters he “felt at peace” going into the evening.

“We did the campaign we wanted to do and we have no regrets. The campaign itself, we went out to do what we wanted to do,”

GRAPHIC BY IAIN SHERRIFF-SCOTT

Brooke said, gathered with supporters at the Kingston Brewing Company.

Principal Patrick Deane congratulated Gerretsen on his re-election in a tweet Tuesday morning.

"I look forward to continuing to work with Mr. Gerretsen to advance Queen's and Kingston as important centres for education, research, and innovation," he wrote. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

News

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

queensjournal.ca • 3

In face of funding cuts, Golden Words keeps its shine Satire publication to host Beaverton writing workshop this fall Raechel Huizinga News Editor The Student Choice Initiative (SCI) is no joke to Golden Words editors Seth Davis and Oren Katz. But it’s not going to be the satirical paper’s downfall, either.

In an interview with The Journal, the editors of Golden Words’ 54th volume described changes the longstanding comedy publication is making following the province’s policy, which transitioned its $2 student fee from mandatory to optional.

“When we found out about the SCI, we just thought to ourselves, we have to pivot,” Davis said. “We Seth Davis and Oren Katz, Golden Words Editors, Volume 54. decided that, in that drop, we had to find our feet somewhere else.”

The two editors decided to use writers who do this day after day Although news of the SCI the time freed up by the lost issues is a great opportunity for students broke in January, Katz said the to increase student engagement to just come and check out,” hammer “dropped” during the with Golden Words on campus.

Davis said. summer when the two editors “Five weeks isn’t a huge deal, but Katz said for students had to begin looking for ways to that’s five weeks where writers considering a professional career offset any potential funding losses aren’t coming in, so we needed to in comedy, the workshop could incurred by students opting out of find ways of engaging them more,” help with getting a foot in the door. their fee.

Davis said.

“You get a writing workshop The editors decided to decrease Davis and Katz started by and all of a sudden, you’re the number of issues Golden revamping a dead Instagram armed with actual satire,” he Words will release during the account, increasing the paper’s said. "Learning from people 2019-20 year from 25 issues to followers from 300 to more than at The Beaverton, they 20 because of the costliness of 3,000. The paper also partnered definitely have a lot to print distribution. The paper itself with StudioQ to start recording teach us.” will lose four pages, decreasing and producing a podcast.

Davis and Katz hope, ultimately, from 12 to eight.

In November, Golden Words the workshop will attract more “Something really shitty will host writers from The writers to the paper. happened to us, but how can Beaverton—a satirical Canadian “One of the things that we’ve we move forward?” Katz said. news publication—for a loved this year and we “We’re not here to wallow in satire-writing workshop open to want to keep going is the self-pity because we lost a bunch all students. diversity of the writing staff,” of issues, we’re like, how do “Whether or not you’re Davis said. we move forward from here, into comedy writing or satire Founded in 1967, the two how do we make something out writing, even getting some sort of editors admitted Golden Words of this?” workshop with these professional has struggled to include a strong

PHOTO BY RACHEL AIKEN

presence of women writers over its five decades of operation.

This year, however, Katz and Davis said there’s been a significant increase in women contributing to the paper. While Golden Words famously uses pseudonyms for their authors, the two editors said the paper is averaging an equal amount of male and female writers so far this year.

“It’s really great to see it happening,” Davis said.

Katz said because the majority of this year’s female staff writers are in first and second year, upward mobility will allow them to become even more involved with Golden Words.

“Down the line, they’re going to end up being the veterans, the people running the paper,” Katz said.

Katz himself started writing for Golden Words in his third year.

While he moved to Toronto in his fourth year for an internship, Katz returned to the paper this year as one of its two editors-in-chief.

“I don’t know, absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Katz said. “Before I even came back, I decided I definitely wanted to apply to be editor because you get so many opportunities to try out comedy, brainstorm new ideas.”

Davis, on the other hand, started writing for the paper when he was in his first year. He said when he was in high school, his sister gave him a copy of Golden Words during a visit home from Queen’s.

“She said, you’d love to write for these guys,” Davis said. “I’ve been writing since first year for almost every issue.

It’s been fantastic. It’s how I would define my university career.”

Davis and Katz want more students on campus to have similar experiences with Golden Words.

“We come in every Sunday for ‘pressnite’ and it’s just a good time,” Davis said. “We would welcome everyone to come in and try their hand.”

The two editors stressed Golden Words is open to all students.

While Davis is an Engineering student, Katz himself is a member of the Arts and Science faculty.

“Anybody can write for the paper, we don’t have any barriers in any way.” he said.

Davis said while he and Katz are trying their best to keep Golden Words afloat, they don’t want to set up any future volumes for failure.

“It’s a really fun time to just say we’re a newspaper,” Davis said.

“What else can we do?” journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

US blacklists Chinese tech company funding research at Queen's Artificial intelligence giant iFlyTek, accused of human rights abuses, has research deal with University Iain Sherriff-Scott Managing Editor Citing human rights abuses, the United States placed iFlyTek, a Chinese technology company currently funding research at Queen’s, on its trading blacklist on Oct. 7, halting the company’s work with American firms.

First reported by The Logic on Sept. 5, Queen’s has entered into three research deals with controversial Chinese tech companies, two with Huawei and one with iFlyTek. The projects are valued at a combined $1.1 million.

Earlier this year, before iFlytek was blacklisted by the US, multiple American universities severed ties with the company over its relationship with police in the Xianjin region of China, where more than one million Uighur Muslims are reported to be held in detention camps.

Specializing in speech recognition and artificial intelligence, iFlyTek has reportedly worked with Chinese police to establish a national database of voice patterns.

The research project supported by iFlyTek at Queen’s—valued at $727,000—involves developing deep learning modelling that detects and processes speech.

Xiaodan Zhu, an assistant professor of computer engineering who leads the project, declined to answer questions when contacted by The Logic.

According to Reuters, a subsidiary of iFlyTek sold 25 voice-collection systems to police in the Xianjin region in 2016.

The next year, another subsidiary

entered into a partnership with the region’s prison a d m i n i s t ra t i o n b u re a u .

Human rights activists say the company’s voiceprint technology can be used to track unique signatures in a person’s voice.

“Queen’s is very aware of the broader concerns around national security that have been a focus of public dialogue regarding relations with China,” Mark Erdman, Queen's community relations and issues manager, wrote in a statement to The Journal. “In undertaking any research partnerships, we ensure that work is done in full compliance with all applicable Canadian laws and directives.”

“On issues of national security, we take direction from the federal government. To date there have been no directives given in regards to research partnerships with companies from China.”

News

4 • queensjournal.ca

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

‘Our community expects better’: Kingston Police respond to Homecoming Police laid charges in one criminal incident; still investigating two Sydney ko Assistant News Editor

Police investigating two criminal incidents.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Kingston Police said they were “disappointed” with the behavior of students during Queen’s Homecoming in an Oct. 21 press release.

On Oct. 19, a crowd of 12,000 gathered at the corner of Aberdeen St. and William St., requiring Kingston Police to deploy 108 officers to ensure order on the streets, an increase from 38 officers the day before.

This is an increase from last year’s crowd of 10,000, despite Ontario University Athletics (OUA) efforts to curb Homecoming crowd

Truth and Reconciliation Commission publishes second annual report 99 Indigenous employees at Queen’s in 2018 Carolyn svonkin Assistant News Editor This September, Queen’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission published its second annual Implementation Report, detailing statistics on Indigenous presence at Queen’s.

The Report provides an overview of progress made in implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Task Force’s (TRCTF) 25 recommendations submitted in April, 2016, for improved institutional change.

According to the newly released report, some of the task force’s recommendations that have been achieved include the establishment of an Indigenous Initiatives Implementation Roundtable, attention and resources directed towards Indigenous research, and increasing the capacity of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and the Centre for Teaching and Learning.

According to the Report, Indigenous staff at Queen’s increased from 2.3 to 4.1 per cent from 2016-18, with Indigenous faculty rising from 1.7 to 2.0 per cent over the same period. As of 2018, there were 99 Indigenous employees at Queen’s.

In 2018, 40.8 per cent of 24,649 Queen’s students responded to a self-identification survey. Of those students, 4.3 per cent

self-identified as Indigenous.

Cu r re n t ly, t h e re a re 92 self-identified Indigenous graduate students at Queen’s.

A significant step in implementing the TRCTF’s recommendations was the appointment of Kanonhsyonne (Janice Hill) as associate vice-principal (Indigenous Initiatives & Reconciliation) in October 2018.

“I don’t know if I see a significant difference [between last year and this year’s report],” Hill said in an interview with The Journal about the report. “A lot of it is the same, except more work is being done, and more people are picking up the work.”

According to the report, other ongoing projects include the implementation of Indigenous artwork around campus, increased hiring of Indigenous staff and faculty, Indigenizing class curricula, and the incorporation of Indigenous pedagogy and methodology in research.

While Hill is happy with the work currently being done at Queen’s, she said more can be done. “It’s time for us to look deeper at systemic things and policy issues and take meaningful steps,” she said.

Hill believes tackling systemic racism will be difficult.

“How do you decolonize such a colonized space?” she asked.

“It might be impossible in an institution such as this.”

She added she’d like to see the University engage with Indigenous parties off-campus. She noted critical issues close by that Queen’s could collaborate with Indigenous groups on, like the lack of potable

water on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, a reserve less than an hour away from campus.

Hill also suggested the University designate Indigenous spaces on all of its campuses, but is happy with the revitalization and renewal of Indigenous languages at Queen’s, particularly the languages of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee people, on whose lands Queen’s is situated.

“The level of engagement with Indigenous initiatives has really increased in the past few years,” Hill said. “There is a real, genuine desire to make this an inclusive space for Indigenous ways of knowing and being.”

Despite progress detailed by the report, however, Hill said the recent racist incident in Chown Hall was “disturbing.”

“Queen’s is a microcosm of the world, and I know there are people who feel that way about Indigenous [peoples] and members of the LGBTQ+ community, but it did make me pause for thought,” Hill said. “This really brings into question your safety [as an Indigenous person on campus].”

She said that response to the incident should be directed by the members of the community most affected, just like all reconciliation efforts on campus.

Ultimately, Hill said she believes reconciliation works best using a multi-pronged approach.

“Reconciliation work is really about relationships between human beings and the environment.” journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

sizes by limiting football games to “This male resisted arrest and two weekends. fled, and this occurred while The weekend fun was met onlookers filmed and encouraged with three criminal incidents, the male suspect’s assaultive 109 provincial offenses, 99 noise behavior, no bystander intervened complaints, and numerous to assist our officer,” the warnings given, according to the report stated. media release.

While Kingston Police According to Kingston Fire & reported most people were Rescue, 19 medical assists were “polite and cooperative” during called to Aberdeen and Johnson Homecoming Weekend, officers Sts. over the weekend. still encountered disrespectful and The three reported criminal defiant individuals. incidents occurred on Saturday “The Kingston Police are with police laying charges for one committed to public safety of the incidents, while the rest first and foremost,” the press remain under investigation. release stated. “Our community Over the weekend, two vehicles, expects better.” a police cruiser and a Red Bull At press time, Kingston Police vehicle were heavily damaged by communications still hadn’t crowds in the University District. released specific statistics about The report stated the Red Bull arrests made during Homecoming vehicle was damaged by “persons or tickets issued under the climbing and jumping on it.”

University District Safety Similarly, a Kingston Police Initiative (UDSI). officer was assaulted on Johnson St. while attempting to identify a journal_news@ams.queensu.ca male with open alcohol.

Features

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

queensjournal.ca

•5

Extinction Rebellion comes to Kingston

A painted boat has become iconic to Extinction Rebellion protests.

Activist group makes first waves in Canada after significant impact in Europe Rhiannon Jenkins Contributor Fake blood pools underneath the bodies of protestors heaped on top of one another as a eulogy for planet Earth echoes out over the spectating crowd—letting them know the world will soon be taking its last breath.

This spectacle, known as a “die-in,” is a protest tactic of Extinction Rebellion (XR), a group founded in England that promotes radical climate action through civil disobedience. As it’s grown into an international movement, the group’s presence in Kingston is beginning to take shape.

“If we don’t work together, we are going to die together,” Roger Hallam, founder of XR, said about the nonviolent climate activist group.

Canadian XR has been mobilized since December 2018. However, it only gained traction this year, with Kingston’s own branch appearing on social media in February.

On Oct. 27, the Kingston branch of XR will stage a “die-in” at Memorial Centre Farmers’ Market. The market will become a mock graveyard as protestors pretend to be dead, symbolizing the inevitable extinction of humanity unless people take significant climate action.

A few days later, Halloween will mark one year since XR first assembled, standing 1,500 strong on Parliament Square, London, England, to announce their Declaration of Rebellion to the British government.

The “reasonable radicality of their approach” is also what sets them apart from other climate protest groups, XR activist Jonathan Sendker, an ArtSci exchange student, told The Journal.

Roads have been blocked, fashion shows ‘swarmed,’ people glued to landmarks, bridges scaled, and that’s before the die-ins, funerals for the earth, and infamous XR boat come into the picture.

A green—and sometimes pink—boat used at the protests in the UK is now banned in London because of Metropolitan Police safety concerns. It served as a platform for XR speakers, announcing hope from a symbolic lifeboat to a world sinking into environmental destruction, bearing slogans like “Tell the Truth” and “Planet before Profit.”

“Die-ins” go hand-in-hand with coffins containing the earth and mournful diners sitting at empty feast tables, their lack of food and drink representing the current experience of the world’s most impoverished and the future for everyone else.

Beyond symbolism, XR protestors have glued themselves to trains, spent days camped out on bridges, blocked entrances to government buildings, and even sprayed blood onto Westminster Treasury.

These acts of public disruption demonstrate XR’s core belief of achieving change through “nonviolent civil disobedience.”

XR sees the world as sleepwalking into disaster, and believes its visible, insistent strategies are necessary to wake the public and government.

It’s also working, as Sendker attested: “It just clicked. It’s going to be in my lifetime, and I think the danger of societal collapse is very real.” ***

London may have been where their story started, but since then, XR has reached across the globe with self-titled rebels blocking the Bloor Viaduct in Toronto on Oct. 7, one of 60 bridges targeted across Canada.

In Montreal, protestors climbed the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, remaining atop the bridge for several hours. Police were forced to close the road due to safety concerns.

XR’s decentralized, autonomous structure is what allows for these separate protests to function. Anyone who follows their fundamental philosophy in the name of climate change can associate themselves with the group.

The goals of Kingston’s chapter are the same as those of XR globally—it’s just enacting them locally.

“The Kingston group is quite small still,” Sendker said. The branch is in its mobilization phase, with six introductory events happening over the next two months.

These events include induction meetings for new members and informational talks like “Heading for Extinction (And What to Do About It).”

Because of XR’s large youth demographic, some of these talks will be specifically directed toward students on Queen’s campus.

As of yet, the Canadian government has little to say in response to XR’s actions.

Meanwhile, the UK has surpassed the mobilization stage and has seen real results from the governments of Wales, England, and Scotland who all declared climate emergencies.

This announcement met the first of Extinction Rebellion’s demands, laid out

in their Declaration of Rebellion: “The government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.”

Their other two demands, “Act Now” and “Beyond Politics,” are still waiting to be met—XR is now working towards these with “loud, peaceful, and colourful activism,” as described by Sendker.

There is potential to criticize XR for being too idealistic, given they have a 2025 goal for net zero greenhouse emissions and want a recognised, representative assembly of citizens to hold each nation’s government responsible.

XR wants their anger at what they view as irresponsible corporations, unreliable governments, and an absence of media coverage, to be shared by the world so everyone can move forward together.

Not everyone is as keen about it as they are.

On Oct. 17, several XR protestors climbed a London tube train, preventing anyone from boarding. Commuters were quick to pull them off the trains and injured protestors badly with kicks to the head before police could intervene.

In other incidents, it has been the police who have caused the damage. Tear gas was used against peaceful protestors in Brussels and Paris on Oct. 14, and excessive force used in arrests made in Prague.

In response, XR said “governments must ask themselves […] whether they will speed up that process with repression, or speed it up with genuine democratic dialogue.” ***

XR’s three demands were originally drawn up for the British government.

However, the group is looking to every government to make the changes the organization considers necessary.

They’ve made their presence heard all over Europe, but in North America, it’s been a different story. “Canada and the US […][are] obviously a bit behind Europe.

You can see that in the scale of the actions,” Sendker said.

Vancouver’s Oct. 18 march saw 100 protestors while—on the same day—several thousand protestors marched through London. Yet for some reason, XR fail to make Canadian headlines in the same way as Greta Thunberg.

Sendker attributes the difference between Europe and North America, in part, to its geography.

“The population is so spread out that it’s difficult to mobilize and, to be honest, the physical remoteness from Europe and Britain means that it’s not as easy for the movement to tide over,” Sendker said.

ILLUSTRATION BY AMELIA RANKINE

According to XR’s Canadian website, there were more than 1,000 Canadian rebels as of March 2019. This may seem like a large number, but it doesn’t match the turnout at the UK’s very first event on Oct. 31, 2018.

It’s also fewer than the number of people arrested in one week in London as a part of XR’s International Rebellion movement, which began on Oct. 7. The Metropolitan Police said 1,112 arrests had been made, with 50 of those occurring at London City airport alone.

Comparatively, the same week saw only 20 protestors arrested in Toronto and 30 more in Montreal, with releases occurring after one night in jail.

Arrests loom large for XR because they believe if courts keep hearing the same message, it will increase the need for a more urgent dialogue, which can lead to the radical climate action they consider necessary.

Willingness to get arrested isn’t a requirement for anyone who wants to rebel with XR. For those who are arrested, the group doesn’t let them fend for themselves—XR provides strategies prior to protest days, in-the-moment advice from on-site lawyers, and also later on in court.

Sendker admitted he would be willing to be arrested for XR. While on academic exchange, arrest carries the risk of deportation from Canada—however, he said he’s planning to get arrested for the cause once back home in the Netherlands.

“Activism […] is something extremely personal, almost like a coming-of-age, personal growth experience,” said Sendker.

To Sendker, the risk of a criminal record is worth the reward: all arrests—their coverage and subsequent trials—further public awareness about the severity of the climate crisis.

Sendker said he thinks XR is “absolutely, urgently, hysterically” necessary. He felt he could not take a break from protesting even on exchange.

The movement may be smaller in Canada, but it is undoubtedly growing. As the International Rebellion concludes, XR has made an impact in Canada.

Bridges have been climbed, arrests have been made, flags waved, streets blocked, blood thrown, and funerals held—all of it under the name of public disruption for the Earth’s sake.

Perhaps, at first, Canada was just unsure about XR, as was Sendker when he was first introduced to it: “Isn’t that just going to piss people off?” he’d asked his friend.

What his friend pointed out—and what XR has been driving home for the last year across the world and now in Kingston—is that “it’s way too late to worry about pissing people off.”

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

queensjournal.ca

EDITORIALS

The Journal’s Perspective

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL

Suspended sexual violence disclosure requirement lets down students This editorial discusses sexual assault and may be triggering for some readers. The Journal uses “survivor” to refer to those who have experienced sexual assault. We acknowledge this term is not universal.

are well-founded. The introduction of the requirement—which was only on the Queen’s Sexual Violence Prevention & Response website after the policy was passed—was far from transparent or public.

The requirement itself removes autonomy from survivors, who may not want their personal information sent to

Students are entitled to agency over their own experiences processing sexual violence. Through Queen’s updated sexual violence policy, that agency has been taken away from survivors.

It can only be returned by eliminating the controversial disclosure requirement from the school’s updated policy.

The University has suspended its requirement that dictated that non-health care University staff must provide a student’s name, email address, and student number to Queen’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Coordinator (SVPRC) following their private sexual violence disclosure.

This has triggered concern from faculty and students ILLUSTRATION BY AMELIA RANKINE alike, which was brought to Senate earlier this month. the SVPRC following a disclosure made to a In response, Queen’s temporarily trusted staff member, like a professor or a suspended the requirement and held Bystander Intervention Training facilitator. its first open community meeting The University’s first responsibility to discuss the policy, hosted by Teri should be to its students, ensuring their Shearer, deputy provost (Academic safety and comfort on their own terms.

Operations and Inclusion).

However, Queen’s appears to prioritize But merely suspending this violating its image over students’ wellbeing in its disclosure requirement isn’t enough. Given response to the policy’s criticism. the substantial backlash from stakeholders, This is clear through the school’s efforts Queen’s should permanently strike the to triage concerns—underpublicizing open requirement from its sexual violence policy. forums and glossing over details—rather Students’ and professors’ criticisms than stepping up to solve the issue, which

would force administrators to admit the requirement’s flaws.

Last week’s open community meeting failed to address the community’s mounting concerns about the policy and its future.

This is due in part to Queen’s decision to have the deputy provost host the session, though she wasn’t involved in decisions a ro u n d the requirement.

Instead, the University should have respected student concerns by bringing in an administrator more qualified to speak to the policy’s execution and development.

This haphazard approach speaks to the institution’s priorities.

Instead of providing real accountability for Queen’s mistake, Shearer’s inability to speak to the policy and process enabled her to evade answering questions.

From the community’s adverse response, it’s clear the University didn’t adequately consider student concerns before updating its policy. The disclosure requirement’s mere existence lets down the students the policy is meant to support.

Instead of concerning itself with appearances, the University should do everything in its power to rectify its error—beginning with removing the disclosure requirement for good.

—Journal Editorial Board

The traditional lecture hall needs a serious renovation Tessa Warburton Lecture halls have long been a feature of university campuses, hosting hundreds of students as passive observers in class.

But as academics have evolved to emphasize critical thinking as opposed to routine memorization, the stagnant teaching style has remained the same.

Lecture halls place professors front and centre by design, which is good when it optimizes students’ attention.

However, this structure also privileges the professor’s point of view.

In liberal arts-based courses—or any courses valuing individual interpretation—this focus can diminish student independence and silence discussion.

Historically, lecture halls have found their structure from Ancient Roman anatomy lectures, created with the goal of facilitating information-sharing from a knowledgeable speaker to individuals without knowledge.

In our modern age, the emphasis of lectures have changed. Many now revolve around empowering students to have their own voices and to question traditional academic thought. It’s unfair to assume students lack the knowledge to contribute to classroom discussion.

Class discourse keeps students engaged in class material as they think critically about how to contribute. It also teaches students to form, articulate and defend their thoughts, which can only help them with

their eventual essays and exams.

Open classroom dialogue paces learning by allowing students to hear ideas rehashed by their peers. It creates a more hospitable environment for questions and clarifications on course material.

Many professors have already adapted their lectures to be increasingly discussion-oriented by awarding marks for participation, and asking students to talk amongst one other.

But if Queen’s hopes to value and normalize student input, our University’s classroom architecture needs to reflect this trend in learning.

The massive size of the Dunning or Biosciences Complex lecture halls force students to strain their voices to be heard by the entire class, deterring quieter individuals from speaking out and preventing the rest of the class from hearing their opinions when they do.

Queen’s features a few classrooms in Dunning, Ellis and Macintosh-Corry Halls geared toward interactive learning, though these are mostly reserved for smaller seminars or labs. These layouts include rolling moveable desks or a U-shaped chair formation,

•6

allowing students to engage with one other while instructors can move throughout to guide conversation.

Unfortunately, some courses can’t adopt these classroom styles because of the number of students. Instead of forgoing discussion, these classes should consistently pair a weekly lecture with a seminar or tutorial.

Seminars and tutotrals allow students to share their thoughts in a smaller, less intimidating setting, as well as establishing a closer relationship with their instructors and peers.

With standards in education changing to accept and expect students’ voices in lectures, the architecture of our learning spaces should facilitate these expectations, not inhibit them.

Tessa is The Journal’s Photo Editor. She’s a third-year English major.

PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE

Volume 147 Issue 11 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board Editor in Chief Managing Editor Production Manager News Editor Assistant News Editors Features Editors

Meredith Wilson-Smith Iain Sherriff-Scott Amelia Rankine Raechel Huizinga Sydney Ko Carolyn Svonkin Rachel Aiken Andrew Schjerning

Editorials Editor

Shelby Talbot

Opinions Editor

Aysha Tabassum Brittany Giliforte

Arts Editor

Pamoda Wijekoon

Assistant Arts Editor

Jack Rabb

Sports Editor

Alina Yusufzai

Assistant Sports Editor

Ally Mastanuono

Lifestyle Editor

Tegwyn Hughes

Assistant Lifestyle Editor

Tessa Warburton

Photo Editor

Jodie Grieve

Assistant Photo Editor

Jonathon Fisher

Video Editor Assistant Video Editor

Lauren Thomas

Copy Editors

Sasha Cohen Chloe Sarrazin

Contributing Staff Staff Writers Samantha Fink Rebecca Lourenco Connor O'Neil Hannah Stafl Contributors Matt Funk Rhiannon Jenkins Riley McMahon Steven Moore Elise Ngo Eileen Raisbeck

Business Staff Aidan Chalmers

Business Manager

Christina Zheng

Sales Representatives

Mitch McManus

Want to contribute?

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

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

The Journal’s Editorial Board acknowledges the traditional territories our newspaper is situated on have allowed us to pursue our mandate. We recognize our responsibility to understand the truth of our history.

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

190 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3P4 Editorial Office: 613-533-2800 Business Office: 613-533-6711 Fax: 613-533-6728 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Please address complaints and grievances to the Editor in Chief and Managing Editor.

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

Contents © 2019 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal.

Circulation 2,000

7 • queensjournal.ca

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

OPINIONS Thinking about the planet can lead to profit and benefit our futures Teaching both business and environmental studies offers a unique perspective on the intersections of business and sustainability.

One thing has become clear from my experience doing exactly that: it’s time to look into the future of Queen’s and our students in a green way.

According to the University’s Strategic Plan, Queen’s vision is to “be recognized as an innovative, inclusive and rigorous community of learning and discovery that is committed to serving as a national resource for the betterment of our global society.”

Our University should implement a series of climate initiatives in order to do just that.

Through changes such as retrofitting old buildings, divesting from fossil fuels, holding campus businesses to green standards, and adopting the practices and ethics of Indigenous groups, we can become a national leader in the climate crisis.

The Queen’s Backing Action on Climate Change (QBACC) proposals are thoughtful student ideas that make both business and social sense, making them valuable to the Administration. Queen’s should carefully consider them, so we can be known as one of the world’s most progressive, forward-thinking universities.

To start, Queen’s could reconsider our campus infrastructure.

It’s a smart business move to transform long-term liabilities into assets. Our campus ILLUSTRATION BY EILEEN RAISBECK boasts gorgeous historic buildings with evocative exteriors and interior charm. The tipping point for buildings have been and will be with us c a t a s t r o p h i c a while, and they can be greatly improved. climate consequences.

Currently, some of these buildings are If we assume that annual liabilities, because of all this portion of GDP can be spread the money required to keep them out equally on a micro level, we can look operating. However, they could be at what can be taken from the Queen’s outstanding assets. budget for climate initiatives, which, in Let’s put the focus on retrofitting our 2017 to 2018, listed Operating Expenditures existing buildings. If the Rocky Mountain as just over $511 million. 13 per cent of Institute can retrofit the Empire State Building $511 million could be $69 million per with a three-year payback, retrofits clearly year allocated for retrofitting above other make both practical and environmental scheduled maintenance. In comparison, sense for institutions. the budget report lists only $4.8 million for According to Lancaster University, 13 “infrastructure renewal.” per cent of the world GDP is what it would If we allocated $69 million a year to cost to keep a global temperature rise this make our buildings 19th century on the century within 2 degrees Celsius. Those few outside and mid-21st century on the inside, degrees are widely considered to be the with each producing its own energy and

cleanly treating its own waste, we would be a world-renowned space able to attract academic and professional interest from all over the globe.

This would be just one more way to enhance our status among the country’s most progressive institutions.

To be progressive, Queen’s must also pursue divestment from fossil fuels.

It’s increasingly clear that fossil fuels are not the best investments. Although prudent in the last century, these investments no longer make business sense.

More than 1,000 institutions with nearly $8 trillion in assets have recently divested, including the University of California system, whose Board of Regents' investment committee wrote, "We believe hanging on to

fossil f u e l assets is a financial risk.”

Divestment is underway for the Norwegian Fund, the European Investment Bank, and MP Pension. Other notable divestments include the Republic of Ireland, University of Edinburgh, New York State, New York City, the World Bank, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the City of Oslo, and the World Council of Churches.

Students and faculty worry that divestment could jeopardize support and educational opportunities such as internships. I don’t think that’s true.

Companies still holding a stake in fossil fuels—including major banks like RBC and CIBC and financial institutions like BlackRock—will continue to offer internship programmes even if our school divests. It doesn’t make practical sense for them to turn their backs on a subsidized public university providing education, evaluation, and a steady stream of potential employees.

Beyond businesses outside of our university, we also need to look within

Your Perspective

our own campus.

I often see Tim Hortons and Starbucks cups lying around unrecycled, creating a huge source of waste on this campus frequently seen as unavoidable.

However, after their decision to adopt compostable material and provide sites to dispose of cups, I don’t see Tea Room cups littering the campus in the same way.

We need to practice what we preach and teach. If commercial businesses want access to our campus market, they should at least adopt the same climate-friendly policies maintained by student-run operations. This may even allow local businesses meeting our high standards to enter our campus market.

That, in turn, would allow Kingston business owners to keep revenue here and strengthen our Queen’s community, instead of losing it to a head office outside Kingston.

Finally, admitting the validity of Indigenous knowledge as well as the terrible injustices that have been visited upon Indigenous groups, would put us on the map here in Canada and could be a model for the world.

Integrating Indigenous sensitivity and their partnership with the natural |world into our institutional practices and our curricula could do a lot to enable us to better interact with our surroundings.

For instance, here in Kingston, we have unique access to Lake Ontario.

If we listened to those who have stewarded the lake for centuries by attending protests in solidarity, participating in discussion circles, and learning to listen, we could take better care of it.

Indigenous partnerships throughout Canada have the power to teach valuable sustainability practices. Indigenous peoples have known the importance of conservation and respecting our natural resources for a long time.

Unfortunately, those Indigenous groups are constantly silenced and ignored when they speak out against violations of their land rights. We miss out on necessary education when we suppress their voices.

Biting the hand that feeds us—the natural environment that sustains us—is neither a productive social nor a valuable business attitude.

With a fresh approach, we could be recognized for our innovative, inclusive, and rigorous community of learning. We can do this for the future of all of us.

I used to be a member of the Queen’s Carbon Action Plan Advisory Committee, the Queen’s Carbon Action Plan Curriculum & Research Committee, and the Queen’s Sustainability Advisory Committee. Groups like these need to start working towards making real change, and so do all of us as individuals.

Principal Deane, let’s all start this conversation.

Professor Steven Moore teaches Sustainability at the Smith School of Business and Ecological Economics at the Queen’s School of Environmental Studies.

Talking heads

... students around campus

PHOTOS BY JODIE GRIEVE

How are you getting over Hoco?

“By voting."

Auston Pierce, ArtSci '20

“By being a heckin' good boy."

Oscar,

ArfSci '20

“I didn't even get into it."

Sydney Stanley, ArtSci '21

8 • queensjournal.ca

Sports

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Gaels win first title since 2013 Continued from front. points—Guelph didn’t score again until the 73rd minute, when the game was already out of reach.

Carmen Izyk, Rachel Hickson (again), OUA Female Athlete of the Week McKinley Hunt (twice), and Sophie De Goede all scored before Guelph managed to penetrate the Queen’s try zone again.

Despite their growing lead, the Gaels never lapsed into a passive play style, instead preventing the Gryphons offence from getting rolling by chewing up lots of yards and minutes with their own formidable attacks. lots of yards and minutes with their own formidable attacks.

Time ran out, the ball was booted out of bounds and the

final whistle shrilled. Some of the Gaels were visibly overcome by the magnitude of the moment as they mobbed each other, finally having vindicated their last three playoff loses to Guelph.

The women go into November’s U SPORTS National Championships, to be held at Ottawa, ranked first in the country.

They’re averaging 81.8 points scored per game, the most in the country, and 7.7 points against per game, the third-least in the country.

Seasoned by seasons of coming close, this Gaels squad is well-positioned to take a real run at the National Championship.

Queen’s beats York at Homecoming for the third time in six years.

PHOTO BY JEFF CHAN

Gaels nearly shut out Lions Defence shines in 23-2 win Connor O'Neil Staff Writer Queen’s alumni were out in full force as the Gaels took a well-earned 23-2 win over the York Lions this Homecoming weekend.

In front of 4,229 fans, the Queen’s defence started the game off on a strong note, with the

pass rush not allowing York quarterback Brett Hunchak any time to operate, and ultimately forcing a two-and-out.

The Gaels made the most of their first offensive possession of the game, driving the field 71 yards on eight plays for a score. The first drive for the Gaels heavily featured the running game—running backs Rasheed Tucker and Jake Puskas carried the ball six times for 39 yards between them.

On second down and four, Gaels quarterback James Keenan took the snap, scanned the field, locked

onto receiver Richard Burton, and dropped a perfect touch pass to the back corner of the end zone for the touchdown. Kicker Ben Hadley’s extra point made the score 7-0.

On their second drive of the game, the Lions once again struggled to move the ball against the Gaels. The Gaels stopped York on second down and six to force them to punt again. Lions punter Dante Mastrogiusep struck the ball well and sent the ball sailing out of bounds at the Queen’s one-yard line.

Having run the ball so well on

queensjournal.ca

The new queens of OUA women’s rugby.

•9

PHOTO BY JACK RABB

their previous drive, the Gaels made the strategic play call to hand the ball to Rasheed Tucker, who was promptly tackled in the end zone before he could make his first read.

The safety would come as York’s first and only points of the game.

Following a booming punt from Hadley, the Lions offence started their drive deep in their own territory. On the first play of the drive, linebacker Nolan Bedard came downfield and tackled Lions running back Bryan Deans for a minimal gain.

Facing second and long on the next set of downs, Hunchak was met in the backfield by defensive lineman Gabriel Boucher who recorded the sack.

The play from Boucher made the Lions elect to give up a safety instead of punting. The Gaels took a 9-0 lead to end the first quarter of action.

Queen’s started the second quarter with the ball. Keenan kicked things off with a 15-yard scramble, which was followed up by a 36-yard rush from Tucker.

The run by Tucker gave the Gaels a first and ten from the York 15-yard line.

Keenan dropped back looking to pass, but pressure came from the left side and he was forced to start rolling to the right. On the run, Keenan once again found Richard Burton in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown, the second touchdown connection on the

afternoon for them.

The Gaels added a field goal later in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 19-2 lead.

The Gaels defence continued to dominate in the second half.

Defensive coordinator Ryan Bechmanis and his unit didn’t allow a single offensive point from the Lions and would force the Lions to give up two more safeties in the 23-2 win.

The Gaels defence was dominant, collecting a total of 40 tackles, four sacks, six tackles for a loss of yardage, one fumble recovery, and four pass breakups.

This Homecoming weekend was bittersweet for the Gaels—they landed a win, and played one of their best games of the season, but it was also their last. Unfortunately, the 2019 OUA Football season has come to a close for Queen's as they missed the playoffs with a record of 3-5 for the second consecutive year.

In his first year as Queen’s Head Coach, Steve Snyder couldn’t lead his Gaels to the promised land.

However, he did accomplish his goal of establishing a culture right away, and getting the players to buy into his coaching philosophy, setting the foundation for a new era of Gaels football.

The 2019 Gaels football season has come to a close, but there is plenty to be optimistic about for the fall of 2020.

The match’s scoring started early with a try from fly half Connor Jacques in the tenth minute, and carried on consistently from there—no more than 10 minutes passed between Queen’s tries.

The first stanza was closed out with a try from lock Trevor Helgason that brought Queen’s lead to 29-0 going into halftime.

Just four minutes into the second half, the scoring resumed when wing Cully Quirk ran a 15-yard try right through a defenseless Trent team, his second of the day.

Minutes later, Luke Engelbrecht made a 25-yard run, shaking off numerous Trent defenders to extend the Gaels’ lead even further.

Trent was able sneak in a try at minute 54, but any momentum was quickly quashed—four minutes later, Queen’s James

Macdonald punched in his second try of the match, bringing the score to 48-7.

Two more tries by the Gaels went unanswered, earning the men a 62-7 victory, a suitable bookend to their dominant regular season.

The Homecoming victory wasn’t the only cause for celebration.

Prior to the win, the men’s rugby team was congratulated by the Canadian Cancer Society for raising over $20,000 in support of breast cancer research through the CIBC Run for the Cure.

After their bye, the Gaels will scrum against the lowest remaining seed in the second round of the OUA playoffs, which represents an all-important step towards the coveted National Championship.

Men's Rugby secures top OUA seed

Gaels end regular season undefeated, earn bye through first round of playoffs Matt Funk Contributor In the spirit of Homecoming, the men’s rugby team enjoyed a 62-7 romp over the Trent Excalibur on Saturday afternoon.

The 26th consecutive victory for the Gaels guaranteed them the no. 1 rank in the OUA and a bye through the first round of the playoffs.

Arts

10 • queensjournal.ca

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Carter and the Capitals’ first time in Kingston Band’s debut album brings them out East Brittany Giliforte Arts Editor

An Edmonton-based band is reaching the Limestone City this week, bringing with them their debut full-length and self-titled album.

Carter and the Capitals will play their first-ever Kingston concert on Oct. 24 at Spearhead Brewing Company.

When it came to brainstorming an image for themselves, the band found their name by mixing lead singer Lindon Carter’s last name and the fact that all members are from capital cities.

Through this, Carter and the Capitals was born.

In the group with Carter is Eric Wildeman on guitar, Eric Doucet on keyboards, Ali Mirzaie on bass guitar, and Sam Malowany on drums and percussion.

Each band member also contributes to vocals, making for a full-sounding and harmonious background through each track on the album.

The band started in 2015, when they were all still students at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta.

“We were still going to school,” Carter said. “We did start playing some shows, but we weren’t doing too much recording and we weren’t going as hard as we have since graduating.”

The vocals in their debut album give the feeling of listening to a full-sized choir. With all five members, their ranges reach in all directions.

Travelling to Kingston for the first

Carter and the Capitals.

time, this concert will mark the easternmost venue Carter and the Capitals have ever played.

Since releasing their album in the spring of 2019, they’ve mostly played shows in Western Canada, including Manitoba, Winnipeg, and other locales in Alberta and B.C. The audience reception so far has been positive.

“We’ve been selling many physical records. We got it pressed to vinyl and CDs and we’ve had some great shows,” Carter said.

The album, Carter and the Capitals, captures the band’s signature high-energy,

FROM CARTER AND THE CAPITALS’ FACEBOOK PAGE

“[W]e have an amazing time on stage, we’re very fun and dance-y.”

—Lindon Carter

rock, pop, and funk sounds. It’s an eclectic mix of all the things these genres have to offer listeners.

Carter’s favourite song on the album, “One Step from Magic,” is perfect proof of this. The poppy underlying tempo keeps the whole song afloat, while the repetitive lyrics sing, “One

step from, one step from, one step from magic,” with Carter’s voice rising and falling quickly and smoothly.

Their song “Good Try” has an electric instrumental section halfway through, adding to their overall upbeat energy.

The repetitive lyric, “Good try, honey, saying goodbye,” makes for a very catchy tune.

The songs on Carter and the Capitals range from a high-intensity dance-track vibe to slower tempos and lyrics that bring you down a little. What makes these songs consistent with the band’s general sound is the pop and swagger of the melody.

One of these slower songs is called “Dark.”

The entirety of the song is about getting rejected after a one-night stand.

The girl he sings about tells him she was only interested in him in the heat of the moment.

Carter sings in the chorus about finding a note on a pillow the next morning that says, “You only looked good in the dark to me.”

Despite this, it’s a fun song.

Striking this balance isn’t a rare feat for the band to pull off. They know how to keep listeners’ energy up, no matter what they’re singing about.

Carter says their stage presence is half their appeal.

“We’re a live band, we love our recordings and all the work we’ve done,” he said.

“We’re very exciting to watch because we have an amazing time on stage, we’re very fun and dance-y.”

More than anything else, Carter hopes the audience has as much fun as they do.

Daniel Romano celebrates the possibilities of live performance

Ontario artist brings experimental sounds to The Mansion Saskia Kemsley Contributor

For Daniel Romano, the magic of live performance is all about spontaneity.

The Canadian country and folk-rock musician, poet, and visual artist based out of Welland, Ontario will come to Kingston to perform at The Mansion on Nov. 9, alongside Aaron Goldstein, Roddy Richmond, Kenneth Roy Meehan, and his brother, Ian Romano.

Ian and Daniel have worked together in multiple bands since the early 2000s.

Ian’s role within Daniel’s ensemble includes playing the drums, engineering, and producing music.

Though primarily a solo artist, Romano regularly collaborates on musical projects with bands such as Attack in Black, Ancient Shapes, and The Outfit.

Ancient Shapes, which features the likes of Roddy Rosetti and Ian Romano, will release their new album A Flower

That Wouldn’t Bloom on Oct. 25.

He prefers to play with other people because of the different exchanges of ideas that can happen onstage.

The artist credits this to the interpretive space that he tries to create in his music.

Romano’s role as a poet, as well as an experimental musician, also changes the tone of every collaboration, determining whether the end product will be driven by lyrics or by musical composition.

This has a strong impact on each piece and the extent to which it’s traditional versus being nonconformist.

“When I’m playing drums, adding music and then lyrics last, it does make for a more interesting p h ra s i n g ,” Romano said.

Nonetheless, every song is subject to change based on the time, place and atmosphere of the performance.

Romano and his ensemble reinvigorate their older songs with every performance. The musician says his experimentalism is rooted in a desire for subjectivity.

He tries to keep storytelling at the forefront of his music in order to recognize that each person who listens to his songs will take away something different.

“It’s funny when people [say] they know

what your songs are about. Sometimes I don’t even know,” he said. “I’m more focused on the energy of a song than anything.”

This spontaneity is a testament to the ways Romano’s musical identity has changed over the years.

The artist is afraid of creative boredom when it comes to his work. His current personal sound is focused on the folk-country genre with a modern synth twist, keeping it fresh and interesting.

In his collaborations, working with bands like Ancient Shapes has

“I’m more focused on the

energy of a song than anything.”

At the moment, the singer-songwriter’s biggest influences stem from the 1960s British and Irish folk revival. Romano names Anne Briggs and Bridget St. John as particular inspirations, declaring the women to be “the kind of people who reinterpreted the tradition of the craft and moved it forward.”

Through his performances, straddling otherwise opposing ends of musical history, Romano creates a romantic b l e n d of nostalgia and modernity.

—Daniel Romano

allowed Romano to delve into punk, while Attack in Black let him experiment in rock and roll.

The common link between these groups, other than the fact that Ian Romano is a member of all three, is the abstraction of the norm in the genre.

Daniel Romano works hard to bring new energy to traditional genres through shifting song formats’ dynamics and mobilizing beats in unexpected ways.

FROM ROMANO’S FACEBOOK

LIFESTYLE

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

LIFE HACKS

How to have a sustainable Halloween Everyday ways to make October festivities more eco-friendly Tegwyn Hughes Assistant Lifestyle Editor

From costumes to candy to carving pumpkins, Halloween festivities can be full of single-use products that aren't so sustainable.

Halloween waste is a drop in the bucket when it comes to ranking the biggest threats to our global climate, but for eco-conscious students at Queen’s hoping to reduce their individual carbon footprints, these tips can help make this October holiday more green.

Costume complications An investigation in the United Kingdom showed that 83 per cent of Halloween costume material was made from oil-based plastics like polyester, and that 40 per cent of these costumes were reportedly never worn again. For a world that’s so caught up in avoiding single-use plastic from water bottles, we can be blissfully unaware of the waste we make on holidays in the name of tradition.

You don’t have to buy a cheap, off-brand bundle of plastic to win a costume contest or wow your friends this October. Instead, get creative with the clothing you already have, DIY something out of worn clothes and spare fabric, or buy clothes from thrift stores to complete an ensemble.

The extra bit of effort to find a more sustainable Halloween costume will not only reduce your contribution to waste, but

ASKING FOR A FRIEND

will be more impressive than any low-effort costume you could find in a store.

If you decide to purchase a secondhand Halloween costume from a store like Phase 2, make sure to donate or sell it to someone else once you’re done with it.

Pumpkin problems

Carving a pumpkin to proudly display on your front porch or windowsill for your neighbours to admire is arguably one of the best parts of Halloween.

However, if personal sustainability is important to you, carving a pumpkin could be more trouble than it’s worth.

When November rolls around and the Halloween spirit is traded for holiday anticipation, discarded pumpkins are often left to rot on

Avoiding a Halloween party and navigating couple costumes The Journal’s advice-giver guides two students who have Halloween dilemmas Audrey Helpburn Contributor

I’m Audrey Helpburn, The Journal’s resident advice-giver.

I answer questions about love, friendship, school, and more to help Queen’s students put their best foot forward on and around campus.

Although I’m not a professional, I aim to give the best advice I can to students who need a bit of guidance.

This time around, I’m advising two students who have looming Halloween dilemmas: one who needs to study for midterms during the Halloween weekend, and the other who doesn’t know whether to coordinate costumes with their friends or partner. ***

I have two huge midterms the Monday after Halloween weekend, but my housemates want to host a costume party at our house that Saturday. They don’t understand why I can’t just take the night off and celebrate with them and our

other friends.

How do I explain to them that I need the house to be quiet so I can study?

Signed, Spooked Student Dear Spooked Student, The answer to this chilling complication is simple: like with any other housemate dilemma, you need to compromise.

If your housemates are telling you about their potential party this far in advance, you can try to schedule your studying so that you’re able to take a break for that night. If you don’t feel like this is possible, I think they’re giving you enough fair

Another great way to appease your friends and still excel on the midterm is making a one- or two-hour appearance at the party.

Although doing poorly on the midterm may seem like the end of the world, in reality, taking a short break from studying to relax with friends will only do you good.

Living with other students can be complicated, but when the majority of a house agrees on something, sometimes you have to make sacrifices. If you have the ability to go home that weekend, that may also be a good option for you.

Living with others is about being adaptable. So if you can find a solution other than asking your housemates to cancel their party for that night, I think you’re making the right choice.

All the best, Audrey Helpburn

warning that you should be able to foresee studying elsewhere—the library, a coffee shop that stays open late, or even the house of a classmate who has the same midterm.

If you’re worried about disappointing your friends by not attending the party, make sure to forewarn them that you won’t be able to make it. If you emphasize how stressed you are about doing well on the midterm, they will likely understand.

My girlfriend really wants to do a couples’ costume with me this year, but I already promised my friends we would all be the Spice Girls.

She’s really upset, since this is our first Halloween as a couple and she was looking forward to dressing up together. What should I do?

Signed, If You Wanna Be My Lover Dear If You Wanna Be My Lover, If you plan your Halloween right, chances are, you can please

queensjournal.ca

• 11

Lifestyle ILLUSTRATION BY

ELISE NGO

porches or are thrown in the trash. In landfills, decaying p u m p k i n s contribute to greenhouse gas emissions—the US Department of Energy reported in 2016 that over 254 million tons of pumpkins ended up in municipal dumps, emitting methane.

I’m not saying you have to avoid pumpkin carving altogether.

There are a few modifications you can make, like carving a smaller pumpkin instead of searching for the biggest one at the grocery store, or making good use of the pumpkin innards for roasted seeds, tasty soups, or a wide variety of other products.

Get creative!

Candy conundrums

You don’t have to stop handing your girlfriend and friends.

Celebrate Halloween twice, or wear one costume during the day and the other at night.

I believe in sticking to promises, so if you can only dress up (or afford to dress up) once, I think you should explain to your girlfriend that you made a commitment to your friends and you want to honour it.

That said, relationships succeed through compromise and adaptability, so be willing to hear her out if she has another idea or solution.

out individually-wrapped candy to neighbourhood kids or DIY your own kid-friendly treats.

When it comes to trick-or-treating, store-bought, packaged candies are the only things parents trust for their children.

However, fun-size candy wrappers are usually hard to recycle, and not all municipalities accept them.

If you want to greet trick-or-treaters this year, boxed candy instead of plastic-wrapped is the way to go. Candies like Dots, Nerds, and Junior Mints are all encased in cardboard. Whether parents will actually recycle their kids’ candy containers is another story, but you can try to do your part.

I know plenty of Queen’s students who buy their own bulk Halloween candy to enjoy themselves or give to guests at house parties. Instead of buying even more plastic, delight your stomach and your guests with handmade Halloween treats instead.

Considering how badly we’ve damaged the planet, single-use Halloween traditions are even spookier than haunted houses.

With the way our climate crisis is going, even the smallest individual choices can make a difference.

Worse comes to worst, go out with your friends as the Spice Girls, but be sure to take a Halloween couple photo for Instagram with her. The cheesier the caption, the better. Best of luck!

All the best, Audrey Helpburn

LIFESTYLE

12 • queensjournal.ca

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

My encounter with the Kingston Pen’s notorious deceased employee A summer job at Kingston’s haunted prison taught me more than customer service Riley McMahon Contributor

I’ve always had an interest in the supernatural. I used to hope that one day I’d see a ghost, or that some unexplainable thing would happen to me. Luckily, I got my chance when I worked as a tour guide for Canada’s most notorious prison: the Kingston Penitentiary.

From feeling cold in strange places to experiencing a powerful gut feeling telling me to leave where I was, my memories of working at the prison are filled with completely unexplainable and spooky experiences.

After the prison’s closure in 2013, when more than 170 years of operation came to an end, the prison opened to the public for guided tours of the facility, which include stories of its history.

Although I had minimal knowledge of the prison when I started my job as a guide, I knew of its history of ghosts and creepy happenings. After all, what legacy of criminals and their demises, and the legends of staff deaths on duty, wouldn’t surmount to some intense and angry spirits?

all, what legacy “ofAfter criminals and their

demises, and the legends of staff deaths on duty, wouldn’t surmount to some intense and angry spirits?

”

Within the first few weeks of working there and learning the tour material, I heard many stories of supernatural encounters from the seasoned staff. I wanted to believe them, but after three weeks of working there and experiencing nothing, I was skeptical.

Then, things took an

interesting turn during my very first tour.

The first time I led a tour, I donned my neon yellow tour vest and led 31 tourists through the one-kilometre route. Honestly, it was a rough tour. I had forgotten a lot of information and had to stumble through the little I remembered. To add insult to injury, I fell through a door while trying to open it for my guests, and I could tell they were starting to get a little sick of me.

Thankfully, some of the stops along the way have retired staff stationed there who worked in the facility when it was a prison, and can share their experiences with the tour groups.

These staff visits were always the most relieving part of these tours. Guides could count on the former prison employees for a laugh and a smile.

As we neared the very last stop, the end was in sight, and I was ready to hand my group off to the retired staff waiting inside the last building to speak to us. This last stop was in the old psychiatric hospital called the Regional Treatment Centre, or the RTC. This building has a nasty history of its own. It had been used as a shop in the early 1800s, where shoes and tools were made. Later in the century, it was the ‘prison of isolation,’ which means the prison would send the worst offenders there for imprisonment. It was a 24-hour silence area in terrible condition.

In the 1950s, it was transformed to be the RTC that is now standing. It housed criminals who were mentally ill but still found criminally responsible for their actions.

As I handed my group off to the retired nurse that had worked there for over 15 years, I stood back quietly, thankful that the people in my group didn’t have to hear me speak anymore.

In this section, there are two cell blocks. In one range, you can walk down and look at the cells, but the other is locked, without an entry point and blocked by a locked gate. I stood with my back to the closed

cell blocks, listening to the nurse’s story.

As he spoke, I thought I heard keys jangling from behind me, coming from the empty, locked cell block. At first, I thought nothing of it. Seeing as it was my first tour, I was convinced another staff member or a tourist

was messing with me. The sound persisted to the point where it was annoying, so I spun around to see who was trying to freak me out on my first tour.

As I spun around, I saw the shadow of a man standing behind the locked entryway. He walked down the range closer to me and spun his key ring in his hand to lock the cell in front of him, making the noise that I had heard.

I stood there, mouth open, watching him continue to close the cells, before he turned around to walk back up the range. I was so scared (and confused) that I decided to leave my group and w a i t

outside, wanting to get as far away as possible.

After the tour, I decided to tell one of the other guides who’d worked there for several summers what I'd seen. He laughed it off and said, “Oh, that's just William Wentworth.”

I later learned that William Wentworth was the very last staff member to die at Kingston Pen. In November 1961, during his midnight shift, he was stabbed to death on the third floor of the RTC. His murderer still has yet to be caught, and it remains a mystery to this d a y .

Rumours and theories have spread from anybody who hears the story, especially from the tour guide staff.

Staff and tourists alike have often seen Wentworth doing his rounds. He’s a nice ghost, doing what he was hired to do. He tries to keep the angry prisoner spirits in their cells, or so I’ve been told.

Thanks to my time at Kingston Pen, this hasn’t been my only ghostly encounter, but it was definitely the one that spooked me the most.

Another time, again on a tour of almost 30, I was leading my group out a corridor into a courtyard.

When I

opened the door and held it open for the group, I happened to look into yet another gated area.

Hovering over what used to be huts for the women prisoners was a glowing orb. I thought it may have been a reflection from the metal on the door, so I shifted the door to see if it would move. It didn’t. It hovered over the pavement and refused to move.

Hovering over what “used to be huts for the women prisoners was a glowing orb.

”

As we walked past where it hovered, the orb stayed in place like a translucent Christmas ornament on a piece of fishing line, just hanging in the empty space. When we came back out again and passed the same spot, it was gone. I got the feeling it wasn’t angry, but rather curious, watching as the tour group wandered into the next building.

Kingston Penitentiary is known as the most notorious prison in Canada for once housing some of the country’s most infamous criminals. After working there, even after the last inmate had left, I can tell you that while it’s intimidating, it’s filled with a sense of curiosity. It has some amazing stories, some so unbelievable that they blow your mind. It's got ghosts both friendly and vengeful, and its tales can pass along some amazing knowledge of Kingston and Canada’s past, as well as some obscure facts.

Who knows?

Maybe you’ll see a ghost just like I did.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY AMELIA RANKINE