The Queen's Journal, Volume 147, Issue 25

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

the

Queen’s University

–

journal

Volume 147, issue 25

–

Friday, March 13, 2020

–

Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples.

Four candidates will compete in upcoming undergraduate trustee election

Boljkovac leads improbable comeback; Nationals cancelled

Candidates ratified at AMS Assembly Thursday

J ack H eron Staff Writer

See volleyball on page 11

traditional lands of the

since 1873

Back-to-back: Forsyth Cup stays in Kingston

The men’s volleyball team has done it again, coming back from being down two sets to none to win the OUA Championship over the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.

The Gaels lost both of their regular season matchups with the OUA East’s number one seed, and they were poised to fall again last Saturday until they caught fire and reeled off three straight sets to win the Forsyth Cup. However, the Gaels won’t have the opportunity to compete for the national crown—after initially moving to play the championships without fans due to the coronavirus pandemic, U SPORTS has now decided to cancel the entire tournament.

This follows the cancellation of the men’s and women’s hockey tournaments in Nova Scotia, and more broadly, the suspension of the NBA, NHL, and NCAA seasons.

Queen’s started slowly against Toronto, and Toronto made them pay for it. The Blues weren’t intimidated by the defending champs—24 of their 50 points in the first two sets came off of kills.

Moreover, untimely errors in the first two sets made it difficult for Queen’s to get any runs going. The presence of veteran Chris Towe on the U of T team was also felt in the first two sets with many points coming off his spikes or his inclusion in the play. By the end of the second set, you could see the frustration and urgency in the Queen’s players’ eyes.

Queen’s flipped the switch in the third set. Playing to their strengths and staying composed, Queen’s jumped to an early four-point lead partly thanks to a fantastic stretch of serving and attacking by U SPORTS rookie of the year Erik Siksna.

The four-point lead ballooned up to 11 points, and Queen’s won the set 25-14.

What was most remarkable about this set was Queen’s substantial showing of serving. In the past, Queen’s has had issues with its service game. Yet, in the third set of this match, they managed to get six aces while limiting their service errors to only two.

The momentum was completely reversed. Queen’s offence roared to life, putting away 11 kills in the fourth set, their most of any set in the game. Setter Zane Grossinger was the catalyst, dishing out eight of his 35 assists in the fourth, which Queen’s won 25-17.

The Gael’s defence was smothering over

Situated on the

E llen N agy Assistant News Editor

Feature: Three decades later, no campus sexual assult centre PAGE 5

Professor was under investigation for sexual harassment before his death This story originally appeared online on March 10.

R aechel H uizinga News Editor Former English Professor Andrew Bretz, who passed away on Aug. 21, 2018 at the age of 42, was under investigation for sexual harassment by the University in the months leading up to his death.

In a series of interviews, a former student detailed her experience of alleged sexual

harassment by Bretz in February, 2018 that sparked the University’s investigation. She told The Journal she was one of about five other students who allegedly experienced sexual misconduct by Bretz.

In an email statement, Mark Erdman, manager of community relations and issues, said the University could not comment on the details of any particular case.

Toward the end of the 2018 academic year, Abigail*, whose name has been protected, wrote a letter to Jill Atkinson, associate dean of teaching and learning in the Arts and See investigation on page 3

Watson Hall houses the bulk of professors in the department.

Cutline.

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

Four candidates were approved to be on the ballot for the March 2020 undergraduate student trustee by-election at Thursday’s AMS Assembly following the resignation of former Undergraduate Trustee Tyler Macintyre.

Undergraduate students Michael Zhang, Michael Fraser, Aidan Turnbull, and Shoshannah Bennett Dwara were approved to be on the ballot on Mar. 12. They took turns answering questions posed to them

by Assembly members.

AMS President Auston Pierce opened the question period by asking students why they were interested in running.

Turnbull, CompSci ’21, said he hopes to influence university life well beyond his time as undergraduate trustee if elected. “I’ve lived in Kingston my whole life, I love this school,” Turnbull said. “I don’t know too much about the position right now, but I’d like to make a difference.”

Bennett Dwara, ArtSci ’21, said she wanted to make students feel more included and safe on Queen’s campus. “I think I can bring a different voice that is not heard on the Board of Trustees right now,” Bennett Dwara said. “I do want to make it easier for the people that are following in my footsteps to have a better experience at Queen’s.

Fraser, ArtSci ’21, said he had always wanted to become engaged in student advocacy without being partisan. He also spoke to the abilities of the Board of Trustees to influence the business side of the University, and the importance of advocating for the student voice within their dealings.

“I feel that this role would allow me to advocate for all students rather than getting involved in student government and actually having to pick sides,” Fraser said.

Michael Zhang cited the recent treatment of Asian students in response to fears surrounding COVID-19 as his inspiration to run. “I’ve seen many stories of international students being mistreated simply because they are Asian,” Zhang said, “[These people] should be held fully accountable.”

The undergraduate trustee by-election will be held March 24-25.

IN THIS ISSUE: Students benefit from COVID-19 updates p. 6, Queen’s coaches talk leadership p. 10, Former Queen’s prof champions female writers, p. 12, Living with a sexual disorder p. 16. queensjournal.ca

@queensjournal

@queensjournal

@queensjournal

@thequeensjournal

News

2 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, March 13, 2020

Queen’s suspends all University-sponsored international travel University will provide academic leniency due to illness Carolyn Svonkin Assistant News Editor Dr. David Walker, former dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, was appointed as Special Advisor to the Principal on Planning and Preparation for COVID-19 on March 5. In the eight days since, Queen’s has moved quickly to put plans in place as coronavirus cases rise in Canada.

In the last two days, Queen’s has canceled all events and conferences for the Faculty of Health Science, a measure to protect health care workers, and suspended Dr. David Walker appointed as COVID-19 response lead JOURNAL FILE PHOTO all University-sponsored international travel. issues. One sub-group is dealing said. “We are planning for every students, who interact with the “It is almost inevitable that with housing, preparing for if possible eventuality. We have plans health care system.

COVID-19 will come to our students need to be isolated. for gathering and conferences.”

Queen’s is also following community at some point or Another sub-group is dealing with Walker stressed that currently, University of Toronto’s lead in another,” Walker said in a recent academic modifications, putting Kingston is at low risk. And providing leniency for students interview with The Journal. “It plans in place for if the term needs Queen’s currently doesn’t plan missing class if they feel sick. would be unreasonable to to be shortened, or exams altered. on shutting down. “We need to “Requiring a doctor’s note seems think Kingston and Queen’s will Walker believes it’s important continue operations to the extent counterintuitive,” Walker said. “If be immune.” to understand the virus. “It is we are safe,” Walker said. someone is flagged as suspicious Along with being former dean, stealthy and relatively easy to He told The Journal that for infection, Student Wellness Walker is a professor of family catch, but only in close quarters,” any decision to close campus and Public Health will be involved, and emergency medicine and he said. “It is not spread through or move classes online will be and they will get an academic policy studies, and he chaired air. It is a droplet spread.” guided by Kingston Public Health, consideration note. We are going the 2003 Ontario’s Expert If you are experiencing which will determine whether to be very permissive.”

Panel on SARS and Infectious symptoms such as fever, cough there’s community and Another consideration Walker Disease Control. and breathing difficulty, Walker person-to-person spread. and the committees are tackling He now chairs two committees recommends staying home and Walker believes it’s in Queen’s is how Queen’s interacts with at Queen’s. One committee is an self-isolating. Queen’s students best interest not to be hasty the international community. operational committee, which should call the regional Public when making alterations to As of Thursday, Principal has been meeting every day since health network or Student academics. “Other universities Patrick Deane has suspended his appointment. The other is a Wellness Services if exposed have gone online overnight. I don’t all University-sponsored stakeholder management group, to the virus or experiencing understand how you can suddenly international travel. which meets weekly and includes symptoms.

For more turn a class online. A whole Advice for students on senior University leadership, information, Queen’s has added a course cannot become virtual international exchange has faculty representatives, students, COVID-19 page to its website with overnight,” he said. “We are having gone out today, according to and local community members, up-to-date information. a lot of discussion and will take Walker. “We are not giving blanket including city officials.

“Our job at Queen’s is to be action on how we instruct and recommendations. Situations According to Walker, the prepared for a positive case. We evaluate students.” are highly variable,” he said. “We committees also have sub-groups are making plans by the hour for Special considerations will recommend students discuss with working on a number of related if and when that happens,” Walker be given to Medical and Nursing an academic supervisor where

they are.”

The University didn’t recommend all students immediately come home. “In some ways, staying put may be safer than travelling across the world to get home,” Walker pointed out.

“If you do come home and get sick, you will be quarantined.”

Ultimately, Walker believes students on exchange should evaluate based on their specific situation. “If you’re uncomfortable in your setting, come home and we will make academic arrangements,” he said. “It’s very much a personal decision. Do your own risk assessment.”

As for upcoming St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, Walker says students should make thoughtful and well-informed decisions. “The issue is not the fear that you or I may catch it, the fear is for the elderly and the frail, and protecting the healthcare system,” he said.

He is concerned that students or guests who may unknowingly be infected could infect community members who are elderly or frail, which could be highly dangerous.

Overloading the Kingston health care system is also a serious concern.

“We are desperately concerned about the hospital setting. All it would take is for one positive student going to the hospital due to alcohol poisoning or injury to infect an elderly patient or healthcare worker, and it would be a run-on effect that could not be managed,” Walker said. “If we have community spread on campus, we can do all kinds of things from home. Our health care sector cannot do that.”

Walker believes it’s up to individuals to make smart decisions and stay informed, while the University plans for all possible scenarios. “We will do everything we can to slow the march of the virus,” he said. “We are guided by the need to protect students.”

Deane warns students against large gatherings ahead of St. Patrick’s Day University cautions about large gatherings and the risks they pose to the spread COVID-19 Ellen Nagy Assistant News Editor The University District Safety Initiative (UDSI) will come into effect for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations this weekend as Principal Patrick Deane recommended students not attend large gatherings.

On Wednesday, the University’s communication

staff released information about student conduct during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, and the problems raised by the gathering of large crowds.

A statement from Dr. David Walker, the physician heading Queen’s response to COVID-19, advocated the importance of protecting our health care system.

“If you’re sick, please don’t go,” Walker in a public statement. “The most important thing for anyone feeling sick to do is stay home, self-isolate, and call the appropriate medical authority.”

According to the statement, the effects of binge drinking and the need for emergency responders could impair the ability of the health care system

to combat COVID-19. If an overly intoxicated person infected by coronavirus required first responders, the paramedics, nurses, and doctors treating that person would also need to be quarantined.

“If you have friends planning to come, please suggest to them that may not be a good idea,” Walker said.

From March 13 to 18, Queen’s will be operating the Campus Observation Room (COR) to alleviate the strain on emergency services. COR will be open Saturday, March 14 from 8 a.m. to Sunday March 15 at 7 a.m., and March 17 from 8 a.m. to March 18 at 8 a.m. in Leonard Hall Cafeteria and in M a c G i l l iv ray- B ro w n

Hall gym.

“Above all, please respect the first responders that are there to help students and please avoid at all costs going to the hospital,” Walker said.

The UDSI will also be in full effect over the St. Patrick’s Day weekend, and according to Mark Nardi, communications officer for the City of Kingston, enforcement will not be altered because of concerns surrounding coronavirus.

“We’re still going out with the approach for education before compliance until we have to eliminate education if it gets to that point,” Nardi said.

Under the UDSI, anyone who receives a ticket in the University District during Frosh Week, Homecoming and St.

Patrick’s Day will be required to appear in court.

“We have social media posts scheduled for Twitter and Facebook from March 10 to March 18,” Nardi told The Journal.

“We’re also posting an informative graphic on City facility screens.”

Still, the University’s main focus of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, according to Walker, is to protect the health of more vulnerable populations by protecting our healthcare workers.

“The most important thing for anyone feeling sick to do is stay home, self-isolate, and call the appropriate medical authority,” he said. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

News

Friday, March 13, 2020 Continued from front...

Department. He was teaching a third-year course at Queen’s when Abigail became his student.

Abigail said that, from the beginning, Bretz strongly emphasized that students should visit him during his office hours, and on Feb. 13, 2018, she did. She said she didn’t feel prepared to take a test the following day and wanted an extension.

Abigail said Bretz refused her request for more time, asking her instead to read a poem—printed out on his desk—aloud to him, something she indicated she didn’t want to do.

“I had no choice because that’s your professor, right, and you want to do well in the course. You want him to like you. I read it aloud and it’s fairly explicit,” she said. “I went through it and he made me do it again and makes me repeat it and makes me repeat the explicit

Later in the 2018 winter semester, Abigail was talking to a friend at an English department social, when she learned they had experienced a similar but allegedly more severe interaction with Bretz. Abigail said her friend also knew another female student who had an inappropriate experience

point to this, and you’ll understand and I think you do understand, and that is to protect our healthcare system from a surge that it could not meet.”

He warned that if a student Raechel Huizinga & feels sick with any symptoms, Sydney Ko they should stay home. “That’s Journal Staff the first rule of thumb, and that’s how Canada’s being so successful AMS Assembly gathered on in capturing people who have the Thursday night to hear from Dr. first signs of this illness.”

David Walker, Queen’s recently Walker emphasized that appointed COVID-19 response so far, there are no positive lead. Earlier in the day, Queen’s cases in southeastern Ontario, suspended all University- and no positive cases in sponsored international travel.

Kingston. “We don’t need to “We need to be prepared for this,” panic about anything, nobody Walker said at Assembly, adding here has this.” that the University wants to ensure He acknowledged, however, all vital operational and academic that community spread has begun functions can carry on as best in Vancouver and Toronto. “I will as possible. say for people of your age group, “There is actually an ultimate this is a mild illness.”

He said the fatality rate is currently estimated to be two per cent, with the elderly being the most vulnerable. “They get this really badly. It’s grandparents and people in nursing homes.”

Walker added Queen’s community would be more affected if a staff member, faculty member or student was tested positive.

“We don’t see children generally getting sick with this.” The only treatment for the illness is oxygen and, if needed, a ventilator. There are currently 68 ventilators at Kingston General Hospital (KGH).

“We have instigated some other changes,” Walker said. For instance, international exchanges are cancelled. Students who come back from exchange will be accommodated with academic considerations.

Science faculty.

“While I love English literature, am genuinely interested in the course material, and believe that I have the ability to succeed, Professor Bretz has created a classroom environment that I do not feel safe in. He has repeatedly and deliberately sought out inappropriate interactions and blatantly disregarded my obvious discomfort.”

Abigail was writing a letter to apply for Aegrotat standing, an academic appeal that allows students to earn a final grade based on their coursework, not an exam. It requires approval from the course’s professor.

Bretz taught at the University of Guelph before starting at Queen’s in the fall of 2017 as an adjunct professor in the English

bits, over and over, and I just don’t want to.”

Abigail said Bretz didn’t grant her request for an extension after reading him the poem.

“What can you do but read it for him?” she wrote about the poem in her appeal letter. “When that poem leads to your professor asking if you know what “wanting to f—k someone you know you’re not supposed to f—k” is like, what can you say?” ***

Queen’s COVID-19 response lead addresses AMS Assembly

Students encouraged to take responsible actions

University says students attended PDAC conference but risk remains low A Sudbury man who attended later tested positive for the coronavirus Ellen Nagy & Raechel Huizinga Journal Staff Queen’s students who attended a geology conference in Toronto over the weekend where an attendee later tested positive for the coronavirus have a low risk of contracting COVID-19, the University said Wednesday afternoon.

David Walker, Queen’s COVID-19 response lead, told The Journal one person who felt unwell at the Prospectors & Developers

Association of Canada (PDAC) conference returned home to Sudbury and tested positive for the virus. He said the students who attended are encouraged to self-monitor.

Walker said the University consulted Kieran Moore, the medical officer of health at Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) Public Health, to confirm risk for community members was low.

Queen’s also announced Wednesday that the Faculty of Health Sciences has cancelled all in-person conferences and events effective immediately.

Walker said the move is isolated to the health sciences faculty, and unless there’s community spread of the virus, other faculties will continue

as normal.

He added that students in the Faculty of Health Sciences are in constant contact with local hospital patients, prompting the move to cancel events and conferences.

“They’re in contact with patients and you need to protect those patients,” he said.

In an online statement, Associate Dean of Professional Development Richard van Wylick said the decision was not taken lightly.

“The protection of the healthcare workforce is of paramount importance, and this decision was taken with the advice and direction of the local public health authority.”

queensjournal.ca •3

with Bretz.

“We’re like, well, that’s three of us, and that’s just in my social circle alone. There’s got to be more.

We didn’t know what to do, but we knew we had to say something.”

Abigail said that before the end of the semester, about 10 female students started attending a support group for experiences specifically involving Bretz.

“I can’t stress how many people had specific problems with [Bretz].

It was enough that we could make a support group and fill a room,” she said.

Abigail said she and one other person filed reports with the University about their interactions with Bretz, but believes there could have been more reports. ***

On June 15, 2018, Abigail received a letter from Jada McNaughton, the senior labour relations advisor in Queen’s Faculty Relations Office informing her the University had received her report about Bretz.

According to the letter, Barbara Crow, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, had initiated an investigation into Abigail’s allegations against Bretz. She had contracted Cory Boyd During Walker’s presentation, assembly members also questioned whether campus buildings will be closed in the event that classes become virtual.

In response, Walker referenced laboratories and residence buildings. “We can’t just shut the door of the university and walk away,” he said.

of Rubin Thomlinson LLP, a Toronto-based law firm that specializes in workplace and institutional investigations.

“The investigation will be conducted in accordance with the [Policy on Sexual Violence Involving Queen’s University Students], with the provisions of relevant collective agreements and will adhere to procedural requirements of fairness and due process,” McNaughton’s letter read.

Boyd reached out to Abigail on June 18, and the two met only once. Abigail was accompanied by a student caseworker from Queen’s Legal Aid (QLA).

“When I did end up meeting with the law firm, they said you’re allowed to bring one support person and that could be a friend or a counsellor,” Abigail said. “I said I’m bringing a lawyer. They said okay, but she’s not allowed to talk.

I didn’t fight it.”

Abigail said the University didn’t inform her about the outcome of the investigation, as was required under the sexual violence policy in its 2018 form. She was eventually granted Aegrotat standing for English 321.

Bretz was scheduled to teach again in the fall of 2018.

Similarly, the AMS and the club have also been working to integrate “menstruation for education.”

William Greene, vice-president (University Affairs), also addressed the outbreak of COVID-19.

“We are working very closely with Dr. Walker and the Institution of Public Health, and we will continue over the next 72 Vice-presidents’ report hours to the next three months,” Greene said.

Jessica Dahanayake, viceDuring the Assembly, students president (Operations), updated were also strongly encouraged assembly on Queen’s Period and to reach out to Alex da Silva, the other AMS services. rector, and Auston Pierce, AMS Over the past month, Queen’s president, if any questions or Period has been working on concerns arise about COVID-19. placing pads and tampons at more locations around campus.

With files from Ellen Nagy.

According to Dahanayake, the added locations include library bathrooms.

News

4 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, March 13, 2020

Hockey Helps the Homeless raises more than $30,000 for Kingston Youth Shelter Co-chairs of Hockey Helps the Homeless

Tournament event exceeds last year’s amount by $5,000 Sobika Ganeshalingam Contributor Queen’s Hockey Helps the Homeless raised more than $30,000 for the Kingston Youth Shelter at its annual tournament on Feb. 28.

Andrew Worling (ArtSci ’21), co-chair of Queen’s Hockey Helps the Homeless, called the event a success in an interview with The Journal.

“It has been our smoothest-run

tournament so far, with eight teams, 110 participants, 20 volunteers and eight professionally-certified referees,” he said.

The organization exceeded their expected goal by beating $25,000, the amount raised last year. According to Jake Robertson (ArtSci ’21), another co-chair, the funds are generated through participant fees.

Each player is asked to pay $300 for the tournament. $250 is put toward the fundraising goal, and the remaining $50 is used to cover player expenses like custom jerseys and ice time, Robertson said.

The Kingston Youth Shelter uses proceeds from the event to provide ongoing support

and expansions for existing programs to help homeless youth in the community, Robertson added.

According to co-chair Hannah Forestell (ArtSci ’21), advocates from the shelter come out to the tournament and speak with the players, which provides an emotional insight into how the funds are appreciated.

“I see a lot of support coming in, and it’s really just great to see the improvement as the years go on,” Forestell said.

According to Robertson, there are two kinds of support provided by the shelter for these youth.

“The first is crisis care, which is short-term care in an emergency situation the youth might find themselves in that leads

locations: Mitchell Hall, Biosciences Complex, and Macintosh-Corry Hall.

Funds raised by the event will go toward Big Spoon Lil Spoon’s local programming and Kingston, Walker said. “It will go toward providing cooking classes to kids who are from the Kingston area who take part in our programming.”

“It allows them to learn necessary life skills like cooking, grocery shopping, and budgeting.”

While the event aims to raise awareness about sustainability and help raise funds for Big Spoon Lil Spoon’s cause, Preston-Walker said leftover donations will be donated to Kingston’s Loving Hands. “[Loving Hands] is associated with a number of nonprofit organization in Kingston, such as the youth shelter or the halfway houses,” Preston-Walker said.

Clothing drive hosted by Big Spoon Lil Spoon pushes for sustainability.

Student group raises money for community support program

Funds raised by Big Spoon Lil Spoon will be used to support Kingston’s youth Sydney Ko Assistant News Editor

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

The student club Big Spoon Lil Spoon, which provides cooking classes for kids in the Kingston community, hosted a clothing sale in collaboration with Common Ground Coffee Shop on Thursday to raise money for the City’s youth.

Big Spoon Lil Spoon aims to provide workshops and employment opportunities for youths with disabilities and their siblings, and was first started by Victoria Preston-Walker (ArtSci ’21) when she was in first year.

Preston-Walker, currently an intern in the Office of the Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration) (VPFA), helped initiate the clothing drive with an aim to push for sustainability by recycling old clothes.

With more than one hundred bags of old clothes sitting in her office at Richardson, Preston-Walker said donations were received from students and staff. “[The clothing drive] was mostly targeted with the VPFA, a portfolio which is basically the non-academic side of the University,” she said in an interview with The Journal.

“This includes physical plant services and “We donate to Loving Hands and then investment services.” they distribute it to other organizations,” On the student side of the donation, she added. volunteers from Big Spoon Lil Spoon were assigned to solicit donations from three journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

“It allows them to learn necessary life skills like cooking, grocery shopping, and budgeting.”

—Victoria Preston-Walker

to them becoming homeless,” Robertson said. “The second, is long-term care where they are offered support and education on lifelong skills such as budgeting.”

“That’s what makes the youth shelter so special,” he said.

According to Worling, Hockey Helps the Homeless now holds three events every year, including a winter tournament, a ball hockey tournament, and a video game tournament, each aiming to fundraise for a charity.

“Our executive team is also planning a trip to the Kingston Youth Shelter to witness the direct impact of the funds we have raised,” Worling said.

PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE

Friday March 13, 2020

queensjournal.ca • 5

6 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, March 13, 2020

EDITORIALS

The Journal’s Perspective

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL

Communicating about COVID-19 can ease student stress As universities prepare for community spread of COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus, students must be kept in the loop so that they too can do their part in reducing the spread of the virus.

Across Canada, a number of post-secondary schools have begun cementing contingencies to continue this semester’s learning if social distancing recommendations to combat COVID-19’s spread interrupt on-campus studies.

Universities are planning for online video lectures, grading adjustments, and remote exams.

Earlier this week, Queen’s Principal Patrick Deane sent out a message to students via email about the university’s preparations for COVID-19.

Among several other measures, the University has appointed Dr. David Walker, former dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, to act as Special Advisor on Planning and Preparation for COVID-19, and created a dedicated website to keep students updated on public health at Queen’s.

As much as we hope to finish the rest of the term uninterrupted, there’s a very real possibility that Queen’s and the greater Kingston community will be affected by COVID-19 before April exams roll around.

Queen’s proactive response to a potential campus outbreak isn’t premature. Schools should react efficiently to prepare for

community spread so they’re not playing catch-up if a student or staff member tests positive for the virus, or if Public Health recommendations mean in-person learning must be suspended.

With so many people using the same communal spaces, universities are a hotbed

for the spread of viruses. The St. Patrick’s Day celebrations planned for this weekend and next week in Kingston will result in many students finding themselves packed in closely with peers, strangers, and visitors from out of town.

Keeping students apprised of what they can do to reduce COVID-19’s spread, what symptoms to look for, and what steps they should take if they suspect they may be infected is extremely important. Although the majority of the student demographic isn’t likely to have their health severely impacted if they do contract the virus, sharing health-related procedures helps to protect vulnerable people on campus and in the local community.

Emailing students to keep them informed of available resources is a solid first step, but students deserve full transparency when it comes to Queen’s plans if a case of COVID-19 is confirmed on campus and in-person classes are cancelled.

It’s understandable that, with the remainder of this semester up in the air right now, this is a stressful time for the Queen’s community.

However, as action plans to address academics and public health measures are developed, staying aware of those developing resources can help to relieve some student stress.

ILLUSTRATION BY AMELIA RANKINE

—Journal Editorial Board

Coronavirus doesn’t justify racist aggression

The conversation around coronavirus is intimidating, but by standing in solidarity with Chinese students at Queen’s, we can combat the effects of the virus more effectively.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus, prejudice and bigotry toward Chinese students on campus has intensified. Last month’s coronavirus-themed party and the tearing-down of Chinese couplets in Victoria Hall are two events that specifically targeted Chinese members of our school community in the wake of the new virus’ outbreak.

I’m not of Asian descent, and I can’t fully understand the experience of being the target of racial discrimination, but I believe that people with privilege should use it to give a platform to the voices of others, especially when those voices are being demonized by unchecked fear and hatred.

The way that the Chinese members of our Queen’s community have been treated is disheartening, to say the least. And Queen’s isn’t isolated in its bigotry. Last week, a student from Singapore was attacked in London, England out of fear that he would bring “his” coronavirus to the U.K., and an Asian-American man was sprayed with air freshener in New York.

These despicable actions not only harm

the people suffering these racist attacks, but also inhibit the social unity we need to demonstrate to help prevent the spread

Ellen Nagy

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

of COVID-19.

On March 11, the World Health Organization held a press briefing emphasizing the importance of coordinating aggressive approaches to public health to give our hospitals more time to prepare for the virus.

On a grassroots level, it’s important for us at Queen’s to protect the vulnerable members of these communities from COVID-19. This includes thoroughly washing hands, self-isolating when symptoms

appear, and monitoring individual health, especially after international travel.

This requires compassion, and on relying on each other to facilitate wellness. If a classmate misses lecture because they feel unwell, send them notes. If a colleague blows their nose, offer them some hand sanitizer.

If a classmate makes a prejudiced remark, correct them. Be an ally. Be intelligent.

By treating Asian communities with the dignity they deserve, we can curb the panic surrounding the word “pandemic” and take practical action.

If we check our social and political extremism, we can ensure that individuals feel comfortable enough to monitor and maintain their own health, protecting themselves and the larger communities they’re part of.

As the Queen’s community, we can’t singlehandedly curb the dangerous racialized perceptions borne from coronavirus, but we have the ability to challenge the xenophobic behaviour we see here on campus.

If you’re unwilling to condemn the racist behaviour exhibited on campus, then you’re part of the problem.

Ellen is one of The Journal’s assistant news editors. She’s a fifth-year English and History student.

Volume 147 Issue 25 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 Ellen Nagy 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

Michelle Boon Samantha Fink Nathan Gallagher Josh Granovsky Daniel Green Jack Heron Connor O’Neil

Staff Illustrators

Contributors

Rowan LaCroix Hannah Willis

Sobika Ganeshalingam Marlisa Hows Isabelle Ma

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.

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

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

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 © 2020 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

Friday, March 13, 2020

queensjournal.ca

OPINIONS

•7

Your Perspective

Nathan Gallagher details how students can cope with the pandemic.

PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE

Racism over coronavirus outbreak is senseless Why we should focus on disease prevention rather than finding scapegoats The outbreak of the novel coronavirus then transmitted to humans. This is what (COVID-19) has a lot of people scared and happened in 2003 when scientists detected looking for someone to blame.

SARS in farmed civet cats in a wet market We can see this hysteria reflected in the in Foshan, China. It happened again with stock market going down, and in people COVID-19 being traced back to a pangolin bulk-buying toilet paper, hand soap and other and a bat at a wet market in Wuhan. amenities. But most dishearteningly, we can This raises the question—if these wet see it in the blame and racism being leveled markets are known to be a problem site for globally against the Chinese community. disease outbreaks, why are they allowed to While it’s true that this new outbreak, like continue operating? the SARS outbreak of 2003, is thought to As a Vox video explains, when the SARS have originated in China, this is by no means outbreak occurred, the Chinese government the fault of the Chinese population at large. shut down the wet markets and banned No one should direct racism toward Chinese wildlife farming, only to lift the ban some students at Queen’s nor perceive them as months later. having any responsibility for creating or The reason for the lift on this ban is that spreading COVID-19. the wildlife farming industry, currently Both SARS and COVID-19 have been worth around 520 billion yuan (or about traced back to animals in China’s wildlife CAD $102.75 billion), lobbies the Chinese farming industry where wild animals are government to allow continued growth and held live to be slaughtered and sold on-site. operation of these dangerous wet markets.

These sites, known as wet markets, are a In the Vox video, Peter Li, a professor at breeding ground for new viruses. the University of Houston-Downtown and Since the animals are held in close an expert on China’s wildlife trade, says captivity, with many of their cages stacked “the majority of people in China do not eat one on top of another, their bodily fluids and wildlife animals.” waste pass down onto the animals below. In Those in China who do consume these this way, one infected animal quickly spreads wildlife products are a small minority of rich its illness to those around it. and powerful citizens who do so because When these animals are slaughtered they wrongly believe them to have vital and sold for consumption, the virus is health properties.

Historically, China has valued the wildlife farming industry as an effective way for rural Chinese people to lift themselves out of poverty, which is another reason for the government’s hesitance to ban the practice.

Even with bans in place, there are many loopholes that allow the enormous wildlife trade to continue illegally and in secret.

It’s a shame that in the past, the Chinese government has chosen to maintain the dangerous wildlife farming industry at a great risk to their people and to the world at large. That being said, it's senseless to blame the Chinese people for the decisions of the government and a powerful industry, both of which are completely out of their control.

With the outbreak of this new coronavirus, China's government is yet again cracking down on wet markets as it did amid the SARS epidemic. For the sake of global public health, I hope they will not reverse the decision this time.

Although people are understandably scared about contracting the virus, a previous Journal article by a contributor pointed out that the risk of dying from COVID-19 is low for students and higher for older people and those with weaker immune systems.

As is often the case with racism, the discrimination toward the Chinese community at Queen’s is borne from fear

and misinformation. It should go without saying that neither a Chinese person nor a person of any other race is somehow more infectious than another.

If you still feel angry or afraid the next time you encounter a Chinese student on campus, you should investigate why you feel this way. I can assure you that this feeling comes from a place of racial prejudice and isn’t supported by any of the facts about the virus itself.

Coronavirus doesn't discriminate. It can affect all people regardless of their race. The virus originating in China is the fault of the wet markets and the Chinese government that allowed them to continue operating after SARS taught us that the markets were dangerous. It is not the fault of Chinese people in general.

In fact, many Chinese citizens are actually opposed to these harmful wildlife farming practices. If you’re looking to place blame, it’s more sensible to go after those in positions of power, not an entire race of people.

So, instead of allowing this outbreak to inflame our hidden racist beliefs, let’s challenge those beliefs and eradicate them, along with eradicating the virus itself.

Nathan Gallagher is a third-year English student.

Talking heads

... students around campus

PHOTOS BY JODIE GRIEVE

If you could switch faculties, which faculty would you switch into?

“ConEd, but I’d be a bad teacher.”

Kenny Yu Comm '22

“I wouldn’t switch faculties.”

Juman Arief Comm '23

“Probably Commerce. I wouldn’t have to do as much work and I’d make more money.”

Miguel Valiao ArtSci '21

8 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, March 13, 2020

Features Calls for sexual assault centre on campus unanswered for more than thirty years University communications intimidating and isolating survivors raechel huizinga

News Editor

This article discusses sexual assault and may be triggering for some readers. The Journal uses “survivor” to refer to those who have experienced sexual assault. We acknowledge this term is not universal.

In 1989, a report called for Queen’s to implement a sexual assault centre on campus. The same recommendation was suggested in 2015. In 2020, it still hasn’t happened.

The push for Canadian universities to start implementing institutional responses to campus sexual violence reached a high point in 2014, when The Toronto Star published an article revealing only nine out of 102 Canadian universities and colleges had sexual violence policies.

In 2016, the Ontario government passed Bill 132, requiring all of the province’s post-secondary institutions to develop sexual violence policies. That same year, Queen’s hired Barbara Lotan as its first-ever Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Coordinator, placing her in on an upper-floor in Macintosh-Corry Hall.

Before Lotan came to Queen’s, however, the sexual assault prevention and response working group committee submitted a report to the University in 2015 outlining 34 recommendations to combat sexual violence on campus.

The first recommendation on that list was for the University to establish a “central, visible, and welcoming ‘Sexual Assault Response and Prevention’ centre” on campus, which would function as “a single point of entry for integrated and holistic sexual assault response, support, advising, counselling, advocacy, and case management services; and a driving

force for campus-wide sexual violence prevention education and first-response training.”

Katie*, whose name has been protected, was sexually assaulted in 2014 in her Waldron Tower dorm room. She spoke to The Journal about the 2015 report, which she remembers from her experience as an undergraduate student at Queen’s.

“There seems to be this trend at Queen’s where there’s some PR scandal and they come out with a report about what they’re going to do about it, and then it sits on a shelf and collects dust. I think that’s where this report is at.”

She pointed out that having a sexual assault centre on campus is the first recommendation in the 2015 report.

The University has yet to respond to The Journal’s inquiries about plans to implement a sexual assault centre on campus and the language used whe communicating with survivors.

“I think at least investing in some consultation for this is worthwhile. The people who wrote that report poured so much time and labour and energy into developing those recommendations. They don’t just come out of nowhere.”

She said the other recommendations in the 2015 report would be easier to fulfill if a centre opened on campus, as well as avoiding sexual violence policy controversies like the University experienced this year regarding student confidentiality.

“They’re related because I think a lot of training and education would come out of something like a sexual assault centre. If there was this present building on campus people would not only be aware that there are training options, but for professors, faculty, and staff, there would be more people to give training on how to receive a disclosure,” Katie said.

She added that a sexual assault centre on campus should be stand-alone and autonomous, in its own building.

“I think [Lotan’s] role could be multiplied by five, but at least two,” Katie said. “I think there could be more people who did

[Lotan’s] job but had different identities and experiences and perspectives. Barb is a very singular person. She can only serve so many people, and I think, particularly, the diversity of needs of Queen’s students is not well-served by one person in an office.” ***

In 1986, a sexual assault subcommittee was formed at Queen’s under the Principal’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women at Queen’s.

The subcommittee produced a report in 1989 outlining 11 recommendations for Queen’s to reduce the frequency of sexual violence incidents on campus and improve help available to survivors.

The eighth recommendation on the list stated “financial support should be given to the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre and additional support should be given to enable them to open an office on campus if they feel it is necessary.”

In November of that year, about 50 women spent the night in the office of then Principal David Smith to protest sexism on campus. The month before, a number of signs appeared in the windows of then-male residence building Gordon Hall, displaying messages like “no means kick her in the teeth,” “no means have another beer,” and “no means tie me up.”

The women were protesting the lack of administrative interference in the signs, but also the lack of support available on campus for sexual violence survivors. They presented seven demands to Principal Smith to combat sexual violence at Queen’s, including issuing a public apology for the delayed response and requiring the men of Gordon House to raise $5,000 in survivor support.

The seventh and final demand was for the University to contribute funding to the Sexual Assault Centre of Kingston (SACK).

“We demand that the administration of this university fund the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre of Kingston as there is no centre on this campus, and Queen’s women who are the victims of sexual violence use SACCK’s

To protest a culture of sexual violence, blue stop signs bearing the words “A Sexual Assault Happened Here” once appeared on campus.

services,” the document stated.

Penelope Hutchison, who was one of the participating students in the sit-in, said the seventh demand came from an absence of University support for survivors of sexual violence at Queen’s.

“There was nothing,” she told The Journal.

“We felt it was critical that if female students were going to be learning in the kind of sexist environment that existed at Queen’s in 1989, that the University needed to support the Centre.”

Hutchison said “it’s tragic” that Queen’s still doesn’t have a survivor centre on campus.

“It’s not the direction other universities across the country are going,” she said.

“There are models across the country.”

She referenced the University of British Columbia (UBC), which has a campus sexual assault centre equipped with counsellors and support workers who will accompany survivors to the UBC Urgent Care Centre for injury treatment, forensic samples, and pregnancy prevention.

“Queen’s has a huge gap and is doing a disservice to women and all victims of sexual assault, [including] trans people and men,” Hutchison said. “I cannot believe Queen’s doesn’t have one yet. I cannot believe after all of that, they still don’t have anything.” ***

The Journal asked the University to provide Lotan’s budget for every year since she started at Queen’s. In a response, Community Relations Manager Mark Erdman said Sexual Violence Prevention and Response (SVPR) is one of four services offered by the Human Rights and Equity Office, which has a 2019-20 budget of $1.56 million.

“There are no individual budgets for any of the four services,” Erdman wrote in a Jan. 24 statement to The Journal, but added that SVPR services are also provided through Student Affairs, Student Wellness Services, Campus Security, and the University Secretariat and the Women’s Campus

Friday, March 13, 2020

queensjournal.ca

•9

IN-DEPTH STORIES FROM AROUND CAMPUS AND IN THE COMMUNITY

Safety Grant.

“The University continues to monitor the evolving needs of the campus community and to add new services and supports, the most recent of which is a SVPR Community Outreach and Student Support position which will be posted in winter 2020.”

Brea Hutchinson, executive director of the Sexual Assault Centre Kingston (SACK), told The Journal having an office on Queen’s campus has been a long time project of SACK Kingston.

“We have wanted to increase our presence on campus, including offering counselling on campus, for a long time,” she said. “I think the University has a tremendous resource sitting 10 minutes away.”

Hutchinson said last summer, the University approached SACK and asked for a proposal of what an office or centre on campus would look like.

“We were really excited to talk about that and make proposals and share our methodologies,” she said. “The University decided not to proceed with that and instead proceed with an increased relationship with [Kingston General Hospital].”

Hutchinson said SACK has a first-response program with local high schools.

“We offer rapid first response for students who are in secondary and other educational opportunities, where they can get access to our counselling within in an average of about 5 to 10 days, which is much better than our normal waitlist just because of resources.”

According to Hutchinson, SACK proposed a similar model to Queen’s in which the University would provide some funding and the SACK would guarantee dedicated space and rapid access to long-term, trauma-informed counselling.

“How I would love to see it is we would have one counsellor on campus five days a week, and we would have a rotation of which counsellor is there,” Hutchinson said. “We see a lot of Queen’s students very frustrated with the mental health counselling they get at Queen’s.”

Currently, Hutchinson said the University provides the SACK with $1 per student.

“I’m really appreciative of that,” Hutchinson said, but added that SACK Kingston is running out of space.

“We’re happy to serve [Queen’s students] and that’s why we’re here, but we probably could do a better job and we’re looking toward Queen’s to start this relationship.”

Hutchinson said that one reason she

believes the SACK has struggled in its relationship is because it doesn’t engage in information-sharing with the University about individual students.

“If Queen’s expected us to honour a disclosure, we wouldn’t,” she said. “We will never tell Queen’s the information that’s required in the policy. In that regard, we’re controversial and not an obedient partner.

We work for students, we work for survivors, not for the administration.”

While Hutchinson said she didn’t reference Queen’s sexual violence policy itself—a portion of which is currently under review for jeopardizing student confidentiality—she made it clear in her conversations with the University last summer that the SACK wouldn’t share survivor information with Queen’s. ***

In interviews, a number of sexual violence survivors told The Journal that language the University uses in communicating with them can be intimidating.

Amy*, whose name has been protected, was sexually assaulted in 2018. After meeting with Barb Lotan for the first time in the 2019 winter semester, she received an encrypted notice of investigation. Amy didn’t sign the notice of investigation, but interpreted it as binding.

“All parties will be instructed that this process is confidential. Any information communicated by or to the investigator during the investigation is not to be disclosed to or discussed with others except with an advisor from whom you are seeking assistance related to the case, or a counsellor, physician, support person, or the like,” the notice read.

“That scared me so much,” Amy said. “I remember seeing that and not knowing who I could really talk to about it.”

She added that while she has no complaints regarding her interactions with Lotan, and that she felt she had the best case scenario, the day she went into Lotan’s office to write down her statement and subsequently receive the notice was the worst day of the experience.

“When I had to write my statement, that day was specifically horrid. I wrote it down and then I had to go about my day having relived the whole thing. I remember getting home at the end of that day crying and spending the rest of the day in bed because

I couldn’t call any of my friends [at Queen’s].”

On Tuesday, The Journal reported that former Queen’s professor, Andrew Bretz, who passed away in 2018, was under investigation for sexual harassment in the months leading up to his death.

Abigail*, who reported an alleged incident of sexual harassment committed by Bretz to the University, received a notice of investigation that stated the following: “Please note that this is a confidential matter. Accordingly, you should not inform anyone at the University, or otherwise connected to the University, of this investigation, nor should you comment publicly on the fact that this investigation is proceeding and/or fail to maintain the confidentiality of all information you discuss during your meeting with the [investigator].”

Abigail, whose name has been protected, told The Journal said she eventually realized the letter wasn’t legally binding, but that in the beginning, it felt that way.

“I’m not allowed to tell anyone who’s related to the school at all. That includes my counsellor, the chaplain. My whole family’s out, I’m not allowed to talk to them. I’m not allowed to go to the media.”

In an interview with The Journal, lawyer and Queen’s alum Pamela Cross expressed concerns about the language used by the University in the notice of investigation.

“I’m trying to read it through the lens of somebody younger than me, who’s not a lawyer, who’s had a sexually harassing or assaultive experience at the hands of a professor. Somebody who’s probably feeling quite fragile and disempowered and maybe intimidated by the University structure. I would find this letter to be very intimidating,” she said.

Cross added that the confidentiality paragraph, in particular, is “tantamount to a non-disclosure agreement.”

“I fully acknowledge that’s not what it is, because it says “should” and not “must,” but I think it has to be read in the context of the likely state of mind of the person to whom it’s being sent,” she said.

Cross said ultimately, the agency of the survivor is what should be prioritized.

“I think anything that’s done that takes away autonomy or a sense of control from the survivor of any kind of sexual harassment or violence, and then goes on to tell that person they’re not allowed to talk about it, is extremely problematic.”

1989, Report of the Sexual Assault Committee of the Principal’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women: “Financial support should be given to the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre and additional support given to enable them to open an office on campus if they feel it is necessary.” *** 1989, Principal sit-in: “We demand that the administration of this University fund the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre of Kingston as there is no centre on this campus, and Queen’s women who are the victims of sexual violence use SACCK’s services.” *** 2015, the SAPRWG recommends that: “The university establishes a central, visible, and welcoming “Sexual Assault Response and Prevention” (SARP) Centre.”

ILLUSTRATIONS BY AMELIA RANKINE

Sports

10 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, March 13, 2020

Queen’s coaches talk leadership, team-building, and role models In interviews, varsity coaches share what it`s like to be a leader

about them as individuals.”

“The by-product of that relationship is when you have to push them throughout the season, they know it’s never personal, you are just trying to get the best out of them.”

This approach has paid great Alina Yusufzai dividends for Gibson—he’s Assistant Sports Editor been named the coach of different national teams, At Queen’s, varsity coaches try and he’s won two to strike a balance between OUA Coach of the teamwork, collaboration, and Year awards. relationship-building in order For women’s to create the best possible basketball Head environment for their players.

Coach James Every coach has a different way B a m b u r y , of leading that’s tailored to their leadership is team and their sport. For men’s collaboration and hockey Head Coach Brett Gibson, understanding, on it’s all about setting the tone: “I and off the court. try to lead by example every day,” “Understanding Gibson told The Journal. that it is not But Gibson recognizes a hierarchical that being an example isn’t relationship, it’s the enough—even if he’s willing to fact that we are all on run through a wall for his players, the same team. We try he needs them to reciprocate that. to empower our players to “I believe if players know you be able to make decisions, to care about them as people first be able to understand why we and foremost, they will be more do things,” Bambury said in an willing to block a shot or take a hit interview with The Journal. to make a play.”

Bambury’s collaborative style “I build relationships with my adds an additional level of trust to players from the first day we meet the athlete-coach relationship. in the recruitment process […] I “There is certainly trust that is feel you need to get to know your developed between two people if players on a personal level first you are actually asking people for and make sure they know you care their own opinions, you’re asking

Blair’s trophy case is overflowing after this season.

Daniel Green Staff Writer For Queen’s runner Kara Blair, a fraction of a second won her a bronze medal at the 3000-metre U SPORTS track and field championship on March 6.

Blair beat Guelph Gryphons’ Hannah Woodhouse by 0.68 seconds to take home bronze; Blair finished the race in 9:38.18, while Woodhouse finished the race in 9:38.86.

you want with it. It was always those lessons that got messy that were the best ones.”

For women’s hockey Head Coach Matt Holmberg, another two-time OUA Coach of the Year, leadership comes from being honest and authentic with his athletes.

“I try to, first and foremost, be myself. I think that by being honest and authentic, that’s the best way to lead,” said Holmberg.

“I try to research and look at other strong leaders that I see in other walks of life and try to pull points that I think I could use to supplement my own style, but I think ultimately I don’t try to be someone that I am not.”

Holmberg’s synthesized approach is partially constituted of different strategies employed by other coaches at Queen’s, like Gibson and Bambury.

“I think I am probably a bit more of a leader by example. Some even call it a ‘servant leadership style.’ I don’t consider myself a dictator, or it’s my way or the highway. I like to gather opinions and thoughts from coaches and players.”

Women’s volleyball Head Coach Ryan Ratushniak thinks leadership is all about the athletes, and like Holmberg, he considers dialogue paramount.

“I would say I’m a leader that’s more like a player’s coach, always taking into consideration what the players are thinking, how they might be feeling. That’s something that’s really important to me,” he said.

“So I have a really open leadership style where I have a lot of dialogue back and forth with athletes. A lot of teaching, a lot of guiding and open dialogue.”

Gabe DeGroot, men’s volleyball head coach, recognizes the challenges that are presented by coaching university-aged athletes.

“It’s about just understanding the entire student-athlete and everything that goes into that, from the academic side of things to the social life and then also the volleyball piece.”

“The big thing is from a leadership perspective is, how do you incorporate and kind of manage all of those aspects within a team environment? I would say that I am a caring leader in that I make sure that all of those pieces of every athlete are respected.”

National combines.

This unfortunately means that the five Gaels who were set to take part in this year’s scouting combines will no longer be able to showcase their talent.

The CFL insists the national draft is still set to take place on April 30.

Lawson put together a storied career at Queen’s, earning honours Connor O’Neil like OUA Rookie of the Year, and Staff Writer second-team All-Canadian status.

During his final season in the Gaels defensive lineman Cameron Tricolour, Lawson was named a Lawson, one of the most dominant first-team All-Canadian, as well pass rushers in U SPORTS this as OUA Lineman of the Year. In season, was an invitee to this his four years as a Gael, Lawson year’s Canadian Football League recorded 74 tackles, 11 sacks, (CFL) National Combine.

19.5 tackles for loss, and two On the national stage, Lawson fumble recoveries. is the fifteenth-ranked overall CFL Lawson’s ability to play draft prospect and the first-ranked multiple positions on the defensive Canadian defensive lineman. line is a trait that CFL scouts will However, yesterday afternoon, take notice of. He’s also one of the the CFL issued a statement most tenacious pass rushers in addressing the recent COVID-19 the draft. Lawson is undoubtedly pandemic, in which the league one of the most talented interior announced it was cancelling defensive linemen in this year’s the upcoming Regional and CFL draft class.

Before the unfortunate cancellation of the CFL combine events, The Journal interviewed Lawson about his preparations for a CFL career.

QJ: How did you feel about your season from an individual perspective?

Lawson: Getting injured was a challenge, but I overcame it and felt I played well in the role I was given. Playing nose tackle can sometimes be difficult, especially taking on triple teams. But I was also happy to help other guys get sacks and tackles.

QJ: You’ve had such an accomplished career here at Queen’s, what has it meant for you to play for such a historic program?

L: It’s huge, I’ve been watching Canadian university football for a while. I’ve always been attracted to Queen’s as a football program. I really appreciate what they strive for in education and athletics.

ILLUSTRATION BY MARLISA HOWS

a lot from every coach and leader I ever had. I learned just as much from the bad ones as I did from the good ones.”

Bambury’s style builds on his idea of “messy learning.”

“That is what really grips young people at this moment; it’s not so hard and fast. You can manipulate it, you can twist it, you can do what

SUPPLIED BY KARA BLAIR

However, it was the smallest fraction of a second that stopped Blair from taking home a silver medal. Wilfrid Laurier’s Lizzy Laurie took home the silver medal in 9:38.17, 0.01 ahead of Blair.

Laval Rouge-et-Or’s Jessy Lacourse won gold in 9:31.36.

“As we were approaching the final 100-metre stretch, there were three of us in contention for second and third place on the podium, and that was when I knew I had to give everything if I wanted to secure my spot,” Blair told The Journal.

After winning an OUA silver in the 3,000-metre and being named to an All-Canadian, Blair wasn’t even supposed to be racing at the U SPORTS Championships—she was slated to compete at the World University Cross Country Championships

journal_sports@ams.queensu.ca

Cam Lawson gets ready for the show

Scouting combines ahead of CFL draft cancelled due to coronavirus

Blair brings home U SPORTS bronze Kara Blair finishes third by less than a second, misses silver by 0.01

them for feedback and thoughts on what is actually happening on the floor.”

Bambury credits his leadership style to all the leaders in his life.

“My ongoing joke is that I learned

(FISU XC) 10-kilometre race in smart and leaving nothing on Morocco last weekend. However, the track.” it was postponed due to concerns “[Blair] had barely a week to over the coronavirus, which adjust for the markedly different allowed Blair to medal at nationals. indoor 3,000 m championship “It was definitely a bit challenging race,” Assistant Coach Steve Weiler trying to flip the mindset from told The Journal in an email. “She racing an outdoor 10 km to an handled this switch and the indoor 3 km […] I always tend to absence of her primary coach, be modest with setting my goals Boyd, with aplomb.” for races and so I just followed my Blair is still hoping to compete coach Steve Boyd’s advice of racing at FISU in Morocco, assuming that

Continued on next page ...

a new date is set.

“I just want to focus on staying healthy and injury-free,” Blair said. “I didn’t race last summer, so I am looking forward to taking all that I have learned from my cross-country and indoor-track seasons and putting it to use during my outdoor-track and road-racing season.”

Sports

Friday, March 13, 2020 Continued from previous page ...

QJ: What are you doing right now to get ready for the National Combine? What does a typical day look like?

L: I designed my last semester around getting ready for the combine, so that I could have time to train and prepare. I do strength and position-specific work for two to three hours in the new Mitchell Hall gym. At the Thousand Islands Dome, I train for the field drills.

So a lot of sprint technique and 40-yard dashes.

QJ: How important has recovery been for you through this process?

L: I’m big on a regulated sleep

cycle to ensure you’re getting good sleeps, as well as a strict meal plan focusing on nutrition.

QJ: Have you already been studying specific players in the CFL? L: Yeah, Hamilton’s Ted Laurent, he’s one of the best defensive tackles in the CFL right now. I’ve also been watching former Gael Derek Wiggin.

QJ: Who is one player in U SPORTS whose game you really respect?

L: Chris Merchant, I’ve played him every year. Every year I play him he amazes me even more.

He has such great awareness and escapability. He’s such a competitor.

QJ: What has been one of your favourite memories on the field?

L: My first sack, definitely. I ran a twist and got through; it was awesome. I just started running around and screaming. Playing in Homecoming games is always special too.

QJ: How was it playing for a new head coach in Steve Snyder this year?

L: Coach brought a mentality that was much needed. He will hold you accountable for your actions and demands the best out of his players. He’s a great coach and he’s here to win.

QJ: Do you have a favourite part of the combine process?

L: I’m a gym rat.

I love getting in the gym and doing strength work!

queensjournal.ca

Despite Lawson not being able to interview at the combine,

• 11

there’s no doubt that his resume will land him a spot in the CFL.

***

``Big Cam Lawson`` was named a first-team All-Canadian this year.

SUPPLIED BY JEFF CHAN

Lawson has been working incredibly hard all off-season in order to be ready for the National Combine, and it’s incredibly unfortunate for him and the other Gaels that they won’t have the chance to compete in the combines.

Lawson has been the focal point of the Gaels’ d- line.

SUPPLIED BY JEFF CHAN

Gaels would have played Mac in U SPORTS Quarterfinals Continued from front ... this stretch—they badgered Toronto into making 12 errors over the course of the third and fourth sets. The production from both sides of the floor helped Queen’s even up the score 2-2, forcing the match to a decisive fifth set.

In the final set, the Gaels stormed out to a 4-1 lead on the power of four kills by Boljkovac on four assists by Grossinger.

U of T clawed back to win the next three points, tying the set up 4-4. The teams stayed close, trading points a service error by Toronto’s Jordan Figeueira made it 10-8 for the Gaels, forcing a Toronto timeout.

Just five points separated the Gaels from the Forsyth repeat, and they didn’t waste any time earning them. Erik Siksna answered a Toronto kill with one of his own, and then Dax Tompkins got two consecutive blocks to make the score 13-9.

The teams committed an error each before Boljkovac won the game with his sixth kill of the set, and the Gaels won 15-10.

“The most resilient group of young men that I’ve worked with,” DeGroot told The Journal.

“All season long they have faced different types of adversity and just seem to come back stronger and stronger.”

“Regardless of the score, they seem to just keep battling for each and every point. They also find ways to enjoy each and every moment which has helped them stay in the moment. This team is truly a pleasure to work with.”

Last year, the Gaels beat the McMaster Marauders in the finals to win the Forsyth Cup (after handling Toronto 3-1 in the semis),

and they had to get through the It’s a tough way to end the form Queen’s was in, and especially Marauders in this year’s iteration season, especially considering the for fifth-year Zac Hutcheson, but of the playoffs as well.

A lot was at stake—not only would the winner move on to the finals, they clinched a berth at nationals, while the loser would have to win the bronze medal game to punch their ticket.

Coming into this game, Queen’s had earned three-set sweeps in eight of their last nine matches.

This game was not one of those— it took all five sets for the Gaels to prevail.

More often than not, elongated rallies and skill-based plays would win the point for either side in this game. Errors were hard to come by, as Queen’s limited themselves to only 23, and McMaster committing only slightly more, finishing with 28.

The teams were evenly matched on the court in many The men’s volleyball team is still the best in Ontario. senses, but the X-factor was mental toughness—the Gaels’ veteran players were calmer and more composed.

So, even when down 9-7 in the fifth set, you could tell the Queen’s team still had the determination and confidence to come back.

Strong plays by both outside hitters Adam Boljkovac and Zac Hutcheson would edge Queen’s to come back and win the deciding set 15-13.

“On the mental side of the game and of our preparation, we feel we are building a stronger and stronger edge on McMaster,” said Coach DeGroot. “Six straight matches against them would be a big next step.”

The Gaels, who were slated to play the Marauders in the U SPORTS quarterfinals, won’t get the chance to make it six in a row until next season.

at least the Gaels have an OUA Championship to comfort them.

SUPPLIED BY RICK ZAZULAK

12 • queensjournal.ca

Former Queen’s prof takes part in International Women’s Day event Brittany Giliforte Arts Editor

Ever since 1969, Elizabeth Greene has been amplifying women’s voices in literature.

Last Saturday, on March 7, Greene and four other authors from Inanna—a Toronto-based publisher of women’s writing—gathered at Novel Idea to read their latest work and answer questions.

The event was specifically designed to celebrate both the recent work coming out of the publishing house and International Women’s Day. Greene spoke with The Journal before the event to discuss what she planned to read, what she’s been working on lately, and to express her admiration for her fellow women writers at Inanna.

Hannah Brown, Lisa de Nikolitis, Kate Kelly, Ursula Pflug, and Greene read their work and answered questions from the small crowd that stopped into the local book store on Princess St. Greene read from her book, The Dowager Empress, which was released last September.

The book is a collection of poems written by Adele Wiseman, who Greene praised as a brilliant writer.

Greene’s The Dowager Empress is an example of how she consistently supports other women’s voices. It’s also a testament to how important publishing houses and events like this reading at Novel Idea are for women in literature.

From 1969 to 1998, Greene taught at Queen’s. Then she came again from 2003

Arts

Friday, March 13, 2020

BOOK REVIEW

Elizabeth Greene is a champion for women writers to 2007 to teach as an adjunct professor.

During her time here, she started three courses focusing on women writers.

One of the courses she started was “Contemporary Canadian Women Writers,” which has not survived through the years.

In this course, Adele Wiseman was one of many women whose work Greene assigned to her students. Others included Margaret Lawrence, Margaret Atwood, and Gwendolyn MacEwan.

“Selected Women Writers Post-1900” has survived, and is being taught online to this day.

Greene says that as a teacher, she tried to give her students many different opportunities to write and explore their own voices. She said that’s one thing that isn’t stressed enough in English courses.

“They should be finding their own voices and they should write whatever they want to write,” Greene said in an interview.

Inanna authors at Novel Idea for International Women’s Day.

PHOTO BY BRITTANY GILIFORTE

BOOK REVIEW

Queen’s alum talks first book, Different Beasts Joel McConvey’s scary stories show horrific side of humanity Brittany Giliforte Arts Editor

With a new take on scary stories, Queen’s alum Joel McConvey (known professionally as J.R. McConvey) shows that people might be scarier than your classic monster.

McConvey (ArtSci ’02) published his first book of short stories in September 2019.

He spoke to The Journal about his writing process and his journey getting to this point in his career.

His book, Different Beasts, compiles stories that deal with what it means to be monstrous. His characters walk a delicate line between misguided and just plain evil, but they do so in an alarmingly plausible way.

McConvey said the stories in his book are some that he’s written over the past 10 years. He looked through the work he’s amassed and searched for a common thread throughout them.

What he found with these selected stories was that they all feature characters who face a duality between monstrosity and humanity.

“We are all at times both human and monster; everyone has the capacity for monstrousness within them,” McConvey said.

“One of the things I admire most about humans is that we are constantly not fighting against that, but trying to counter our monstrousness with compassion and humanity.”

One of his stories, “Little Flags,” is all too

familiar to anyone who follows the littlest bit of American news.

Its main character is a border security enthusiast who, along with a team of fellow red-blooded Americans, patrols the line between America and Mexico.

They’re armed, and they set out on their escapades in armoured vehicles using droids donned with cameras to fly above them to survey the area.

The reader quickly learns that the main character’s hatred for those who illegally cross the border conveniently doesn’t apply to the woman he’s keeping in his home.

He seems to think she’s a girlfriend of sorts, but it’s quite clear that she’s a prisoner to circumstance—unable to leave the protagonist for fear of her life and the law.

Another story, “Pavilion,” takes place North of America’s other border, and is rooted in Kingston’s rich history.

“Pavilion” is a fictionalization of the story of Sir John A. MacDonald and Bellevue House in Kingston.

The original draft wasn’t set in Kingston and didn’t centre on the former prime minister. McConvey added these details in during the editing stage because he felt that the story needed to be associated with something more concrete.

“The basic skeletal structure of that story was just this notion that there would be a house that someone would destroy and then rebuild,” McConvey said.

This idea lends itself nicely to the historic Bellevue House. It also helps that McConvey

is familiar with the house and Kingston itself.

During his time at Queen’s, McConvey got his first paid writing job here at The Journal. He worked as the Arts Editor from 2000 to 2001. He credits this experience with getting a job in journalism after he graduated.

“I had an awesome time with The Journal, full of good people and we learned a ton of, I think, skills that I still carry with me to this day,” McConvey said.

“I think that my time at The Journal allowed me to get a job out

Joel McConvey’s Different Beasts.

It’s clear in the way she talks about her former students that Greene truly cared about their voice and opinions. She wanted them to know about the lives and struggles of past writers and to be encouraged to pursue careers in writing themselves. It’s because of one student in particular that Greene was able to publish this collection of Wiseman’s poetry.

For a long time, Wiseman’s poetry hasn’t been accessible to writers and editors who wanted to put together a collection of her work. Wiseman’s literary executor is her daughter, Tamara, who was in her early twenties when her mother died.

“That’s a huge responsibility to have when you’re not quite 24,” Greene said.

“She’s been very, very worried about letting anyone work on her mother’s work.”

Greene understood Tamara’s desire to protect her mother’s work and preserve her voice and her intention. This is where one of Greene’s former students came into play.

Her former student was sitting next to Wiseman’s daughter on a plane and one of Wiseman’s books, Crackpot, fell out of the student’s suitcase. Tamara saw this and sparked up a conversation with the former student, telling them that her mother was the author of that book.

When the student told Tamara about Greene’s course and her appreciation for Wiseman’s work, Tamara felt reassured that her mother’s work would be safe in Greene’s hands.

“I love Adele’s writing because it’s very honest. It’s very unassuming and it’s often very funny,” Greene said.

At the event, Greene didn’t want to read too much. Instead, she wanted to give the floor to the other women coming from out of town for the event.

For more than four decades now, Greene has been doing just this: paving the way for future women writers. of school.”

Along with this experience, McConvey said that Professor Carolyn Smart had a hand in encouraging and teaching him to be a better writer. “[Smart and The Journal] were foundational in getting to take writing seriously and as a craft, thinking about techniques, and also getting into the habit of sharing work with other writers and trying to figure out where one fits in a larger community.”

For McConvey, his talents are multifaceted, allowing him to fit into many subsects of the writing world.

He’s been a journalist, a producer, a short-story writer, and now he’s working on a novel.

Keeping the monstrous theme going, his novel—which is still in the works—focuses on a monster hunter and a giant squid.

Knowing McConvey’s writing style and fascination with humanity, it’s likely going to be a wildly unsettling yet satisfying read.

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

LIFESTYLE

Friday, March 13, 2020

queensjournal.ca

Lifestyle

STUDENT LIFE

Ranking Kingston’s best milkshakes Current and past Lifestyle editors continue their shake search Ally Mastantuono & Josh Granovsky Last March, then-coworkers Ally and Josh happily used their roles as Lifestyle editors as an excuse to skip around town in search of the best milkshakes in Kingston. They found a timeless classic at Tommy’s, a measuring cup of sweet (if overly thick) deliciousness at The Works, and a well-balanced delight at Harper’s Burger Bar. But after the two read a Facebook comment on their article pointing out that they’d missed Reid’s Dairy on their quest for blended perfection, they realized Kingston had more to offer.

Armed with Josh’s car, his lactose-sensitive but eager housemate, and their own personal cans of whipped cream, the pair

returned to sniff, swirl, and guzzle new offerings like the experienced milkshake sommeliers they are.

Marble Slab

A: First we visited Marble Slab at the request of Josh, who apparently is a Marble Slab fiend with a frequent-buyer card. I’m no stranger to Marble Slab and their unlimited mix-ins, but I’ve never had one of their milkshakes.

Though I’m usually a chocolate girl, I was inspired to get the flavour Sweet Cream. I told Josh that something about the name made me think of someone serving me hand-churned ice cream on the veranda of a rural cottage. The look he gave me was stinging, but I was right. The sweet, simple flavour of my milkshake made me feel as if I was sitting next to Anne of Green Gables at an ice cream social.

As absolutely delicious as it was, it was expensive—a card-wielding Josh got his for free, but I had to pay over eight dollars for mine. Also, without a car, this adventure would be impossible since it’s a 15-minute drive from campus down Princess (and,

Ally and Josh celebrate their love of milkshakes.

according to Google Maps, over an hour-long walk). For me, Marble Slab was a sweet dream, but not a viable reality.

J: Since Kingston's only Baskin Robbins ghosted me (read: was shuttered), I use Marble Slab to—as most therapists would say—fill the void. Therefore, it's likely worth mentioning I received this milkshake for free thanks to redeeming a full punch card commemorating eight prior purchases at this establishment.

Since Marble Slab lets you mix together any of their flavours, I combined Double Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate ice cream for my milkshake. Outside of my milkshake obsession, I have virtually no sweet tooth and often find milk chocolate on its own too

How Barbie movies foster female friendship The sisterhood of the Barbie canon Michelle Boon Staff Writer The biggest difference between girls that grew up in the 2000s versus the 2010s is who they define as their Rapunzel. In 2010, little girls were singing “I See the Light” with Mandy Moore’s animated Rapunzel following that year’s release of Disney’s Tangled. For those of us who grew up in the aughts, Barbie was Rapunzel, and her talking dragon and magic paintbrush hold special places in our hearts.

The early Barbie films shaped my girlhood beginning with Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper. I was in grade one, and I had just procured this new musical adventure on VHS. I soon found a confidante in Nicole, who was the only other girl in my class who wanted to act out the whole movie with me at recess—including the songs.

We would perform “Written in Your Heart” usually without an audience, and while no one else shared our passion

•13

for Princess and the Pauper, we had each other. Nicole was the Anneliese to my Erika.

Barbie movies fostered a sense of friendship and sisterhood throughout my upbringing. Not only were they glittery princess movies that we as little girls could watch together (for me, it was usually at Nicole’s birthday sleepover), but they thematically emphasized female relationships.

These movies are far from feminist cinema—with a blonde-haired, blue-eyed protagonist, the

Barbie universe really lacks diversity. Moreover, the majority of the Barbie movies we grew up with follow the classic convention, ending with Barbie’s character marrying a prince.

That said, the Barbie canon is rich with complex female stories that rival the likes of Disney, where princesses are rarely represented as having strong female relationships.

Like Belle, Disney princesses

ILLUSTRATION

BY ISABELLE MA

intense. The vanilla from the white chocolate and the bitterness of dark chocolate helped counteract the drink's blatant sugary taste. Few other shops would allow for such a weirdly specific flavour to exist, but Marble Slab's willingness to please will likely have me filling out another punch card.

Rating: 5/5 (if you have a car!)

Reid’s Dairy

A: Let’s be honest, Josh and I went to Reid’s Dairy last year as soon as we saw the Facebook comment. The experience was life-changing, but not in a good way. Our minds were blown when we realized that Reid’s sold large milkshakes for only often fall into the “I’m Not Like Other Girls” category: unable to connect with other girls because they’re intelligent, unlike the other bimbos in the village. Additionally, sisters in Disney are limited to the evil-step-sibling variety in Cinderella, or else are like Ariel’s sisters who only briefly appear at the beginning and the end of The Little Mermaid. Until Frozen, female relationships were almost entirely absent in Disney films.

In contrast, Barbie films emphasized sisterhood and female friendship from the get-go.

It’s not an accident that Princess and the Pauper solidified my friendship with Nicole: there was an interesting female role for each of us to play. Annaliese was the science-loving, dutiful princess, and Erika, the hard-working servant girl who dreamed of being a singer. They were complex characters with distinct wants and needs, and we could see our friendship mirrored in their own.

You also have movies that are all about sisterhood, like The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Whereas Ariel’s desire to walk on land alienates her from her sisters, Princess Genevieve and her sisters are united against the oppressive Duchess Rowena. They cope with her strict rule by singing and dancing, eventually discovering a magical world where they’re free to dance together.

Not all sister plots are successful. Barbie and the Magic

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

a toonie. However, considering that we’d each just finished our own personal pizzas, getting large chocolate shakes was in no way a smart move. The night ended in a three-hour food coma on Josh’s living room floor.

This time, we came jaded but prepared. We both only ordered a small milkshake (which was only a dollar) and, honestly, thank god for that. Reid’s milkshakes are tasty, but boy, are they thick.

To read the rest of this article, visit queensjournal.ca/ lifestyle

of Pegasus shoehorns an absurd sister connection into the story, making the Pegasus Barbie’s sister.

This movie raises more questions than warm and fuzzy feelings.

However, the movie fosters female connection regardless when I watch it now. My housemates and I recently rewatched this one, and mercilessly made fun of the surreal storyline and annoying polar bear sidekick.

Barbie movie viewings with my housemates have become a common occurrence, with each of us sharing our childhood connections with each film.

Through rewatching Swan Lake and Mariposa, I learned that my housemates had similar experiences bonding with their sisters and girlhood best friends through these movies.

My housemate Chiara and her little sister would watch Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia and immediately demand “Again!” the second it was finished.

The movies that fostered female friendships when I was little feed female friendships now.

I can hum The Twelve Dancing Princess theme at work, and my co-worker Maia will know exactly what it is. And I can always count on my housemates for a Barbie movie marathon.

While Barbie movies are far from being masterpieces, for many girls, they’re where we first found sisterhood. If you made it through childhood without watching these films or if you want to revisit the past, I suggest rummaging through YouTube for at least one of them.

The animation may be dated, but the messages of supportive female connection are timeless.

LIFESTYLE

14• queensjournal.ca

Friday, March 13, 2020

STUDENT SUPERHEROES

Advocates for strong identity and mental health Queen's students nominate friends who dedicate time to making others feel heard Ally Mastantuono Lifestyle Editor You don’t need to watch every Avengers movie to know that most superheroes keep their identities secret. Though they help save people from everything from bus crashes to super villains to giant aliens, they usually do so while disguised in spandex suits complete with a mask. Thankful citizens can throw them a parade, but it’s hard to thank someone you’ve never seen.

This month, The Journal wants to pull the mask off some of Queen’s own superheroes. In our first article of the series, we’re featuring three students who have helped amplify the voices of people who need support or guidance.

Their friends have nominated them for all the time they’ve given back to the Queen’s and Kingston community. Instead of throwing a parade, they wanted to share all their heroic deeds and tell them just how important they really are. ***

“Rachel Agnew is a crucial part of the Indigenous community here on Queen's campus. She goes above and beyond to make sure our collective voice as Indigenous students is heard and valued by the institution. When I first started going to the Four Directions Centre here on campus to try to reclaim my Indigenous identity, Rachel immediately took me under her wing and has helped guide me into the Indigenous woman that I am today.

Rachel is on the exec for the Queen's Native Student Association, the editor-inchief of the Queen's Journal of Indigenous Studies, and the deputy commissioner on the council of Indigenous initiatives with the Social Issues Commission under the Alma Mater Society. Rachel was also just awarded the 2020 Reflection Award for outstanding community-building and student leadership within Indigenous Relations at Queen's. She is so passionate about being involved with the Queen’s community and all of her involvement greatly improves Indigenous students’ experiences here.

She is constantly working on ways to decolonize this institution so future generations can feel safer, more understood and heard.

I cannot think of anyone kinder, more selfless, well-spoken and humble than Rachel. She does so much for all of us and never asks for anything in return. I and many

of the other Indigenous students here at Queen’s are so lucky to have such a strong woman to look up to and to be able to call our friend.”

—Hannah Tosello

“The best superheroes are arguably the ones that hide in plain sight, and Jess Baldachin is one of those superheroes.

I first met Jess in my third year at Queen’s, when I was looking for housemates. Since then, I’ve gained a housemate, a friend, and superhero. Jess’s involvement with mental health advocacy is inspiring, and the dedication and work she puts towards it is incomparable. Jess first became involved in mental health advocacy in high school, when she started a wellness committee at her high school after seeing how much students needed extra peer support.

When she got to Queen’s, she became more involved in mental health advocacy through Jack.org, where she was the internal events chair—spreading awareness on campus through different initiatives and activities—which often meant giving speeches to different crowds of people. Her speeches around campus focus on bringing awareness to compassion fatigue and caregiver support, both of

Queen’s Crossword Puzzle By Amelia Rankine

which Jess has personal experience with. Jess’s strength is unparalleled when she is giving speeches, opening up about her own mental health struggles and experiences, in order to educate and inspire others to partake in mental health advocacy. By opening herself up to being vulnerable in her speeches, I have personally seen the difference that Jess makes in the hearts of everyone she speaks to.

Superheroes are extraordinary in the sense that they use their power for the greater good. Jess’s superpower is mental health advocacy through sharing her own story, and the dedication and drive she has into making campus and the greater community a safe space for everyone. A superhero’s identity may not always be known, but I’m lucky enough to know one.”

—Maya Shapira

“Describing Megan Chiovitti in words is so hard because she is so much more than one could describe. She is the hardest-working person I’ve ever met, but still offers to help you even if she knows she has one million things on her plate. No matter her workload, she is always willing to take something else on, whether that be helping a peer or engaging within her community.

She understands the importance of education, and with her being in Concurrent Education, I know she will make the biggest difference in students’ lives, especially through her concentration on at-risk youth through Kingston’s Youth Diversion and her advocacy for Indigenous communities.

Meg is a student superhero because she grounds other people.

She is the first person I call when I’m stressed and the first one to always have a plan of action for both herself and others. She was previously involved with Vogue Charity Fashion Show for her work with Youth Diversion, and her mentee said Meg is the reason she is going to college—if that doesn’t speak to the type of person Meg is, I don’t know what can.

Meg is unapologetically herself.

She contributes to the culture surrounding the conversation around identity expression and strong mental help by being there for others and not shying away from the conversation.

I wanted to take this opportunity to say, Meg, thank you. You are the epitome of what it means to be a student superhero and forever will be my rock.”

—Emily Velovic

ILLUSTRATION BY ROWAN LACROIX

Down 1 Intersects with #2, near ARC 2 Street Party, William/Johnson and ______ 3 Summer social spot 4 Dean of ArtSci 5 April 9-25 6 Macdonald Hall 8 Grab pizza at this cafeteria 9 Financial aid 10 Nemesis 11 Professor’s aide 13 Library, drop the “er” 16 “We do media” 17 Lifestyle magazine 18 Pumping iron, eating Pita Pit 19 Clocktower 23 This profession’s work found in the Agnes 27 Mascot 28 Zero-waste café 29 Above Princess 30 First-year living 31 Canadian exclamation 32 Future teachers 33 Don’t drop below 1.9 34 Queen’s abbreviated 38 Harry Potter Library 39 Biggest faculty 42 Red, gold, and blue 43 When you shake hands with clue #64 44 “Queen’s University is the ____ university” 47 Beers on Barrie St. 48 Currently Alex da Silva 53 AMS service, offers help 55 You can order sangria and unhealthy platter here 58 Get your four-piece here 59 Twin XL in first year 60 “Gaels, go in and ______!”

62. “Quick _____”

Across 5 Between Jeffery & Richardson 7 Where you’re reading this 10 _______ is best 12 _______ at Queen’s 13 Do this at #3 14 Campus healthcare 15 Fans of the golden squirrel 16 Thursday “rage” location 20 Scramble 21 Subterranean club 22 Queen’s benefactor 24 Located in the lower part of the JDUC 25 _________ town 26 Plagued by fire alarms 28 New home to Mod Club 29 Works at #52 32 Coffee, above Tim’s 34 Reunion with street parties 35 Online classroom 37 Campus medics 38 New meal equivs 40 Mysterious blue van owners 41 Campus arts publication 43 Wears crowns, leads frosh 45 Probably first time you saw Queen’s 46 Drunk tank 47 The other campus paper 49 Radio 50 Gaelic for “social gathering“ 51 #42 are the colours for this 52 #29 works here 54 #27 is what animal?

56 Limestone City 57 Engineers climb this 59 #32, but smaller 61 Tons at Grocery Checkout 63 These are attached at #62 64 New principal 65 The West campus of main campus

LIFESTYLE

Friday, March 13, 2020

queensjournal.ca

• 15

TV REVIEW

Star Trek’s new series reminds me why I’m a fan of the franchise Picard adapts to changing times while staying true to the franchise's legacy Amelia Rankine Production Manager The day that the new Star Trek series premiered, my grandma called to remind me that it was on at 8 p.m. She didn’t want me to forget and miss it—especially given the franchise’s significance to my family.

Picard is the latest installment set in the expansive Star Trek universe. Set at the end of the 24th century, the show follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard (reprised

by Sir Patrick Stewart), a retired captain of the USS Enterprise who is setting off on his newest adventure.

The series is set 18 years after the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation which first aired in 1987. This was the second

series of the franchise, and was widely considered the best. Most importantly to me, it was my grandparents’ favourite.

Growing up, they watched me after school while my mom was away studying at the University of Toronto. She raised me with their help.

On weekdays starting from when I was 10, my grandfather took over the television at exactly 5 p.m., turning off my cartoons so we could watch Star Trek. I was immediately hooked.

I loved the premise: the human race had finally settled into world peace, and now spent all their resources learning about the universe.

The Star Trek franchise has been a constant on big and small screens for over fifty years, with Picard as the latest iteration airing only a year after another new series, Star Trek: Discovery.

Captain Picard graced television screens for seven seasons and four films back in the

ASKING FOR A FRIEND

1980s and 1990s. These TV shows and films presented a future where poverty and inequality had been abolished. They intertwined themes of diversity and allegories of social justice

a silly show where people ran around shooting low-budget aliens with lasers in front of papier-mâché sets.

into philosophical debates about science, morality, consciousness, and war.

At times, Star Trek was also

BY AMELIA RANKINE

St. Patrick’s Day, puppies, and parents The Journal's advice-giver guides two students with relationship roadblocks Audrey Helpburn Staff Writer 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 relationships they feel are getting in the way of something: one who’s nervous their out-of-town friends will damper their St. Patrick’s Day fun, and the other whose parents are getting in the way of their adulthood.

This Saturday is St. Patrick's Day and I'm super excited because

it's my last one ever (I'm in fourth year). The thing is, I have two friends coming from out of town for the day to celebrate. Though I'm pumped they're coming, I'm nervous they won't feel like they fit in. I don't want to spend the whole day worrying about them when I'm trying to enjoy the day with everyone here at Queen's as well. I want them to have a good time, but I want to have a good time, too.

How do I accommodate my out-of-town friends this weekend?

Signed, Help Me I’m Irish Dear Help Me I’m Irish, Having friends come visit on St. Patrick’s Day can be stressful, but you don’t have to choose between “us” and “them.” They say if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. Let’s adapt this old, seemingly ill-suited cliché to your situation.

You can give your two out-of-town friends a couple minutes of attention at a time by having them follow you around everywhere while you socialize, party hop, and—let’s be real—follow your own Queen’s friends around. Or you can feed your friends for a whole great

day by giving them the same tools you’ll use in order to make your day what it is. Take them to pre-game and spend time introducing them in depth to each of your friends so that they feel comfortable. Don’t leave them completely on their own, but don’t attach yourself hip-to-hip with them from the start, making them like your puppies for the weekend.

Show them the ropes and then mingle, coming back to check in on them intermittently. If you see they’re having trouble, call them over to your conversation. If you see they’re hitting it off with someone, take the opportunity to go to the bathroom or catch up with someone else. Keep in touch with them throughout the day and make it clear you intend for them to have a good time. They’ll thank you in the long run: no one likes to be dragged around like a baby in a stroller anyway.

All the best, Audrey Helpburn

To read the rest of this article, visit queensjournal.ca/ lifestyle

ILLUSTRATION

Though production value has improved over the years, Picard is still tinged with nostalgia—and even loss—thanks to the ongoing plotlines that connect all of the franchise’s iterations together. In the last film, Picard’s dear friend, an android named Commander Data, died. In the new series, Data’s death continues to haunt the captain decades later.

Star Trek also reflects feelings of nostalgia and loss in my personal life. My grandpa died suddenly within months of Leonard Nimoy, who was best known for playing the beloved character of Spock in the original Star Trek. While I didn’t know Nimoy personally, his loss was compounded by that of my grandfather. When the world mourned his loss, I imagined some of their mourning was also for my grandfather, who loved Star Trek

so much.

While the new series has rightfully honoured Star Trek’s past, it’s also transformed and reinvented itself to adapt to the changing times.

Picard brings us into a gritty, complicated world well-suited for 2020.

The utopia of Gene Roddenberry’s original Star Trek would probably not sit as well with current audiences as the divisive world that Picard presents us with.

W i t h m o u n t i n g distrust in real-life institutions and governments, it can be hard for modern viewers to imagine a utopic future for humanity.

Star Trek posits that eventually, humanity will band together with like-minded aliens and form a peaceful governmental body called the United Federation of Planets. The military branch, called Starfleet, is charged with scientific exploration, diplomacy and defence.

Picard tells us that the government of the future can also be corrupt.

In Picard, Earth has banned human-like robots with artificial intelligences—known as synthetics—because of a terrorist attack on a colony on Mars perpetrated by a rogue group of them.

To read the rest of this article, visit queensjournal.ca/ lifestyle

Lifestyle

16 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, March 13, 2020

POSTSCRIPT

Living with a sexual dysfunction at Queen’s

Vulvodynia is a sexual dysfunction which makes vaginal penetration extremely painful.

My vulvodynia made me wish for a more inclusive university hookup culture Editors’ Note: The author has been granted anonymity to allow them to share their story with a sense of personal security.

At the end of my third year of undergrad, I was diagnosed with vulvodynia, a form of sexual dysfunction which makes vaginal penetration extremely painful.

Working through this over the summer and the first half of the school year was a difficult emotional experience that made me realize how damaging the hookup culture can be at Queen’s.

Taking a first stride to start exploring sex in my first year at Queen’s, I bought a small, basic vibrator from the Sexual Health Resource Centre (SHRC). When I used it, I was met with an intense burning, stinging pain at my vaginal entrance.

I knew it was normal for women to feel pain the first few times they experienced penetration, but the pain persisted with time, and I didn’t know who to turn to for help. During future relationships, I wanted to have sex but the thought of it caused me a lot of anxiety—if just being penetrated by a small sex toy was so painful it brought me to tears, I couldn’t imagine what sex would be like. I also didn’t want my partners to think something was wrong with me.

When the problem didn’t go away after a couple of years, I nervously took the step to

seek help.

Student Wellness Services referred me to Cassie Dionne, a pelvic floor physiotherapist at Taylored Training Physiotherapy, who diagnosed me with vulvodynia. According to Cassie, penetrative sex becomes painful when the pelvic floor muscles are overactive or in a constant state of contraction. She told me that this can lead to a “complex psychological pain cycle where, after penetration has been painful, our brain recalls this feeling and then resists [penetration] in the future because of the painful memory.” She also told me that painful penetration is experienced by nearly one in 10 women, with approximately one-quarter of those women being unable to have penetrative sex due to the pain.

Vulvodynia is treated with breathing exercises and stretches to relax the pelvic floor muscles along with the use of vaginal dilators. These exercises combined take about 45 to 60 minutes, and I was instructed to do them every day. While I was glad that my disorder was treatable, it was upsetting to learn that it would take a lot of time and effort to work through it, and that sex wouldn’t be a possibility for a long time. It was difficult to make time for all my exercises every day, working full-time in the summer and then with classes beginning in September.

Being unable to have sex made me realize the extent to which I was surrounded by hookup culture at Queen’s, from the steamy revelations on the QU Confessions Instagram page to games of “Never Have I Ever” at parties. Though hookup culture had never particularly bothered me up to that point, knowing

sex wasn’t a possibility until I worked through my treatment made me increasingly sensitive to it. I became so preoccupied with wanting to lose my virginity that it took a serious toll on my self-esteem and mental health.

Despite finding a casual partner this summer who was sympathetic about my condition and willing to engage in non-penetrative sexual activities with me, I felt that not having penetrative sex made me childish, unsexy, and defective. I feared that partners would get bored of me. I became angry and frustrated at myself on days when I couldn’t find time for my exercises or when I felt like I wasn’t progressing.

I felt that not having “penetrative sex made me childish, unsexy, and defective.

”

My coworkers over the summer, all Queen’s students, talked excessively about their sex lives, leaving me unable to participate in the conversation and worried that they would respect me less if they knew I was a virgin. It was also hurtful hearing virgin-shaming jokes from friends who were unaware of my condition.

I grew to detest the word “virgin.” Having experienced non-penetrative sexual activities, I was unsure if I defined myself as one, but felt that others wouldn’t ‘count’ my experience unless it included penetrative sex. I disliked the derogatory nature of the term, and felt that still being a virgin was something shameful that I needed to conceal.

Loneliness during my treatment

process was another issue. My housemates offered me support, but I had no one to talk to who could truly relate to the difficulties I was going through. This sparked envy over the fact that my friends got to experience good, roadblockfree sex lives. I felt irritated when my housemates discussed their sex lives or even showed displays of affection with their significant others. To escape this, I spent less time around the house, which only added to my feelings of isolation.

I often wonder what caused my vulvodynia. Sex was rarely discussed in my house growing up, and the messages I gleaned, though implicit, were primarily negative. I got the idea that sex was only for marriage or lengthy committed relationships, and that wearing revealing clothing or engaging in sexual activity was wrong and “slutty” for young women. Despite these attitudes, I remained curious about sex, making me feel conflicted.

When I arrived at Queen’s and sex became more normalized for me, I became ready to explore my own sexuality. However, it took work to undo the values I internalized growing up, and I wonder if those contributed to my sexual dysfunction.

Being on the other side, I found several silver linings to working through vulvodynia.

First, I was forced to deal with my perception that being desirable equated to having penetrative sex. I found other ways to feel sexy: joining Diva Bootcamp, a class offered by the Queen’s Dance Club, and practicing body positivity techniques I learned from reading Come As You Are, a helpful book about female sexuality by Emily Nagoski.

Second, the treatment process

ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH WILLIS

helped me better understand my body and become more comfortable communicating with others about my sexuality.

Third, I learned the value of being kind to myself. When my physiotherapist stressed the role of psychology in my disorder, I worked to reduce the frustration I felt at my slow progress by praising myself for what progress did occur. I focused on non-sexual traits that make me feel confident and worthy, such as my artwork or ability to play piano, helping me change my perception on the importance of losing my virginity.

While I often wished I had the support of a boyfriend during my treatment, I’m ultimately glad that I learned to be my own cheerleader.

Sexual health education should teach women the signs of sexual dysfunction, especially considering the high prevalence of vulvodynia, and good sexual communication skills. If I had been more comfortable talking about the issues I was experiencing, and knew what signs to look for, I would have gotten help years sooner.

As a society, we should be more careful about the messages we teach women about sex, as these can affect sexual functioning.

We should also avoid passing judgement on those who don’t partake in sex, because they could be struggling with a condition like mine. While sexual dysfunction is fairly common, it’s difficult to open a conversation about the topic in an environment where hookup culture is so pervasive.

While we’ve come far in terms of empowering women to take control of their sexuality, experiences like mine show that there’s still a long way to go.