The Queen's Journal, Volume 150, Issue 11

the journal

Queen’s settles court case with Ph.D student alleging misappropriation of neuroscience

University was not served with the statement of claim

A sb A h A hm A d Senior News Editor

Dr. Mark Lindsay, a chiropractor and Queen’s PhD student filed, a lawsuit against Queen’s University; Dr. Douglas Cook, chair of the Queen’s Division of Neurosurgery; Performance Phenomics Holding Corp.; and Voxel AI Inc., which was intended to be a re-branding.

A now settled statement of claim issued in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Jan. 31, 2021 commenced the lawsuit.

It alleged Queen’s was involved in misrepresentation, breach of

contract, breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of Queen’s Senate Policy on Integrity in Research.

Similar allegations were made against Cook—while the statement of claim alleged Voxel AI was involved in unlawful misappropriation and use of his PhD research, thesis, cohort, and intellectual property.

Lindsay claimed punitive damages of $1 million and aggravated damages of $300,000 against all defendants except Queen’s, so long as the University honours the terms of the PhD degree and designates Dr. Leslie MacKenzie the sole PhD supervisor for Lindsay.

The University responded to a request for comment from The Journal, in which they explained court records only show one side of the dispute. The claims made within the statement of claim remain untested in a court of law.

The Journal reached out to Cook and Voxel AI for comments. No comments were received in time for publication.

“The university is aware of the statement of claim filed with the court, which represents only the plaintiff’s perspective. Had the university been required to file a defence, it would, and does, deny the allegations in the claim,” the University

said in a statement to The Journal

“The university didn’t file a statement of defence because it was never served with the claim.”

According to the statement of claim obtained by The Journal, Lindsay was a sought-after chiropractor and soft tissues rehabilitation specialist focusing on athletes.

Lindsay claimed he had been practicing for 33 years treating many patients from elite athletic backgrounds such as the NHL, NBA, and MLB. Lindsay’s practice includes many Olympic and World Champion athletes—additionally including high level tennis and golf players.

Lindsay works with many top surgeons and athletic teams in North America where he plays a role in designing and implementing post-surgical treatment protocols, according to the pleading.

Around Jan. 8, 2016, Lindsay and the University met to discuss their mutual interest in having Lindsay complete his PhD at Queen’s. Before this meeting, MacKenzie allegedly encouraged Lindsay to start a PhD at Queen’s because of the “prestige and credibility” he would bring to the programme.

Kingston emergency services and medical centres

A sb A h A hm A d Senior News Editor

Last weekend, students on campus gathered for “FOCO,” an unsanctioned gathering before the Queen’s sanctioned Homecoming weekend on Oct. 29.

In an Oct. 25 press release, Kingston Fire and Rescue, Frontenac Paramedics, and Kingston Police said they were “disappointed” with the outcome of the unsanctioned gatherings taking place on Oct. 22.

According to Kingston Police, attempts were made to dissuade individuals from attending gatherings. The Police observed 7,000 partiers throughout the afternoon in the Aberdeen St. area.

“Individuals in attendance

at this unsanctioned gathering were observed engaging in dangerous activities including gathering and drinking on rooftops, crowd surfing on various objects, and climbing trees while intoxicated,” the Police said in the press release.

The Police said the consequences of these unsanctioned gatherings are unacceptable.

“We continue to see the impact that social media has had on mass gatherings in our communities and the rivalry that has been created between universities to hold the biggest unsanctioned faux Homecoming parties and traditional Homecoming events,” Police Chief Antje McNeely said in the press release.

There were a total of 72 open liquor charges, 13 public intoxications charges, and two highway traffic act charges. There were a total of 13 arrests for public intoxication,

along with 36 noise complaints in the University district, and eight nuisance party complaints.

A total of 102 administrative monetary penalties were issued by Bylaw Enforcement, notably $31,500 in fines for 63 individuals for failing to comply. According to the press release, the City of Kingston accrued a clean-up cost of $9,754.99.

In a press release by the Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), they urged individuals planning on attending sanctioned gatherings to seriously reconsider.

“I think we need to have a serious discussion as a community about the impact these large unsanctioned events, that are no longer just limited to Homecoming weekend, are having on our hospital,” KHSC President and CEO Dr. David Pichora said in the press release.

“We continue to experience significant staffing shortages

across multiple programs and departments. We also continue to see increasing volumes of patients needing care on a regular day-to-day basis.”

According to the press release, Pichora communicated with both the City of Kingston and the University that they can no longer be considered the safety net for these events, given their current resources.

In the lead-up to this weekend’s Homecoming events, Principal Patrick Deane urged students to be thoughtful about the impact of uncontrolled behaviour.

“This week, the police, city and hospital released statements about the negative impact of the unsanctioned activities that took place,” Deane said in a statement

“A number of students were hurt, some seriously, and the toll on our city, police, first responders, and hospital was significant.”

PHOTO BY SANDRINE JACQUOT

Students gathered for fauxcoming on Aberdeen.

Principal Deane issues statement ahead of Homecoming weekend

Aimée Look

Assistant News Editor

A new Indigenous Space on campus was unveiled on Oct. 21 at the Albert Street Residence.

Queen’s Student Affairs, Housing and Ancillary Services, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, and the Residence Society (ResSoc)

hosted a dedication ceremony for the opening.

Students, staff, faculty, and the community can gather in the Indigenous Space. The space is intended for enjoying quiet reflections, performances, teachings, and community building.

Artist David R. Maracle from

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte designed the space and performed music during the dedication ceremony. Indigenous-inspired food was offered at the opening.

“This piece represents a special place to gather with a good mind, our minds that watch over us, and an open heart,” Maracle

Queen’s students can document sexual violence using VESTA

Website and mobile app offers resources and support

This article discusses sexual violence 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. The Kingston Sexual Assault Centre’s 24-hour crisis and support phone line can be reached at 613-544-6424 / 1-800-544-6424.

Aimée Look

Assistant News Editor

Survivors can privately document their experiences, access resources, or report to authorities through Queen’s new partnership with VESTA.

The Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Services (SVPRS) at Queen’s launched the service through its website on Oct. 13.

VESTA Social Innovation Technologies provides a website and mobile app for students

Honorarium geared towards students who have historically completed free labour

Bella Rose Staff Writer

The Society for Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) intends to pay volunteers for their labour, through honorarium.

In an effort to recognize the hard work graduate students put into their services without pay,

to document their experiences of sexual violence—with options to privately save what they have written, report it to the police, or get in touch with support.

“I’m all for awareness and education. I think we need to build in some accountability for real change and systemic change to occur,” VESTA CEO and Founder Lucrezia Spagnolo said in an interview with The Journal.

Spagnolo was shocked by the prevalence of rape culture and sexual assault in Western society, after hearing about the Bill Cosby and Brock Turner cases.

“I thought somebody has to do something, and then I thought, why not me?” Spagnolo said.

The company was launched in the Kingston area in 2021.

Research from Canada, the UK and Australia informed the development process, as well as partnerships with UBC to

conduct peer-reviewed academic research and focus groups. According to Spagnolo, she wanted the focus to be on the needs of survivors.

There are various challenges the organizations offering support to survivors face.

Spagnolo said the company used a 360-degree view when creating the technology, to ensure they address many aspects of the sexual violence response— with victim services and the justice system in mind.

“We work in the space where gender-based violence work meets technology, and access to justice,” she said. “[VESTA] has something that’s practical and tactical.”

Over 70 per cent of Canadian students have experienced or witnessed unwanted sexual behavior. Less than six per cent of cases are reported, according to Spagnolo.

SGPS honorariums

the SGPS is looking to find the budget to grant members of the three main graduate committees’ honorariums in the near future.

These honorariums are only being offered for graduate committee members for this current year; however, the SGPS is looking to expand this program in the coming years.

“We really do appreciate all the work graduate and professional students do for us,” SGPS Vice President (Community) Emilia Ganslandt said in an interview with The Journal.

The committees who will

be considered for honorariums during this rollout phase of the program are the International Students Affairs Standing Committee, the Soft Infrastructure Network Committee, and the Awards Committee.

Specifics about each honorarium is decided by an SGPS commissioner, based on how the honorarium can fit into their portfolio.

The honorarium program was conceptualized by the former SGPS Executive—specifically the International Commissioner —and has been passed

Queen’s opens Indigenous Space in Albert St. Residence

wrote in his artist statement for the piece.

It’s intended to be a place of grounding for those who visit.

“As we move through this fast-paced world, it is always good to have a special place to go when in time of need,” Maracle said.

Entering the space should be done counterclockwise, per the Haudenosaunee ceremonial way.

The turtle shell in the middle symbolizes Mother Earth, and we should “walk softly” while on Earth. The benches around the turtle are “Two Row Wampum Treaty belts,” representing how we respect each

The company’s partnership with 211 Ontario means students can find regional resources or reach University resources. Users can also reach crisis line through the application.

Users also have the option to disclose information to the University or report an experience to the police. VESTA documents experiences using a “trauma-informed” question and answer format, Spagnolo said. The record can be saved anonymously or sent immediately to authorities.

“Our goal is to make it less complicated for survivors to understand their options and next steps. We want to make that whole process life’s traumatizing and reduce victim blaming [and] if possible, increase accountability,” she said.

To support the investigative process, conversations with Crown prosecutors and the police informed the platform from a forensic perspective.

“If charges are made, and if they go down that path, and they may find themselves at trial, that this could be a supportive documents,” Spagnolo said.

The application can be used as documentation for later action and accessed confidentially initially— without starting a formal process.

“You can access resources, on your own time, at your own pace.”

VESTA is already integrated into Kingston’s sexual violence

along to the current membership.

“This is the pilot year we’ve just allocated the funds to do this and [each commissioner] working on the implementation [which] works best under their portfolio,” Ganslandt said.

The funds for the honorariums will come from existing graduate student funds through a budget rearrangement headed by the International Student Affair’s Commissioner.

“It will not increase student fees at this point; this is re-allocation of money in our budget,” Ganslandt said.

The SGPS is hoping for this budget rearrangement to be a signal to the University to start allocating funds to deserving

other in our differences, including that we do not impose our ways of living on one another.

“This space is important to have in a residence space to increase our efforts of de-colonization at Queen’s University,” ResSoc President Emily Yeung said in a statement to The Journal

“It is hoped that all students and staff can reflect on this space as a place for healing and reconciliation.”

journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

response—through the Sexual Assault Center of Kingston and the Kingston Police Services.

“It felt like a good fit for [Queen’s] community and our students, in addition to being a really great platform,” Barbara Lotan, Queen’s sexual violence prevention and response coordinator, said in an interview with The Journal.

Lotan said the partnership made sense from a collaborative perspective.

Students can still contact Lotan to arrange an appointment if they would like to speak. VESTA is just another tool for students to use—especially if they’re “not sure” about initiating a conversation, Lotan said.

Fitting into an existing “suite” of current strategies, VESTA can be used for support and prevention. Lotan said information gathered through the app will be used to build programming about how the University can support students.

“My goal is that we’re going to be able to collect some really important information from students about what their experiences are,” she said.

The information users provide to VESTA will determine the degree of anonymity provided by the platform, with details outlined on their website.

graduate students who continue to work without pay.

“We hope that other groups and other parts of the University will consider compensating students more for their time,” Ganslandt said.

The program is currently geared towards equity-deserving graduate and professional students who have, historically, completed free labour for their graduate programs. It’s also intended to increase the accessibility of the graduate programs to international students.

The SGPS will contact students who are eligible for an honorarium to arrange payment.

AMS sticker campaign supports Indigenous Climate Action

Society runs sticker campaign each month to unite commissions

Maria Saburov Contributor

Stickers intended to raise awareness for Indigenous leadership in combatting the climate crisis are being distributed on campus.

The AMS kicked off October’s sticker campaign with a design promoting Indigenous Climate Action, as part of AMS Sustainability Month.

The Commission of Environmental Sustainability selected Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) for this month’s campaign, and is encouraging students to learn about the organization, and donate if they can.

“I think that even if someone isn’t able to donate to an organization, knowledge is power,” Niki Boytchuk-Hale, AMS marketing director, said in an interview with The Journal.

“If they can just follow [the organization’s] account that can also be very impactful.”

ICA—an Alberta-based organization—was chosen for the value of Indigenous knowledge systems in developing solutions to the climate crisis, according to Emily Rolph, AMS commissioner of environmental sustainability.

“The Indigenous community is important to a lot of the climate fight and has been the voice of it for a long time, except no one listened to them,” Rolph said.

By creating programs that support Indigenous leaders and community members, ICA works to center Indigenous voices in climate change discourse.

This month’s sticker, designed by Boytchuk-Hale, features a medicine wheel with sketches in each quadrant meant to represent traditional Indigenous medicines.

“The medicine wheel is one of the most important symbols for Indigenous peoples. They generally symbolize seasons and directions as well as the actual medicines,” Boychuk-Hale said.

Launched in the summer of 2022, the AMS sticker campaign

Bryan Paterson &Conny Glenn winmunicipal elections

University task force created to address street parties

Sofia Tosello Contributor

From wild street parties to rat infested houses, the new Kingston municipal government hopes to solve campus issues by bridging the gap between Queen’s students and Kingston residents.

The new government was elected on Oct. 24. Bryan Paterson was re-elected as mayor of Kingston for the third time in a row with decisive win, receiving 74.29 per cent of the vote.

Conny Glenn won the race for District Councillor for Sydenham, the district where most Queen’s students live. Glenn garnered 35.10 per cent of the vote, beating the incumbent councillor, Peter Stroud. Vincent Cinanni won the Williamsville seat with 44.67 per cent of the vote.

The election saw a 30.56 per cent voter turnout—a dip in participation compared to the 2018 election, which had a 41.3 per cent voter turnout.

In his campaign, Paterson emphasized expanding on the relationship between students and City Council by focusing on student-centric and local issues. He also wants to expand high-quality student housing and address the issue of unsanctioned street parties.

The University created the

Queen’s University Street Party Task Force in early 2022 to address unsanctioned street parties, in collaboration with the City of Kingston.

Paterson wants to create a “culture of smart innovation,” by expanding people’s access to family doctors, investing in new technology and energy efficiency, and creating more jobs in Kingston.

Glenn—who is also interested in addressing unsanctioned street parties, student housing, and homelessness—sat down with The Journal to discuss the relationship between students and the municipal election.

She said the new government hopes to focus on “getting to know each other a little bit.”

“If [students] feel like we’re taking care of them, they’re going to want to take care of us.”

Glenn said she wants to discourage excessive partying while maintaining mutually beneficial policies for both Queen’s students and Kingston residents.

She also attributed the perpetuation of disruptive student behaviours to other issues within the community, such as the “abysmal” off-campus housing conditions.

Her Good Neighbours initiative would involve licensing landlords to maintain cleaner and safer off-campus living conditions for students, she said.

“If we want students to respect the neighbourhood then we need to respect how they’re living.”

Glenn also hopes to address homelessness by focusing on providing better access to mental health resources and “deeply affordable housing,” she said.

is a new initiative devised by Boytchuk-Hale. Each month involves the promotion of a different charitable organization, chosen by an AMS commissioner, using stickers.

For Boytchuk-Hale, the initiative is an opportunity to bring various departments of the AMS together.

“My approach to work and our community in general is being collaborative and bringing as many different voices and experiences to the table as possible. I thought [the sticker campaign] would be a

unique opportunity to have some collaboration in ways that don’t typically happen,” she said.

Once the organization is chosen, the AMS marketing office designs a branding package in partnership with the commissioner, ultimately producing a sticker to be distributed via social media and on-campus sites.

Rolph hopes students will become more cognizant of local organizations engaging in meaningful work within the Kingston community and the country.

Looking inside the AMS services budget

Sophia Coppolino Assistant News Editor

Queen’s students can ride the bus for ‘free’ after the Alma Mater Society (AMS) reinstated their $3,142,500 contract with Kingston Transit.

The Journal sat down with Tina Hu, AMS vice-president (operations) to discuss the 2022-23 AMS services budget— and various AMS initiatives. Annually, the AMS allocates $10 million in student fees to provide students with a variety of services, job opportunities and privileges.

Bus-It, for example, is funded by a $122 mandatory student activity fee.

The AMS Food Bank, which is funded by a mandatory two-dollar student fee, is receiving $32,330 this year.

“The grocery budget is—we’re essentially hitting our cap every week. [The food bank] groceries leave every single week quite quickly through patron use,” Hu said in an interview.

The Food Bank fee is going to referendum this fall for an increase to three dollars.

When budgeting this year, the AMS felt the pressures of high inflation, legislated increases in minimum wage, and a strained supply chain.

“We typically assume that 25 per cent of students will opt out of [optional fees] and that’s just based on like historical data,” Hu said. “Historically we’ve been very accurate with that assumption. So, we’ve been comfortable moving forward.”

This is the AMS’s first year providing all their services in-person post-pandemic.

“Services are viewed as an umbrella. So, you look at all nine of them together,” Hu said on creating the operations budget.

Common Ground Coffeehouse (CoGro) is expected to have a $51,160 deficit this year despite bringing in an estimated $919,632 in revenue.

“The [CoGro] deficit is mainly due to price of goods and number of employees that [CoGro] has to employ,” Hu said.

“When we look at the actual financials, you actually see that [CoGro] is coming in at a higher revenue than expected and they’re actually having lower expenses due to [an] effective staffing structure.”

To address the Printing and Copy Centre’s (P&CC) $100,825 deficit, the AMS is organizing a merger between the P&CC and Studio Q—which the budget expects to take in $19,938 in profit this year—for the 2024-25 academic year.

“It gives us a really optimal 24-ish months to put that plan together, [and] ensure that we’re not cutting any student jobs,” Laura Devenny, chair of the AMS Board of Directors, said in an interview with The Journal.

“As you can see [in the

“[The AMS] isn’t keeping track of how much money is raised, but that’s not exactly our motive. It’s not about the money; it’s about bringing awareness to organizations that otherwise might not have,” she said.

Students can pick up free stickers at several on-campus locations, including Common Ground Coffee House, Queen’s Center, and the LaSalle Building.

budget], Studio Q and P&CC [are] profitable together.”

The Studio Q and PCC merger, along with the return of The Brew and The Queen’s Pub, are all dependent on completion of the JDUC redevelopment.

The redevelopment pushed AMS offices to re-locate to the LaSalle and Rideau buildings, resulting is a higher-than-usual marketing budget of $81,800.

“We’re really looking to reinvigorate the student audience [and] re-engage this year. So something that we’ve done is we’ve really put in funding and support for our marketing and comms office,” Hu said.

The only budget item yet to be approved by the AMS Assembly is next year’s Orientation budget, which is currently sitting at $552,070.

Unlike the AMS services, the AMS government and offices run a net-zero budget to ensure all the student dollars are being funneled back to students in the form of services.

“This money is put towards student programming, which is very different. The services are very client focused business,” Devenny said.

“But this Orientation Week, clubs, elections and referenda, environmental sustainability month—these are the types of advocacy-based and studentfocused initiatives you see around campus.”

The October stickers showcase the medicine wheel.

SUPPLIED BY NIKI BOYTCHUK-HALE

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

Studio Q and the P&CC are merging.

Tournament hosts best debaters from North American universities

Cassidy McMackon Staff Writer

Two Queen’s Debate Union (QDU) teams brought championship titles back to Queen’s after competing at the University of Toronto (U of T)’s Hart House IV Tournament from Oct. 14 though Oct. 16.

Diggory Waddle, MA ’22, and Nicholas Abernethy, ArtSci ’24, won the championship title for the tournament, while Jasmine Gao, ArtSci ’26, and Claire Chen, Comm ’26, took home the novice championship title.

Hart House IV is held every October at U of T and is considered to be the most competitive and best attended debate competition in North America. Debate teams seeking to compete at the tournament must qualify for one of 16 spots available. Other universities represented by competing teams included Princeton, Stanford, and McGill.

Waddle began debating as an undergrad at Simon Fraser University. Although he’s won a few smaller tournaments, winning this championship title proved to be the highlight of his debate career.

“I think you don’t ever really imagine winning a major tournament like this; like maybe

Debate union takes home two championship titles at Hart House

you fantasize about it when you’re thinking at night like, ‘oh man, that would be so fun,’” Waddle told The Journal in an interview.

“Even if I never win another debate for the rest of my life, I’ll be happy because I’ve been a Hart House IV champion.”

In debates, teams are assigned topics from tournament organizers and construct the most persuasive argument in favour of or against a topic.

Waddle credits his and Abernethy’s

success to the similarities between their assigned topic and his MA research.

According to Waddle, the final argument dealt with a speculative type of technology that did machine-learning based off people’s social media posts to create a replication of their social media posting patterns.

The AI aimed to continue posting as the human users would after the users themselves had died, based on previous data.

Study involved imaging...

....Continued from front

“Queen’s knew that Dr. Lindsay would bring elite athletes to the University as part of his research cohort, thereby adding enormous prestige and credibility to the program as first recognized by Dr. MacKenzie,” the statement of claim read.

Though Lindsay’s research would involve both anatomy and neuroscience, it was proposed the PhD be in neuroscience with MacKenzie and Cook acting as co-supervisors. Later in the claim, Lindsay alleged MacKenzie was being sidelined.

Based on the statement of claim, Lindsay selected Queen’s because of the University’s commitment to respect intellectual property rights of PhD students and supervisors.

Lindsay’s admission to the School of Graduate Studies was formally confirmed around March 31, 2016—at which time Lindsay accepted the admissions offer.

The research Lindsay was conducting aimed to determine if manual medicine techniques showed changes in the architecture, orientation, and inflammatory characterization of connective tissue. His study involved using advanced imaging technologies and cadavers in a clinical environment.

The goal of Lindsay’s research was to quantify the role of manual medicine and treatment of the fascia of the head and neck to improve athletic performance.

Lindsay gathered a cohort of 48 athletes to assess in his study. These came from existing patients and relationships.

The statement of claim said the group of athletes placed their “trust, confidence, and loyalty” with Lindsay. He pleaded the results of the study were not to be used

for financial gain or profit or for data to be transferred outside of the Queen’s research project to third parties.

In the statement of claim, Lindsay alleges he read the Performance Phenomics investors presentation dated Aug. 9, 2017. The presentation allegedly detailed images and wording from his PhD research.

“Dr. Lindsay was deeply disturbed. Performance Phenomics and Dr. Cook were inappropriately using Dr. Lindsay’s PhD research and cohort for a purpose other than what was agreed to and intended,” the statement of claim said.

Around Dec. 5, 2017, Lindsay received a copy of the Performance Phenomics’ paper on MRI methods and outcomes. This paper was authored by Cook, and two other academics.

“Upon reading the paper, Dr. Lindsay was shocked. This paper was a clear, unauthorized misappropriation of Dr. Lindsay’s research, cohort and Ph.D. thesis,” the statement of claim said.

“Lindsay was later informed that this paper was not published in a medical journal, but rather was being used by Performance Phenomics to raise money. This was an egregious violation of the rules of academic integrity,” the statement of claim said.

Lindsay plead that he confronted Cook in a “measured” way, where Lindsay questioned Cook over not having any of the research attributed to him.

In late 2017, Cook advised Lindsay he wanted to take Lindsay’s study from Queen’s to Humber River Hospital, where Dr. Anthony Mascia was working with Lindsay to conduct imaging on athletes.

Lindsay reminded Cook he was his supervisor, and the research was for his PhD thesis.

“Lindsay found this discussion very unsettling and felt that Dr. Cook had a

meetings to allow students to practice and enhance their public speaking skills through debate. The club attends approximately 15 tournaments each academic year, allowing students to compete at varying levels.

For QDU President Livi McElrea, ArtSci ’23, seeing Waddle and Abernethy and Chen and Gao succeed was a “very proud moment.”

She especially considered seeing Chen and Gao win their novice title to be a “huge accomplishment.”

“For me, watching them get to do the semi-finals, and then do the finals and stand their ground to be very smart in the way and very diplomatic,” she said in an interview with The Journal.

“They’re very calculated, and they know exactly what they need to do in order to win. And they’re people who don’t feel the need to take like really flashy arguments and prove themselves within rounds.”

Waddle also said he found Chen and Gao to be “really remarkable debaters” and “super promising.”

“I’ve done some previous research into topics of identity and online representations of people, so it felt very, very much in my sort of research wheelhouse,” he said.

“I got to use many of the things that I had been talking about or studying in classes in order to kind of build our case and approach what was for most people probably a very strange and very weird topic.”

As the oldest club on campus at 179 years old, QDU holds weekly

serious conflict of interest,” the statement of claim said.

Shortly before March of 2018, a TSN reporter contacted Cook for an interview with him and Lindsay about the research. Lindsay allegedly advised Cook the interview had to be declined.

Lindsay learned Cook had proceeded with the TSN interview—with final publication. In the statement of claim, Lindsay alleged the story misappropriated Lindsay’s research, and passed it off as Cook’s own.

“This resulted in exactly what Dr. Lindsay was afraid of: namely, alarm and anxiety on the part of the athletes, who had placed their trust in Dr. Lindsay.

QDU is currently looking ahead to tournaments at Yale University, Oxford University, and the World Universities Debating Championship in Madrid in early 2023.

The club is also hosting the Chancellor’s Cup tournament at Queen’s from Nov. 4 through Nov. 6. Any Queen’s student—regardless of debate experience—can apply to compete in the tournament through QDU’s social media channels.

This was both embarrassing and humiliating for Dr. Lindsay,” the statement of claim said.

According to the statement of claim, Lindsay spoke to the Director of the Centre of Neuroscience Studies at Queen’s— informing him that none of his patients in the cohort for his PhD thesis would’ve agreed to participate in the study had Lindsay not been involved.

“Dr. Lindsay’s livelihood was dependent on maintaining the trust and confidence of his patients. The reputational interests that Dr. Lindsay had to protect were significant,” the statement of claim said.

....Story continued online

Four Queen’s students

tournament.

SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S DEBATE UNION

News in Brief: Oct. 28

year students—postgraduate, professional, PhD and Post-Doc—with each other.

“luminary,” which dotted the street.

The event took place on Oct. 25 in front of Stauffer library, with candles extending down University avenue. Relay for Life is a campus organization dedicated to raising money for cancer research and treatment.

ceremonies, activities, and volunteer hiring, which is currently ongoing.

Asbah Ahmad, Senior News Editor

OPRIG addresses police presence on campus

Hillel provides resources for Jewish students on campus

With the rise of antisemitism on campus and in the Kingston community, it’s important for Jewish students to be aware of resources existing for support.

Queen’s Hillel and Hillel Kingston have offered a multitude of resources for Jewish students this past week with most events taking place in the Otterburn House, 1-124 Centre Street, the new home of Hillel in Kingston.

On Oct. 26 at 2:00 and 5:30 p.m., Queen’s Hillel hosted solidarity circles for Jewish students to decompress about antisemitism while acknowledging it’s ‘okay to not be okay.’

Within the solidarity circle, discussions included the increasing prevalence of antisemitism both on and off campus in recent weeks, including the antisemetic vandalism in Albert Street Residence.

On Oct. 26 at 8 p.m., Queen’s Hillel also hosted a grad student called ‘Jews for Cheeses’ in order to connect Jewish 5th

Tricolour Outlet and Oil Thigh Designs limited by for-profit retailers

Asbah Ahmad Senior News Editor

Some students on campus are saying external retailers threaten aspects of student-run operations.

Trademarking and licensing of Queen’s brand identity is an important part of the retail process for campus retailers. For non-profit student retailers such as Tricolour Outlet and Oil Thigh Design (OTD), the brand standards are at the cornerstone of their operations.

“We have to get approval through the Trademark and Licensing office, which is about a two-week process. Once we submit the design to them, they have to ensure that the spacing with the lettering is correct, and that it’s not too skewed or too dramatic,”

Phallon Melmer, Tricolour Outlet head manager, said in an interview with The Journal.

An example of the back-and -forth work student-run retailers do with the licensing and trademark office is the classic rugby shirts sold at Tricolour Outlet.

“Queen’s released a new crest. I think it was last year toward the end of last year. We had to redesign the logo shown on our rugbys [...] It just came down to us having to change the colour of the crest and logo,” Melmer said.

Cormac Doyle, managing director for OTD, said the process for trademarking takes time, but OTD and other student run have to work within the rules.

On Oct. 23, Hillel hosted a screening of the short film Periphery in order to spark discussion about Judaism and included a discussion by Yoni Belete, ArtSci ’16, a Queen’s Hillel alumnus and a co-founder of No Silence on Race.

The film was produced by No Silence on Race, a Canadian not-for-profit organization dedicated to expressing the experiences of Jews of Colour in Canada—and the Ontario Jewish Archive—a local community archive that collects and preserves the historical records of Jewish life in Ontario.

Hillel urges anyone who has experienced an incident or has concern of antisemitism on campus to report it as soon as possible.

Skylar Soroka, Assistant News Editor

Relay for Life plans events throughout the year

Queen’s Relay for Life organized a visual awareness event, akin to a candlelight vigil called “Lumies on Uni.” A play on the word

“Queens has very strict trademarking guidelines. In previous years, they were a lot less strict with the approval process,” Doyle said in an interview with The Journal.

The sentiment was echoed by Melmer, who said the trademarking process was “learn as you go.” She said in her transition process she was told the trademarking process was shifting to become stricter.

“We can’t put Queen’s on a sweater with something that Queen’s doesn’t approve of. You can imagine how that impacts the creative process,” Doyle said.

“We’ve got a lot of feedback that a lot of the designs on campus are kind of boring, they just say like Queen’s in some sort of different colour.”

Portions of OTD’s profits are donated to charities, Doyle said. Donation margins can be impacted when sales margins decrease.

Doyle said the issue isn’t Queen’s trademarking for retail merchandise, but the presence of non-Queen’s affiliated for-profit retail organizations—particularly companies that don’t adhere to Queen’s brand standards.

“Retailers that do not go through the approval process have more interesting designs, and they’re far more competitive,” Doyle said.

Doyle said merchandise is required to come from Queen’s approved suppliers, who, in some cases, tend to have higher prices. This is something external companies don’t have to go through, since they skirt the trademarking process, according to him.

A specific company of concern is Shop Dressr, who allegedly sold materials with Queen’s branding without going through the necessary trademarking steps.

...Story

Charlotte Pollard, Nurs ’23, and Julia McGregor, ArtSci ’23, both Relay for Life co-presidents, told The Journal in an interview the event was to raise awareness about cancer research.

“Luminary bags symbolizes reasons that people fundraise or raise awareness for cancer. So that could be those that they’ve lost to cancer, those that have survived cancer, those that are currently dealing with cancer,” McGregor said.

Looking forward, Pollard said Relay for Life is planning future events for the community.

“We currently are in the process of organizing a live music event, and partnering with local businesses in Kingston,” Pollard said.

McGregor said this is Relay for Life’s 16th year and students can find many ways to interact with the organization—through

The Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPRIG) met to organize a “No Cops on Campus” initiative.

The basis of the meeting on Oct. 27, was to set out goals to stop police recruitment and outreach on campus. OPRIG Kingston focuses on social environmental justice—through education, research, and action.

“I think there’s a huge divide in the community between students and the rest of Kingston. I think the police use this kind of language to separate and justify what they do to us [...] harming us, getting into our privacy, getting into our community, getting into our spaces,” an OPRIG member said at the meeting.

The organization outlined tangible “goals” on a whiteboard: to stop police recruitment or outreach on campus, stop Queen’s

sanctioned stop-and-searches on campus, to “strike down” nuisance party bylaws, and change policing methods.

“Get rid of the horses [...] it is ridiculous,” one member said.

“I was screaming ‘fucking pigs’ [and] in retrospect, [it was] not very bright. But it speaks to the fact that they thought I was drunk because I disagreed with their political views,” another OPRIG member said.

Kingston bylaws are in effect during Homecoming weekend as are the University District Safety Initiative (UDSI) and Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs).

One member believed the searches on campus were “highly discriminatory.”

“They don’t have any basis of who they are searching,” they said.

OPRIG documented St. Lawrence College, the AMS, the Queen’s Senate and Board of Trustees, and the City of Kingston as being those “in power” when addressing their goals.

Aimée Look, Assistant News Editor

Event collects coats for vulnerable populations

Skylar Soroka Assistant News Editor

Students can drop off their old winter coats for charity, thanks to a clothing drive.

United Way KFL&A is running its coat drive for the third consecutive year from Oct. 24 to Nov. 6. Bhavana Varma, ceo of United Way KFL&A, told The Journal about the Coats for Community initiative—and drop off points, distributing agencies, and ways to get involved.

“We have bins available across the community at various library branches. We were going to reach out to the [Queen’s] student leaders we work with to see if they wanted to do a coat collection as well,” Varma said.

There are several drop off points for coats in Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington. Notable drop off points near Queen’s campus include the United Way KFL&A Office and Kingston City Hall.

Varma also said United Way

United Way runs coats drive

KFL&A is hoping to set up a bin on Queen’s campus, so students can support the campaign.

“We know many students, especially when they’re leaving after the exams, may have extra coats they want to give away we really appreciate any gifts they can give,” Varma added.

Once collected, the coats will be sorted by volunteers, and then distributed to organizations and agencies that assist those in vulnerable situations, such as Martha’s Table and the Salvation Army Community & Family Services.

“The agencies who know that their program users best will be delivering them directly to people who need them—people who are vulnerable,” Varma said. “This year, the need [for coats] is very great.”

“We’ve been collecting data [from agencies] on how many coats we need; we need 900 coats

right now. That’s the number, and it will probably grow as more agencies put in their requests.”

Varma said coats must be washable, so leather and wool coats are not permitted.

“People who are homeless, people on limited income, people who just can’t afford a coat need their coats. If someone is homeless, they don’t have a place to store it,” she said.

Varma added United Way is hearing about many folks struggling because of inflation.

“People are working a couple of jobs, but the utilities and their rent is just consuming all their income and they just have no money to buy a coat,” Varma said.

Varma said United Way is advertising the initiative by hanging posters around the community, and posting information on their website and social media.

Asbah Ahmad, Aimée Look, & Skylar Soroka Journal Staff

The need for coats this year is great.

SUPPLIED BY UNITED WAY

imagine we die in the same way we live’: Investigating deathcare in Kingston

She recalled a personally memorable experience of a single mother whose own mother had just died. The woman described how meaningful it was for her to have this time with her mother because “it slowed everything down.”

Marijka Vernooy Contributor

Aileen Stewart, a deathcare guide in Kingston, told The Journal she got into the business of deathcare through her daughter, who was training to be a midwife at the time.

“The birth and death similarities are so astounding in many ways,” she said.

The term deathcare refers to the planning and services that occur posthumously. The industry includes funerals, burials, and cremations.

It also encompasses events that happen prior to death, like hospice, palliative care, and alternatives to traditional industrial practices such as “natural death” or green burial.

Stewart has been a Kingston resident for several years and works as a deathcare guide in the community; she’s involved in both death itself and the services that follow it. She explained her experience with deathcare starting with the beginning of her career.

“Mostly, I help people figure out what their death plan is [and] guide their family and friends in [fulfilling] those wishes after the person’s death,” she said.

Stewart said in the same way a midwife offers a natural, at-home alternative to the medicalized process of birth, many embrace the opportunity for an at-home death. The term for this practice is a “natural death,” which Stewart said, “gives you an opportunity to process your own grief.”

Natural death involves the practice of performing rituals of caring for the body, the physical preparation for burial, and its final transportation—like to the cemetery, for example—entirely in the home. As a deathcare guide, Stewart helps the deceased person’s family through not only the practical elements of natural death, but the emotional elements as well.

“It really is about being with somebody through the dying process,” Stewart said. “You’re not meant to do this kind of stuff alone. You need others around you.”

“When someone dies, it’s easy to get caught up in the details and not actually be with the emotions that are there,” Stewart said. “We think, ‘we’ll deal with that afterwards,’ but there’s no hurry.”

Stewart said her work gives families the power to handle death on their own, because many people are unaware of their and their loved one’s right to deathcare.

However, despite the option for total individual control of the deathcare process, she finds that a hybrid form of care is becoming increasingly popular. People like having individual autonomy over the deathcare process in terms of paperwork and emotional support, but they’re also happy to have places like funeral homes help with the technical parts of it.

The Funeral Home

The James Reid Funeral Home located at Princess Street and John Counter Boulevard is one Kingston business that provides deathcare services.

Family owned and locally operated since 1854, it hosts an on-site crematorium, a chapel, and multiple rooms for gathering. One such space, the Reception and Celebration Centre, is similar to a living room, with large windows, ample sunlight, and cream-colored couches with plenty of cushions.

Installed nine years ago, the crematorium offers a level of unique personal connection. Owner, Licensed Funeral Director, and Queen’s graduate Jim Reid told The Journal about the many reunions among family and friends that have occurred in this space.

Reid said the funeral home allows people to meet the staff directly responsible for the cremation of their loved ones, which builds trust and aids the overall deathcare process.

While COVID-19 restrictions were in full effect, cremation became one of the most popular forms of posthumous care in Canada, at a rate of about 75 per cent in 2021. By 2025, about 82 per cent of all deaths are expected to result in cremation.

The effects of COVID-19 were deeply felt

across the funeral industry, and the James Reid Funeral Home was no exception. Restrictions on the number of people who could attend services meant increased staffing to maintain social distancing and ensure the safety of both customers and staff.

However, during the height of the pandemic and beyond, staff continued to find ways to improve the level of care for patrons.

Sarah Reid, assistant manager and Jim Reid’s daughter, recently arranged for the removal of front-row pews in the chapel. The removal created seating for individuals with disabilities who use mobility aids, which Reid said was happily used the next day.

Every aspect of the funeral home, from interior design to services rendered, were selected with comfort in mind. It emphasizes personal care—a commonality across almost all aspects of deathcare, including Stewart’s work as a deathcare guide.

James Reid focuses on easing the process of grief by helping with the funeral process. Stewart spoke to her collaboration with him.

“I think [they’re] the most community-based funeral home […] We’ve actually partnered a couple of times now.”

Sustainability in Deathcare

Another collaboration comes in the form of Green Burial Kingston, a non-profit organization advocating for sustainable burial in the greater Kingston community.

Green burial is a blanket term for many types of sustainable burials, such as the use of biodegradable caskets or simple cotton shrouds that exist outside of traditional practices. It has risen in popularity in recent years, primarily among young people looking to reduce their carbon footprint in a more environmentally friendly form of deathcare.

However, green burial exists at a constructive intersection between alternative and traditional deathcare.

Both Reid and Stewart work with Green Burial Kingston.

“We’ve been trying to get a site for green burial in Kingston, because the closest [one] is in Cobourg or Pickton,” Stewart said.

Due to strict government regulations, sites offering space for green burial are rare. Stewart said all the sites for green burial cemeteries in Ontario have the green burial section within a traditional cemetery.

If such a site were to be built in Kingston, businesses like James Reid Funeral Home could offer transportation or preparation for green burial.

Already, James Reid offers environmentally friendly options for burial, like bamboo caskets and woven urns.

For those interested in getting involved, Green Burial Kingston is holding their next meeting to discuss plans for a green burial site on Nov. 1 at the Kingston Central Library.

Conversations on Death

Despite the remarkable breadth of personal choice available in deathcare, most people are unwilling to talk about the subject.

“People don’t realize that there are options,” Stewart said.

Death, especially for young people, may not always seem like an easy topic to broach. However, from alternative to traditional, people across the spectrum are looking to start the conversation.

Groups like the Order of the Good Death, founded in 2011 by California-based funeral director Caitlin Doughty, promote resources and education online and in-person about aspects of natural death—such as the physical preparation of the body within the home—and traditional deathcare, in the form of insights into the funeral practice from people in the field.

Smaller, community-focused groups, such as Kingston’s Closing Time, also speak on this issue of communication. Founded by Stewart in 2017, Closing Time met regularly until the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Stewart explained the group is a way for her to get to the know the community and understand what people are interested in talking about.

“People were drawn to the group for different reasons: some from their own unresolved grief or experiences they’d had with a death that was not ideal.”

Though many people sought out Closing Time for difficult reasons, Stewart said the conversation is “enlivening.”

“It’s about life as well. People come out of it feeling a little more alive.”

Expert discusses the processes, options, and personalities of deathcare

ILLUSTRATION BY PHILIP PRANAJAYA

Queen’s must act to expel hate

As The Journal reported last week, antisemitic graffiti was discovered in the new Albert Street residence building earlier this month.

Unfortunately, hateful displays on campus aren’t uncommon. The Chown Hall incident and Four Directions vandalism are still fresh in the minds of students and faculty. Not even the pandemic kept hate from infiltrating our learning environment via Zoom bombings in 2021.

This recent instance of antisemitism must not go unpunished like the hateful acts that have preceded it.

When it comes to these types of events, the University has consistently focused more on the optics than the impact. The administration has yet to release a statement addressing the vandalism, but likely will if previous incidents are any indication.

A statement is insufficient now, as it has been in the past. It’s sad that despite regular displays of racist hatred on campus, Queen’s has yet to learn how to properly respond. Their apathy shows how out of touch and far removed from student life the administration really is.

Hateful events like this don’t happen in a vacuum—what’s happening in pop culture and the world is always relevant. With, for example, Kanye West’s recent antisemitic rants sparking further hateful displays, it’s hard to ignore the potential connection.

We need better Holocaust education,

especially considering how conspiracy theorists who deny the Holocaust happened have more access to impressionable minds than ever via the internet. However, regardless of what’s happening outside, we can’t allow hate to continue going unchecked in our school community.

Jewish students living in Albert Street Residence now know they’re living among people who don’t respect them as people. This is not something Queen’s should be willing to accept; the University’s position must be made clear through actions, not empty statements.

There’s no overstating how important it is to feel comfortable where you live, and the University has a direct responsibility to residence students when it comes to their comfort. For most of the first-year class, residence is home—a home now less safe for Jewish students.

As students, we must hold our peers accountable and urge the Queen’s administration to act.

Racist and antisemitic displays keep popping up because bigots feel welcome at our school. Queen’s has repeatedly fumbled when it comes to finding— let alone disciplining—perpetrators, consistently acting as a business-first, people-second institution.

Queen’s happily funds extensive excessive police presence at Homecoming, yet apparently won’t devote resources to thoroughly investigate hate crimes. The

administration will invest in the academic integrity of the institution because it translates to prestige which brings in money, all while neglecting what’s really important.

Antisemitic acts like what occurred in residence merit expulsion.

The only way to purge our campus of hate is to meet it with harsh consequences. Queen’s claims it’s anti-racist, but until the University is willing to sacrifice tuition dollars to remove people who don’t align with its values, that claim is empty.

Dear Queen’s: your students are waiting for decisive action against hate.

Making a van a home

Sarah Maat Senior Sports Editor

For many, purchasing a home is the first sign you’ve made it in the world—and a home on four wheels is still a home.

Van life encompasses many nomadic living options. Some people choose to gut and convert Mercedes Sprinter vans, others opt for a bus conversion or the premade RV option and some—more daring—nomads build-out retired ambulances. With a little creativity, a nail gun, and a stack of plywood, anyone can make a vehicle their home.

But not everyone is Jack Kerouac, so what makes van life a viable option even if you aren’t a divorcee on a quest to find yourself?

Living in a van means giving up the security and reliability associated with living on-grid. Van life relies on alternative hydro and water sources. Usually, converted vehicles can only hold around 200 litres of water, and all their power comes from rooftop solar panels.

Most vans also lack a full bathroom and consistent Wi-Fi connection, never mind the obvious challenge of a lack of living space. Although van life seems populated by

limitations, these restrictions simply make space for more freedom down the road.

Van life forces a return to simplicity while cultivating an environment for personal growth.

To start, van lifers must take on the ultimate challenge: constructing their home. Unlike traditional living options, van life is infinitely customizable since design is up to the owner as they prioritize what matters most to them.

Perhaps they want a surfboard rack, a reading nook, or a rooftop deck. When the homeowner is in control of designing and executing their own living space, the options are endless. Plus, because the space is tiny, the project feels manageable instead of paralyzing.

Van life presents opportunities to focus on the skills associated with the project like simple electrical wiring, basic plumbing, and the fundamentals of woodworking. The pursuit of van life means an opportunity to learn unique skills that would otherwise be difficult to try.

Nomadic lifestyles push people out of their comfort zones in the best way. They provide a slower pace and unique challenges

that develop problem-solving skills and encourage independence.

Traditionally, people who partake in house life often require a regular escape or vacation. This departure is always accompanied by the hassle of packing and coordinating transportation on top of the guilt associated with the environmental impact of plane travel.

With a van, travel is simple and perpetual. There’s no packing and unpacking; your house and your belongings travel with you.

Car travel is also a much greener form of transportation. Van life is self-paced so the driver can decide when and where they go which allows for a deeper connection to the destination. Home is anywhere and everywhere.

Van life may seem like a fantasy, but as more people choose nomadic living it’s becoming more accessible and more attainable.

Buying a van is significantly easier than buying a house—and both can be a home.

Sarah Maat is a fourth-year English student and The Journal’s Senior Sports Editor.

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OPINIONS Your Perspective

Antisemitism won’t go away unless people start to care

Talking Heads...

Did you vote in the municipal election? Why?

Carly Baldachin Contributor

This article includes descriptions of antisemitism and may be triggering for some readers. The Peer Support Centre offers drop-in services and empathetic peer-based support and is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

We are tired.

We are tired of being the only ones who stand up for ourselves, we are tired of fighting this battle alone, and we are tired of nothing changing.

Antisemitism has been around for centuries and is constantly changing as the world globalizes. However, one thing remains constant: Jewish people are the only ones doing anything about it.

We are tired of being the only ones advocating for our community’s rights, safety, and wellbeing.

The working definition of antisemitism is, “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred towards Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism as directed towards Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, towards Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

Antisemitism began long before the Holocaust. Long before the modern era, the most common manifestation of antisemitism were pogroms, violent riots aimed at

massacring or expelling the Jewish people. These pogroms were frequently encouraged by government authorities, adding a political dimension to the religious-based hatred we still see today.

Founded in 1919, the Nazi Party led by Adolf Hitler gained popularity by spreading anti-Jewish propaganda. Throughout the Holocaust, the Nazis would depict Jews as “hook-nosed, thick-lipped, moneygrabbing, Talmud-reading, maidendefiling,” spreading conspiracies like the Jewish population preparing to take over Germany or controlling the world’s banks.

Queen’s claims it's committed to addressing forms of racism and discrimination, and the Kingston Police have been alerted on the incidences of antisemitic graffiti. However, nothing has changed. Jews are still the target of hate and only our community is doing something about it.

Queen’s is full of students who care about the well-being of others. There are EDII workshops offered to both staff and students, rallies in support of one cause or another, and an outstanding number of student advocates on social media.

As amazing as all of this effort is, antisemitism is always left out.

With the prevalence of performative activism or sharing an Instagram story to look "woke," it’s hard not to feel worthless when everyone advocates for everything and everyone but us.

working at Beth Israel Congregation, teaching young Jewish children about our traditions, rituals, and the Hebrew language. We have Jewish students hosting potluck Shabbat meals with over 30 people in attendance—both Jewish and non-Jewish.

The Jewish students at Queen’s are invested in the Jewish community. We are dedicated to ensuring the survival of our community because it's worth saving, but sometimes it feels like we’re the only ones who truly believe that.

The most aggressive manifestation of antisemitism was the killing of six million Jews. However, those who believe antisemitism ended with the Holocaust are wrong.

Today, we see acts of antisemitism online, such as in tweets by Kanye West, who has more followers on Twitter than there are Jews in the world. We’ve also seen physical acts of antisemitism in our own city, Kingston.

On Oct. 1, someone drew a swastika on a fridge in one of the lounges inside the new Albert Street Residence.

Just a couple weeks later, two students found two separate examples of antisemitic graffiti on Princess Street.

We don’t want fake allies or empty promises, but there's something to be said for the lack of engagement from nonJewish people in our time of need. When the only people talking about antisemitism are Jewish, it makes our issues feel unimportant.

No matter how proud I am of the Jewish people and the community we've built for ourselves, I must admit I’m also tired. My dad once told me “it is not easy to be Jewish” and I've never forgotten that. He was right; it’s not easy being Jewish, but it’s worth every battle.

If you're reading this and you’re Jewish, I see you. I understand that you're tired, maybe even scared, but know this is a battle worth fighting.

If you're not Jewish, reflect on what you're doing to help our community. If the answer is nothing, check in with your Jewish friends or share your support. Keep reading articles like this and stay informed about how Jewish people are feeling.

The Jewish community survives off resilience, tradition, and pride. Jewish students at Queen’s participate in Jewish clubs such as Hillel Kingston, Queen’s Hillel, and Save a Child’s Heart, just to name a few.

We have Jewish students

It’s time to start including Jewish people in your advocacy. You can never be selective about advocating against hate.

Carly is a first-year

student in

Carly wants more action against antisemitism.

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

"When the only people talking about antisemitism are Jewish, it makes our issues feel unimportant.

"It’s not easy being Jewish, but it’s worth every battle.

Advocating against hate cannot be selective

"If you want to be able to complain, you should vote."

Lauren Zweerink, ArtSci

"Midterms this week have been super crazy."

"I just don't really care much about politics, I guess."

"There was nothing to tell me where to go, to make it easy for me to know."

"I didn't know it was happening."

Alice Smith, ArtSci

Saad

What’s your medium?

still something that could be used and have a purpose while fulfilling those things we need from art.”

Rida Chaudhry Senior Arts Editor

British fashion designer Vivianne Westwood describes fashion as a philosophy of life, a way to connect with oneself and those around them.

Fashion has cultivated a culture that pushes boundaries and fuels individuality across the world.

For some, the clothes they wear mean little more than comfort and shelter. For others, clothes are a way to construct an identity and express themselves.

In the third instalment of the column exploring artistic mediums through the eyes of the Queen’s community, The Journal sat down with freelance stylist and designer, Maya Ginzburg, Kin ’22, and MUSE’s fashion editor, Nadine Ivanov, ArtSci ’23.

Ginzburg has been drawn to artistic creation of any kind from a young age.

“Art doesn’t have to have a physical purpose right away,” she said.

“Its biggest purpose is decorative and emotional […] that’s exactly why I was so drawn to it.”

An interest that started as building houses and wardrobes for doll houses has become SSENSE and Maison Dominique Ouzilleau.

“It frustrated me that these things didn’t have a physical applicable purpose and as I got older, I started getting more interested in fashion and how I dress,” she said.

Learning sewing from her mom, Ginzburg always had someone to help her upcycle clothes or make Halloween costumes. When she got asked to the prom in 11th grade and her dress budget was tight, she and her mom decided to make one instead.

“We worked together to make that first prom dress and it was an amazing process,” she said.

“From making it and then having a product that was art that, despite not being a mug you drink out of or a piece of furniture, you [could] use every day. It was

From there, her limits expanded. The following year she made a full-fledged gown and while attending Queen’s, designed a collection for the Vogue Charity Fashion Show (VCFS) out of waste.

Apart from her mother who taught her the methods of creation, Ginzburg named Vivienne Westwood as one of the designers who inspires her the most.

“As I started to look more into the history of fashion and really researching things, that kind of fight the power rebelling against the norms element of Vivienne

One of her pieces was made from the plastic knitting that oranges come in; Ginzburg spent the year snacking on the fruit and slowly adding enough material to make a shirt.

“I think it was one of the last things I finished and the first thing I started.”

Ginzburg sought to comment on the intrinsically capitalist society we live in and how it continuously values money over the environment. She crocheted a $20 bill, and made a piggy bank purse and breastplates to represent oil and synthetic colour.

“The amount of time and effort put into this is so much more than how we apply

you know where to move forward in your career and learn from professionals. At the end of those conversations, I’d ask if they could send me feedback for my work.”

Likewise, Nadine Ivanov approaches fashion with a mix of comfort-seeking and expression.

At first, she gravitated toward dancing—then life happened.

“I got into a pretty bad car accident and my back and neck are still messed up from it so I can’t really dance anymore.”

“I’ve always been such a creative person and I needed an outlet. Clothes just became something I felt like I could always control, and it was such an empowering, gratifying feeling of being able to dress yourself and actually be comfortable in what you wear.”

Ivanov’s personal style is based on Peggy Goo, a Korean DJ, and seeing her friends try different styles out. Taking inspiration from those around you is how fashion has built such a strong community—it encourages others to take pleasure in what they wear.

“One of the MUSE pieces in print talks about how fashion and giving fashion advice can be a love language or bonding experience between people. Fashion is bigger than just putting clothes on your body,” she said.

Shoes are something Ivanov has taken note of in recent months, moving past the days of tried-and-true Nike Air Force 1s and Adidas Superstars.

Westwood,” she said.

“Style wise, I have a huge amount of respect for Margiela […] tying in utility for the Tabi boots that are so popular now that were inspired by Japanese fishermen and farmers wearing platform sandals with socks designed for the flip-flops.”

Sustineri, Ginsburg’s collection for VCFS’s 2022 show, centred around sustainability.

“I was adamant about making sure everything was recycled or sustainably sourced, either thrifted or recycled materials—taking literally garbage donated by the cast and taking time to build up enough things [for a collection].”

value to money—it’s a piece of paper that took a cent to print.”

Graduating from Queen’s Kinesiology had Ginzburg on track for medical school, but she has since shifted her career direction to fashion design. LinkedIn deep dives and cold messaging exposed her to the industry as she worked her way from Garage to SSENSE as a stylist.

When asked what advice she’d give to students wanting to break into the creative industry, she spoke to finding a “why” and building an easily accessible portfolio.

“Reaching out to people in positions that are similar to what you want to do also lets

Wallace, who started out as a folk artist, has moved into rock backed by a full five-piece band. She’s tried out distortion on her guitar and more personal lyricism in what can be described as upbeat yet dynamic sound.

In her songwriting, Wallace has always written from a narrator’s voice, one that’s more impersonal. In this new album, however, she’s written from her own perspective, imbuing the songs with an autobiographical narrative. It’s something that put Wallace out of her comfort zone.

“It was really a process of going inward for myself,” she said. “There’s a really cool way that rock and roll operates, and I think it’s cool to infuse it with those human subjects.”

The album’s title, too, is a callout to its personal meaning: Terribly Good is meant to encapsulate both the good and the bad life has to offer.

“I love watching shoes. Before people didn’t care as much, but now I think people are really paying attention to that and thrifting shoes and exploring.”

While Queen’s used to feel much more uniformed in the fashion varieties, Ivanov has noticed more people straying away from normative style identities and branching into what they enjoy.

“Putting yourself in a space to meet like-minded people with clubs or communities on campus makes you comfortable to express yourself externally and not care about what others may think.”

it’s pretty exciting to think about how many new folks I can bring this new music to.”

Wallace’s tour will stop in Kingston on Nov. 18 at the Broom Factory. The last time Wallace played in Kingston was in 2019 when she was an opener. Now she’s extremely excited to return as a headliner.

“[Kingston] has always been a spot that I’ve loved coming to,” Wallace said.

“People are always raring to go and connect with the music. It’s always a good show in Kingston, and it’s never a thought not to come.”

At her live shows, Wallace wants to create an atmosphere where her audience feels they’re safe and can let loose. She’s also looking to make it an emotional space; somewhere people can have fun and connect with her music.

Sam Goodale Assistant Arts Editor

With a new album on the horizon, Toronto-based artist Skye Wallace is set to perform in Kingston at the Broom Factory, a new, up-and-coming live music venue. Wallace, with her predominantly rock

and roll sound, cited Randy Travis as a massive inspiration for her initial ventures into the music scene.

“My grandpa loved Randy Travis,” Wallace said in an interview with The Journal.

“I learned all the words even though I didn’t know what they meant, so from there, I’ve just always had music around me.”

Ahead of the release of her new album Terribly Good, Wallace discussed influences and experimentations she’s tried out with her sound on this LP.

“It’s about [how] life can be so messy, so imperfect, and all the other little imperfections, but there’s a joy in there that’s important to remember once in a while,” Wallace said.

The album is also first for Wallace to have the support of a record label behind her. Although she’s grateful to have had the experience of putting together albums and shows by herself, Wallace is excited to have the additional help of a label.

“I’m excited to get the music out to new ears with a lot of help behind it,” Wallace said. “To be going on this big tour, where it’s my first official headliner tour in Canada […]

“I have crowd surfing a lot at my shows a lot, and I love that, and there are moments where you can cry and hug your best friend,” Wallace said.

“I think there’s a wealth of different emotions that you can access with music and with art, and that’s the space I want to create. It’s exciting, it’s engaging, but it’s also therapeutic, by just moving through those pieces of yourself and your emotions.

Wallace’s new album releases today and can be downloaded on all major music streaming platforms by visiting her website. Tickets for her show in Kingston on Nov. 18 can be found on the Broom Factory website.

Ginzburg’s

collection was made of synthetic fibers.

SUPPLIED BY MAYA GINZBURG

‘Midnights’ is a synth pop masterpiece

Julia Harmsworth Managing Editor

When fans met Taylor Swift at midnight, they received a sleepless night conceptualized, a whole lot of Jack Antonoff, and the sentiment “life is emotionally abusive.” It was the perfect formula.

Swift released her tenth studio album, Midnights, on Oct. 21. On her Instagram, she called it “the story of 13 sleepless nights throughout [her] life,” and “a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams.”

No one can describe Midnights better than Swift herself. Each song is a synth pop dream—creative, complicated, and dwelling on the ideas, fears, and encounters that keep us up at night.

Midnights is reflective, self-aware, and brutally honest.

It’s like if 1989, Reputation, and Folklore had a baby—it’s poppy, upbeat, heartfelt, dark, complicated, vengeful, thoughtful, and introspective, all at once.

Swift released an extra seven songs at 3 a.m. on Oct. 21 in the form of Midnights (3am Edition), but said she sees the original 13 songs as a “complete concept album.” Together, the 13 songs read like a coherent narrative, exploring the nooks and crannies of Swift’s midnights.

The tracks are composed of fantasies, nightmares, and ethereal dreamscapes, like “Labyrinth,” which makes you feel like you’re floating above the clouds.

On “Snow On The Beach,” Swift captures the beautiful rarity of someone feeling the same as you do over Lana Del Rey’s graceful back-up vocals. With its lovely images—like “stars by the pocketful”—and beautiful harmonies, it really does sound like a sweet dream.

It perhaps doesn’t get any sweeter than “Sweet Nothing,” which is co-written by Swift’s boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, under his pseudonym Willian Bowery. It’s reminiscent of Reputation’s “Call It What You Want” in its treasuring of beautiful, unconditional love in a vicious world.

“Anti-Hero,” on the other hand, is a distorted—albeit paradoxically upbeat—nightmare. It delves into Swift’s self-loathing, as she sings, “I’ll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror.”

It’s critical and self-aware; it feels like what you wake up in the middle of the night stressed about. Swift plays with her self-loathing, singing, “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.”

On Midnights, Swift picks out what she hates most about herself and makes fun of it. This self-awareness is the key to the album: not only being yourself, but having fun with it.

On Folklore and Evermore—released during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic and without the pressure of a tour—Swift finally let go of other people’s expectations. On Midnights, she takes this newfound freedom and runs with it.

There are lots of bops on this album, like “Bejeweled,” which invokes sparkle and dazzle. Swift declares, “I’m going out tonight,” and insists, “don’t put me in the basement when I want the penthouse of your heart.” It’s a celebration of the self, in all its flaws and mistakes.

In the series of metaphors that make up “Karma,” Swift says, “karma is a cat”—a ridiculous line, but perhaps the most Taylor Swift line she’s ever sung. The Swift of Midnights isn’t afraid to be a little ridiculous; she doesn’t take herself too seriously.

In keeping with its theme of reminiscence, Midnights also calls back to Swift’s old albums, in sound, style, and lyrics. “Lavender Haze” sounds like it came straight off Lover, and “Question…?” is the most Jack Antonoff song Jack Antonoff ever Jack Antonoff-ed—it screams 1989.

The colour imagery in “Maroon” is reminiscent of Red, as its depiction of the transition from something beautiful to something toxic.

In a way, the album is a collection of all the things Swift does best.

There are bops like “Midnight Rain,” middle-fingers like “Vigilante Sh*t,” and heart-wrenching track-fives like “You’re On Your Own, Kid”—a standout in which Swift “hosted parties and starved [her] body like [she]’d be saved by a perfect kiss.”

Overall, Midnights is trapped in memory but pushes forward. Swift recalls old struggles, fears, and words sung without being contained by her past.

The final track, “Mastermind,” is the perfect finale; the listener is left with the notion that, indeed, Swift is a mastermind. After all, she’s “only cryptic and Machiavellian ‘cause [she] care[s].”

‘Close to My Heart (Near & Dear)’ debuts at Hoopla Gallery

Maggie Whitmore curates Francisco Corbett and Alan Harman’s show

Rida Chaudhry Senior Arts Editor

“Close to My Heart (Near & Dear)” debuted at Hoopla Gallery this week, paying homage to Kellogg’s cereal, clowns, and community in an immersive experience.

Located under The Screening Room, audience members were met by a vibrant curtained barrier with a message inviting them to reflect on the boundaries on performance.

“How do we know where the performance ends and our lives begin? Take in the infamous life of the performer and the ever-present audience, the rise and fall,” it read.

Music drew people into the gallery filled with paintings, both on canvases and limbs, with various drapes of fabrics creating a path across the room.

Emerging artist Alan Harman’s and Kingston-beloved Francisco Corbett’s respective styles are vastly different from one another. The former uses straightforward colour blocking, while the latter is abstract and artfully chaotic.

Maggie Whitmore, MA in Art History ’24, curated the show with the intention of setting an aura of communication between the paintings and the viewers.

“When I create a space, I think about how people are going to engage in the space and move around it,” Whitmore said.

She told The Journal in days prior, she sat in the middle of the empty room wracking her brain wondering how best to pair Corbett and Harman’s drastically different styles.

“Being able to control a room draws me [to curation],” Whitmore said.

This intrigue brings her the best of both worlds, curatorial work involves understanding what the artists wanted and creatively communications it to the visitors. One way she accomplished this was by using colour to draw the eyes of audiences around the room.

Two nine by ten inch paintings hung over an American flag, pulling the nautical blue from “Entrance I” and “Entrance II” into the patriotric red from the national flags to the

crimson of the Kellogg’s cereal logo painted on “Help Yourself.”

The background of the recognizable cereal brand was a bright lilac over beige, with a polka dot sheet hung behind the painting linking Harman’s work to Corbett’s “Pray.” Harman’s painting debut allowed audiences to focus on the printed words in tandem with the rather simplistic colour-blocking fashion he used.

Robocop, a pack of Marlboros, and the Coca-Cola logo were among the visuals painted on his canvases. “Portrait of Luis Barragan” stuck out due to its use of crackling texture alongside the color-blocking rendition of the architect’s yard.

Though impressive, Harman’s youthful painting—he only picked up a paintbrush three weeks prior—was evident.

“Pray” and “Christ”—two of Corbett’s paintings joined under the theme of religious imagery—stood out among three other massive clown paintings. There also two of birds, a peacock and phoenix.

The works spoke to one another in the journey viewers took taking the pieces in. While themes could be seen as lacking cohesion at first look, it tied in beautifully with the sentiments on performance displayed at the entrance of the space.

“During the process of putting all these up, you never know what it’s actually going to look like until people are in it and moving around,” Whitmore said.

Whitmore told The Journal that she approached this curatorial project by thinking of the paintings in the exhibition as tin cans on a string. She imagined each audience member holding its corresponding one, where the string holding them together was the use of the space.

Approaching the curation itself as art took the gallery show to the next level, allowing audiences’ eyes to flow seamlessly from curtain to painting as Sid, Corbett and Harman’s DJ, spun tracks that invited movement inside the space.

From start to finish, the show was unlike what one may think an art show would be. It was both a uniquely memorable and joyfully artistic experience for those walking into ‘Close to My Heart (Near & Dear).’

“At the end of the day, all that matters is that you are all here and that’s what makes this engine run,” Corbett said to attendees.

Midnights gave Swift fans what needed to be given.

GRAPHIC BY RIDA CHAUDHRY

Help Yourself.”

RIDA

PHOTO BY RIDA CHAUDHRY

Taylor Swift is unapologetically herself in latest studio album

Women’s

Sarah Maat Senior Sports Editor

Amidst the FOCO chaos last Saturday, Women’s Rugby met the Western Mustangs on Nixon Field for the OUA semi-final game. The Gaels were beyond ready for the Mustangs, coming into the game well-rested

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

after their undefeated season earned them a first-round bye.

“I think we were pretty excited going in,” Head Coach Dan Valley said in an interview with The Journal

“Western came out of the gates really quickly the last time we played them, and we didn’t, so we knew coming into this that that

was our first challenge: to come in flying out of the gate and exceed their energy in every aspect of the game and everywhere we could on the park.”

Queen’s brought the momentum from the very first kickoff.

Maggie Banks started the Gaels off with a try in the first minute; her teammates matched and maintained her energy for the rest of the game.

“I was really happy with the way we were able to come out of the gate swinging and set pace with our scrums and our line-up. We were pretty clinical,” Valley said.

Queen’s had no trouble executing their gameplan as they continued to flip the scoreboard in their favour, conducting a smooth operation from start to finish.

Lizzie Gibson led the country in regular season scoring and put up 25 points this game, 10 being conversions. 11 other players combined for Queen’s other 65 points.

“We’ve got an excellent group of forwards and they’ve put in a lot of energy and effort to refine their craft and they take a lot of pride in what they do. It’s been exciting to watch,” Valley said.

He also recognized the back line for maintaining momentum.

“Our back line has the pace, the energy, and the electricity to finish the job.”

Western worked hard to set up solid scrums throughout the game, but Queen’s didn’t budge. Valley said Queen’s had no trouble moving “them around the park.”

The Gaels have found continued success this season because of how they’ve approached their games and opponents.

“I think we’ve done a really good job—especially as we’ve gotten later into the

year—focusing on us and our performance as opposed to whoever it might have been on the other side of the park lining up against us,” Valley said.

“We’ve been talking about recently striving for excellence as opposed to perfection and knowing that we’ve got all of the tools that we need to go out and be successful.”

The Gaels focused more on maintaining possession and building pressure as opposed to scoring tries, yet still put up 90 points as they blanked Western.

With each additional try, the packed bleachers erupted. Fans of all ages with differing levels of soberness showed up to support.

Some Queen’s students were quick to draw on the Western rivalry as they chanted “Western can’t do math” and “Western’s mom does their laundry” at the players. It was a unique atmosphere for an OUA semi-final.

Queen’s will return to Nixon Field again tonight for the OUA Final against Guelph.

“We know when we are getting in the ring with Guelph that that is always going to be a competition and that is always going to be a fun physical contest,” Valley said.

“It’s about the journey, not the destination, and making sure that we’re having fun along the way.”

Men’s Soccer ride victory wave into playoffs

Queen’s beat Laurentian 6-0 on Sunday

Hannah Romkema Contributor

On Sunday, Men’s Soccer played Laurentian at home and earned a 6-0 victory. It marked the end of an exciting season end for both the team and their fans.

point for Queen’s. Then less than a minute later, Gortana executed a beautiful play with Pablo Hempelmann-Perez and Alie Dayto to bring in another Queen’s goal.

Queen’s dominated the first half 3-0 by playing on the shoulder to generate chances. However, the second half did not start in Queen’s favour.

advantage of their exhaustion for Queen’s by intercepting a pass and scoring the final goal of the game. The win was a perfect way to launch the Gaels into their playoff run.

Sarah Maat Senior Sports Editor

Women’s Lacrosse finished their regular season undefeated and attended the OUA Championships in Toronto this weekend—they left hoisting the Patterson Cup.

They played the Varsity Blues in their first game on Friday, cruising to a comfortable 14-6 win. Jaedyn Smail and Tara Meikle were the Gael top scorers, bringing in five and four points, respectively. The win earned Queen’s a break for the rest of the day.

Queen’s then met McMaster on the pitch on Saturday. The win also came easy as they dominated 18-2 for their second of the weekend.

“Coming off a difficult loss in the 2021 OUA final, our group was very motivated to create a different outcome in 2022. We had 14 returning athletes who have had gold on their minds for the past 12 months,” Head Coach Mike Watson said in a statement to The Journal.

The Gaels took that motivation and turned it into continued

success. They met Guelph on Sunday and held them 10-2 for another victory. Next up, Trent.

After Queen’s loss to Trent in last year’s gold medal match-up, Watson described how his team would only be satisfied by one result.

“Seeing Trent in the final was enough motivation for the team; we were ready for our redemption.”

The Gaels started slowly against the Excalibur. Trent scored four points in the first quarter to take the lead and the second started with more points for Trent as the scoreboard read 5-2.

Trent had the momentum and the history; their chances for a three-peat were mounting. So, Queen’s decided to comeback—strong.

Watson saw this determination coming: “This was a group who have been calm under pressure this season and showed character in winning some tough games.”

Story continued online at queensjournal.ca/sports

The team celebrated its graduating seniors prior to the game. They were each introduced to the audience and given a photo op.

Many of the player’s family members were in attendance, and some came from truly far distances, including team captain Nick Allie Day’s family who traveled all the way from Vancouver for the game. It was their first time watching him play at home.

The Gaels started the game off strong with some truly incredible passing that gave them a strong hold of the ball. Their communication during the game was very impressive. Goalie Manuel Dirube demonstrated excellent leadership as he encouraged his teammates from in net.

Around the 15-minute mark, Allie Day scored the first goal for Queens.

A little while later—at the 26-minute mark—Andrea Gortana got fouled inside the 18-yard box. Noah Campagna took the penalty kick, and easily scored another

Daniel Lee went in for a touch near the Laurentian goal, but got tackled and sent to the ground. The referees didn’t call it and play continued for a few more moments while he stayed

“It was a very special game. I’m really thankful for all of my teammates for giving us an amazing performance and win going into our playoff game Wednesday,” Allie Day said in an interview with The Journal

Noah Campagna, another senior player, echoed the sentiment.

“Everything we did today was as a team. We lifted each other when we were down, we made mistakes, but the guys truly helped each other out and supported each other in every moment of the game,” Campagna said in an interview with

Head Coach Christian Hoefler is ecstatic heading

“[I’m] honestly just so proud of the guys,” Hoefler sadi The Journal.

“I’m really excited to show what this team has to offer. At the end of the day, it’s just one game at a time, and the guys have really good heads on their shoulders going at this with full intention to get a

Laurentian lost what little steam they had. Nathan Fong took

Season in review: the Toronto Blue Jays

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Ben Wrixon Editor-in-Chief

After winning 92 games in the regular season, the Toronto Blue Jays flamed out in humiliating fashion in the best-of-three American League Wild Card series.

Seattle Mariners ace Luis Castillo blanked them 4-0 in the first game, then a team-wide implosion sent them packing in game two. A combination of bad managerial decisions and general ineptitude from the bullpen erased a once promising 8-1 lead.

Now, as the Mariners do battle against the Houston Astros, the Blue Jays players are watching the post-season unfold from the comfort of their couches.

Let’s unpack their season and what could come next.

The Good

For all their peaks and valleys, the Jays improved on last year’s win total and qualified for the post-season for the first time in a full season since 2016.

Securing the first Wild Card spot gave their young players a chance to play playoff baseball in front of two sold-out crowds at the Rogers Centre. Despite the disappointing outcome, this experience should motivate them to get back and do better next time.

On an individual level, several Jays exceeded expectations.

Alek Manoah finished his first full big-league season with a sparkling 16-7 record, 2.24 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. He logged 196.2 innings, going at least five in all 31 of his starts.

Newcomer Kevin Gausman lived up to the massive five-year contract he signed in the off-season by recording a 3.35 ERA and 205 strikeouts across 31 starts. Free-

agent-to-be Ross Stripling also excelled both in the rotation and out of the bullpen in a swingman role.

Last but not least on the pitching side, Markham, Ontario’s Jordan Romano emerged as a frontline closer after locking down 36 saves. His blazing fastball and wipeout slider combination helped him become an American League All-Star for the first time.

Catcher Alejandro Kirk also broke to the tune of a .285 batting average and an impressive .372 OBP. The twenty-three-yearold also made major strides defensively; Manoah and company frequently benefitted from his improved pitch-framing abilities.

George Springer also played his heart out when healthy, posting 25 home runs, 76 RBI, and 14 stolen bases from the leadoff spot in the batting order.

The Bad

Two names: Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi.

The former, an established front-line starter fresh off inking a massive sevenyear extension, posted the unquestionable worst season of his career. He recorded an atrocious 5.23 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, allowing a

league-worst 199 hits over 32 frustrating starts.

Meanwhile, Kikuchi, acquired to bolster the rotation on a three-year contract, pitched himself into a mop-up role out of the bullpen by year’s end. He posted a dreadful 1.50 WHIP thanks to a baffling 58 walks in only 100 innings pitched.

Unfortunately, while nowhere near as disappointing as those two, young star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. significantly regressed after an otherworldly 2021 season.

His home run total dropped from 48 to 32, his batting average dropped from .311 to .274, and his on base percentage cratered from a league-best .401 to a mediocre .339. He continually struggled to get the ball in the air, grounding into a league-worst 26 double plays.

While he redeemed his offensive stats with a fantastic September, Bo Bichette once again struggled defensively at shortstop with 23 errors. Inconsistent mechanics and over-anxiousness continue to stand between him and his full potential as a player.

The Ugly

Despite their enviable core of young

Women’s Soccer blanks TMU in last regular season weekend

Gaels enter playoffs ranked 2nd in the country

Lilly Coote Assistant Sports Editor

Queen’s beat Toronto Metropolitan University 5-0 on Friday. On Sunday, the Gaels celebrated their seniors and beat the Laurentian Voyageurs 7-0.

The Gaels head into the OUA Playoffs this weekend riding that momentum.

Queen’s challenged TMU for the first time this season on a beautiful and sunny day at Richardson Stadium. The Gaels dominated most of the first half; their defensive players rarely saw the ball on their half of the field and Jenna Matsukubo scored the first goal at the 15-minute mark.

Matsukubo has played an essential role in Gael’s success this season. She’s a high scoring forward, but her true talent lies in her ability to pass the ball.

She’s often seen setting up teammates and facilitating seamless attacks. Against TMU, Matsukubo made three successful assists to Mattie Strickler, Cecilia Way, and Marissa Gravel.

During the last 10 minutes of the first half, the Bold started to take control as Queen’s struggled to get a touch on the ball.

Matsukubo eventually had a breakaway but was called offside.

The Gaels finished the first half leading 2-0.

TMU played hesitantly during the second half, whereas the Gaels fought hard and were persistent. Queen’s kept a firm hold on their lead, extending the final score to 5-0.

Way ended with five shots on goal and one that found the back of the net—she has absolutely dominated this season. Way’s rookie season was in 2019, where she first arrived as a force to be reckoned with by finishing third in the province in scoring.

She’s long been driven by her unwavering commitment to soccer.

“I play because I love the sport,” Way said in a 2019 interview with The Journal. “It’s a stress reliever, and when I’m playing I have no anxious feelings.”

Now in her final year at Queen’s, Way was celebrated alongside other teammates on Sunday for Seniors Day. She and fellow seniors Matsukubo, Tori Chia, Maddy Moran, Jenna Leslie, Sophie Kienast, and Rebecca Kim were presented with flowers at Richardson Stadium.

The game against Laurentian marked the last regular season game these Gaels would play on home turf, so many of the players ‘families and friends came out to celebrate the occasion.

When the pomp and circumstance was over, the Gaels made it clear they were there to win.

Strickler scored almost instantly off a beautiful cross field assist from Matsukubo. After that first goal, the Gaels put on a show for their audience in their 7-0 win.

This year marked Dave McDowell’s 35th season as the head coach of the Women’s Soccer team. Last year, he

players, the Jays epic collapse against the Mariners spotlighted their glaring Achilles heel: the bullpen.

Outside of Jordan Romano, their rag-tag band of relievers lack the high velocity fastballs needed to consistently strike out elite hitters in high-pressure situations.

Several posted respectable stat lines—like workhorse Adam Cimber and Yimi Garcia—yet pale in comparison to the high-leverage arms on other contending teams. Division rivals New York, Tampa Bay, and Baltimore all have better options to close games.

Unfortunately, the Jays aren’t in great financial position to buy relievers because they’ve already got a ton of money tied up in sub-optimal pitching.

Berrios, Kikuchi, and the recovering Hyun-Jin Ryu will make almost $50 million combined next year—it’s an awful lot of money for three giant question marks.

Management also needs to strongly consider extending Guerrero Jr. and Bichette this off-season; both have no doubt seen the long-term deals signed by fellow mega-stars Julio Rodriguez, Wander Franco, and Fernando Tatis Jr, among others.

Their potential extensions could be back-loaded to mitigate the financial problems of today, but doing so would open the door for even greater issues down the road.

With all that said, Jays fans should be optimistic looking ahead to 2023.

Twenty or so teams and fanbases around the league would love to have their core of players, many of whom have the potential to be among the league’s elite.

However, General Manager Ross Atkins has his work cut for him this off-season as he looks to improve the team’s pitching and lineup balance. Misguided decisions could easily turn this talented group into baseball’s Toronto Maple Leafs—a perennial disappointment.

Next year, hopefully fans will be chanting “let’s go Blue Jays” deeper into October.

led the Gaels to an OUA Championship title and the Consolation Final at the U SPORTS Women’s Soccer Championship.

He’s looking to repeat this success in the playoffs by following a simple philosophy.

“At some point it’s got to be fun,” he said in an interview with The Journal. “You’ve got to love what you and you’ve got to love the people you do it with; and I think this group does.”

After this weekend, the Gaels are ranked second in the U SPORTS Top 10 ranking. They enter the OUA Playoffs as the No. 1 seed in OUA East and have earned a first-round bye.

Queen’s will open the second round on Oct. 30 at Richardson Stadium.

The Blue Jays were good, but could’ve been better.

GRAPHIC BY AMNA RAFIQ

PHOTO BY ROBIN KASEM

Men’s Hockey loses home opener in overtime

3-2 loss to uOttawa prompts line-up changes

Sarah Maat Senior Sports Editor

On Friday, Queen’s Men’s Hockey played uOttawa for their first game of the season at the Memorial Centre in Kingston. Fans filed into the arena’s vintage tri-colour seats hoping to see the Gaels break their two-game losing streak.

Right from faceoff, Queen’s did a good job of holding puck possession and controlling the play. The arena pulsed with the contagious energy as the Gaels quickly put a few shots on net—none of which made it through uOttawa’s Jean-Philippe Tourigny, however.

The Gaels worked hard to demonstrate home ice dominance.

Nolan Hutchen showcased insane speed while applying pressure with the puck, Jack Duff had some good chances on net, and Owen Lalonde fired some nasty slapshots.

The Gee-Gees fought back and used their speed to turn up the pressure as their fast break started to tug at Gael defenses late in the first period.

In the second period, uOttawa took full advantage of the power play and peppered Queen’s goalie, Anthony Popovich, with a slew of shots. Despite the attack, however, Popovich held down the fort; he

maintained composure under immense pressure, A little over 10 minutes into the second period, Queen’s graced the scoreboard with a goal from Jonathan Yansis. It marked his third goal in three games.

Only 10 seconds later, uOttawa responded with a top right snipe to tie it up.

“We played great for 58 minutes, but we found a way to lose that hockey game,” Head Coach Brett Gibson said in an interview with The Journal

uOttawa forward, CharlesAntoine Roy, scored unassisted at the very end of the third period to force overtime—his team scored mere seconds into the extra period.

[has become] a common theme in the first three games.”

The loss truly boiled down to a few bad minutes. Against uOttawa, Queen’s had more shots on net, and Popovich made an impressive 19 saves over the course of the game.

After the game Gibson met with his team to discuss the outcome. He decided big changes

over again and expecting different results, and so it really wasn’t a punishment thing. It really is that when you’re 0-3 to start the season you have to make adjustment as coaches that are hard.”

Although it was risky, Gibson’s move worked: the Gaels beat the Ravens 4-1 on Saturday.

“The guys that came in the line-up really gave us life; I thought they were fantastic,” he said.

“Sometimes you just need a reset and that’s kind of what we did. Our depth is going to be our strength this year.”

For Gibson, the season is rooted in a sense of urgency. These first few losses functioned as a reality check for the team.

“It’s just urgency. That’s the big word […] It’s a sprint not a marathon and the urgency to collect points every weekend is a key. You can’t go weekends without points because teams find ways to win,” Gibson said.

Thankfully the Gaels didn’t go without points this weekend.

However, the Gee-Gee’s weren’t the only ones with a quick reaction time—after only 12 seconds, Ryan Cranford found the back of uOttawa’s net to take back the lead.

The action died down for the rest of the period and into the third. Queen’s held their lead until it all went wrong in the final two minutes.

“It’s an early trend for our team, and when you’re playing top end teams you have to play a full game,” Gibson said.

“I was happy with the effort that we had throughout the Ottawa game, but I wasn’t happy about the execution, obviously. Giving up a goal late in the game and losing in overtime

were necessary before they stacked up against Carleton the next night.

Gibson pulled five players off Friday’s top line and replaced them with five new players the following night. Although drastic, he deemed this move necessary.

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and

Playing in front of home fans really made all the difference, and Gibson said, “to get three or four points at home and create an identity at home means a lot to us.”

Queen’s will travel to Montreal this weekend to take on the Concordia Stingers.

“We are a good hockey team right now; we will be a great hockey team, but it takes time.”

Fastpitch dethrones Western at OUS championship

Gaels make history by winning softball gold medal

Sarah Maat Senior Sports Editor

For the past 11 years, Western Fastpitch has finished first in the Ontario University Softball Championship. This weekend, Queen’s decided it had been long enough. They traveled to Waterloo wanting one thing: to win medal for the first time in program history.

Queen’s started the tournament with a win over Laurier 7-6 in their first match and followed their victory with a 10-3 win over Brock.

However, Western beat Queen’s 9-2 in

the round robin to hand the Gaels their first loss of the week and secure their spot in the final matchup.

Queen’s didn’t let the loss rattle them. They met Brock for the second time and delivered an 8-6 victory to earn a finals rematch against Western.

The game started off slow for the Gaels.

Western put up two runs, but Queen’s couldn’t cross home plate until the fifth before tying things up in the sixth. Queen’s finally turned the game in their favor when Abby Jackiln’s walk-off single drove home Taryn Miller.

“To win a very close and hard-fought game, over the 11-year reigning champions Western University, was just amazing,” Head Coach Shawn Trudeau said in a statement to The Journal

“Both teams played amazing, and this Queen’s team battled very hard to earn that victory. That’s what made it special.”

Queen’s continued to make history as Sarah Van Del Heuvel became the first ever Gael to win the Most Valuable Player in the Championship game. Previously, this title has been held by a Mustangs player for an impressive 10 straight seasons.

“All these athletes have been playing for a long time,” Trudeau said.

“The team chemistry was amazing. The athletes said it was so special to win the

gold medal with this group of teammates will be something they cherish for a long time. The team was absolutely ecstatic when they won.”

Ultimately, Trudeau commended the team on their historic finish and credited their accomplishment to their teamwork and skill.

“All the hard work, supporting, and believing in each other paid off.”

Gee-Gee Bradley Chenier passes around two sliding Gaels.

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

LIFESTYLE

Nightmare fuel for the Halloween season

Maddie Hunt Senior Lifestyle Editor

With Halloween this weekend, The Journal thought it was imperative we share some of our favourite spooky stories. I mean, who doesn’t like reading creepy stories and then walking around small-town creepy Kingston at night?

Here are some stories to contribute to your nightmares.

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It was 5:57 on a Wednesday evening when Donny Hammer was walking down Union Street to enter the Lederman Law Library. He pushed open the glass doors and stepped inside, feeling the glass walls encase him in a quiet showcase. When he glanced at his reflection, he saw shadows under his eyes and a thick brown spider hanging beside his face.

Donny jumped back and slipped down the stairs, falling into the hard ground below. Suddenly, a cold hand that smelled of yellowed books pressed into his back, smothering his gurgled scream.

All he could feel was a presence

pressed against his body and the movement of fluttering fabric. But the second he turned his head to confront the perpetrator, the figure behind him disappeared, dissipating into the air.

Donny stood frozen on the steps leading up, staring into the glass reflection as if it would answer the mystery—as if it would show the figure again. For a second, he thought he’d made it up, but when glancing closer into his reflection, he could see the impression of a glowing handprint on his face.

—Suzy Leinster, Features Editor

This one comes from a web editor, Rajesh, at an Indian newspaper.

Rajesh left work around 2 a.m. and started riding a scooter back home. The summers in India are hot with the night offering some reprieve from the heat of the day.

The eerie winding roads of Rajesh’s quiet, residential neighbourhood was a calming force among the hustle and bustle of the newsroom—he needed this commute back home. Normally such a quiet trip home would feel

calming, but tonight, the silence in the distance had Rajesh on edge. The limited working streetlights flickered, contributing to his angst. Something was different tonight.

As Rajesh drove closer to one of the few intersections, he saw a short girl wearing an all-white robe leaning on two bamboo canes. Rajesh could see her lean her limp body forward, trying to make out the street signs.

Despite her looking afraid—terrified, even—her beauty was evident. Her long-black hair was silky, yet messy, almost like it had been grabbed.

The girl was confused and hesitant when Rajesh stopped to speak with her. Uncomfortable with the interaction, she carefully asked for directions to the nearest police station.

Rajesh felt the compulsion to help her, but he didn’t want to get involved in a personal—possibly

dangerous—situation. He offered her directions and wished her the best of luck; while Rajesh was rooting for her, he couldn’t help but feel she was in a threatening situation.

Two mornings later, Rajesh went to his front doorstep to pick up the paper he worked so hard on the night previous. He opened his door, and the next thing he knew his face was on the pavement.

When looking for what he tripped on, he saw two bamboo canes, accompanied with a carbon-copied incident report of first-degree murder.

—Asbah Ahmad, Senior News Editor

It’s a story we all know, and it’s one that stuck with me since I was a kid. I remember hearing many different versions of this, but the effect is the same in the end: fearing the dark and

being terrified to leave their room at night.

If you go to the bathroom at midnight, take a candle with you and stare at the mirror—you’ve already started the ritual to summon her. Then you spin around three times and repeat her name: “Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary.”

She’ll appear as your reflection, staring back at you with terrifying eyes, and all you can do is look back, mortified by the ghostly figure standing in front of you.

Depending on whom you ask, the time she can be summoned is different—1 a.m. or 3 a.m.—but it’s always at the quietest hour of the night.

It doesn’t matter where or when; just remember when you look at your reflection, don’t say her name out loud.

—Clanny Mugabe, Assistant Lifestyle Editor

Different forms of therapy

Therapy is personal, and that’s okay

However, if therapy isn’t for you, that’s okay too.

Some turn to friends and family to talk about the mental obstacles they may be facing. Confiding in someone you’re comfortable with and trust is a great way to really put your thoughts out, gain new perspectives, and clear your mind.

and can ground myself to take my next steps.

The last form of self-therapy—arguably not a desirable one, but one many people choose to deal with their problems is retail therapy.

Maddie Hunt

Senior Lifestyle Editor

In a room of people I love, I’ve felt completely alone.

I’ve felt crushing feelings of sadness, complimented by the frustration of not knowing quite what I could do to fix it. After trying various types of therapy, I slowly started to find ways to ground myself and reconnect to the world around me, in ways that worked uniquely for me.

Everyone regulates their emotions differently, whether that’s by talking to a therapist or going for a walk with a friend. The way we therapize ourselves is completely personal, so different techniques work for different people. It all comes down to which works best for you.

For some, talking to therapists is extremely beneficial. Therapists offer confidentiality practices, so you can fully discuss your struggles without judgment

or exposure. Because of this, the largest piece of advice I can provide when attending therapy is to be honest with your therapist.

The first thing that comes to mind is Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Tornado Warnings.” She sings about the obstacles she faces in getting over heartbreak and the errors she makes along the way, which result in her lying to her therapist. Consequently, she negates the fact that these issues still exist.

There’s no reason to hold back with your therapist; their job is to listen and console you without judgment. They’re qualified professionals who know how to help your situation.

Honesty is the first step in acknowledging an upsetting situation, recognizing your feelings, and working toward healing—and what’s more honest than telling a complete stranger

about a personally traumatic event?

Normalizing therapy is essential. In doing so, we aid in de-stigmatizing conversations around mental health and develop an environment in which individuals struggling and working to feel better do not feel like outliers.

Whether you feel you need therapy or not, I’ve always believed that everyone and anyone can benefit from such practices. We all need a bit of help sometimes, and if we recognize that, we can begin to normalize therapeutic practices without fear of judgment.

If this is something you’re looking for, Queen’s offers outlets like Empower Me, a 24/7 crisis hotline you can call for any issue—never too big or too small. It’s completely confidential and run by trained professionals. Student Wellness Services in Mitchell Hall also offer counselling services and other health-related services.

At times, you may not see the full picture, and getting clarity from friends and family can be an excellent way to see your problem from a new angle—and often see it’s smaller than what you had made it in your head.

For some, speaking to others isn’t helpful. Personally, I know that no matter whom I speak to, or what they have to say—as helpful as it may be—I need to work through problems on my own. I need to understand my problems for myself and no matter what’s said to help, how I deal with it needs to be completely my call.

For that reason, I turn to exercise to help me get through my struggles. Whether that’s going on a two-hour walk around campus with a friend and not discussing the matter or putting my AirPods in and going for a run, moving my body makes me feel better.

It may not give me the answers I need, but for that time, I’m focused on myself, have a clearer head,

Retail therapy is helpful to an extent. Yes, buying that cute top will make you feel better, but in doing so, you avoid the actual problem, you make no progress in finding a solution, and your wallet faces the consequences.

However, sometimes material things—whether that’s a new sweater, a new pair of shoes, or something else—do make you feel better overall, because you have new things to focus on. If that’s what works for you, then that’s great too.

At the end of the day, everyone deals with their emotions differently. What may work for one person doesn’t for another—and that’s okay. All that matters is that you find what works for you and use that to push through any obstacles you may be facing.

Finding what works for you will help you reconnect with yourself, your emotions, and with others. It will help you stand in the room of people and start to feel their presence once again.

Ghost stories can be shared among friends.

ILLUSTRATION BY ARDEN MASON-OURIQUE

GRAPHIC BY AMNA RAFIQ

Cardio can be fun—no treadmill required

Three cardio alternatives to running

Emily Miller Contributor

Cardio can be a big ask for many people, considering we often associate it primarily with running.

You feel like you can’t breathe, you’re sweating like crazy, and you’re probably not enjoying a second of it—yet you feel like you need to “get your cardio in,” so you push through. But having a run as your only option for cardio can get boring and repetitive. Eventually, it can hurt your joints or muscles if not practiced or well enough stretched for.

This is not something you need to go through. There are various cardio options that we seem to neglect. Here are some less painful, yet still successful, ways to fit cardio into your exercise schedule.

Intramurals

Running seems less like a chore when you’re chasing a frisbee.

One of the most common ways students here at Queen’s participate in cardio is through

intramurals. This is a great way for you to enjoy time with friends, while still moving your body.

High-intensity sports like ultimate frisbee or flag football are sports that don’t take much experience and are simply a way to get out of the house, get involved, and get moving.

One of the biggest benefits of high-intensity intramurals like these is that when you’re chasing after frisbees and laughing with friends, you forget you’re actually doing cardio. You’re still running, but you’re also laughing, chatting, and have a goal you’re trying to accomplish—much better than staring at a wall while you’re on a treadmill.

Further, forcing yourself to leave the house and go to the gym can take a lot of motivation and effort. The great thing about joining an intramural team is that there’s a scheduled time of commitment and you have friends holding you accountable to attend, which is motivation enough.

Dancing

If you have an artistic side, utilize it. For me, a great way to get my cardio in is dancing and doing Zumba. The great thing about dancing is there are many forms that you can go for, which might make the cardio experience enjoyable—unlike running, which lacks variation.

Whether you’re taking classes led by instructors to guide you through the motions, or booking a room in the ARC to take it into your own hands and improve, dancing is a great way to get your cardio in.

Dancing is an emotional way to release stress, express yourself, and move your body. Whether a hip-hop routine or ballet, it counts as cardio.

Swimming

Swimming is a great alternative to running.

The many positives to swimming are you’re gaining resistance training, it’s easier on your joints and muscles, and depending on what stroke you do, you can work different areas of your body.

The resistance comes from pushing against the water. For a little science lesson, water is a heavier density than air, which, in turn, provides pushback to your body.

Further, while running puts pressure on your knees, swimming allows for little to no pressure on your bones and limbs, which can create a positive exercise and overall health experience. You do not suffer injuries or pain as often as you would from running.

Swimming can also be relaxing,

TikTok filters often change noses to be smaller and lips to be larger; they lighten eyes and skin and soften dark circles and acne. By creating and endorsing filters which uphold Eurocentric beauty standards, TikTok creates a narrow, damaging environment in which beauty is strictly confined to Eurocentric features.

A recent trending filter, the Glow Look filter, possessed many of these Eurocentric qualities and elicited controversy through its complete alienation of BIPOC individuals. This is only one of the troubling examples of filters which perpetuate unrealistic and exclusive representations of beauty.

Tik Tok filters fuel the fire of self-image issues

Eurocentric beauty standards alienate BIPOC users

Victoria Heath Contributor

Filters used to alter physical appearances have been around on social media for years.

The famous Snapchat dog filter and the multi-coloured flower crowns of 2016 paved the way for a plethora of beauty filters that transform the way someone looks, while still being disguised as seemingly unedited.

It’s no surprise these filters are well-known to cause low self-esteem and body image issues. When people consume social media filters, they’re implicitly told that their own face and body—taken without the filter—aren’t beautiful or desirable.

TikTok’s growing popularity has brought even more controversy to the table regarding social media filters. With its fast-paced content, problematic filters, and addictive algorithm, viewing and creating filtered videos can have a detrimental effect on viewers.

The app is notoriously addictive. Thanks to the short length of its content, users’ attention are held for longer periods of time, eliciting the familiar ‘addictive’ feeling through the brain’s release of dopamine. Coupled with this, the app’s personalised and specific algorithm makes it almost impossible to not find an enjoyable niche of content.

These two features have made TikTok an even more unsafe platform for the security and stability of users’ self-esteem and body confidence. The ease with which users can see content means they can be exposed to hundreds of edited videos in a short period of time.

It’s this extreme and constant exposure which exacerbates the existing issues with beauty filters.

Furthermore, the specific algorithm works by showing users more of what they watch. So, if an individual watches a lot of videos with beauty filters, they’re shown more and more of the same content. This creates a dangerous echo chamber of content.

On some TikTok videos, users can see at the bottom of the screen when a video has been uploaded with a filter. However, this method isn’t fool-proof; users can bypass it with various methods to create a video that’s seemingly unedited and dangerously inconspicuous.

Such videos negatively impact users’ selfesteem by forced them to compare themselves to a fake and altered video of someone else. Crucially, these beauty filters also promote an idealised model of beauty, drawing upon current ‘trending’ body types and Eurocentric features to create problematic representations of what’s attractive.

As TikTok remains one of the most popular apps for our generation, we must

and is a great way to clear your head. When you’re in the water, you have no other distractions, noises, or things to worry about. It’s a great escape from reality for a small period of time—which, unfortunately, running doesn’t offer you.

Participating in cardio should not be a strenuous activity you put your body through or something you dread doing. You should feel enjoyment and pride from completing an exercise, even if it sometimes doesn’t feel like an exercise.

There are ways to enjoy working out, you just need to find what’s best for you.

acknowledge its shortcomings—namely, how it exacerbates the already existent problems with using beauty filters on social media.

While TikTok has drawn influence from many of its predecessors, the addictive nature of its algorithm and short content are sure-fire ways for users to become even more susceptible to lower self-esteem and body confidence.

With the app’s ever-growing and expanding influence, it begs the question whether TikTok will ever shun the use of filters that can leave its users feeling alienated and insecure.

Ultimate frisbee is an enjoyable way to get your cardio in.

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

Tik Tok filters

view

GRAPHIC BY AMNA RAFIQ

Where my birth control journey has led me

Navigating healthcare in a world that doesn’t take women’s pain seriously

Maia McCann Editorials Editor

My experience with birth control started when I was around 16 and I went on the pill to help with my period pain.

I’d had friends who became depressed on the pill, but luckily that wasn’t a side effect I suffered. For the most part, I didn’t have much to complain about.

In my second year at Queens, after transferring my prescription to Kingston, I ended up with a different brand of pill. With this brand, I noticed more side effects and eventually decided to go off birth control for a while.

Fast forward to this summer: rather than go back on the pill, I chose to get an Intra-Uterine Device (IUD), which is a long-term form of birth control. My mother and some of my friends encouraged me, since IUDs had worked well for them and are highly effective at preventing pregnancy.

So, I booked an appointment and took the afternoon off from my summer job.

Despite the care and compassion of not one, but three healthcare professionals it took to insert my IUD, the experience was mildly traumatic.

According to my doctor, most IUD insertions take about five to 10 minutes. Mine took at least 20, multiple healthcare professionals, and multiple attempts at measuring my uterus—which felt like being impaled, and was by far the worst part.

I went home and felt okay despite my appointment not going the way I’d hoped. I thought five years of reliable contraception was more than worth the pain and mild humiliation.

A month went by, and my initial pain had gone away, but I started to get the odd stabbing pain in my lower abdomen. At my checkup appointment, I asked the doctor to check on my IUD to make sure it wasn’t out of place. I was surprised when he said everything was fine and sent me on my way.

My pain wasn’t improving as my IUD ‘settled,’ and was instead becoming sharper and more intense—different from anything I’d experienced before. I did what every healthcare professional advises against and started researching my symptoms.

‘IUD cramps getting worse,’ ‘sharp pelvic pain,’ ‘when cramps aren’t normal,’ my search history read.

Most medical websites said the same things: if the pain is severe, see your doctor. The problem was, I didn’t know what ‘severe’ meant. What I was experiencing didn’t feel mild, but I wasn’t rushing to the ER, either.

I had been told by the doctor who prescribed my IUD that they can increase the risk of developing ovarian cysts, but that most women don’t even notice when they have them. Before I started researching, I knew almost nothing.

While Reddit isn’t a good source for reliable medical information, it’s a great place to find personal anecdotes. r/birthcontrol was full of women with stories of cysts developing soon after IUD insertion. When I read

what other people said about ovarian cysts and IUDs, I was finally able to acknowledge my pain.

My friends and family said it probably wasn’t cysts as I thought; they were trying to reassure me. I didn’t want to tell them it was internet research that made me suspect cysts.

“

I felt [...] jealous of the women I knew who have had great success with their IUDS

In the two months following my checkup, I started noticing a pattern. I’d have sharp pains that would come and go for the two weeks before my period. Without pain medication, I struggled to get through the day. Then suddenly after my period, the pain would be gone.

Ibuprofen became my best friend. I was depending on painkillers to function for two weeks out of each month, but I hesitated to go back to the doctor. I didn’t want to accept that the ordeal I went through for long-term birth control may have been a waste.

I felt angry this was my experience, and jealous of the women I knew who have had great success with their IUDs.

I’m not trying to discourage anyone from getting an IUD—I think it can be a great thing if it works—but I was misled about how common IUD complications are and what they look like.

Everyone around me—especially healthcare workers—downplayed the possibility of a negative IUD experience. I should’ve asked

more questions, but short of knowing how much pain I’d be in, there probably isn’t much that would’ve changed my mind.

The process has felt violating. More strangers have been ‘down there’ than I’d like, and while I’m not embarrassed, it’s not something I think I’ll ever get used to.

practitioner referred me for an ultrasound.

When I got the call with my ultrasound results, the woman on the phone confirmed what I was almost sure of based on my limited research: I had ovarian cysts. She made it sound like no big deal, saying, “they’re completely benign.”

I wasn’t given any information or next steps of what that diagnosis meant. I don’t have a clear idea of what ovarian cysts are or what action I need to take to get rid of my pain. I don’t know if they’ll go away on their own or even when I get my IUD removed.

As good as most healthcare workers’ intentions are, the way women’s reproductive healthcare is handled in most of the world is an example of sex-based oppression. The limited understanding of women’s bodies is so normalized most people don’t see it as a problem.

Let’s address something: the way women’s pain is normalized in healthcare is unacceptable. There has to be a way to access long term contraception as a woman without sacrificing comfort.

As someone with white and class privilege, I’m one of the lucky ones. And even still, after my experience, I can’t imagine what women of colour and lower-class women go through.

After three months of severe pain, I finally made an appointment at Student Wellness Services. I was apprehensive because I’d only heard of people having negative experiences there and didn’t want to be vulnerable if I’d just be invalidated.

Luckily, my experience was generally good. The nurse

I do know that a ruptured cyst can result in losing an ovary and cysts sometimes require surgery to be removed. Both untreated cysts and surgery—the treatment—can affect fertility.

“Women deserve healthcare that doesn’t invalidate us

When I told them, my mother and my boyfriend apologized for dismissing the idea that I could have cysts, but the apologies were unnecessary. I know we’ve all been conditioned not to take women’s pain seriously; even though I was the one in pain, I was guilty of it too.

Women deserve healthcare that doesn’t invalidate us and helps us understand our bodies, so we don’t have to suffer silently. Women deserve to feel comfortable and confident to speak up when we’re in pain. Women deserve better.

Maia believes the way women’s pain is normalized is unacceptable.

SUPPLIED BY MAIA MCCANN

“I did what every healthcare professional advices against and started researching my symptoms.

“Let’s address something: the way women’s pain is normalized in healthcare is unacceptable