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A look at how Kingston’s rent prices stack up.
A take on online piracy.
Exploring the inner workings of a funeral home.
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F r i d ay , J a n u a r y 2 5 , 2 0 1 3 — I s s u e 2 8
j the ournal Queen’s University — Since 1873
AMS elections
Heated debate
Not standing idly by
Presidential candidates discuss accessibility in final executive debate
B y N ick Faris , R achel H erscovici and Vincent M atak Journal Staff AMS presidential candidates faced-off Thursday night over how to make Queen’s more accessible. Candidates Eril Berkok of Team BGP, Troy Sherman of Team TNL and Alexander Prescott of Team PDA debated in front of a spirited crowd in the Lower Ceilidh of the JDUC. For BGP’s Eril Berkok, CompSci ’12, accessibility means ensuring equitable standards for students through extensive consultation. “The AMS needs to ensure that regardless of students’ backgrounds, they can get the same experience with no disadvantages,” Berkok said. Part of this includes ensuring the needs of different groups within the AMS are properly voiced. TNL believes in accessibility focuses on getting students involved and making information and discussion easily attainable to all students. “It’s important students feel engaged in the processes of
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these decisions being made and their voices are heard,” Sherman, ArtSci ’14, said. “We’re going to try to make our AMS more accessible by putting in place an AMS app.” The app will allow students access to room bookings, job opportunities, various student services and other AMS information all on their smart phones. PDA emphasized the AMS’ role in promoting both social and physical accessibility. “It’s important that the AMS takes a leadership on both [facets], and actually works to improve both,” Prescott, ArtSci ’14, said. Prescott’s comments on physical accessibility were centred on making necessary renovations to the JDUC, such as repairing elevators and installing ramps. Photo By Alex Choi “When we start speaking about Dancers perform in the JDUC in solidarity with Idle No More. See page 9 for full story. the JDUC revitalization fund, [that’s] where we should be putting our money, instead of building candidate Prescott did not read our Accessibility bridges that don’t meet accessibility fact sheet,” Sherman said. “There is an accessible option for this bridge.” codes,” he said. Prescott rebutted Sherman by In response to Prescott, Berkok said that BGP will lobby questioning the construction costs the University administration of TNL’s proposal. “We hear about accessible options to ensure appropriate physical accessibility standards, but added to this bridge, but we don’t hear that student representation should about the price tag of incorporating accessibility,” Prescott said. “It be emphasized. “By empowering these wouldn’t work under budget.” Prescott said that in order to underrepresented groups, we allow all people within the AMS to share comply with Queen’s Accessibility that same experience,” he said. Policy, a bridge from Common “[We want] to ensure that all clubs Ground in the Queen’s Centre B y J ulia Vriend what the best is, what it should be, are supported and different groups would have to connect to the Assistant News Editor and what will be.” have somewhere to call their own.” JDUC’s third story, rather than the At the event, attendees Sherman addressed Prescott’s second. Two years after the approval of discussed improving the five “What’s the point of having Queen’s accessibility framework, priority areas through which to remarks by commenting that TNL included an accessibility option in a bridge if we have to go up the University continues to strive achieve accessibility at Queen’s: their fact sheet regarding the bridge. one extra floor to go over?” towards a more accessible campus. customer service; information and “I think that’s unfortunate that Prescott said. At an Accessibility Café communications; employment; held at Stauffer Library on built environment; and education, Wednesday, organizers aimed to training and wellness. inform members of the Queen’s In part the brainchild of Penning, community about “accessible it was the departure of three graduate students from Queen’s program and course delivery.” The event, hosted by the due to a lack of accessibility that Equity Office, was attended by a inspired the creation of working dozen people, including teaching groups to address each priority. assistants and representatives from The groups were identified in campus offices like the Adaptive the Queen’s University Strategic Technology Centre and Physical Framework for Accessibility, which and Campus Planning. was developed in response to the “We want to optimize the Ontario legislation’s Accessibility experience for students at Queen’s,” for Ontarians with Disabilities Queen’s Equity Office’s Equity Act (AODA) enacted in 2005 to Photos by Alex Choi From left to right: Eril Berkok, Alexander Prescott and Advisor Heidi Penning said during address accessibility issues. the event. “We want to identify See Groups on page 10 Troy Sherman.
Queen’s aims for accessible campus
Queen’s still working towards more functional campus for all students