The Queen's Journal, Issue 1

QuilTs aT Queen’s

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T U E S D AY , M AY 3 1 , 2 0 11 — I S S U E 1

THE JOURNAL

Q U e e N ’ s U N I V e R s I T Y — C A N A DA ’ s O L D e s T s T U D e N T N e w s PA P e R — s I N C e 1 8 7 3

SPring reneWal

orIentatIon

Campus concert revived

StUDent lIFe

Students face ban

B y C atherine o WSiK Assistant News Editor This year’s Frosh Week concert is returning to Queen’s campus following unanimous approval from Kingston City Council.

In a May 3 vote, City Council granted the AMS a one-night exemption to a noise control bylaw which prevented on-campus concerts between 2008 and 2010.

Orientation Roundtable (ORT) Coordinator Rachel Shindman said the concert will be held in the Miller Hall parking lot—its original venue prior to 2008.

“The main reasons why the ORT pursued [bringing] the concert back to campus were cost, safety and security,” Shindman, ConEd ’12, said.

This year, the concert is budgeted for $80,000.

Last year’s concert cost ORT around $100,000, with half the money spent on renting Fort Henry for the night.

Shindman said that a financial analysis and safety review of the past three concerts found that there were other negative factors associated with holding the concert off-campus.

When the concert was held at Fort Henry in 2008, one student suffered a serious injury due to the venue’s poor lighting and ditch system.

“Bringing it back to campus automatically lowers the risk of the event because the Miller Hall parking lot is almost entirely enclosed by buildings and is relatively easy to secure,” Shindman said.

She has been working since November to bring the concert back to campus.

“It was Pat [Denroche, ORT Concert Director,] and I who went about the process,” she said, adding that they spoke with Kingston General Hospital representatives, the AMS, Mayor Mark Gerretsen and 11 city councillors to address concerns about attendance and noise.

“This year we focused a lot on City Council because we knew that See Concert on page 6

Queen’s Alumni gather to watch fireworks at Fort Henry as part of the third Spring Reunion last weekend.

photo by Corey lablanS

oBItUary

Keeping Kyle First-year student Kyle Kinsella will be remembered as a gentle, kind and loyal person by those who knew him.

Kyle, Sci ’14, died on April 5, 2011.

Kyle’s mother Rebecca Kinsella said her son was someone who excelled in all subjects.

“He was going into electrical and computing engineering next year,” she said. “He won a lot of awards in high school, and was a very talented player on his high school soccer team.”

Kyle loved nature and often competed in fishing tournaments with his father.

“We had a cottage and our best memories would be there, spending time with him in the outdoors,” Kinsella said, adding that other favorite memories with her son included watching him play competitive soccer and card games

with friends and family.

Kyle was shy at times but his friends knew him for his sense of humour and caring personality.

“He helped a lot of people,” Kinsella said.

“He was big before his [friends] were, and he never used his height or weight to his advantage.”

Kyle suffered from type 1 diabetes since he was 10 and had to wear an insulin pump.

“He had to do stuff that other people never had to deal with,” Kinsella said. “But he never complained about anything.”

Erik Veenendaal, Sci ’14, was friends with Kyle since kindergarten and remembers him as a happy and upbeat individual.

Veenendaal said he would frequently play music with Kyle See He never on page 6

Provost Bob Silverman banned six students from campus for the summer, after they were recently caught on a campus building rooftop.

If they are summer employees of the University, an exception to this ruling will be made.

Silverman told Senate on May 25 that in March he had messaged all students advising them to make safe choices. The email came after an increasing number of students were seen on building rooftops.

“This is a very serious matter, especially in light of tragic events this year on campus,” Silverman said in his report. “This dangerous behavior must stop.”

He also recommended to the University Student Appeal Board that the six students who were caught withdraw from Queen’s for one term beginning in September.

The appeal board is expected to make a decision regarding the students future at Queen’s during a summer hearing. The students could not be identified.

—Katherine Fernandez-Blance

inside FleXible reVoluTion

global eXchange

A Queen’s professor talks about his paper-like smartphone invention.

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Program funds students to do research abroad.

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class siZes on The incline Features explores the reasons behind the increase at Queen’s.

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elecTion reFlecTion Dialogue examines Ted Hsu’s success despite nationwide Liberal failure.

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arTisTic FeasT Union Gallery presents 7 Courses as a part of the Art Shift mentorship program.

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gael heads To cFl Queen’s lineman drafted by Saskatchewan Roughriders.

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where To wed?

Postscript investigates why couples choose to marry at Queen’s.

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News

2 •queensjournal.ca

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

technology

Professor invents paper-thin phone Roel Vertegaal designs prototype of a flexible smartphone after working on it for seven years B y S avoula S tylianou Assistant News Editor A revolutionary smartphone that looks and bends like a piece of paper has brought international acclaim to a Queen’s professor.

Roel Vertegaal, associate professor at the school of computing, spearheaded the 9.5 cm invention.

These new “smartphones will be thinner and lighter weight. They don’t break when you drop them.

”

—Roel Vertegaal, associate professor at the School of Computing and Director of the Human Media Lab

The product is made of a tall flexible slip of plastic which uses E- ink to display text just like a Kindle reader. Currently the PaperPhone can make calls, take notes, and plays music only when connected to a laptop. Users must bend different corners of the device

to perform these actions.

“You can curve [flexible smartphones] around, you can use them as if they were paper, and thus you can copy some of the interaction techniques,” Vertegaal said, adding that this will hopefully help those who are uncomfortable interacting with technology.

Vertegaal is also the director of Queen’s Media Lab. A prototype of the flexible smartphone was revealed by Vertegaal and his team at a May 10 conference in British Columbia. It took $7,000 to create and was the result of collaboration between Queen’s and Arizona State University.

“We’ve been working [on this for] seven years,” Vertegaal said.

“We’re having a lot of fun and [we’re] working with the top industrial designers.”

Vertegaal said apps are a thing of the past and smartphones like iPhone won’t be able to match his product.

“These new smartphones will be thinner [and have a] lighter weight.

They don’t break when you drop them,” he said.

Although Vertegaal’s creation is a revolution in smart technology, there is no current market for his

A research-based institution Hundreds of professors have been recognized for inventions and research conducted while at Queen’s.

Here’s a short list: • Roel Vertegaal also invented Eyebox2, a portable device that monitors eye movements to track how many people view advertiser’s billboards and screens.

•Andrew Craig, a professor who works in the department of biochemistry and the Cancer Research Institute has discovered a protein that can halt the spread of breast cancer cells.

• Rany Shamloul, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of pharmacology and toxicology, led a research project that found cell phone use can lead to lower fertility and sperm quality.

• Chemistry professor Philip Jessop invented a solvent that when combined with carbon dioxide, extracts oil from soybeans. The solvent aims to recycle carbon dioxide to make it into something helpful rather than harmful.

• Anatomy and cell biology professor Stephen Scott invented the Kinesiological Instrument for Normal and Altered Reaching Movement (KINARM.) The device can be used to study the cognitive, motor and sensory functions of the brain and is the only objective tool for assessing brain function.

• Joshua Pearce, professor of mechanical and materials engineering, is currently leading a project to investigate how weather conditions impact the effectiveness of solar panels.

• Professor of chemical engineering, anatomy and cell biology Lauren Flynn led a research team that extracts stem cells from body fat. This project could result in soft-tissue reconstruction and tissue-engineered cartilage or bone.

—Katherine Fernandez-Blance

Users of the flexible smartphone can bend corners to perform different actions like playing music, taking notes and making phone calls. The phone could be on the market within 10 years.

device which will take five to 10 years to fully develop.

“Within 10 years there will be a market for it,” he said, adding that he expects his paper-like screen to replace the common LCD screen.

“It will happen within 10 years and possibly as early as five years.

It’s hard to tell.”

Vertegaal said he’s already received offers from companies who want to buy the rights to the smartphone.

“Eventually it’s going to be for sale,” he said. “Whether it’ll be us putting it [up] for sale or someone else is unclear.”

The work being done by the Human Media Lab has brought international attention to Queen’s School of Computing.

Vertegaal said that while people can be apprehensive about the increasing use of technology, his lab within the School of Computing aims to make technology easy and interactive.

“It’s been great running a design laboratory out of Queen’s,” he said. “What I would like for this to mean … is to get a tech hub surrounding Queen’s,” he said.

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Roel Vertegaal says he has already received offers from companies who want to buy his product.

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Campus Calendar Sunday, June 5

Monday, June 13

Saturday, June 18

Beat Beethoven Run Confederation Park 10:30 a.m.

For more details and registration see http://bit.ly/j56B0z

Kingston Conference on International Security Fort Frontenac Officers Mess 5 p.m. and continues to Wednesday, June 15.

Kingston Pride Parade Begins at City Park Noon to 2 p.m.

For more details see http://bit.ly/kKfH4Z

Tuesday, June 7

Wednesday, June 15

Queen’s Strategic Research Plan Town Hall Meeting Stauffer Library, Speaker’s Corner Noon to 1 p.m.

First Capital Day Celebrations Confederation Park 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more details see http://bit.ly/j0ngXA

Thursday, June 23 Movies in the Square Kickoff Springer Market Square 9 p.m.

See http://bit.ly/lUe053 for a full lineup

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

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Features

Journal file photo

First-year undergraduate classes at Queen’s are on the rise because of increased government funding for high levels of enrolment, says an education expert.

education

Large class sizes raise questions University administrators weigh in on class sizes and evolving teaching methods B y Terra -A nn A rnone Features Editor According to a recent study, an average first-year class at Queen’s is one of the largest in the country.

The Globe and Mail survey asked Canadian university students to estimate their first-year class sizes and found that Queen’s had an average of 341 students per class, second only to McMaster University, which boasted 392 students per class.

“Without a doubt, large classes are an issue at Queen’s,” said Andy Leger, an education developer from Queen’s Centre for Teaching and Learning.

Leger works at the Centre for Teaching and Learning, primarily researching the use of learning technology in lecture. He said he’s found that students aren’t quick to protest densely populated lectures.

“They don’t have to participate if they don’t want to. They don’t even have to go to class if they don’t want to,” Leger said.

Two years ago, eight first-year lectures had more than 400 students registered. Leger said that these numbers will continue to rise.

“The government is saying that we’re going to give more money to universities that take on more students, so we take on more students,” Leger said.

existed to “sayIf literature that small classes are better for students, we’d have done away with larger ones by now.

”

—Andy Leger, education developer for the Centre for Teaching and Learning

“But we don’t have more professors and we don’t have more TAs, so what do we do? We make the class sizes larger.”

What helps students learn?

A 2009 online study asked Queen’s students to answer the question: “Which of the following have been helpful to you in improving your learning?” Below are their answers.

• • • • •

Discussion with other students: 75.8 per cent Comments on assignments: 70.55 per cent Results on tests and exams: 60.35 per cent Questions you asked in class: 33.24 per cent Discussions with professors or TAs outside of class: 51.02 per cent • Reading the textbook: 65.89 per cent • Group work: 43.15 per cent • Packages of readings: 20.7 per cent • Interactive field studies: 19.24 per cent • Other: 10.79 per cent —Source: Tom Russell, Queen’s Centre for Teaching and Learning

Last semester, a Queen’s geography professor experimented with class size by splitting a 100-level lecture of 180 students into three smaller groups. The professor and two TAs met with groups of 60 students each week, and used online lecture videos to supplement learning.

Leger received provincial government funding to monitor and report on the experiment. He said students seemed more engaged in the smaller groups, but the effects were difficult to quantify.

“Performance in a class is hard to compare,” Leger said. “If literature existed to say that small classes are better for students, we’d have done away with larger ones by now. But it’s a very difficult study to do.”

Each year faculty are evaluated on their teaching, research and service. Leger said that faculty who receive grants or awards for their research score higher on their evaluations. The same can’t be said for those who are given teaching awards.

“There isn’t a lot of incentive for faculty members to change their approach to learning,” he said. “As a faculty member, you’re encouraged to focus on your research and not so much on your teaching.”

Leger added that if this sentiment continues, so will lecture-style classrooms.

Political studies professor Jonathan Rose said that he’s trying to adapt to larger classes. “[In larger classes] students are unengaged, attention is low and learning is low,” he said. “I don’t want to romanticize it; it’s a problem and we’re trying to figure out how to work with it.”

Rose sits on a committee that’s looking to construct a new teaching facility at the corner of Division and Union streets.

“The reality is classes are going to get larger,” he said. “So the question is, how are we going to deal with it?”

An anonymous donation funded architectural drawings for the building, but only five per cent of the construction budget has been

With funding, the proposed Teaching Space Complex could be built at Division and Union streets.

raised so far.

“This new building will respond to the increasingly higher demand for large classes,” Rose said.

“More importantly, it responds to innovations in teaching.”

I don’t want to “romanticize it; it’s a problem and we’re trying to figure out how to work with it.

”

—Jonathan Rose, political studies professor

Andrew Ness, associate registrar, said the new building could be a good opportunity for Queen’s to add to its lecture hall inventory.

“Having more room never hurts,” he said, adding that class sizes are a major decision-making factor for prospective students.

Queen’s currently has nine auditoriums which can accommodate bigger class sizes. The

photo by asad chishti

largest are Dunning auditorium at a capacity of 425 and Bio Sciences 1101 at 450.

The Registrar’s Office begins collecting course data in February before drawing up a timetable for students to select classes in the summer.

“From where students sit they think ‘Wow, I’ve got big classes’,” Ness said. “But a lot of what drives these classes to be where they are is invisible to students.”

Jo-Anne Brady, University Registrar, said that large class sizes will plateau in number due to availability of teaching space.

“There isn’t an actual objective to reduce class size,” Brady said.

“The objective our faculties have is to ensure a positive learning experience.”

Brady said that she doesn’t think there’s a strong relationship between class size and learning.

“There’s an assumption that small classes can have a very positive learning experience and large classes less so,” she said. “I don’t think that’s necessarily true.”

News

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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

International

Students to conduct research in South Africa Global Development Studies exchange program recieves $270,000 in CIDA funding B y M eaghan Wray Assistant News Editor Master’s student Leslie Wells had to change her thesis on South African HIV policy due to lack of available information.

But, thanks to a new global development studies exchange program, Wells, MA ’12, will be doing her own ground research as early as July.

Queen’s is one of 38 Canadian post-secondary institutions to receive Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funding for this partnership program with the University of Cape Town (UCT).

“

[We can] subsidize the master’s students to get a great field experience.

”

—Marc Epprecht, acting head of global development studies

Over the next four years, up to five undergraduate and two master’s students will be given internship opportunities in South African non-government and community-based organizations. $270,000 in funding means that Wells, along with two other graduate students, will have access

to the primary resources necessary to complete their research.

Wells said the program also creates travel opportunities that many students would not otherwise have. Approximately $7,000 will be available to each Queen’s student accepted into the program.

This will cover travel, living and communication-related expenses.

“The funding ... is going to allow people who maybe don’t have the means to get some international experience,” she said.

Wells said this will also benefit her future academic career.

“I’ll be able to make some contacts while I’m there, with other people who do similar things,” Wells said. “Getting the experience working with primary sources is valuable if I choose to go on and do a Ph.D.” Marc Epprecht, acting head of the global development studies department, said that summer exchange programs are often less popular than exchanges during the school year. Many students can’t afford to take four months off work, he said. “[We can] subsidize the master’s students to get a great field experience to do research in South Africa, and they can make their major research paper into a thesis, so it’s kind of upgrading it,” he said.

No undergraduate students will be taking part this session, as the

program was announced too late in the academic year.

Another aim of the program is to develop a virtual classroom to link two classes from UCT and Queen’s. The classes are working on similar projects concerning Aboriginal rights and reconciliation in their respective countries.

I’ll be able to make “some contacts while

I’m there, with other people who do similar things.

”

—Leslie Wells, MA ’12

Epprecht said the funding will allow relationships to be fostered so that students on both sides can take advantage of the opportunity.

The program will also provide four UCT graduate students with $10,000 each to study at Queen’s for one semester every year over the next four years. This program builds upon an institutional Photo by Corey Lablans partnership between Queen’s Marc Epprecht, acting head of global development and UCT, which officially began studies, says that the program will benefit students at both universities. in 2002.

“We aren’t dumping someone 2010 Queen’s on the QS World period of time,” Epprecht said.

“But because of our connections in a place where, in addition to University Rankings.

Epprecht said that he has so far [between Queen’s researchers and the culture shock, they also have to deal with language issues. UCT received a lot of positive feedback South Africans] we were able to cook it up.” is one of the best universities in from the program.

“It’s hard to organize a big the world,” he said, adding that it ranks only 29 spots below the application in a very short

News

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

News in Brief SGPS circulates VIA Rail petition A new VIA Rail policy no longer allows students over the age of 25 to receive a discount. For mature students, this means they will have to pay regular price for seats when the policy is enacted on Dec. 21, 2011.

The SGPS is part of a national campaign run through the Canadian Federation of Students.

The campaign is circulating a petition to present to VIA Rail asking for a reversal of the decision.

Anne-Marie Grondin, SGPS vice-president (campaigns and community affairs), said that VIA Rail decided to amalgamate the youth and student packages at the end of February, under the assumption that most students are youth anyway.

“Our dispute with that is first of all, that’s not true,” Grondin, PhD ’12 said. “But that also this will affect a large part of their clientele.”

In the upcoming months, the

SGPS will circulate the petition before giving it to VIA Rail at the end of the summer.

—Katherine Fernandez-Blance

Post office closing On June 30, the Retail Post Outlet (RPO)—located in the Lower Ceilidh of the JDUC—will close for good. The decision was based on the outlet’s declining sales.

The RPO sells stamps and envelopes and offers services including mail, dry cleaning and student loan processing. Two permanent staff members will be discharged from their positions following the closing.

“At a time when all Canadian universities … are facing significant financial difficulties, we have to examine the viability of all of our services,” Caroline Davis, vice-principal (finance and administration), said.

Students and faculty will have the option of using nearby pharmacies

and Canada Post outlets to process their mail. Arrangements are currently being made to establish an on-campus location to handle student loans.

Canada Post has expressed interest in providing other on-campus options in the future.

—Catherine Owsik

New minors added Undergraduates will have the option of minoring in Medieval Studies or Spanish Latin American Studies this September. The decision was approved at the April 6 senate meeting.

The new Medieval Studies option will integrate certain Art, Classics, English and History classes that have a medieval focus.

The recently established Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures will provide the Spanish Latin American Studies option.

—Catherine Hart

New AMS fund created for students A new AMS fund will help 10 incoming first-year students to pay the mandatory AMS fees due in September. The decision was passed at the April 7 AMS Assembly.

Full time students will pay $620 in mandatory AMS fees for the 2011-12 academic year. The fund of $5,000 will allow students who receive the bursary to get partial or full coverage of the fees.

Kieran Slobodin, AMS vicepresident (university affairs), said

queensjournal.ca

financial need shouldn’t be a barrier to participation in student government. The mandatory AMS fees go towards student groups like Queen’s Bands as well as athletics, student health and Orientation Week.

Students must submit an application and prove that they meet the requirements of the bursary.

The applications will be approved in October of the upcoming school year.

“I think it’s a good step for the AMS to take and once we see how it goes this year,” Slobodin, ArtSci ’12 said. “It’ll give us a good indication of whether it will be continued in the future.”

-—Savoula Stylianou

Saudi agreement signed A new agreement with the Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau of Canada encourages more Saudi students to attend Queen’s.

The agreement, signed in March, will allow Saudi students the opportunity to upgrade their English language skills before starting their degree by attending Queen’s School of English (QSoE).

Elaine Armstrong, director of the QSoE, said the agreement will help foster Queen’s internationalization efforts.

“It provides Saudi students with a solid opportunity to get into Queen’s, which is what they are looking for,” Armstrong said.

Under this new agreement, Saudi undergraduate applicants that lack an English language requirement but otherwise qualify for admission may be conditionally accepted to Queen’s. Acceptance

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comes on the condition that they attend a 10-week English language program at the QSoE. Both programs are funded by the Saudi Arabian King Abdullah Foreign Scholarship Program which provides government funding to select Saudi students to study abroad.

—Catherine Owsik

Queen’s renews ranking participation Queen’s will partake in the Times Higher Education 2011 ranking process after declining to participate last year.

Due to shifting criteria, Queen’s chose to remain unlisted in last year’s Times Higher Education ranking. The Times has now altered their methods.

Queen’s officials were concerned that previous methods used didn’t accurately take into account multiple university goals.

Chris Conway, director of the Queen’s Office of Institutional Research and Planning, said criteria used for ranking does not capture the quality undergraduate student experience found at Queen’s.

“Queen’s is still concerned because the rankings focus mainly on research volume and intensity,” Conway said.

This year Queen’s will also be participating in the QS World University Rankings and the Academic Review of World Universities. Maclean’s and Research Info Source projects will also include Queen’s in their ranking systems.

—Meaghan Wray

News

6 •queensjournal.ca

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Concert comeback supported by Council Continued from page 1

that was going to be the biggest hurdle. You can’t hold the event without that [bylaw exemption],” Shindman said.

“We received a lot of positive feedback and support … once we went through the cost, safety and security points, they saw where we were coming from.”

The noise-exemption is only applicable to this year, so the AMS will have to reapply next year if they wish to hold the concert on campus again.

Bringing it back to campus “automatically lowers the risk of the event because the Miller Hall parking lot is almost entirely enclosed by buildings and is relatively easy to secure.

”

—Rachel Shindman, ORT coordinator Sydenham District City Councillor Bill Glover voted against the exemption in 2008 but this year changed his stance on the matter.

He said that Town-Gown relations are very dependent on personal relationships. “[In 2008] we were working in the context of continuing problems with Homecoming that we had not yet really started to get a handle [of],” Glover said, adding that an improvement in open communication between the City and the University changed his vote this time around.

“The AMS folks this year have been trying to develop a good working relationship,” he said.

Both Shindman and Municipal Affairs

Photo by Corey Lablans

Students attend last year’s Frosh Week concert at Fort Henry. This year, the concert will be held on campus in the parking lot behind Miller Hall.

Commissioner David Sinkinson approached Glover to talk about Frosh Week and towngown relations.

Next year it’s possible that another exemption will be granted to the AMS, but it depends on whether or not this year’s concert is a success.

“Orientation has certainly changed from Continued from page 1 year-to-year … I’m sure it’ll continue to evolve … but we’ve come a long way since who was an avid guitarist.

2007 and 2008, no argument about that,” At the age of 13, Kyle made an automatic Glover said. guitar-strumming machine. Soon after, he used magnets and wires to make a working electric guitar and base.

“He was a great guy. He liked to listen to a whole bunch of kinds of music,” Veenendaal said. “He would never do anything that would hurt anybody or make anyone feel

‘He never complained about anything’ bad. He was good to everybody.”

Donations in Kyle’s memory can be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at jdrf.ca —Katherine Fernandez-Blance Students can contact Health, Counselling and Disability Services at 613-533-6000 ext. 78264

Kyle, described by friends as very creative, drew this self-portrait on an Etch A Sketch.

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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

News

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8 •queensjournal.ca About The Journal

Editorial Board

The Journal’s Perspective

Editors in Chief

Clare Clancy Jake Edmiston

Production Manager

Labiba Haque

News Editor

Katherine Fernandez-Blance

Assistant News Editors

Catherine Owsik Savoula Stylianou Meaghan Wray

Features Editor

Terra-Ann Arnone

Assistant Features

Derek Lachine

Editorials Editor

Andrew Stokes

Editorial Illustrator

Janghan Hong

Dialogue Editor Arts Editor

Brendan Monahan Alyssa Ashton

Assistant Arts Editor

Caitlin Choi

Sports Editor

Editorials

Gilbert Coyle

Assistant Sports Editor

Benjamin Deans

Postscript Editor

““

Unless students get involved, Spring Reunion has little chance of becoming a cemented tradition.

Reunion missing students O

ver 1,000 alumni returned to Queen’s last weekend to celebrate Spring Reunion.

Since its inception, the event has slowly grown in popularity and size, raising the question of whether or not the reunion will become a replacement or simply an alternative to Homecoming. The fall event has typically drawn around 6,000 alumni each year, far more than Spring Reunion.

With Homecoming facing an uncertain future, the Spring Reunion was created in 2009 as an alternative chance for alumni to return to their alma mater.

There are definite pros to the reunion that must be considered.

When over 1,000 alumni come to town for a weekend, there is a healthy shot of capital into

Kingston’s tourism industry and local businesses reap the benefits.

The majority of students have left Kingston for the summer, shifting the focus away from alumni-student interaction. Instead, alumni can catch up with old friends and relive their time at Queen’s on a much quieter campus.

Spring Reunion though is fundamentally unable to replace Homecoming as the major alumni event; seeing an alumnus and student share a beer on a porch is impossible when students aren’t around.

Homecoming is meant to be a chance for current students to connect and forge bonds with their counterparts, people separated by time but connected by a shared experience. Spring

Reunion removes the essence of Homecoming, leaving a glaring gap in Queen’s tradition.

Spring Reunion seems to be a consolation. As a University-sanctioned event, it’s the only viable option for many alumni.

There are ways Spring Reunion can be improved, like marketing it to alert students to its existence.

Spring Reunion needs time to grow and develop before it can be rejected outright. The chance for alumni to return to old haunts is commendable, but unless students get involved, it has little chance of becoming a cemented tradition.

Unless students and alumni can interact and swap stories, the essence of the alumni return is missing.

Jessica Fishbein Corey Lablans

Assistant Photo Editors

Justin Chin Asad Chishti Jessica Munshaw Terence Wong

Blogs Editor

Kelly Loeper

Assistant Blogs Editors

Janina Enrile Carolyn Flanagan

Web Manager

Dianne Lalonde

Business Staff

Business Manager Kevin Imrie

Sales Representatives

Kyle Cogger Katherine Pearce

Staff

Contributors Gina Elder Catherine Hart Sean Torrie Tuesday, May 31, 2011 • Issue 1 • Volume 139 The Queen’s Journal is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University, Kingston.

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

Contents © 2011 by the Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the Journal. The Queen’s Journal is printed on a Goss Community press by Performance Group of Companies in Smiths Falls, Ontario.

Contributions from all members of the Queen’s and Kingston community are welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions.

Subscriptions are available for $120.00 per year (plus applicable taxes).

Please address complaints and grievances to the Editors in Chief.

Please direct editorial, advertising and circulation enquiries to: 190 University Avenue, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3P4 Telephone : 613-533-2800 (editorial) 613-533-6711 (advertising) Fax: 613-533-6728 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca The Journal Online: www.queensjournal.ca Circulation 6,000 Issue 2 of Volume 139 will be published on Tuesday, June 28, 2011.

”

Alumni Relations

Photography Editor

Copy Editors

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Post-secondary Education

Funding for staying home

P

aypal founder Peter Thiel is for many it’s an unrealistic luxury. offering financial Thiel’s scholarships provide an incentives to high school opportunity to some who may not students under 20 to avoid be lucky enough to have multiple post-secondary education and go educational options.

Conventional education also the route of the entrepreneur. Thiel pledged $100,000 over a period of has the potential to discourage two years as a “scholarship” to 24 true creativity, forcing students to carefully selected high school think inside the box. Markets value students so they can start innovation and becoming more educated can hinder imagination. businesses or fund research.

A degree is currently a With undergraduate degrees becoming more commonplace, this must-have for many jobs, but as fund seems like an excellent way markets change, this isn’t always to challenge the conventional path. the case.

Attending a post-secondary school Employers may prefer a worker is stressful, a heavy commitment with initiative and independence and the cost may result in years rather than simply checking their of debt. Receiving funds to work pedagogical credentials. straight out of high school makes An unfortunate side effect of it hardly worth it to tough out the scholarships is that instead of the four years it takes to earn a drawing attention to the flaws of standard degree. our current education system—one This is not to say that a that has been criticized for being university degree is devoid antiquated and inadequate—it of worth. An undergraduate chooses to abandon it altogether.

Furthermore, the business education can be rewarding, but

world is a risky place, and having an innovative idea is not enough to guarantee success. Dreams and fortunes are wagered and gambled, with only a slight margin for success.

In university, the consequences of a misstep are much lighter, and a poor performance is an expected part of the learning process.

Ultimately the choice is personal and neither the decision to pursue post-secondary education or to enter the work force is decidedly right or wrong. University teaches various skills, perhaps most pertinently the skills of critical analysis and communication—two faculties which are of particular help in the business world.

It’s unlikely having a degree will hinder an individual’s success in business but the costs and benefits of schooling should be carefully weighed. The Thiel scholarships are a testament to the fact that people can be successful without being scholars.

Asad Chishti

Digital shadows A

s we tweet, comment, like and post on walls, a shadowy digital version of us is compiled in cyberspace. It’s a virtual copy of ourselves with an appearance, personality and lifestyle.

It’s similar to the Jim Carrey movie, The Truman Show.

We’re creating that Truman who’s being observed, analyzed and monitored online. We are under constant scrutiny from people we know and even those we don’t.

This digital me is being scouted by potential universities, then by potential employers, advertisers and in some cases, sketchy people (not to be confused with people who like to sketch). The definition of ‘friend’ gets blurrier as the list grows and instead of staying in touch, friends become acquaintances who pop up on a home page. As a result we have more friends but very little time to establish meaningful relationships.

My digital identity is problematic, because I’m a troll—and not like the one that Harry and Ron saved Hermione from at Hogwarts.

I belong to a social group of trolls and we live in cyburbia. It’s a no man’s land where we converse with people whom we friend and follow. I roam around on websites such as Twitter and Facebook and traumatize people with my jokes and puns. I can’t stop. Social media encourages the digital me to be social … and I love it.

But there are clear positives to having a digital identity. It was on social media sites that the recent uprisings in the Middle East were organized. In the disputed 2007 Kenyan elections, the open-source information-gathering software Ushahidi compiled eyewitness reports via text messages.

But the real question is: is privacy a thing of the past?

The fact is that everything on social media defines you. In recent months there have been reports of Facebook activity being used as evidence in court and to track down criminals. It’s getting tougher to be anonymous on the web.

But there is a forum for Queen’s students to share anonymously.

Started by an anonymous student this past year, Undergraduating Queen’s has become an outlet to share events and stories from around campus. Undergraduating Queen’s can be seen Tweeting on Twitter, blogging on tumblr and growing on Facebook.

I am a troll and we are not a dying species. In fact, we’re breeding.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

DIALOGUE

Perspectives from the Queen’s community

Federal Election

““

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•9

What is a Liberal? For years, most Talking Heads Canadians answered this question by contrasting the policies of the Liberals with ... during Spring Reunion Photos By Brendan Monahan those of the Conservatives.

The Liberal rebuild

”

How does Spring Reunion compare to Homecoming?

Ted Hsu is the kind of local-based leader needed for Liberals to overcome results of the recent election election, Liberals can afford to spend time debating these issues.

Third and most importantly, Liberals have to remember why a centrist party is necessary in Canada.

The challenges our country will face in the coming decades require balanced, evidence-based policies that do not rely on ideology.

On the economy, Liberals must have policies that recognize the importance of deficitreduction balanced with strong social programs.

On the environment, Liberals must have policies that reduce the damage Canadians do to the environment while allowing us to remain economically competitive.

On healthcare, where an increasing proportion of government revenue is being spent, Liberals must find the middle ground between the Tory solution of privatization and the NDP solution which allows healthcare costs to increase to a point that is unsustainable.

The riding of Kingston and the Islands is positioned to take Photo by Corey Lablans a leadership role as the Liberals Kingston and the Islands MP Ted Hsu (left) and the riding’s former MP, Liberal Peter Miliken, at encounter these present and future Hsu’s election party on May 2. challenges and demonstrate to What is a Liberal? For years, and what they stand for in order to Canadians that a balanced, centrist approach to these issues is not only most Canadians answered this be successful in the future.

A second question that must be relevant but needed. question by contrasting the In an election where some policies of the Liberals with addressed is, “what kind of policies those of the Conservatives. By do the Liberals want to pursue?” If politicians were elected without defining themselves only in the Liberals fail to offer Canadians spending any time in their ridings, opposition to Conservatives, new, bold and substantive policies, Hsu’s campaign reminded me Liberals have failed to elevate their the Canadian electorate will ignore of the importance of strong S ean Torrie , A rt S ci ’11 local candidates. platform above those of other the party.

Of the hundreds of Kingston Currently the Liberals As the Liberal Party enters a non-Conservative parties.

After years of explaining how are the only party without a voters I talked to during the substantial rebuilding phase, it’s useful to reflect on the results of the the Conservatives are undemocratic, position on Senate reform and campaign, many said they were recent election and its implications heartless robots, the Liberals failed the only national opposition unsure of the Liberals but would to provide an explanation of why party which isn’t advocating for support Hsu. for the future.

This is the kind of local On May 2, Ted Hsu secured Canadians should vote Liberal electoral reform.

Canada’s first-past-the-post leadership that will aid the party’s his seat as the Liberal Member instead of NDP, Green or Bloc.

For decades, Liberals argued that electoral system wastes votes, does rebuilding process on a national of Parliament for Kingston and not accurately represent voters’ level. The party needs to define the Islands. interests and allows for a party that what it means to be a Liberal, The riding now represents one Of the hundreds of receives 40 per cent of the popular debate bold policies and explain of just 34 Liberal seats in the House Kingston voters I talked vote to have 100 per cent control why a centrist party is relevant to of Commons. the challenges facing Canadians in of Parliament.

Too few Liberals have realized to during the campaign, Personally, I would like to see coming years. that Canada’s 41st election has put many said they were As long as the Liberal Party Canada adopt Australia’s electoral their party somewhere it has never unsure of the Liberals remembers there is more to learn system.

The lower house is elected been nationally: third place. but would support Hsu.

by Alternative Vote, as in AMS from losing than winning, the party During the campaign, Liberals elections. The Senate is elected by a will be able to provide Canadians didn’t demonstrate that they were fit to govern and were unable to NDP, Bloc and Green supporters proportional system, meaning that with a choice worth voting for, connect with Canadians. However, should vote strategically to prevent if a party gets 30 per cent of the both in Kingston and beyond. vote, it gets 30 per cent of the seats.

Liberals must understand that a Conservative government.

Mandatory voting is also Sean Torrie was a volunteer for Ted the election result was not the Once the NDP seemed like a product of short-term factors. It’s more viable option, some Liberals something worth looking at, Hsu’s campaign in Kingston and the part of the party’s long-term trend began supporting them, while considering Canada’s atrocious Islands and is former president of the towards irrelevance. others began voting strategically voter turnout. Only an estimated Queen’s University 61 per cent of Canadians aged 18 Liberal Association.

To move on and to be successful, for the Conservatives. the party must answer some The Liberals need to build a or over voted on May 2.

With four years until the next fundamental questions. clear definition of who they are

Have an opinion?

Submit a letter to journal_letters@ams.queensu.ca

“It’s a friendly atmosphere and we’re able to really see the University.”

Wally Vrooman, ArtSci ’62

“Homecoming should be reinstated in the fall.”

Jenn Newman, Comm ’91

“I’m happy to be back either way.”

Sheyrl Strother, Comm ’91

“The spring time works much better with my work schedule!”

Robert Wade, Phys Ed ’86

“I miss the students and the football game.”

Sue McCracken, Comm ’91

Have your say.

Comment at queensjournal.ca

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

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art preview

A septet emerges At the end of its second year, Union Gallery’s Art Shift presents the diverse projects of seven emerging artists B y A lyssa A shton Arts Editor Over the summer, Union Gallery will showcase the work of seven new artists. Union Gallery’s program Art Shift matches emerging artists with mentors who provide guidance on their craft, Artists also learn the more practical skills—like applying for funding.

The seven mentored artists will exhibit work in Union Gallery’s 7 Courses until Aug. 12.

“I really wanted to focus on fine Collecting Stories displays numerous Signature Quilts, like the “Friendship Signature Chimney Sweep” seen above. made to mark an tuning all aspects of my portfolio occassion or as a parting gift for a family moving out of town. For an extended photo gallery, see page 11. so that I could feel confident in sending it to galleries and applying Art Preview for exhibition proposals,” Celia Piper told the Journal via email.

“Above all, participating in Art Shift has really motivated me to keep on creating.”

Union Gallery created Art Shift two years ago. In order to

Arts

Photo by Corey Lablans

Embroidering a history

See Keep on page 12

Collecting Stories: The Heritage Quilt Collection exhibits the long history of quilt preservation at the Agnes Etherington, keeping century-old stories vibrant B y A lyssa A shton G ina E lder Journal Staff

photo by asad chishti

Erik Satie’s “Vexations” gets a facelift in Michael Davidge’s piece for 7 Courses.

and

Walking into an art exhibit can be disorienting and over air conditioned. But the massive quilts in Agnes Etherington Art Centre’s Collecting Stories: The Heritage Quilt Collection looked warm enough to sleep in.

Collecting Stories may be a current exhibit, but it has a long-standing history at the centre.

A wall-mounted TV at Agnes plays 2009 footage of three women who spear-headed the art centre’s expansive quilt collection. In 1981 Diane Berry, Frances Crandall and

Margaret Rhodes approached Agnes Etherington staff about displaying a collection of quilts.

The centre has displayed the collection throughout the last three decades, with the first exhibit opening back in 1974. The collection has over 65 quilts, some dating as far back as the 1800s.

The quilts and their descriptions aim to bring the viewer into the history preserved in the quilts themselves. The “Friendship Signature Chimney Sweep” is a simple white quilt with names embroidered into the centre of each square. The names aren’t familiar and the reason for the quilt’s creation is unknown,

but you feel a connection to these people.

One of the most striking quilts is the “Embroidered Sampler” by Betsy Adams Dodge from the late 1800s. It’s done in the Victorian crazy quilt style, using rich fabrics and Japanese fan motifs. The initials of Dodge’s husband are stitched into the middle of the quilt. Quilts may be an everyday object, but they have the unique ability to connect viewers to the women who wove them 200 years ago.

In another room, quilts hang staunchly behind three ghostly nightgowns. There’s a handcrafted bed in the center of the room,

Interview

No more waitin’ and seein’ Despite a recent shake-up to her band, Nova Scotia’s Carmen Townsend is ready to bring her rock tunes and rollicking live set to the Mansion B y C aitlin C hoi Assistant Arts Editor Carmen Townsend and her bandmates are touring Canada in a minivan this month and they’re looking for places to stay.

“Want to support some hard working rockers? We might need a place to crash,” Townsend tweeted on May 16.

The Cape Breton singer-songwriter hasn’t stopped touring since the January 2011 release of her debut album Waitin’

and Seein’. She just returned from her mini tour in the UK last Monday.

“

I love being by the water and being in the woods and I get a lot of inspiration from nature for my songs.

”

—Carmen Townsend

She started the year with a Canada-wide tour, opening for

Heart. The tour was Townsend’s first time performing her music for thousands, a slight adjustment from her beginnings playing in a Sydney, Nova Scotia barn six years ago.

“The Heart shows were just me and an acoustic guitar, so it was kind of freaky at first,” she said.

“I’m so used to having the rock band, that’s my thing.”

Playing in famed venues like Toronto’s Massey Hall gave Townsend a chance to reflect on her growth as an artist and a performer.

“I’ve been performing since I was fifteen,” Townsend, (34), said.

“It was like a pat on the back.”

Last weekend, Townsend started her Canadian tour in Hamilton with bass player Shane O’Handley and new drummer Steve Wilton—added just days ago. For Townsend, going home provides constant inspiration.

“Actually, I wrote quite a bit of the songs [from the album], lyric wise, hunkered down in a little See Starting on page 12

made in 1868 by the Penitentiary Cabinet Warehouse. The project paid convicts in Kingston Penitentiary $0.35 a day to craft their goods. Solid and stiff, the bed is a story encased in an everyday object.

Collecting Stories may not be a traditional art exhibit, but the stories preserved through the passing down of quilts make it one of the most personal exhibits at Agnes in recent memory.

Collecting Stories will be displayed until July 17 at the Agnes Etherington Art Center in the Samuel J. Zacks and Historical Feature Galleries.

Online Fleets for Foxes Journal staffers bring you their thoughts on Fleet Foxes’ much anticipated sophmore album, Helplessness Blues.

A Shiny Debut Toronto singer-songwriter Meredith Shaw released her debut album, Place Called Happy, last mont.

The artist talks to the Journal about comparisons to Adele, inspiring young women and her favourite colour.

Arts

11 •queensjournal.ca

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Music

Sizzling and soothing songs of summer Katy Perry, the Black Eyed Peas and Adele may be burning up the Billboard charts, but the Journal gives you ten songs that are must hears this summer “ Yo u K n o w I Did” The Liptonians

“A n E a s y L i f e ” B r o k e n B e ll s

“Bridge Burning” Foo Fighters

“Problems” Mother Mother

“Exile Vilify” The National

Winnipeg-based The Liptonians have the perfect opening track for summer. Horns, strings and a glockenspiel are the perfect way to start a day.

A steady, metallic grind provides the rhythm for this toe-tapper.

You’ll love the melodic beep halfway through.

The current kings of arena rock don’t disappoint with their newest work. The drums are hard and fast, the guitar screeches feedback and Grohl’s voice is in fine form.

Flawless vocal work is the focus of this fun, poppy track. Each chorus is a high attack punch.

For the days when you’re feeling sombre and dejected.

“ S e a s o n ’ s Tr e e s ” Danger Mouse and Daniele L u p p i ft .

Norah Jones

“Louder Than Ever” Cold War Kids

“ Virgin” Manchester Orchestra

“ I F e e l Yo u ” Sam Roberts Band

“Grown Ocean” Fleet Foxes

A heavy track with an evil guitar line. The children’s choir is appropriately creepy. Listen to this one loud.

A long and dragging opening sets the mood for Sam Roberts’ newest single. It gets fast and big by the end.

Triumphant harmonies, trilling flutes, solid percussion and poetic lyrics make this a musical coup de grace.

— Andrew Stokes

Jones’ sultry voice is perfect for a hot summer night. This one’s for the Spaghetti Western gunslinger who is both a lover and a fighter.

Frequent chorus breaks make it hard to resist singing along.

Binding stories

The Agnes Etherington Art Centre has over 65 quilts which are rotated out of storage and into the exhibit periodically. A photo gallery of the quilt inventory is available at at www.aeac.ca.

Photos by Corey Lablans

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Starting all over Continued from page 10

cottage by the ocean,” Townsend said. “I love being by the water and being in the woods and I get a lot of inspiration from nature for my songs. It’s always a nice opportunity to get away and write.”

When you’re driving all “over the place it’s nice to take it easy and take good care of yourself. ” —Carmen Townsend

Townsend and her band will play at the Mansion tomorrow night, but you won’t find them partying before or after a show.

“We aren’t very big party animals,”

Arts

Townsend said. “We like to hang out and meet new people and have a good time … all the commotion and people talking is very dangerous as a singer because that’s when you lose your voice … When you’re driving all over the place it’s nice to take it easy and take good care of yourself.”

Although Townsend is busy touring across Canada until mid-August, she’s already contemplating what’s next.

“After the tour, we are getting into festival season,” Townsend said, with plans to play at Evolve Festival and the Calgary Stampede. “I know we are heading back to Australia and we’ll see about the next album from there, I think I need more hours!”

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‘Keep on creating’

Carmen Townsend plays at the Mansion on June 1 at 10:30 p.m.

photo by asad chishti

At the May 18 opening of Davidge’s “The square root of Vexations to the power of three,” he gave a performance of of “Vexations”that went from 7:10 to 7:57 p.m.

On the eve of touring for her debut album, Carmen Townsend faced a major set-back.

Her drummer broke his hand, forcing Townsend to have to search Cape Breton for a new drummer, which she found in Steve Wilton who she refers to as “Wonder Boy.”

Supplied

Continued from page 10

be eligible for the program, participants must have completed post-secondary education or four to six months of accredited training.

“I’ve only just realized that the studio of my dreams I’ve been waiting for is an urban legend,” participant Melinda Richka told the Journal via email. “I can create work anywhere and everywhere, regardless of community or lack of community.

Some have said that it “resembles what might appear

under a microscope or else a cityscape seen from above.

Others have said that my drawings bring to mind aspects of Chinese, Mayan or Aboriginal art.

”

—JoAnn Ralph, Art Shift participant 7 Courses presents each artist’s work over a two week period, allowing the diverse projects to be shown in their own space.

JoAnn Ralph’s selected work for the exhibit was done on paper that had been in storage for approximately 30 years.

“Occasionally I would look at this paper and hope to have the opportunity to use it,” Ralph told the Journal via email. “Some have said that it resembles what might appear under a microscope or else a cityscape seen from above. Others have said that my drawings bring to mind aspects of Chinese, Mayan or Aboriginal art.”

The exhibit is incredibly multi-faceted with some artists choosing to branch out from the canvas.

Michael Davidge’s work, “The square root of Vexations to the power of three” is a new arrangement of Erik Satie’s 19th century piece “Vexations.” Davidge’s exhibit has framed sheet music on the walls, with more on the floor and the corresponding music playing on speakers. Davidge performed the music with a band on the opening night of his show at Union on May 18.

“I have been thinking about doing a version of “Vexations” for some time,” Davidge told the Journal via email. “I have often referred to my art work with musical terms such as “an improvisation on a theme” and this is perhaps my most literal realization of that phrase.”

7 Courses is showing at Union Gallery’s Project Room with Celia Piper’s show running from June 1 to June 14. The exhibits will run until mid-August, with more information available at http://bit.ly/iU2jki.

Quoted “‘Wifemothermilf ’ is a video series that began as candid photos of grave stones, eventually evolving into dissecting the essential mother-of-all social roles ... This is a male-gaze-free artwork folks.”

—Melinda Richka, Art Shift participant, on her exhibit

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

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football

O’Donnell sports rides west Matt O’Donnell will join former teammates Rob Bagg and Shomari Williams in Saskatchewan after being chosen fifteenth overall in CFL draft B y G ilbert C oyle Sports Editor

here, because of the craziness of the place.”

O’Donnell said he’s excited For the second consecutive year, to head to Regina this week for the Saskatchewan Roughriders the beginning of Roughrider chose a Queen’s player in the CFL training camp. entry draft. Offensive lineman “It seems to be a pipeline for Matt O’Donnell was chosen 15th Queen’s football,” O’Donnell overall earlier this month. said. “I’ve spoken with Shomari over Facebook quite a bit, and I’ve spoken with he’s made it clear how great of an environment it is out there.”

Shomari over O’Donnell will be joining a very Facebook quite a strong team. The Roughriders have bit, and he’s made it finished either first or second in the clear how great of an CFL West for the past four seasons.

They have appeared in the Grey environment it is Cup final three times in that period, out there. and were champions in 2007.

—Matt O’Donnell O’Donnell has spent the past month training in Virginia to Last year, the Roughriders prepare for training camp, and said drafted Gael Shomari Williams first that he has set clear goals for June. overall. Queen’s receiver Rob Bagg Matt O’Donnell was selected fifteenth overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL was signed by the organization See Gael on page 15 draft earlier this month. after he went undrafted in 2007.

“We have had success with Queen’s. We tip our cap to the men’s volleyball program.” said Jeremy O’Day, who’s responsible for drafting future Roughriders.

O’Day said that O’Donnell’s considerable size and athleticism were what attracted the Riders.

“He moves quite well for being so big,” O’Day said.

If O’Donnell gets past training camp, he’ll be competing with veteran linemen for playing time.

Five linemen from last season are already over 30.

“

”

photo by Corey Lablans

Succession plan to ensure future In anticipation of an exodus of graduating players, the men’s volleyball team is bringing in a strong recruiting class

We have had success “with Queen’s. We tip our cap to the program.

”

—Jeremy O’Day, football operations coordinator for the Saskatchewan Roughriders

“Traditionally, the transition from CIS to CFL football has taken a few years, but there have been cases where guys have played, because of injuries, or after having had strong training camps,” O’Day said. “With our offensive line getting up in age, Matt has a great opportunity.”

O’Donnell will get to spend at least one season under the tutelage of Gene Makoswski, a premier Canadian offensive lineman.

O’Day said that O’Donnell will have the support of a loyal following. The Roughriders play home games in front of 30,000 fans at Mosaic Stadium, and are supported by a large travelling contingent when they play outside of Regina.

“Once you become a Roughrider, the people of Saskatchewan love you,” O’Day said. “A lot of young kids dream about playing

From left to right: Tyler Scheerhoorn, Scott Brunet, Matt Bonshor and Aaron Nusbaum are four of six recruits for the men’s volleyball team this season. The team is planning for the graduation of four of its players.

B y B enjamin D eans Assistant Sports Editor With five players on the men’s volleyball team entering their final year this season, Gaels coaching is starting a succession plan.

Head Coach Brenda Willis announced the recruitment of five Canadian high school players.

The recruits will replace OUA all-stars like Joren Zeeman and Mike Amoroso. Willis said recruits shouldn’t expect much playing time until players like Zeeman and Amoroso graduate.

“Athletes that go to any ranked program don’t expect that they’ll start.”

Tyler Scheerhoorn, a 6’6 middle from Belleville, said that he’s excited to come to Queen’s. “[The] volleyball program is the best in Ontario,” Scheerhoorn said.

“All I’ve got to do is the hard work.”

He added that he hopes to be a leader by his fourth or fifth year.

“I’m excited for that.”

Scheerhoorn and Scott Brunet, a 6’7 middle from Calgary, are tall middles looking to replace Amoroso. Matt Bonshor, a 6’2

from BC, and Aaron Nusbaum, a 6’2 from Aurora, are outside hitters looking to replace Gaels passer, Niko Rukavina. 6’5 Stratford outside hitter, Mike Tomlinson, will look to take the place of Zeeman.

Willis said that her long term plan is to become a strong passing team that runs a fast, middle-driven offence.

The last time that the Gaels had this many fifth-year players was the 2006-07 season when the team beat the McMaster Marauders in the OUA finals, then lost both games in the CIS Championships.

supplied

“After they graduated, we finished second at the OUA championships for two successive years,” Willis said. “So, in creating the succession planning, we really didn’t drop very far.”

With up to nine players leaving next year, Willis said that she’s looking for quite a bit of mentoring for her recruits.

“They’re all such solid kids ... at least half of them will have to be starters [next year].”

14 •queensjournal.ca

Sports

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

sideline commentary

Ups and downs of staying in town While some varsity teams struggle to find competitive outlets for their athletes, others are reaping the benefits of playing with Kingston-based sports teams The Professional Development League is the highest amateur soccer league in North America, with clubs in Ottawa, London and Toronto. Teams like the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, last year’s OUA champions, can send players to these squads..

Players in these cities have other competitive options. Carleton Ravens players compete with Capital United FC in Ottawa and Western Mustangs play for the B y G ilbert C oyle Ontario-champion AEK London.

Sports Editor Last season, the Ravens placed second in the OUA East and the Mustangs earned Varsity athletes who stay in Kingston for the a berth at the CIS national tournament. summer could be at a disadvantage come There’s a clear benefit to keeping players training camp this August. For some sports, together at a high level. Queen’s men’s soccer there are no local opportunities to play at a players simply do not have that option. high enough level.

Athletes on the women’s team don’t face Men’s soccer striker Jordan Brooks has the same issue. The local women’s team, spent previous off-seasons playing for the Kingston FC, lets Queen’s women play twice Kamloops Excel in the semi-pro Pacific Coast weekly against teams across the province.

Soccer League. This summer he’s playing in Kingston FC only joined the competitive the Kingston Men’s League. circuit three years ago, but they’ve already won the Ontario Women’s Soccer League For the sake of all varsity Regional East division title. This year they teams, the quality of are playing in the OWSL Provincial division.

Kingston FC draws talent from soccer off-season competition programs at Queen’s, Royal Military College in Kingston must become and St. Lawrence College. Gaels assistant a priority. coach Kevin Greig is the head coach of Kingston FC over the summer.

“I struggled with the realization that I Queen’s veteran Kelli Chamberlain said would really be stepping down from the it’s very important to have a competitive level that I had been playing at,” Brooks said. off-season option available in Kingston.

“Kingston FC is a great choice,” In past summers, Brooks was playing six times per week. This summer, he’ll play one Chamberlain said. “It’s really important to game per week and he won’t have regular be playing at a level close to the calibre at the training sessions. university level, so that you are starting at a

Queen’s striker Jacqueline Tessier chases down a teammate during a Kingston FC training session.

photo by corey lablans

Eastern Ontario last season, the team has joined the Toronto-based Marshall League.

Last year, six Queen’s men played with the Panthers. The more these Gaels play together, the more comfortable they become.

There’s an obvious correlation here. The men’s rugby team were OUA champions in There are clear benefits in 2009 and OUA bronze medalists in 2010. keeping players together at The women’s soccer team have competed the CIS championships for two successive a high level. Kingston-based in seasons and were national champions players simply do not have last fall. that option.

The recent success of both teams is a testament to the strength of Kingston-based “Last year, we had four Queen’s players sports teams. For the sake of all varsity teams, starting in the final, and they played a big the quality of off-season competition in role,” club representative Denis Aseltine said. Kingston must become a priority.

“They are very important to the program, because without their support, we wouldn’t be able to field two teams.”

After having won the Barden League in higher level when training camp begins.”

Queen’s rugby players also have strong incentives to remain in town. The Kingston Panthers Rugby club, defending champions in Eastern Ontario, regularly includes Queen’s players.

Queen’s s midfielder Michelle Waintraub in action for Kingston FC.

photo by asad chishti

Sports

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Gael drafted Continued from page 13

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• 15

SPORTS IN BRIEF Golfers to compete in championship The men’s and women’s golf teams are set for the 2011 Canadian University/College Golf Championship at the Royal Ashburn Golf Club this week. The four-day, 72-hole event will be run

by Golf Canada.

In the tournament’s nine-year history, the men’s team’s highest finish was eleventh place in 2007 while the women’s team’s best finish was sixth place last year. The national competition will run from May 30 to June 3.

“I definitely want to make the roster,” he said.

O’Donnell was listed as 6’10” and 330 lbs. on CFL prospects lists.

He one of 34 Canadian University players to be drafted to the pros this year.

Gaels head coach Pat Sheahan said American talent in the CFL will pose challenges to O’Donnell.

“I don’t think we’re insulting anybody by saying that Matt will play better people,” Sheahan said.

—Benjamin Deans “There will be some days where he will be humbled, and Rowers win regatta some days where he will shine.

But the bottom line is that he The men’s and women’s rowing has tremendous upside. I predict teams both defeated McGill in Matt to have a career of twelve to the 15th annual Queen’s-McGill fifteen years.”

Boat Challenge on May 1 at the Cataraqui Rowing Club. This marks the ninth title for the Gaels in the yearly encounter.

The regatta is often seen as Canada’s equivalent to the annual Oxford-Cambridge race or the the Harvard-Yale challenge.

On the men’s side, Queen’s took four of six races, losing only the novice events. The women swept all six events.

will join national squads competing at the Federation Internationale du Sport (FISU) Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, China.

Zeeman, a CIS all-Canadian, will compete with Canada against China, Switzerland, Australia and Norway in the first round of the men’s volleyball tournament.

Shaw, an OUA first-team all-star, will compete against China, U.K. and Taiwan.

—Gilbert Coyle

—Gilbert Coyle

Shaw and Zeeman to represent Canada in China

Women’s hockey coach wins OUA award

Two Queen’s athletes will represent Canada in an international tournament in August. Men’s volleyball’s Joren Zeeman and women’s soccer’s Brienna Shaw

Women’s hockey coach Matthew Holmberg was named the OUA Male Coach of the Year at the 2011 Honour Awards that took place in Huntsville on May 12.

The accolade comes after the Gaels won OUA gold and CIS bronze last season.

Holmberg is the third Queen’s coach in two years to receive an OUA coaching award, after football’s Pat Sheahan and men’s volleyball’s Brenda Willis won awards in 2010.

Holmberg said his coaching style developed over last season, especially after the Gaels’ historic six-overtime win over the Guelph Gryphons.

“We took the strategy of almost distracting the players from the game and just going into the room and talking about other things,” Holmberg said. “Talking about what it was like growing up and playing hockey … rather than the enormity of the game that they were playing at that moment.”

—Benjamin Deans

A golden goal

Women’s hockey coach Matthew Holmberg poses with his OUA Male Coach of the Year award.

photo by asad chishti

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Last Issue’s Answers

16 •queensjournal.ca

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

postscript

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campus life

A wedding fit for Queen’s Locations on Queen’s campus are sought-after venues for wedding ceremonies and receptions B y J essica F ishbein Postscript Editor Forget federal elections and the end of Oprah—these days it seems like popular culture is dominated by weddings.

Whether it’s the continued fixation on Will and Kate’s royal union or the wedding fever apparent in the cinematic gold that is Bridesmaids, our culture’s fascination with wedded bliss is undeniable.

Students can even find two people uniting around the corner from a residence, class or favourite study spot.

There aren’t as “many cookie cutter

weddings. Everyone is doing something unique.

”

—Stephen Murano, Bridal Creations co-owner

Choosing a wedding venue is no easy task and Stephen Murano, co-owner of Bridal Creations in downtown Kingston, said several things could interest a couple to wed at Queen’s.

“Reputation is very key,” Murano said. “Couples that had any affiliation with Queen’s would love to hold a wedding there for not only sentimental reasons but for overall ambiance.”

Murano said he attended a particularly memorable wedding reception held at Ban Righ Hall on April 30.

“It was one of the nicest ones I’ve ever been to,” he said. “There was good food and a great band and it was in a nice setting on a perfect day.”

Queen’s proximity to downtown Kingston’s restaurants and hotels is a plus for couples with out-of-town guests, Murano said.

In addition to atmosphere and location, couples need to consider a few other factors when choosing a venue.

“Quality of food is important as well as price of alcohol and how much time you will be allowed inside the hall prior to the wedding to decorate,” he said.

There’s been a departure from traditional denominational weddings both at Queen’s and at other venues, Murano said.

“There aren’t as many cookie cutter weddings,” he said. “Everybody is doing something unique.”

To provide couples with the option of a ceremony closer to home, Queen’s has offered wedding services for the past 10 years, said Jennifer Pete, manager of Queen’s Event Services.

The university is available for weddings from May to August, Pete said.

“We generally hold 8 to 12 receptions per summer, some with ceremonies on campus,” Pete told the Journal via email.

Couples are usually alumni or family of Queen’s staff—mostly in their 20s and 30s.

The outdoor courtyard behind Ban Righ Hall is the popular location for ceremonies because

Jesse and Margaret Fumerston outside Summerhill on their wedding day in 2007.

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Queen’s Chaplain Brian Yealland says most weddings used to take place in the chapel at Theological Hall but are now held primarily in the University Club and JDUC.

wedding guests can retreat into the hall if it rains, Pete said.

Other popular campus venues include Grant Hall, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre and the University Club.

Summerhill’s white stairs overlooking a picturesque lawn remains an especially popular spot for photos.

The cost of a Queen’s wedding can range from $10,000 to $25,000, depending on the services requested by the couple. Costs can include room rental and set-up and food and beverage charges.

Queen’s Event Services organizes catering but doesn’t book bands or photographers.

University Chaplain Brian Yealland said there’s been a decrease in the number of weddings he officiates at Queen’s and in the larger Kingston community. “[It’s] mostly because there are many other people who are licensed to do weddings these days,” he said. “Fewer people are in the churches … looking for a minister or religious official.”

Yealland said he officiates between 10 and 20 weddings a year, most of which occur on Queen’s campus.

“I do occasionally officiate at a ceremony arranged by Events Services but usually that is not the case,” Yealland said, adding that some alumni ask him to officiate their wedding. “For some people I am their minister as chaplain, so they ask me.”

Why then do couples choose a

Queen’s Event Services provides catering for wedding receptions on campus.

university campus instead of a hotel or banquet hall for their wedding and reception?

While it’s clear that people are coming to Queen’s to get married, Yealland said there’s a change in the types of weddings that are happening at Queen’s. Most weddings used to take place in the School of Religion’s chapel, but have now moved primarily to the University Club, Donald Gordon Centre and JDUC. For the ceremonies that Yealland officiates, religion often doesn’t

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play a big role.

“I do have a fairly modern Christian ceremony I use with people who want that,” he said, adding that he also officiates for interfaith and same-sex couples.

“I also have an entirely secular ceremony for people who are not religious but want a nice ceremony that has a spiritual feel to it.

“I am pretty modern and open minded.”