corner story A history of the Campus One Stop. Page 3
Election Perspective
new novellino
Dialogue examines policy proposed by the four major parties. page 7
The Boutique’s owner starts a modelling agency.
Cash Kick Student Nick Green travels to Toronto for Wendy’s Kick for a Million contest.
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page 12
friendship psychology Postscript explores how to make friends at Queen’s. page 16
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grey house
OPIRG and Levana to remain in Grey House B y K atherine Fernandez -B lance News Editor After a month of uncertainty about their future club space, the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) and the Levana Gender Advocacy Centre have been told by the AMS that they can remain in the Grey House for the next year.
The groups hadn’t re-ratified as AMS clubs over the summer, and were told on Aug. 29 that they had until Sept. 30 to leave the Grey House. On Sept. 14, the two groups re-ratified as AMS clubs, meeting the extended deadline set by the Space Allocation Committee. After the Space Allocation Committee met earlier this week
to review the applications, OPIRG and Levana were told of the news on Sept. 28. AMS Vice-President of University Affairs Kieran Slobodin said the decision was made after the two groups submitted their completed space allocation package. “[It] requires a number of things,” he said.
Groups are required to denote things like how many hours they intend to use their space, whether they require it to be accessible and whether it will be open to the public. “Weighing all those factors, the Grey House was a good fit,” Slobodin, ArtSci ’12, said. Before the groups’ occupancy is finalized, they will be required
to sign a stewardship contract with the AMS. Slobodin said it’s something required for all clubs that occupy AMS club space. “[It’s] to make sure that the space is being treated well, that it’s being used to its full extent and that other people in the immediate area are respected,” he said, adding the AMS is in the process of drafting a contract for the groups to sign. The Education on Queer Issues Project (EQuIP) also received a See Future on page 5
elections
Leniency to vote B y C atherine O wsik Assistant News Editor
The Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) and the Levana Gender Advocacy Centre were told by the AMS on Sept. 28 that they would remain in the Grey House for another year. The future of the other groups in the space has not yet been decided.
Photo by Justin Chin
Academic planning
Plan presented to Queen’s Senate Task Force writes 89 recommendations including a mandatory full-year literacy course B y C atherine O wsik Assistant News Editor After almost a year of work, the Academic Planning Task Force presented its final plan to Senate on Sept. 27. During the discussion that followed, Senate members voiced concerns over how the 89 recommendations would apply to all Queen’s students. The Academic Plan will be brought back to Senate for an approval-vote in October or November. If passed, the implementation process will start immediately.
Academic initiatives include: fewer lectures, a mandatory full-year literacy course, and reducing the impact of first-year marks on a final transcript by using a pass-or-fail system. Task Force member Mark Jones said he doesn’t support the current Plan anymore. “My sense in this is that this is not ready to come forward yet,” said Jones, a professor in the faculty of English. “It was produced in a couple months; I think that is too short of a time.” The Task Force was formed by Senate in November 2010 as
part of Principal Daniel Woolf’s campaign for a new academic plan, which began with his January 2010 document ‘Where Next.’ Seven other members sit on the task force, including AMS Vice-President of Operations Kieran Slobodin and professors from various disciplines. During their first seven months, the Task Force consulted with many groups including the AMS, the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS), the office of Student Affairs and faculty boards. The plan took three months to write. Jones said the Task Force
Chair Peter Taylor is a member of the Board of Trustees and consequently the Academic Plan’s recommendations are too financially-motivated. “The motivation seems to be ‘how can we do these things on the cheap,’ ” Jones said. A recommendation that undergraduates work as TAs for credit would generate revenue for the University through tuition while saving on what it costs to pay faculty, he said. “I would say most students come here to be taught by faculty,” See Task on page 5
On Oct. 6 students can ask for academic leniency in order to vote in the Ontario provincial election for Kingston and the Islands. Professors are encouraged, but not required, to provide alternate arrangements for students who want to vote during class time without academic repercussion. The motion was passed by Queen’s Senate on Sept. 27. Alternate arrangements could include rescheduling exams, extending deadlines and providing missed material for a three-hour absence. The motion was submitted by Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) President Jillian Burford-Grinnell and AMS President Morgan Campbell. AMS Vice-President of University Affairs Kieran Slobodin said if students were constrained to voting in advance polls — which took place on campus from Sept. 21 to 23 — they would be forced to decide too quickly. “Students need time to make a decision equivalent to the decision of everyone else,” Slobodin told Senate on Sept. 27. “A motion like this is very similar to the labour laws which demand that all employees have an opportunity to vote during their work schedule.”