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THE JOURNAL YEAR IN REVIEW
NEWS
‘Stolen by Smith’ Instagram account details systemic violence at Queen’s business school Claudia Rupnik News Editor QTBIPOC students are opening up about their experiences of systemic violence at Smith School of Business through a student-run Instagram account called Stolen by Smith. The initiative was launched by Kelly Zou, Comm ’21, on July 3 through Instagram. She declined
The Journal’s request for comment. According to the account, Stolen by Smith provides a platform for members of the QTBIPOC community enrolled in a program, certificate, or degree at Smith to share experiences with racism, queerphobia, and other forms of discrimination that occurred in the Smith environment. The platform, which guarantees anonymity for those who request it, also creates
Following hate crime, Four Directions replaces flags in virtual ceremony Claudia Rupnik News Editor Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre replaced the Indigenous and Pride flags at the Centre in a Facebook Live ceremony on Friday. The flags were smudged
and hung from the windows inside the Centre to keep them protected until a more permanent solution is established. Kandice Baptiste, director of Four Directions, said the University intends to permanently hang the flags from poles above the Centre prior to September.
a space where anyone who is QTBIPOC can report experiences they’ve had with Smith students. The stories shared through the page document examples of discrimination experienced by current and former students at Smith involving the administration, the Commerce Society, studentrun clubs and organizations, alumni, and other students.
Claudia Rupnik News Editor The Board of Trustees approved the University’s decision to remove Sir John A. Macdonald’s name from the law school building on Monday.
The
recommendation
to
Together with other campus groups, the Queen’s Black Academic Society (QBAS) has raised more than $33,000 for organizations that support Black lives. Now, they’re asking
Throughout July, students and alumni have taken to ‘Erased by FEAS,’ a student-run Instagram account, to share personal experiences with systemic discrimination, violence, and abuse in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS). Nicholas Ramsubick, Sci ‘20, founded the platform on July 10 to create a safe space for QTBIPOC
and female engineering students where they can feel seen, heard, and validated. “I took this initiative on because I was tired of being silent about my experience as a Black engineer, of having to erase my identity in engineering,” Ramsubick said in an interview with The Journal. “I’m really glad I can be having these conversations on Queen’s campus.” Ramsubick credited his inspiration to accounts ‘Stolen by Smith’ and ‘Black at Harvard Law’.
In light of campus-wide calls for social justice reform, Undergraduate Trustee Shoshannah Bennett-Dwara has engaged the Non-Academic Misconduct Subcommittee
(NAMSC) in discussion about the inclusion of the definition of racism in the Queen’s Student Code of Conduct. The definition of racism doesn’t currently appear in the Code. This conversation led to a formal discussion on the Board of Trustees agenda, where issues
of legality and human rights were addressed. A follow-up meeting has been scheduled for November. Bennett-Dwara shared this initiative with AMS Assembly at its September meeting.
Queen’s to install free menstrual product dispensers next week
remove Macdonald’s name from the building was brought forward by Principal Patrick Deane, who Claudia Rupnik Samuel Whyte, director of April 30 that the University had accepted earlier recommendations News Editor Quality and Service Excellence committed to installing and made by Mark Walters, dean of the (Custodial), told The Journal that stocking free menstrual products Faculty of Law, and a report from After COVID-19 related delays, the University is “kicking off [the in high-traffic buildings on campus. a special committee tasked with the University shared it will be project] with the JDUC, Stauffer, However, the University was unable evaluating the situation. installing dispensers for free and Queen’s Centre.” to provide a timeline for when menstrual products on Sept. 28. The AMS announced on the project would be implemented
Queen’s Black Academic Society asks University for $12,000 minimum to support Black lives Raechel Huizinga Editor in Chief
Larissa Zhong Staff Writer
Undergraduate Trustee looks to add definition of racism to the Student Code of Conduct Simone Manning Assistant News Editor
Sir John A. Macdonald officially scratched from law building
‘Erased by FEAS’ captures systemic discrimination in the Faculty of Engineering
Queen’s to match that. QBAS published a call to action on June 3 asking campus groups to match their donation of $100 to an organization that supports Black lives. In the post, QBAS asked Queen’s to donate $1,000 and the AMS to donate $500.
‘Consent at Queen’s’ highlights prevalence of sexual violence on campus Alysha Mohamed Assistant Arts Editor Instagram account ‘Consent at Queen’s’ launched on Aug. 20 to raise awareness about instances of sexual violence and address consent culture within the institution. The platform was inspired
by Instagram account ‘Stolen ‘Erased by FEAS,’ ‘AMSxposed,’ and by Smith,’ which documents the ‘Consent at Queen’s.’ systemic racism, oppression, Account owners Megan and privilege at the Smith Sieroka, ArtSci ’21, and Maeve Avis School of Business. Kozar, ArtSci ’21, are committed This form of social media to combating the “pervasive activism has sparked a movement of rape culture at Queen’s,” as student-run accounts addressing described on their issues at the University, including submission form.
NEWS
THE JOURNAL YEAR IN REVIEW • 3
Queen’s residence in lockdown following outbreak
COVID-19 at Queen’s
C assidy M c M ackon Assistant News Editor Queen’s is responding to an outbreak of COVID-19 in Watts Hall on Thursday after five students tested positive for the virus. The outbreak has impacted students living both on and off campus. According to the University, all students of immediate concern have been informed of their exposure have been moved into isolation and are following proper protocols. Watts Hall has been locked down, and all students living on the affected floor have been moved into isolation residence David C. Smith.
TAPS to remain closed during 2020-21 year
H armsworth Assistant News Editor
julia
‘[W]e do not have jobs to formally offer as of now’: Queen’s reopening plan doesn’t account for AMS service staff Claudia Rupnik News Editor When the AMS interviewed service staff in the winter term for the 2020-21 year, the Society was never certain it would be able to offer work during the pandemic.
Instead, the Society extended conditional offers to successful applicants that were contingent on its ability to provide work in September, which applicants were told in an email hinged on “COVID-19 developments,
demand for the service and its operational ability.” The AMS rescinded some of these conditional offers of employment in an Aug. 18 email, citing “the lack of business activity” and other “implications of COVID-19” at some services.
‘It was like a ghost town’: Inside Queen’s isolation residence
This week, COVID-19 claimed another local business: The AMS Pub Services (TAPS). The AMS announced Tuesday that TAPS won’t be reopening julia H armsworth in the 2020-21 academic year Assistant News Editor due to current COVID-19 public health regulations and University Queen’s isolation residence is restrictions which prevent the JDUC mandatory for students living in from opening to the public. residence who are being tested
for COVID-19; however, some students are concerned about the food and water quality and academic impact of isolation. Through conversations with two students who were living on
the third floor of Watts Hall—Watts 3—when the University declared an outbreak of COVID-19, The Journal got a glimpse into Queen’s isolation residence, David C. Smith House
‘[It’s] off the table’: Queen’s students condemn frosh week partying H armsworth Assistant News Editor
julia
Following warnings from the University and the City of Kingston, some Queen’s students are doing what they can to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. In response to large gatherings of students during Frosh Week, the City closed the Gord Downie Pier and Breakwater Park Beach Area on Sept. 5. The emergency order was made in consultation with Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox and Addington (KFL&A) Public Health.
Queen’s medical students assist in Kingston vaccine campaign C assidy M c M ackon Assistant News Editor
More than 200 Queen’s medical students have answered a call for assistance from the Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) as the Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) region ramps up its vaccine rollout.
QBACC’s housing project detects 1,680 bylaw violations in student district H armsworth Assistant News Editor
julia
Queen’s Backing Action on Climate Change (QBACC) has created a tool that students can use to advocate for improved living conditions. In less than two weeks, the initiative has detected more than 1,500 bylaw violations in the
University District. QBACC’s Home Project is an online assessment tool that takes a student through their rental unit room by room, asking a series of questions. Cross-referenced with the City of Kingston bylaws, the tool generates a personalized report summarizing the issues in the student’s unit.
Court hears appeal for Student Choice Initiative Team RTZ voted next AMS executive Claudia Rupnik News Editor
composed of President-Elect Zaid Kasim, Sci ’21, Vice-President (Operations)-elect Tiana Wong, As voting closed Wednesday, an ArtSci ’21 and Vice-President 18.2 per cent turnout rate elected (University Affairs)-elect Ryan next year’s student leaders. Sieg, Kin ’21, for 2021-22 Voters elected Team RTZ, AMS executive.
C assidy M c M ackon Assistant News Editor The Ontario Court of Appeal heard the appeal for the Student Choice Initiative (SCI) on Tuesday. The SCI was first introduced by the Ford government in January 2019 to allow students to opt-out of previously mandatory fees. It was struck down by the Ontario Divisional Court in November
2019, and Ontario announced its attention to appeal shortly after. The policy designates fees into essential and non-essential groupings, leaving those related to athletics, student cards, student buildings, career services, health and wellness programs, academic support, financial offices, and campus safety programs to be considered essential, whereas fees supporting student governments,
legal aid, LGBTQ+ services, and sexual health services are deemed non-essential and subjected to opt-out. The Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) filed an application to bring back the SCI on the grounds that the policy doesn’t interfere with the operations of various student associations and that the government didn’t intend harm towards student associations.
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Features
The evolution of drag in Kingston Aysha Tabassum Features Editor
ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY CHEN
Two weeks into Zoom university, students reflect on digital learning
In the early 90s, the HIV/AIDS crisis personally touched the lives of many Queer folk in Kingston. According to Raunch Morgan, most drag at the time came out of a need to raise money for local HIV/AIDS organizations through live entertainment. “People were dying, so the community stepped up, got together, and did a lot of fundraising.” Raunch Morgan spoke highly of drag queen Jazz Morgan who, alongside their partner, formed the Morgans—one of the first drag families in Kingston. The two inspired much of the charity work being done in Kingston at the time.
Aysha Tabassum Features Editor
The University announced on July 30 that most Winter 2021 first-year lectures will be delivered remotely, but plans for upper-year students remain uncertain. As instructors prepare for a variety of scenarios, students are hoping to have their feedback heard in case remote learning continues into next year. Moffat said he wants to see a decrease in tuition if online courses continue to fall short of the quality of in-person education. He also wants the University to be transparent about winter semester plans as early as possible. “Some of the information we got over the summer was frustrating,” he said. “We’d get long emails about COVID and I’d go through it and it would basically say nothing.”
ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY CHEN
‘When we think of Indigenous peoples, we think of the past’: Students & educators confront the lack of Indigenous education in school systems PHOTO BY MEG KIRKPATRICK
Alysha Mohamed Assistant Lifestyle Editor
The highs & lows of substance use during COVID-19 Cassidy McMackon Assistant News Editor
PHOTO BY MAIA MCCANN
Facing anti-Semitism on campus Carolyn Svonkin Features Editor
ILLUSTRATION BY TESSA WARBURTON
For the first time at Queen’s, Emily found herself fearful due to her Jewish identity. “I found myself counting the number of Jews in the room,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been comfortable sending any Jewish person into the show because I wasn’t comfortable there.” The show opened the next day on Holocaust Remembrance Day, and despite Emily’s efforts to discuss her concerns with people involved in the show, she found their response lacklustre. “They put up a little Holocaust exhibit on the way out, and that was good, but there needed to be a warning that this dealt with anti-Semitism explicitly. This was a very passive way of dealing with it.” Behind the scenes, the show’s producers also experienced difficulty creating an inclusive setting. According to Melanie Katz, former president of the Queen’s Musical Theatre, a cast member made an anti-Semitic comment during rehearsals one day, prompting one of the two Jewish actors to reach out to Katz for support.
Photos
THE JOURNAL YEAR IN REVIEW • 5
PHOTO BY DANIEL GREEN
PHOTO BY MAIA McCANN
PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE
PHOTO BY MAIA McCANN
PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE
PHOTO BY MAIA McCANN
PHOTO BY MEG KIRKPATRICK
PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE
PHOTO BY SPENCER HENDRICK-
PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE
PHOTO BY MADDISON ANDREWS
PHOTO BY MAIA McCANN
YEAR IN PHOTOS:
THE PHOTOS THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER WHEN WE WERE APART
PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE
PHOTO BY MAIA McCANN
PHOTO BY MAIA McCANN
PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE
PHOTO BY MADDISON ANDREWS
PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE
PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE
PHOTO BY SPENCER HENDRICKSON
PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE
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EDITORIALS This year, The Journal editorialized on topics ranging from student partying to equality at Queen’s. You can read the full editorials online.
Hey, students: stop partying
ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY CHEN
When it comes to equality at Queen’s, Deane is a broken record A recent Financial Post article criticized Patrick Deane’s recent editorial apologizing for Queen’s racist past. We do need to criticize Deane’s editorial; not because of the stance he takes in it, but because his words are performative at best. The author of the Financial Post article claims that Queen’s is “one of the most tolerant and accepting of Canadian universities,” yet selectively chooses moments to prove this. While it’s true that Queen’s accepted Jewish students when other universities didn’t, among other instances the article lists, the author leaves gaping holes in Queen’s complicated history. The article ignores the fact that Black students were expelled from Queen’s Faculty of Medicine in 1918 and, while Queen’s did accept Jewish students when other universities didn’t, it also tried to limit enrolment. But more than that, the Financial Post article ignores the current Queen’s campus climate, which has seen countless acts of racist incidents. Pointing to positive things the University’s done in the past has nothing to do with issues we’re facing in the present. The article’s author is also in no position to talk about how “tolerant and accepting” Queen’s is when he hasn’t set foot on campus since 1985. As a white male, he also lacks the lived experiences of BIPOC students and
therefore has no right to reject them. That said, we do need to criticize Deane’s editorial—just not in the way the Financial Post article does. Deane has been talking about racism at Queen’s for months yet hasn’t taken much significant action to change it. As important as it is to address racism on campus, without true action, his words are empty and performative. Plus, what he’s saying isn’t all that revolutionary; most of us are well aware Queen’s has a racism problem. Speaking about that is good of him, but it’s also the bare minimum and does little for BIPOC students who need action more than words. If Patrick Deane truly wants to commit to the University’s new Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiative, he needs to prioritize BIPOC student voices over alumni and their threats of closing their wallets. Queen’s students have waited long enough for concrete change; instead of just acknowledging inequities on campus, the University needs to tackle them head-on. Queen’s has a long way to go before it’ll ever be “one of the most tolerant and accepting” universities. We can acknowledge the positive things the University has done in the past, while simultaneously calling out inequities that both existed and continue to exist presently.
It’s well within a newspaper’s rights to fire staff with cause—especially if that staff member is expressing hateful views. Student journalist Jonathan Bradley recently alleged he was fired from Ryerson University’s student newspaper, The Eyeopener, because of his strict Roman Catholic beliefs. What Bradley, who was not on staff but voluntarily contributed to The Eye, fails to consider is that he wasn’t “fired” for his religious views, but his hateful, homophobic, and anti-trans tweets. His views aren’t just opinions; his words have real-world consequences that promote hatred toward the LGBTQIA2S+ community. The Ontario Human Rights Code states people are protected from discrimination and harassment because of their gender expression or identity. People who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ have a right to feel comfortable and included in their workplaces. Bradley’s homophobic views—which he publicly broadcasted online—threatened that. It’s ironic Bradley is claiming he
was discriminated against when he holds discriminatory views against LGBTQIA2S+ individuals. The fact that he publicly tweeted these
At a school like Queen’s, it’s no secret students love to party. A pandemic isn’t going to change that, but students should think twice about throwing ragers this year if they hope to avoid an outbreak in Kingston. As we near the start of remote classes, Queen’s will see thousands of students from across Canada and internationally returning to Kingston, raising fears of a potential outbreak. The Kingston Police recently released a statement asking residents, especially young adults, to avoid “unauthorized indoor and outdoor social gatherings.” Last week, the University strongly encouraged students to get tested for COVID-19 before coming to Kingston, and asked they keep their interactions to a minimum for the next two weeks. Students living in residence will follow a household model to limit contact with others. Having policies in place to suppress the spread of the COVID-19 virus is a good start, but enforcing that policy comes with its own challenges the University appears ill-equipped for. Dons will be monitoring residences, but they can’t be expected to constantly check up on their students, especially without
hazard pay. At the end of the day, people will inevitably break the rules, though it’s unclear what consequences these students will face. The University needs stronger messaging condemning parties in residence, including clear consequences if students fail to comply with physical distancing policies. Queen’s can’t stop people from breaking rules, but it can do more than rely on students to do what they’re supposed to. Contact tracing, taking students’ temperatures, and suspending those who break protocols are all ways the University could show it’s serious about protecting students from COVID-19, yet it’s failed to implement any of these things. Queen’s also announced it would place a COVID testing center on campus later this fall. The issue is students need an accessible testing center now, in the weeks after their arrival—not later. If the University wants students to get tested, having the center already up and running would’ve achieved this. Queen’s inadequacies aside, at a certain point students themselves need to take the University’s recommendations to heart—upper years included.
ILLUSTRATION BY ALISON ANDRADE
As a journalist, tweeting hate speech has consequences—as it should
views also jeopardizes his effectiveness as a journalist. Those ostracized by his tweets—whether staff members, contributors, or present and potential sources—are less likely to feel comfortable
working with him. Like any job, an employer has the power and right to stop publishing your work if you create an unsafe work environment;
ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY CHEN
Bradley’s hate speech did just that. Bradley claims he was barred from contributing because of his religion, but that’s not true at all. Let’s call it as it is: those tweets were hate speech.
Bradley can’t hide behind his religion to evade blame. Being religious and being tolerant aren’t mutually exclusive. Many Catholics don’t spew homophobic speech online, and even Pope Francis himself voiced support for same-sex unions last October. The Bible is open to interpretation. Ontario’s Human Rights Code is not. If you’re going to tweet, especially as a journalist, you need to have respect for others’ rights. Bradley lacked that respect and faced the appropriate consequences. He has the right to speak, tweet, or write anything he likes—but, in turn, he must be willing to accept the fallout. At the end of the day, while striving to be objective, newspaper publications have their own set of values and code of conducts. If something a staff member or writer says publicly doesn’t align with those values, the paper has every right to let that individual go.
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ILLUSTRATIONS
Thanks to the many talented contributors and arists on staff, The Journal was filled with beautiful
artwork this year. The following is a collection of a few of our favourite illustraitons from the year.
ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY CHEN
ILLUSTRATION BYTESSA WARBURTON
ILLUSTRATION BY SHELBY TALBOT
ILLUSTRATION BY SHELBY TALBOT
ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY CHEN
ILLUSTRATION BY TESSA WARBURTON
ILLUSTRATION BY PASCALE METTRICK
ILLUSTRATION BY EILEEN RAISBECK
ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY CHEN
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THE JOURNAL YEAR IN REVIEW
OPINIONS Your Perspective
“It’s imperative Queen’s shifts its culture of whiteness. The racist behaviours of white faculty and students must be interrogated and treated on the level of systemic racism.” —jFariah Muto, Contributor
Queen’s must do more for its BIPOC students than lip-service politics
There can be no double standards when discussing genocide “Individual Canadians should not follow the example set by political leaders. We must recognize our country’s failure to protect and seek justice for Indigenous peoples. Their failures have and will continue to cost many Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people their lives.” —Collin Chepeka, Contributor
Consumers cannot be blamed for unethical consumption “We all have a responsible to limit our footprint. However, we can’t be tricked into thinking that the ability to live green isn’t a privilege afforded to a select few.”
—Rida Chaudhry, Staff Writer
ARTS
THE JOURNAL YEAR IN REVIEW • 9
Notable Releases in Kingston and the Queen’s community Aug. 21, 2020 The Wilderness finds its home with first full-length studio album
Feb. 26-Mar. 7, 2021
Kingston Canadian Film Festival goes digital for first time Before COVID-19, the worst impact on KCFF had been a snowstorm that interrupted one night of screenings. Last March (2020), the festival had to power down only two days in. Mar. 19, 2021 The Journal sits down with Evan Morgan, director of The Kid Detective
Feb. 9, 2021 CompSci student nana. talks new EP: ‘How the West Was Won’
“The economy has become the issue that we’re bowing down before, and so long as we do that we’re going to continue to get the fossil fuel industry doing what it’s done now for over 40 years: lie, lie, lie, lie and deny, deny, deny, and put pressure on government to keep regulations from going in,” Suzuki said.
Feb. 5, 2021 Author Steven Heighton releases single “2020: Cohen’s Future”
Nov. 6, 2020 ‘Rebellion’: David Suzuki discusses Climate Resistance Doc Oct, 2, 2020 Icara took flight at the Tett Centre with a socially-distanced audience
Jan. 22, 2021 Reelout launches online Queer Film Festival
Feb. 5, 2021 Friends of The Screening Room raise over $100, 000 for local indie theatre
Nov. 13, 2020 Billie the Kid reads her poetry
July 18, 2020 CBC doc #BLESSED goes too easy on Toronto’s homobphobic youth church C3
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Sports
How are athletes coping with their pandemic regimens?
SPORTS
Angus Merry Assistant Sports Editor There’s little doubt that being prevented from playing your sport of choice—especially at the varsity level—is a bit of a drag. With the indefinite suspension of varsity sports in light of the
Queen’s Black student athletes address race in sport Matt Funk Sports Editor One might think that having parents who immigrated to Canada from Jamaica, hated the cold, and didn’t know how to skate would make hockey an unlikely sporting choice for their son. But why not? From the moment Jaden Lindo started seeing hockey on TV as a kid, he knew it was a sport he
wanted to play. His dad enrolled him in skating lessons, and his love for the game only grew from there. When it came time to choose between fully committing to soccer or hockey, he set aside his cleats in favour of skates. Lindo has no regrets about the decision, and for good reason. The fourth-year went on to play in the OHL before being drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
pandemic, student-athletes are facing at least 10 more months of training before they’re able to play competitively again. What’s more, some students who are currently in their final year might have already played their last game and didn’t know it.
In internal emails, former provost Tom Harris referred to cross country team member’s email as ‘cult behaviour’ Matt Funk Sports Editor Former provost Tom Harris called a cross country team member’s response to the forced removal of former coach Steve Boyd from the OUA Championships “cult behaviour,” according to dozens of emails obtained by The Journal through a freedom of information request. The University declined The Journal’s request for comment.
The Queen’s track and cross country team was at York University on Feb. 21 competing in the OUA championships. Boyd arrived as a spectator, sitting in the public gallery to watch his former athletes compete. Shortly after, the recently fired coach was approached by York security guards who asked him to leave on the grounds that Guelph parents had complained to the York Athletics Director, Jennifer Myers.
Slipping through the cracks: A history of Queen’s Football: concussions & mental health a new sport for a new school Angus Merry Assistant Sports Editor
of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or other major depressive disorders. By contrast, only 8.7 per cent of patients who Concussions can be extremely traumatic— had sustained non-brain injuries showed both physically and emotionally. signs of the same afflictions. In fact, a 2019 study from the US National To learn more about how concussions Institute of Health (NIH) found that after a might negatively impact mental health, The period of six months, one in five individuals Journal spoke with Alison Skoblenick, an who sustained a mild traumatic brain athletic therapist at Q-Sports Medicine. injury suffered from noticeable symptoms
Matt Funk Sports Editor When today’s students zip through Mackintosh-Corry Hall between lectures for a reprieve from the winter wind, few, if any, are aware they’re standing on hallowed ground. Where the current labyrinthine eyesore sits, was once the original Richardson Stadium.
‘Football-rugby,’ which rose in popularity throughout the late 19th century, bore little resemblance to the game many now tune in to every Sunday. In fact, if you went back to watch one of Queen’s earliest football matches over a century ago, you would have likely thought you were at the wrong venue.
LIFESTYLE
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Voting absentee as an American-Canadian citizen Chloe Sarrazin Editorials Editor
The spill on plant-based milk Kirby Harris Assistant Lifestyle Editor Looking to lessen your environmental impact can be a daunting task—it’s hard to know what power you have to make a positive impact on the climate. One of the simplest things you can do is limit your consumption of animal products. You don’t have to go full vegan or even vegetarian to make a big difference, even refraining from eating
meat 1 to 2 days a week can be a huge benefit to the global environment. Limiting dairy products is a simple way to approach this change. Producing a glass of dairy milk results in almost three times the greenhouse gas emissions of plant-based alternatives. Making a plantbased option instead of regular cow’s milk is an easy way to promote environmentalism.
I’ve always been proud of my American-Canadian dual citizenship. While I grew up in a small, Connecticut town, my summers were consumed by monthlong visits to my grandparents’ cottage near Westport, Ontario. Christmas often meant travelling
We need to talk about birth control Shelby Talbot Lifestyle Editor
How adopting my cats changed my life Cassidy McMackon Assistant News Editor In a corner of my living room at any given time, there’s a pile of Whiskas cat food scattered across the hardwood floor. Every day my cat, Eleanor, sits mischievously in front of her bowl, looking into my eyes before she sticks her furry little paws into
her dish and flicks her dry food onto the floor. I’ll sit and watch her while she kicks the small pieces around with her feet, getting excited while she watches them shoot across the hardwood. Often, after the novelty of the game wears away, I’ll come back to find Sadie, my other cat, munching on the discarded food.
to Ottawa to see grandparents and cousins. Once I graduated high school, my Canadian citizenship meant I could attend a university with affordable tuition costs, unlike the University of Connecticut’s roughly $20,000 a year domestic tuition. I’m also eligible to work and enjoy free health insurance—a luxury the US continues to lack—through OHIP.
We all have a vague idea of what birth control is and what it does, but we don’t talk about it nearly enough. When it comes to practicing safe sex, contraceptives are a must—particularly for encounters
that run the risk of pregnancy. But aside from external condoms, the majority of pregnancy prevention methods place the burden on the person with a uterus. Birth control pills, IUDs, patches, and injection are all the onus of vagina-havers to seek out and use.
Women deserve to run without fear Carolyn Mahr Contributor If there’s one thing to know about me, it’s that I’m an avid distance runner—a slow but steady tortoise on the move. My evening runs are the few moments of peace and silence squeezed in between busy days of virtual meetings. The other day, I was a woman on a mission running just outside
of campus. I had hit my runner’s high when a male student burst past me unannounced. My mind went into an immediate panic as I watched him run past me, keeping pace. I can imagine it from his perspective: it was a simple interaction, one runner passing another. From mine, it was a jump from a peaceful run to a state of paralysis. I was unprepared.
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Mourning my Opa during the pandemic Raechel Huizinga Editor in Chief In March, the pandemic shut down campus. In April, I found out my Opa had cancer—it was in his esophagus, his lungs, his brain. In May, he died. My family lives in Sarnia, ON., which is, at best, a five-hour car journey from Kingston. After
coming to Canada from the Netherlands when he was in his twenties, my Opa lived in the same yellow country house for 50 years. Growing up, my family moved around a lot, making my Opa’s house a cornerstone in a constantly shifting world I didn’t fully trust.
Navigating my body image following an abortion
Cassidy McMackon Assistant News Editor For a while now, I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect pair of white, straight leg jeans. I’ve visualized the pants in my head—they’ll hug my hips and waist snugly, following the length of my legs straight down to just below my ankle, so I’ll still have a
little bit of room to roll them up. I’ll pair them with my collection of band tees, vintage button downs, and beat up sneakers. I’ve scrolled through my favourite shops online for hours, looking for contenders. Each time I stumble across a pair that seems like it’ll meet all of my criteria, I freeze up when I’m prompted by the website to choose a size.
I thought I’d outgrown my eating disorder. I was wrong.
Claudia Rupnik News Editor The story goes that if you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will instantly leap out. However, if you put a frog in a pot filled with room-temperature water and heat it slowly, the frog will stay put until it boils to death.
My doctor called in October to tell me that, like the frog, I wasn’t in a lukewarm puddle of water as I’d convinced myself; I was boiling to death. I’d had a blood test a few weeks earlier, after spending a week confined to the couch in exhaustion, and the results of the test were conclusive.
Postscript On the first day of classes last year, I was hit by a truck. This is what it taught me. Greg Adams Contributor On Sept. 4, 2019, the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears started off the NFL season at about 8 p.m. It was the first day of classes last year, and I sped home on my unlit bike to watch the kickoff. The game would end up being disappointing, but I would
Feeling beautiful in white-dominated spaces Alysha Mohamed Assistant Arts Editor I came out of high school dripping with confidence. I was secure in the body I had, proud of my features—moments of insecurity were present but bearable. In my first year at Queen’s, I felt doubt lace up my spine,
Aysha Tabassum Features Editor
I absolutely hate white allies. I hate the way they look at me, with vague pity in their eyes. It’s I’ve been at a white institution for always present, whether they’re three years now, isolated from ‘checking in’ on me after another diversity and fighting battles horrific hate crime occurs on every day to be allowed safety and this campus, or congratulating comfort. Somehow, despite the me for my bravery after I have casual and not-so-casual racism, an outburst in a classroom the toughest thing about being at discussion reflective of the trauma Queen’s has been the people who they played a part in inflicting call themselves my allies. upon me.
replacing any semblance of self-assurance I once had. It was the first time since my awkward middle school years that I questioned whether or not I was attractive, which was jarring considering how validated I felt just months prior to moving to Kingston.
Not normal period pain: my life with endometriosis
Gabrielle Cotton Staff Writer
Allyship isn’t activism. Stop pretending it is.
never know: a truck turned across my path, and I was going far too quickly to stop. I was thrown from my bicycle over the front of the truck, hitting the sidewalk face first. My memory comes back to me as I am sitting on the sidewalk, my fractured helmet beside me. I am hunched over, my broken nose trickling blood onto my legs.
It was the morning of my Grade 10 science exam when the pain started. Up until that moment in my life, my period pain had always been manageable. On that morning, it became so bad I began to black out. I still went to my exam only to last 20 minutes before asking to
go to the bathroom to throw up. I laid down on the floor, trying to use the cold concrete to rid myself of a sudden hot flash and fainting spell. I managed to get myself to my teacher’s office. They promptly called my parents, asking them to come and pick me up. I was carried out of the school by the viceprincipal and my dad, who was in his police uniform.
The token Black friend
Clanny Mugabe Contributor I’ve found that white people are often more worried about being called racist than they are about actually being racist. I’ve known white people who throw fits at the mere suggestion of being labelled racist—‘allies’ who flip out without addressing the racist thing they said or did. To them, the label is more offensive and damaging than the actual harm they caused.
These white allies are the kind of people who unironically post “I’m not racist, I have a Black friend!” and make a point to exploit said Black friend until they’re no longer useful to them. I’ve been that Black friend. ***
For most of high school, I felt like someone’s accessory—someone’s shield from racism.