The Queen's Journal, Volume 151, Issue 20

the journal Queen’s University

Increased JDUC costs might be unsustainable for student society Cassidy McMackon Editor in Chief Four days ahead of the AMS referendum, the AMS still won’t disclose the impact of increased costs in the new JDUC building.

The AMS admitted it won’t be able to afford all the space currently allocated to the society and said “difficult decisions” will have to be made to determine how to use the new JDUC. When asked how operations at the AMS will continue in the event some offices or services are moved out of the building, the AMS said it has achieved its IT goal of moving all major operating systems into the cloud so the organization can work remotely should these

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Vol. 151, Issue 20

Aimée Look Business, Science, & Technlology Editor Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he isn’t looking to increase tuition for post-secondary students on Jan. 31 at a press conference.

“I don’t believe this is time to go into these student’s pockets, especially the ones that are really struggling, and ask for a tuition increase,” the Premier said.

Ontario slashed tuition by 10 per cent in 2019 and has kept fees frozen since. Ford said he plans to work with universities to support them, but called class sizes as small as six or seven students unacceptable.

Many universities in the province, including Queen’s, have attributed their financial woes to Ford’s tuition cuts. The tuition freeze has cost Queen’s $180 million, according to its FAQ page.

The Blue-Ribbon Panel of postsecondary experts appointed by the government, recommended in March 2023 that Ontario lift the cap on tuition. The panel labeled the tuition freeze a significant threat to the sector, and Queen’s University agreed.

Queen’s says the provincial tuition cut and decreased international enrolment have both contributed to a $48 million queensjournal.ca

F r i day , F e b r ua ry 2 , 2 0 2 3

AMS could move to remote workplace if SLC fee fails at winter referendum circumstances arise.

In the fourth installment of The Journal’s JDUC series, The Journal asked the AMS about the full cost breakdown and space allocations in the new JDUC building for the undergraduate student society—especially since the Student Life Centre (SLC) fee is seeing a $5.96 increase meant to cover increased costs for the project.

Despite reaching out for both

Ford unwilling to lift tuition freeze as Ontario universities feel budget strain

Not the time to go into students’ pockets, Ford says

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operating deficit.

The Canadian government announced plans last week to cap international student permit approvals to around 360,000, down 35 per cent from the number of approvals in 2023.

Post-secondary institutions in Ontario are highly reliant on international student tuition for student fee revenue because of the 2019 provincial tuition reeze, according to a report rom Ontario’s Auditor General in 2022. “[It’s a] fairly dramatic decision on the part of the Government, which will have far-reaching ramifications,” Patrick Deane said at Queen’s University Senate meeting on Thursday, addressing the cap on international students.

“The worst possible scenario would be that caps put in place would prevent our program numbers,” he added.

PHOTO OBTAINED VIA FOI

interviews and comment, the AMS still won’t paint a full picture of what’s going on.

Increased costs since demolition AMS services and offices once housed in the JDUC temporarily moved into smaller spaces in the Queen’s Centre, La Salle, and Rideau Hall while their new home is under construction in 2022.

Under a Freedom of Information request, The Journal learned the cost per square metre for both AMS spaces in La Salle and Rideau Halls is $181.24, amounting to a total cost of $289,059 each year as per an agreement signed between the University and the AMS. The agreement is meant to be a short-term solution while the JDUC is under construction and has been in operation since May 2022.

The agreement is set to expire in May 2024.

According to The Journal’s calculations based on records obtained under a Freedom of Request, the cost per square foot for some AMS services has increased, despite these services being housed in units that are significantly smaller than their previous JDUC location.

Once housed in a 539.7 square-metre unit in the JDUC, the Tricolour Outlet now occupies a garage in Rideau Hall that is five times smaller. Despite its tenancy in a smaller space, the cost per square foot for the AMS retailer has increased by $21.78 since moving.

According to the AMS, the full cost breakdown per square metre for the new JDUC has yet to be determined, given that these figures are still under negotiation with the University. Despite this, the AMS confirmed operating costs for the society’s share of the building have increased by approximately 70 per cent from the old JDUC building. The operating costs are

covered through a combination of AMS services’ operating budget and through the SLC student activity fee.

Though The Journal inquired twice about the difference in operating costs from the old JDUC to La Salle and Rideau Halls, the AMS declined to provide a cost breakdown per square metre.

Reclaiming student spaces The SLC fee was ratified at AMS Assembly last month. In seeking the SLC fee increase, AMS President Kate McCuaig said the $5.96 number was agreed upon by the AMS and the University, though the University initially argued to have the fee increased further to foot the bill for operating costs.

“The SLC fee is critical and necessary funding to operate both the JDUC and non-athletic portion of the Queen’s Centre so that Queen’s students have places to meet, socialize, and study outside of their academic classrooms,” said Mikayla Crawford, AMS communications director, in a statement to The Journal.

Because the AMS is a non-profit corporation and doesn’t generate profits, the SLC fee increase is necessary to pay the costs to operate spaces housing AMS ratified clubs, AMS offices, and services.

“We’re asking students to vote yes for the increase we believe is necessary and fair and reflects the good faith agreements that have existed over the past decade between the AMS, SGPS and the University and the partnership students have entered into in 2019 with the University to embark on a revitalized JDUC that will be a stunning ‘show piece’ at the centre of Queen’s campus that all of the Queen’s community can be proud of for decades to come,” the statement said.

The JDUC project is funded through a $62.3 million contribution from undergraduate students, and a $9.152 million contribution from graduate students.

Based on figures from enrolment data in the five years since the JDUC redevelopment fee has been in effect, undergraduate students have paid $6 million of the undergraduate contribution.

To meet the $62.3 million undergraduate contribution, it will take 37 years of undergraduates paying the JDUC fee for the building to be paid off.

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Situated on the

traditional lands of

the Anishinaabe and

Haudenosaunee peoples.

Since 1873

EDITORIALS — PAGE 7

World junior player Dubé chooses the cowardly way out BUSINESS — PAGE 8

The businesspeople behind last week’s Banana Bar Crawl SPORTS — PAGE 9

Former football coach Halligan newest addition to Kingston Sports Hall of Fame LIFESTYLE — PAGE 11

Better late than never: Kingston’s young and growing EDM scene

University ‘concerned’ about cap on international students Restrictions impact Queen’s budgetary relief strategy Sofia Tosello Assistant News Editor An immediate cap on international student visas has been imposed by the Federal Government.

Marc Miller, minister of immigration, refugee, and citizenship, announced on Jan. 22 there will be no further growth in the number of international students in Canada over the next two years.

This announcement comes as the Government is looking to address burdens on health care and housing services nationwide.

Provost Matthew Evans stressed the importance of increasing international student enrollment to alleviate the University’s $48 million deficit. The University aims to return to pre-COVID-19 levels of international student enrollment.

International student intake in Ontario will be slashed by as much as 50 per cent according to a report from The Globe and Mail.

“Queen’s greatly values our international students and the announcement of a two-year cap on international student enrollment is concerning,” the University said in a statement to The Journal.

The University recruited 668 undergraduate international students in 2019-20, prior to the pandemic. In 2022-23, that number plummeted to 414, and in 2023-24, it dropped to 387 students.

The University is acquiring further details following federal government’s announcement.

Have an anonymous tip?

Get in touch with our editors.

Premier Doug Ford (right ) at the Legion Royal Branch 560 in 2018.

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2 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

NEWS

News

Dean Barbara Crow sets the record straight

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024

JNN is out, what happens now?

Proposed changes see less transition to online learning. staff members. ability to meet criteria for classes required In 2020-21, the FAS reported “It’s a very difficult time,” Crow graduate programs. a $5.5 million surplus said. “I recognize and understand “The main thrust of the AMS re-opens for majors, which Crow attributes to deferred how difficult this is for our initiative is to make sure our nominations minors, and renovation projects and lower students, our staff, our faculty, students are getting the degree operational spending because of and our community. We are that’s with the right name,” FAS for next year’s specializations pandemic restrictions. working together to come out Associate Dean Jenn Stephenson executive Sophia Coppolino Since then, the FAS has been stronger on the other side, and we said in an interview with News Editor

Battling a $37.4 million projected total deficit this academic year, Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) Dean Barbara Crow sat down with The Journal to lay out the facts.

The deficit isn’t new, Crow explained. Driven by stunted revenue and growing operational costs, the faculty is facing a serious structural deficit of $13.8 million in 2024-25.

Changes to curriculum and infrastructure are required to balance the faculty’s books.

In tandem with budget-driven changes, the FAS is rolling out its plan for 2025, which includes lowering requirements for majors and minors, changing course offerings, and investing in new learning experiences.

managing annual deficits.

Decisions about staff or faculty layoffs haven’t been made yet Crow said. The structural deficit is serious, and resolving it requires a “careful and measured approach” to inform decisions regarding faculty and staff.

“It’s hard to talk about that because this is personnel and HR related. This affects people’s lives.

And we haven’t made decisions about that yet,” Crow said.

will—because we’re the Faculty of Arts and Science.”

This group oversees actions taken to mitigate budget cuts and facilitates regular discussions to understand the evolving situation.

The Journal.

Crow said the new degree structure aligns with other Ontario universities such as University of Ottawa, with majors requiring a minimum of 42 credits.

Lowering the number of credits will give students more flexibility in their coursework, and more timetable space for elective classes.

Stephenson said the proposed degree changes pre-date the budget deficit and have helped the FAS office think strategically about what really belongs in the major. Decisions involving mandatory courses under the new degree structure will be made in consultation with individual departments.

Sophia Coppolino Senior News Editor

With JNN out of the running, the future executives of the AMS are three big question marks.

On Feb. 1 the AMS announced it’s re-opening nominations for AMS executive candidate teams Proposed changes to degree until Feb. 9. The fate of next year’s structure executive team will now be decided Students in the class of 2028 at Special Assembly on Feb. 13. will need four less classes—or To be nominated, interested 12 less credits—in one subject to candidate teams must submit a slideshow, detailing their experience and platform to the AMS Secretariat Alysha Ahmad.

In one night, teams will present their platforms, answer questions, and debate each other.

All AMS Assembly members have a say at AMS Special Assembly and Changes to course offerings The FAS is moving ahead with participate in appointing the next cutting undergraduate classes AMS executive team.

Resolving the structural with less than ten students enrolled, deficit but small classes—a hallmark of Reduced international student Queen’s education—are here JOURNAL FILE PHOTO enrollment, stagnant tuition, and Dean Barbara Crow. to stay. insufficient government funding In a meeting in December, the meet their major requirements A quarter of classes in the FAS have depleted the FAS’ primary FAS Budget Advisory Committee if all goes as planned. Of the 120 have enrollments between 11 and sources of revenue. showed 30 department heads and credits required for honours 24 students, and more than half “We don’t have the revenue to school directors a model charting degrees, requirements for have class sizes of less than 50. The deliver on our operations,” Crow faculty to staff ratios onto six years Bachelor of Arts majors would cuts won’t apply to thesis projects said. “The work we’re doing is, of budgets. The purpose was to drop from 60 credits to 48 credits, or directed reading courses, how do we rethink what and how illustrate the difficult choices ahead and requirements for Bachelor of where students work one-on-one we do things within this fiscally given the inverse relationship Science majors would fall from 72 with faculty to explore specific Meghrig Milkon constrained context.” between minimizing layoffs for credits to 60 credits. research interests.

In 2019, the faculty noticed faculty and staff.

The plan proposes reducing “[The cuts affect] 800 seats on a Assistant News Editor a downturn in international “When there are changes in one the requirements for a minor by denominator of 158,000 seats. We enrollment and put aside $10 category, it influences the need for six credits, the equivalent of offer 158,000 seats in the Faculty Students aren’t running for ASUS million for a rainy day. changes in the other,” Crow said. two classes. What is currently of Arts and Science every year—it’s Senator positions.

Of the six ASUS positions When COVID-19 swept the The FAS employs 466 tenured called a major would become a small,” Stephenson said. country, budget concerns were or tenured-track faculty members, specialization. Crow clarified the Program admission suspensions who sit on University Senate, pushed aside to prioritize the 75 continuing adjuncts, and 348 changes won’t impact students’ to Liberal Studies, Hispanic and only one candidate is running German Studies majors, and the for a senatorial role, ASUS Fine Arts program all happened Governance Officer Piper Veloso for different reasons and in confirmed. The three executive consultation with the appropriate positions were uncontested, academic units, Crow said. The Fine with low turnout for the Arts program will be coming back to debate on Jan. 26.

Queen’s, and Crow confirmed both ASUS Senators and elected and underpinned the team’s Telling students how their student arts and science are priorities. executives represent students’ concerns about JNN. They had government affects them is a big part “The humanities are critical perspectives to governing bodies reason to believe team JNN hadn’t of the campaign. and fundamental. We can’t have at the University such as the consulted with groups on campus “One thing we did notice is a lot a Faculty of Arts and Science University Senate, Arts and Science Sophia Coppolino about their needs and wanted of people didn’t even know that without the humanities,” Crow said. Faculty Board, and ASUS Assembly.

News Editor team JNN to listen to their there was an election happening.

There’s cool stuff going on in Niki Ehsan, ArtSci ’25, is vying for peers’ concerns.

A lot of people told us they had the FAS, Crow said. The faculty one of the one-year ASUS Senator Uninspired by this year’s AMS “If this means we’re getting never voted before in this election,” is exploring new methods positions. Another candidate, executive election, students took it a team that’s going to hear our Sterling said. of teaching for students, bridging Liam LaChapelle, ArtSci ’25, was upon themselves to say ‘no.’ concerns out and pay heed to Wishing for a more proactive disciplines and challenging students disqualified from running for ASUS A no-vote campaign, equity deserving groups, then so be marketing approach by the AMS, to apply their learning with Senator for the 2024-25 school spearheaded by Allison Mei, it,” Ghunaim said. the team has taken matters hands-on projects. year due to him currently serving a Noor Ghunaim, Molly McGill, all Ex-presidential candidate Jason into their own hands in hopes One course, which will be piloted one-year term on Senate. Students ArtSci ’24, and Sophie Sterling, Kim, Comm ’24, contacted the team, of inspiring students to follow in the psychology department, can’t run for two consecutive terms ArtSci ’25, are demanding students and they admitted he sounded student politics. With Queen’s focuses on wellness, and was as an ASUS Senator. earn leadership positions, not “worried,” which wasn’t the budget debacle and sociopolitical developed by students. With less Veloso believes ASUS is doing expect them. intention of the no-vote campaign. divides within the student body, pressure on students’ timetables the best they can, but the challenge The group initially bonded “Our intent was never to start Mei said it’s more important than to meet their major requirements, of connecting with a student body over concerns that the a smear campaign, it was more ever to vote. students can participate in more who appear to be uninterested now-disqualified team just to be that competitor that “We hope our passion can unique opportunities, Crow said. in governance positions remains.

JNN—previously the uncontested they didn’t have from ignite passion within others Under development is an ASUS represents approximately AMS executive team—was ill being uncontested,” Mei who feel emboldened to run for alternative capstone pathway for 12,700 students making it the prepared and underqualified. said in an interview with these positions. In the same light upper-year students. largest faculty society by numbers Together they decided to The Journal. to tell others who aren’t serious “The idea is a student in any of students represented. challenge the team by running a With JNN out of the picture, about fixing things on campus, major can do this fourth-year “There’s always going to be no-confidence campaign. the no-vote campaign team that they can’t just run for capstone experience—high improvements to make. It’s Advocacy for equity- is planning their next move. They positions and get it just because quality, rigorous, interdisciplinary, never going to be perfect but deserving student groups was at hope to turn their platform into we’re the only ones running,” instead of a one-on-one thesis,” we’re doing the best that we the forefront of the no-vote an information hub for students McGill added.

Stephenson said. can to get to as many students as campaign from the beginning, about the AMS executive election. possible,” Veloso said.

No students running for five of six ASUS senate seats

Bigger than JNN, no-vote campaign lives on

‘The no-vote is a good option’

News

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 3

Marking the marketing masters, Rector candidates’ brands in review Leo4Rector

images to depict him as “a bit

lack in student engagement.

hear her platform against the

Candidates Leo crazy and [like an] alcoholic.” Yang plans to use his online backdrop of Danielle Edward’s, Leo Yang is all about being He claimed none of his presence to spread the word ConEd ’24, music. Videos on her Yang and Niki approachable to students. campaign members or himself are about his campaign. Though Yang TikTok and Instagram pages Boytchuk-Hale take He’s excited to share his involved with the management of had a significant following prior have amassed over 20,000 views, “unconventional” campaign with the account and believes a student to his campaign, his personal including one video of the two approaches the world through his Instagram from his time as an orientation Instagram account has amassed intramural champion running four to pulling and anticipated website. leader may be behind the scheme.

1,590 followers. km while discussing her platform.

Yang uses artificial intelligence While the account was Between classes, students can students’ votes (AI) to generate the images Niki4Rector Sophia Coppolino & Sofia Tosello Journal Staff

From AI portraits to friendship bracelet making, Rector candidates are going all in this year to secure students’ votes.

Racing to be the next Rector, Niki Boytchuk-Hale, ConEd ’24, and Leo Yang, ArtSci ’25, are promoting their personal brands ahead of voting on Feb. 6.

Both candidates have experience in marketing and communications, leveraging their social media savvy to cross the finish line victorious.

Boytchuk-Hale launched her Instagram and TikTok accounts @niki4rector, and Yang created his Instagram, @leo_4_rector, on Jan. 29. The Journal contacted both candidates to take a deeper dive into their personal brands.

for his social media accounts, an approach he believes speaks to the uniqueness of his campaign. He wants his campaign to be “a catalyst for increased engagement.”

His account features an AI-generated photo of Yang and another of a lion staring off into the sunset against a tricolour backdrop, an homage to Leos, despite being a Gemini himself.

Yang expressed concern over a fan account using personal

SUPPLIED BY LEO YANG

SUPPLIED BY LEO YANG

recently open to the public, it has since been privatized.

Everyone can hop over to @leo_4_rector to learn more about his campaign, except for Boytchuk-Hale. Yang blocked Boytchuk-Hale’s campaign account to focus on his own “without distractions.”

Unlike his opponent, Yang’s campaign is set to unfold gradually, “to maintain an element of surprise and make the campaign more enjoyable for everyone.”

Yang believes low electoral turnout is a symptom of a larger

Classics and Archaeology refuses to be buried six feet under

Using her previous experience as AMS Marketing Director, Boytchuk-Hale curated an eye-catching campaign logo featuring sunny yellows, vibrant blues, and bright pinks. Drawing on her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Boytchuk-Hale said she put care into each brushstroke and painted her own campaign banner to reduce waste and cost.

Boytchuk-Hale’s platform

SUPPLIED BY NIKI BOYTCHUK-HALE

incorporates Kanyen’keha, a Mohawk language to highlight her commitment to different ways of knowing and Indigeneity at Queen’s. Every element of the campaign was “meticulously considered” by Boytchuk-Hale herself.

Students can tune into Boytchuk-Hale’s TikTok to

damaging, and it will impact and hurt an entire generation of burgeoning scholars,” Mifkovic said in an interview with The Journal.

Despite attending Faculty Board as a student representative, Mifkovic doesn’t feel heard. spells the end for upper-year year to enter classes with Removing the opportunity Greek and Latin at Queen’s, graduate students. to learn Latin and Greek pushes languages which have been Lehoux estimates it will students away from Classics, taught continuously for 182 years cost around $40,000 to run the removing the possibility for them at Queen’s. four classes necessary over the to enter academia.

“Classics is being threatened two-year period to get future “To strip this away from them Mikella Schuettler because the course cap firstand second-years is to strip away a choice, and it’s Assistant News Editor will destroy us if it’s implemented up to speed.

Despite pushing [students] into other rigorously and suddenly like this,” promising conversations with degrees they don’t care about, As the Faculty of Arts and Science Lehoux said. the Dean’s Office last year, that they’re not passionate,” restructures, the Classics and Lehoux agrees the budget the dream of Mifkovic said.

Archeology Department is fighting crisis must be remedied, and has implementing this solution Latin and Greek are essential to survive. met consistently with the Dean’s was crushed. to learning, both Mifokovic and Daryn Lehoux, head of office regarding the course cap.

“The goalposts have been Lehoux argue. In their opinion, the Classics and Archaeology “I respect the budget crisis. I moved and we’re not being given the University’s reputation is at risk. department at Queen’s, understand the budget crisis, the time to catch up, “If we’re going to implement believes the limit on enrolment but we can’t allow the sudden and once that’s done, these strict course caps is the beginning of the end for budget crisis to kill the we’ll never be able to catch up,” this suddenly and allow a classical studies at Queen’s. department and that’s Lehoux said. department like Classics to die, “It’s a slap in the face, frankly, what it’ll do within five years,” Without upper-year language we’re not playing in the same and a kick in the teeth,” Lehoux said. courses, Queen’s students sandbox as McMaster, Western, Lehoux said in an interview with In October, the department will graduate without the and Waterloo,” Lehoux said.

The Journal. proposed combining second, requirements necessary After reaching out to Classics On Jan. 15, Lehoux received third, fourth, and graduate- to enrol in future graduate department heads across an email that all Arts and Science level Greek and Latin courses, programs.

As news of Canadian universities, Lehoux courses with less than 10 students reducing the teaching staff required the Queen’s budget crisis made found a troubling pattern. in the last three iterations for upper-year language courses. national headlines, Lehoux turned According to him, when other would be canceled with few However, Lehoux estimates his attention to his students. universities imposed enrolment exceptions. At the Jan. 26 Faculty the department needs two years For Amber Mifkovic, minimums without exceptions, Board meeting, Dean Barbara to adapt their teaching in first ArtSci ’24, the minimum enrolment Classics departments shut down.

Crow explained the enrolment and second year courses for rule goes further than just “As soon as you stop minimum will be put in place to this solution to be a possibility. canceled courses. teaching the languages, the balance the Faculty of Arts and He hopes prioritizing fluency in “If that right is being stripped department just atrophies Science’s (FAS) budget. lower-level classes will prepare from us by the faculty, who wants and you can no longer For Lehoux, this restriction students in second and third these courses gone, it’s incredibly attract good researchers, you can

Department head predicts death of Classics at Queen’s within five years

SUPPLIED BY NIKI BOYTCHUK-HALE

sit down in the Queen’s Centre to make friendship bracelets and talk with Boytchuk-Hale about her commitment to communication, wellbeing, and collaboration until Feb. 5.

The idea offers Boytchuk-Hale the chance to prove she’s the ideal candidate for Rector, and for Swifties to craft their friendship concert bracelets ahead of Eras Tour Toronto shows.

The idea of a contested election excites Boytchuk-Hale as it gives students increased voice and choice.

She hopes students will do their research into each candidate’s social media presence.

Students can cast their ballot for Rector on Feb. 6 and 7. no longer attract good students,” Lehoux said.

At the end of his statement, Lehoux urged students to email Dean Barbara Crow and other administration.

Professors from across the world shared Lehoux’s statement, some from the University of Warwick and the University of Siena writing personal emails to Principal Patrick Deane.

“The Faculty of Arts and Science responded to emails received from several Classics and Archaeology scholars,” Dean Barbara Crow said in a statement to The Journal.

“The Department of Classics and Archaeology has not been targeted as the current budget situation is addressed.”

Though inspired by the international support, Lehoux felt disheartened reading the comments on articles written about the cuts that question whether Classics is worth teaching at modern universities.

The view has been mirrored in the University’s own statements, including one from Provost Matthew Evans, who asked during the December Faculty of Arts and Science town hall whether Queen’s as a university values Classics.

Have a news tip? Send us an email: journal_news@ams.queenu.ca

4 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

Referendum Statements

AMS winter referendum statements

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024

Student fees, AMS executive candidates, and rector candidates are on the ballot this Feb. 6 and 7 The Journal provides free space in its print edition and online for parties on the referendum ballot.

All statements are unedited. The winter referendum will take place on Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 at queensams.simplyvoting.com.

Student Fees The following student fees are up for triennial review: Sexual Health Resource Centre (SHRC) The Sexual Health Resource Centre is a confidential, non-judgmental, sex positive, pro-choice, queer positive, non-heteronormative, and feminist information and referral service for questions regarding sex, sexuality, and sexual health.

We offer the sale of at-cost safer sex products and toys. Our Centre is staffed by trained volunteers who are knowledgeable about the products we sell and respond to client inquiries made in person, by telephone, and over email. Call us at (613) 533-2959 or visit us at 146 Stuart Street (LaSalle building) Room 215! We post our hours daily on our Instagram @shrckingston.

Sexual Assault Centre Kingston (SACK)

to provide options and choices throughout their counselling journey. SAC also strives to apply an anti-racist/anti-oppressive lens to all of our work, and commits to removing barriers to service through childcare subsidies, transportation assistance, translation and interpretation services, and technology subsidies for distance counselling options.

Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL)

The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) fosters and promotes quality teaching to build educational leadership in direct support of Queen’s undergraduate and graduate students’ learning experiences. Committed to implementing the Principal’s Strategic Framework, we work with all Queen’s educators to enhance teaching and learning experiences by: Informing and consulting on institutional priorities for teaching and learning; Providing and supporting evidence-based, strategic, innovative, and sustainable course and program enhancement initiatives to Faculties, Departments and individual educators that are pedagogically sound, inclusive, equitable, intellectually challenging, and inspiring to a diverse student population; Supporting evidence-based integrations of technology that promotes equity, increases accessibility, and enhances learning; Encouraging, fostering, and engaging in emerging, grassroots investigations of effective and novel approaches to teaching and learning; Ensuring that Queen’s learning spaces, both virtual and physical, meet existing and emerging needs of students and instructors; Developing and supporting the professional development of graduate studenteducators as teaching assistants, teaching fellows, and future educators; Supporting graduateled teaching and learning initiatives within departments and faculties. (e.g., I-EDIAA Graduate Leaders Retreat; TA Toolkit); Collaborating with other academic and support units to identify and respond to emerging needs of students and educators (SGSPA, SASS, QSAS, Student Wellness, QUIC etc.).

Under a broad mandate to support Queen’s educators in the development of teaching and assessment strategies, we provide leadership and guidance in key areas, including: 1. Advancement of I-EDIAA (Indigenization-Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism and Accessibility) through curriculum, course design, and educational resources and supports; 2. Inclusive Pedagogies and Decolonization of the curriculum; 3. Active Learning; 4. Learning Outcomes Assessment, Course/Curriculum Design and Review; 5. Learning Spaces and Educational Technologies; 6. Graduate Student and Post-Doctoral Fellow Teaching Development.

The Sexual Assault Centre Kingston (SACK) is a not-for-profit organization providing free, confidential, nonjudgemental support for all survivors, regardless of gender and identity, 12+, of recent and/or historic sexual violence in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (KFL&A) since 1978 (originally founded by Queen’s and SLC students and community members). In addition, we run a 24/7 Crisis and Support line that covers various catchment areas across the province, including Cornwall, Ottawa, North Bay, Renfrew, Niagara and Belleville area. We also operate a 12/7 Chat and Text line.

At the heart of our work is a deep partnership with our community and all its members. Together, we work to: 1) support individuals and their loved ones to heal from sexual violence; 2) educate individuals and organizations on the impact of sexual violence; and, 3) organize and advocate for systemic and social change required to end sexual violence.

Our Board and volunteers are made up of Kingston community members, Queen’s students (both graduate and undergraduate), professors, survivors, and advocates. Our large volunteer pool, who operate our crisis and chat lines, are majority Queen’s students, as well some of our staff are Queen’s alumni and former SGPS members.

Last year our volunteers provided 12,936 hours of their time ensuring coverage of the lines.

Our centre supports over 450 survivors in individual counselling. This year we have continued to expand our Diverse Communities Program to provide Queen’s American Sign culturally appropriate services to Language Club (QASL) BIPOC communities. We believe survivors are the experts on Queen’s American Sign Language their own experiences and seek Club (QASL) offers students a

fun and engaging environment to learn sign language. Students with any level of background ASL knowledge are encouraged to attend our casual classes taught by a Deaf Instructor. New members are always welcome! Additionally, each year QASL offers an official ASL Level 1 course for students to register for, and earn a Level 1 certificate by the end of the year.

QASL also hosts ASL and Deaf Culture workshops for general members and interested Queen’s students, as well as workshops in collaboration with clubs and services. These initiatives provide groups with tools to start breaking down barriers to accessibility on campus. Next term, we are aiming to introduce a few new workshop themes with our Deaf Educator: First Aid/health-related ASL, and a Business/Customer service workshop. QASL is the first and only ASL-related club on Queen’s campus, and we have worked extensively with Queen’s students to create a more inclusive and accessible environment for Deaf and Hard Hearing individuals at the university.

QASL intends to continue bridging the gap between the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities and the hearing community. If you are interested in attending casual classes or learning more about our club, check out our Instagram (@queensasl) to keep up to date with our activities and opportunities for you to get involved. Please feel free to reach out with any questions about our initiatives or learn about how you can contribute to making Queen’s more accessible!

QPAWS is a diligent club that hopes to continue making a difference in both the lives of the Queen’s community and the Kingston Humane Society. Look up our Instagram (@qpawsqueens) to learn more about this club!

Union Gallery

Established in 1994, Union Gallery is a not-for-profit, student-centred public contemporary art gallery at Queen’s University. UG is a space centred in community and conversation, driven by play, curiosity, curation and research-creation. We are the primary public gallery at Queen’s dedicated to showcasing the range and excellence of students’ artistic and curatorial practices.

UG also supports local (based in Katarokwi-Kingston), regional and national professional artists to foster a diverse network of artistic production, presentation and interpretation. We’re committed to supporting creative growth through merging technical and critical understandings of the arts, as well as a deeper understanding of how art can reflect the most important issues of our time. UG is centrally located on the first floor of Stauffer Library on Queen’s main campus. All are welcome and admission is always free.

Accessibility Queen’s

The Accessibility Queen’s fee was first established in 1988 to alleviate financial barriers for students who self-identify as a person with a disability and who are ineligible for the OSAP Bursary for Students Queen’s Protects Animal with Disabilities. The fund is Welfare Society (QPAWS) managed in part by AMS Senior Management (the Social Issues Queen’s Protects Animal Welfare Commission), and includes grants Society (QPAWS) is a club that administered by both the AMS started in 2020. Three years and the University. Through the later, we are still working hard Social Issues Commission and the to advocate for our furry friends committee Accessibility Queen’s, at the Kingston Humane Society. the Accessibility Queen’s grant The QPAWS team works tirelessly is eligible for all undergraduate to advertise on our Instagram students to apply to, with (@qpawsqueens) to promote our applications being accepted on latest events and post yummy treat a rolling basis every month. The recipes for students and staff to grant is for initiatives designed to test out with their pets. The overall improve physical, academic, health and well-being of animals and social accessibility for is one of QPAWS’s top priorities Queen’s students across campus. as our team continues to teach Accessibility Queen’s as a the Queen’s community about committee has been operating pet safety. We are a non-profit under the AMS umbrella since organization where one hundred 1983 and strives to make the percent of our proceeds are given to Queen’s University campus a safe the Kingston Humane Society. We and inclusive space for all students. are honoured to help support them The Social Issues Commission and as we know how hard they work Accessibility Queen’s manage a to care for these suffering animals. small amount of the funds from The Co-chairs of 2023-2024, this fee, which includes the grant Olivia Leon and Michaela Garofalo, and operating expenses. So far this are excited to announce that QPAWS year, the grant has been allocated to has over 70 members this year, initiatives such as toward hosting and we cannot wait to meet new ASL classes. Operating expenses friends at our booths and events for the committee fund smaller as the year continues. The QPAWS scale events such as mixers and team is filled with compassionate trivia nights, larger events such as animal lovers who work to workshops, advertising and the support furry friends of all kinds. mentorship program, Accessibility The Kingston Humane Society Allies. The remainder of the funding does phenomenal work in caring is allocated to the Transportation for all sorts of animals, and they Bursaries (Emergency Taxi are always looking for volunteers Fund and AMS/SGPS Out-of-City to help around the grounds Healthcare Travel Bursary) that and/or to foster/adopt these Queen’s administers on behalf adorable pets; more information of the AMS. The latter has been can be found on their Instagram particularly important this year, (@kingstonhumanesociety)! as AMS has introduced gender-

affirming care underneath the Health and Dental Plan.

The following student fees are seeking increase: Student Life Centre

The revitalized JDUC will be an incredible opportunity to bring third places back to campus.

The building aims to be the newest addition to our student life that is accessible in all areas.

However, it still maintains its historical significance as a home for students at our university. It features a Wellness Area, will bring back services such as The Brew and The Queen’s Pub, and will be a stellar meeting place for student groups and clubs. To ensure the financing for extended operations of the revitalized JDUC as a vibrant 24/7 hub for students, clubs and our Queen’s community alike, we propose an increase of the Student Life Centre fee. This fee will directly contribute to the ongoing maintenance of SLC buildings, operational expenses, and ensure that the JDUC and other SLC managed buildings remain a thriving and well-maintained space that meets the needs of its students. Your support through the student fee will play a crucial role in sustaining the positive transformation and functionality of JDUC, benefiting the entire student community.

The following fees are seeking establishment: Proactive Minds

Proactive Minds is a student-run organization that aims to educate youth about the importance of mental wellness and illness at a crucial point in their development.

As well as educating youth, Proactive Minds strives to educate parents and other adults about the adolescent period and the unique experiences that young people face.

The club aims to create a safe and inclusive environment for both volunteers and youth to talk about mental illness, well-being, and health. Proactive Minds executives believe that mental health literacy and research should be accessible to everyone and are committed to providing age-appropriate, wellcorroborated materials.

This club was founded by Queen’s University students who saw a gap in the current mental health landscape: while lots of amazing groups are doing the important work of raising awareness about young adult and adult mental health, adolescents were being left out of the conservation. Half of all diagnosed mental illnesses present themselves before the age of 14, yet no advocacy groups were specifically dedicated to this age group. Founders Cayleigh Pratt and Kate Cullen took it upon themselves to change this.

Proactive Minds provides educational and engaging workshops for adolescents aged 11-14 (grades 5-8) on a variety of mental health topics, such as Stress Management, Habit Formation, Positive Self Talk and so much more!

All workshops are delivered on-site,

Referendum Statements

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024 free of charge, and all materials are provided by Proactive Minds.

Although it was founded and ratified in 2023, Proactive Minds has already had a significant impact at Queen’s and within the greater Kingston area! Each week, Proactive Minds volunteers engage with around 200 unique students.

The benefit of Proactive Minds is twofold—adolescents receive science-backed, fun, workshops, and Queen’s volunteers reap the emotional and social rewards of giving back.

Queen’s Black Academic Society (QBAS)

Since 2011, the Queen’s Black Academic Society (QBAS) has been a positive force at Queen’s University, uniting Black students to support one another and promote education. Our mission centers on enhancing the experiences of Black students through education and addressing vital issues within the Black community. Dedicated to enriching the lives of self-identified Black students at Queen’s, we provide educational and cultural activities, creating a supportive space for collaboration. QBAS hosts various events, like open discussions (Real Talks), an annual barbecue, and conference whilst hosting two to three other events every month.

The funds generated from the student fee will directly contribute to covering the costs associated with organizing the diverse series of 18 to 24 events per academic year. In the past, the club has been put in positions where we needed to charge students in order to fundraise for future events due to lack of funding and with the fee referendum we hope to host most if not all of our events free of charge. If provided with a $0.50 fee referendum that would provide QBAS with a crucial opportunity to cover the costs associated with organizing these events, ensuring their success and making a lasting impact.

Our events are essential pillars of the community, and we are committed to using the funds responsibly and transparently, aligning with our organization’s core values. Recognizing our role as a community pillar, we have implemented measures to maintain the quality of our involvement within the university. Additionally, we actively communicate with individuals outside Kingston to keep them informed about our initiatives. This involves continuous efforts to assess and improve the impact of our events, ensuring their relevance and meaningful contribution to our community.

Queen’s Dental Aid Network

Queen’s Dental Aid Network (QDAN) is a student-led, non-profit initiative at Queen’s University dedicated to advancing oral health and hygiene in the Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington region. This mission encompasses education, advocacy, and the redistribution of dental hygiene products, all aimed at achieving the ultimate goal of making oral care accessible to every resident in the KFL&A region.

QDAN collaborates with oral care brands, retailers, and local dental clinics to repurpose oral health products nearing their best-before date, effectively

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 5

preventing product waste. These products are then distributed to vulnerable populations in the community and on campus. The innovative no-cost model ensures that underserved populations receive essential oral care resources.

SIC Menstrual Equity Fee

The Social Issues Commission (SIC) operates as an essential part of the Alma Mater Society, dedicated to actively supporting equity deserving students at Queen’s University. Committed to fostering inclusive and welcoming spaces, the commission centers its efforts on creating awareness, facilitating dialogue, and promoting education on matters related to equity, identity, and anti-oppression.

SIC engages with the student body through various initiatives, such as the “SIC productive pastimes” educational campaigns and events, all designed to enhance awareness and understanding of equity issues. These efforts contribute to a broader goal of fostering a campus environment that embraces diversity and actively works against oppression.

A key aspect of SIC’s mission involves lobbying the university for sustainable social change. By questioning institutional practices and advocating for accountability, the commission seeks to influence the university’s policies and procedures. This advocacy extends to matters of institutional oppression, demonstrating SIC’s commitment to being a catalyst for positive change within the university structure.

Within the Alma Mater Society, SIC places emphasis on institutional change through policy recommendations, equitable hiring practices, and the implementation of inclusive training for student groups.

By addressing these systemic elements, the commission aims to contribute to a more equitable and just campus environment for all students. Overall, SIC plays a crucial role in championing social justice and equity within the university community.

AMS Executive Candidates JNN Over recent years, AMS has been at the juncture of a growing disconnection. A great dissonance has taken root, leaving the majority of our student body either apathetic towards or unaware of the AMS’ true purpose: to be the unwavering voice and advocate of the students at Queen’s University. Recognizing this critical issue, We, the JNN party, seek to bring substantive change, departing from past predecessors’ all too similar repetitive rhetoric.

We will fight to Redefine, Revive, and Represent the students of Queen’s University!

Our approach is grounded in a commitment to meaningful transformation. The prevailing sentiment among students demands more than the routine discourse that has typified past AMS candidates. We seek to be representatives but, more importantly, catalysts for change.

We address student concerns with a fresh perspective, going above political clichés.

Our foundational pillars

revolve around the pivotal aspects University, and supporting shortof student life. Foremost is the term priority goals and long-term imperative focus on student well- institutional change. My first pillar being, encompassing mental health, is aimed at enhancing the feedback food security, safety, and housing. loop between the Rector and These issues are not mere campaign students with a robust and creative rhetoric for us but represent a core experiential marketing plan that commitment to enhancing student includes hiring a paid student to lives. We aim to address the support frequent and transparent financial deficit afflicting students, communications from the Office recognizing its impact on academic, of the Rector. My second pillar social, and economic spheres. focuses on wellbeing by improving Lastly, we address the holistic safety—this encompasses dissolution of student identity and physical, psychological, spiritual, Gael pride at Queen’s. Our vision and other safeties. I will prioritize extends towards fostering a vibrant these when pushing for changes at community where every student the University, such as a committed feels a sense of belonging. This long-term plan for recovery after involves implementing student- budget cuts and program changes. centric events and policies designed My third pillar involves amplifying to unite our diverse community. student advocacy goals through collaboration on efforts that are already underway, like housing University Rector and food insecurity solutions. My Candidates values—accountability, inclusion, and sustainability—are the Niki Boytchuk-Hale foundation of my platform goals. I have worn many hats on campus Hey, I’m Niki, and I am in my five years here and gained humbly presenting myself as a valuable institutional knowledge of candidate for the 39th Rector of both student government and the Queen’s University. I am currently a University. I am proud of what I graduate student in the Indigenous have accomplished, but I am even Teacher Education Program. My more proud of my leadership mission is to be a Rector who philosophy: I am hard on ideas represents the student voice fairly and easy on hearts. Please follow and elevates the Queen’s experience. along the campaign trail by visiting I promise that you can count on me niki4rector.ca or on Instagram and to be an agent of change. I will use TikTok @Niki4Rector. this position to connect, advocate, and inform. I will achieve this by Leo Yang committing to understanding the student voice and experience, Queen’s University is at a guiding students to and opening crossroads, facing mismanagement, doors for conversations with the financial deficit, corruption, and

potential election interference. In the midst of this, with experience in 24 different positions over the past three years, from Principal Deane’s intern to Senate Student Caucus Vice-Chair and AMS intern, I’ve witnessed these problems and issues particularly within the student government and election processes. It’s time for a transformative change! Our university deserves better.

I’m running not to burn bridges, but to collaboratively work with the University Administration, faculty, staff, and students to turn Queen’s into a more efficient and accountable system. No more mistrust and internal conflict – we need transparency and fairness, and, at the very least, a clean election process. My tenure in various university departments has equipped me with a keen understanding of the challenges we face.

I am stepping into this role to run for Rector to represent you—the students, both current and graduated. This is not a personal pursuit; it’s a commitment to making Queen’s a better place for every individual in our community. Let’s join forces and find solutions that benefit us all. No more divisions—instead, envision a stronger, more united Queen’s University. Join me on this transformative journey towards a brighter future. Together, we can shape Queen’s into the best version of itself, fostering an environment of growth, unity, and excellence. queensams.simplyvoting.com

6 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FEATURES How are graduate students keeping up with the cost of living?

Features

Graduate students speak about working at Queen’s.

As a senior PhD student, three years.

Grenade enjoys the agency he has Despite additional comforts over how his week looks. Grenade to supplement the cost of tuition, mentioned that rather than he still faces the financial strain of heavily depending on others, it’s Kingston’s rising cost of living, and more about them depending on has been particularly impacted by Vineeth Jarabana him, which has provided him with higher grocery prices.

Features Editor a greater ability to accommodate “It’s crazy how much things unexpected changes in his weekly have changed. When I just started, With reports of food and housing schedule.

I would pay $100 for two weeks insecurity, graduate students have As a TA, Pheerawich of groceries and now it’s closer long been speaking out about their Chitnelawong, a PhD student in the to $150, $160 for two weeks of quality of life. physics, engineering physics, and groceries,” he said.

This week, The Journal spoke astronomy department, spends a As a result of these rising costs, to five graduate students about lot of his time marking.

Grenade feels pressure to be more their experiences working during He described the grading proactive about securing additional the school year. Many of them are workload as uneven. Despite funding sources like scholarships struggling under the cost-of-living having a contractual limit of 120 and other sources of income. crisis and stagnant. working hours per semester, he He’s not alone—Chitnelawong shared staying within this limit is shares many of Grenade’s Handling the workload sometimes difficult. frustrations with the rising cost As a PhD student in the chemistry He’s found his time as TA to of living. department, Neil Grenade balances be a rewarding experience. Having Chitnelawong has been able his research responsibilities TAed third and fourth-year courses to maintain his lifestyle due to his with his work commitments in engineering and physics, frugality, and he’s been living in as a teaching assistant (TA) Chitnelawong has appreciated the same place for the past few at Queen’s and chemistry tutor on the opportunity to develop his years. However, he has found it the side. teaching skills. challenging to save.

Grenade said tutoring fits “It’s very useful to see what’s While he once used to tutor, well into his schedule. However, going on. Teaching helps you he’s no longer able to due to his that isn’t to say he doesn’t understand a lot if you are able to changing schedule. face challenges managing his explain yourself to your students “Graduate school is quite difficult workload—particularly his or explain the theory,” he said in and there’s a lot more going on in TA commitments. an interview with The Journal. “It my more senior years of my PhD “Sometimes, situations evolve in means you at least have some so there’s a lot more I need to get an unpredictable way. For instance, semblance of understanding, so done,” Chitnelawong said. “Money TAing can be more complex than I think it’s good for professional isn’t really a problem for me now just being at a certain place and development and personal growth.” so I think it’s fine for me to focus on time in the week and then giving a Veronica Sewilski, an MA student finishing my PhD.” tutorial or being in a lab to supervise in the gender studies department, Levi Duhaime is a Master’s an experiment. You have to mark, has taken on a range of jobs during student in the department of and that can take up quite a bit of her time as a graduate student. She biology and the vice-president time, quite more time than being in has worked in customer service (community relations) at PSAC 901. a tutorial or a lab,” Grenade said in roles, administrative positions, and Duhaime finds the University’s an interview with The Journal. as a TA. funding packages for graduate Grenade commented on how Due to the rising cost of living, students to be insufficient. He has certain weeks are often much Sewilski was forced to work, and seen many of his fellow graduate busier than others. works upwards of 60 to 70 hours students take on additional TA “You could have a very front- per week, whereas she dedicates assignments in order to make loaded semester where you have six to 20 hours each week for school. ends meet. so much work to do and then you She encourages graduate He commented on financial don’t have time to tutor and do students to talk with their challenges posed by the contractual research and you’re bagged down supervisors. In her case, her limits on maximum hours TAs are with all this unpredicted workload supervisor worked full-time allowed to work. that has to get done,” he said. during graduate school and thus “When people hear that TAs In discussing the biggest was understanding and flexible are making $44 an hour, which challenge of being a working about deadlines. is a pretty good wage, they think graduate student, he discussed ‘oh, that’s quite a bit of money,’” unanticipated life events. For Managing finances Duhaime said in an interview with example, an injury once significantly Due to funding from various The Journal. set back his ability to serve as a TA. scholarships, Grenade doesn’t “We’re capped on the number “Whenever you have a life that work out of necessity. His main of hours that we can actually work encompasses so many different scholarships include the School as a part of our funding packages. obligations, when one thing is of Graduate Studies’ doctoral Usually, you only TA something impacted, it usually trickles down award, which provides $15,000 in like 120, 130 hours a semester into the others, and you have to funding annually, and the NSERC and that doesn’t add up to all that make it up somehow or you have postgraduate scholarship, which much because you’re not [paid for] to find a way to readjust.” provides $63,000 in funding across working 20 to 40 hours a week.”

Stagnant wages keep some graduate students hungry

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024

While his daily schedule is packed, Duhaime often spends up to nine consecutive hours on campus. His day usually begins at 8 a.m. when he gets up and does work around the house. Then, he goes for his morning meetings, starts his lab work, or goes to class. Once he returns home in the evening, he answers any emails and completes leftover remote work tasks.

Duhaime has been hit hard by the rising cost of living, especially given he’s unable to take on additional hours of work to make more money. Instead, he’s been forced to cut costs by accessing free food services like the Good Times Diner, the AMS Food Bank, and the PSAC 901 Food Support Fund.

Noah James, an MSc student in translational medicine, finds the funding he receives as a graduate student isn’t enough to cover essentials such as groceries, let alone extracurriculars.

“I really enjoy extracurriculars, whether it’s skating, going to the gym, playing hockey, things like that. Shinny hockey is $10 a night, so costs add up,” he said in an interview with The Journal.

Zhiyun Yang, a PhD student in biomedical and molecular sciences, finds the stipend for graduate students insufficient to keep up with the cost of living. However, with a TAship or two, she has been able to secure enough income to live.

One of the biggest rising costs in Kingston, rent, is not a concern for Yang—she and her husband purchased a house in Kingston.

As a mother to a seven-monthold baby, Yang is currently on maternity leave. She receives $10,000 for maternity leave from the University—$5,000 per semester for a maximum of two semesters.

While she anticipates some challenges after she returns to work, Yang discussed how her mother will be helping take care of her child to alleviate the pressures on her as a graduate student.

Addressing the crisis To ensure graduate students aren’t doing work without compensation, Duhaime advises them to thoroughly check the Teaching Assistant Form (TAF)—a form that stipulates a TA’s duties and expected hourly commitments.

“Oftentimes, the duties you’re asked to do by your employment

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

supervisor, or the professor will not match the TAF. That’s when you run into issues getting compensated for work you’ve already done but they might not necessarily think is within the bounds of your contract.”

In terms of what he believes to be the biggest challenge graduate students face, he pointed to the relationship with the University.

“As students, we pay tuition, but in other universities and other countries, that’s not necessarily the case for Master’s students or PhD students where they are classified solely as skilled workers.

That’s true, that’s what we’re doing.

We’re creating the research that gets published and the University likes to tout their research as being world-class, but the majority of that’s being done not by faculty, but by postdocs and graduate students.”

To address this challenge, he believes there must be a provinciallevel reclassification of graduate students as workers rather than students. Duhaime contends that such a reform would provide graduate students with more comprehensive employment protections and rights.

Duhaime is critical of the working conditions graduate students often experience. He pointed to health and safety as a prime concern.

“There’s been a lot of construction going on that’s been displacing graduate students. For instance, in the English department, their student offices are an active building site right now where they’re doing some renovations, but there aren’t appropriate spaces for [graduate] students to be relocated to do their work. So, they’re coming to campus and to their graduate student offices and there’s active construction, noise, dust, and debris going on right next to them,” Duhaime said.

When it comes to how the university can better support graduate students, Sewilski pointed to the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs’ (SGPSA) policy stipulating graduate students can’t register as full-time students while maintaining fulltime employment greater than 30 hours per week elsewhere.

She found the policy to be unreasonable and found it frustrating that it was not clearly outlined to her or the graduate students in her cohort.

Editorials

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 7

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Volume 151, Issue 20 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board Editors in Chief

Asbah Ahmad Cassidy McMackon Curtis Heinzl

Production Manager

Sophia Coppolino

News Editor

The Journal’s Perspective

EDITORIALS

Meghrig Milkon

Assistant News Editors

Mikella Schuettler Sofia Tosello Vineeth Jarabana

Features Editors

Skylar Soroka Cassandra Pao

Editorials Editor

Arden Mason-Ourique

Editorial Illustrator

Aimée Look

Business, Science & Technology Editors

Violetta Zeitlinger Fontana Rory Stinson

Sports Editor

ILLUSTRATION BY ARDEN MASON-OURIQUE

MAiD not yet a solution for mental illness This article discusses mental illness and suicide and may be triggering for some readers. The Canadian Mental Health Association Crisis Line can be reached at 1-800-875-6213.

Scientifically and socially, Canada isn’t ready to expand medically assisted death to those whose only underlying condition for it is mental illness.

Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAiD) program accounted for four per cent of all deaths in the country in 2022—after only six years of being implemented. Canada’s use of the treatment has outpaced the 10 other countries where it exists. According to an article in the Toronto Star, it took 14 years for assisted death cases to account for four per cent of deaths in the Netherlands, and assisted death still doesn’t account for four per cent of national deaths in Switzerland and Belgium.

Given the surge in its usage, many

expressed concern with Canada’s proposed expansion of MAiD, which would have extended eligibility to patients whose mental illness is their sole medical condition.

Increasing the number of people for whom medically assisted death may be a treatment gives rise to ethical concerns, yet so would withholding it.

Many perceive death as an undesirable outcome, particularly when it could have been delayed or preventable. Ultimately, though, everyone is entitled to autonomy over their own body and life. Denying access to MAiD would be to deny the fundamental right to agency.

Those who criticize MAiD for condoning suicide fail to consider the conditions of many individuals with severe disabilities or chronic illnesses will likely not improve and that forcing them to continue living is only prolonging—perhaps even intensifying—their suffering.

One reason Canada’s assisted death rates are so much higher than those of other nations is that MAiD doesn’t require its applicants’ conditions to be terminal.

You don’t need to drink to have fun Kenzie O’Day Copy Editor Depending on your relationship with both alcohol and the people around you, social pressure to drink when you don’t want to can lead to a worse experience than if you hadn’t drank at all. There’s no reason you can’t go sober.

It’s well-known alcohol isn’t good for your body: it’s a toxin that impairs decision-making, motor skills, memory, and productivity the next day.

That said, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a few drinks responsibly.

What I do take issue with, though, is the idea that alcohol needs to be involved in a fun night out.

Though I’m not against drinking, I don’t feel the need to do it every weekend, but that doesn’t preclude me from wanting to go out and have fun with my friends. While establishments serving alcohol don’t need to be completely sober places, more people should understand it’s possible to be sober within them.

This understanding has helped me feel freer when joining my friends in the Hub or going to parties than I did when I felt like those activities had to

PHOTO BY JOSEPH MARIATHASAN

involve alcohol. Everybody deserves the same freedom.

Associating socialization with drinking can be very isolating for particular social groups. Many people may refrain from drinking for personal reasons—like religious beliefs or medical concerns—they don’t feel comfortable explaining publicly. They also may simply not want to drink.

If we were all a little bit more accepting of sobriety, those people would feel less like they have to justify their presence in venues associated with drinking, or less pressure to drink more than they want to, and may have more avenues of socialization and friendships available to them.

In the meantime, I’ve discovered the key to staying happily sober on a night out is matching the energy of the people and place around you. If you’re going to a club, maybe have a little coffee first so you

Eliminating this requirement maximizes the treatment’s capacity to allow its patients to pass with dignity rather than in suffering.

Criminalizing or limiting access to services rarely decreases their use, but rather increases unsafe recreations of them.

Suicide is far more traumatic for the person who attempts it and for the loved ones who survive them than medically assisted death.

The proposed expansion of MAiD to mental illness stipulates that the illness must be resistant to treatment.

Medical research into mental illness in Canada is far too recent and unexplored a discipline to be able to confidently say a person has explored all possible routes of treatment before applying for MAiD. Social factors are equally difficult to separate from mental health. The prevalence of housing and food insecurity in Canada inevitably breeds mental illness.

As much as we could try to guarantee exhaustive treatment for mental illness prior to granting access to MAiD, unequal living conditions are an unignorable and thus-far untreated cause.

Before expanding MAiD as a treatment for mental illness, Canada must first expand its medical research into mental health, as well as its social and mental health supports.

—Journal Editorial Board

can dance the night away. Before a house party, prepare your chattiest self to make some new connections. Go with people you trust and enjoy spending time with and play drinking games with a solo cup of water, juice, or pop.

You wouldn’t be alone in doing so. Recent research has shown Gen-Z are drinking less than millennials for a variety of reasons including cutting costs, a desire for a healthier lifestyle, or an increase in cannabis use.

Personally, I love dancing, so it’s not hard to remove alcohol from my clubbing experiences because I have just as much fun jumping around to songs I don’t know sober. I encourage you to find your equivalent—maybe you wouldn’t mind sober trivia or karaoke nights out at a bar with friends.

I’m lucky to have a group of friends who don’t pressure me to drink if I don’t want to and will invite me out regardless of whether we’ll be taking shots together.

If you’re with the right people, it is possible to have fun at the bars without alcohol, and I encourage you to try it on your next night out. Just don’t think too much about how sticky the floor is.

Kenzie is a fifth-year English and film student and one of The Journal’s Copy Editors.

Assistant Sports Editor

Aidan Michaelov

Lifestyle Editor

Allie Moustakis Sina Sayyad

Assistant Lifestyle Editor

Herbert Wang

Photo Editor Assistant Photo Editor

Joseph Mariathasan Miriam Slessor

Video Editor

Jamie Weiler

Assistant Video Editor

Ali Safadi

Graphics Editor

Norah Kierulf

Copy Editors

Kenzie O’Day Anne Fu

BIPOC Advisory Board Members

Malaieka Khan

Oluwamisimi Oluwole Yael Rusonik

Staff Illustrator Staff Writer

Elizabeth Provost

Natalie Viebrock Rishab Chakraborty

First-year Interns

Lauren Nicol

Business Staff Manal Shah

Business Manager

Irina Tran

Sales Representatives

Madeleine Smith Fundraising Representative Margaret Cavanagh-Wall Social Media Coordinator

Ana Coelho

Want to contribute?

For information visit: www.queensjournal.ca/contribute or email the Editor in Chief at journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Contributions from all members of the Queen’s and Kingston community are welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions.

The Queen’s Journal is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University, Kingston.

Situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The Journal’s Editorial Board acknowledges the traditional territories our newspaper is situated on have allowed us to pursue our mandate.

We recognize our responsibility to understand the truth of our history.

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.

190 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3P4 Email:

journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca

Please address complaints and grievances to the Editor in Chief and/or Managing Editor.

The Queen’s Journal is printed at WebNews Printing Inc. in Toronto, Ontario.

Contents © 2024 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal.

8 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

Business, Science, & Technology

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024

<BIZ-SCI-TECH> <BIZ-SCI-TECH>

Journeying across the country with a van filled with banana suits, the boys who run the Banana Bar Crawl are ready for anything.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY BANANA BAR CRAWL

Students across Ontario are going ‘bananas’ at bars

Thousands of Queen’s students in banana suits participate in mass bar crawl Mikella Schuettler Assistant News Editor The streets of Kingston became a sea of yellow bananas last Wednesday as 1,600 Queen’s students dressed up in banana suits for a collective bar crawl.

Participants were divided into teams, venturing between local hotspots such as Stages Nightclub, Trinity Social, and Ale House & Canteen, completing a list of challenges and winning prizes along the way.

The bar crawl was born when three friends having a beer saw a group of bananas walk into a bar. Within weeks, the boys were hosting their first “Banana Bar Crawl” in Waterloo.

“We kind of snowballed the idea into organizing our own banana bar crawl where we can get hundreds of people wearing banana costumes,” Aiden Tighe, ArtSci ’19, said in an interview with The Journal.

Tighe, Noah Battaglia, and Luke De Haas

currently run the mobile payment app Mosea, and recently expanded into hosting Banana Bar Crawls across Ontario. The business grew as tickets for the crawl were sold on the Mosea app and promoted on social media and through brand ambassadors.

“We knew if we could do the first one or two [bar crawls] successfully, it was going to take off from there,” Battaglia, a graduate of Dalhousie University, added.

During the sold-out crawl at Queen’s, the boys bounced from one bar to another, making sure everything was running smoothly. The team believes the goofiness of the event is what makes it most attractive to students.

Kingston’s local bars were keen to partner with Mosea’s Banana Bar Crawl.

Stages and Ale House are typically closed on Wednesdays, so the idea of filling the bars with banana-clothed students was an attractive offer, Tighe said.

The Banana Bar Crawl has attracted new brand ambassadors through social media, a central part of their marketing strategy. This allowed them to expand to new regions, such as Fredericton, NB. The ambassadors aren’t paid conventionally, but receive merchandise or prizes for selling tickets and completing other tasks.

After the first bar crawl proved to be

Queen’s research team works to revamp brain tumor care

Program takes a holistic approach to patient care Violetta Zeitlinger Fontana Business, Science, & Technology Editor The Queen’s Brain Tumor Program (QBTP) is revolutionizing the way post-operative brain tumor care is delivered in southeastern Ontario.

In spring of 2023, Dr. Teresa Purzner, a clinical scientist and neurosurgeon at Queen’s University and Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), and her clinical research team set out to conduct a retrospective review of patient data. The team, which includes Sarah Asselin, MScN ’24, PhD candidate Matthew Love, Abby Mocherniak, MSc ’24, and Danny Toon, MScN ’24, realized there was a bigger problem when it came to brain tumor patient outcomes in southeastern Ontario—a

problem they could address through their research.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive, fast-growing type of brain tumor.

This tumor type is the focus of the QBTP, which launched on Dec. 4. GBM patients in Canada have a median survival length of eight months, with less than 5 per cent of patients surviving at least five years.

“Our glioblastoma patients were getting safe operations and were getting lost in the system after that. There was a lot of room for improvement to help ensure every glioblastoma patient is receiving the most timely care possible,” Toon said in an interview with The Journal.

Given the limited prognosis of untreated primary brain tumors after surgery, it’s crucial their post-operative cancer treatments are delivered in a timely manner.

The Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario (CCSEO) operates from Kingston General Hospital (KGH) and oversees cancer

a huge success, the team had to solve logistical problems quickly.

“Since we're doing all the bar crawls in such a short amount of time, we had to order thousands of banana suits,” Battaglia said.

Boxes of banana suits piled up in the team’s Toronto office before the next few bar crawls. The team ran into trouble when they had to fit all the suits into their van, cramming banana suits wherever they would fit, but eventually making it work.

care for patients ranging from Leeds and Grenville counties to parts of Lanark and Northumberland counties. Because the CCSEO services such a large geographic region, many patients must travel several hours to access care.

Mocherniak said this can be particularly challenging for GBM patients as radiation treatments are typically administered for several days back-to-back.

“That was one of the biggest things that was going on with patients, and that was a kind of challenge our healthcare system in Canada just wasn’t compatible with, so it was an opportunity for growth,” Mocherniak said in an interview with The Journal.

Suspected GBM patients are typically referred to the program by physicians, where a nurse navigator is assigned to their case and follows their care through the system. The nurse navigators act as a primary point of contact for any questions the patient may have, and they’re able to communicate with the rest of the care team to ensure treatment schedules are followed.

“We wanted to streamline and standardize the flow of patient care,” Mocherniak said. “We now get a direct referral from all hospitals that are in our catchment region in southeastern Ontario.”

The program is unique because it isn’t just focused on clinical care or patient support—it takes a holistic approach to integrate patient education and support with translational research and clinical innovation. Mocherniak said with such an aggressive and rapidly-progressing disease, a streamlined approach to care is important and significantly impacts patient outcomes.

“The QBTP has a mission to improve patient care, not just meet the standard of care,” Toon said.

Healthcare programs are typically developed using a Quality Improvement (QI) framework that seeks to systematically improve care. Purzner’s

“We had to set a max limit on tickets we can sell just because we physically could not possibly fit any more suits in our van,” Battaglia said.

The bar crawl’s Instagram has been flooded by DMs from students across Canada, begging for the team to do a bar crawl in their city.

In the future, the banana boys said they’ll expand into other fruits and vegetables, but there’s no telling which ones. team felt that to achieve an effective outcome, they would need to deviate from this model.

Drawing on past experiences, Purzner and her team chose to implement a design thinking approach. This framework is traditionally used in business and entrepreneurial settings—implementing it in a healthcare setting hadn’t really been done before.

“Design thinking itself is rooted in the people it’s affecting. In business, design thinking is focusing on what the people want from a consumer perspective and creating a product that really works for them, whereas in healthcare we’re using it to create a program that works for all the different people on all the levels,” Mocherniak said.

Throughout the development process, the team consulted with patients as well as a wide variety of healthcare providers and administrators to get a clear sense of each stakeholder’s needs and priorities.

“We used that [information] to create a program that not only was patient-centric and focused on what the patients actually need and what they tell us they need, and then also was feasible and beneficial to the healthcare providers that would then be using it,” Mocherniak said.

Toon said the program is constantly evolving through an iterative process. The team hopes the program will continue to develop to reflect the needs of its patients and providers.

If the program is successful, the team is hopeful other regions may adopt the same approach.

“There are a lot of different types of brain tumors. We’re only focusing on glioblastomas, but it would be nice to have the resources to expand to all brain tumor patients,” Toon said.

In the future, Mocherniak would love to see a widespread implementation of programs like the QBTP and increased healthcare accessibility in Canada, especially for rural patients.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024

SPORTS

Sports

Former Queen’s Assistant Coach inducted into Hall of Fame Halligan’s first season coaching the Gaels was in 1994.

‘The Journal’ sits down with Frank Halligan RORY STINSON Senior Sports Editor Frank Halligan was 12 years old when he attended his first Queen’s Golden Gaels football game with his mother in 1964. The weather was horrible, sleet pestering the stands, but Halligan looked out onto the field, saw the athletes playing in the mud, and thought it looked like fun.

Kingston City Hall announced on Jan. 23 that Halligan would be named into the Kingston & District Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions to the community.

Halligan got his bachelor’s degree from Queen’s with a medial in biology and psychology. He pursued additional schooling and eventually became a high school teacher. He taught at RegiopolisNotre Dame Catholic High School and Holy Cross Secondary School in his hometown of Kingston.

Halligan started coaching football at the high school level in 1974. During the day, Halligan would teach biology, philosophy, math, and psychology, but when the final bell rang, he would be out on the field.

“I’ve always thought extracurriculars were critical to the life enjoyment sometimes of many kids,” Halligan said. “What’s interesting, of course, is that some of the challenges you can put before kids in the classroom are only so much, depending on the academic capability of the kids.”

“After school, when you’re working with them on the field, or in the gym, or even upon, for example, the drama up on the stage. The students themselves come with a whole different level of motivation of wanting to be successful in what they’re doing.”

Halligan said it wasn’t that students weren’t motivated or successful in their academics, but there was just a different level of enthusiasm at 3 or 4 p.m. on the field than there was in his 10 a.m. class.

Even after his students graduated high school, Halligan often found himself invited to his students’ weddings and other milestone celebrations, not because he was their teacher, but several beneficial relationships through coaching.

“My attitude towards sports has always been, how does it translate into later life experiences, and the belief that working on the team or with the team encouraged one

to work well when you have the opportunity with teams in a wider sense of society,” he said.

Halligan coached high school

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

football for 20 years before he got the opportunity to coach for the Queen’s football team through one of his many

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 9 contacts in the community.

Right away, Halligan said he met some tremendous people on the team’s staff, and said it was a step beyond coaching at the high school level.

He emphasized the dedication Queen’s football players had for both their sport and academics. If they weren’t focused on the game, they were focused on school, often studying on buses or in hotel rooms before a game.

“One of the most interesting things that people who aren’t on the inside of coaching football or on the team is how hard these players work,” Halligan said.

Once Halligan’s three sons reached high school age, it made sense for him to return to high school level sports where he coached in football and basketball.

Despite leaving his assistant coaching position, Halligan remains part of a Queen’s football committee, working alongside the athletics management team.

Throughout his career, Halligan attended many coaching clinics. He fostered much passion and found new coaching philosophies that

he wanted to be able to bring this experience to other coaches in the Kingston area.

Organizing his own clinics for a variety of sports, he brought together over 3,000 coaches from around the world to both present and learn about coaching, which has created a network of connections within the coaching community.

Halligan said it was an honour to be put into a group of others who have been highly involved in the Kingston area, although he sees his time coaching as part of a greater collaborative effort.

“I’m not one that really enjoys having singular limelight,” he said. “There’s some tremendous community coaches in our midst here [who] give endless time to help kids, or just an opportunity to play, particularly in an age when it’s getting more and more expensive for kids to play.”

“If it encourages people to see the other coach who began as a high school coach has got inducted and it encourages them to be involved, that’s great.”

Catching up on Women’s Hockey with Morgan McHaffie The Gaels are playing ‘for the Q’

RORY STINSON Senior Sports Editor The Queen’s Women’s Hockey team has seen mixed results this season and The Journal sat down with Head Coach Morgan McHaffie to discuss.

Named Head Coach of the Women’s Hockey team in September, McHaffie is no stranger to the team. McHaffie played five years as a Centre on the team from 2009 to 2014, and has held the Assistant Coach role since 2014.

She told The Journal her late appointment to the Head Coach position meant the team lost out on valuable transition time.

“Even though we had great supports in place during that time,” McHaffie said, “We didn’t quite get to accomplish maybe some of the normal team building things we would like to do early on.”

The Gaels went 8-7-0 in the first half of the season. McHaffie said the weekend before winter break was huge for the team as they secured two 5-1 wins on home ice against the Western Mustangs and Windsor Lancers.

Moving into the second half of the season, the Gaels have somewhat started to find their footing.

In the games played since the first weekend of December, the Gaels have had a 6-3-0 record, contributing to their 12-10-0 overall season record. However, McHaffie said the mixed results aren’t unexpected.

“As we know, throughout success and a lot of seasons, it’s not that straight line up. You’re going to have those peaks and valleys and that’s just the nature of hockey,” McHaffie said. “The secondary piece of that is just the parity in our league. The OUA, it’s just so strong, and the gap between all the teams

has really come closer, which is nice to see.”

The Gaels are currently ranked third in the OUA East Division, behind Nipissing University and the University of Toronto (U of T). They’re fifth in the OUA overall.

Though the Gaels have yet to clinch a playoff spot, McHaffie said they’re poised for the three tough opponents they’ll face off against before the end of the regular season.

The first is the Guelph Gryphons, who are ranked number one overall in the OUA. The other two teams are Nipissing and U of T, one of which the Gaels will likely play against in the first round of the OUA playoffs. “[We have] an opportunity in these next six games to show that we can compete for those playoff spots and also beat a team like Nipissing and Toronto,” she said.

“That’s our ultimate goal right now, and then just setting ourselves up for a good spot heading into

playoffs and ensuring we secure a playoff spot.”

Looking toward the end of the regular season and the possibility of a post-season, McHaffie has a few goals for the team.

“One thing we’ve been trying to work on this year is just elevating our level of grittiness and just that toughness to play against factor,” she said. “We have some extremely skilled players and willingness to compete.”

The women’s team doesn’t draw a lot of penalties, according to McHaffie. One of the team’s big focus areas has been finding ways to challenge their opponents which would cause them to draw penalties. Spending this time on the powerplay will be a great opportunity for the Gaels to practice their special teams.

McHaffie explained how special teams are something else they’ve been trying to improve on as it can make all the difference in a playoff game. Examining

The Queen’s Women’s Hockey team has seen mixed results this season.

video and practicing their penalty kills and powerplays will have a significant impact on the team’s success moving forward, but they need to draw more penalties first, she said.

The team will finish out their season with the same motto they have been working with all year: “For the Q,” which McHaffie explained instilled in her team that everything they do is for the team.

“Every off-ice lift, workout, your behaviour, everything around that you do and how you present yourself is for the team and for the Q,” she said.

“We know that if we have a shot at making it back to an OUA final, every single player needs to be on board contributing.”

The Gaels’ final two home games are Feb. 10 and Feb. 11 against the Nipissing Lakers and the U of T Varsity Blues. OUA Playoffs are scheduled to begin Feb. 19.

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

Sports

10 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

From Queen’s to major leagues: the Gaels that make it big Virtue, Young, MacTavish, and Kellett among top names

RORY STINSON Senior Sports Editor There have been many Queen’s students who have gone on to pursue majorly successful careers.

Today The Journal will break down four Queen’s alumni who have become successful athletes.

Tessa Virtue In 2020, CBC reported that Tessa Virtue, Canadian figure skating icon, began her studies in the Executive MBA program at Queen’s University.

“It’s an extraordinary cohort, everyone is so impressive and has accomplished such wonderful things and in such diverse spheres, and so the conversations are so exhilarating, and especially right now, I’m so grateful to have the chance to sort of expand my mind,” Virtue told CBC.

time training with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings and was so successful the team kept him on their roster for two years. He was the first Canadian university football player to be drafted into the NFL. Following his time with the Vikings, Young returned to Canada to play in the CFL for the B.C. Lions.

Young amassed 522 pass receptions for 9,248 yards and 65 touchdowns during his 12 seasons with the Lions, and spent some time as an assistant coach for the team.

He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

Craig MacTavish Four-time Stanley Cup champion player and former NHL Head Coach Craig MacTavish completed his EMBA from Queen’s in 2011.

MacTavish spent 17 seasons in the NHL playing for the

Queen’s has seen a vast majority of athletic talent walk through it’s doors.

Virtue is an extremely decorated figure skater, alongside her longtime skating partner, Scott Moir.

The pair are the most decorated figure skaters in Olympics history, with three gold medals and two silver.

Holding numerous records, including being the first team to receive four 10.0s in any figure skating discipline under the International Judging System and the highest technical score in a short dance, Virtue has been no stranger to success in the world of sports.

Virtue and Moir announced their retirement in 2019 and Virtue now resides in Toronto with her partner Morgan Reilly of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Jim Young Despite offers from American institutions, Jim Young accepted a scholarship to play football for the Queen’s Golden Gaels in the early 1960s.

In 1963, he played on both the offensive and defensive lines for the Gaels. At this time, Young was said to be Canada’s greatest football prospect.

After concluding his time at Queen’s, Young spent some

GRAPHIC BY HERBERT WANG

Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, and St. Louis Blues.

He won the Stanley Cup in 1987, 1988, 1990, and 1994.

He went on to join the Edmonton Oilers as Assistant Coach in 1999, and was soon promoted to Head Coach, where he stayed from 2000 to 2009.

MacTavish later took on assistant coach positions for the New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues.

The Queen’s Alumni Review reported that MacTavish had taken his EMBA as an opportunity to develop his knowledge on the business side of hockey.

Dalton Kellett Dalton Kellett graduated from Queen’s with a degree in engineering physics in 2015. He has since applied his engineering background to race cars.

Prior to attending Queen’s, Kellett had a decent amount of racing experience and flourishing career in the sport, but the Queen’s Alumni Review reported that he made sure his academics were a priority.

Kellett began racing in the Road to Indy Circuits in 2012 and continued until he would make his IndyCar appearance in 2020.

A. J. Foyt Racing picked up Kellett and kept him on their team from 2020 to 2022. After finishing last place amongst full time drivers in the 2022 IndyCar Championship, Kellett announced he wouldn’t be returning to the A. J. Foyt Racing team for the 2023 season.

Kellett hasn’t raced in the IndyCar series since, but has worked to inspire STEM education coupled with racing.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024

AIDAN’S ANGLE

Cole Syllas and Erik Siknsa are two Gaels with unique warm-up

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Gaels warm-up routines a marker for all-star success

AIDAN MICHAELOV Assistant Sports Editor

Highlighting the stretches that lead to success for Queen’s top performers.

If you follow professional sports, or have a favourite athlete, you may be aware of some peculiar pre-game routines superstitious players rely on to help them feel and play their best.

Connor Hellebuyck, goaltender for the Winnipeg Jets (NHL), takes to a separate bench from his teammates before the game, where he visualizes what he expects to see in the game. Viewers can watch as Hellebuyck’s eyes dart across the ice. It’s quite the spectacle, and something that has allowed the Jets goaltender to be an NHL starter since 2016.

Hellebuyck’s routine serves as an example of both a physical and mental warm-up.

When he’s moving his eyes at high speeds, he is exercising the muscles in his eyes, preparing him for the speed of the game.

While he does this, he’s visualizing

the game to better anticipate play.

As the shining star of the Queen’s Men’s Basketball team, Cole Syllas, Sci ’24, can rarely be seen sitting still before or during his games.

Throughout the Men’s Basketball games I’ve had the pleasure of covering, I’ve frequently noticed Syllas spends much of his free time on the stationary bike positioned just to the left of their bench.

While I didn’t get the chance to speak to Syllas directly regarding any mental exercises he might be putting himself through during his cycle sessions, I do know that cycling is an excellent way to warm up the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in your legs.

This practice stood out to me, primarily because Syllas is often the most dominant player on the court, so watching how he prepares himself to dominate piqued my interest.

No other Gaels player returns to the bike as often as Syllas, which may help to explain the endless motor that fuels his aggressive style of play.

On the Men’s Volleyball team, Erik Siksna, Comm ’24, the 6’6” star Outside from Markham, Ontario has a separate

shoulder warm-up I saw him practice before the Gaels’ most recent meeting against the McMaster Marauders last weekend.

Siksna—a powerful hitter for the Gaels—works with a tension band pre-game. Similar to Syllas, the exercises are done near the tunnel beside the Gaels bench.

Siksna grabs the tension band, which is tied securely around the bars lining the stands, and warms up his shoulder and chest muscles, practicing the motions put in place when he goes up for his spikes.

It’s no surprise that a player as dominant as Siksna puts extensive care into his warm-up routines, as he currently has 137 kills this season, including 38 aces—the most of any Gaels player.

For those of you wondering how you can improve at your respective sport, or questioning how Siksna and Syllas are able to consistently put up dominant performances, look no further than how they conduct themselves on, and off the court.

Lifestyle

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 11

LIFESTYLE Casting a ballot is an important civic duty for students

While tensions in student politics are high, students are voting less than ever Lauren Nicol First Year Intern

Liz gives advice on long-distance relationships.

PHOTO BY JOSEPH MARIATHASAN

FROM LIZ, WITH LOVE: VALENTINE’S DAY FROM HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY Don’t let distance dull your romance Elizabeth Provost Staff Writer Dear Liz, My boyfriend and I have been dating for almost nine months and we’re about to celebrate our first Valentine’s Day together. The one problem: we’re long distance and have been for most of our relationship. Neither of us can take the time off school to visit each other, but I still want to celebrate in some capacity. He’s not very romantic and has said on multiple occasions that Valentine’s Day is just another day. How do I show him I still want to celebrate without making a big deal about it? And how do we celebrate when we’re long distance?

Signed, Damsel in Distress Dear Damsel in Distress,

Welcome to my world—the unique, magical, and difficult world of long-distance!

I think what you’d like for me to say to ease your mind is “Oh Damsel, it’s okay he doesn’t want to celebrate Valentine’s Day! Men don’t like to be romantic! I’m sure he loves you just the same!”

But the truth is, that’s quite literally the worst thing I could say—and you know it too.

In a long-distance relationship we’re limited by the ways we can show our love. Between phone calls, good morning texts, and the occasional meet-up, we have fewer opportunities at our disposal to feel and show appreciation. While we can’t always control our class schedules or the funds available to visit each other, we can control the effort we put in to make up for our unfortunate circumstances.

Truly, a long-distance relationship is, for the most part, an enjoyable game of micro-declarations of love in various forms until we can see each other again. Celebrating Valentine’s Day, despite the distance, is one of the moves in this game.

I’ll note there is a stark difference

between not being lovey-dovey and outwardly romantic, and neglecting the needs of your partner. It’s not fair to you not to equate his nonchalant “cool boy” persona that rejects the thrill of the occasional romantic act with a lack of effort. The difference is in the effort, after all.

While men not being “romantic” is a myth, men being lazy because they get away by saying “Oh, I’m not a romantic dude” is a fact.

Being romantic doesn’t mean dancing in a flash mob and hiring a mariachi band while getting down on one knee, it means meeting your partner’s needs in the smallest of ways.

So, Damsel, I think it’s time you have a conversation about effort.

The best question to ask is “Are you willing to put in the effort so we can celebrate each other and our relationship?” The answer to that question will lead you to one of two doors, and I really hope it’s the one with a happy ending.

As for celebrating at a distance, start off by being grateful this isn’t 1912 and you don’t have to send a telegram and wait three weeks for a reply.

Set up a time when you’ll celebrate each other, whether it’s every Thursday at 5 p.m. or February 14 at 7 p.m. Treat it like a scheduled date. Then, pick an activity—what’s worked in my relationship is watching a show together, playing an online escape room, and solving The New York Times daily games—which has become an almost daily tradition.

We also love making a bucket list of all the dates and activities we want to go on and do when we see each other in person—it’s important to always have something to look forward to.

And don’t forget to treat each other, whether it be ordering takeout to their door or getting that thing on Amazon they’ve been meaning to buy.

It doesn’t have to be on Valentine’s Day, nor does it have to be every day, but to make the hard days easier and the easy days more memorable, a little extra effort is all you need.

With love, Liz

Got a problem? Email journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca and we’ll pass the tea around.

Voting in student elections is more important now than ever.

Despite escalating tensions over University policies and finances, there’s a concerning decline in voter turnout among Queen’s students in both AMS and faculty elections. Despite being the first contested election in years, last year’s AMS executive election only saw a 17 per cent voter turnout.

The student leaders in the AMS and faculty societies make key decisions on policy and finance, serving as students’ direct links to the University. The AMS runs several key services on campus that students use every day such as CoGro and Walk Home. They’re also responsible for the allocation of all AMS fees and advocate for better initiatives on campus.

Other elected students, such as the Rector, who traditionally serves a three-year term, represent student perspectives on the Board of Trustees with other administrators such as the Principal and Chancellor.

At all levels, voting is integral to democracy.

Although government and student elections are seeing low voter turnout, potential voters should ensure hitting the polls is on their to-do list on election day.

Elections for the AMS and faculty societies take place yearly in early February, with the campaign period starting in January. If elected, these

candidates are the representatives who organize events with, and bring student concerns to the administration.

During periods of economic and political uncertainty, such as the current budget crises, students need more contact with the administration than ever before.

The student body has been more vocal than ever this year in advocating for transparency and accountability from their campus leaders. Voting in these elections gives you the opportunity to ensure your campus representatives will watch out for your interests.

Casting a ballot is an integral part of campus politics and elections give students a voice in the issues they face daily.

Students claim they don’t see the purpose of voting both inside and outside campus politics because they don’t see how their vote can make a difference.

However, voting for student leaders has its differences to voting for government representatives. Unlike your MP or MPP, there’s a far higher chance for constituents to build strong relationships with their elected representatives.

While you might not see Justin Trudeau walking down University Ave., there’s a decent chance you will see and interact with the AMS president at least once during the school year.

Voting in the Rector and Undergraduate Trustee elections takes place on Feb. 6 and 7 both online and in-person.

Students looking to put their name forward for the AMS executive team can also keep an eye out for details.

Every student who

pays their AMS fees is eligible to vote in the upcoming elections with all students receiving a link through their email to vote.

Even if an election is uncontested, it’s still important to vote. Students can vote “no” or abstain from voting.

In the case candidates fail to get the confidence of the students, an Assembly will be held where students can create a last-minute team to run. The option to cast a vote of non-confidence ensures elected officials are held accountable to their platforms and the students who vote for them.

Faculty Society elections, including Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS), Engineering Society (EngSoc), Commerce Society (ComSoc), and other societies have a variety of timelines ranging from late January to early February.

Faculty Society elections give students the opportunity to vote for executives, Senators, and year executives in their given faculty. The elected students will represent the interests of students in their faculty and organize faculty events.

During this election season, students can elect people who will create change in the daily lives of students for better or worse.

So, do yourself a favour and vote for the people who you believe will make your life better.

least pretentious DJ. While EDM is often misunderstood as a singular genre, it’s really an umbrella term encompassing many styles of dance music, including electro, house, drum and bass, hardstyle, and techno. Its roots in Canada trace back to the early 90s club scenes in Toronto and Montreal. Since then, EDM has not only endured but soared to new heights, fueled by technological advancements and the development of increasingly complex and intuitive electronic instruments.

Though the Kingston scene has made space for country and run-of-the-mill club music through Tumble Tuesdays at Ale and Stages’ longstanding Stage Rage, a new path is being paved by the introduction of DJ-forward events. The new Trinity Social Boiler Room event, “Then There Was House,” and University Tavern’s techno and bass nights are prime examples of

While the worldwide surge of EDM in recent years is evident, Kingston is arriving late to the scene.

The genre has become a celebrated global phenomenon, particularly in Europe and Oceania, contributing to its widespread popularity over the last few years. EDM’s hallmark ability to continuously reinvent itself has established it as a sound for the ages. Like other sounds, it’s not confined to a fixed set of musical elements; instead, it thrives on innovation and experimentation.

JOURNAL FILE ILLUSTRATION

growing dominance of EDM Better late than never: the around Kingston. This shift towards represents more than just Kingston’s EDM scene is EDM a change in musical preference, it underscores Kingston’s game of taking over ‘catch-up’ with this global trend.

Kingston is late to the party Natalie Viebrock Staff Writer

If you’ve been to any club in Kingston recently—excluding Tumble Tuesday, which remains loyal to its country roots—you may have found yourself unfamiliar with much of the music.

Instead of the familiar tunes that once ruled the dance floor, like “Hotel Room Service,” “Love Tonight,” or “Promiscuous,” newer hits have taken over, pulsating through the speakers, and making it clear Kingston’s nightlife is experiencing a transformation—one that’s dominated by electronic dance music (EDM).

Before any music junkies come for me, I’d like to preface I’m no expert on EDM, or any music for that matter. My top artists on Spotify would appall even the

Continued online at queensjournal.ca /lifestyle IMAGE SUPPLIED BY HENRY VENDITELLI

Postscript

12 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024

We’re more than our scars

Allie reflects on her hyper-independent tendencies.

There’s a cost to independence Allie Moustakis Senior Lifestyle Editor I used to think I was better off alone.

From a very young age, I learned not to be a burden.

As the eldest daughter in my family, I found myself shouldering a significant share of both my family’s physical and emotional responsibilities.

When my parents got divorced, my entire world flipped upside down.

Though it wasn’t a surprise, the one thing I took away was you can’t rely on anyone for anything because no matter what, they’ll always end up disappointing you, the same way my dad ended up disappointing my mom, and the same way he eventually disappointed me.

“When things go wrong—as they inevitably do—the only person I have to blame is myself

Because of this, I internalized the belief that self-sufficiency was my safest refuge. I convinced myself that solitude shielded me from the risk of disappointment and spared others the weight of my struggles.

With these problems in my family, there was no need to worry anyone with mine. As I grew older, this became a default mode.

Though I’ve always considered myself self-reliant, I’ve started to question whether I’m too independent. I keep to myself and refuse to rely on

anyone because the thought of relying on someone else for love, security, or fulfillment makes my stomach churn.

This manifests in the way I build my own relationships.

The maximum number of close friends I have at any given time is three—any more and I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. When you’re as independent as I am, you can always rely on yourself.

You’re your own best friend, your own best company. You’re whole, completely, on your own.

When things go wrong—as they inevitably do—the only person I have to blame is myself.

If a relationship is no longer serving me or making me happy, that’s okay because I always have a soft cushion to fall back on when things don’t work out.

My introverted, hyperindependent tendencies are only bolstered by the hyper-capitalist motivational videos and Instagram therapy infographics.

This content encourages us to “focus on yourself,” to “protect your peace,” and to cut ties with relationships that don’t serve you, redirecting time and energy toward personal development.

It seductively whispers “you don’t owe anyone anything,” portraying a solitary life as not only glamorous, but morally commendable.

This narrative only validates the toxic trait of excessive self-isolation and independence.

It fosters a belief that prioritizing personal development at the expense of relationships isn’t only acceptable, but admirable.

It reinforces the idea that detaching oneself from connections and obligations is a path to success and well being.

When your Instagram is filled with friends posting and reposting these graphics, it becomes hard to resist doing this yourself.

While I may not actively cut off my friends to enhance my own well-being, I still avoid responding to their texts.

I’m burdened by a sense of fear I might harm those who have grown to care about me—the same way I care for them. I convince myself I’m doing them a favour by distancing myself until I sort out my own issues. I tell myself they’ll be okay because they have other friends, and I’ll be okay because I’m independent—I have myself and I don’t need anyone else.

“Each scar is a story, a piece of your story, a piece of your past, and a piece that makes up your future

This overwhelming fear tempts me to isolate myself in a room where the only thing I interact with is my own reflection, away from the complexities of my relationships.

The worst part of this isn’t being alone though. The worst part is it turns me into a martyr.

Despite this self-loathing, I see myself as a hero sacrificing love and connection to shield my friends from the instability I bring. Alone in my bedroom, I tell myself comforting lies: others can and will survive without me because I’m, say it with me, independent.

This fallacy, hidden by a guise of independence, leads me to ignore my friends’ messages.

Years of love, connection, and effort thrown out the window, just like that.

My actions lean toward self-destructive tendencies rather than a calculated pursuit of self-improvement.

Yet, I’m starting to realize the distinction between self-destruction and my false sense of independence is blurrier than I thought.

The absence of others means protection from inadvertent harm. There’s no one there to hurt you and, even better, there’s no one there for you to hurt.

But no one is better off alone.

I’ve realized being hyper independent is a form of self-protection for people who are deeply emotional. People think hyper-independence is isolation—which sure it manifests that way—but really, it’s a fear of connection. When someone else enters my life who I want to share my love with, I will do so very deeply and with a very big and whole heart.

It’s not easy to share that love with other people. It takes a lot out of me, and the risk of being heartbroken if they don’t reciprocate—something I’m no stranger to—is paralyzing.

By pushing people away, I protect myself from that heartbreak.

But what is life if not caring about other people?

Life is about sharing your love, being heartbroken and learning from it. Learning from every experience, recovering from the heartbreak, and knowing you’re stronger for it.

I used to think the stitches would rip every time I wore my heart on my sleeve. If my heart was broken so many times, I wouldn’t be able to heal from the cuts that would fade into scars. There’s only so many times something can break before the cracks become permanent.

PHOTO BY JOSEPH MARIATHASAN

But life amounts to nothing without its scars. Each scar is a story, a piece of your story, a piece of your past, and a piece that makes up your future.

It’s a harsh and dehumanizing tragedy that we’re taught to heal in solitude under the guise of independence.

“While being alone is undeniably challenging, it’s deceptively easy—it demands nothing of us

Looking back, my own journey toward improvement has been shaped by the presence of others, most notably the individuals who I love, care for, or who have simply been there during my messy moments.

We’re all the sum of our scars and scars are so beautiful because of the story they tell.

Reflecting on my 17-year-old self, I find it almost miraculous and simultaneously tragic to witness such profound changes.

Between who I was then and who I am now lie countless instances of failure, growth, and redemption, each marked by moments of intense vulnerability observed by the very individuals I wish could only see my best self.

While being alone is undeniably challenging, it’s deceptively easy—it demands nothing of us.

Though that fear of connection is not gone, and it’s terrifying to rip yourself open and leave your guts at the mercy of the people you choose to love, it’s better than being alone.

Trust me when I say, I learned it the hard way.