The Queen's Journal, Volume 149, Issue 7

the Queen’s University

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journal

Vol. 149, Issue 7

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Friday, September 24, 2021

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Situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples.

Since 1873

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

Moment of silent to take place at 2:15 p.m. on Sept. 30.

Office of Indigenous Initiatives prepares for National Day of Truth & Reconciliation

The Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII) is planning to run and promote events in support of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

Events will be held in the days and weeks prior to Sept.

30, and on the holiday itself.

Since the passing of Bill C-5, the Government of Canada recognizes Sept. 30 as a national holiday in direct

response to Call-to-Action 80 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The Journal spoke with associate vice-principal (Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation), Kanonhsyonne (Janice Hill) about the OII’s goals and activities over the next few weeks.

“We have a planning committee that is made up of a few partners: the OII, the chancellor, the principal, the provost, the associate vice-principal (Teaching and Learning), and the Associate Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration),” Hill said an interview.

Hill said the planning committee is preparing for a visible demonstration involving orange shirts and decals to show solidarity with survivors of residential schools.

“We will have 4,000 orange shirts to be distributed to staff and faculty. They were purposely ordered from an organization that would be of benefit to survivors from the Indian residential school system,” Hill explained.

“We also ordered 10,000 orange shirt decals and those will be

free to students, staff, and faculty.

They will be distributed beginning next week.”

“It is not just a gift of a shirt—we are asking staff and faculty to sign a declaration and make a commitment to further reconciliation from this day [Sept. 30] forward,” Hill said.

Hill added the declaration should make staff and faculty examine their relationship with reconciliation.

“It’s not just [a declaration] for Sept. 30. It’s to impact how you interact with the world around you going forward, and what you are going to do as an individual to increase your own awareness, understanding, and education to promote and work towards reconciliation.”

Along with the campus-wide decal and orange shirt initiative, Hill said there will be other ceremonies organized on Sept.

30 open to all members of the Queen’s community.

“We are hoping to have a ceremony on Benidickson Field, where there will be a sacred fire and loose tobacco can be offered to the fire [...]

two of the Elders will be present and will help conduct ceremony at the fire,” Hill said.

While classes will not be cancelled this year, Hill said the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation will take the same approach as Remembrance Day. “There will be a moment of silence at 2:15 pm, and that is in honour of the 215 children who were found in the mass grave [on the grounds of Kamloops Residential School]. The ceremony part will start around 2 p.m.,” Hill said.

Hill added that the OII is promoting events through faculties and groups such as the Elders.

An Elder is someone who has gained recognition as a custodian of Indigenous knowledge and has permission to disclose knowledge and beliefs. The Elders work with Indigenous students, staff, and faculty.

“The Elders meet-and-greet is another opportunity for people to learn, and on Sept. 23 they will be doing a specific teaching,” Hill said.

“The Centre for Teaching and Learning will be doing

workshops to help faculties and instructors think about how they might include concepts around truth and reconciliation.”

According to Hill, supports will be available for Indigenous students on campus, with special consideration towards the ongoing impact of the residential school system.

“We will continue with the same support we have been making available since the first discovery [in Kamloops]. That is with the support of the Elders and the Four Directions Student Centre counsellor,” Hill said.

Hill believes members of the Queen’s community should take advantage of the resources listed on OII website to educate themselves and others about the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

“All people need to get educated and aware themselves—having conversations with each other, with your family, your friends, your colleagues, and peers who might not be aware.

News

Features

Editorials

Sports

Lifestyle

Tea Room is back in operation

The reality of Canada’s refugees

New sexual violence amendments not enough

Checking in with Queen’s Esports

Becoming “that girl” isn’t just an aesthetic

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‘All people need to get educated and aware themselves’ A sbah A hmad Assistant News Editor This article discusses the atrocities committed in Residential Schools and may be triggering for some readers. Those seeking support may contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation or Four Directions.

For immediate assistance, the National Indian Residential School Crisis Hotline can be reached at 1-866-925-4419.

@queensjournal

This article was first published online on Tuesday, Sept. 21 at queensjournal.ca/news.

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News

The Tea Room is back in operation ‘We sold out all our bagels on the first day’ Sydney Ko Senior News Editor “We sold out all our bagels on the first day.”

The Journal spoke with Thomas Mulvihill, head manager of the Tea Room. He recalled the coffee store’s reopening on Sept. 17.

Located in Beamish-Munro Hall, the Tea Room is a student-run cafe operated under the Engineering Society.

“We had a three-day run, and I don’t want to say it’s insanely busy, but it has been a lot busier than last year for sure,” Mulvihill said.

“We planned [the bagels] to last us for the whole weekend.”

Last year, the Tea Room was able to operate between September to November. However, due to the pandemic, the coffee shop had to stay

closed for the remainder of the 2020-21 academic year.

This year, Mulvihill said they were able to hire a full 46 staff members.

“We have a semi-reduced schedule, but we have three to four people working as baristas, and behind the counter at all times,” he said. “Which is definitely an up from last year.”

While the Tea Room is back in full operation, indoor dining is still restricted, according to Mulvihill. “[Indoor dining] is absolutely something we’re working towards,” he said.

“Unfortunately, right now we’re just for [open for take-out].”

In 2020, the Tea Room launched a mobile app where customers can make an order for takeout. However, due to the “tricky” commission fees, Mulvihill said they decided to discontinue the system.

“It was helpful for people who really wanted to make an order, but it is not a sound financial decision.”

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Tea Room to implement flex dollars for students.

According to Mulvihill, the Tea Room will soon start accepting flex dollars—taxable funds that students can load on the Student Residence & Dining Portal.

“First and second years right now have never really experienced [the Tea Room],” he said.

“Having flex is definitely going to be a huge kind of attractor.”

On the marketing side, Mulvihill said the Tea Room will be announcing giveaways on their social media in the upcoming weeks.

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

“We’ll be doing that on a semi-regular basis, where you share your favorite drink or comment your favorite drink at the Tea Room to win a free latte.”

Ending on a positive note, the head manager expressed his excitement for the upcoming year.

“It was a really great opening day,” he said. “We’re just excited to be open. It was a long approval process.”

Department of Political Studies panel discusses queer issues Panellists speak to LGBTQ+ representation in the Canadian government and individual voting behaviour Sam Goodale Contributor On Sept. 20, the Department of Political Studies hosted an online panel to discuss contemporary political issues surrounding the queer community in the face of the 2021 federal election.

As a part of Kingston Pride 2021, the panel kicked off with Elizabeth Baisley, assistant professor of political studies, who discussed the LGBTQ+ representation among candidates for member of parliament races.

“Despite a record number of LGBTQ+ candidates running, there was actually a decrease in the number of LGBTQ+ members of Parliament between 2015-19,” Baisley said.

“This didn’t go unnoticed, we weren’t the first people to see this […] the representation losses were really quite noticed, and people were wondering what was going on here.”

To explain these loses, Baisley brought up the “sacrificial lamb” explanation.

According to this theory, queer candidates are nominated by their party in ridings where the party is less likely to win.

“I think a lot of us think of the example of some progressive LGBTQ+ candidate for a [left-leaning] party finding themselves in a staunchly conservative riding,” they said.

According to Baisley, this trend has worsened in both the 2019 and 2021 elections, with all parties except the Progressive Conservatives nominating queer candidates in less winnable ridings when compared to straight candidates. Baisley said this has resulted in a downward trend in

LGBTQ+ representation in Canadian politics.

“I know we talk about it gets better, but things don’t always get better,” they said.

“Progress is not linear. We see that within certain parties, things were actually better for LGBTQ+ candidates in 2015.”

Next to speak was Quinn Albaugh, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, who discussed individual voting behaviour in the queer community.

Albaugh noted the difficulty of analyzing LGBTQ+ voting behaviour due to problematic questions posed by prominent political surveyors.

Surveys are often uninformed and do not gather accurate data pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community and all its sub-communities.

“It’s ‘are you a man, a woman, or other?’ This is a sort of literal othering,” Albaugh said.

A wider array of gender identification options than just ‘man’ and ‘woman’, when they’re available, have allowed for progress in political LGBTQ+ research, Albaugh said. Even if they’re not perfect.

“It’s a step forward, I guess, in comparison to what came before because so much of survey research just relied on telephone interviewing,” Albaugh said.

Based on Albaugh’s research, the NDP is most popular queer voters, particularly with nonbinary people. Conservatives garner the least support amongst LGBTQ+ people.

Looking ahead, Albaugh has consulted with the Canadian Election Study team, an organization that conducts Canadian election surveys, to inform updated queer language in studies.

Albaugh cites these questions as key

in gaining a more thorough understanding of the community’s political preferences and developing more inclusive electoral surveys.

“We have some new questions that will hopefully fix some of these problems,” they said.

“The first is an updated gender question that has explicit options for nonbinary people, along with an open-ended category […]

Having an open-ended option should help with actually capturing how people talk about their gender identities.”

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Friday, September 24, 2021

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PHOTO BY SPENCER HENDRICKSON

PHE plans to diversify Fresh Food Box recipes.

Peer Health Educator continues Fresh Food Box initiative Program aims to alleviate stress of meal planning Rida Chaudhry Assistant News Editor Fresh Food Box was started by Queen’s students in September 2019. The initiative aims to increase access to nutritious and affordable meals for Queen’s students.

Fresh Food Box provides healthy and affordable ingredients with recipe instructions.

“Our goal is to show students that an affordable well-balanced meal is possible, even on a student budget,” Abby Taher and Tristan Montag, both ArtSci ’22 and the Healthy Eating Team Co-Leaders, said in an email to The Journal.

The Healthy Eating Team and Healthy Cooking Team are both part of the Peer Health Educator (PHE) program—a peer-led outreach

program comprised of volunteers focused on mental fitness, sexual health, and healthy eating and cooking at Queen’s.

PHE aims to implement health outreach initiatives and promote student food literacy.

“This initiative aims to alleviate some of the stress that may come with meal planning and eating each week, particularly among food-insecure students,” Taher and Montag said.

“We recognize that cooking can feel

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like a chore, especially during a pandemic, so we hope that the Fresh Food Box can be a small way to brighten someone’s day and keep us all connected in the kitchen.”

The boxes are priced at $5 each. Each box comes with ingredients for three to four servings.

Students can register online to pick up their Fresh Food Box. The Healthy Cooking Team works together to pick groceries based on the chosen recipe, according to Taher and Montag. The Healthy Eating Team then packs and distributes the boxes.

Montag and Taher are committed to promoting food literacy in the student community.

“This year, we are very excited to be diversifying our recipes in order to provide meals from a variety of different cuisines.”

Fresh Food Box is collaborating with Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre and the Yellow House to come up with new recipes for the coming months.

In 2020, the PHE also started offering virtual cooking sessions based on the food boxes to create a sense of community and increase student confidence in cooking.

Run by the H e a l t hy Cooking team, students can join the live session on Zoom once they pick up a box.

In partnership with Queen’s Hospitality Services, PHE hopes to decrease their carbon footprint by mindfully purchasing groceries and doing so in bulk to reduce single-use plastic.

Students wishing to contribute to this initiative can apply to be a part of the PHE program. Applications open each February for the following academic year.

Student Wellness Services Advisory Committee initiates monthly meetings with student representatives SWS works to increase organizational transparency Asbah Ahmad Assistant News Editor In April, Student Wellness Services (SWS) announced that it would form a Student Advisory Committee after student concerns on the service. The Committee is now working on initial projects for the 2021-22 academic year.

Cynthia Gibney, Executive Director of Student Wellness, said in an email statement to The Journal that the group currently meets every month.

The advisory committee is made up of seven to eight students representatives.

The committee consists of representatives from student governments and professional staff from various departments at Queen’s. “[The advisory group] includes representatives of the AMS and SGPS, myself, the clinic manager, the Health Promotion coordinator, the manager of Accessibility Services and a counsellor,” Gibney wrote.

“The purpose of this group is to share information and increase the integration of diverse student voices and perspectives in SWS operations,” Gibney emphasized the importance of reaching out to clubs and organizations within the framework of the Committee, which includes promoting student advocacy from diverse perspectives.

“The committee has also reached out to invite student groups/clubs to join meetings for input and discussion, including Queen’s Backing Action on Climate Change, Queen’s First Aid and Jack.org, and this outreach w i l l c o n t i n u e ,” Gibney wrote.

In addition to student outreach, Gibney said the committee has “created its mission and values statements, [on] services, programming, and processes,” The Advisory Committee is also focused on providing accurate information about SWS to the student body. “[The Committee] discussed how to promote accurate information about access and pathways to support across the student population,” Gibney said.

According to Gibney, students will be more inclined to access necessary supports if SWS provides readily available information on the availability of those supports.

“The more knowledge students have about the health care [sic] system, the more they will be able to access what they need, when they need it,” Gibney wrote.

Gibney believes the collaborative nature of the Student Advisory Committee serves as an additional layer of transparency for SWS.

“Our discussions are collaborative, and function as an additional mechanism for SWS to hear from students, as well as a way to increase t ra n s p a re n c y and p ro m o te information about SWS to students,” Gibney said.

Students work to increase available information about SWS.

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

News

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AMS ratifies new Rector Candidate at first assembly of the year President Zaid Kasim advocates for more student representation at the Board of Trustees Anne Fu Assistant News Editor The AMS held its first Assembly of the 2021-22 school year on Sept. 21. The agenda included discussing President Zaid Kasim’s upcoming speech to the Board of Trustees, ratifying a new candidate for Rector, approving budget items for the year, and exploring the possible introduction of policy papers to guide the AMS’s advocacy.

President’s Report President Zaid Kasim shared with the Assembly a list of topics he planned to address in a series of upcoming speeches to the Board of Trustees, one of the three governing bodies of Queen’s.

Topics included concerns surrounding online learning, mental health and wellness needs, and the amount of student representation on the Board of Trustees.

“Over the past couple of weeks, the AMS has gotten quite a bit of feedback that there are students who are still not quite as satisfied with the online versions of their classes, as [the quality of instruction] does differentiate quite significantly between

departments and faculties,” Kasim said.

“Because all of us are paying full tuition, all of us deserve that sense of quality in our education.

So, I am mentioning that directly to the Board of Trustees and really ensuring that they know that there needs to be guidelines in place for instructors on how to develop those classes.”

He added the importance of continuing to provide accommodations for students in the transition to in-person learning.

“Although we are moving into in-person instruction, which we’re very happy about, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic. And accommodations for students need to be in place more than ever.”

Kasim said he would call upon the Board to provide increased funding to Student Wellness Services (SWS) so students can receive mental health and wellbeing support for during the adjustment period.

The president concluded by stating his intent to increase student representation on the Board of Trustees. He plans on speaking to the Board and proposing they allow each faculty to have an Undergraduate Trustee.

“While we have an Undergraduate Trustee, and we have a Rector, just currently vacant, we think that every single faculty should be able to elect its own Undergraduate Trustee, similar to how every single faculty has a senator,” Kasim said.

He also suggested that there should be a Student Trustee Caucus, similar to the existing Student Senate Caucus.

“The more students on the board of trustees, the better.”

Vice President (University Affairs)’s Report

appear on the ballot for the election of the Rector.

Morcos, who’s running on a three-point platform focusing on accessibility, social justice, and supporting the transition back to in-person learning, took part in a short question and answer session with the Assembly before being ratified.

“Although I’ve only lived [in Kingston] for about a month, the community is unlike anything I’ve ever been part of. I’m wanting to do everything in my power to improve it,” she said.

“When I heard about the rector position, I did my research and learned about the tremendous responsibilities that entails, and I saw it as an opportunity to leave my mark.”

Rector elections will take place on Oct. 1-2.

Vice President (University Affairs) Ryan Seig congratulated the Assembly on the successful execution of in-person orientation, the Tricolour Open House, and senior management training over the last few weeks.

He also said he’s looking to find ways to improve relations between students and Kingston residents following several large street parties held in the University District during Frosh Week.

“Something else that’s been an ongoing topic that I know many Discussion Period of you are aware of is the idea of town-gown relations, and tensions During the discussion period, with the city and increased Seig and Commissioner of enforcement with partying in the External Affairs Jacob Marinelli University District,” he said. proposed the introduction of Seig is especially interested in policy papers to the AMS. The amplifying clubs with community policy papers will be similar to service projects that give back to the system already in use at the the city—such as neighborhood Ontario Undergraduate Student clean-ups—as a way of rebuilding Alliance (OUSA). the relationship between Queen’s Po l i c y papers a re and the City of Kingston. research papers outlining recommendations for New Rector Candidate policymakers to follow based on Ratified concerns identified by students, as well as data and feedback collected Following a successful nomination from the university. period, the AMS Assembly ratified If implemented, Seig and Maya Morcos, HealthSci ’24, to Marinelli believe these papers

would help guide the AMS’ advocacy by providing the organization with concrete goals in addressing student needs.

These policy papers will be renewed and updated on a quarterly basis, and further held in library as a form of institutional memory, they said.

“By doing this, we’re hoping to be able to engage with all of you and be able to get feedback directly into the [policy] paper,” Seig said.

“We really want to engage with you as well as your students, to ensure that our policies are consistent with what they want and the actionable change that they want to see,” Marinelli added.

Other Motions Passed The AMS motioned to pass budgets and goal plans for five AMS Commissions, the Secretary of Internal Affairs, and allocations for the standing committee.

Included within the approved budget of the Campus Affairs Commission is a new International Student Bursary for international students seeking financial aid.

“Last year’s Commissioner had this [bursary] passed and this year we’ll be opening it up, which is really exciting,” said Commissioner of Campus Affairs Anika Chowdhury.

The AMS also ratified three new Elections Deputies, six Judicial Committee members, and a Judicial Affairs Deputy.

Kingston Police and City Bylaw enforcement respond to 50 noise complaints Many of the students and partygoers have been respectful’ Sydney Ko Senior News Editor On Sept. 18, the Kingston Police and City of Kingston Bylaw Enforcement published a press release detailing charges laid in the University District.

Under the University District Safety Initiative (UDSI), public safety remains priority and all streets are required to be kept clear and open for traffic and emergency responders.

Last Friday, the police responded to a total of 50 noise complaints in the University District.

Kingston Police have charged a total of 38 Liquor Licence Act offences and two Criminal Code offences. They made a total of

four arrests.

Among the penalties were 12 for aggravated nuisance parties, seven for amplified sound, and one for yelling/shouting.

“This is an unprecedented period with students returning to campus and classes for the first time in almost a year-and-a-half while still in the midst of a pandemic. And while many of the students and partygoers have been respectful we have also seen an increase in belligerent, non-compliant, aggressive and even assaultive behaviour towards our members,” Sergeant Steve Koopman stated in the press release.

Koopman said that the Kingston Police “hope these examples encourage some introspection on the part of students.”

“Some of these individuals have turned a simple liquor or bylaw offence into a criminal arrest and charge due to their actions. To see our members disrespected and concerned for their personal safety during these events is discouraging.”

AMS Assembly gathered for the first time this school year on Sept. 21.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

AMS sees three resignations from senior management level Executives supportive of those leaving the AMS Sydney Ko Senior News Editor In light of four resignations from the AMS’s senior management level, Team RTZ said they’re supportive of everyone’s decisions to “choose their own priorities.”

Director of Human Resources full-time salaried roles with a full and Director of Marketing course load. are the two positions currently “We are always thankful to those sitting vacant. who have committed any time A total of three salaried and effort to the AMS and wish AMS senior management and them the best,” RTZ wrote. higher-level employees have “Life happens and priorities resigned before the end are always changing, and of September. that is okay.”

In an email sent to “We at the AMS support The Journal, Team RTZ everyone’s decision to choose addressed the resignations their own priorities and adjust by stating it can be their commitments to reflect those “ cha l l enging” to b a l a nce priorities as needed.”

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Refugee migration is complex, and many issues exist in their support system.

Friday, September 24, 2021

ILLUSTRATION BY SHELBY TALBOT

Coming to Canada as a refugee Refugees face challenges to live comfortably in Canadian society ASBAH AHMAD Assistant News Editor Refugee migration is fundamental to Canada’s broader history of immigration and settlement.

Since confederation in 1867, more than 17 million individuals have come to Canada seeking opportunities from abroad. These folks came from all walks of life, and many were fleeing persecution.

Indeed, Canada has had a storied past with intaking refugees. In the 50s and 60s, the first mass wave of refugees came to Canada’s shores, most of them from Eastern Europe.

In subsequent decades, many other groups would make the same arduous journey, whether they were from Uganda, Vietnam, Cambodia. Canada’s seen many refugees seeking political protections from a host of nations.

This year, Afghanistan caught the hearts and imaginations of many people due to the horrific humanitarian conditions brought to light following the US military’s departure from the region.

Newscasts have shed light on the shortcomings of current policies, implemented by Canada and other nations towards Afghan refugees.

According to Colin Grey, Associate Professor of Law at Queen’s, Canadian immigrant policy at large tends to be “geared towards accepting advantaged people.”

“Most of the people we accept are economic immigrants who are chosen based on their skills and education. This

should always be questioned,” Grey said in an interview with The Journal.

Immigration of refugees isn’t understood to be a part of traditional political and moral theory—theories that seek to answer the simple question of how our society should govern itself. This separation of immigration issues from mainstream thought can perpetuate misinformation and erasure surrounding the role and position of immigrants and refugees over time.

“If you look at classic liberal theories you don’t see mention of immigration,” Grey said. “In a 1981 book chapter, Michael Walter argued that justice doesn’t apply to questions of immigration selection. That is a fairly disturbing thought.” *** Along with academic denial of the refugee experience, the current political system uses legal barriers to create roadblocks.

“Canada is generous and is a world leader in resettlement, but behind that is mechanisms that are put in place which prevent everyone else from coming to Canada,” Grey said.

In Grey’s opinion, visa requirements most commonly pose a barrier to refugees.

Navigating the visa application cycle can be a daunting experience, combined with the fact that there are significant challenges to even being able to apply for a visa in some places around the world.

Visa requirements allow for “parliament to designate the

nationals of which countries have to get visas. The government has given itself this flexible discretion.”

This makes the process already challenging for a group of people who are often already marginalized in their countries of origin.

This is further complicated by barriers created by the adjudication process and registering some specific refugee claims at borders.

“Visa requirements are the biggest obstacle,” Grey said. “Visa requirements allow for parliament to designate the nationals of which countries have to get visas. The government has given itself this flexible discretion.”

Grey explained the Canadian government, through current legislation, can amend discretionary provisions—laws that prioritize certain classes of refugees.

Those certain classes oftentimes end up encompassing more privileged refugees, such as those who had access to education in English.

“When the government announces that it will admit Afghans under a special policy who have a significant connection with the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, it is passed under §25.1 or 25.2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act,” Grey said.

“

The Government could broaden the definition of people who are eligible for resettlement from abroad, arguably those are too narrow now” Grey added that providing immigration officers with the liberty to admit refugees based on their own professional judgement isn’t entirely a fair system and can be inherently discriminatory.

This practice is formally known as a gency discretion.

“If you exercise agency discretion in favour of some, you’re not exercising it in favour of others,” Grey said.

“There are 84 million forcibly displaced people around the world, we’re exercising humanitarian discretion to admit 20,000 Afghan refugees [through various government visa streams].”

“You are inevitably excluding some people, and that’s inevitably discriminatory,” Grey said.

Grey added there are ways the system could be improved to improve fairness for refugee status claimants.

“The Government could broaden the definition of people who are eligible for resettlement from abroad, arguably those are too narrow now [...] The problem is also the policy decisions, will the Government decide to admit as many people as they should?” Grey said. *** Another important aspect about the refugee experience in Canada is navigating life once in Canada. This comes after the laborious work of obtaining legal status or being on the cusp of fully receiving legal status.

The Journal sat down with staff at the Kingston Community Health Centres (KCHC) to learn more about the refugee resettlement program within the Kingston area.

Language is the biggest “barrier that refugees face,

especially when we don’t have resources available in their native languages” When settling down in Canada, refugees face unique challenges because of the circumstances by which they left their countries of origin. Oftentimes, these challenges can be related to health, language, culture, social inclusion, or housing.

“Language is the biggest barrier that refugees face, especially when we don’t have resources available in their native languages,” Rasha Fahim, MEd ’18, co-coordinator settlement worker at KCHC said in an interview with The Journal.

Along with language and the role it plays in the lives of newcomer refugees in

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Friday, September 24, 2021 Kingston, there’s also the issue of forming and maintaining social connections within the Kingston community.

The barrier around “ integration and inclusion exists in Kingston. There are a lot of issues around language and culture. The ability to embrace new Canadians, in this case refugees, is a two-way process for integration. The host environment needs to be proactive”

“Creating a social network outside of their own ethnic groups and cultures is very difficult, that is something [newcomer refugees] have said they want more of,” Gaitree Oogarah, part-time settlement worker at KCHC, explained.

“The barrier around integration and inclusion exists in Kingston. There are a lot of issues around language and culture. The ability to embrace new Canadians, in this case refugees, is a two-way process for integration. The host environment needs to be proactive,” Muhammad Sani, programme coordinator at KCHC said in an interview with The Journal.

is a huge educational “gapThere that a lot of the children

and youth have, this is because they’re coming from war and they weren’t able to attend schools”

Along with the lack of social integration newcomer refugees are faced with, there’s also an issue of education among the youth population. For many students, they have developed gaps in their learning due to being on the move between various education systems.

“There is a huge educational gap that a lot of the children and youth have, this is because they’re coming from war and they weren’t able to attend schools,” Fahim said.

The school system in Canada doesn’t support these students because students are placed in grades according to their age and not their prior education.

The education system is also a challenge for adults to navigate, especially for refugees who might already possess higher education degrees and certifications. These individuals often must undergo re-certification

programmes which are lengthy and sometimes challenging to complete in a new country.

This can lead to underemployment— folks are employed in positions they’re over-qualified for.

This is especially common for individuals possessing professional degrees like in Medicine, Law, Engineering, or Nursing.

“

A lot of groups have been providing bridging programmes which are new, they are not supporting the numbers of people who have come before.

A lot of newcomers just get into survival jobs” “Speaking broadly, there’s a challenge around certification. Because the newcomers did not go to school in Canada, their certificates will not be as readily acceptable,” Sani said.

“It delays their opportunities to access the labour market. Even for those without specialized degrees, there is underemployment and unemployment,” “A lot of groups have been providing bridging programmes which are new, they are not supporting the numbers of people who have come before. A lot of newcomers just get into survival jobs,” Fahim said.

Personal finances for newcomer refugees also become dependent on whether individuals can access re-certification programmes in Canada.

“To be able to have a credential recognized, you have to take courses, write exams, and this takes money and time,” Oogarah said.

For many newcomer refugees, access to support through the healthcare system can be challenging. According to KCHC staff, this is especially the case given the context of language barriers, issues integrating into local social settings, and the focus individuals might have on supporting their families through work.

“No doctors speak their languages,” Oogarah said.

The KCHC staff believe that a doctor who can speak an individual’s own language can greatly aide in health outcomes and navigating the health system.

“In Kingston there’s minimal support [through the healthcare system], the only supports I see are for children and youth through other organizations.

For professional support, they are very minimal, and the wait times are long,” Fahim explained.

“

They’ve been through a lot of trauma. The first year is survival mode, and then they have to address their trauma. Then there isn’t any support for them”

Fahim also discussed the fact that there’s social stigma related to many mental health issues which can be common in newcomer refugees due to their experiences fleeing persecution or extreme violence.

“They’ve been through a lot of trauma.

The first year is survival mode, and then they have to address their trauma. Then there isn’t any support for them,” Fahim said.

Sani also mentioned that the sociological implications of refugee newcomers’ ethno-cultural backgrounds can create challenges in accessing mental health support.

“Even within some of the ethnocultural communities it is a taboo to speak about someone going through mental health issues. If you have doctors coming from the same communities it will help newcomers feel much more comfortable,” Sani said.

A newcomer refugee’s culture and background also serve as a cornerstone for another epidemic—racism.

According to Oogarah, there’s still a mistrust of refugees that can be felt at times.

“Plain racism—people don’t trust people from other countries,” Oogarah said. “People have heard the stories that refugees will come and take all the money, take jobs away from Canadians.”

“There have been hate crimes against some of the families, but [refugees] do bond together to support each other,” Fahim said.

Not all is bad, there are so “ many positive initiatives to help newcomers and refugees settle.

There is still so much to be done, without which people will not feel welcomed in Kingston”

The staff at KCHC say that despite challenges that exist, their organization along with many in the City of Kingston— including the Queen’s University Family Clinic—are working hard to ensure no one falls through the cracks.

“Not all is bad, there are so many positive initiatives to help newcomers and refugees settle. There is still so much to be done, without which people will not feel welcomed in Kingston,” Sani said.

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“A lot of good people have come out and helped with refugees, and we want to help them and thank them,” Oogarah said.

The KCHC staff believe that more funding is needed in the Kingston area to support their initiatives and programmes to assist refugees.

“We are very limited because of the resources and funding that we have. We are generally funded by IRCC [Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada] for permanent residents, so convention refugees and refugee claimants, but we also apply for grants,” Fahim said.

Despite this, the KCHC continues to support refugees.

“It doesn’t matter when the refugees come, we will always continue to help them despite them being in the country for multiple years,” Oogarah said.

The KCHC and other organizations have also developed in-depth strategies from their experience working with Syrian refugees, and they believe this experience will be utilized in supporting the new flux of Afghan refugees.

“We know what the issues will be, and we know the steps that we need to take right away to help them,” Oogarah said.

The trauma that refugees “experience is beyond our understanding. The amount of resilience they bring with them is truly inspiring.

That is what we learn from them”

Along with supporting refugees, there are many opportunities for those interested in helping. The KCHC staff believes that there’s significant energy and opportunity for support from the youth of Kingston and from Queen’s students.

“Students can volunteer to support. It’s a seamless process, and they can start now,” Fahim said.

The KCHC staff identified that refugee newcomers are inspiring—they’re a group that rises above the challenges they have been faced with, and there’s a lot of optimism and hope.

“The trauma that refugees experience is beyond our understanding. The amount of resilience they bring with them is truly inspiring. That is what we learn from them,” Fahim said.

“Find out where people come from, what they are about, don’t just assume,” Oogarah said.

8 • queensjournal.ca

Editorials

EDITORIALS

Friday, September 24, 2021

The Journal’s Perspective

Ontario must take larger strides towards preventing sexual violence on campuses

ILLUSTRATION BY CLANNY MUGABE

This article discusses sexual assault and may be triggering for some readers. The Kingston Sexual Assault Centre’s 24-hour crisis and support phone line can be reached at 613544-6424 / 1-800-544-6424. The Journal uses “survivor” to refer to those who have experienced sexual assault. We acknowledge this term is not universal.

The Ontario government has announced new regulatory amendments addressing instances of sexual violence at postsecondary institutions in an attempt to protect survivors. Although a commendable action, the amendments are still a far cry from a satisfying solution to the prevalence of sexual violence on campuses.

In response to the recent numerous sexual assault allegations at Western University, colleges and universities must implement two main changes to their sexual violence policies.

Those reporting incidents of sexual violence

cannot be punished for actions in violation of the institution’s alcohol and drug policies at the time the violence took place, and staff will not be permitted to ask “irrelevant” questions, “such as those relating to past sexual history or sexual expression,” of those coming forward during the investigation process.

While a step in the right direction towards—hopefully—making it safer for students to speak up about sexual violence at postsecondary institutions, the new mandates don’t cover nearly enough ground. For one, they’re vague: there’s little explanation as to what constitutes an ‘irrelevant’ question and who gets to decide the definition. At the same time, the amendments have nothing to say about glaring gaps in many institutions’ sexual violence policy, such as how they are intended to interact with the legal practices of reporting sexual assaults.

According to statistics from the Ontario Court of Justice criminal court, in 2021 sexual assault

cases were settled only after an average of approximately 330 days. If perpetrators can still interact with survivors on campus during this time, the situation can inflict more damage with each passing day.

Queen’s sexual violence policy already includes protection for complainants in violation of the school’s drug and alcohol policy.

As a university, we’re currently ahead of the government—albeit a low bar. Let’s hope the trend continues.

Meanwhile, the provincial government’s reactive announcement focuses on supporting survivors after violence has already occurred—an important and necessary step—yet ignores preventative measures to discourage sexual violence from happening at all. This is also the same government that previously scrapped updated sex education from elementary schools that covered topics including consent.

The lack of preventative education, even before students attend university feed into the dangerous circumstances in postsecondary communities. Rape culture remains incredibly pervasive in our society, and institutions must be actively working to disrupt and dismantle it.

The wellbeing and safety of survivors should be at the forefront of institutions’ policy changes.

But the government’s amendments would be more effective if they also mandated consent education similar preventative action to drive institutions towards stopping violence from occurring at all.

At the end of the day, the circumstances at Western have shown institutions aren’t doing enough to combat sexual violence. Ontario’s mandates are a start, but schools must strive for better.

—Journal Editorial Board

Gatekeeping in the trans community is baseless and harmful

Volume 149 Issue 7 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board Editors in Chief

Aysha Tabassum Shelby Talbot

Production Manager

Violetta Zeitlinger Fontana

News Editor Assistant News Editors

Sydney Ko Asbah Ahmad Rida Chaudry Anne Fu

Features Editors

Kirby Harris Julia Stratton

Editorials Editor

Anna Fouks

Editorials Illustrator Opinions Editor

Clanny Mugabe Cassidy McMackon

Arts Editor

Ben Wrixon

Assistant Arts Editor

Mackenzie Loveys

Sports Editor

Angus Merry

Assistant Sports Editor Lifestyle Editor

Natara Ng Alysha Mohamed

Assistant Lifestyle Editor Photo Editor

Madeleine McCormick Spencer Hendrickson

Assistant Photo Editor

Curtis Heinzl

Video Editor

Nathan Carter

Assistant Video Editor

Leah Smithson

Copy Editors

Martin Hayes Suzy Leinster

Graphics Editor

Dharmayu Desai

Podcast Coordinator

Lauren Thomas

BIPOC Advisory Board Members

Alysha Ahmad Anya D’Souza Yvonne Tan

Contributing Staff Contributors

Jack Burnham Ashanti Francis Sam Goodale

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Yoli Wang

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Fundraising Representative Social Media Coordinator

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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.

Martin Hayes The internet allows the LGBTQ+ community to connect more easily than ever before—but not all spaces are as safe as they may seem.

I’ve noticed a wave of users on online platforms, such as Tumblr and Reddit, supporting the “transtrender” idea.

Apparently, some people aren’t really trans—they’re just pretending to be for attention.

Transmedicalists, subscribers to this belief, generally claim a person must experience a certain amount of gender dysphoria and express their gender identity in a certain way to qualify as trans. Ironically, this thought process involves similar principles to cisnormativity.

Cisnormativity implies that gender is based solely on biological sex. While this isn’t what transmedicalists are claiming, the fundamental ideas of gender having a strict definition are quite similar. Many transmedicalists, like transphobes, support the idea of a strict gender binary, denying the validity of nonbinary gender identities.

Some trans people conform to traditional gender roles more than others, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But enforcing strict rules for being trans justifies transphobic beliefs, regardless of whether the enforcers are trans themselves.

Others accuse “transtrenders” of taking up resources “real” trans people need, like hormone replacement therapy or transition surgery, believing they don’t deserve these resources because they’re not truly transgender.

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL

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 Editorial Office: 613-533-2800 Business Office: 613-533-6711 Fax: 613-533-6728 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Please address complaints and grievances to the Editor in Chief and/or Managing Editor.

PHOTO BY SPENCER HENDRICKSON

The long wait times trans people often face for gender-affirming procedures and treatments are a grave issue—for some, they can be lifesaving. The Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, for example, currently lists wait times of up to two years just for surgery consultations.

However, the factors contributing to these long waiting lists are more complex than simply a large demand for these resources.

According to Health Quality Ontario, surgery wait times are based not only on the number of patients waiting to be treated, but on the urgency of the procedure and the available staff and equipment. COVID-19 has made scheduling surgeries in a timely manner particularly difficult.

If there really are people out there choosing to identify as trans because it’s “cool,” I honestly fail to see why this is a problem. Trans visibility has increased in

recent years, which I believe has led many people to openly identify as transgender when they otherwise never would’ve.

Personally, I didn’t realize I was trans until several of my friends came out as trans themselves. This isn’t to say I chose to be trans just because everyone else was doing it—rather, having other trans people in my social circle made me understand it’s okay to question my gender identity and to reconsider whether I felt comfortable as a girl.

While there’s still a lot of progress needed in terms of trans acceptance, I think it’s wonderful there’s more opportunity than ever for people to come out in a safe, welcoming space.

If being trans really is trendy, so be it.

Martin is a fourth-year English and Classics student and one of The Journal’s Copy Editors.

The Queen’s Journal is printed on a Goss Community press by by Metroland Media in Toronto, Ontario.

Contents © 2021 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal.

Friday, September 24, 2021

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OPINIONS

OPINIONS

Opinions

Ashanthi feels Queen’s must move away from relying on individual education in sexual violence prevention.

SUPPLIED BY ASHANTHI FRANCIS

Queen’s needs to redefine its policy when addressing sexual violence Ashanthi Francis Contributor This article discusses sexual assault and may be triggering for some readers. The Kingston Sexual Assault Centre’s 24-hour crisis and support phone line can be reached at 613-544-6424 / 1-800-544-6424.

The Journal uses “survivor” to refer to those who have experienced sexual assault. We acknowledge this term is not universal.

The sexual violence that occurred over frosh week at Western isn't an isolated incident.

Following the devastating uncovering of 30 incidents of sexual violence during Western University’s orientation week, pledges of support from Canadian post-secondary institutions were among the outpour of support for victims.

Many voices from Queen’s were included in calls to improve campus climates for survivors of sexual violence, with hundreds of students reposting infographics encouraging their peers to call out unacceptable behaviour and amplify the voices of survivors.

These demonstrations are important, but they are almost always accompanied by the underlying relief of it didn’t happen here.

But statistically speaking, the atrocities of Western’s orientation week could happen here. In fact, they likely already have.

Sexual violence is rampant in university spaces, and Queen’s is no exception. A 2019 survey by Ontario universities found that 70 per cent of Queen’s students had experienced some form of sexual harassment. 30 per cent had experienced sexual assault.

At face value, these statistics don't seem to be compatible with the university’s no-tolerance attitude towards sexual violence.

Queen’s has been publicly

persistent in its efforts to combat sexual violence on campus. From a consent-centric orientation week, mandatory bystander intervention training for orientation week leaders, a shiny prevention task force, and even a brand-new consent mural on the side of Harrison-LeCaine Hall, the University seems to have spared no expense when it comes to publicly demonstrating that it's committed to ending sexual violence on campus.

At the point of their initial conception, these campaigns and trainings were considered a monumental step in dismantling myths regarding rape culture and encouraging enthusiastic consent on campus. But now, almost seven years since the introduction of bystander intervention training on campus, we know that training isn't enough.

We know this because every first-year student and orientation leader at Western University received extensive sexual and gender-based violence training prior to the events of orientation week.

The sexual violence that occurred at Western this month isn’t an isolated incident—it’s an example of an institution’s failed attempt to protect students from sexual violence through educational campaigns. More urgently, what happened at Western is a horrific example of what could happen, or what will continue to happen within our own institution, if we continue to focus on education as a blanket means of combatting sexual violence.

If Queen’s is to learn anything from the trauma and violence of Western’s orientation week, we must move away from the narrative that individual education is the most effective way of combatting sexual violence.

There is value in targeting individual action. Substance abuse, binge drinking, hook-up culture, and general misinformation can

all be contributing factors to sexual violence on campus.

One cannot ignore, however, the striking truth that it is much easier for institutions to create and distribute educational material than it is to commit to concrete, institution-wide change.

The blame cannot be turned solely towards the student body for much longer. The ineffectiveness of campus-wide sexual violence prevention campaigns has made it alarmingly clear that sexual violence on campus goes much deeper than parties and hook-ups; it’s about culture, history, and power.

If the University administration sincerely wants to protect its students from gender-based violence, it needs to acknowledge the culture that Queen’s fosters, be aware of the history surrounding sexual violence, and let that inform power-conscious approaches to dismantling the institutional dynamics which encourage sexual violence.

To do so, I propose Queen’s should take after many other institutions and commence this process with a power-focused scan of the university.

It has long been said that sexual assault has more to do with power than it has to do with sex.

Power, and lack thereof because of oppression, dictates who controls spaces within institutions and who has the capacity to dominate others.

Instances of sexual violence on university campuses ultimately have a lot to do with who holds power and who benefits from the institution. Queen’s must widen its understanding of sexual violence to view the institution as a whole as a perpetrator of sexual violence.

While students can be both perpetrators and victims, they arguably don't have as much influence as the University does in terms of shaping who

holds both formal and informal institution by creating policies that power on campus. increase visibility surrounding These ideas may seem abstract, sexual violence, especially with but the questions they provoke regards to holding perpetrators suggest concrete avenues for accountable. This visibility must institution-wide change. The also be balanced with respecting University must be conscious of the privacy of and ensuring who it centers and identifies as protection for survivors. leaders in discussions of sexual Overall, it’s administrators assault. These reflections will who yield the decision-making inversely identify who is silenced power on campus that have the in these discussions and in turn responsibility to answer these persistently put at risk. questions and create tangible Queen’s must also take plans to solve the problems within responsibility for its place in the them. And most importantly, it’s much larger history of sexual the responsibility of those in violence within university spaces. charge to redistribute this power It’s undeniable that the university’s to ensure that all parties on distinct history of oppression has campus feel safe, seen, and heard. fostered the very same culture of There’s no ideal response to intolerance and discrimination events of Western’s orientation that has been intrinsically linked to week. There’s no perfect way sexual violence across institutions. to respond to the pain, fear, As well, sexual violence and trauma that survivors of has been historically tied to sexual violence experience incidents of racism, homophobia, every day, just as there’s no and transphobia, therefore straightforward solution to sexual leaving certain students more violence on campus. vulnerable to acts of violence. The To better combat sexual University must prioritize this violence, universities must knowledge and consider that be held accountable and power imbalances can ultimately create policy that centres the impact the ways that campus perspectives of victims and holds resources, services, and systems perpetrators accountable. Policy, support, and fail to support certain trauma-informed care, and marginalized groups. support for survivors are all An approach to sexual important. But these are all violence that's detached from an reactionary measures. understanding of institutional Queen’s must be proactive in power renders itself incapable of its efforts against gender-based creating meaningful change. violence on campus and trace Accountability is the final piece the pervasive phenomenon of this endeavour. of sexual violence back to Too often is sexual violence its roots. brushed under the rug by post-secondary institutions Ashanthi Francis is a fourth-year with the faulty reasoning of English student. wanting to maintain reputation.

This behaviour on behalf of universities paints sexual violence as a nuisance to be made a smaller issue, rather than a very real To submit an opinion, contact and very urgent threat to all its journal_letters@ams.queensu.ca community members.

Queen’s must work to acknowledge the culture of violence present within its

10 • queensjournal.ca

ARTS ARTS

Arts

Friday, September 24, 2021

SUPPLIED BY AARA MACAULEY

Macauley is passionate about connecting writers.

Kingston WritersFest kicks off this week 55 authors presenting over five days beginning Sept. 22 Ben Wrixon Senior Arts Editor The Kingston WritersFest is back this September. Beginning Sept. 22, this year’s five-day festival features 26 virtual “onstage” events and 12 writing masterclasses.

The Journal spoke with Artistic Director Aara Macauley about what attendees can expect from the festival’s diverse lineup of writers, and how organizers have worked to keep the broader Kingston community connected creatively during COVID-19.

“In terms of the programming, there’s a little bit of everything,” said Macauley.

“It addresses all different kinds of genres: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, history, politics.”

Macauley described the selection process as a balancing act accentuated by the constraints and safety concerns of the pandemic.

“

We really try to get the names that are well-known and exciting, but we also like to keep spots open for emerging artists with debut novels.”

“There are always way more incredible books out there than there are spaces in the festival,” she said. “This year, we’ve expanded beyond what we did last year, but we’re still not running the full festival that we usually do because it’s online.”

There are 55 writers featured in this year’s festival lineup. Some are well-established authors, while others are exciting up-and-comers worth keeping an eye on.

“[Kingston WritersFest] wants to support authors at all different levels of their craft,” Macauley said. “We really try to get the names that are well-known and exciting, but we also like to keep spots open for emerging artists with debut novels.”

Registration for the virtual “onstage’” events is free. The masterclasses and advanced workshops hosted by established authors cost money to attend.

Travel expenses are not a “thing.

You can invite anyone

from anywhere in Canada. The flexibility for authors is also a lot greater—they can be online in Winnipeg one day, then in Kingston the next.”

These specialized opportunities focus on the specifics of the craft. Macauley explained their topics range from crafting a believable fictional world to learning the intricacies of turning your writing into a proper draft.

There are also three seminars—two of which are free, one paid—that tackle some common issues within the writing community, such as forming worthwhile groups, doing research, and learning how to read and appreciate challenging poetry.

After last year’s cancellation, Macauley is excited about these offerings.

“Last year, we had no idea if we were going to be able to [run the festival]. We were part way through planning our in-person festival when we made the decision to cancel,” she said. “Then it was like, are we going to have any money to do anything?” “[Going virtual again] offers some freedoms. Travel expenses are not a thing.

You can invite anyone from anywhere in Canada. The flexibility for authors is also a lot greater—they can be online in Winnipeg one day, then in Kingston the next.”

Despite the advantages to a

pre-planned virtual festival, Macauley acknowledged the need to make up for the lost sense of in-person interaction. The organizers have included question-and-answer periods at the end of each event so attendees can engage with the presenting authors.

“One of the really rewarding things for an author is to see the audience, to get that energy from the crowd. The dynamic is not

quite the same, but people can be engaged in that way.”

Nonetheless, the 2021 festival is poised to be a successful event. Macauley suggested interested Queen’s students pay extra attention to their talks on social issues, as well as the “After Dark” event she is hosting on Friday and Saturday night.

A complete list of authors and events is available online.

Arts

Friday, September 24, 2021

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Augmented reality pop-up is a new take on yesterday’s medicine ‘After the Witch of Malleghem’ provides insight into medical history Mackenzie Loveys Assisstant Arts Editor Artists Jenn Norton, Emily Pelstring, and 10-year-old Edie Soleil have released an augmented-reality pop-up called After the Witch of Malleghem.

The Journal spoke with Norton and Pelstring, both faculty at Queen’s Film and Media Department, about their augmented reality piece.

The pop-up is accessible through the mobile app “Malleghem.” It allows viewers to point their phone’s camera at the pop-up’s printed poster. Images rise from the surface and move as if the figures are live in front of the viewer.

Norton, Pelstring, and Soleil’s piece was released as a publication of The Witch Institute—a summer program where Pelstring was a co-organizer and Norton was a collaborator.

The week-long symposium event hosted

by Queen’s Film and Media Department featured arts programming, screenings, workshops, and performances discussing the contemporary imagining of witches in popular and visual culture.

“Essentially, we were curators and organizers, but were also putting our own research and work out there as part of this institute,” Pelstring explained.

“For our piece, it was us researching the figure of the witch and making an artwork around it in our own way to participate in these dialogues.”

Her and Norton’s pop-up is based off of Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s The Witch Pop-up provides a modern twist on old art. of Malleghem from 1559. The piece illustrates a witch and her assistants as they They collected herbs and observed their remove “stones of madness” from the heads efficacy through tests while drawing on of villagers. experience and knowledge passed down The Witch of Malleghem highlights through generations. a time in Europe when medical practices “People would seek out these healers excluded women and were controlled by the because they were afraid to go to the official Christian church. healers who would drill a hole in their head,” Norton and Pelstring explained how the Pelstring said. “So, we’re kind of making fun healing methods of the church state were of this system that started to cast the witch as harmful and absurd, practices included a fraud.” drilling holes in patients’ heads and curing Norton and Pelstring add humour tooth aches by touching the tooth with a pin to Brueghel’s The Witch of Malleghem by and transferring the pain to a caterpillar. using camp and surrealism to embrace the In contrast, the lay healers of the grotesque and bizarre. time—herbalists, often women, who were “I think Brueghel lends itself well to both persecuted as witches—practiced medicinal of our aesthetics,” Norton said. “It’s so wacky techniques more akin to modern science. and strange, but there’s also a narrative that

SUPPLIED BY EMILY PELSTRING

can lead your eye along the composition.”

Norton and Pelstring hope that in viewing their augmented reality re-creation, people will want to know more about the original Brueghel piece that inspired it.

“Brueghel can just be a wash of details.

While you might spend time looking through it, I feel like there’s always another element that you’ll see on a second or third viewing,” Norton said. “So, in this looping, I’m hoping the viewer will see these new things” The poster is available now in Kingston at the Tett’s Modern Fuel artist-run centre and the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts’ Film and Media Library.

New Agnes exhibit challenges politics of solitude

SUPPLIED BY SUZANNE VAN DEN MEERENDONK

The exhibit is packed with thought-provoking art.

‘Studies in Solitude’ is a reflection on space and classism Ben Wrixon Senior Arts Editor Studies in Solitude: The Art of Depicting Seclusion opened at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre on Sept. 4.

Predominantly featuring the works of Dutch artists from the 17th century, the exhibit explores the history and politics of solitude.

The Journal spoke with curator Suzanne van de Meerendonk about its creation and how its themes translate to the present.

“I realized that [the Agnes] had a lot of works that showed figures in

solitary states in a variety of contexts,” she said.

“I wanted people to reflect on their own experiences with solitude, but also place them in a longer historical tradition.”

The art featured in Studies in Solitude depicts everyone from scholars in their studies to those in prayer during a tumultuous period in history.

Meerendonk explained that the abolishment of monasteries in the Netherlands in the 17th century coincided with then-contemporary theologians speaking out against monastic solitude, which involves isolating oneself from everyone else to pursue spirituality.

They viewed withdrawing from society as going against the Bible.

“I was quite drawn to these

works as I was thinking about developing an exhibition concept during the pandemic. I think I knew early on that I wanted to do an exhibit that felt relevant to this extraordinary moment we’re all communally experiencing.”

However, those depicted in the exhibit’s art are predominantly white males. This narrow scope was an intentional choice by Meerendonk. The exhibition is both an opportunity for gallery-goers to reflect on their relationship with solitude and its evolution as a privilege.

“Most of the figures depicted in solitude are men,” she said. “We do have a few women with books by themselves, but they are not situated in a study space that is architecturally distinct.”

“The idea of having a space

dedicated for study was being cultivated at the time [when the paintings were created], but only in elite homes. They were predominantly male spaces.

Immediately, you get into the distinction of space along gender and class lines. Who gets to be alone?”

Meerendonk has included several visual prompts alongside the art in the exhibit to encourage further thought and discussion.

Ideally, gallery-goers will stop to think about how these inequalities concerning space and solitude still apply in the present.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone, Meerendonk believes some have been more impacted by others due to a lack of resources.

“The pandemic really laid bare the inequalities that exist when it comes to who can retreat into the safety of seclusion, who has their own space while they can work and study in peace,” she said.

“These inequalities are rooted in a longer tradition.”

If anything, Meerendonk hopes the exhibit and its paintings provide attendees with a space to process the craziness of the last two years.

“I really hope the exhibit can [help] people take a moment and take a breath.”

Studies in Solitude will run at the Agnes until Jun. 12, 2022.

This article was first published on Tuesday, Sept. 21 at queensjournal.ca/arts

Sports

12 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, September 24, 2021

Women’s soccer finds homegrown talent in Lauren Varey New recruit talks her Kingston soccer roots and journey towards becoming a Gael Natara Ng Assistant Sports Editor The Women’s Soccer Team has recruited a player from its own backyard.

Hailing from the Junior Gaels Soccer Club, Kingston native Lauren Varey, Kin ’25, was recruited to the women’s soccer team this year as a defender.

This week, The Journal sat down with her to discuss the value of playing with the Junior Gaels, and how it feels to play for her hometown team.

After quitting dance at the age of nine, Varey was urged by a friend to give soccer a try.

Shortly after, she discovered that her passion for the game wasn’t very strong.

“At first, I found that I wasn’t very good, so it was definitely a little hard mentally coming into practice and stuff where you’re like, man, I’m the worst player on this team,” Varey said in an interview.

While her success wasn’t immediate, Varey’s work ethic slowly began to develop throughout her first year.

She credits one of her youth coaches in particular—Tammy Scott-Zelt—for helping her improve drastically. “[Scott-Zelt] kept pushing me, and by the end of the season, I’d improved enough that I saw the change, and I started to enjoy the sport,” she said. “I loved the feeling of being on the field and finding my place in the back end.”

Varey’s soccer career began nine years ago with the Cataraqui

to put on “theGetting jersey for the first time, you can’t describe the feeling. It was so amazing.

Lauren Varey starts her soccer career as a Gael this fall.

Clippers—the club that would eventually rename itself the Junior Gaels when it became affiliated with Queen’s in 2018. Her development was facilitated by the top-tier environment fostered by her coaches, who are familiar faces in the Queen’s community.

Mallory McQueen, an assistant coach for the Queen’s women’s soccer team, was one of Varey’s coaches during her final years with the Junior Gaels. Christian Hoefler, head coach of the Queen’s men’s soccer team, would also coach some of her practices from time to time. “[McQueen] was amazing to have. As someone so experienced as a coach, she really brought that to our practice and really helped develop us in the last few years,” Varey said. “She really prepared us for what was to come, the physicality and being technical, that’s really important in the game.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DHARMAYU DESAI

“I loved my time as a Junior Gael […] [McQueen and Hoefler] both know what to expect and what we need to do to reach the next level.”

Varey gained valuable experience when she was called up to the Junior Gaels Women’s Premiere Team in the Ottawa Carleton Soccer League. As a ninth grader playing on a team composed mainly of university alums, she caught glimpses into the intensity and aggression that came with high-level soccer.

speed of play and “theTheaggression that you see on the field is much higher.

“It really helped [me] develop, getting used to the feeling of playing at high-pressure games where you have only one

pass or two, or you have two seconds to really get the ball out of your feet,” she said. “Some of the girls are really aggressive and they use their body very well, so getting used to that was really good, especially at a young age.”

The experience also helped Varey adjust to the expectations of varsity-level soccer as she graduated from Junior Gael to Queen’s Gael this past summer.

“The speed of play and the aggression that you see on the field is much higher. Especially in the air, everything’s cleaner. So, getting used to that precision on the field, and looking for it […] is really important,” she said.

Evidently, becoming a Gael has been a surreal experience for Varey. She vividly recalls being a ball girl for the Queen’s Women’s Team during her early years with the Clippers.

“Seeing them play on the field and seeing the high level right there in front of your eyes […] that was really amazing to watch.

I definitely looked up to them so much,” she said.

Now that Varey is on the other side of the field, wearing the jersey, she finds it hard to put her emotions into words.

“Getting to put on the jersey for the first time, you can’t describe the feeling.

It was so amazing,” she said “It’s been a dream of mine for a long time, so it’s kind of surreal that it’s happening now.”

As a Gael, Varey hopes to take it game by game, and to develop, improve, and give back to the team that has already given her so much.

“These girls have been incredible people to play with.

They are pushing you to become the best and do the best you can every second of every practice and game,” she said.

With the season opener against Carleton later this week looming large, Varey couldn’t be more eager to get out on the pitch and begin her career as a Gael.

“I started this because I love soccer. I just hope to continue to develop over the next couple of years, and I want to better myself.”

Hannah Duchesneau competes at Pan-American Volleyball Cup with Team Canada Queens’ outside hitter speaks to The Journal about lessons learned and experience with international play natara ng

Assistant Sports Editor After last week, Hannah Duchesneau is no longer a stranger to sporting the maple leaf on her volleyball uniform.

In her first Senior National Team appearance, Duchesneau, ArtSci ’24, competed at the Pan American Volleyball Cup with Team Canada. The tournament, which began on Sept. 13 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is a qualifying tournament for the Pan American Games occurring in 2023.

Duchesneau sat down with The Journal to discuss the experience she gained from competing at the Pan Am Cup, particularly in reference to her inaugural season with the Gaels coming this fall.

At the tournament, Duchesneau and Team Canada came away with a fourth-place finish after falling to the United States in the bronze medal match.

For Duchesneau, being exposed to that level of

competition wa s an eye-opener.

“It was really cool to see all the girls on the senior level and how they compete,” she told The Journal.

“A lot of things that I saw, I’m going to try and implement it into my game now.”

“This tournament was a great opportunity for me to see how I can take my game to the next level.”

While Duchesneau learned lessons pertaining to the technical side of her game, she also spoke to some key takeaways the tournament brought forth regarding her disposition towards volleyball as a whole.

“I think mostly what I learned was maturity. In some aspects of the game at that level, you have a job, you do your job. And I think that’s something that takes a lot of focus,” she said. “[Focus] is much-needed at that level.”

Leading up to the Pan Am Cup, Duchesneau has racked up plenty of experience competing and training with Volleyball Canada.

Before committing to Queen’s in 2020, she was the captain of

to the Senior National Team— where she trained in a highperformance environment built to foster technical and tactical development. It was through this program that Duchesneau was selected to Canada’s Pan Am roster.

Referencing the team’s composition, Duchesneau commented that sending a mixed group of Next Gen and Senior National athletes was a great opportunity for the program’s development, and was especially useful considering they competed against teams with Olympic-calibre lineups such as the Dominican Republic.

SUPPLIED BY HANNAH DUSCHENAU “We fought hard […] the Youth National Team and the mixture with the [Senior] A competed in the 2019 U18 World and part of the Next Gen team, we Championships in Egypt. were able to score against them, This summer, she was we were able to play with them,” selected for Volleyball Canada’s she said. “I think that was really Next Gen Program—a gateway cool for the development of the

program for the women’s side of the national team.”

For Duchesneau, getting her feet wet at the senior level has given her greater insight into her own future with the sport—as well as what she hopes to bring to her athletic career at Queen’s.

“I have a more realistic goal, because I’ve seen what I need to do and how I need to be in thefuture,” she said. “I think that’s something for sure that’s going to help me as an athlete.”

“It starts at Queens, and hopefully ends up on the national team later.”

After losing last season to the pandemic, Duchesneau is eager to get back onto the court and switch out the maple leaf for the Gaels “Q”.

“I’m excited to get back and train with the team. It’s looking like we have such a great team […] talentwise, personality-wise, we just seem to be getting along together,” she said.

“That’s the best part, it’s coming home to a family.”

Sports

Friday, September 24, 2021

queensjournal.ca

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Checking back in with the Queen’s Esports Association Co-chair Brendan Willet speaks to The Journal about QEA’s growth, evolution Angus Merry Senior Sports Editor At a time when most club members might still be getting their bearings with school, members of the Queen’s Esports Association (QEA) are acting like varsity athletes—putting in countless hours of weekly practice and preparation for their upcoming competitive season.

At a time when most club members might still be getting their bearings with school, members of the Queen’s Esports Association (QEA) are acting like varsity athletes—putting in countless hours of weekly practice and preparation for their upcoming competitive season.

According to Brendan Willet, ArtSci ’22, one of the QEA’s co-chairs, this type of hard work and commitment is a fundamental component of the club, and it largely informs his hope that one day Esports participants will be recognized for what they already are: athletes.

“I think there’s definitely progress being made,” he said in an interview with The Journal. “It’s slow progress.”

“It can’t, unfortunately be as simple as just, ‘Alright, you guys are now varsity athletes.’”

As Willet explained, the process for becoming a full-fledged varsity athletics team is more than just gaining recognition for comparable amounts of time and practice—it’s also demonstrating that you have a culture which generates interest from students who want to attend the university.

“Because that’s the same reason the people sign up for schools [like Queen’s]. To join a football team, or to join a hockey team,” he said.

“We want kids from high school showing up at [Queen’s] because

they want to join the Queen’s University varsity League of Legends team.”

And, based on QEA’s almost exponential growth over the past three years, that level of interest isn’t far off.

According to Willet, QEA has approximately 400 general participants in addition to the 130 paying members who compete in the club’s docket of competitive tournaments throughout the year.

“We’re realistically one of the larger clubs on campus, as far as I understand,” he said.

Willet first joined QEA as tech support, helping with livestreaming club competitions, programming, and event planning.

After one of the former co-chairs stepped down three years ago, he saw an opportunity to continue realizing the club’s potential—and he hasn’t looked back.

Since then, Willet believes the club has evolved significantly, especially when it comes to how professional it is.

“The primary point of evolution within the club has got to be its formalization, […] it’s structure and administrative side of things,” he said.

“It’s, unfortunately, the boring side of the club that’s evolved the most, but that’s because from the beginning, we’ve always tried to have a strong basis of […] players [wanting] to play competitively.”

Now that QEA has a substantial portion of members who would like to transition into amateur and professional Esports careers, he wants the club to act as a springboard toward those aspirations. That means handling club affairs as professionally as any other varsity athletics team would: organizing practice schedules, signing up for tournaments, and handling mountains of paperwork.

Brendan Willet is proud of what QEA has become.

Despite all of that, however, Willet believes the fundamental ethos of the club is still alive, and that QEA is still providing a community for individuals who just love to play video games.

In tandem with QEA’s evolution towards professionalism, the collegiate Esports scene at large has also seen a rapid transition towards formality. Most recently, U Sports announced the inauguration of its own “U Sports Gaming” league intended to provide greater competitive structure to Canadian university Esports teams.

When asked about his perspective on U Sports Gaming, Willet had some interesting thoughts to share.

“I’d say the general consensus is that we’re excited to see universities and colleges getting more interested in Esports as a potential […] varsity competitive scene, but there’s definitely some hesitancy on our part.”

Although he—and many other collegiate Esports teams—are

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY VIOLETTA ZEITLINGER-FONTANA

glad that U Sports is giving them recognition, he believes their execution of the league was done without much consideration toward the competitive models that are already set in place for Esports tournaments: namely, awarding teams monetary prizes for winning.

“Prize pools aren’t really a thing in traditional [university] sports. And, unfortunately, that’s realistically […] one of the factors behind the decision for a lot of schools not to play in the [preliminary U Sports Gaming tournament],” he said.

“When you already have your players registered for three different leagues or tournaments or whatnot, it’s hard to convince them […] to take away time from practicing for those tournaments that have scholarships on the line to play in [a] random one-off tournament on a weekend.”

Though he believes U Sports Gaming holds promise, Willet hopes that U Sports will now engage in a constructive dialogue

with collegiate Esports teams going forward, as he thinks improvement on its model is necessary for greater participation to follow.

Speaking on their competitive outings slated for this school year, Willet expressed his excitement for QEA’s participation in a new North American league called NDCC, as well as their continued support of the CSL Esports league. Referencing NDCC’s ranked tournament style, Willet is looking forward to the prospect of facing opponents deliberately chosen for their similar skill level.

“We’re playing against teams like Guelph or Western, who are more comparable to our skill level,” he said. “And so we actually get good competitive matches instead of just getting rolled when we show up to play.”

“It’s all just looking super promising this year, and we’re really excited to see how it turns out.”

Queen’s to participate in new bursary for Black and Indigenous student-athletes OUA pilot project will allow Queen’s to award up to $2,000 to eligible recipients

Angus Merry Senior Sports Editor Queen’s University announced it will participate in a new financial program supporting Black and Indigenous student-athletes.

student athletes who identify as OUA projects that funding for the Black or Indigenous and need BIHS bursary could eventually monetary support. “reach up to $1M annually across Coming into effect the OUA.” for the 2021-22 school In a press release announcing y e a r, p a r t i c i p a t i n g the university’s participation u n i v e r s i t i e s — i n c l u d i n g in the program, Athletics and Queen’s—will have $50,000 total Recreation (A&R) said the BIHS to give out to individuals who meet bursary is a welcome addition to the BIHS bursary’s criteria. Up to the numerous existing financial $2,000 can be given to individual supports that already exist athletes, whose eligibility for other for QTBIPOC students and bursaries offered by the university student-athletes at Queen’s.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO will not be affected by their According to that same press The program, the Black or reception of the BIHS bursary. release, through the Commitment Indigenous Heritage StudentThe OUA stated in a press Bursary Program “Queen’s Athlete (BIHS) Bursary, release that the bursary’s awarded a total of $935,000 to wasrecently announced by Ontario development was due in part 365 members of the class of 2025, University Athletics (OUA) as a to continued recommendations including student-athletes who two-year pilot project intended to made by their Black, Biracial, self-identify as Black, Indigenous, provide financial aid to collegiate and Indigenous committee. The and other racialized students,

persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals.”

In a statement to The Journal, A&R commented that “[t]he OUA bursary builds on Queen’songoing commitment to increasing access among underserved and u n d e r re p re s e n t e d students, including QTBIPOC student-athletes.”

Athletics and Recreation also confirmed the availability of the BIHS Bursary for the 2021-22 academic year, and noted the details and processes regarding the bursary’s implementation will be released in the near future.

Student who fit the BIHS bursary’s criteria encouraged to apply for the Queen’s General Bursary Program in the interim.

Lifestyle

14 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, September 24, 2021

LIFESTYLE ‘The Activist’ was rightfully cancelled The proposed show highlights the prevalence of performative activism Alysha Mohamed Senior Lifestyle Editor When I first heard about the launch of a new show called The Activist, I thought it was a joke.

Within days of the hosts being announced, a swift firestorm of backlash was catalyzed, and CBS decided to reconfigure the proposed show into a one-time documentary special.

The show’s premise was rooted in six individuals competing in "missions, media stunts, digital campaigns and community events aimed at garnering the attention of the world’s most powerful decision-makers, demanding action, now.”

Though the intention of the show may have been to start

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DHARMAYU DESAI

conversations about activism and highlight prevalent social issues, it was undeniably tone-deaf. Making activists face off against each other with the glamour of Hollywood twinkling in the background cheapens the very nature and need for activism.

It’s also clearly offensive to the activists who, throughout

Breaking free from a musical rut This fall, embrace new musical outlets Madeleine McCormick Assistant Lifestyle Editor I have a bit of a rocky history with music.

I tend to fall in love with a new song or album, listen to it ad nauseam for two months straight, become slightly irritated by it, avoid it for a month or so, miss it, then add it to some playlists. And I don’t think I’m the only one with this somewhat toxic relationship with music.

The problem is, if I don’t find new music to break the cycle, I’m left listening to the same playlist for three months. While finding a new song can set the tone for an amazing day, staying in a musical rut can feed into a monotonous loop.

As the semester progresses and we get busier, it’s important to keep some fresh music cycling into your repertoire. I’ve made some suggestions to ward away or combat a musical rut.

Collecting records can be a wonderful way to listen to new music. There’s something magical about listening to an album front to back, especially on vinyl. You’re bound to find some hidden gems.

While it can seem like an expensive musical outlet, many

stores—like Brian’s Record Option on Princess St—offer affordable, second-hand vinyl records in perfect shape.

Many people are eager to give away their old record players, which are often better quality and more affordable than the Crosley ones sold at Urban Outfitters, so check out Facebook Marketplace and eBay for used options. If you’re not willing to commit to a whole turntable, Stauffer Library rents them out for three-hour time slots.

How to elevate your fall playlist.

history, have risked their lives for causes like emancipation from slavery, women’s rights, and access to education.

Pushing for global change isn’t a competition, and the grassroots activists who are consistently empowering their communities and doing vital work are completely disregarded in favour of an entertaining competition.

Moreover, the hundreds of thousands of dollars used to shoot and produce the show could be donated to various charities and NGOs to actually invest in meaningful change.

The Activist is an affront to

the work done by people like Sojourner Truth, and I can only imagine what Malala and Amal Clooney have to say about the show’s concept.

The reality TV show was meant to be hosted by Usher, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Julianne Hough.

The proposed hosts had one thing in common—none of them are renowned for their advocacy or social justice efforts.

I was most concerned about the selection of Chopra Jonas as one of the show’s frontrunners when considering the controversy surrounding her UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Role. In 2019, Pakistan’s Human Rights

Making playlists for people is a love language: there’s nothing like listening to carefully curated songs from a friend or partner.

This fall, no one should be in a musical rut—pick a buddy and make each other a playlist of all the off-the-beaten-path songs you love.

If this seems like too intimate of an exchange, take advantage of Spotify’s recently developed collaborative playlist feature which allows you and your friends to add songs to the same playlist.

If playlists aren’t your cup of tea, there’s nothing like live music to yank you out of a musical rut.

In the evenings, there is usually a live music event happening downtown. On Brock St, Musiikki has a gorgeous hidden patio, and the venue rotates between live bands, drag shows, visual artists, and comedians.

If you’re looking for a free option, check out the live bands showcased at Kingston’s Memorial Centre Farmer’s Market. Queen’s

Minister asked for Chopra Jonas to be “immediately de-notified” from her role after she publicly endorsed the Indian government’s position in the disrupted region of Kashmir.

When a woman publicly confronted Chopra Jonas about “encouraging nuclear war against Pakistan” at a beauty conference in Los Angeles, Chopra Jonas’ initial response to Ayesha Malik was, “Whenever you’re done venting […] got it, done? Okay, cool.”

The intense backlash against The Activist is justified. We seem to value activism for the wrong reasons, and in the pursuit of performing our woke-ness, we forget the real stakes for activists around the world.

We forget about torture, about lynching, about murder. CBS’s proposed show is ridiculous in its attempt to highlight activism through the lens of privilege.

A sad truth has been brought to light in the wave of emotions brought about by The Activist. There’s money in the world for the purposes of entertaining viewers and appearing philanthropic, but the money often disappears when grassroots organizations need funds.

Instead of investing in performative competition shows, let’s invest in real activism.

Campus Radio Station also offers a variety of unique and eclectic music and is another great way to support a campus production and find yourself some groovy new tunes.

The key to avoiding a musical rut is creativity. If you find yourself listening to the same music on repeat, be proactive and think outside the box.

You’ll be dancing through midterm season in no time.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DHARMAYU DESAI

Lifestyle

Friday, September 24, 2021

queensjournal.ca

It’s not middle school, I have body hair The pressure to be hairless can be overwhelming.

For brown girls, hair removal is a rite of passage Alysha Mohamed Senior Lifestyle Editor As a brown girl, I was blessed with naturally thick, healthy, wavy brown hair. I have the bushy-brow look that’s been in style for the last few years—even though I pluck them every two weeks to make sure I have two eyebrows instead of one.

However, my genetics also

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DHARMAYU

translate into hair on the rest of my body.

I’ve been going to my waxing lady, Valentina, since the tender age of thirteen. It’s a rite of passage for brown girls—laying exposed on a waxing table, paper crinkling under your body as you brace yourself for the next strip and the burn that follows.

Though my hair pattern isn’t overwhelmingly difficult to manage, it differs from the representations of body hair I see across social media and every day at a predominantly white institution like Queen’s. I roll my eyes whenever I hear my friends complaining that the hair

on their legs is growing back, especially when the “hair” they’re referring to is blonde, thin, and practically invisible.

My ethnic friends and I all have a horror story of being called out in middle school for the hair on our arms. Growing up, I took every precaution to ensure I was as traditionally feminine as my white counterparts, even though I was comparing myself to an unrealistic standard.

I thought this feeling would fade as I grew up, but I’m still hyper-aware of my body hair at Queen’s.

There’s still an overwhelming expectation that women be

hairless in 2021. During the pandemic, I think many women felt free from the pressure to constantly wax or take care of their body hair—salons were closed, after all. However, pressure to be smooth and “clean” quickly seeped back into mainstream media and Western culture as soon as lockdowns ended.

Any time a celebrity is spotted with body hair, they become a headline. It’s considered feminist to choose not to remove body hair, rather than being a natural experience and valid choice free of a political agenda.

I was conditioned—and am still conditioned—to believe

• 15

that letting my body hair be is unnatural and unattractive. This stigma has carried over into my romantic and sexual relationships, and I was genuinely surprised the first time a man told me I “didn’t need to shave for him.”

I wish I could write that I don’t care about other people’s perceptions of me, and that I’m fine with being stared at whenever I wear a bikini without shaving the morning before swimming. But this simply isn’t true.

I feel more attractive and comfortable in my own skin when my legs are shaved, arms are waxed, and eyebrows are plucked.

But in the stages in between a wax or shave, I want to reach a point where I feel comfortable in the natural reality of having hair on my body.

We’ve all heard people say “body hair is natural,” and then stare at women who have hair under their arms or on their bikini line. The biggest realization I’ve had is many of my romantic partners actually find some body hair attractive. If they don’t respect the fact that I am a grown woman with hair in places other than my head, it’s an immediate red flag.

It’s difficult to believe that visible body hair is normal and not an immediate turn off. But I think the first step to challenging the stigma around hair is to stop critiquing it on our own bodies—regardless of what lanky 12-year-old white boys told us in gym class.

The inside scoop on delicious, affordable vegan eats at Queen’s Finding sustainable, vegan food around campus is easier than you might think Madeleine McCormick Assistant Lifestyle Editor At first glance, finding affordable vegan options on campus—especially late-night food—can seem like a massive feat. However, after two years of hunting and searching, I’m here to officially tell you it doesn’t need to be difficult. There are sneaky vegan spots all over campus.

Whether you eat strictly vegan food or like to opt for more

environmentally sustainable eats, this list applies to everyone.

opt for a more environmentally sustainable option.

The Tea-Room

Khao

Located in the Beamish Munro building, The Tea Room offers bagels with hummus, black bean spread, avocado, and veggies. They also serve fabulous iced and hot lattes, perfect for a mid-day pickup between classes.

The Tea Room markets itself as environmentally friendly and prioritizes its overall sustainability.

My personal favorite part of this café is they don’t charge extra for their non-dairy milk options, but actually charge extra for cow milk.

While most cafés add an extra dollar for vegan milk alternatives, The Tea Room creates an incentive for customers to

If you’re looking for Thai, Indian, or Chinese food, Khao in Lower JDUC is the place to go. For vegan options, Khao offers a roasted Thai tofu sandwich, chickpea chana masala, and an edamame bowl with veggies, noodles, and pho broth.

A pro tip for finding vegan alternatives in Asian cuisine is to ask for no egg in noodle dishes like pad thai, Singapore noodles, and lo mein. In my experience, Khao has been incredibly flexible and understanding about substitutions and dietary restrictions—just ask.

Khao also accepts Tams and flex dollars from Queen’s meal plans, which is very convenient.

Flip-It in Mac-Corry Another great vegan option on campus is Flip It, formally the Canadian Grilling Company.

While burger joints are rarely vegan friendly, all of Flip It’s burger combos have the choice to substitute a vegan black bean and rice patty as the protein base.

It also has a build-your-own salad station with chickpeas, edamame, avocado, hummus, seeds, and black beans as plant-based protein toppings.

It can take a while to get your food, but the wait is worth it.

House of Donair If you’re looking to wrap up an evening with greasy food—pun intended—look no further than House of Donair on Princess St.

Located just off-campus, this family-run business specializes in shawarma, pitas, and donair with plenty of vegan options.

Finding vegan fast food can be difficult, but House of Donair offers fried cauliflower bites, hummus, falafel, French fries, and plant-based pitas. The best part of the restaurant is it’s open until 3 a.m. on the weekends.

Unlike the university stops, House of Donair also offers delivery, takeout, and dine-in options. Whether you’re going for a quick lunch or satisfying a late-night craving, it’s got what you need—and has the friendliest service.

The article was first published online on Monday Sept. 20 at queensjournal.ca/lifestyle.

Lifestyle

16 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, September 24, 2021

POSTSCRIPT

PHOTO BY SPENCER HENDRICKSON

Independence can also mean isolation.

Achieving the “that girl” aesthetic is harder than you think Becoming the main character means checking in with our emotional needs Sydney Ko Senior News Editor It’s been exactly one year and one month since I slurped on a bowl of authentic Taiwanese beef noodle soup. One year and one month since I've seen my parents, not through a small black screen, but in person.

I’ve always been eager to leave home, explore the world, and be on my own, but I didn’t realize that a 16-hour plane ride also meant bidding farewell to my favorite beef noodle soup and my parents.

In September 2018, I arrived at Queen's with eight suitcases and moved into my tiny dorm on West Campus. Maybe it was the Frosh Week jitters and the thrill of meeting new people, but it never dawned on me that I had begun a journey of being on my own.

we forget " Sometimes about the struggles or the occasional sordid loneliness that accompanies the alluring idea of being independent.

I think the idea of independence

has been overly romanticized by pop culture, from Tik Tok’s "that girl" morning routines to glamourizing yourself as the “main character” of your story.

These tropes celebrate the well-dressed woman leading a healthy lifestyle while holding down a steady job in a big city.

It’s incredibly motivating and empowering, but sometimes seems almost impossible to get there.

Whenever the topic of being that independent #girlboss comes up, women often find ourselves focused on the beauty of living alone, finding ourselves, and being resilient in combatting all obstacles that come our way.

But sometimes we forget about the struggles or the occasional sordid loneliness that accompanies the alluring idea of being independent.

In first year, I remember the chatters down our dorm hallways as my peers asked each other when they’re going home for Thanksgiving. I remember thinking to myself, “Right, they celebrate Thanksgiving here.”

My thoughts were then followed by an unexpected feeling of dread. I really didn’t want the holidays to arrive—not because I didn’t want to give thanks or whatever Canadians celebrate on that day—I just couldn’t fathom the sense of emptiness I’d have to endure while everyone else went home to see their families.

Thanksgiving came and went, and it wasn’t terrible. I celebrated my first Thanksgiving in Canada with a girl on my floor, who, funnily

enough, is now my housemate. We went to Jack Astor’s, and while it’s not your average turkey and stuffing, the chicken fingers were enough of a celebration to allow me to forget the homesickness for a while.

Two years went by, and I no longer viewed Thanksgiving as a dreaded holiday. Instead, I graciously accepted it as a break to rest and recharge.

"

When exactly is the next time that I eat that goddamn beef noodle soup?

By 2020, I was in my third year. And as we all know, it was a very weird year. The pandemic proved to be difficult, but having to be in quarantine twice already, the confined space wasn’t a huge deal. Online learning was the new norm as well, and I accepted that I wouldn’t be seeing my parents in person for at least the next twelve months.

Last year, my friend invited me to spend Thanksgiving with her and her family in Barrie.

I was overjoyed, and though I couldn’t understand why one would put cranberry sauce on turkey meat, tried it and it was an experience.

With open arms, they told me I was welcome anytime because I was like their “fourth daughter.”

I remember my eyes watering as the sounds of those words reached my ears.

It was a lighthearted joke, but

a part of me missed my family even more.

Eight months passed by, and it was okay. While I was ultimately stuck abroad, living with two housemates made the loneliness more bearable.

While I’m optimistic, the uncertainty of the future still continues to find its way to haunt me.

My head is constantly clouded with questions.

Will a another wave of COVID19 strike? Will I be able to board a flight back home? Was summer of 2020 the last time I’ll ever see my grandparents? When exactly is the next time that I eat that goddamn beef noodle soup?

And worst of all, where do I go after graduation?

I knew that I was always supported. My parents were always one Facetime call away— at the right hour due to the time difference, of course. I had my friends who were right next door to me.

your own path "andTo bepaveindependent is an absolute privilege, but in the end, we can’t ignore the challenges that come with it.

I love the courses I’m taking, I’m eager to learn, I am incredibly grateful to be on The Journal, and above all else, I am grateful to have the opportunity to be here at Queen’s.

also struggling " If you’re to grapple with the reality of being independent while also trying to create that main character energy in a cynical world, just know that I’m rooting for you.

To pave your own path and be independent is an absolute privilege, but in the end, we can’t ignore the challenges that come with it. As much as it hurts to say it, we’re not living in a comedic mockumentary where all the problems goes away once we hit the end of an episode.

Ironically, to become “that girl” and your own “main character,” you need to accept the reality of isolation and loneliness, and from time to time, check in with our emotional needs.

I guess if you’re like me and you’re also struggling to grapple with the reality of being independent while also trying to create that main character energy in a cynical world, just know that I’m rooting for you.

But in the meantime, I will be looking up recipes to make that beef noodle soup while binge watching Modern Family for the fourth time—and I’ll be on FaceTime with my mum.