The Queen's Journal, Volume 151, Issue 11

the journal Queen’s University

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Vol. 151, Issue 11

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F r i day , O c t o b e r 2 7 , 2 0 2 3

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Since 1873

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NEWS

Antisemitic incidents occur on and off Queen’s campus

‘Nothing will stop us from sharing our Jewish pride’

with their hand, then kissing their hand).”

In response to the incident, students who previously didn’t have Mezuzahs on their Meghrig Milkon doorposts put them up to Assistant News Editor make it clear antisemitism has no place at Queen’s.

Kingston and Queen’s Jewish Queen’s Hillel Director communities unite following a Yos Tarshish and Rabbi Sruly week of antisemitic incidents.

Simon came to campus on In Leggett Hall Residence, Oct. 22 to put up new a Mezuzah was removed Mezuzahs on doorposts. from the doorpost of According to Residence a Jewish student and damaged on Life and Services (ResLife), Oct. 22. the on-call residence staff A Mezuzah is a small immediately responded box mounted on the right to the incident and connected the doorpost of Jewish homes. student with support.

The box contains a scroll with The incident was reported Torah verses and holds spiritual to the Kingston Police and and cultural significance. an investigation has been “Some people believe that launched in accordance with the the Mezuzah provides special University’s Harassment and protection over the residents Discrimination Policy. of the home where it hangs,” Residence Life emailed Queen’s Hillel said in a statement residents in Leggett Hall, posted to their Instagram. condemning all acts of violence, “When they pass by a Mezuzah some and reaffirming their dedication people have the custom of kissing to creating a safe and inclusive it (usually touching the Mezuzah environment for students living

News in residence. The University nationality,” Pressmann said in a is using Flex dollars to statement to The Journal. incentivize students to The posters were placed on anonymously identify the light poles and traffic crosswalks on responsible individual.

Division and Union and University, “Acts of harassment and but Queen’s Facilities took the discrimination are unacceptable; posters down. they violate the university’s “Placing posters on Queen’s Harassment and Discrimination or City light standards Prevention and Response Policy violates the Queen’s signage and expectations outlined in the policy and City of Kingston Residence Contract, and will not be bylaws respectively,” Queen’s tolerated,” ResLife said in the email. University said.

While ResLife asks students There are several posters to report incidents, Queen’s Hillel on campus calling for an encourages the Jewish community “Intifada” meeting in Douglas to stand together.

Library, Pressmann told The “For every act of antisemitic Journal. Intifada refers to two hate, we’ll counter with a hundred Palestinian uprisings against Israel acts of Jewish pride and unity,” which led to many deaths on Queen’s Hillel said in a statement both sides. posted on Facebook.

“Israeli and Jewish students, Elsewhere on campus, Nati like myself, grew up with retellings Pressmann, ArtSci ’25, explained of horrific stories from the Intifada,” that posters advocating for Pressman said. the return of Israeli hostages “To call for an Intifada is to call were taken down. The posters for violence against Jewish are part of a global campaign students at Queen’s. […] To call for bringing awareness to the 200 an Intifada is to endorse terrorism Israelis taken hostage by Hamas as resistance and contribute to an on Oct. 7. increasingly unsafe environment “This campaign uses posters for Jewish students.” with ‘Kidnapped’ written in red, These posters haven’t been along with a photo of one of the taken down over several days hostages, including their age and Pressman said. Campus Security

Friday, October 27, 2023 claimed it wasn’t within their jurisdiction to remove the posters calling for Intifada since some were posted on City of Kingston property, according to Pressmann.

The University claims any material posted in contravention of university or departmental policies will be removed and discarded by the authorizing department or by university security or custodial personnel.

Off campus, Kingston Police arrested an 18-year-old male suspected in relation to a hate motivated incident following a Kingston Jewish Community rally held in Market Square on Oct. 17.

Participants leaving the rally were crossing the street when a black truck accelerated and turned into the crosswalk, almost hitting participants in the process. After investigating, the police believe the incident was motivated by hate directed towards the Jewish community, according to a police bulletin sent on Oct. 20.

The incident remains under investigation by Kington Police.

Queen’s professor target of hate storm on social media

Professor faces backlash for posting opportunity for equity-deserving students

you to Google, ‘is outdoors exclusive or racist,’ and see a bunch of popular and academic research that says, yes, it absolutely is,” Szto said in an interview with The Journal.

An antisemitic incident occurred in Leggett Hall on Oct. 22.

PHOTO BY ORLIE SOROKA

individuals from equity-seeking account, reposted a picture webpage, staff should report groups specifically, because they of the funding opportunity instances of online harassment to have firsthand experience with on Oct. 4. The repost amassed Campus Security. discrimination and exclusion in over 300 comments and 900 For Szto, current efforts outdoor culture, Szto explained. retweets, declaring there were by the University to address Szto shared multiple emails “no opportunities for straight, online harassment are she received in response white, skinny people” at Queen’s. insufficient. Szto underscored Sofia Tosello to her post with The Journal.

Following the media frenzy, the need for accessible, Assistant News Editor One with subject line Szto didn’t know where to in-person staff for faculty to turn “Weirdo” swore at Szto, and turn for support. to when reporting incidents of When Courtney Szto checked another questioned her Szto said she would have online harassment. her inbox the morning of categorizing “fat” as an appreciated the University’s “If we’re talking about online Oct. 4, a stranger told her to go equity-seeking group. support on social media, harassment, which is such a new f—k herself.

Media accounts took to especially because the phenomenon, you need to be Szto, an associate commenting on Szto’s social presence of hateful messages hiring people who have experience professor in Queen’s School media. Some commenters might discourage students from with these spaces,” Szto said. of Kinesiology and Health called the opportunity applying to the project.

In the days following the Studies, found her email discriminatory for only “It would be great if the incident, Szto has received and social media hiring equity-seeking students. University jumped into the support from fellow colleagues, accounts flooded with Others demanded Szto be fired comment section to say who have checked in on her. insults and backlash after from Queen’s. we believe in this project. Queen’s University Faculty sharing an opportunity for Among commentors was That it’s a necessary project,” Association (QUFA), graduate students on social Canadian journalist Jonathan Szto said. the faculty union at Queen’s, media on Oct. 3.

Kay who told The Journal “Faculty have zero guidance contacted Szto to offer SUPPLIED BY COURTNEY SZTO he thought the whole post The opportunity was for as to how to navigate their support on Oct. 26. equity-seeking students, with was dumb. these types of issues. I had no idea “I think coming into eligibility limited to members of the The project examines “Thank you for taking the time how to report it [to the University]. departments and having BIPOC, gender non- how marginalized groups are to jog my memory,” Kay said in I don’t even know who in-person conversations with staff conforming, LGBTQ+, fat, or impacted by outdoor culture. a statement to The Journal. I would go to for this [about online harassment] disabled communities. The Szto’s post specifically references “Yes. I do remember why type of situation.” is important,” Szto said. post presented positions and Indigenous communities I [posted] about this.

In a statement to The Journal, “People should be able to funding for one Master’s student and how their experience with I [posted] about it because I thought the University clarified faculty know what their options [are] and one doctoral student the outdoors is impacted by it was dumb.” should visit the Online Harassment should the situation get really bad.” at Queen’s. settler colonialism.

The X handle “Libs of and Cyberbullying webpage “It doesn’t take long for The project recruited TikTok,” a far-right social media for guidance. According to the

News

Friday, October 27, 2023

queensjournal.ca • 3

Stop the Chop Gala wants to axe developer’s plans The Davis Tannery site, contaminated with heavy metals, has been the subject of debate for sometime. The 37-acre site along the Great Cataraqui River is a wetland home to many native animal and plant species, according to environmental groups.

“This is an opportunity for students at an affluent university to make a vital difference in the surrounding community,” Ryan Kuhar, AMS commissioner of environmental sustainability, said in an interview with The Journal.

The Stop the Chop Gala will tempt students and community members with speakers, food, and a silent auction. No Clear Cuts Kingston hopes the money raised will contribute to the $24,000 still needed to achieve their goal of $50,000 before the

January hearing.

Tickets cost $55, and David Suzuki is set to call in for a question-and-answer session with attendees.

So far, Kuhar reported a third of tickets have been sold.

“Hopefully, this will be very informational for the people who come and very immersive,” Kuhar said.

Developer Jay Patry’s proposal called for chopping 1,600 trees and removing approximately 400,000 tonnes of contaminated soil to build 1,600 residential units, according to the Kingston Whig-Standard. In a move lauded by the David Suzuki Foundation, Kingston City Council voted against the development of the site in 2022.

Patry filed an appeal to the land tribunal shortly after. If the tribunal sides in favour of the developer

in January, the project will likely go ahead.

“The development proposed by this specific group, who doesn’t have the greatest track record for responsible development, is essentially to excavate and disrupt the soil under the site and then cap the adjacent wetland,” Kuhar said.

Since the closure of the tannery, contaminants from the site have sunk into the ground.

Redevelopment would disturb these contaminants and the ecosystem which has grown around them. Kuhar visited the site himself and attested to the wetland’s thriving wildlife.

“There’s beaver populations, there’s herons, kingfishers, and the fact that there are these aquatic predators, shows the wetland is quite prosperous. There’s muskrats,

there’s other rodents. It’s a beautiful little ecosystem and it’s survived quite well,” Kuhar said.

If the contaminants were brought back up to surface, Kuhar worries they might impact the Thousand Islands and other environments in the Kingston area.

“It’s not just supposed to be a gala for people to come have fun, it’s also supporting this other cause. It’s supposed to be a gala very much teaching people about the cause,” Kuhar said. “I’m very excited to share this with people and come together in a room where people come from a similar perspective on this project.”

With live music and mingling in support of a good cause, Kuhar is confident Queen’s students will play a role in protecting the Davis Tannery site.

month. Just days before the big weekend, Mills attended the Police Services Board alongside Commissioner of External Affairs Julian Mollot-Hill to relay student feedback on the issuing of Part I Court Summons outside of when the University District Safety Mikella Schuettler Initiative (UDSI) is in effect.

Assistant News Editor “[It] was definitely a difficult way to get certain points across, After a rowdy Homecoming however, we do feel like we made weekend, AMS Assembly positive and meaningful strides discussed smaller changes. there,” Mills said.

AMS Assembly met on Oct. 24 to Mills will be meeting with report on Homecoming, discuss the Kingston city councillors JDUC renovation, and ratify 30 new and possibly the mayor to clubs in Mackintosh-Corry Hall. continue the discussion.

In motions passed unanimously, JDUC Renovation Feedback Assembly approved eight campus During the open question groups to appear on the 2023 fall period, ASUS President referendum ballot to establish or Amaiya Walters requested the increase student fees.

AMS provide a concrete timeline The Clubs Policy was amended for when the renovated JDUC to impose a blanket sexual floorplans will be released, harassment and discrimination and an avenue for students to policy for all AMS ratified clubs. request spaces.

Clubs will now be connected to The JDUC renovations are bodies at the University to assist if managed by the University incidents of sexual harassment or administration, in conjunction discrimination occur. with the AMS and the SGPS. Midterm season and respiratory Mills explained floorplans illnesses hit Assembly hard, with can’t be released without all Rector Owen Crawford-Lem, AMS stakeholders’ consent, so executive Vice-President (Operations) were unable to provide an Michelle Hudson, and AMS Clubs exact date.

Commissioner Dreyden George “I think something that’s unavailable to attend in person. important with student dollars Executive Reports After is that transparency element and Homecoming Weekend making sure we’re able to provide AMS President Kate McCuaig what students desperately want,” opened Assembly by congratulating McCuaig added. everyone on Homecoming Students can participate weekend, which included harm through the JDUC retail survey reduction and community building and describe which retail initiatives led by the AMS. services they would like to see, “We saw a lot of collaboration however, there is currently no which we always love to see within pathway for student feedback on the AMS,” McCuaig said. other spaces.

As an example, McCuaig Orientation Week Under spoke about the Save Your Paws Review campaign which encourages Leo Yang, vice-chair of senate students to reconsider the use of student caucus, informed Assembly glass bottles to protect pets in the that Queen’s Senate is reviewing University District. Tricolour Outlet orientation week this year. The sold Homecoming merchandise comment launched a debate on on campus last week, and whether holding orientation over items were flying off the shelves, two weekends or one entire week according to McCuaig. is best.

Vice-President (University For Vice-President Mills, the Affairs) Victoria Mills also had two-weekend timeline used Homecoming on her mind this over the past few years has

serious drawbacks, including upper-year student burnout, and barriers to using Queen’s facilities over the weekend.

“This really does have a large impact on pretty much the entire campus,” Mills said.

Other members were

concerned that switching back to a one-week format would result in changes to the fall semester dates, and perhaps lead to the loss of students’ fall reading week, which began in 2018.

Luca DiFrancesco, chair of AMS board of directors, assured

Assembly fall reading week was enshrined in Queen’s policy, and it would be difficult for the administration to backtrack on their decision.

Assembly concluded by postponing the debate to the next meeting on Nov. 21.

inherently pessimistic branch of law, Rondeau explained.

Emma Fingler, a PhD candidate in the department of political science, discussed humanitarian and disaster response in Myanmar.

Using the case of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar in 2008, Fingler highlighted ethical and political issues in the failure of governments to provide or allow disaster relief to their own citizens.

“As disasters become increasingly common in a warming world, ethical and diplomatic questions are raised regarding the boundaries of sovereignty.

Particularly in cases where the government fails to respond effectively to a catastrophic even within its own boundaries,” Fingler said.

Other speakers focused on legal and military disputes in the South China Sea, particularly, those between China and its neighbouring states.

Former military officer Phillip Drew told attendees territorial disputes in the South China Sea stem from competing claims of sovereignty. The claims impact states’ rights to natural resources and military presence in the region.

In 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague issued its ruling on a claim brought against China by the Philippines. While the court ruled in favour of the Philippines, China refused to recognize its decision.

Drew noted further legal complications arising from

the actions of the Chinese Coast Guard in disputed waters.

Swarming of Filipino and Vietnamese vessels, dangerous maneuvering, ship ramming, and unsafe aerial interception all led him to question the legal definition of the use of force.

Lieutenant Commander Brent Lemon discussed Canadian military strategy in the region, unpacking Canada’s recently released Indo-Pacific Strategy.

“The strategy states Canada will challenge China when it engages in coercive behaviour whether it’s economic or otherwise, and it ignores human rights obligations, or undermines our national security interests and those interests that are partners in the region,” Lemon said.

The Lieutenant Commander noted Canada’s fulfilled commitment to increase its warships to three in the Indo-Pacific Region.

For students in attendance, the conference encouraged them to consider how they can use principles from the IHL to contribute to causes beyond their backyard.

Rondeau closed the conference by urging students to get involved.

“Your current involvement, your advocacy that you will do, all of that will serve for application of international law in a way that preserves a more peaceful order that protects humanity and protects the environment on the long term,” Rondeau said.

$50,000 must be raised as environmental groups join forces Mikella Schuettler Assistant News Editor Environmental groups across Kingston are joining forces against the development of a contaminated site.

No Clear Cuts Kingston, Queen’s Backing Action on the Climate Crisis (QBACC), and the AMS Commission of Environmental Sustainability are hosting a gala in Grant Hall on Nov. 3, to raise money for expert witnesses in an upcoming Ontario Land Tribunal hearing regarding the Davis Tannery site in Kingston.

AMS elaborates on JDUC renovation

Critical members absent as the AMS Assembly sped through short agenda

Law conference tackles how to keep the new cold war cold

50 attendees and six speakers discuss South Asian geopolitics Alex Dawson Contributor Law scholars and military brass met on campus to discuss legal and humanitarian concerns in the Asia-Pacific region.

The annual Kingston International Humanitarian Law Conference discussed legal issues in the Asia-Pacific region on Oct. 26 in Robert Sutherland Hall.

It was hosted by Queen’s Faculty of Law, the Centre for International Defence Policy (CIDP), the Canadian Forces Military Law Centre, and the Canadian Red Cross.

The conference provided the opportunity for attendees to learn about issues on the opposite side of the world, highlighting Canada’s role in supporting the interests of people living in the Asia-Pacific region.

Director and Legal Advisor at the Canadian Red Cross Sophie Rondeau began the conference with a crash course in international humanitarian law (IHL).

As the main body of law governing armed conflicts, IHL balances the reality of military necessity and humanitarian considerations.

Forced to be realistic about how states behave, IHL is an

News

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Friday, October 27, 2023

An Clachan facing impending construction, SGPS kept in the dark

SGPS confronts distressing housing updates and vulnerable Grad Club Meghrig Milkon & Sofia Tosello Assistant News Editors Physical spaces for students were at the forefront of the SGPS’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) discussions this week.

SGPS executives and members came together to approve the society’s budget and discuss graduate student life during the AGM in Kingston Hall on Oct. 24. During the meeting, the SGPS presented their 2022-23 audited financial statements, which were determined to faithfully represent the SGPS’s financial standing by auditor KPMG. The audited statement of operations presented a deficit of $69,889.

The proposed budget for the 2023-24 year projects a surplus of $41,468. The proposed budget was approved during the meeting.

Graduate students raised concerns over unequal working spaces on campus between departments—an issue Speaker Aileen Editha was aware of.

After conversations with Queen’s University Library last year, an exclusive library space for graduate students isn’t moving forward, Editha announced. There were discussions with University Library Director (Finance and Administration) Nancy Petri to convert part of a reading room in Douglas Library into a space for

SGPS members. Renovations would have come from the library’s budget, Editha explained.

“That was out of the goodness of their hearts apparently because they had extra money to spare.

However, there was no push from the University to make those spaces available,” Editha said during the SGPS Council meeting.

Aligning with their advocacy efforts, the SGPS is in contact with the ARC to carve out dedicated dates and times for graduate students to have exclusive access to parts of the gym spaces.

Graduate Student Housing Graduate students are being relocated from University owned housing, but the SGPS remains in the dark.

SGPS President Devin Fowlie explained parts of An Clachan, a residential building predominantly housing graduate students and their families, are set to be torn down. The University plans to replace the existing building with a denser floorplan.

Fowlie doesn’t think the upcoming changes to An Clachan constitute either a renovation nor a new building.

“They’re keeping the same footprint of the building that is currently there, generally speaking, and they’re building it bigger and more dense,” Fowlie said during the meeting. “[The University] is taking down parts and they’re making the building higher and more dense.”

The University hasn’t disclosed to Fowlie where displaced students will be re-housed, or how long the building project will take. In the past, the University has moved residents into hotels while residences were under renovation.

“We’ve explicitly asked [the

University] to have a plan for where they’re going to put the graduate students that are going to be displaced,” Fowlie said.

For Fowlie, hotels aren’t an ideal solution, but he’s committed to having discussions with the University to ensure impacted students receive appropriate attention and care.

Tony Hu, vice-president (community), categorized changes to the residence as distressing.

Other changes to the An Clachan residence include limiting lease renewals, allocating space via a lottery system, and adding to eligibility requirements. Tenants will be permitted to live in An Clachan for up to three years, according to Hu’s report.

Tenants’ rent may be raised beyond Ontario guidelines. Hu explained if Queen’s University Community Housing charges more for rent, they can use the extra funds to build more homes.

“Community housing is claiming that raising the rent will help them build their capital reserves so that

they will be able to auction the increased density there,” Hu said.

Students raised concerns to the executive about the changes.

Students expressed confusion with how the introduction of a minimum one student to one bedroom ratio will work, given An Clachan houses many families.

Hu stated students’ points were well taken and will be brought up in upcoming meetings with the University.

The Grad Club The Grad Club is looking to improve their profitability by raising item prices, removing low sale items from the menu, and expanding their marketing efforts after evaluating their financial performance last year.

“We don’t want the Grad Club going out of business,” Maya Kawale, vice-president (professional), said during the meeting. “We’re hoping to get efforts going so that we are better able to sustain the Grad Club.”

The Grad Club is a

student-run pub on campus that’s served food and drinks since in 1963.

While the pub is open to all Queen’s community members, Kawale emphasized its special connection to SGPS members.

“We would like to make the Grad Club a hub for professional and graduate students. It does involve the SGPS members to an extent because a lot of our members do like to spend time there,” Kawale said.

Graduate and professional students who are Grad Club regulars brought up concerns about the service and irregular menu items. Master’s student Jeremey Favaro described the confusing service he received at the Grad Club.

“I distinctly remember they were out of stock of hamburgers, but they were in stock of cheeseburgers.

I don’t really understand how that happened,” Favaro said.

Kawale hopes to remedy these discrepancies as she looks towards improving the financial state of the pub.

Ex-Queen’s prof suspended for post about war in Middle East Commenters urge Queen’s University to act

Thomson is a former Queen’s associate professor.

Sofia Tosello Assistant News Editor A former Queen’s professor is facing threats and doxing following a social media post.

Former Associate Professor in Queen’s Department of Medicine Dr. Ben Thomson was suspended from his role as a nephrologist at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

following his posts supporting Palestine on the social media platform X, formally known as Twitter.

On Oct. 10, Thomson took to X to deny claims about actions taken by militant group Hamas during their Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

“No babies were beheaded, there have been no confirmed reports of rapes. You repeat

this nonsense out of racism. In the meantime, Palestinians are experiencing genocide and war crimes and you are silent.

History will judge you very badly,” Thomson said in a since-deleted post on X. Thomson formerly taught at Queen’s School of Medicine, but The Journal couldn’t verify the exact dates of his employment. According to a research paper with Thomson as the first author, he was affiliated with Queen’s University up until November 2021.

Peoplerespondedtothepostwith outrage, calling on Queen’s University to condemn the former employee’s actions.

“The bodies of decapitated babies have not even been buried yet and we have Canadian physicians spending conspiracy theories and denying what happened. […]

Let @queensu know,” a user

by the name of “Documenting Thomson was suspended Antisemitism” commented on X. for his views on the war in Commentors on the same X post the Middle East. echo similar sentiments, with many Thomson continues to post tagging the University. about the conflict on social media.

“Shame on you—queensu, care He again took to his X to [sic] weight in?” a user by the account on Oct. 13 to criticize name of “SDiamantstein” said on X. people who have accepted Thomson has received threats the claim Hamas beheaded and doxing, with his address babies without substantiation. publicly disclosed on a platform Thomson said these where patients rate their medical claims dehumanize Gazans. practitioners, CBC reported.

Thomson has long remained Following Thomson’s unwavering in his convictions. condemnation on social media, He founded EmpowerMe current employer Mackenzie Gaza, a fundraising campaign Health issued a statement on Oct. 12. to power Gaza’s hospitals with The statement underscored solar energy in 2015. By the that social media posts from time the campaign ended physicians and staff don’t reflect in 2019, it had raised $297,081.

Mackenzie Health’s views An email writing campaign and values. led by Canadians for Justice and According to CBC, Thomson Peace in the Middle East is urging was suspended for one month Mackenzie Health to reverse without pay from his position. Thomson’s suspension. Over However, Mackenzie Health 13,000 emails have been sent. denied to CBC reporters

Friday, October 27, 2023

FEATURES

Features

queensjournal.ca • 5

FEATURES The Journal reflects on its past and present.

GRAPHIC BY ALI SAFADI

‘The Journal’ then and now: comparing Vol. 151 and Vol. 120 ‘We had such a great time putting out The Journal—two press nights a week and print product only’ Lauren Nicol Staff Writer

rebranding of the “student ghetto.”

Similarly, the same volume saw The Journal releasing print articles twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays, as opposed to the paper’s digital first approach now with a print edition every other Friday.

“We had such a great time putting out The Journal—two press nights a week and print product only,” Rushowy said, noting there was no internet at the time and they had to use a darkroom for printing photos.

“We were often there until two or three a.m., and then had to head to class the next morning.

Exhausting, but exhilarating.”

Rushowy noted collecting news was quite different thirty years ago. “[There were] no Zoom calls.

No written or email statements.

No pulling information off the internet,” Rushowy said. “We’d tape record interviews or take notes, and transcribe. All photos had to be taken or submitted, no pulling from social media.”

When looking at a university’s history, there’s often no better place to turn than the campus newspaper. Looking at old headlines provides students with a history of Queen’s past, we’re able to see how far the university has come in tackling issues—and where we’re repeating the same mistakes we made decades ago.

While this week marks The Queen’s Journal 150th anniversary of continuous publication, many of the headlines over the years have shared similar themes.

I often dive deep into the pages of Vol. 120, the year of my father’s tenure as Editor in Chief.

Homecoming Published in 1992-93, I consider it a relic of the past. However, when Homecoming is a time I started writing at The Journal this year, it became clear that for alumni to come back and many issues faced by students 30 reminisce with their class, go to a years ago are all too familiar to football game, and reconnect with the Queen’s campus. current Queen’s students.

In both 1992 and 2023, No matter the size, events of all calibers have been showcased in Queen’s faced the Ottawa The Journal throughout its history. Gee-Gees at their homecoming One may think flipping through game where the Gaels emerged endless pages of Journal archives victorious both times.

Homecoming has always allows us to see every problem the University has faced in the past, but been a source of controversy over the years, with tensions this isn’t the reality.

The Journal reached out to between Kingston residents and former News Editor Vol. 120 and Queen’s students peaking during current Toronto Star reporter Homecoming weekend.

“Town-gown relations will Kristin Rushowy about her time at the student-run publication. always be an issue. The particulars She spoke about the various may vary year to year, decade issues she covered during her to decade […] Homecoming controversies, however, are a time at Queen’s.

In her time as The constant,” Rushowy said.

Even in 1992, Queen’s Journal’s News Editor, major headlines included the gift students faced the same liquor of the Herstmonceux Castle charges many face today during Estate—Bader College—to Homecoming. An article in Vol. Queen’s, the Charlottetown 120 reported that 58 liquor constitutional referendum, related charges were handed during Homecoming and the attempted out

headline “Prof convicted of sexual assault against his stepdaughter,” and was written about further in subsequent issues.

The Journal continually touched on the sexual harassment at Gordon House in 1989, which was mentioned in Editor in Chief Rob Nicol’s Last Words.

In 1989, two residents of Gordon House put up misogynistic signs with the phrases, “No Means More Beer” and “No Means Kick in her Teeth.”

Nicol wrote on the topic of the signs at Gordon House, which made its way to the front page of the Toronto Star.

“It [Gordon House incident] woke us up from our complacency, from our stupidity, our ignorance, and our apathy,” Nicol wrote in his Vol. 120 Last Words.

Similar to the issues faced in 1993, The Journal published an Sexual Violence article revealing the increase in In Vol. 120, there were several sexual violence response service headlines on sexual violence that requests that occurred in 2023.

Although there’s been progress students faced both on campus on campus to better support and in Kingston as a whole.

On September 11, 1992, sexual violence survivors since there was a notable article that 1993, sexual assault remains a appeared with the headline prevalent issue at Queen’s.

The Journal published an “Principal Smith welcomes, warns class of ’96” concerning the article on Take Back the Night, convocation speech delivered a rally to support victims of

by Queen’s then-Principal David sexual assault, in its September Smith. His verbal address raised 22, 1992 issue where over 200 concern about sexual assault and people participated taking a sexual violence. This important stance against sexual assault. In issue became a major topic covering the event, The Journal covered in subsequent issues of interviewed multiple participants in the march to find out the The Journal.

Many articles focused on the importance of the night.

In 1993, marcher Beth creation of Bill C-94, which was new sexual assault legislation Schilling said in an interview with discussed in both news article The Journal that “women have to and editorials in The Journal. One realize violence does happen and story detailed a woman who put we have to demand it stops.”

Take Back the Night is still up posters that alerted people of a sexual assault that had taken held on campus, though based on Journal’s coverage, place on William St. There were The has dropped many follow-up articles on the attendances significantly. subsequent impacts.

Another notable story covered University Rankings a Queen’s professor who was convicted of sexual assault but Historically, University was allowed to continue teaching, .This story was reported on in rankings have been a point of the January 15, 1993 issue. The pride for Queen’s students and story first appeared with the are still a topic that’s highlighted weekend which took place October 17 and 18 in 1992.

This year, The Journal reported 134 Part I summons for open liquor, with fines from the weekend amounting to over $57,000, distributed over the celebratory weekend.

In both 1992 and 2023, the AMS worked to educate students prior to Homecoming about the charges they may face if they break the law. Vol. 120 featured an entire page on various fines students could face, including a $103 fine for open liquor.

This past year, The Journal covered the AMS’s social media campaign that sought to educate students on the various fines and penalties they may face, while teaching students about their legal rights.

in The Journal today.

In The Journal’s November 6, 1992 issue, Queen’s was ranked the third best university in Canada by Maclean’s, behind McGill and University of Toronto.

The Journal later expressed in an editorial that students and staff felt it was a disappointing drop from ranking second in the previous year.

In contrast, Vol. 151 wrote an article on university rankings, detailing Queen’s was ranked 12th in Canada by Times Higher Education, a significant drop from 1993 that Principal Patrick Deane has called depressing. Similarly, to Vol. 120, Queen’s staff and students believe the University should be ranked higher.

Recently, Queen’s University ranked higher in a different area, ranked third in the world by Times Higher Education in their efforts towards the Sustainable Development Goals, exciting Queen’s students.

AMS Reporting

The editorial board of Vol. 120 took a critical stance on the AMS in a myriad of ways. Instances of this include a cartoon depicting the AMS drawn as infants and an editorial on students’ negative attitudes towards the legitimacy of their student government. The editorial asserted the AMS didn’t properly represent students.

Vol. 151 has been less outwardly critical of the AMS, but still published a story on the AMS that shed both positive and negative light on the AMS as a workplace. Some students stated that it gave them work experience that was invaluable for their resume, while others spoke on the harmful power dynamics.

In Vol. 151, the editorial board criticized the AMS and said “a more thorough review of Boris Cherniak’s performance would and should have prevented the racially insensitive scene performed at Gael Orientation pre-week.”

Editorials

6 • queensjournal.ca

Abortion: not your your body, not your choice

The Journal’s Perspective

no child deserves to feel unwanted by either of their parents.

Abortion The choice to get an and pregnancy can abortion should be left to be physically and the pregnant person. emotionally traumatic Britney Spears’ new experiences for memoir The Woman in Me the person who reveals she had an abortion experiences them. when pregnant with Justin It isn’t justifiable Timberlake’s child. Spears to impose either wrote that, if it weren’t for trauma on an Timberlake’s certainty he unwilling party. Even didn’t want to be a father, after a child is born, she wouldn’t have chosen the burden of care to have an abortion. falls disproportionately While consulting both on the shoulders of parents is important, the female bodies. decision of whether to After giving birth, have an abortion should the birthing parent is ultimately be made by the pressured to prioritize ILLUSTRATION BY ARDEN MASON-OURIQUE childcare pregnant person. It’s fair over all to include both potential other aspects of their parents in the decision to carry a pregnancy lives. The dominant cultural expectation in to term, but having a child is North America is for women to subjugate life-altering for everyone involved and their identities and careers to maternity.

Social media activism does more harm than good

Allie Moustakis Senior Lifestyle Editor Reposting a four-by-four graphic on your Instagram story isn’t as powerful as you think it is.

Social media has proven to be a powerful tool in raising awareness and fostering change, providing ordinary individuals with a platform to speak out on important issues. Still, limiting activism to the confines of social media reduces real-world problems to trends, diminishing the depth of understanding and the quality of discourse around these issues.

These multifaceted challenges can’t be adequately distilled through simplistic slogans, aesthetically pleasing graphics, or catchy hashtags.

Oversimplifying complex issues reduces the nuance necessary for a comprehensive understanding and exposes people to the spread of misinformation.

Spreading misinformation, intentionally or not, undermines the credibility of social

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EDITORIALS

Men aren’t subject to the same forces and can much more easily escape parenthood once a child is born.

Abortion is a medical procedure.

As such, whether somebody is subject to it should be their own decision.

Withholding medical attention for an open wound or a chronic illness wouldn’t be acceptable, nor would forcing a knee replacement on somebody who doesn’t need it.

It’s easy for coverage of Spears’ abortion to give way to speculation about her and Timberlake’s relationship or to narratives villainizing him, but the focus should be on commending Spears for sharing her experience.

Reproductive healthcare, particularly abortion, can be a very isolating experience.

Despite being very common, abortion care isn’t openly talked about. In additiontoalleviatingtheshame associated with the procedure, unfiltered conversations about abortion can promote safe experiences by providing a framework in people’s minds of what should

video game Arma 3. A similar clip from the same video game was shared on Facebook, purported to be live attacks on Ukraine by Russia in 2022.

When misinformation spreads through an oversimplified narrative, it becomes much harder to dispel.

People resist complex, nuanced explanations in favour of a straightforward narrative.

Oversimplification encourages binary thinking, polarizing discussions, and creates an us-versus-them mentality. This way of thinking further fuels division and PHOTO BY JOPSEPH MARIATHASAN discourages meaningful discourse that comes The ongoing crisis in the Middle East and from thinking critically about the war in Ukraine are a testament to this. complex materials.

A viral video posted to X, formerly While social media can serve as a starting known as Twitter, claimed to show a Hamas point for raising awareness, it shouldn’t be fighter shooting down an Israeli helicopter. the endpoint for social change.

It was later revealed the clip, which had The feeling of having done something over 230,000 views, was taken from the substantial by clicking a button can lead to media as a platform for activism and hinders the efficacy of efforts that are genuine and not born from a desire to join a social media trend.

Volume 151, Issue 11 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal

Editorial Board

Friday, October 27, 2023

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and shouldn’t be part of a safe abortion.

Hopefully the attachment of Spears’ name to this conversation can direct more attention towards increasing abortion safety and accessibility.

At the time Spears was pregnant, both her and Timberlake were very young and extremely occupied with their careers.

Having a child would have disrupted both of their lives in innumerable ways.

Timberlake’s career blossomed with the success of music about his breakup with Spears—a breakup presumably made much simpler by not sharing a child together. The story of Spears’ abortion is a testament to abortion care benefiting men as much as it does women. Men should be actively advocating access to abortion care.

As a medical procedure, the right to abortion must be honoured and the choice to undergo it should be left to the affected person.

—Journal Editorial Board

complacency, preventing people from taking tangible actions that make more significant differences. The term “slacktivism” aptly describes this phenomenon of individuals mistaking online engagement for genuine, impactful involvement in a cause.

The implications of social media activism are far more wide reaching than people realize. The constant exposure to distressing news, viral videos of injustices, and graphic images can be emotionally exhausting and can take a large toll on users’ mental health.

The constant barrage of distressing content can lead to feelings of helplessness, anxiety, and despair, ultimately eroding the motivation to engage in meaningful activism.

While social media may be beneficial in raising awareness and depicting the gravity of global issues, that is often as far as it can go. As users, we must remain diligent and critical of the content we are consuming on social media.

We can’t fall victim to social media activism.

Allie is a third-year political studies student and The Journal’s Senior Lifestyle Editor.

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Opinions

Friday, October 27, 2023

OPINIONS

Israel shouldn’t have to battle for its existence Reflecting on the strength of Jewish people and consequences of Israel’s war against Hamas Alisa Bressler Contributor This story first appeared online on Oct. 20.

The history of the Jewish people’s existence demands persistence and vigilance.

Since the days of Abraham, we’ve been tested, exiled, executed, and displaced.

Jewish people were driven from their homeland in the land of Canaan—the modern-day State of Israel—and subjected to a ruthless saga of violence, including the systematic genocide of six million during the Holocaust.

Yet, we remain one nation, united in light and love. “Chazak V-ematz” —“be strong and courageous”—said the prophet, Joshua.

The Jewish spirit has proven unbreakable.

On Oct. 7, Hamas—a terrorist organization denounced by the Government of Canada—executed a coordinated attack on the Israeli population. The attack unleashed true evil, resulting in the highest number of Jews murdered in a single day since the Holocaust.

In the massacre women were raped and entire families were slaughtered.

While I write this, 1,400 Israelis have been found murdered, 3,400 are injured, and there is believed to be between 200 to 250 more civilians who are being held hostage. According to the Palestinian Health Authority, close to 3,000 have been killed in Gaza.

Put simply, Hamas exists to terrorize and eliminate the Jewish population, as noted by their charter. On Oct. 13, their leaders called for a “Global Day of Jihad,” urging followers to inflict violence on Jewish people across the world in solidarity with Hamas’s recent attack.

Hamas doesn’t represent Palestinians’ right to self-determination, nor their best interests, in the slightest. What the world witnessed on Oct. 7 is an evil motivated by something larger than distaste for the Israeli government and the desire for a Palestinian state. It’s a senseless and ancient form of hate—antisemitism.

“Never again” was the world’s

a vow that should rampant antisemitism resurface, the world will speak up and not turn a blind eye.

Unfortunately, what was thought to be a global agreement and a promise to stand against Jewish hatred has been disregarded.

Too many prominent voices have failed to condemn the atrocity of Oct. 7, ranging from political leaders to academic institutions to classmates.

Some have dared to blame the victims for the terror inflicted upon them, or worse, celebrated it in the name of resistance. The Anti-Defamation League reported that a letter from the Students for Justice in Palestine called the terror attack “a historic win.”

There are reasons to disagree with the current Israeli government, and advocating for a safe and prosperous future for the Palestinian population is a worthy cause. However, believing in Palestinian freedom isn’t mutually inclusive with condemning pure terrorism. It’s morally reprehensible to stay silent—let alone celebrate—mass murder and war crimes.

Certain activists simplify Hamas’s actions down to a fight for decolonization.

One example includes a professor at the Birkbeck University of London, who called the murder of 260 Israelis at the Supernova music festival a “consequence for partying on stolen land.”

These claims are among many that are deeply harmful to the Jewish people.

Much of the Arab world, including Palestine, has religious and cultural roots in Israel, but so do the Jewish people.

Jewish history in Israel dates back to before 1000 BCE. The tribes of Israel never willingly ceded their land to their conquerors. Israel is inseparable from the ethnoreligious identity of the Jewish people since we have always been there. Arguing that Jews have no claim over the land is a disrespectful distortion of history, and using such accusations to justify murder is morally twisted.

When evil reveals itself, as Hamas did last week, we must recognize this evil as such. Israeli and Palestinian civilians alike deserve to live free of violence. They deserve peace.

Thirty-three student groups at Harvard University called Israel “entirely responsible for the unfolding violence.” It’s a disservice

Alisa looks to the Jewish faith and asks the Queen’s community to be mindful in their responses to the ongoing conflict.

pledge following the Holocaust, and “never again” is what’s promised by the modern-day State of Israel. With the protection of our biblical homeland, Jewish people should never again be a worldwide target for systemic erasure.

In the words of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, “never again” is a prayer and

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

to the lives lost on both sides to point fingers at anyone other than Hamas.

Further, it’s a tragedy for the world to resort to antisemitism and Islamophobia in response to these events.

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/opinions

queensjournal.ca • 7

Your Perspective

Shame on Queen’s for turning a blind eye to the

Amid sympathy and support for Israeli victims, Western society must remember the atrocities Israeli colonists perpetrated against Palestinian people Layth Malhis Contributor

It’s crucial to shed light on the inaction Palestinians and their allies attribute to Western leaders—particularly those within educational institutions—who choose to overlook the plight of Palestinians and dismiss the accusations of apartheid levelled against Israel by the most reputable international human rights organizations.

Saturday’s events aren’t isolated incidents, but are rather a response to the prolonged suffering of Palestinians—specifically those in

Layth demands the University to exercise fairness and awareness of historical context when addressing Palestine.

This story first appeared online on Oct. 17.

Queen’s University should be ashamed of its complicit silence and inaction in the face of the sustained oppression and violence inflicted upon its Palestinian students.

The events of Oct. 7 elicited a fervent outcry from the public, urging global institutions to confront the ongoing catastrophe in historic Palestine, which has unfolded over the past 75 years.

Saturday’s attacks on Israel by Hamas, the governing body of the besieged and imprisoned Gaza Strip, resulted in the deaths of 1,300 Israelis and left 3,400 wounded.

In response, the Israeli government implemented its customary measure of collective punishment.

So far, there have been at least 2,215 Palestinian casualties, including 724children. This punishment has left 8,714 Palestinians injured.

Israel’s collective punishment manifests through ferocious and indiscriminate airstrikes on the civilian population, as well as cutting off electricity, fuel, water, and all humanitarian supplies.

These actions are purportedly aimed at deterring Palestinians from supporting Hamas and achieving the mission of ethnically cleansing historic Palestine of its Indigenous Arab population, as envisioned by the pioneers of the Zionist colonial project.

The harrowing images and videos emerging from Gaza are indescribable.

They leave an everlasting imprint on the minds and hearts of both Palestinians and their allies, who struggle to comprehend how such a blatantly cruel massacre can unfold with unequivocal support by Western leaders who arequick to proclaim their love for peace and democracy.

PHOTO BY MEGHRIG MILKON

Gaza—since the establishment of the Zionist state.

Misconceptions and presumptions within the ivory tower as to whether these events are unprovoked reveal liberal academic institutions have aided and abetted the destruction of Palestinian society with their silence on the longest occupation and refugee crisis in modern history.

As Palestinians have long been saying, silence is complacency and an acceptance of a status quo with Jewish supremacy between the river and the sea.

Principal Patrick Deane’s statement issued last weekend exemplifies theignorance demonstrated by academic institutions over the last 75 years. Deane’s remarks about the “distressing” events of the past week for both theIsraeli and the Palestinian communities downplays the ongoing distress Palestinians experience daily.

Such rhetoric views the situation in isolation and disregards the daily humiliation Palestinians face within a system that suffocates them through military checkpoints, arbitrary detentions, and prolonged family separation.

These colonial tactics coincide with outright murder and mutilation of children, women, and men.

Deane’s sudden concern for the region encapsulates our institution’s selective outrage, which humanizes the settler and delegitimizes the oppressed. Though he might intend to providesolace to the student population, Deane’s carefully orchestrated words reveal a disregard f or Palestinian suffering.

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/opinions

Arts

8 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, October 27, 2023

ARTS ARTS Misogynistic messaging is behind sexy costumes.

Sexualizing the supernatural

Sexualizing Halloween can lead to exclusion of individual identity SUZY LEINSTER Assistant Arts Editor Horror and gore are making an exit as tiny shirts and short skirts replace the terror of Halloween.

Before TikTok labelled Halloween the “hot girl Olympics,” Mean Girls protagonist Cady Heron proclaimed Halloween marks the only day in girl world where girls can dress as “total sluts.”

Her declaration encompasses how a once spooky holiday now is increasingly sexual in nature.

The idea of a sexy costume has been politicized with arguments that costumes

objectify women and young teens alike.

Adjunct Professor at the DAN School of Drama and Music Clelia Scala said Halloween is a good place to explore one’s sexuality, but this can be controversial when it’s a cultural expectation, especially for women.

“Halloweengivespeopleachance to explore other personalities or to explore aspects of their personality they might not be able to

in other areas of life,” Scala said in an interview with The Journal.

Scala explained how Halloween allows people to remain anonymous while getting the chance to experience different identities. They can explore and play with pop culture within their own views of media depictions.

However, Scala used the costume selection in Spirit Halloween—a Halloween costume retailer—as an example space where the sexualization of Halloween is exclusionary. People are excluded from Halloween when they’re judged for not wearing more revealing clothing, especially since little to no fabric has become the norm.

song]—a traveling musician. Never in one place at the same time, and always bouncing around. And I thought about what would it be like to be in a relationship with someone like that,” he said.

Both Keyton’s track and live performance featured consistent instrumental soft rock sounds accompanied by punchy lyrics about knowing you won’t be able to tie down a girl who’s unwilling to stay in one place.

The song isn’t based on Keyton’s personal experience. As a 15-year-old, he felt uninspired from a lack of personal life experience.

“That was an attempt to not take personal experience, but write songs that are fiction. It’s freeing to write songs to create a story about someone that isn’t you and you can decide their feelings and their lives,” Keyton said.

Given his experience, Keyton has a surprising absence of musical background from his upbringing.

Keyton’s love for music and development as an artist took place

at Four Winds * Westward Ho music camp.

“In my family, nobody played music. It was a bit of an unconventional journey,” he said.

“My family wasn’t involved in music, I had to find music elsewhere. When I found it, it really got a hold of me.”

Keyton’s next song was a cover of country singer Zach Bryan’s hit, “Something in the Orange.”

Afterwards, he spoke about the emotional impact music has had on his life. According to Keyton, he loves music because it’s always been a constant in his life.

“Music is a consistent thing. If you’re happy, you can play music.

If you’re sad, you can feel your emotions through the music. The idea that things can come and go, but music will always be something that’s a part of my identity, and what makes me happy.”

To close the repertoire, Keyton brought childhood nostalgia with his cover of Jack Johnson’s “Upside Down,” most popularly known from Curious George.

Keyton said he loves performing live and highlighted the Tea Room’s open mic night as quite memorable. He said the event was full of individuals interested in music, with their own unique passions, journeys, and stories. The experience brought a group of students together who all shared the same love for music and performing.

Keyton found confidence through performing live after being thrust in front of 400 people as a 13-year-old to perform at summer camp. He said it made him who he is today, and that live performances should continue to be cherished.

“Part of music is something that needs to be shared. I think [the] live experience is especially important for musicians because you can get that personal experience and you can see the expressions on people’s faces if you know you’re playing something that’s meaningful to them,” Keyton said.

Live from ‘The Journal’: Jeremy Keyton

Jeremy Keyton strums life’s melodies and memories MADDIE HUNT Senior Arts Editor

Despite the chilly autumn air, the comforting serenades of an acoustic guitar warmed The Journal house.

Jeremy Keyton, ArtSci ’24, performed an original song and three covers at the Journal house on Oct. 23. Along with his performance was a deep dive into the musician’s musical background and why he loves to play.

With what appeared to be an absence of nerves, Keyton began his set with John Mayer’s difficult fingerpicking tune, “Stop This Train”, featured on his album Continuum.

Keyton noted his love for the song came from the message behind Mayer’s lyrics, where Mayer reflects on growing older and wishes for the ability to stop time to appreciate life in the moment.

“I love that idea because it’s very grounding that whenever I do hear it, I think maybe I’m rushing through life and [I] need to slow it down and appreciate the moment,” Keyton said.

The next song on his repertoire was a groovy Keyton original titled “Rolling Stone.”

Inspired by legendary Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” Keyton’s “Rolling Stone” was released in 2020, as Keyton’s first published single. While Dylan’s song was about a traveling musician, Keyton said he wrote “Rolling Stone” as his own take on musical hero Dylan’s songwriting “The idea of a Rolling Stone is someone who’s like—at least in the context of that song [Dylan’s Jeremy Keyton poses with guitar at ‘The Journal’ house.

PHOTO BY MIRIAM SLESSORI

PHOTO BY ALI SAFADI

Non-traditionally feminine clothing can still be sexy, Scala argues, and there should be a greater variety of options for women.

“My daughter—she’s 14— pointed out that if you go through the women’s section of Spirit Halloween, there are no pants, and that’s a really good point. There should be more options for people to explore various aspects of their personality, and that’s perfectly valid,” Scala said.

Scala attributes the origins of the provocative Halloween costumes to the Playboy Bunny, where thousands of people assume the image of a pink-eared rabbit.

She explained the popularity of the bunny as easily mass-produced, and the success of costumes like these encourages companies to sell sex and promote images of women as sexual objects.

“I do think a lot of the manufacturers of these sexy costumes are creating stereotypes.

The ‘sexy professional’ does reduce the idea of a professional woman to a sexy costume,” Scala said.

The sexy nurse or sexy schoolteacher can invalidate the significance of the profession and lead to misogyny in the workforce.

“The police officer costume for men, for instance, is a very different thing than the police officer costume in the women’s sections of Halloween stores. Yes, men get to wear pants, but men don’t have to expose a good part of their chest.

It’s a very good way of reducing these important roles that women have in the workforce into sexual objects,” Scala said.

The line between sexual empowerment and the objectification of women is difficult to delineate when examining the types of harmful narratives certain costumes might perpetuate.

“I think if you want to wear a sexy cop costume and own it, you’re doing it because it makes you feel great and empowered.

The line is if people feel they have to wear these costumes to fit into a social norm to be considered attractive by others,” Scala said.

She emphasized the importance of ensuring societal pressures don’t force people to wear costumes that make them uncomfortable or assume identities they don’t feel are right to explore, simply because they feel they must.

She hopes there’s a greater diversity in the types of costumes available this year.

Arts

Friday, October 27, 2023

queensjournal.ca • 9

‘Blood River’ engages complexities in abortion decisions Production examines one facet of abortion decision making CASSIDY MCMACKON Editor in Chief In Chloe Whitehorn’s masterpiece Blood River, complacency ensures no uterus is safe.

Opening at the Baby Grand Theatre Oct. 25 and produced by Theatre Kingston, the play unfolds over three separate timelines and follows three women who tarry with their feelings about abortion care in a state where abortion and hormonal birth control are no longer legally accessible.

Brayah Pickard and Shannon Donnelly play the mother-daughter duo Cybelle and Diane, who debate the role of women in society and argue over how to deal with Cybelle’s unplanned pregnancy.

Diane is the quintessential trophy wife for any Republican politician. With blonde hair and a crucifix dangling from her neck, she butts heads with Cybelle, who’s excited to carve her place out in the

world and struggles to understand her mother’s decisions.

Each character has an encounter with Karen, who’s otherwise known as the “Lady of the Lake.” Though she’s Diane’s former classmate, Karen is the sheer opposite of Diane. In their conversation at the riverbank, Karen openly criticizes Diane for sticking by her senator husband, who voted to pass antiabortion laws, when Diane had an abortion as a teenager. Karen’s rage is palpable as she confronts Diane from her gondola.

Cybelle, on the other hand, is in awe of Karen. She encounters and eventually joins Karen, crossing the river to a state where abortion care is safe and legal.

Whitmore was living in South Carolina when she joined forces with Blood River’s Director Rosemary Doyle to write the play.

The production was inspired by the murmurings that Roe v. Wade was about to be overturned by the US Supreme Court. Doyle felt it important to share the stories of individuals who have accessed abortion care.

As someone who was raised Catholic, Doyle said she considers abortion to be a justifiable murder

Blood River premiered Oct. 25 at the Baby Grand Theatre.

where the individuals making the decision to have an abortion need emotional support throughout their procedure.

“I think if we fight for normalizing [something], then we don’t have to treat the severity of the decision,” Doyle said. “Women need support because they’ve made a big decision.”

I’ve had an abortion too, and while I don’t consider abortion to be murder, I’m not one to argue about where life begins. I agree with Doyle when she says ensuring abortion should be accessible to all, since it is a big decision that impacts the trajectory of the pregnant person’s life.

As someone that was lucky enough to have safe access to my procedure, I can’t begin to imagine the turmoil associated with not

knowing where to safely terminate a pregnancy I couldn’t support.

None of the characters of Blood River fall within the traditional binary of being pro- or anti-choice, and each character understands the need for safe abortion care while understanding terminating a pregnancy is something that can be mourned. Cybelle joins Karen to cross the river and end her pregnancy, but she too frets with her decision in the darkness. Though Diane supports her husband’s political career, she admits wanting Cybelle to have an abortion so she could see the future stretching out before her.

It’s difficult to find stories that engage the process one takes when deciding to have an abortion well. Whitehorn’s script leans more on the idea that needing an

PHOTO BY TIM FORT

abortion is emotionally difficult, and I wish there was more representation for people that accessed abortion care while being completely sure of their decision.

Not all abortions are traumatizing, and this deserves representation too. Despite this, the script is intelligent from start to finish, with comedic relief sprinkled in at all the right moments.

At the end of the day, Doyle said she hopes people come to see the show because it’s both an important story to tell and a good piece of theatre.

Blood River runs from Oct. 25 to Nov. 12 at the Baby Grand Theatre. Tickets are available at theatrekingston.com.

Jafar Sandouk explores British roots and Iraqi heritage ‘Creatures’ explores the interplay between empathy and discrimination

‘Creature’ drops on Oct. 27.

MADDIE HUNT Senior Arts Editor For Canadian-Iraqi musician Jafar Sandouk, the world lacks empathy.

Set to be released on Oct. 27 on all streaming platforms, Howlin’ Circus’ latest album, Creature, explores identity and discrimination while using music as a medium to challenge the patterns of prejudice that persist in society.

The album is written and produced

by Sandouk.

While Sandouk is now based in Toronto, he originally grew up in London, England. As an Iraqi man he struggled to fit into British society while holding onto his cultural roots. Music allowed Sandouk to face the dichotomy of trying to fit in at school by being “British,” while returning home from school and being immersed in Iraqi culture.

SUPPLIED BY HOWLIN’ CIRCUS

“There wasn’t a TV show or book that was speaking to Bags’ [people whose culture is rooted in Baghdad, Iraq] specific experience,” Sandouk said in an interview with The Journal. “I always felt like I had to just go and create them all, I had to go express myself.”

The album was produced when the pandemic hit. As a newcomer to Canada, Sandouk felt alone and isolated while living in Toronto, unable to see family back in London.

He wrote the album to connect himself to his family and roots.

“I didn’t have people or anyone else that knew my culture. It became kind of natural when I was writing […] I wanted to incorporate sounds that reminded me of home, so Arabic sounds and things connected with that,” Sandouk said.

“I would just try little things, I would play Arabic scales, whether

it be on the keys, or the guitar, occasionally the oud, which is a string Arabic instrument similar to a guitar. It felt like a fun challenge with every song,” he said. “I don’t want to just repeat something.”

The title Creature is a metaphor for the feeling of rejection he experienced as an Iraqi man being discriminated against.

The name of the album was inspired by Sandouk’s love for Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein.

“When you’re already marked out as a creature you don’t really have much chance at being loved by a lot of people.”

His words reinforced the idea that the prejudice and Islamophobia present in society isn’t a reflection of a person’s character, but rather the issue of learned discrimination.

“What I was trying to come to terms with was [that] the creature can be something that you can embrace in yourself […] and accept that you don’t have to be perfect,” Sandouk said.

“If you grow up as someone who’s racialized or discriminated

against in some way, you often don’t get many chances to be imperfect.

You do one tiny thing and it gets blown up, probably, much larger than for people with a lot of privilege.”

Undeniable evidence, proof, facts, or research have never been enough to make him feel okay, he said. Instead, music allowed him to fully express his experiences and inability to be imperfect without discrimination.

Sandouk used “Dresden,” the first track on the upcoming album, as an example of how racist and discriminative narratives have impacted his life. “‘Dresden is about the gaslighting you’ll often encounter with racism.

That maybe it’s your fault. Maybe your people are just a piece of shit, maybe all of that is true. You know you get a lot of people in your life pretending they don’t hate you but the minute you do something slightly imperfect they’re already judging you,” Sandouk said.

Racist narratives are everywhere, and Sandouk noted Donald Trump as an example.

Sandouk said these narratives are believed by powerful voices and as a result, create a world that lacks empathy.

“I was seeing a massive decline in empathy in the UK where I always [found] people, at least on the whole, quite empathic.”

Sandouk’s music aims to find the root cause of racist patterns and narratives at the individual level.

He hopes his music allows listeners to reflect and to challenge the parts playing into discriminatory narratives and patterns.

“A lot of my thinking writing this album was, ‘how can we be radically unlike these evil powerful states, how can we be unlike these selfishly entitled men,’” Sandouk said.

Sandouk believes music is at the heart of understanding and empathizing with others.

He said in listening to a song, there is something primal in hearing the sounds that allow you to connect better with the music than you would be able to through a news story.

10 • queensjournal.ca

Business, Science, & Technology

<BIZ-SCI-TECH> Local businesses hire Queen’s grads through apprenticeship program

Queen’s is one of seven partner universities Violetta Zeitlinger Fontana Business, Science, & Technology Editor Queen’s University is partnering with local businesses to set new graduates up for success.

In collaboration with Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDC), the Queen’s Career Apprenticeship: Kingston (QCA:K) is providing up to 15 arts, humanities, and social science graduates with one-year apprenticeships with local Kingston businesses. Selected students from the Arts and Science class of 2024 will be paired with employers to help launch their careers.

The program was spearheaded

by Alan Rottenberg, who had children attending Queen’s.

He noticed some students were struggling to secure jobs after graduation.

Rottenberg helped local employers hire new graduates by offering to fund a one-year apprenticeship. He collaborated with representatives from Queen’s and KEDC to bring the program to life.

“We jumped on board because the program provided the opportunity to connect some of our employers to a terrific talent pool—and to keep this talent in Kingston,”

said Rob Tamblyn, KEDC business development manager for small and medium enterprises, in an email to The Journal.

The program works to incentivize employers by partially reimbursing them for the cost of hiring the apprentices.

Students are paired with a mentor and benefit from the apprenticeships by focusing on job-specific skills.

The program is exclusively funded through Rottenberg’s company, the Canadian Career Apprenticeship Initiative (CCAI), which distributes funds from the private sector. Companies successfully matched with a student can receive up to $10,000 to offset their salary—$2,500 per month for the first two and last two months of the contract.

Since the program began in 2018, CCAI has invested $400,000 in the QCA:K apprenticeships.

While it’s had a positive impact on students, Kingston’s economy has also greatly benefitted, and over 90 per cent of students continue with their original employer after their apprenticeship ends. Kingston has retained skilled talent while generating $2.5 million in salaries.

“Feedback has been terrific.

It’s provided students with amazing opportunities, and it’s given employers financial flexibility to offer jobs to these students and have some of their costs offset by the program,” Tamblyn said. “It’s provided

the students with real work experience and has allowed employers to properly train them, even though they may not have a lot of experience in the working world.”

To celebrate the beginning of this year’s program, KEDC is hosting a QCA:K launch event on Nov. 2. The event, hosted at the Frontenac Club, will have representatives from both Queen’s and KEDC to share more about the program.

“We are looking to have students who are interested in the program along with potential employers attend the launch in order to network and learn about all that the program has to offer,” Tamblyn said.

Following the success of QCA:K in Kingston, Rottenberg expanded the program through CCAI and

KEDC hosts launch event next week.

Friday, October 27, 2023

SUPPLIED BY KINGSTON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

is currently partnered with six other universities and cities across Canada. Rottenberg helped launch a similar program

in Syracruse, NY this spring.

As KEDC gears up for next week’s launch, Tamblyn says the future of QCA:K looks great.

to new breakthroughs and discovery. These spaces will help Queen’s University train the next generation of team-oriented biomedical scientists,” Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop said in a press release.

Located in Botterell Hall and Abramsky Hall, the labs are filled with groundbreaking technology, ranging from state-of-the-art neurotechnology and physiology devices to a motion capture studio.

“Discovery Labs cutting-edge equipment is complemented by a groundbreaking concept course that allows interdisciplinary teams of undergraduate students in Life Sciences, Biochemistry, and Bachelor of Health Sciences to design and execute research projects,” said Charlie Hindmarch, academic director QHS Discovery Labs, in a press release.

Discovery Labs were funded through Ontario’s Training Equipment and Renewal Fund (TERF) which provided $1 million. Another $1 million in matching funding was garnered through significant contributions from Julia F. Card Medical Research and the Dickinson Memorial Research Fund, two QHS endowments.

QHS has already welcomed its first cohort of Discovery Lab students. As they build on their philosophy of “radical collaboration for a healthier world,” the faculty hopes to make the labs available to students and researchers from across the university.

“I can just imagine the discoveries that will take place in this space in the years ahead,” QHS Dean Jane Philpott said in the press release.

Discovery Labs foster collaboration and creativity

Undergraduate students engage in team-based learning

Violetta Zeitlinger Fontana Business, Science,& Technology Editor Queen’s Health Sciences (QHS) continues to support interdisciplinary research with new lab facilities.

On Oct. 20, QHS students, researchers, and leaders came together to celebrate the official unveiling of the Discovery Labs—lab spaces and research facilities with a team-oriented focus. The spaces aim to prepare students for healthcare and biomedical sectors through hands-on experiential learning.

“In today’s scientific world, we know collaboration is central

Sports

Friday, October 27, 2023

SPORTS SPORTS

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Megan Jones shares her experiences on the Women’s Football team.

Women’s sports into the spotlight: part two

RORY STINSON Senior Sports Editor

Examining Women’s Football at Queen’s

In the shadows of a sold-out Homecoming game in a brand-new arena, the Queen’s Women’s Football Club (QWFB) is no stranger to playing on Nixon and Tindall Fields in front of crowds of less than 100 people.

In the second installment of the Women’s Sports into the Spotlight series, The Journal spoke with

Women’s Football Club President Megan Jones, ArtSci ’22, through email correspondence.

First sanctioned by Queen’s Athletics and Recreation (A&R) in 2020, the QWFB has grown to be a massive club within the Queen’s community. With over 1,100 followers on Instagram, the club has proven to be a space for women to enjoy each other’s company while pushing the boundaries of sport.

Chisari slashes single-season rushing yards record

Chisari ran 1,178 total yards this season.

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

Chisari one of two Gaels to run over 1,000 yards in a single season

AIDAN MICHAELOV Assistant Sports Editor

As the Gaels won their homecoming game against the uOttawa Gee-Gees at Richardson Stadium last weekend, all eyes were on running back Jared Chisari, MSc ’25, who smashed the Gaels football record of yards rushed in a single season.

Chisari is in his second year on the Gael’s football team. In the 2022-23 season, his first season as a Gael, he put up 644 yards. With his new record, he’s rushed a total of 1,178 yards this season.

Achieving the record in just an eight-game season, Chisari gained an average of eight yards on each of his rushing attempts, stringing together a record of nearly 150 yards per game.

When asked about Chisari’s success in the post-homecoming game interview, Men’s Football Head Coach Steve Snyder emphasized not only Chisari’s work ethic, but also Chisari’s

frequent praise for those around him, as lending to his success.

“He’s a special human being, he is ultra-competitive,” Snyder said. “There’s a drive about him that’s very unique, and he’s worked hard for this. He’s fought, he’s clawed, he’s scratched, and he’ll be the first one to tell you about that offensive line and getting behind those guys, trusting the H-backs, I’m just proud of him.”

Chisari’s initial reaction further affirmed his selflessness when he was asked about how it felt to achieve such an esteemed record at Queen’s.

“It’s really a tribute to everyone on the offense. I mean, from coaches, even equipment staff, all the way down to those O-lineman and our quarterbacks, receivers who are out on the perimeter blocking every play. I just can’t feel anything but gratitude right now,” Chisari said.

“Team sports allow for a sense of belonging and home when away at schools and QWFB truly fosters that,” Jones said.

QWFB is a part of the Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Football Association (OWIFA). According

queensjournal.ca • 11

to their website, the association aims to provide women with flag football experience that’s competitive, diverse and inclusive while working towards creating equal opportunities for women in the world of collegiate football.

While women have long advocated for the same athletic opportunities as their male counterparts, it seems unlikely they’d find it through football.

The Queen’s Men’s Football team has been a large part of the Gaels’ identity for many years. The University and donors alike have long funded the Men’s Football team and its facilities, with a $10 million donation funding the new Lang Pavillion this year. The women’s team doesn’t play in Richardson Stadium, except for a final game between the club’s multiple teams.

For men with the talent and desire for professional football, there’s the NFL, where top players’ salaries can reach $50 million per year. There’s also the CFL, where the minimum annual salary for a player is $70,000. Women, on the other hand, are restricted to the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA), which is a non-for-profit organization.

Though the women’s team isn’t

looking to compete with the Men’s team, they hope to partner with them to foster these opportunities and be taken seriously.

“I am not sure if we are not taken as seriously due to being a women led sport or as we are only a recreational club, however we want to work to become an equal partner to other universities and the men’s team as the sport progresses,” Jones said.

The women’s team has already shown that they’re a hot club on campus, and hosts multiple teams with full rosters.

The community within QWFB is something that Jones and her teammates are continuing to grow.

Jones believes this sport allows women to shine whether that be through furthering their flag football experience or just beginning. The club offers the opportunity forwomen to be a part of something big.

As the team continues work to maintain their status with A&R, they hope to further promote opportunities for women in sports by opening doors for women who might not otherwise see themselves as athletes.

Women’s Golf Club starts up at Queen’s ‘I wanted to create a club for women like myself, who wanted to golf’

AIDAN MICHAELOV Assistant Sports Editor In a new development for athletic and recreational programs at Queen’s, Emma Thompson, ArtSci ’24, has made waves recently in the establishment of the Women’s Golf Club.

In email correspondence with The Journal, Thompson shared the love she developed for golf over the summer had her looking into opportunities for women golfers at Queen’s. When she realized a golf club didn’t exist, she decided to found her own.

“I wanted to make a change. I wanted to create a club for women like myself, who wanted to golf with others who love it, and for people like my friends, to learn the sport in a non-judgemental environment,” Thompson told The Journal.

According to Thompson, golf has long been dubbed the “gentlemen’s game,” and the advent of the Women’s Golf Club shatters this notion by empowering women athletes to explore all that golf has to offer.

With its inception, the Women’s

Golf Club brings an opportunity for women empowerment, skill development, and community building.

To ensure the club’s success and the growth of sports diversity within Queen’s, Thompson is looking for external support.

“We are always open to sponsors from local golf courses or brands to help with things such as tournaments and events, as not all members own golf equipment,” Thompson said.

“Currently, I have acquired about six extra sets of golf clubs to give members, but as time goes on and the club grows, I may not be able to help everyone, so anything helps.”

Contributing to the Women’s Golf Club funds not only a sports club, but invests in the future of woman athletes at Queen’s.

Though the club is currently in the process of being ratified as an intramural club, Thompson said the club is still open to new members.

Any woman interested in golf, with or without experience, is welcome to join

the team. Thompson says most of the members are beginners, and she’s happy to teach those that want help.

“I would say to any aspiring female golfers who might be interested in joining the club to be like Nike and ‘just do it’,” Thompson said. “Our club is all about having fun and meeting new people, all while celebrating the sport of golf.

You don’t need any experience or equipment, only your enthusiasm and excitement.”

Though the golf season is coming to a close as temperatures drop, the club is still hosting events. The first club tournament is set to take place on Oct. 28 in Kingston, featuring contests and a club dinner. The club has also been having bi-weekly driving range sessions at The Landings Golf Course and nine-hole rounds. Thompson is hoping to host mini-golf events and socials throughout the winter months.

Anyone looking to join the Women’s Golf Club can sign up through the LinkTree in the club’s Instagram.

Despite Chisari’s humility, the single-season rushing-yards record he broke is a record that stood for over a decade.

Kingston local Mike Giffin set the old record in 2007 when he gained 1,157 yards in a single season.

Alongside his record-setting season, Giffin earned first-team all-Canadian honours in both the

2007 and 2008 campaigns.

Shortly after graduating, Giffin went on to sign with the Montreal Alouettes in 2009, winning back-to-back Grey Cups with the team in 2009 and 2010.

Earlier in the season, Chisari broke another Queen’s record.

After scoring five touchdowns in one game, he now holds

the program record for single-game touchdowns.

Thanks to Chisari’s fast feet, the Gaels lead the league in rushing yards. Football fans can watch Chisari continue his hot streak on Oct. 28 when the Gaels square off against the Gee-Gees once again in a win-or-go-home playoff game at Richardson Stadium.

Sports

12 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, October 27, 2023

Homecoming Football in Photos 8,040 in attendance at this past Saturday’s Game

Queen’s Football packed the Richardson Stadium stands.

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

The Gaels line up in the red zone.

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

Alumni take part in a march across Richardson Stadium.

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

Tyler Mullan watches offence as rain pours.

Alumnus smiles to the waving crowd .

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

The Gaels converge to make the tackle.

Commerce alumnus embraces the goal post.

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

Queen’s Bands in action. PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

Sports

Friday, October 27, 2023

queensjournal.ca • 13

A look back at ‘The Journal’s’ sports coverage evolution over the last 150 years RORY STINSON Senior Sports Editor The Queen’s Journal has gone through many changes since it first appeared in 1873, and the sports section has changed with it. Let’s take a look at how much sports journalism at The Journal has changed as we celebrate these last 150 years.

Volume 1: 1873-74 In Vol. 1, sports reporting wasn’t close to the type of sports journalism we see today.

Without a dedicated sports section, stories were simply dispersed

Diving into the archives from 1873, 1923, and 1973 only arts students. There were no scores reported, only that Queen’s was victorious, winning two games in one hour.

The Journal’s next reported game was on November 6, 1873 when the arts students played against a chosen roster of players from the Kingston community. Queen’s was again victorious.

On March 14, 1874 The Journal published the regulations for the game of soccer, brought about at an 1873 New York Football Convention. The Journal published 12 rules, including field length, teams must win

then-Captain of the Men’s Rugby team, Doc Campbell.

Though no action-shots made the paper, this development allowed readers to visualize the games.

Students were no longer just reading if a Queen’s team won or loss, but could see it on the page.

Sports stories on this front

page from October 1, 1923 included a post-game summary of the Men’s Rugby season opener against McGill, and included a letter from the Men’s Rugby Head Coach William Hughes, which outlined how proud he was of his team, cheering the season ahead.

By Vol. 50, a true sports section had been established,

throughout the paper.

The first sports story was published on November 22, 1873.

Several sports stories were briefs of games, they didn’t include the score, simply reporting whether or not Queen’s won. In the first volume, the only sport that was covered was soccer, which was then known as foot-ball.

The first two games took place on October 31, 1873 against the St. Lawrence Club.

According to the story, at the time, the soccer team was made of

by six goals, penalties, and more.

On May 2, 1873, The Journal wrote a story on the establishment of the Athletic Association, a studentrun association that promotes healthy living at Queen’s. Their constitution was also published.

Vol. 50: 1923-24 Jumping 50 years into the future, the biggest immediate difference in The Journal’s sports section was the inclusion of photos. The front page of the first issue of Vol. 50 featured an image of Fly Wing and

and featured ads for sports related businesses, such as a sporting goods store.

This section included two ads for cigarette brands, which were deemed an essential part of a healthy lifestyle at the time.

In the October 9, 1923 issue, The Journal published a recap of a rugby game against McGill that outlined the score, players, and the atmosphere in crowd. The story was similar to a game recap we would see today, but with fewer statistics from the box score.

Vol. 101: 1973-74 Even more familiar might be a page from the September 11, 1973 issue from Vol. 101. With game recaps becoming more and more present in The Journal’s sports pages, with them came photos of the players in action.

The Journal also published try-out times for both men’s and women’s sports. This marked a big change from Vol. 50 by covering the women’s athletic teams that existed at the time.

On September 18, 1973, The Journal reported that four players from the Canada Games were among nine women on the Queen’s Field Hockey team. Their names were Karen Carson, who was captain of Team Ontario, Laney Marshall, who became the Team Ontario top scorer, goaltender Pat Jamieson, and Gail Thompson who played on Team Quebec.

In Vol. 101 sports stories contained more statistics and encompassed the full story of the game.

However, these stories were still missing the post-game quotes we see today.

Vol. 151: 2023-24 If you’re reading the print edition of this story, just look one page over and you’ll see how much The Journal has evolved over the last 150 years.

Often containing interviews from coaches and players, The Journal is now one of a few news outlets where Kingstonians and Queen’s students alike get their sports news.

While The Journal largely covered varsity sports like football, rugby, soccer, and hockey in the past, The Journal’s coverage today extends to club teams as well.

14 • queensjournal.ca

LIFESTYLE Halloween horror-scopes

Lifestyle your costume until the last minute to win best-dressed at your office Halloween party this year. This Halloween, lean into the details and dress up as a mermaid—not only will you have an outfit to focus on, but you can show off your impeccable makeup skills too.

What are the signs dressing up as for Halloween?

The Psychic Scholar

Aries (March 21 – April 19) As one of the more unpredictable signs, it’s no surprise you’ll be impulsive and pick the first costume you see off the rack at the costume store. Whether you’re going out as a sexy animal or a killer clown, at least try to put your own personal spin on things.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20) You’re down to earth Taurus, and though you’re not the type to go all out for spooky season, you still enjoy the festivities. You’ll get in the spooky spirit this season by playing with nostalgia and dressing as your favourite cartoon character. Whether you’re at a house party or going to try your hand at trick or treating, your look will undoubtedly be the talk of the night.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) You’re likely the most annoying person in your friend group, Gemini, and we expect nothing less of you. Don’t be shocked when the room rolls their eyes when you and your beau strut into the pre dressed as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce—we all saw it coming.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) Cancers like to look intelligent, though sometimes to their own detriment. While I can’t physically stop you from dressing up as your favourite bro-lit character, I can at least forewarn you nobody will be impressed you can emulate Holden Caulfield.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) You’re confident, Leo, which means you’ll probably dress up in some kind of way you think highlights your natural beauty.

While sure you look hot in a G suit and Aviators, you’re also boring and could do one hell of a lot better.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22) You love your details, Virgo, and I have no doubt you’ll be fussing over

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) Libras have a flair for glamour, so it’s no surprise that you’re going all out for Halloween, as per usual. To mitigate any of your usual indecision this Halloween, pick your favourite mythological character and have fun while sourcing the pieces for your costume. You likely have the best eye for your own vision, anyway.

Friday, October 27, 2023 Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) Halloween is your holiday, Scorpio, so all the more reason to dress up as the main character this season. Whether you’re emulating Margot Robbie’s Barbie, Sandy from Grease, or Elle Woods, you’ll take up all the space you deserve and look good while doing so.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) You’re cute as shit, Sagittarius, and we won’t be surprised if you gravitate for another woodland creature for your costume this year.

If you need some inspiration, look to fellow Sag Taylor Swift to see what her look will be this year.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) You’ve got a unique spirit, Capricorn, and you love to

get up to some mischief. This year, you’ll head out as Harry Potter to play up your youthful spirit.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) You have a rebellious side, Aquarius, and you’re deeply curious about the world around you and the lives of others. This year, you’ll be compelled to explore the darkness a little bit more in your costume. You will assume the form of a black swan to do so.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20) You’re highly emotional, Pisces, and you can always pick up on the energy in the room. You likely need a little bit of catharsis this season, and will feel most empowered when you dress up as your biggest fear.

Lifestyle

Friday, October 27, 2023

queensjournal.ca • 15

Kind of Philosophy: Where do you go when you go down a rabbit hole?

Unraveling the mysteries of personal identity in the digital abyss JAMES WINSLOW Staff Writer Picture this all too familiar scenario. You’re engrossed in a mesmerizing 45-minute YouTube binge, and then suddenly, you snap back to reality. You find yourself safely back in the here and now, but a compelling question lingers: where did you go to begin with, and where did you come from when you came back to reality?

To answer this question, we first need to say what exactly “you” are.

Your body remains stationary when you go down the rabbit hole, its immediate environment is probably the “reality” you snap back to—but physical embodiment isn’t enough to say what we mean by “you.” Both in this scenario and elsewhere, we need something more.

The rabbit hole isn’t, of course, an actual place. It’s a state of mind you enter when the algorithm is firing in all the right (or wrong) ways.

Philosophers of personal identity usually turn to consciousness to gauge what this “something more”

might be. They identify different facets of consciousness and measure identity claims by how strongly you relate to said aspects.

John Locke, for example, emphasized memory as a cornerstone of personal identity. In his view, you’re the same person as the five-year-old who stole an eraser from the elementary school book fair if, and only if, you remember stealing the eraser.

Locke’s approach fits within a broader tradition of what philosophers call psychological continuity views. Despite the stark differences between your present self and the five-year-old who stole the eraser, you can draw a line (though perhaps a blurry one) from your present self to that fiveyear-old. In other words, there is psychological continuity through memory in this case, between that five-year-old and your present self.

We can move beyond memory to establish psychological continuity.

Derek Parfit is one philosopher who does this. To put his view in simple terms, you don’t need a single psychological connection to be the same person as the five-year-old. Instead, psychological connections are maintained so long as there is some semblance of similarity between your past and current self.

One of my old philosophy professors from Laurier put this

point nicely in a lecture some years ago: personal identity, for Parfit, is like a rope with many different strands. Memory might be included as one of these strands, but a person can also be continuous with themselves at time X and time Y if they share similar thoughts, character traits, beliefs, aspirations, et cetera. So long as the strands on the rope aren’t too frayed, you have psychological continuity, and your sense of self remains intact.

We exist through time because we share psychological facts with ourselves and ourselves only. Under psychological continuity views, you’re the same person reading this sentence as the one above because you relate very strongly to psychological facts about yourself at both times.

The ways one maintains psychological continuity is demonstrative of how the self snaps in and out of reality between ventures deep into internet rabbit holes. If the self is defined as a dynamic interplay of thoughts, character traits, beliefs, and aspirations, the self can be absent from the picture if an activity weakens the relations enough to fray or completely snap the strands of psychological continuity.

As the final boss of distraction, rabbit holes make this happen, not only from another activity which the rabbit hole probably interrupts, but also from those psychological facts which allow making claims about personal identity possible in ordinary cases.

Consider how the memory strand might fray in the rabbit hole.

Though you might not remember what you were watching or why you were watching it when you emerge, when you’re deep in the rabbit hole you might forget certain convictions you otherwise hold near and dear in waking life— like the belief that wasting time is bad.

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/lifestyle

GRAPHIC BY ALI SAFADI

The popularity of true crime doesn’t come without the burden of ethical concerns, and has been criticized for exploiting victims for financial gain. When victims and their stories are repackaged as mere entertainment, it raises unsettling questions about the blurred lines between the quest for justice and the capitalization on human tragedy.

Victims and their families often face renewed public scrutiny as they’re thrust back into the spotlight and forced to relive horrendous experiences. The re-traumatization of those already burdened with unimaginable pain causes the line between seeking justice and profiting from someone else’s suffering alarmingly thin.

Sensationalism is another ethical tightrope true crime creators and audiences must consider.

The ethical battleground of true crime consumption

We can’t all be detectives.

Armchair Detectives and the true crime quandary CORDELIA JAMIESON Contributor From gripping Netflix documentaries to bone-chilling podcasts, the allure of true crime is pervasive.

Beyond the thrill of the chase or the mysteries that unfold; true crime lets us delve into the deepest, darkest corners of human nature while confronting the fears and anxieties we often suppress.

By engaging us through the intellectual challenge of piecing together clues to the emotional journey of understanding the victims and their stories, true crime invites us to explore the depths of criminal behavior, understand what drives

people to commit heinous acts, and examine the motives behind these crimes. It’s a safe space for us to experience fear and anxiety in a controlled way, a means of confronting the unsettling and the unknown from the safety of our living room couches.

The popularity of the true crime genre is at an all-time high. With a constant array of stories available at our fingertips, serial killers and criminal masterminds infiltrate our screens and keep us hooked. It’s a genre that allows us to immerse ourselves in a world of horror, suspense, confusion, and intrigue, providing a never-ending stream of captivating narratives.

I often find myself playing the role of an amateur sleuth, piecing together clues and attempting to unravel the puzzle delivered on a silver platter. The participatory aspect of the genre adds an extra layer of engagement, making it all the more engrossing.

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/lifestyle

Canada expands MAID criteria.

PHOTO BY JOSEPH MARIATHASAN

Point/Counterpoint: MAID expansion

Debating the ethics of Canada’s assisted suicide law expansion CORDELIA JAMIESON & SINA SAYYAD Journal Staff This article discusses mental illness and suicide and may be triggering for some readers. The Canadian Mental Health Association Crisis Line can be reached at 1-800-875-6213.

No Canada’s aim to expand its Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) laws to include mental health poses significant controversy, especially concerning those living with addiction. I believe that this decision would be an oversight from the government.

MAID was intended as a last resort to mitigate discomfort during one’s end of life care and requires informed consent. Informed consent is a major ethical concern in medicine, and must be approached with caution, especially when navigating MAID for individuals with suicidal ideations or substance use addictions.

Not only can suicidal ideation affect one’s capacity to make fully conscious decisions, but many ethicists are concerned those that might refer to MAID may be under the influence when giving consent.

This could mean impaired cognition, and by extension, impaired consent.

More research should be done to ascertain whether there’s a true public desire for MAID to expand to those with substance use addictions.

Dr. David Martell, a physician and MAID provider, previously stated none of his patients have expressed the want to utilize assisted death, and cited it as the last option he would consider when providing care.

Many of those who struggle with substance abuse don’t get the adequate care they require due to their vulnerable population status. For instance, a 2013 study conducted in Saskatoon highlighted that despite many successful services, there are four major barriers preventing those who use drugs from accessing care: inefficient use of resources, stigma and discrimination, inadequate education, and the unique contextually sensitive nature of those who inject drugs.

Instead, the time and resources spent developing a framework for MAID laws should be redirected on improving both upstream and downstream treatments of substance use addictions, and

these treatments should include overdose prevention sites, better access to opioid methadone treatments, improved housing and employment, and contextually relevant educational programs.

—Sina Sayyad, Assistant Lifestyle Editor

Yes The Canadian government’s decision to expand the MAID law presents a dignified option to confront suffering experienced by individuals trapped in the cycle of addiction. Allowing these individuals to access assisted suicide is, in itself, an act of compassion. This extension recognizes a profound struggle and empowers individuals with support when making a deeply personal decision about their lives.

A compassionate approach embraces the harm reduction philosophy. Mental illness and substance use disorders are the leading causes of disability in Canada. Instead of pushing those with addiction to the margins of the Canadian healthcare system, the government can ensure the process is regulated, safe, and carried out under the supervision of medical professionals. This would serve as the antithesis of situations where addicts might resort to dangerous and high-risk methods to end their suffering.

It’s estimated 67,000 deaths per year are attributed to substance use in Canada. In Ontario, the disease burden of mental illness and substance use is 1.5 times higher than all cancers combined and more than seven times higher than all infectious diseases. The Canadian Government’s decision to exclude substance users from MAID legislation won’t lessen this death toll, nor will it explicitly incentivize users to get clean and live longer lives.

Substance use, like any other debilitating disease, doesn’t render an individual any less of an autonomous human being.

This condition causes physical deterioration, mental anguish, and social isolation.

The Canadian government should still take a proactive approach to treat and rehabilitate addicts and resorting to medicallyassisted suicide should only be utilized in the eleventh hour, like it would be for anyone else undergoing the MAID process.

However, denying an entire demographic of safe, responsible, healthy, and supervised alternatives to an abhorrent condition is unethical.

—Cordelia Jamieson, Contributor

Lifestyle

16 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, October 27, 2023

I have choice, agency, and I refuse to be the tragic woman

I’m free and weightless amongst the currents CASSIDY MCMACKON Editor in Chief In Act IV of Hamlet, Ophelia dies at her own hand by drowning in the river.

Her corpse is found floating downstream by Queen Gertrude, who describes Ophelia’s water-logged clothes billowing out around her and her hair tangled, as she floats in a nest of flowers she wove together before submerging herself.

Her lover went insane, and her father was murdered, leaving Ophelia with no other choice.

Unlike her male counterparts who also depart in the tragedy, Ophelia dies off stage, and is robbed of the opportunity to share the final decision she’ll ever make with the audience.

“While I’m not the tragic woman media and literature has long known and loved, I’m not a stranger to hardship

Scenes depicting the tragic death of a woman left behind have since become famous in the art world, and you can likely find oil paintings of beautiful women floating downstream, their bodies on full display for aesthetic pleasure.

Though these paintings are undoubtedly beautiful, the glamourization of a woman floating away, unable to kick back against the current, always made me uneasy.

While I’m not the tragic woman media and literature has long known and loved, I’m not a stranger to hardship, and like many others, I’ve struggled to feel any semblance of control over my life and body at several points in time.

Much like Ophelia, I’ve been left to the whims of the current beneath me, and it sometimes feels like there’s a power struggle on the stage of my own life to make meaningful decisions.

Unlike Ophelia, however, when I descend into the water, I feel weightless, grounded in my embodiment, and alive.

*** I’m a working-class student from southeast Ontario, where opportunities for upward social mobility are limited.

Education is the best way for youth to ensure they’re not struggling to keep their

heads above water, and I jumped at the opportunity to pursue postsecondary education when I was vying for a way out of my small hometown.

“Much like Ophelia, I’ve been left to the whims of the current beneath me, and it sometimes feels like there’s a power struggle on the stage of my own life to make meaningful decisions

Though I’ve made several decisions about my education throughout the time I’ve been at the postsecondary level—from deciding my major as a first-year undergrad to committing to a research question for my Master’s thesis—the freedom my education is meant to grant me is dwarfed by the barriers that stand between me and my Master’s degree.

Like many working-class students, the opportunity to complete my education and fulfill my grad school aspirations has largely been achievable through money earned from service gigs.

I’ve written birthday messages on mass-produced cakes, pulled thousands of espresso shots, waited tables, and slung cases of Bud Light and Laker Ice across warehouses to get them ready for rowdy customers.

I’ve sustained shin splints, grease burns, and warded off the hands that crept under my apron while taking orders, all to save my nickels and dimes for tuition.

My efforts allow me to continue upstream and eventually earn my laurels, but there’s still pushback as my obligations weigh me down. Oscillating between my academic goals and pivoting to the service industry to simply supplement tuition and cost of living conceals the full scope of my agency when this labour doesn’t qualify as worthy of being advertised front and centre on my LinkedIn page.

Maintaining this delicate balance also holds me back by breaking my body down and leaving me fighting to stay afloat.

I’ve slept through full days I should’ve spent reading and spent what seems like hours staring at my name and student number at the top of a Word doc where I should’ve been writing.

I’ve tossed and turned at night, feeling unable to lay still and relax for long enough to forget my endless to-do list.

Managing academic deadlines while ensuring I’d have enough money for groceries left me so anxious, I couldn’t bear to stomach the food I’d fought so hard to afford in the first place.

My biggest scare, however, came in 2020.

A drawn-out medical crisis that climaxed in March—a mere 10 days before the pandemic stopped the whole world, in fact—left me reeling in the fallout in isolation for months on end and swept me away almost completely. I was violently ill, exhausted, and lonely for months on end, and spent hours in bed staring at the ceiling while desperately waiting for my body to return to normal.

“My efforts allow me to continue upstream and eventually earn my laurels, but there’s still pushback as my obligations weigh me down

Though I was staying afloat, I was forced backstage while my illness possessed me for three months. When I eventually felt strong enough to start taking control of my life again, I never quite felt back at home in the body that betrayed me so profoundly.

“Maintaining this delicate balance also holds me back by breaking my body down and leaving me fighting to stay afloat

Eventually I returned to my normal routine of balancing academics and work, though

this time around I was met with additional pressures of applying for graduate programs while navigating the emotional fallout of my illness. I gained a significant amount of weight for the first time in my life and struggled to feel at home in my skin. Though I was back on my feet at work and actively planning for my future, I was trapped in a body I couldn’t recognize or trust.

*** After deciding on Queen’s for grad school, I had the first relatively free summer in my life. I stayed on at my part-time retail job lugging beer around and spent the rest of the time relishing in the Kingston summer I’d come to know and love.

When I started biking around the city to broaden its limits, I stumbled upon a small, quiet opening on the shore where the water had a flat, rocky floor I could easily wade into away from the hordes at the pier.

As I ventured into the water, I felt the weight from my chest dissolve for the first time since it settled under my sternum.

The cold waves splashed against my stomach as I dove in and watched my body turn over under the surface, the blue-green tint of the water softening the black ink on my arms. In a matter of seconds, the tension I carried with me to the water melted out of my shoulders as I stretched out on my back, feeling my skin soak up the sun and the waves wash over me.

“When I eventually felt strong enough to start taking control of my life around me, I never quite felt back at home in the body that betrayed me so profoundly

Unlike Ophelia, who couldn’t escape the currents of her tragic fate, I found solace in the water.

Though I’m still subject to the greater current of the world around me, the gentle waves feel like a kind embrace I’ve otherwise not been granted.

When things get choppy—as they inevitably do—I can always hop right out.

I go to the water alone and where possible, try to keep my time in the lake separate from the rest of my life around me.

I know it will be waiting for me when I climb back out.