The Queen's Journal, Volume 150, Issue 25

Dons speak to poor working conditions in residence

C assidy M C M a C kon Staff Writer

On March 15, United Steelworkers (USW) announced that Queen’s University residence dons filed an application to unionize on USW’s Instagram page.

Residence dons have long been considered first year students’ first point of contact with university employees. Dons are encouraged to build rapport with students to provide a greater sense of community support and encourage good behavior in residence.

Avery*, who has been a residence don for the last two years, is among the group of dons organizing to join USW. They mentioned the effort for residence dons to unionize has been “a long time coming” and their contract terms are loosely defined.

“[One aspect] of one of the things in our contract is ‘any other duties as assigned,’ such as a day on-call shift or things like that,” they explained in an interview with The Journal

While Avery explained the donning experience is different for each student working in residence, all dons have the same basic slate of responsibilities. Each don is required to hold office hours for students on their floor for four hours each week, attend team meetings, have biweekly check-ins with building teams, and work on-call shifts.

For on-call shifts, dons are required to do rounds at 8 p.m., 11 p.m., and 1 a.m. and must carry and respond to any calls sent to the on-call phone.

Avery also mentioned the added responsibility of enforcing rules in residence when they are not officially working. Any time a residence don is spending time in residence and first year students are engaging in excessive partying behavior, dons who are not on call are expected to break up parties.

Expectations for dons have increased to encompass supporting students through major crisis issues in residence, such as suicidal ideation, sexual assault disclosures, and crisis pregnancies.

Avery and a few other dons began organizing to join USW since the first week of January. To file an application to unionize, Queen’s residence dons must file a petition with an undisclosed number of signatures.

Avery mentioned that USW typically mandates organizations obtain signatures

Residence dons seeking to unionize at Queen’s

from 40 per cent of their staff; however, USW asked for more than this and did not specify the amount.

Since news of application to USW has been made, Avery mentioned some tension among residence dons. While they said most dons are in favour of unionizing, there are some who don’t want to upset the University and are nervous about the prospects of future employment with Residence Life (ResLife).

“We have a lot of people who look like racialized minorities within us, and especially students who come from like a lower-class background. Like they can’t afford to go to Queen’s if they weren’t donning,” Avery explained.

“Because of that situation, they will do whatever Queen’s says because they’re afraid of getting fired for anything. Those dons are freaked out. They don’t want to sign cards; they don’t want to talk about [organizing].”

In an email circulated among residence dons obtained by The Journal, ResLife management responded to efforts to unionize by encouraging residence dons to look to initiatives already implemented by ResLife itself—without the help of a union.

“We are also proud of the advancements that were made over the past few years. Dons have raised several concerns and we listened and responded with various strategies,” the email said.

The email continues to detail the addition of more Residence Life Coordinators (RLC) in residence to support residence dons, the implementation of “additional measures” put in place to mitigate challenging student behavior over St. Patrick’s Day weekend, as well as ResLife’s efforts of “making changes to residence conduct processes to improve response times and hold students more accountable.”

When asked about the email, Avery said while current policies in residence hold dons accountable for handling student behavior, union protection would require the University and ResLife hold students accountable instead of putting the onus on dons.

“The bigger issue and the bigger picture with this is if dons are unionized and we

have union protection, that puts the onus of student behavior no longer on dons, but all on Queen’s University, and they actually have to deal with the cultural problem we have here,” they said.

In a written statement to The Journal, Amanda Zakhour, the lead USW organizer for residence dons at Queen’s, outlined the benefits of voting yes in the union vote.

“University is expensive and if you want a position as a residence don you must accept the University’s employment contract for the position ‘as is.’ This type of ‘take-it’ or ‘leave-it’ attitude puts students in these positions at a disadvantage,” Zakhour wrote.

“With a union contract everyone has the same set of legally-binding, negotiated, and agreed to working terms and conditions. And should the employer violate those agreed to terms, the union has the grievance procedure and other legal recourse to fix the problems. With the support of the USW Local 2010 at Queens and the larger USW, students are never alone when addressing issues.”

Zakhour also spoke to the issue of paying union dues should the vote pass. Whereas most unions require their members to pay one to three per cent of their earnings back to the

union itself, residence dons will be required to pay $0.50 for every thousand dollars dons make.

When asked about why dons should vote yes to unionizing, Avery said it was a matter of ensuring dons get a “say in our contract.”

“Queen’s technically has the ability to fire a don at any time for no reason and remove them from residence,” they said. “I personally don’t feel comfortable continuing to work in a system like that and continuing to work in a system where Queen’s has the ability to say whatever they want.”

“At the end of the day, we’re students, too. We go to the school; we pay tuition to the school. Yeah, you have to think about us as students, not staff. Because we bridge that gap, and we don’t focus on that student part. When you focus on staff part, it leads to you taking advantage of us.”

“We’re literally the people whose tuition pays for all of their salaries, pays for administration salaries. And this is how you treat us.”

Story orignally appeared online on March 20.

Dons are the first point of contact between first-year students and university employees.

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

”

Aimée Look

Swaths of students took to Aberdeen St. for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations on both March 17 and 18 which posed an “immediate threat to safety in the area,” according to Kingston Police.

Kingston Police issued 373 court summons and arrest, while bylaw enforcement issued 47 fines totaling $19,100 over the weekend.

Despite celebrations being similar to previous years, the Police said they provided proactive messaging to communities around the University District—which enabled them to keep the community and staff safe.

“This messaging played a vital role in ensuring that all attendees were aware of expectations in advance of the event,” Kingston Police Chief Scott Fraser said in a press release on March 22.

“This model is something we will continue to use and build upon in the future.”

The University District Safety Initiative (UDSI) is implemented during peak times for nuisance parties, increasing the price of the fines handed out. It was in effect from March 9 to 19.

Bylaw Enforcement, Police Liaison Team, and Queen’s Student Affairs conducted a door-to-door education awareness campaign for students in the district. Among them was Sydenham City Councillor Conny Glenn.

St. Patrick’s Day was Glenn’s

$19,100 in fines issued at St. Patrick’s Day celebrations NEWS

first time as Councillor during a sizeable unsanctioned event. She had ideas to mitigate the unsafe aspects of large gatherings in the future.

“When the alcohol goes in the sense goes out. Add to that low expectations and practically no consequences,” Glenn said in a tweet, responding to an article in The Whig Standard and tagging Queen’s. She said it’s not her responsibility to oversee student behavior. Glenn told The Journal she has the same expectations for Queen’s students as any Kingston resident.

Students have unique needs, but so do other members of the population, like seniors, according to Glenn.

“[Street parties] create a feeling of mistrust—creates fear. I’ve had

residents who are afraid to go out in the evening,” Glenn said.

Student actions last weekend were no surprise, Glenn said. Glenn noted complaints of students being aggressive and trespassing.

“Residents are in a difficult spot [...] oftentimes if there’s aggressive behaviors, [they] call the police. And I don’t think anybody likes having to do that,” Glenn said.

Street parties cut off citizen and emergency access to necessary areas, according to Glenn. The City and Police have been taking a different approach prior to the event by going door-to-door in student areas.

“[The City is] really trying to make sure that the student population is aware of, the expectations, the risks, and also the potential fines [...] I think

that’s still a healthy approach,” she continued.

She acknowledged a lot of the talk about students is negative but says there are many “good” students as well, citing an example of students helping older citizens over snowbanks.

By taking events—such as St. Patrick’s Day—and adding structure based on “what students want,” Glenn says Kingston can integrate students into the city better.

“The biggest thing we can do is to establish good relationships [...] the City is here to work with [students], not against them,” Glenn said.

As a harm reduction measure, the AMS handed out free food, snacks, and Gatorade in front of the ARC on Earl St. on Saturday.

The University outlined its new social media

campaigns to keep the day “safe, respectful and inclusive” in a statement on March 10.

“Queen’s is providing students with information on safer alcohol consumption, as well as other options, such as substance-free programming for students who choose not to drink,” the statement said.

The University launched a social media campaign until the end of the weekend with ads targeting “risky behaviour.”

When asked about their responsibilities over student behavior, harm reduction measures, and the dangers posed to local Kingstonians by nuisance parties, the University did not respond to The Journal’s request for comment at time of publication.

Kingston seniors rally for climate change at RBC

more coal, no more oil. Keep your carbon in the soil,” and “No exchanges, no refunds, climate change can’t be undone.”

The seniors of SCAN put pictures of their grandchildren on their posters, asking “why is there less snow? No outdoor rinks,” to argue against RBC’s investments.

Suzy Leinster

Features Editor

The Seniors for Climate Action

Now (SCAN) rallied on Princess St. in front of the RBC branch location on March 21. The rally was against fossil fuel investments.

Holding signs featuring hand-painted burning planets with slogans like “stop funding

oil and gas” and “keep the oil in the soil,” students and Kingston residents protested the fossil fuel industry.

The rally started at noon with key speakers Kyla Tienhaara, Canada research chair in economy and environment at Queen’s, and Paul Gervan, SCAN member, calling for divesting from RBC.

Attendees chanted “no

“It’s wonderful to see people taking some of the burden off the youth. I think too many of us rely on the aid of youth to do action on climate change and it’s really great to see you guys [SCAN] stepping up,” Tienhaara said at the rally.

She claimed RBC is the largest bank in Canada contributing to the fossil fuel industry, investing $263 billion into the fossil fuel sector since 2016.

Tienhaara protested against the expansion of RBC’s investment in the fossil fuel industry and said it doesn’t make political or economic sense.

She continued to speak against the damage the Coastal Gaslink pipeline has done to the traditional Wet’suwet’en lands in British Columbia.

The pipeline has caused conflicts with RBC and the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs since April 2022. The chiefs claimed the project damaged rivers and wetland forests and limited their ability to hunt.

“The cracked gas pipeline violates our hereditary title and has led to years of RCMP violence, and harassment of peaceful Indigenous land defenders,” Tienhaara said.

On RBC’s webpage, the company provides an FAQ for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, calling for the federal government to establish it as a statutory holiday.

In a statement to The Journal, Tienhaara said “when it comes to climate action, RBC “talks a big game.”

Queen’s sustainability clubs and

initiatives also came to support the movement in solidarity with SCAN.

“The long-term goals for this rally are to divest as much currency from big banks, such as RBC, which support oil and more conservative long term development projects. They take that money and invest it in credit unions,” Ryan Kuhar, ArtSci ’23, and Greenovations president, said in an interview with The Journal Queen’s Backing Action on the Climate Crisis (QBACC) and Greenovations came to support the movement, encouraging people to divest from the banks contributing to the fossil fuel industry.

“Young people cannot afford to invest in the destruction of the land we live on, and seniors do not want their grandchildren inheriting a wasted earth,” Siena Margorian, ConEd ’23, co-president of QBACC, said in a statement to The Journal.

“We all have a stake in this fight.”

Sydenham Councillor Conny Glen says students have ‘practically no consequences’

Assistant News Editor

Kingston Police issued 373 court summons and arrests.

PHOTO BY ERIK MAGNUSSON

Students and Kingstonians call for divestment.

PHOTO BY SUZY LEINSTER

Proposed changes exclude confidential and private exams

Skylar Soroka

Assistant News Editor

The Senate Committee on Academic Development and Procedures (SCADP) has recommended changes to the policy on the Exam Bank, according to a report presented to the Senate on Feb. 17, 2023.

John Pierce, interim vice-provost (teaching and learning) and chair of SCADP, recommended Senate approve the proposed revisions to the Exam Bank policy.

“These changes came from the Senate Subcommittee on Exams, and in its discussion of the motion, members of SCADP

AMS, faculty societies, community organizations support sustainable initiatives

Monica

Aida Lopez

Staff Writer

The last Sustainability Hub of the semester was held on March 15 at the Rose Innovation Hub in Mitchell Hall.

The Hub is a new project the AMS Environmental Sustainability Commission, Queen’s Sustainability Office, and the City of Kingston Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions program implemented this year.

It was in collaboration with Queen’s Environmental Coalition, which is a group of environmental clubs, faculty, and individuals who address sustainability issues on campus.

“[It is] an interactive learning experience that promotes repair, reuse, and to recycle items instead of buying new,” Emily Rolph, AMS commissioner of environmental

indicated that they supported the goal of the Exam Bank being as comprehensive as possible,” Pierce wrote in a statement to The Journal.

At its meeting of Feb. 9, SCADP approved two minor changes to the Exam Bank policy.

Stuart McPherson, manager of examinations, teaching assessment and convocation, was present at the meeting to address any queries.

The two amendments reinforce the existing norm regarding exams, Pierce noted. These motions, most recently revised on Feb. 28, aim to clarify the policy’s application to privately administered and confidential exams.

Under these amendments, final exam question papers designated as confidential will not be shared on the Exam Bank, and those that are privately administered by the instructor or department will not be made available on the Exam Bank.

sustainability, said in an interview with The Journal.

The Hub consisted of multiple repair sections ranging from electric to furniture repair. General members of the Kingston community volunteered their time and skills to run booths such as the electrical repair booth.

Members of the Queen’s Environmental Coalition —specifically the textile section supported by Queen’s for Sustainable Fashion (QFSF)—focused on clothing mending. All services were free of charge.

The entire list of participants included the Society for Conservation Biology, the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS) Sustainability, the Engineering Society (EngSoc) Sustainability Committee, Cycle Kingston, Queen’s Backing Action on the Climate Crisis (QBACC), QFSF, Bikes and Boards, and Greenovations.

“Greenovations was here to do a lightbulb exchange and [the] Society for Conservation Biology, this week, [is] doing an up-cycle to make tote bags,” she said.

Other services present were bike repairs done by Cycle Kingston and Bikes and Boards. EngSoc Sustainability

Under the current policy, procedures for releasing exam papers not exempted from the policy are determined by the relevant faculty or school. However, this does not explicitly exclude private or confidential exams from being posted to the Exam Bank.

“The proposal to explicitly exclude private and confidential exams from the Exam Bank was

considered at the September 2022 meeting of the SCADP Exams Subcommittee. No issues, concerns or objections were voiced by committee members,” Pierce wrote in a report presented to Senate.

“No issues, concerns, or objections were voiced by committee members.”

The changes come as

the “practicalities” around the Exam Bank policy have evolved due to the increased prevalence of privately administered and online exams, Pierce added.

Private exams are mostly administered by the instructor, who arranges the proctoring and printing of the exam, and any accommodations students need.

“The Exams Office arranges the venue for private exams, and schedules them in order to create a conflict-free schedule for students,” the report said.

During the pre-pandemic period from Dec. 2018 to Dec. 2019, private exams represented around 20 per cent of all final exams.

From Dec. 2021 to April 2022, when on-campus exams resumed, the number rose to 37 to 44 per cent. In Dec. 2022, numbers returned closer to pre-pandemic levels, with just over 25 per cent of exams being privately administered.

SCADP considered the proposal to exclude private and confidential exams from the Exam Bank at their Sept. 2022 meeting, and no concerns or objections were raised.

“SCADP therefore supports the goal of ensuring that as many exams as possible are made available to students,” Pierce said.

SCADP recommends changes to Exam Bank Policy

AMS hosts final Sustainability Hub

and ASUS Sustainability had stations to responsibly dispose electronic waste and BRITA filters.

QBACC hosted a representative from Credit Union at the Sustainability Hub and promoted their new tool rental service.

“We wanted to kind of create this initiative to kind of implement more of a circular economy and mindset in the student

community to start fixing what they have instead of replacing it with buying new things and feeding into the consumerist mindset,” Megan Bennett, QBACC policy change manager, said in an interview with The Journal.

When asked about the success of the Sustainability Hub, Rolph said she’s hopeful this can

be something the commission continues. She said it’s quite beneficial to students, especially the bike repairs, and textile repairs.

“I would like to see it implemented in a continual state [with] regular hours.”

New changes to Exam Bank policy were revised on Feb. 28.

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

The event included a bike repair service.

Finding equity in Athletics and Recreation

Sara Maat and Suzy Leinster Journal Staff

Women’s Basketball just returned from their second ever—and second consecutive—appearance at nationals. However, their progress as a team these past two years goes far beyond the medals they’ve earned.

After hiring Head Coach Claire Meadows in 2020, the women’s basketball team underwent major adjustments regarding inclusivity and equity.

The first ever Black athlete on the team, Lireesa Gokhool-Jefferson, ArtSci ’25, joined in Meadows’ first year with the program, and the team shifted its focus towards Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigeneity (EDII) initiatives. Meadows said their main goal is to create a more diverse and inclusive team culture.

The history of racism and discrimination in Queen’s Athletics and Recreation (A&R) is prominent. Recently, athletes have spoken out about the discrimination they’ve faced, and just one look at the University’s treatment of Alfie Pierce during his time here reveals a very problematic past. Yet, current teams, like Women’s Basketball, recognize the exclusive past and hope to create a better and more

spaces. Do we still have a ways to go? 100 per cent yes, but we were not having any of the conversations that we’re having right now in the program when I played.”

For Meadows, the change to equity in sports starts with education when specific initiatives are brought into practice.

The women’s basketball team has focused on creating environments where they can learn from each other. A few weeks ago, they gathered to watch a livestream of the men’s basketball team competing in the playoffs and had a caterer bring in some food that celebrated Caribbean culture.

According to Meadows, they used this time to educate themselves and have a celebration of food from

Although the team is actively pushing for a more inclusive future, they recognize the problems associated with bringing athletes into environments not equipped with the resources and support those players need

“I can speak to a lot of educational pieces that have been implemented and put in place, specifically within the last year here. I know, all Queen’s coaches and staff members went through some fairly intensive training last spring and summer,”

She believes we’re moving in the right direction towards education and feels the coaches are doing a fantastic job at applying their learning to their programs.

She emphasized the importance of individualizing these initiatives to ensure they suit their players the best.

“Are we intentionally trying to diversify our space and our program? Yes, we are. But at the same time, it’s so important that

we make sure we’re supporting our student athletes in that process,” Meadows said.

The steps toward inclusivity could be as simple as finding a place where Black women can get their hair done. Meadows explained there needs to be a space in the community to provide services to BIPOC students, so they feel welcome here.

“But we have to think about the broader community and what supports are here for them to feel welcome, to feel safe, and to feel like this is a place that they belong.”

In many ways, Women’s Basketball became a catalyst for change within A&R and other teams. They started each of their games this year with a recorded land acknowledgement, which they crafted with the support of Amy Brant, the Indigenous training lead from Queen’s Four Directions.

They wanted their acknowledgement to recognize how grateful they are to live, learn, and play on these lands, but also wanted this message to have the greatest impact possible. So, in introducing the acknowledgement, they removed playing the national anthem before their games.

“It wasn’t a matter of taking away the anthem because we didn’t necessarily want the anthem played. We just felt like if we were going to write a land acknowledgement and present

implemented this change, other teams expressed their desire to write their own land acknowledgment.

This move, however, hasn’t come without its fair share of controversy. Some members of the Kingston community responded positively and respectfully, while others are upset with the removal of the anthem.

Most notably, the OUA—the governing body for Ontario university sports—did not agree with the team’s decision. When the team hosted the OUA final earlier this month, the OUA directed them to play the anthem before the game, or face unknown consequences which could jeopardize their program, according to Meadows.

Under this threat, the Gaels chose to comply, but chose to air their land acknowledgement alongside the anthem. While “O Canada” played, players like starting guard Bridget Mulholland found other ways to make a statement and took a knee.

Through A&R is now making efforts towards equitable racial change, especially for its Black athletes, The Journal investigated moments of potential neglect for its Black athletes in conversation with alum.

Jonathan Daniel, MSc ’07, played on the men’s basketball team as its oldest and only Black player for the 2005-06 season. Driving home

on the varsity team at St. Francis Xavier University and the University of Ottawa, he came to Queen’s for his Master’s in physiotherapy. However, his plans to become well-acquainted with the library were upturned when a player from the team watched him shooting hoops in the gym one day.

Feeling varsity sports was something from his past, Daniel initially told the player he wasn’t interested in playing. Yet, these protests didn’t deter his future teammate and after the assistant coach invited Daniel to a practice, he ended joining the team.

He described a healthy pressure between him and the coaches where they built a “great relationship” with no animosity.

However, Daniel did describe a sense of distance between him and the team, which he did not feel at his previous two schools.

“Coming to Queen’s, I was the only Black person on the team and that was very different for me right off the top,” he said.

He came from a very multicultural university and had to adjust his mindset when experiencing not only Queen’s basketball, but also the institution itself. Similar to Meadows’ sentiment of fostering a more inclusive community more broadly, Daniel mentioned Queen’s reputation is elitist and white.

“If that reputation of Queen’s as racist and elitist changed to celebrate minority athletes, if they were sought after more, and the coaches and athletic directors fought to get these athletes [...] we would want to represent a new face of our future.”

Daniel said he cannot speak every Black person, but he’s not looking for preferential treatment. Instead, he argued for fairness and respect, where students are given a chance to prove themselves on and off the court.

Despite the calls for a change in the administration, he had only good things to talk about when asked about his team.

“I gotta say good things about my teammates—they never made me feel alienated or ostracized. They never purposefully kept me out of any team functions

Athletes and alum speak to unwelcoming environment within athletics

Bridget Mulholland kneeling for Canada’s national anthem.

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

Amelia Stapley at a Women’s Rugby Game.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY A&R PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL The women’s basketball team comes together.

Immigrant filmmakers make a difference

Juan Huerta Assistant Video Editor

Immigrant filmmakers are working toward a form of universalism in the film industry.

When watching film festivals and award shows, students often look up to filmmakers from their own countries. These role models are invaluable. Watching someone from the same place as you climb the industry’s ladder fosters feelings of hope and inspiration, making it seem possible to succeed ourselves.

The film industry is infamous for being extremely difficult to penetrate. Students without connections are often anxious about their future as a result. Truth be told, there’s no one way to get your foot in the door.

Filmmakers from different backgrounds enrich the ways stories can be told.

Talent comes from everywhere, and it’s encouraging to see foreign filmmakers recognized for their hard work. Directors like Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, and Alfonso Cuarón are changing the game. Immigrant filmmakers give voice to the underrepresented.

The film industry, especially Hollywood, has a history of white supremacy and has been built on a colonial legacy. We probably couldn’t count every instance of racism or cultural exploitation that occurs within the industry if we tried.

However, immigrant filmmakers are making a positive impact and carving out spaces for everyone in Hollywood by exploring subject matter like racism, colonialism, and migration.

Even though there’s more representation nowadays, representation is more than checking boxes or hiring a multiracial cast. It’s about thinking critically, encouraging critical thinking, and helping audiences understand how it feels to walk in another person’s shoes.

Everyone can make a difference. For young immigrant filmmakers, it’s important to remember our heritage makes us special. Not only are our voices yet to be heard, but

The don of a new era

Queen’s dons should take the opportunity to unionize and run with it.

The decision to unionize went to a vote for Queen’s dons this week. Rather than earning a salary, dons are compensated with campus housing and meal plans, but the students who hold these positions feel important changes are overdue.

Most students have a limited understanding of the scope of don responsibilities.

They’re the first point of contact for students experiencing mental health crises and the first set of ears listening to reports of sexual violence.

With the conditions dons are working in and student needs growing more complex by the year, it’s not a matter of if there’ll be a crisis, but when. The way Residence Life (ResLife) and Queen’s treat dons is out of proportion with the labour they perform.

Their work is the equivalent of some full-time jobs—and they do it on top of studying full time. Dons are superheroes, but just because they can fulfill the responsibilities of two or three employees doesn’t mean they should have to.

Many students choose to work as dons because they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to go to Queen’s, which translates to a lack of bargaining power with ResLife. This puts them in a vulnerable position where getting fired can mean losing their home in

the middle of the school year with no hope of finding alternative housing.

The knowledge that many dons don’t have another option allows ResLife to overload them with responsibilities. Lots of dons love what they do, but it’s a demanding job and they deserve the support and bargaining power a union can provide.

Officially, dons aren’t allowed to engage in extracurriculars of any kind over 10 hours per week, including part time jobs. This rule makes it difficult to connect with peers casually, engage in the University community like other students, or earn money throughout the year.

Another issue dons have raised is unequal renumeration across residences.

Dons living and working in single plus residences are compensated no differently than those in the oldest residences with the smallest rooms, most student mischief, and no TV included. The living standard is not the same in Victoria Hall as it is in Brant. Dons in lower-value buildings should be paid the difference between the value of a single-plus room and the one they’re assigned.

Currently there’s a lack of active mental health crisis training that would prepare dons to respond to suicide attempts and other high-stakes situations. Dons shouldn’t have to support the mental health of an entire floor of students, but if they do, they should at least be better trained.

the world can benefit from hearing them. We should be proud, never ashamed, to share our view of the world.

Immigration is not an easy process; it means navigating the emotional challenges of leaving home behind but, at the same time, holding on to our cultural roots. The world needs good stories—not formulas —and immigrant filmmakers are here to deliver. Films are entertainment, but they can also teach and change the way we see things.

It’s easy to feel intimidated, especially when we face problems like language barriers. Most of our fears are bigger in our heads, and we should remember not everybody is in the same position, faces the same obstacles, or has the same advantages.

Ultimately, what matters is how we use everything available to us to make films.

Don’t wait for someone to tell you you’re a director, cinematographer, or video editor. Think like you already are one. Work on your portfolio and create opportunities for others by climbing the ladder and helping others get on top as well.

Many of our favourite foreign filmmakers started at the bottom, too.

Juan is a third-year Film and Media student and The Journal’s Assistant Video Editor.

ILLUSTRATION BY KATHARINE SUNG

Queen’s should ensure accommodations are available and accessible for dons when the job inevitably affects their ability to complete schoolwork. With the mental toll it takes to respond to the things dons respond to, we’re doing them and their first years a huge disservice if they can’t access resources or at the very least get accommodations.

We need to address shortcomings in other services that cause dons to have to pick up the slack, particularly mental health and sexual violence response resources.

Let’s start by rethinking the structure of residence management and redistributing responsibilities fairly. Going forward, contracts must explicitly outline job requirements and dons should only be expected to fulfill their contractual obligations.

The University claims to care about Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigeneity (EDII), but overloads dons who have to accept these burdens to stay in school, a disproportionate amount of them belonging to marginalized communities.

Few dons are asking for more pay per hour. They just want better working conditions and compensation that factors in their building assignments.

Dons aren’t asking for much, and they deserve more respect.

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Contents © 2021

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

Queen’s should conduct exams remotely Talking Heads...

Which faculty would you NOT let your child date?

Vivian Cornell

In-person exams are a dated tradition that don’t quite fit with modern academia.

Over the last three years, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a host of challenges. However, the pandemic also brought about changes in the workforce and within academics.

The pandemic presented a window of opportunity in which higher education saw changes to class delivery methods. Professors opted for Zoom classes when necessary, and likewise, students could access classes remotely if unable to physically attend class for any reason.

Although attending classes virtually is certainly no substitution for in-person classes, exams are an entirely different issue.

"There is a general feeling, particularly in the Law community at Queen's, that in-person exams seem dated after successfully having remote exams for the last couple of years.

During the height of the pandemic, Queen’s switched to remote exams to limit the spread of COVID-19. Last semester, Queen’s returning to in-person exams caused significant problems with scheduling, particularly for Law exams.

There is a general feeling, particularly in the Law community at Queen's, that in-person exams seem dated after successfully having remote exams for the last couple of years.

In Winter 2022, all in-person exams were moved to remote platforms after students petitioned in support of remote examinations. Many students find writing in an exam hall very stressful as listening to other students type and shuffle their notes can be incredibly distracting.

"It's clear there isn’t enough space to accommodate each student, so why must we return to in-person exams?

Last exam season was nothing short of a scheduling disaster, and it appears in-person exams are causing more issues than they're solving in the post-pandemic academic world.

Several Law school exams were impacted by the influx of accommodations.

Students were required to write at a later date on a moment’s notice and some students were forced to wait until January to write their final exam, long after classes had restarted following the holidays.

Queen’s is a mid-size university and evidently does not have the space to house every student’s accommodation. It's clear there isn’t enough space to accommodate each student, so why must we return to in-person exams?

As evidenced by past exam

seasons, there are ways that exams can be proctored effectively to avoid cheating as best as possible. Many faculties at Queen’s have regularly used Proctortrack and Examity with success. More recently, the Law school has adopted Examplify as the assessment platform.

Last semester, the Law school permitted students to use their own computers to write their exams on a temporary basis, which is now permanent. For many Law students, the only reason they spend the gas money to drive to campus and pay for parking is simply to write their exam in a room that may or may not even be available.

If Law students are permitted to write their exams on their own laptops, they should be permitted—or at least be given the option, to write from home as well.

If there are an unprecedented number of students requiring private rooms, and Queen’s simply does not have the space to house all students with exam accommodations, shouldn’t these students be permitted to write from the comfort of their own controlled environment?

"With all this being said, there's no question the concept of remote exams has faced issues with privacy and effectively exam proctoring.

Understandably, some students may not have the luxury of living alone or with other students in the same program and may therefore prefer to write on campus. However, implementing

a remote exam policy would save space on campus for those who prefer to write there and save everyone the headache of attempting to schedule around every accommodation.

With all this being said, there's no question the concept of remote exams has faced issues with privacy and effectively exam proctoring.

Examplify is the platform used to administer Law exams and it prevents cheating by cutting off your computer’s access to internet and suspending the copy/paste function. Used in conjunction with Turnitin, it's extremely difficult to cheat and not get caught red-handed. However, some professors permit the use of the internet since Law exams are open book.

However, it isn’t just universities that have to contend with cheaters. The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) confirmed over 150 candidates had breached the LSO rules and regulations during the November 2021 licensing exams. Even with the high degree of security around writing the bar exam, cheating still happens.

It seems cheating is a plain fact of test-taking no matter what. The solution is finding a way that lessens the possibility of cheating as far as possible. It doesn’t seem that remote exams can be said to open the door to cheating more so than in-person exams.

In-person exams are an old tradition. Though Queen’s loves to continue their traditions, let’s do away with this one for the sake of the modern student’s sanity.

Vivian is a second-year Law student.

"I don't like the pretentiousness of

"Commerce, easy. I'm in

do you think I'd say?"

"Commerce. Yeah, I get behind Commerce"

Mya Yakasovich, Nursing '25 Lily Wallace, Nursing '25

"Not ArtSci or Commerce. Eng only. "

"A Band kid."

Commerce."

Engineering, what

Sriram Kumaresan, Sci '25

Sally Franks, Nursing '25

Lucas Yap, ArtSci '26

Thomas Yeaman, Sci '24

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

Vivian believes remote examination allows for better accommodation. Out with the old, in with the remote

Contributor

ARTS

Rida Chaudhry Senior Arts Editor

Pakistani artist Salman Toor’s intimate portrayals of comfort relay insightful depictions of marginalized people in safe settings, free to be themselves without scrutiny.

The 39-year-old painter has received sweeping recognition for his distinct style and fictionalization of queer love in his work. Based in New York, he weaves together Pakistani and NYC culture to create imaginary visions of what queer life could be in a more tolerable society. Having grown up in Lahore, Pakistan—and within a culture of erasure for the LGBTQ+ community—Toor’s work follows his journey as a queer person of colour.

Intimacy and care are themes present throughout Toor’s work, as are dignity and perceptions of privilege. The alternative world Toor creates dignifies queer brown men with privileged lifestyles to cement sentiments of affection and safety.

The cinematic effect of Toor’s work immerses viewers into his world.

Music Room is a fantastic example of this in practice: the audience is invited into a scene that stretches across a room from front to back and side to side.

Across the canvas, there’s interactions of pleasure in various form, be it derived from music, sex, romantic interaction, or simple human connection. The colour palette is simultaneously both warm and cool toned in a manner that is complimentary rather than distracting.

Toor’s early career as an artist was laced with a rejection of modern art, his fascination instead being with Renaissance Art and classical Indian paintings.

In 2012, he began experimenting with the style he is now known for: cartoon-like interpretations

Salman Toor explores intimacy and care

of his friends from the perspective of an outsider. This artistic storytelling is renewed by Toor as he forefronts queer brown men as his subjects of choice.

Toor has described his work as a “pile of laundry filled with things from different parts of [his] imagination […] summing up an exhaustive heap of greed and lust.”

Car Boys shows a couple being scrutinized by Pakistani police, with three policemen lurking outside a vehicle and shining their flashlight into the faces of the men inside. The trunk is popped open, signalling the interrogation and invasion of privacy occurring in the painting.

This piece evokes the dangers of queer existence in Pakistan: homosexuality is a punishable offence in the country and though it’s not strictly regulated, behaviour implying homosexual interactions is dangerous. Despite living in a society where his existence—and that of the rest of the queer community in Pakistan—is limited, Toor came out to his parents at 15 years old.

Toor’s femininity in his youth rendered him an ‘other’ as he attended school, though adoration and respect replaced teasing and bullying when he earned world distinction for his artistic talent. Art was simultaneously his power and haven.

Toor’s resilience is poured into his work where he unapologetically explores intersectionality, having been exhibited in the Whitney Museum, Aicon Gallery, and the Baltimore Museum of Art.

He is surely an artist to watch.

Two dimensions are plenty

Sam Goodale Assistant Arts Editor

You’re on the Landmark Cinemas website to check the showtimes for a new movie you’re super excited to see. You scan the times and your heart sinks: all that’s available is 3D. Now you’re faced with an impossible decision of either skipping movie night or sitting in a theatre for two hours with 3D glasses on your face looking like a 2010 Tumblr girl with a headache.

There may have been a bit of novelty to 3D movies at first. Seeing James Cameron’s Avatar in 3D and seeing the colours of Pandora burst to life—reaching out of the screen—is an insane experience, especially when you’re nine years old. But now, thirteen years on, the novelty has worn off and it’s time for 3D movies to go.

Films are supposed to be an immersive experience. We watch movies to explore other worlds, universes, and lives. Visual immersion is vital to feeling like we’re with the characters we’re watching on screen.

Some might argue that 3D makes films more immersive, but anything that requires you to wear something on your face

is intrinsically less immersive than what you’d experience with your eyes untethered by headache-inducing goggles.

It’s the same reason VR hasn’t caught on: wearing a device, whether glasses or a headset, presents a barrier to our engagement with whatever we’re trying to look at. People don’t want VR because it’s far more accessible to just look at a screen with nothing over our eyes. The same is true with film. Anything that forms a barrier over your eyes makes watching things more difficult.

Nobody should mourn the loss of the third dimension, film studios included. Producing 3D films requires additional cameras and production costs—which

are footed by viewers. It makes no sense for studios or audiences to pay more for an inferior viewing experience.

Most films have no business being 3D, anyway. Why does The Boss Baby have to be 3D? What single shot is more impactful when viewed in three dimensions?

Regardless of its visual content, it seems like a rite of passage for each film to offer a 3D option. Alternatively, studios that want to make 3D a selling point include cheap, poppy shots whose only purpose is to look cool in 3D. It’s lazy filmmaking.

That’s the fundamental problem with 3D: 99 per cent of the time, 2D is a far better viewing experience. There

might be one or two shots per film that look nice in 3D, but the rest would look just as good—if not better—in 2D.

3D films might be the quintessential example of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” 2D films are perfect. Rarely will you think, “this movie was great, but I really wish it looked like Spider-Man was shooting his web directly into my face” or “I really wish that emotional conversation was 3D so the characters looked like one of those lenticular birthday cards.”

For now, 2D films are the most immersive film experience we have. Save yourself a headache and some money by ditching the glasses and sticking with two dimensions.

Artist redefining taboo of queerness in South-Asian culture

Queer existence is unapologetically explored in Toor’s work.

3D films are visually redundant and harmful to the viewer’s experience

Sadie McFadden discusses growth ahead of EP

EP is Queen’s musician’s debut solo project

Sam Goodale Assistant Arts Editor

Kingston-based musician Sadie McFadden is set to release her eponymous debut solo EP.

Ahead of its release, McFadden, BA ’22, sat down with The Journal to discuss the EP and her musical journey. Music has been a cornerstone in her life for as long as she can remember, a constant presence ever since elementary school.

“I honestly don’t remember a time when I wasn’t playing music,” McFadden said.“I’ve been a little bit obsessed with it.”

Although McFadden has worked and performed extensively with a band, the EP is her first time recording and releasing solo music. She’s excited about the freedom working independently provides, being able to make decisions about her work without consulting bandmates.

“This is the first time I’m releasing music under my own name, which is really exciting,” McFadden said.

“I have quite a bit of creative autonomy over everything that I’m putting out rather than having to go through the compromises.”

In terms of the content of the EP, McFadden said the running

theme throughout will be growth.

It’s an intensely personal selection of songs reflecting McFadden’s personal life and development over the past year.

“Since COVID I feel like I’ve really done a lot of growing and maturing, and I think

I’m a lot wiser than I was two years ago,” McFadden said.

“I think these are songs that kind of show that growth, but in a very danceable, fun way.”

McFadden is experimenting a bit with the sound of the album as well. Although her

music generally has a jazzy rock vibe, she’s feeling the soul and R&B influences in her music this time. The autonomy afforded to her by working solo has allowed McFadden to craft a sound she really loves.

“I’m really excited for it because

this is the music I’ve loved for a lot of my life, and I’ve just been a part of other projects that had different focuses and I had to cater to those genres,” McFadden said.

The songs on the EP have been percolating in McFadden’s head for the past year. Bringing to life her vision for each song, though, has been a collaborative effort involving a variety of talented Kingston-based musicians.

“I’ve been really lucky that I know some really amazing musicians at Queen’s and Kingston that have just come together, and been like ‘yeah, you know what, I’ll play on that,’” McFadden said.

McFadden wants the listening experience to be as personal as possible. This reflected in the EP’s cover image: McFadden sitting in her living room where she wrote each song.

“I feel like these songs are just people getting to know me as a person and as an artist,” McFadden said.

“That’s why we did the shoot in my living room, because this is where [the songs] were all created. It’s just that intimate of an EP, and I thought that should be reflected in the art that’s used.”

McFadden performs regularly at Musikki and the first single off her debut EP is set to release in mid-April. Follow her on Instagram for more information.

What’s happening at the Agnes this week

Rida Chaudhry

Senior Arts Editor

The Agnes Etherington Art Centre is vibrating with events and art despite its location being closed for a re-imagination project. Here are five exciting programs deserving of your attention.

Zina Saro-Wiwa: Assembly #6

At Hotel Wolfe Island, Zina Saro-Wiwa is presenting a performance piece created in collaboration with audience perspectives with the intention of expressing their knowledge of African socialite, botanicals, spirituality, and science.

This event is the first major presentation of Saro-Wiwa’s work in Canada where they will create a space for new stories stemming fromolderonestoconnecthistories, people, and places.

Hilos Conductores

This Toronto-based exhibit reflects on works

Five

created during the Chilean dictatorship in combination with recent works from textile artists and collectives, weaving together lives and futures across the continent.

This project intertwines personal experiences and collective local resistance with reflections on capitalist production and supply chains affecting the global south.

Though the project is being displayed in Toronto, it is being co-presented by the

Agnes, Sur Gallery, and Textile Museum of Canada. If readers find themselves in the city before April 1, they should consider checking it out.

Chaka Chikodzi

This digital art experience is the first commissioned film in the Artists at Agnes series.

To kick off this project, sculptor Chaka Chikodzi talked about his practice in length. Producers Naomi Okabe and Tess Gerard

debuted the film at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival and were recognized with the Best Local Short Film award.

The film is now available on Digital Agnes.

“Sweet Grass, Boiled Eggs, and Table Manners”

With Opened Mouths Podcast is back with their third episode of season two.

In this edition, Qanita Lilla

talks with poet Billie the Kid about the raw joy derived from storytelling. Billie’s work has created an amalgamation of family, poetry communities, and connections with mentors through the perspective of being an Indigenous poet living in Kingston.

The episode will release March 31 on Digital Agnes.

E-Commerce for Artists with Jill Glatt

The Agnes is offering a virtual workshop on March 28 within their Professional Development series to help artists develop the skills needed to monetize their work.

This workshop will go over what making a living as an artist means, how one can build their audience, how they can price their art products, and the unique requirements for shipping art.

This series is a collaboration between the Agnes, Modern Fuel, and Union Gallery. ***

The beginning of spring at the Agnes is blooming with art and learning, meaning there’s surely something for everyone.

McFadden’s EP will incorporate soul and R&B influences.

SUPPLIED BY ILLIA GELMAN

Five events are coming to the Agnes programming

GRAPHIC BY RIDA CHAUDHRY

events are coming to the Agnes programs.

Recognizing Queen’s Coaches of the Year

Men’s and Women’s Basketball Head

Coaches recognized with U SPORTS and OUA awards

Sarah Maat Senior Sports Editor

Men’s Basketball

Head Coach Steph Barrie was awarded the Stuart W. Aberdeen Award as Fox 40 Coach

Baseball brings home a banner and Coach of the Year Award

Head Coach Jeff Melrose led Baseball through one of the most thrilling playoffs runs any Queen’s team has seen this year. His Coach of the Year Award recognizes the way he coached his team with

Women’s Soccer OUA East division named Dave McDowell Coach of the Year

Despite an OUA semifinals upset loss to York after double overtime to cut their season short, Women’s Soccer had an incredible season

Wrestling Head Coach Gianni Vecchio awarded U SPORTS R. W. Pugh Fair Play Award

After a great season with a medal at the OUA championship and an appearance at nationals, Wrestling Head Coach Gianni Vecchio was awarded the U SPORTS R. W Pugh Fair Play Award.

This award recognizes the coach or athlete with the best standards of sportsmanship throughout the tournament, but to Queen’s OUA bronze-medalist Marthe LaplanteBrady, the award also speaks to his approach to coaching the team.

“It’s huge to be recognized nationally, especially in a sport like wrestling because there’s so many coaches,” Laplante-Brady said in an interview with The Journal.

“I think Gianni has a different approach to coaching for sure. It’s very, very athlete centred […] and it’s way different than any coaching I’ve ever had before.”

To Laplante-Brady, a great coach like Vecchio makes all the difference.

of the Year after leading Men’s Basketball to a 17-5 record, their best regular season in over 50 years. He was also awarded OUA Coach of the Year just a few weeks earlier.

“This award, more than any other one, is about the accumulative effort of the team […] this has been a team effort and it goes down from everyone, administration, the staff at Queen’s, my assistants, the support staff, and most importantly, it’s about the players,” Barrie said in a press release.

Barrie is the first ever Queen’s Men’s Basketball head coach to earn

poise and confidence through a gritty 1-0 game against Guelph in the semifinals, and a 13-11 comeback victory over U of T in the finals.

“I would say he’s probably the best coach I’ve ever had, and obviously playing baseball my whole life I’ve had a bunch of coaches,” starting pitcher Jordan Leishman told The Journal

Even in the tough mental moments, Melrose never lost faith in his players.

One of Leishman’s favourite

under the guidance of Head Coach Dave McDowell, who was named OUA East Division Coach of the Year.

It’s McDowell’s eighth Coach of the Year award in his 35 seasons with Queen’s. His leadership this season took the Gaels to an undefeated regular season—their fourth ever.

“I’ve never met someone who is so excited for every game and so passionate, and you like felt that passion when you were playing,” Captain Cecilia

“There’s a lot of coaching and wrestling because he’s literally in your corner. I think that goes a little bit metaphorically, too. He’s not just like, in my corner physically, but he supports me every day,” she said.

“He doesn’t put any pressure on winning. He just wants us to perform well. And he really just does what’s best for me as an athlete.”

Vecchio told he always hopes to maintain this athlete-first approach.

“It’s really fulfilling to see an athlete who was hardly winning the match or not winning a match and then by the end of their career actually doing very well and a contender for medals,” he said.

this honour, and it’s well deserved. After leading the team to at the time, their most successful season last year, the Gaels made a repeat appearance at nationals this year where they finished sixth. Their consistency over these past two seasons has been remarkable.

“The players have been the ones that have done the work and the heavy lifting and gotten this program to a place where these kinds of accolades are possible,” Barrie said.

“I would be remiss to not be very thankful to the players both past and present—to put us in a position where we’re a program that is at nationals

memories from the season was during the OUA semifinals game against Guelph. The Gaels were up one with two innings left, but Leishman—about to pitch through the hitters for a third time—started wondering if he could last the rest of the game. While Leishman worried, Melrose had confidence. Even in the bottom of the ninth with two Gryphons on bases and only one out, he left him out there to finish the job.

Way said in an interview with The Journal.

“He loves everything that comes to soccer, whether that’s playing it, watching it, coaching it, everything.”

Graduating this year, Way only has incredible and

for two years in a row, and in a position to be successful.”

Women’s Basketball

Under the leadership of Head Coach Claire Meadows, the Women’s Basketball team played its way to their best regular season record ever at 21-1, and most successful national championship run. For her excellence and results this season, Meadows was awarded OUA coach of the year.

The Gaels topped the OUA ranking and entered the playoffs as the number one seed. After winning a silver medal at the

“That’s a perfect example of him showing confidence in me,” Leishman said. “Him believing in me was definitely one of the most memorable moments.”

Though confident, Melrose is also humble. In an interview with The Journal, he quickly mentioned the award shouldn’t just belong to him.

“I have to give a pretty big shout out to all of the other people that I coach with,” Melrose said.

“I do think that we have the best overall coaching staff, because

playing, he wants to know everybody’s perspective.”

He also teaches them the most critical elements of soccer.

When Way joined the team, she was just learning to play forward and looked to McDowell for support. Most

provincial level, they headed to nationals where they were seeded third and collected another silver finish.

This is just Meadows’ second year with Women’s Basketball coaching staff, but she played for Queen’s while completing her Bachelor of Physical Education and Bachelor of Education degrees. She finished her five years here as the Gaels second all-time leading scorer.

With two U SPORTS medals in her first two years with the program, it will be exciting to watch what other accomplishments Meadows will bring as time goes on.

I have a lot of respect for all five of those assistant coaches. And we all really, really enjoy what we do.”

Overall, Melrose is proud of what they’ve accomplished this year and is even more excited about the individual success of his players.

“It makes me happy and proud to see kids who are between 18 and 22 years old, learning some leadership skills and having a chance to apply them, and getting along well together and pushing each other a little bit,” he said.

year, I honestly fell probably every five minutes in a game. He taught me how to stay on my feet, which has been really valuable.”

Jokes aside, Way knows the secret to his continued success is passion.

GRAPHIC BY HERBERT WANG Claire Meadows (left), Dave McDowell (top middle), Gianni Vecchio (right), and Steph Barrie (bottom middle).

Men’s Curling wins bronze at U SPORTS

Aggressive draw game leads Gaels to podium

Lilly Coote Assistant Sports Editor

The Queen’s Men’s Curling team brought home a bronze medal at the U SPORTS Men’s Curling Championship in Sudbury this past weekend.

The Gaels defeated the Calgary Dinos, UNB Reds, Alberta Golden Bears, and SMU Huskies on their path to the semifinals. Unfortunately, the Laurier Golden Hawks edged Queen’s 12-10 in that matchup, ending their quest for gold.

In the bronze match, the Gaels took on the Laurentian Voyageurs. They scored the winning point in a riveting 10th end, finishing off

the close game with a 6-5 win and a medal.

“It feels really good; the bronze medal is very rewarding, especially after a tough semi-final loss to the eventual champions, Laurier,”

Colin Schnurr, a competitor on the curling team, told The Journal.

The team had a slow start this season, but gained momentum after winning a local tournament.

“We had a warm-up tournament here in Kingston called the Ted Brown Classic.

The team ended up doing really well in that tournament, and that kind of got our momentum rolling into OUAs where we also played extremely well all week,” Schnurr said.

At U SPORTS, the team was led by seasoned skip Owen Purdy, who just completed his fifth season with Queen’s Curling. Purdy has been an essential player for the team throughout his time at Queen’s, starting as a lead before

Japan defeats USA to win 2023 World Baseball Classic

Tournament brings excitement, surprises, and controversy

Ben Wrixon Editor in Chief

Japan defeated The United States 3-2 in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Baseball fans everywhere got their dream matchup: Shohei Ohtani pitching to Mike Trout with the game on the line. With tensions high and the count full at 3-2, Ohtani struck out his Los Angeles Angels teammate on a devastating slider.

Ohtani shouted with joy and threw his glove away before being mobbed by his Japanese compatriots. In their first trip to the WBC Championship game since 2009, Japan won their third ever gold medal at this budding international tournament.

They came into the finals on the heels of a thrilling walk-off win against Mexico. Slugger Munetaka Murakami crushed a double to deep centre field in the bottom of the ninth, driving home Ohtani and pinch-runner Ukyo Shuto and sending the fans into hysterics.

Japan—with their balanced lineup and a three-headed pitching monster of Ohtani, Yu Darvish, and Roki Sasaki—entered the tournament as the betting favourite. They dominated the competition in Pool B to the tune of a sparkling 4-0 record.

ending his last three seasons as the skip.

His collegiate resume is impressive: he was named Queen’s rookie of the year and an OUA team all-star during the 2018-19 season. He told The Journal he’s grown a lot since then and feels his draw and low weight game have improved significantly.

“I’ve definitely become a lot more mature […] as the skip, you have to be able to make the final draw, no matter the situation, cause if you miss that draw, you’re going to be giving up a lot of points,” Purdy said.

In a sport like curling, mistakes are easily made. Choosing the wrong shot or not accounting for the opponent’s stones can have significant consequences, but Purdy told The Journal he’s gained some valuable lessons from these high stakes.

“Number one thing is never get

upset at anyone […] after a loss everyone is blaming themselves.”

Purdy was named Varsity Student-Athlete of the Week after his phenomenal performance at U SPORTS last week. He accredits the bronze medal victory—and the Gael’s overall record this season—to the team’s aggressive play.

“As a team we are very, very aggressive, probably one of the

most aggressive teams that was at the tournament,” he said.

The Gaels are now looking ahead to next year, proud of their accomplishments. The team will be recruiting new players, as Purdy and Schnurr will graduate, but remain huge fans of the team.

“Our goal was to medal at U SPORTS […] we met our goal and did the best we could,” Purdy said.

Team USA and their lineup of MLB All-Stars fell short in defending their 2017 WBC despite the talent and experience on their roster. Future hall-of-famer Mike Trout led a team featuring reigning National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt as well as superstars Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado, JT Realmuto, and Pete Alonso, among others.

However, no player had a greater impact on Team USA reaching the WBC championship than shortstop Trea Turner. He hit a dramatic go-ahead grand slam in their 9-7 come-from-behind victory over Venezuela in the quarterfinal, then smacked two more home runs in their 14-2 rout of Cuba in the semifinals game.

While Japan playing USA in the finals was likely what most people

predicted, the 2023 WBC will undoubtedly be remembered most for its unexpected turns.

The New York Mets’ worst nightmare came true when their star closer Edin Diaz tore his patellar tendon celebrating a win with team Puerto Rico. Fresh off signing a one-hundred-milliondollar extension with team, the injury is expected to end his season.

Diaz’s injury broke hearts everywhere and ignited the debate

as to whether meaningful baseball should be played in March.

Keith Olbermann was one of several media personalities to blame the WBC for a freak injury that could have just as easily have happened in Spring Training or during the MLB season. His insensitive take, which called the tournament a “meaningless exhibition series” designed to sell jerseys, received substantial backlash.

Turner—who called his dramatic grand slam the biggest home run of his baseball career—has been one of many advocates in favour of the tournament, which, pundits be damned, has continued to set attendance and global viewership records.

Meanwhile, where on-the-diamond controversy is concerned, Team Dominican Republic was eliminated in the first round despite fielding a team of MLB stars. They somehow finished third in Pool D behind Venezuela and Puerto Rico with a 2-2 record.

Team Canada also finished 2-2, good for third place in Pool C. No one expected them to advance ahead of Team USA or Mexico, but they competed nonetheless thanks to strong performances by St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tyler O’Neill and infield prospect Edouard Julien.

Overall, the 2023 World Baseball Classic was an entertaining success despite the controversy surrounding Diaz’s injury. It further proved baseball is a global game, one that continues to grow and reach audiences around the world.

Congratulations to Team Japan!

SUPPLIED BY DUNCAN BELL

Queen’s won bronze.

SUPPLIED BY DUNCAN BELL

Gaels score in 10th end to leave with a medal.

Some of MLB’s biggest stars represented their countries.

GRAPHIC BY AMNA RAFIQ

There’s no difference between a boyband fangirl and die-hard football bro

Clanny Mugabe Assistant Lifestyle Editor

People love what they love because of how it moves them. Whether it be TV, movies, music, or sports, our hearts latch onto something because it has power over our emotions. No matter how chill you say you are, everyone has that thing they care about a lot—the thing that will get them unexpectedly mad, emotional, or happy when you mention it.

Having hobbies and things you’re passionate about is essential. It’s part of why we work and endure hardship. It’s all for that sweet reward at the end of the day, the rush of dopamine that comes from being a part of something.

Somehow, what’s acceptable to care about is politicized in some ways.

In today’s media landscape, there are still some things that are “cringe” to enjoy, and

We’re all fangirls at heart

scream as loudly as possible at concerts, at games, and at our TVs when the most exciting moments happen.

The difference is the gendered perception of these fans. For the most part, if you were to imagine a boyband fanatic, you’d think of a younger woman—someone with free time, less responsibility, and more passion—and if you were asked to imagine a sports fan, you’d think of an older man, maybe with a job, a family, and responsibilities.

The truth is, anyone can enjoy anything. There’s no inherent harm in being a fan, and there’s no difference in fan behaviour. The most toxic celebrity fans can be just as wild as the most poisonous sports fans.

Zach Grant Contributor

When I finished The Last of Us video game for the first time back in 2018, I cried, and then immediately played it again.

Upon the announcement of HBO’s live action adaptation, I was nervous about their ability to translate my favourite narrative of all time. It seems my worries were for nothing, as Craig Mazin

that are seen as annoying to be passionate about.

A dedicated member of the Beyhive looks different than a ride-or-die Red Sox fan. The most outspoken boyband fans look wild compared to football fans during the Superbowl. There’s something that appears vapid about fangirls and their passions, and shallow about the people who would write

for hours about shows they like, compared to soccer fans during the World Cup.

I’m sure anyone who doesn’t know much about sports has felt confused, alienated, or even scared when at a sports bar during a big game. You enter the place because you’re in the mood for chicken wings, and suddenly you’re shoulder to shoulder with the most outrageous fans on the

with finding something to fight for, but it eventually arrives in the form of Ellie, a fourteen-year-old girl who he delivers to the Fireflies, an organization trying to save the world.

“ This theme allows the audience to contemplate what reasons drive our own actions—reasons that vastly differ for characters in this story.

planet. You’re terrified by the fights between rival fans and excitement when a goal is scored or a good manoeuvre is pulled off.

The key here is there isn’t much of a difference between Beyoncé fans and Manchester United fans.

We all pay exorbitant amounts of money to go to live events, we all spend way too many hours analysing our idols’ next moves, and we all

vastly differ for characters in this story. When we commit violent acts and experience trauma, we cope by telling ourselves it was worth it. Ellie says it herself in the final episode: “It can’t be for nothing.”

The difference in how fanaticism is received all comes from the arbitrary gendered separation of hobbies. It’s something so minute and so artificial, it’s ridiculous when you break it down. What matters most is how you treat others, and unlearning the subtle ways misogyny weaves its way into our lives and how we see the world.

It doesn’t matter why you watched the Superbowl, whether it was to watch the Kansas City Chiefs win or to see Rihanna make her big performance comeback. Passion makes the world go round, and we’re all fangirls at heart.

who’s starving steals to feed their family, is it okay to pin them as a criminal? Only those who have experienced poverty would understand this decision, yet the other side of the coin is always quick to judge.

and Neil Druckmann delivered the right emotional punches and complex story that sparks the decade-old debate: How far is too far to go for the ones we love?

Warning: spoiler’s ahead. The Last of Us TV show follows protagonist Joel Miller 20 years after the outbreak of cordyceps: a deadly fungus that controls the brain and takes over the body like a puppet. Like many, Joel struggles

The protagonists, Joel and Ellie, are complex. They’re bonded by shared trauma. They feel everything they go through—the people they lose and the people they kill—would be justified if they had a purpose, which is a strong theme the show excels at delivering.

This theme allows the audience to contemplate what reasons drive our own actions—reasons that

These complications are exacerbated when Joel learns that researching and creating a cure requires an extraction from Ellie’s brain which would kill her. To the Fireflies, this is a necessary sacrifice. To Joel, nothing is worth Ellie’s life, even saving the world. Joel proceeds to ‘rescue’ Ellie by slaughtering every last Firefly.

This act ignites the life-long debate of utilitarianism: the good of one versus the good of many. There are many arguments on both sides. Some people think one must be a parent to understand what Joel did, and others think what he did was monstrous and should never be accepted.

“ Those without the experience as a parent or losing a loved one may feel differently about his decision.

This debate is more present in society than you might think. All around the world, people suffer from being less fortunate than others. As students at one of the best universities in the country, sometimes we forget this, or misunderstood it due to a lack of experience.

Joel’s experience of losing his first daughter is what shapes his decision to save one girl over the entire human race. Those without the experience as a parent or losing a loved one may feel differently about his decision.

On a lower scale, if someone

“ Only once the audience looks beyond themselves and attempts to feel empathy for both sides will they truly understand [...] the actions of everyone around them.

Everyone who watches shows like this one feels the need to justify why a decision of such magnitude is right or wrong, but they’re missing the point. The answers to philosophical questions like this—as hyperbolic as this situation is—are not black and white. Rather, they’re shaped by personal experiences that differ drastically from person to person.

We need to put ourselves in other people’s positions and accept we have no right to tell them what they’ve done is incorrect without knowing or experiencing first-hand the reason they did it. It all comes down to empathy, which is something The Last of Us’ plot and characters teach us to feel on a grand scale.

Only once the audience looks beyond themselves and attempts to feel empathy for both sides will they truly understand Joel’s actions—and the actions of everyone around them.

The Last of Us has already been renewed for a second season, and I cannot wait to see the continuation of the masterful narrative and, of course, the fresh debates it sparks.

We all have things we’re passionate about.

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

‘The Last of Us’ has been renewed for a second season.

PHOTO BY AMNA RAFIQ

HBO show teaches us that morality isn’t black and white

‘The Last of Us’ is a hotbed for utilitarian debate

Books taught me the world isn’t black and white

Reading fosters real change

Claire Schaffeler Social Media Manager

Do you remember those reading assignments we had in elementary school, where you had to read ten pages and then write a page about them, or the Scholastic book fair? These activities inspired both joy and hatred amongst my classmates. For me, those down times and assignments in class helped foster my love of books and reading. Books became my refuge and comfort when life became difficult; they were a constant source of adventure. Even more than being my comfort, they taught me about people, the world, and the nuances of all things in between.

“ Throughout those times and the whole of my life, books remained my teachers and comforts.

Growing up into a teenager, then an adult, is no small feat, and I experienced my fair share of growing pains and difficulty. However, throughout those times and the whole of my life, books remained my teachers and comforts.

As I’ve gotten older, my taste in books has changed and so have their lessons. As a child, you read simple books that give you clear

and straightforward lessons, but as an adult, the lessons contained within the literature become more complex and in-depth.

“ The stories found in books the escape and perspective they provided me as well as the characters that inspired loyalty, love or even hatred.

I remember staying up far past my bedtime, reading underneath the covers with a flashlight and waiting with bated breath to see what would happen next. The sheer anticipation, joy, heartbreak, anger, and sadness conveyed were fantastical things to behold, and as a young person trying to sort out how to deal with my own internal life, books were illuminating.

In elementary school, author Eric Walters came as a guest speaker. During his talk, he mentioned selling small books that you could sneak underneath your table or desk to read. All at once, the entire class turned and looked at me because I’d been doing just that earlier in the week and had gotten in trouble for it. It’s moments like this I look back on and think fondly of because they made me who I am today.

I’ve always been drawn to the stories found in books—the escape and perspective they provided me, as well as the characters that inspired loyalty, love, or even hatred. There’s nothing quite like finding a main character you relate to so completely or a villain you love to hate. Reading allows you to

live a thousand lives and become a thousand different people, all of whom have different motivations, needs, and challenges.

It’s so important for every young person to learn early that life is not black and white. So much of life resides in the grey and learning to look at events and people in this way makes you not only a better person, but a more well-rounded person.

person’s words, but also at their actions and motivations.

Books gave me a broader perspective on the world and taught me not to judge people too quickly or harshly. They also taught me to look at the whole of a person, broken pieces and all. It’s that perspective that allows you to put yourself in the shoes of others and consider where they’re coming from.

To be able to look beyond what others want you to see is an important skill you will carry through your life.

developed, the struggles overcome, and the work that goes into them. More than anything, I adore the community that surrounds them. It’s amazing to see so many people come together and discuss emphatically and excitedly book series and characters.

Reading gives you the unique opportunity to remember life is not black and white. It teaches you there are always multiple sides to a story: the villain may not actually be a villain at all, and the hero may turn out to be the villain.

Reading a novel from the viewpoint of the villain allows you to see the motivations behind their actions and to empathize with someone who’d otherwise be considered evil. Reading from the hero’s point of view can reveals their true intentions, noble or otherwise.

“ It’s that perspective that allows you to put yourself in the shoes of others.

This grey area in understanding motives and actions taught me that what you see is not always what you get, and to look not only at a

I’m not saying that books alone will teach you everything you need to know about the world, but they do provide you with insight into both sides of difficult situations and force you to see from other perspectives.

“ I found books that [...] reflected humanity’s findamental struggles and potential to do great things.

As I got older, my taste in books tended to be towards fiction and fantastical worlds so unlike my own. Within those books, I found powerful female main characters, plotlines so complex and mesmerizing I could hardly believe they came from someone’s imagination, and motivations that were relatable or not. I also found books that encompassed and reflected humanity’s fundamental struggles and potential to do great things.

I adore books. I adore the worlds built, the characters

“ We need dreamers and those willing to implement those dreams to improve society, and books give us the capability of sharing our dreams and passions with the world.

BookTok, for example, is a community of readers that post and come together on TikTok to share opinions, recommendations, and reviews on books. It warms my heart to see so many lively discussions and debates about some of my favourite characters and worlds.

At the end of the day, books and reading give you the space to dream of a life that could be and how you can make it better—a skill that’s all too important in our world today. We need dreamers and those willing to implement those dreams to improve society, and books give us the capability of sharing our dreams and passions with the world.

I encourage everyone to try reading something that interests you, because it’s true what they say: “Words have the power to change us.”

Thanks, Cassandra Clare.

Claire believes reading is imperative for development.

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

“ Reading gives you the unique opportunity to remember that life is not black and white.