the journal Vol. 145, Issue 23
Queen’s University
F r i d ay M a r c h 2 , 2 0 1 8
since
1873
Nuisance party bylaw due for final reading on March 6
Official open letter about Jordan Peterson event released
Bylaw addresses street party safety concerns
Several professors signed open letter criticizing the event, Woolf responds at Senate
J asnit P abla Assistant News Editor
S arina G rewal Assistant News Editor
Kingston City Council will meet on March 6 for the final reading of a bylaw that, if passed, will put street partygoers at risk of facing hefty fines. The proposed Nuisance Party Bylaw is aimed at controlling large social gatherings within the municipality by instating a minimum fine of $500 for individuals who throw or attend a party that fits the description of a “nuisance party.” As provided in an earlier draft submitted to City Council in November, the term “nuisance party” is defined as a gathering that isn’t contained entirely within a dwelling and occupies a public space, possibly impeding on the deliverance of emergency services in the process. The purpose of the bylaw is to provide police with a mechanism to control behavior that impedes on the safety of the community and party goers themselves. A nuisance party can only be declared by officers who are on duty but not present at the scene. These officers will be in communication with those
A number of Queen’s professors have released an official written statement, entitled “An Open Letter in Response to Principal Daniel Woolf’s February 20, 2018 Statement, ‘Informed Respectful Debate is Central to Academia.’” The statement expresses their concerns regarding the lecture event featuring Jordan Peterson on March 5. In a Feb. 20 blog post, Principal Woolf defended the lecture despite criticism from students and faculty. “Expressing one’s affront to an idea or position is completely acceptable in an academic environment ... blanket calls for censorship, however, are intellectually lazy and are anathema to scholarly pursuits,” he wrote. Open letter officially made public by professors
See Proposed on page 5 Jordan Peterson will speak in Grant Hall on March 5.
NEWS
FEATURE
Professors send official open The untold stories of 50 letter to Principal Woolf Black medical students about Jordan Peterson at Queen’s
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What’s Inside?
PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN
Featuring approximately 130 signatures, the letter was officially sent to Principal Woolf on Feb. 28. See Principal on page 2
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JUSTICE KING
EDITORIALS
SPORTS
Universities need guidelines for freedom of expression
Siobhan MacDonald reflects on life as a parathlete
How I used tennis to shield my insecurities
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page 11
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@queensjournal
@queensjournal
POSTSCRIPT
@thequeensjournal
News
2 •queensjournal.ca
Friday, March 2, 2018
CAMPUS CONTROVERSY
Principal Woolf addresses initial leaked first draft of open letter about Jordan Peterson Continued from front It communicates these professors’ belief that the ‘free speech’ defence Principal Woolf utilized in his blog post regarding the Liberty Lecture series event fails to “adequately [capture] the complexity of the nature of the issues at stake.” “You [in reference to Woolf] could have used this moment not just to proclaim the importance of free speech, but to acknowledge the objections to the speaker’s views, the bases for these objections, and the costs borne by those who are harmed by this speech,” the statement reads.
Kingston set to meet sustainability targets
You fail to recognize “that the ‘debates’ to
which you refer take place within the context of a rising tide of white supremacy and hate.
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“You fail to recognize that the ‘debates’ to which you refer take place within the context of a rising tide of white supremacy and hate. As a leader of this university, the lesson we would have liked you to focus on is the history of exclusion of and hatred towards equity-seeking groups,” the letter continues. An initial first draft of this letter was leaked to the public without the consent of the group of signatory professors. The link, tweeted by Peterson, included the names of several signatories, which wasn’t meant to be made public prior to the official draft being given to Woolf. The professors are unaware of how it was released. According to politics professor Eleanor MacDonald, a signatory to the letter, their statement to Woolf was contained strictly within the Queen’s Information Technology Services (ITS) server. As a result, an individual with access to the ITS server may have forwarded the letter to Peterson. MacDonald addressed the leak in an interview with The Journal and clarified it wasn’t meant to be made public until Principal Woolf had a chance to respond; the final version was agreed upon by the 130 signed professors. The official version sent to Woolf hasn’t circulated on social media as of this article being published. “What we can say for sure is that Jordan Peterson, and therefore the media, got hold of a copy of the earlier and inaccurate version,” MacDonald said. Peterson tweeted the draft letter on Feb. 24. Principal Woolf addresses leaked letter at Senate
Principal Woolf addressed the initial draft of the letter at a Feb. 27 Senate meeting. “I do not accept the notion that one can support freedom of speech, or academic freedom and simultaneously deny the speaker a platform ... this removes
News in Brief
PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN
The open letter addressed to Principal Woolf.
the opportunity for those who disagree to challenge those views,” Woolf said to members in attendance. Woolf argued a diverse curriculum can’t exist without diversity in thought and opinion. He also said the idea that silencing views for the sake of improving diversity and inclusivity conflates the two.
Actions and not “ words, will improve Queen’s record on inclusivity and diversity.
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—Principal Daniel Woolf
“Actions and not words, will improve Queen’s record on inclusivity and diversity,” Woolf asserted. As a member of Senate, MacDonald was able to respond to Woolf on behalf of the professors signed to the statement. She told Woolf, “[t]hat letter does not actually call for you to stop the event. It doesn’t call for censorship of the event. It calls for you to have made a different response than the response you have made ... it’s not hard to find an argument that supports free speech.” “What we look to you as the leader for the university, is to acknowledge the harm that speech can also do,” she continued. “We need to think about free speech, but we also need to think about costly speech. We need to know that when we say that speech should be free, that certain individuals bare the cost of that
speech more than others and we need to acknowledge who they are.” MacDonald clarifies purpose of statement
In an interview with The Journal, MacDonald said Woolf’s continued emphasis on free speech doesn’t address the main point of the professors’ statement. She said their argument is that Principal Woolf has defended free speech without acknowledging the consequences this expression will have for marginalized groups on campus. “I’m not taking issue with free speech. But we also need to know, as I said at the meeting, that the Principal understands that the effect of that free speech goes against what many of the recent stated missions of the University are,” she commented. Jordan Peterson is known for criticizing Bill C-16, which in 2016 added gender identity and expression to the Human Rights Act as protected grounds. Peterson has argued against being required to use non-binary gender pronouns, and more broadly, has voiced objections to political correctness as a whole. “A lot of people who may have views that are much more extremist than [Peterson] would ever entertain, people who have used Peterson’s [rhetoric] and support Peterson, because they think it should then be possible to use racial slurs, to make sexist remarks, to not take into consideration the effects of their speech as something that can be harmful for marginalized groups,”
The Kingston Climate Action Plan’s goal of cutting emissions from city-owned buildings and vehicles is set to reach its targets. The plan seeks to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15 per cent by 2020 and 30 per cent by 2030. A major contribution to the reductions is tied to the elimination of coal as an electricity source for the Province of Ontario. The city’s GHG emissions have plummeted by 12 per cent since 2011. The source of most of Kingston’s GHG emissions comes from the use of natural gas, with gasoline consumption as the next highest emissions source. According to The Whig Standard, Paul McLatchy, the city’s environment director, indicated the municipality is “taking steps to reduce” the remaining sources. As well, the construction of a “network of electric vehicle charging stations,” coupled with the “development of a biogas system by Utilities Kingston,” are initiatives which McLatchy said could “reduce emissions.” In addition, Kingston City Council committed spending $100,000 from the environment reserve fund in order to conduct studies into the city’s climate change response.
MacDonald told The Journal. “Peterson has been part of creating this climate, his words have been used to create [it].” MacDonald believes the University must do better to act as an ally to marginalized groups on campus. She also said it’s important to avoid framing — Iain Sherriff-Scott justice-seeking groups as solely victims, or as groups primarily “Suspicious person” reported by requiring care and protection Campus Security in response. She described this mentality as paternalistic and a According to Campus Security and poor “framing of the discourse.” Emergency Services, a “suspicious person” was reported near main campus yesterday evening. Being an ally doesn’t “A student contacted the mean being protective, Emergency Report Centre to report observing a male individual it doesn’t mean these walking through City Park, east of people need comfort, it Campus, wearing a balaclava and means showing up at an either shorts or underwear,” the event, it means listening report read. The individual was reported to to people. have been observed on campus —Senator Eleanor MacDonald shortly after the initial report. The individual was described as having “Being an ally doesn’t mean a slim build, over six feet and in his being protective, it doesn’t mean fifties. The individual was reported these people need comfort, it as wearing a “khaki coloured jacket,” means showing up at an event, and a “black balaclava.” it means listening to people,” Anyone who may have MacDonald said, “It means experienced a similar incident is responding to people’s concerns, asked to contact Campus Security but not presenting them or thinking and Emergency Services at of them as people who are victims 613-533-6080 to make a report. or uncomfortable.” The Journal contacted Principal — Iain Sherriff-Scott Woolf for comment on the official open letter. Woolf wrote via email, “It would be inappropriate for me to comment on the Open Letter prior to responding first to the authors of it. I will be pleased to offer comments once I have provided an official response.”
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Friday, March 2, 2018
Commissioners and directors speak to their priorities for the upcoming year
News
queensjournal.ca • 3
AMS 2018-19 senior management team hired
Sarina Grewal Assitant News Editor After being hired by executive Team MLM on Feb. 12, the 2018-19 incoming AMS senior management team has officially begun the transition into their new positions. The hired directors and commissioners were chosen from an applicant pool of 34 people over two rounds of interviews. Director of Advancement: David Bath, ArtSci ’19
“I like being social ... I applied to the AMS directly because I want The incoming AMS senior management team. to make an impact on the student body before I leave Queen’s and to interact with the SLC, to see both ... when I got the call ... I almost I think this was the best way to its shortcomings and the amazing kicked my computer off the bed,” do it for me,” Bath said about his potential it has to enhance student Codera said of hearing she’d been motivation for applying. life at Queen’s.” hired. “I’ve never been part of “I like being in the field, getting Draeger expressed his the AMS ... I definitely wanted to things done ... being a part of excitement for his new job and interact with a part of the student the base of organizations,” he continued involvement with the body that I’d never interacted later added. AMS. He currently serves as the with before.” Bath’s prior experiences AMS Director of Communications Codera said she’s specifically include being a Gael for ArtSci and is a member of University looking forward to working on an Orientation Week and a volunteer Senate. In the past, he has been incredibly diverse portfolio and for Lost Paws and Good Times the AMS Clubs Manager, an getting to know the interests and Diner. He also has experience with ASUS representative to the AMS viewpoints of the different clubs the Queen’s Development and and member of the AMS Board on campus. Peace organization and the Vogue of Directors. Codera has been an ASUS Charity Fashion Show. His goals include enhancing Orientation Coordinator in the When asked about his current SLC services and aiding past and currently holds jobs as priorities for next school year, in the governance of the JDUC a campus tour guide and as ASUS’ Bath said he hopes to ensure a redevelopment project. Draeger Chief Returning Officer. smooth transition of the ReUnion intends to work with the AMS “It’s always been important Street Festival into the Campus as a whole by listening to the to me to get involved with very Activities Commission, who will be student body and implementing different things on campus to taking over that portfolio. He also their vision. expose myself to all the different wishes to increase accessibility “Sometimes it’s said that the facets of what the University offers between students and the SLC is the skeleton of the AMS and to its students,” she said. advancement office. of student life at Queen’s, so my As she will be working with goal is to drink lots of milk.” close to 300 clubs, Codera said she Director of Information will aim to balance their needs by Technology (IT): Jessica Director of Communications: ensuring they all have a voice in Dahanayake, Eng ’20 Rachael Heleniak ArtSci ’18 the AMS.
hear you say I got the position,” Birt recalled. As a former ASUS Formal Commissioner, Birt oversaw the team who coordinated the event. Birt is also the Internal Development Coordinator for the global internship program AIESEC, as well as a P&CC staff member. “I love logistics and all that and it’s a great way to see what goes on in the Queen’s community,” Birt said about his passion for his new job. Birt intends to increase support for Orientation Week organizers, as well as the various conferences under his mandate. Another challenge and priority he highlighted is the ReUnion Street Festival, which will be now be under his commission. Commissioner of Academic Affairs (AAC): Julia Göllner, ArtSci ’19
“I was writing a software test ... I couldn’t focus very well, and then I submitted it and did terribly. I was sitting there and I was like, ‘it’s an “I love technology and I “Most days after 6 p.m. I decide Director of Human Resources omen of my academics’ and I’m appreciate what the AMS does,” to take a power nap, and anyone (HR): Carla Namkung, not going to get [the job],” Göllner Dahanayake said about her who knows me knows I sleep ConEd ’20 said about her Feb. 12 phone call. new position. like a rock ... when I got the call I Göllner has been a former Since first year, Dahanayake was ecstatic ... that definitely woke “I was in the middle of a CESA Queen’s Female Leadership in has attended several conferences, me up.” [ConEd Student Association] Politics Conference co-chair, as held the position of Queen’s Heleniak has held several council meeting ... you could see well as a member of the Queen’s Musical Theatre sound director positions on campus, including me agonizing in the front row, I Sustainability Conference and and is currently a tutor for roles within the Judicial was really stressed out. I got the Project Red. She was also a EngLinks and the University. As Committee and multiple AMS call ... I just left in the middle of it,” volunteer in newly hired Rector a current IT office staff member, positions. Most recently, she Namkung told The Journal. Alex Da Silva’s campaign, where she’s well-versed in the workings was hired as the Print and Copy Namkung said she’s excited she helped formulate Da Silva’s of the office. Centre’s (P&CC) Marketing to oversee the HR office and academic platform. Dahanayake also said her time Manager and midway through the hopes to diversify recruitment “I remember in that process spent as a tutor has given her the year, moved up to Head Manager in collaboration with just realizing how passionate I ability to teach people, something of the service. Communications. She also wants was about academics and how if I that will aid her in augmenting “Every year I have been involved to improve HR policies across were to fill the position I could student interaction with the with the AMS in some capacity and the board. see some of those things come to ITS office. it’s been very rewarding ... I really Namkung has been a CESA fruition,” Göllner explained. “[My “A lot of my job will be appreciated working alongside representative to the AMS for past roles] have given me the fixing things when they break,” students, listening to students,” two years and has been involved opportunity to meet people in Dahanayake said. “I’m a huge Heleniak explained. “I’m really with various clubs, such as different faculties and hear their advocate for technical literacy, looking forward to incorporating Kaleidoscope. She’s also currently complaints or things they’d like so I think it’s really cool when what students have to say and a Residence Don. to see come out of academics someone comes up to you and listening to them and finding a “I love how students are able to at Queen’s.” they’re like ‘this thing happened, way to address student needs.” get involved in so many different Throughout her term, Göllner how do I fix it?’ and I show them Heleniak sees her job as a ways ... I really wanted to be a part will prioritize financial accessibility how so they can fix it on their own unique opportunity to provide a of that process,” she said about her and student mobility, as well as later on.” forum to keep students informed motivation to apply for the role. health, wellness and international and get student feedback, wherein engagement. She will also work Managing Director of the she will prioritize transparency Commissioner of Campus to continue progress with Ontario Student Life Centre (SLC): Craig and accessibility. Activities (CAC): Alex Birt Undergraduate Student Alliance Draeger, ArtSci ’18 ArtSci ’18 and spotlight experiential learning Director of Clubs: Regina at Queen’s. “I have quite a rap sheet,” Codera ArtSci ’19 “That call dropped like four “I love school more than Draeger told The Journal of his or five times ... she calls me back anything else in the world,” past experience. “In a lot of these “When I look back I like to and is like ‘do you want to accept Göllner added. opportunities I’ve had the chance think I’m a chill girl but I’m not the position?’ I was like, I didn’t
PHOTO BY SARINA GREWAL
Commissioner of Municipal Affairs (MAC): Soren Christianson, ArtSci ’18 According to Christianson, he applied to his job because he saw it was “really in line with [his] personal interests, as well as a formidable opportunity.” “I love the City of Kingston, I was here this past summer and I really want to work and help develop the relationship between Queen’s and the city,” Christianson added. Christianson has been involved with the Queen’s Economic Case Competition and has substantial experience in marketing. His current position as Marketing Coordinator for the Academic Grievance Centre has provided him with a renewed perspective on the AMS and the work done by the society. He hopes to maintain transparency, mutual respect and open communication between his office and the city, as well as work with Göllner to promote co-op and extracurricular opportunities in Kingston. Christianson also intends to grow the committees under his commission. Commissioner of Social Issues (SIC): Myriam Morenike Djossou, ArtSci ’18
Morenike Djossou says her phone call left her both overjoyed and emotional. “I’ve always been very passionate about social justice so being able to hopefully make a difference and do my part for the University and create a more inclusive and equitable space for all students [is my goal],” Morenike Djossou explained. She’s been involved extensively on campus. Morenike Djossou volunteers with low-income youth in Kingston and Good Times Diner, has drafted equity policy for ASUS and is currently the Deputy of Education under the SIC. In this role, she oversees clubs such as the Mental Health Awareness Committee. Morenike Djossou’s goals include increasing engagement with the SIC and sensitizing the student body to the many issues on campus that individuals face. “As soon as a student on campus is being impacted by a given issue and it’s having an effect on their experience at Queen’s, that’s an important issue that should be addressed,” Morenike Djossou said.
News
4 •queensjournal.ca
Friday, March 2, 2018
Taxi industry responds to draft bylaw changes Owner of Amey’s Taxi Mark Greenwood claims KATC commission looking to “gut” Uber bylaw Iain Sherriff-Scott Assistant News Editor Last week, the Kingston Area Taxi Commission (KATC) held its monthly regulatory meeting to review a draft bylaw which seeks to regulate Uber in Kingston. The bylaw has been in the works for nearly three years. The commission has faced pressure from both sides throughout the process. While Uber is focused on regulatory proposals, Kingston’s taxi industry has claimed that the bylaw needs to “level the playing field,” between rideshare companies and local taxi operators. As the bylaw reaches the final stages of review from the commission before entering the reading process, Kingston’s taxi industry has claimed certain members of the commission are seeking to water down regulations that have been in the draft bylaw for months.
While Uber is “ focused on regulatory
proposals, Kingston’s taxi industry has claimed that the bylaw needs to ‘level the playing field,’ between rideshare companies and local taxi operators.
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In a letter addressed to the commission, Mark Greenwood, owner of Amey’s Taxi wrote, “the local taxi industry, drivers and commission, have been
working towards a set of bylaws to somewhat create a levelled playing field over the last three years, between taxis and app taxis.” “Many in the industry wanted to Commissioners meet to discuss draft bylaw in November. take a more radical approach but some of us convinced them that Draeger wrote. commission, Greenwood argued dialogue and working with the Had the KATC adopted the “if this commission decided to commission was the best course of same regulatory structure used emulate Ottawa, who is presently action,” he continued. in other municipalities across the being sued by the taxi organization, province, Draeger explained the then three years ago we would commission could have spent have taken a different course and Many in the industry the last several years collecting not wasted astronomical amounts wanted to take a more regulatory fees from commercial of energy into this process.” ridesharing companies. Since this Greenwood also pointed to radical approach but wasn’t the case, he wrote that several Uber scandals which some of us convinced the commission chose “to draft have surfaced in the past. He them that dialogue a unique and singular structure urged commissioners to examine and working with the at enormous expense and these scandals for themselves. lost opportunity.” “This is not propaganda or fake commission was the In his letter addressed to the news, as many articles are from
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best course of action.
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— Owner of Amey’s Taxi, Mark Greenwood
“An individual on this commission has expressed that the taxi community has gotten their way on these bylaws which is totally untrue,” he wrote. “There appears to be some that want to gut the bylaw at the end of it, making the last three years of discussion and compromise an almost unbearable waste of time for both the commission and ourselves.” KATC Commissioner Craig Draeger told in an email to The Journal that his position “has always been that the bylaw should match the best practices of other jurisdictions.” “While I’m still committed to building a bylaw that’s enforceable and efficient, it would be better to have no regulation than a regulatory structure that fails both the drivers and riders of Kingston,”
INFORMATION FOR ALL STUDENTS IMPACTED BY SEXUAL VIOLENCE GET HELP, GIVE HELP queensu.ca/sexualviolencesupport Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Coordinator, Barb Lotan bjl7@queensu.ca
PHOTO BY IAIN SHERRIFF-SCOTT
well-respected news organizations,” he wrote. In a follow up email to The Journal, Draeger reiterated his position on the commission. “The Kingston Area Taxi Commission exists as a public trust, not to defend the interests of any business owner or representative,” he said. “It must not take orders from anyone with a financial interest in the outcome of this regulation, on either side.”
News
Friday, March 2, 2018
queensjournal.ca • 5
CITY COUNCIL
Two of three ResSoc executives ratified at General Assembly
Proposed bylaw targets nuisance street parties
Search for Vice-President (Residential Affairs) continues
Continued from front
Incoming ResSoc executive President Michael Coldwell (right) and Vice-President (Judicial Affairs) Jenny Lee (left).
Jasnit Pabla Assistant News Editor On Feb. 11, the Residence Society ratified their individual appointments to the positions of President and Vice-President (Judicial Affairs) for the 2018-19 term. This decision followed one team’s unsuccessful election earlier this semester. During the January election period, the only team who ran for ResSoc executive was Team FAM, that consisted of Jane Mao, ArtSci ’20, Kyesha Fong, ArtSci ’20 and Andrea Colasanti, ArtSci ’19. The team was disqualified for “reproachful conduct,” but was reinstated following an AMS Judicial Committee appeal. However, Team FAM failed to receive a vote of confidence from the student body in their second election period. This prompted the ResSoc General Assembly to open up the Executive positions to individuals across the board, rather than teams. Individuals appointed to the positions of President and Vice-President (Judicial Affairs) were ratified at the Feb. 11 meeting. Unfortunately at this assembly, the VicePresident (Residential Affairs) candidate failed to secure a vote of confidence. According to current Vice-President (Judicial Affairs) Maddie Perrault, a time to appoint the third executive member has yet to be determined. In an email to the incoming executives, The Journal inquired about individual
experience, platform points and hopes for their time in office. Incoming President Michael Coldwell, Comm ’18, is currently pursuing a dual degree in Life Sciences and Commerce. Already serving as a Residence Don, Coldwell told The Journal he was inspired to run by the students on his floor. His experience on campus isn’t limited to Residence Society. “At Queen’s, I’ve been involved with numerous clubs through roles such as VP Finance and Social Media, as well as a Lecturer TA,” Coldwell wrote. While in office, one of Coldwell’s main focuses will be improving student engagement. He said this can be done through the use of social media platforms aside from solely Facebook. “I’ve had huge success with ResSoc engagement on my floor because the [House President], the floor reps, and I would act like a ‘united front’, and stimulate interest for events through interactions beyond a single Facebook event notification,” Coldwell wrote. Some of his other priorities include “being an advocate for healthier lifestyles in residences” and working to “create a better atmosphere for international students and other marginalized groups” in residence buildings. Vice President-elect (Judicial Affairs) Jenny Lee, ConEd ’19, has been involved with ResSoc in various roles. She has served as a floor representative, a residence facilitator and is currently the Human Resources
SUPPLIED BY MADDIE PERRAULT
Officer for ResSoc. “As the incoming VPJA, I would like to make sure that all staff feel welcome and supported,” she wrote to The Journal. “In my personal experience, I have witnessed a disconnected understanding between the various residence staff roles: dons, house presidents, and residence facilitators.” Lee hopes to remedy this problem through effective training for ResSoc staff and more leadership opportunities for Senior Residence Facilitators. Both candidates expressed thatdespite not campaigning together, they look forward to their year in office together and working as a team. “I’m really looking forward to achieving our goals while having Jenny as my teammate,” Coldwell wrote. “I believe that my fresh, student-facing perspective, paired with Jenny’s deep experience with the Society, is exactly what’s needed to boost student engagement and ultimately be a better advocate for the students.” Lee expressed similar sentiments, highlighting her confidence in Coldwell and in the Society itself to affect change. “I am very much looking forward to working with the President-elect, Michael Coldwell. I am confident in his ability to lead ResSoc, and hope that together we can achieve really amazing things for the residence community.”
officers who are on the scene. Following this, officers will ask hosts to end the gathering and for individuals to disperse. When students don’t obey officers, a fine will be administered. According to the bylaw, “[a]ny person who creates, causes, hosts, sponsors, conducts, continues, or attends a nuisance party could be charged under a nuisance party bylaw.” In an email to The Journal, Kingston Policy and Program Coordinator Greg McLean wrote “[s]taff looked to the Ontario cities of London and Guelph which had already passed bylaws to address nuisance parties.” “The idea for a draft bylaw was prompted by ongoing concerns expressed by residents across the City regarding the continuing impact of nuisance behaviors associated with large social gatherings in their neighborhoods,” McLean added. “[A]nd by concerns that these large parties could create a substantial risk to the health and safety of participants and neighborhoods.” For the Queen’s community in particular, the nuisance party bylaw will command a strong police presence at events such as Homecoming and St. Patrick’s Day. AMS Commissioner of Municipal Affairs Stefano Hollands wrote in an email to The Journal that the “Nuisance Bylaw is not intended to prevent house parties in any way,” nor is it “intended to prevent students from ‘having fun.’” According to both McLean and Hollands, the AMS has consulted with the City of Kingston several times to ensure student concerns were met. When working with the city, Hollands said consultations commanded the AMS to work maturely and in a constructive fashion. While the bylaw would most significantly impact the Queen’s community, Hollands reiterated from his interpretation, the city “did not want to present a bylaw to council that would serve to alienate students in any way.” Following the third reading, the bylaw will be extended for review to stakeholder groups. Here, it will be determined what the best way is to present the details and its implications to the residents of Kingston.
6 • queensjournal.ca
Friday, March 2, 2018
Features
Dr. Frederick Barrington Holder, Meds’16, MD’19
The forgotten legacies of Queen’s Black medical students
Dr. Alvinus Calder, Meds ’19
Edward Thomas reveals the incredible forgotten lives and legacies of Queen’s Black medical students from 1900-1918
Dr. Hubert Evarist Cicero Cezair never finished Queen’s
Brigid Goulem Features Editor In 1918, the Queen’s Faculty of Medicine implemented a ban on the admittance of Black students. Although some completed their education at Queen’s, a number of students at the time were forced to find new schools. On the Queen’s Encyclopedia, the story goes that the expulsion was a reaction to the complaints of wounded soldiers returning from the war who were demanding treatment from white doctors. While this story seems sadly plausible, Edward Thomas, the assistant director of industry partnerships here at Queen’s, noticed some inconsistencies with the story. “If you look at some of the graduate photos you can kind of unravel the ‘they
were all kicked out’ story pretty quickly,” he told The Journal in an interview. According to Thomas, it wasn’t wounded returning soldiers who said this, but rather increasing pressure from the American Medical Association to expel Black medical students from universities. While Queen’s stance publicly was the expulsion of all Black students, it’s more aptly described as their having pressured students into leaving. This means after 1918, there was still a group of Black medical students who graduated up until 1922.
Thomas found “soWhat remarkable was the
incredible lives and legacies of these students.
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What Thomas found so remarkable was the incredible lives and legacies of these students. He found these people aren’t referenced in any Queen’s records. While Thomas’ research began by looking at factual errors in the existing narrative, he’s since focused mostly on the lives and legacies of the students Queen’s has abandoned. He presented his findings
in Robert Sutherland Hall on Feb. 15 at an event hosted by the Queen’s African and Caribbean Students Association. These are some of the stories he told. One hundred years after the ban was implemented, Edward Thomas isn’t sure why Queen’s hasn’t yet acknowledged these students or considered how the University can make amends with this history. However, his research has hopefully sparked some action.
his estimation, Queen’s was “onIn track to be a critical actor in the civil rights movement. ” In a recent post on his blog, Principal Daniel Woolf said he’s “both fascinated and saddened by what [Thomas] has uncovered, and hope[s] to work with [Thomas] and others to acknowledge these very troubling events in our history, the legacies of the students we abandoned and make some kind of amends.” Thomas’ goal in his research thus far has been to start accounting for the cost of the race ban. In his estimation, Queen’s was on track to be a critical actor in the civil rights movement and the
Dr. Simeon Augustus Hayes, Meds ’20
Dr. Hugh Gordon Hylvestra Cummins, Meds ’19
Rev. Arthur Cornelius Terry-ThompsonMeds ’19
Dr. Albion Somsersale Chance, Meds ’22
Dr. Hugh Gordon Hylvestra Cummins, Meds ’19 PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY EDWARD THOMAS
postcolonial movement. “We were on track probably to be a critical node, quite likely in the civil rights movement, particularly in the United States but also elsewhere in the 60s and we really w e re not. That seems like a very obvious path we were on. It looks like we were positioned to be a critical node in the postcolonial conversation at least in the Anglosphere between the early 50s and the early 70s and we were not and that’s a pretty stark realization.” According to Thomas, the race ban implementation in 1918 was a huge loss of talent to the University. “The cost of what we didn’t accomplish is just huge.” To read the full story of Queen’s forgotten Black medical students, go to queensjournal.ca.
Dr. Curtis Theophilius Skeete, never graduated Queen’s
Dr. Clement Courtney Ligoure, Meds ’16
Friday, March 2, 2018
queensjournal.ca
EDITORIALS
The Journal’s Perspective
•7
THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL
Queen’s needs freedom of expression guidelines
Volume 145 Issue 23 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873
Editorial Board
Joseph Cattana Meg Glover
Editor in Chief Managing Editor
Maureen O’Reilly
News Editor Assistant News Editors
Sarina Grewal Iain Sherriff-Scott Jasnit Pabla
Features Editors
Alex Palermo
Editorials Editor
Ashley Rhamey
Opinions Editor
Caleigh Castiglione
Brigid Goulem
Nick Pearce
Arts Editor
Clayton Tomlinson
Assistant Arts Editor
Sebastian Bron
Sports Editor
ILLU
We can’t wait for an unsafe situation to unfold before we attempt to prevent one. McMaster is in the process of creating a set of guidelines towards protest and free speech on their campus. This guideline seeks to provide a clear set of rules for acceptable ways for students to express dissent with invited speakers and campus events. Currently, Queen’s students are put in a precarious situation when they decide to protest campus events. There’s no specific set of rules that explain what students are and aren’t allowed to do while protesting. As a result, they have no guarantee of protection when they participate in demonstrations on campus. If schools continue to bring divisive figures to speak, they need to provide an avenue for their students to safely and effectively protest that event. Without a set of rules for acceptable protests on campus, any form of activism is theoretically open to punishment, or vulnerable to devolving into If you watched Elizabeth Swaney stroll down the halfpipe at the Olympics and thought “hey that could’ve been me,” you’re not alone. As a fan of the games, I tune in not to watch just anyone, but rather to see the best in the world compete. More often than not, professional athletes and Olympians do things the average person could never do. Unfortunately for me, Swaney’s performance wasn’t anything beyond what the average amateur skier could do. After competing in World Cup events for the last few years, Swaney qualified for the Olympic ski halfpipe competition in Pyeongchang. Because of a combination of injuries and other countries not using all their allotted spots, the lower-ranked Swaney was allowed to compete for Hungary. In the days following her participation at the Olympics, two camps have grown out of the viral sensation that Swaney has become. Should the Olympics be reserved for only the best athletes? Or should anyone be allowed to compete?
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unsafe situations. When universities give a set of guidelines for student conduct concerning protests, they promote safer, more organized instances of activism and therefore safer campuses. The solution to polarized politics on campus won’t be realized if administrations completely punish or limit forms of protest. But a simple step in the right direction could be to
designate a pre-approved way to protest that promotes safety. Having safety guidelines promotes e f fe c t ive p ro te s t organization and having them accessible and visible to the student body lets every student know they will be supported by their school in the event that they decide to protest. At Queen’s, there is no specific set of rules outlining what students can and can’t do at a protest. The closest we currently have is the non-academic misconduct code, which gives no specific examples of what an appropriate protest would look like, or what an unacceptable one would be. On Monday March 5, Queen’s is
Joseph Cattana
PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN
Don’t dilute the quality of the Olympics for personal gain
Contributing Staff
Contributors
hosting an event featuring controversial University of Toronto Professor Jordan Peterson. The event has left students massively divided, with large numbers of students planning to attend as well as protest . Carrying on as usual isn’t going to cut it for Queen’s much longer. McMaster has set the right precedent in creating these guidelines. Being aware of an increasingly polarized political climate is absolutely essential to protecting students on a modern university campus. If you aren’t going to shut divisive events down, you need to at least be able to protect both camps of students. — Journal Editorial Board
Even though we don’t typically hear from these athletes until the Winter or Summer games roll around, Olympians often have some of the most interesting backstories in sport. In the days leading up to the games and their events, fans are caught up with how the athlete has sacrificed everything they have in hopes of one day represent their country. At a level where most people have dedicated their lives to perfecting their craft, Swaney’s mediocre skills cheapens the title of being an Olympian. In response to everything that has recently transpired, the International Olympic Committee and the Hungarian National team have discussed tightening the rules which decide the qualification limits for the Olympics. It’s something I couldn’t agree with more. If Swaney really wanted to go to the Olympics, she should’ve just bought a ticket. Joseph is The Journal’s Editor in Chief. He is a fifth-year history student.
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Want to contribute? For information visit: www.queensjournal.ca/contribute or email the Editor in Chief at journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Contributions from all members of the Queen’s and Kingston community are welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions. The Queen’s Journal is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University, Kingston. Editorial opinions expressed in The Journal are the sole responsibility of The Queen’s Journal Editorial Board, and are not necessarily those of the University, the AMS or their officers. 190 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3P4 Editorial Office: 613-533-2800 Business Office: 613-533-6711 Fax: 613-533-6728 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Please address complaints and grievances to the Editor in Chief. The Queen’s Journal is printed on a Goss Community press by Performance Group of Companies in Smiths Falls, Ontario. Contents © 2018 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal. Circulation 3,000
8 • queensjournal.ca
OPINIONS
Friday, March 2, 2018
Your Perspective
There’s value in Queen’s failed Peterson’s visit to protect to campus students from Peterson Josh Malm, ArtSci ’19 Contributor
Never in my life have I seen a public figure with views so misrepresented in the mainstream media. Since his rise to fame, Dr. Jordan Peterson can’t open his mouth without being designated as a sexist, homophobe, transphobe, alt-right champion and in some extreme cases, a Nazi. These characterizations are very clearly false and anybody who has personally engaged with Dr. Peterson’s material online via his lectures, countless interviews and debates knows he’s explicitly opposed to oppression, ideological thinking, as well as political extremism. He’s never once expressed support for the conceptually-ambiguous “alt-right” movement or for the disenfranchisement of any group in society. In fact, his lectures discourage the type of thinking behind such destructive beliefs. Peterson is an extremely valuable cultural figure positing complex arguments that require engagement and reflection. The mainstream liberal media is doing a disservice by blatantly mischaracterizing and misrepresenting his arguments with ad hominem attacks and divisive headlines. He represents an important voice for the moderate left, which has become increasingly silent in a time of extremism on both sides of the political spectrum. He’s a champion of free speech, a combatant of the very political extremism he’s been accused of and an inspiration to countless men. Most importantly, Peterson challenges issues he believes are intrinsic to the liberal humanities program of North American universities. If you don’t believe in free speech for ideas you disagree with, the truth of the matter is that you don’t actually support the right to free speech. Peterson’s visit would be an opportunity for nuanced, critical discussion that has become lost in the minutiae of modern media consumption and political discourse. Dr. Peterson is an accomplished academic with opinions on a wide range of issues. It’s anyone’s right to disagree with and challenge him. However, to disagree with him on nothing but a misconstrued understanding of his arguments and beliefs isn’t constructive. Silencing him wouldn’t solve anything and is antithetical to academia. University should be a place where you encounter challenging, uncomfortable and complex ideas. To even entertain the idea that we deny such a prominent intellectual from discussing his controversial beliefs at a facility of higher learning is ludicrous. Remember your motto Queen’s, Spientia et Doctrina Stabilitas — Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times. Josh is a science student.
fifth-year
Vishmayaa Jeyamoorthy, ArtSci ’18 Contributor By giving a platform to Jordan Peterson, Principal Daniel Woolf and the University have failed to protect marginalized students on this campus. I’m not particularly interested in arguing against men like Peterson; they fundamentally misunderstand what transgender, mentally ill and marginalized students experience. They willingly have blinders on that don’t allow them to see past their privilege. I don’t know how I can teach them to care about people besides themselves. I don’t expect them to care, but I do expect the University to care. Daniel Woolf failed his students when the letter he wrote in response to backlash against Peterson advocated for Peterson’s lecture. Woolf believes — incorrectly — that this is a matter of academic and speech freedom; rather, it’s rooted in validating and uplifting trans and non-binary students. Refusing to give a platform to someone who misrepresents the law isn’t violating anyone’s academic freedom. Peterson’s views on Bill C-16 are merely a jumping off point for him to express his transphobic views; they aren’t an accurate portrayal of what Bill C-16 actually calls for. I also don’t think cancelling the lecture would violate anyone’s right to free speech. Freedom of speech guarantees that you can’t get arrested for saying something the government doesn’t agree with. What freedom of speech doesn’t guarantee you is a platform or an audience. It certainly would be ironic if cancelling a lecture on so-called “compelled speech” was really a violation of freedom of speech laws — good thing it isn’t. The law doesn’t say that the University must provide a platform for Peterson to air his views. The University has a responsibility to protect its students. When they say they’ll continue to work towards a culture of respect, diversity and inclusion, this involves validating trans and non-binary students’ identities. Allowing Peterson to spread his transphobic views actively works against this mission of the University. By refusing to speak out against Peterson’s lecture, the University has failed to protect its students from someone who would willfully and gleefully attack their very existence. There is no legal reason why the University must host Peterson. Queen’s is hosting him at the expense of trans, non-binary and other marginalized students’ safety on this campus. This decision is just another one against the University administration’s supposed commitment to diversity and inclusion on campus. In this instance, Daniel Woolf has once again failed to protect his marginalized students.
political Vishmayaa English major.
is
a
fourth-year
Peterson Mixed feelings shouldn’t be about censored Monday’s speaker
Rafe Fernandes, Law ’18 Contributor
Celebrities with controversial opinions are nothing new. What sets Jordan Peterson apart and makes his celebrity status unexpected, is that his controversial cultural criticism is founded on serious academic work. For example, Peterson’s 1999 book Maps of Meaning explores the psychological processes that lead human beings to oppress one another through totalitarian regimes. Here, Peterson theorizes that there’s a monster within us all; we’re all potential SS officers, or Soviet slave-drivers. We must face that potential, overcome it and strive against societal trends that bring out the oppressor within. To Jordan Peterson, postmodern gender theory is tied to Marxist ideology. On his views towards Bill C-16, which added “gender expression” as a prohibited ground of discrimination to the Canadian Human Rights Act, I believe Peterson is less concerned by gender-neutral pronouns themselves than by what he sees as the dangerous development of postmodern ideology. This coming Monday, Peterson will be on stage with Queen’s Law Professor Bruce Pardy. In his own views, Pardy believes that because the Law Society of Ontario demands its licensees prepare a statement endorsing equality, diversity and inclusion, they’re compelled to make ideological commitments. Though he lacks professional expertise in law, Peterson has plenty to say about ideologies enforced by the arms of the state. I share some of Peterson’s concerns, but I don’t think Queen’s has succumbed completely to postmodern ideology. Sadly, some of his opponents have been doing their best to prove this thesis. Students and faculty have decried Queen’s for giving him a platform. Protestors have threatened to prevent him from speaking by any means. In response to this backlash, Principal Daniel Woolf and Law Dean Bill Flanagan have responded with commitments to academic freedom. Students concerned about this event should consider Woolf’s statement. Why shouldn’t we forbid the expression of ideas we disagree with? As Woolf put it, “A university cannot sustain its ancient mission of inquiry into the true, the good, and the beautiful under such circumstances, nor can it exercise its responsibility to pursue knowledge free of constraint.” Jordan Peterson doesn’t avow hatred. However misguided some consider him, he’s a serious psychologist with ideas about how truth, goodness and beauty, as well as falsehood, evil and ugliness, are manifested in the human psyche. Consider his ideas; engage them in debate; ignore them, if you wish. But don’t seek to censor Peterson’s search for truth. Rafe is a third-year law student.
Jack Walsh, ArtSc ’20 Contributor Over the last few years, Jordan Peterson has attracted a large volume of champions and critics in his crusade against postmodern leftism in academia, media and politics. Personally, I have mixed feelings about Peterson. He can be needlessly provocative and his frequent allusions to authoritarian political states are both counterproductive and somewhat hysterical. At the same time, I think he’s an intelligent voice who’s helped shed light on extremes that people go through to enforce their ideological orthodoxies. Due to the prevalence of outrage culture in liberal institutions like university campuses, disagreement over a range of conventions has increasingly become subject to whether candid discussion is even allowed to proceed in the first place. To be fair, the rapid expansion of this disagreement is a troubling phenomenon present at both fringes of the political spectrum. But in my four years here at Queen’s, constraints on dissent seem to emerge almost exclusively from the far left and their reflexive, indiscriminate use of extreme and damaging labels stigmatizes ostensibly neutral speech. Peterson’s conviction is that these constraints are wrong and I wholeheartedly agree. Citing privilege and terms like “bigotry,” “racism” and “homophobia” can discredit an opposing viewpoint. These labels are so toxic that people are afraid to even question whether an idea is warranted, lest they be tarred with the same brush. Coercion doesn’t effect meaningful change. Peterson has been called a transphobe for his stance against Bill C-16, which could technically make the refusal to use a preferred gender pronoun an actionable form of harassment. But his real problem with it is that it imposes a normative framework that’s unrecognizable to most people. If someone chooses to address someone else as zhe or vis, they should do so out of an internalized respect for that person’s identity, not under duress from a higher authority. Lastly, it leaves no middle ground. This black-and-white approach is frighteningly dismissive of nuances and inconvenient facts and has alienated a lot of people with progressive, but insufficiently dogmatic views. Like him or not, this is one of the biggest reasons why you’ll likely be unable to get a ticket to Jordan Peterson’s lecture on Monday. Jack is a fourth-year history major.
Friday, March 2, 2018
queensjournal.ca
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Arts PHOTOS BY NICOLE LANGFIELD
The funding is expected to contribute to Indigenous art conservation.
ART NEWS
Queen’s Art Conservation receives $632,000 Funding to help research and conservation of Indigenous arts and culture C layton T omlinson Assistant Arts Editor Announced on Feb. 27, the Queen’s Art Conservation program received a $632,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Granted over the course of five years, the funding will be used to help the faculty increase its representation of Indigenous art and culture. This will be done through the stronger inclusion of Indigenous scholars and traditional knowledge keepers. They’ll be invited to consult on course curriculum and symposiums on the development of new curriculum in art conservation to help deal with Indigenous art and culture. All this knowledge will be further used to create online P amoda W ijekoon Staff Writer
From March 1 to 3, the Vogue Charity Fashion Show will take the stage at The Grand Theatre, raising money for the Kingston Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association. The clothes on the catwalk will showcase the efforts of student designers channeling “visionaries” that range from Fred Astaire to Cher. For one of the designers, Brie Miklaucic, Sci ‘20, sewing and mechanics go hand in hand. “I work on my grandma’s old sewing machine,” she said, describing the process of creating her collection for this year’s annual Vogue Charity Fashion Show. “It looks very cool, but every second day I have to take it apart, clean it and put it back together to see if it’ll work.” Miklaucic said she’s changed the top for one of her designs this year three times and one of her dresses four times. With one piece taking a designer between five and 40 hours to complete, Miklaucic said the process can take a long time. “But it’s so worth it. The process is fun, and it’s relaxing. Honestly, I’d rather sew than do anything else,” she said.
courses aimed at engaging non-University students. The program’s director Rosaleen Hill described the many benefits of the grant. “What we are trying to do is increase diversity within the profession, diversity within the curriculum, and we also want to make the research and findings available as widely as possible,” she said. Hill added that, beginning next academic year, the grant will allow for six visiting scholars and traditional knowledge keepers to come to Queen’s to expand the knowledge available to students. The focus of these scholars
will be to give students a greater appreciation of Indigenous materials, new media conservation and different views on ethics and conservation worldwide. In accompaniment, the Indigenous knowledge keepers or elders will work to advise conservators to interact with their art with more cultural sensitivity. These advisors are to be drawn from Indigenous communities across the globe. Patricia Smithen, associate professor of Paintings Conservation, explained the grant will teach students about the importance of respecting the context of the art and
CAMPUS FASHION
allowing this sensitivity to inform the conservation. “If you’ve got an international object from a community we don’t have a lot of familiarity with … it may not be okay to clean because the history of the object overrides the more traditional western approach where we like things to be clean and pretty,” she said about approaching conservation from a culturally respectful perspective. On the whole, the focus of the grant will be to expand students’ knowledge of Indigenous art conservation with traditional methodology. “I think this grant is really crucial to the Art Conservation
A preview of the Vogue Charity Fashion Show Two designers discuss their clothes hitting the runway Fashion design set down roots early in Miklaucic’s childhood; she cites her mother as her biggest inspiration. “My mom started teaching me when I was eight,” she said. “I was making doll’s clothes and fixing things. When I got older, I’d buy things that were too big and take them in so that they would actually fit me. From there, I realized that you can make your own stuff.” This year, the show’s theme of “Visionaries” presents collections designed around famous innovators of the art world — someone who “transcends the limits of their craft and envisions a brighter future for our world,” according to the show’s handbook. Miklaucic’s visionary, fashion designer Alexander McQueen, inspired her collection for this year’s production. She created it free-form on a mannequin, throwing the fabric on and sewing without a clear plan before hand. “Alexander McQueen had very bizarre designs,” she said. “It’s
kind of like, ‘I don’t know what’s happening, but it kind of works, and it looks really good.’ He had a quote, which is ‘I don’t like how people want women to look naïve and innocent. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress.’” “That’s what I rolled with for a lot of my designs. You wouldn’t ever wear it again, but I get to make a piece of art.” This love of fashion and design has been the motivating factor for Miklaucic, as well as for the fashion show’s head of design Julianna Nemeth, Comm ‘19. Both designers are longtime players on the fashion scene, going from stitching pillowcases and doll’s clothes to designing eight-piece runway collections over the past 14 years. “I started designing when I was eight, if you can call it designing at that stage,” Nemeth said. Her first foray into design was sewing patches onto worn-out clothes to reinvent them. “My parents didn’t have a lot of money when we were little,
so we got to go the thrift store twice a year and that was better than Christmas.” Nemeth said her collection this year is the polar opposite of Miklaucic’s designs. Instead of using potentially challenging designs, she opted for a fun, light-hearted take on fashion. Inspired by the singer Cher, Nemeth spent hours pouring over footage from the 1970s, “looking at the way that Sonny
Miklaucic’s designs.
program because it allows us to focus our efforts on a wider range of objects,” Paige Van Tassel, a master’s candidate in the program said. “It also allows us to integrate traditional knowledge and experiential learning into how we treat artifacts. “ More thorough Indigenous representation, and the introduction of free online courses to non-University students, made up the proposal that won the grant for Queen’s will become a reality in the next academic year. “Being an Indigenous person myself, [this grant] really gives me a lot of passion and drive for what I do,” Van Tassel said.
and Cher interacted with people and what they wore, as well as doing research on the time, and seeing what was acceptable [and] what wasn’t.” “She was really the first woman in pop and the first one to wear pants, which was a huge deal. My collection kind of embodies her values,” Nemeth said. Inspiration like this invites the audience to explore how fashion plays its part in pushing society in new directions. Although both designers are avowed “behind-the-scenes kind of people,” according to Miklaucic, it’s their designs that’ll be centre stage over the weekend, challenging their audience’s perspectives and, perhaps, showing off some visionary glimmers of their own.
SUPPLIED BY VOGUE CHARITY FASHION SHOW
Arts
10 •queensjournal.ca
Friday, March 2, 2018
CONCERT PREVIEW
Born Ruffians front man talks new album, Kingston shows Singer Luke Lalonde on return of band’s classic lineup N ick P earce Arts Editor When longtime drummer Steve Hamelin returned to play with Born Ruffians, it meant one thing for front man Luke Lalonde: “the band was back together.” The reunited outfit is back in Kingston this Friday and Saturday to showcase their new album, Uncle, Duke & The Chief — the group’s first since Hamelin’s return. Named after the nicknames for the band members’ fathers, the new album sees the band honing in on their sound with reinvigorated energy after 2015’s Ruff. “There was this feeling like the band was a cohesive unit, which I hadn’t felt in a while,” Lalonde said about the new album. “We started so young and I always associated the band with the
three of us. Replacing Steve or replacing anyone in that band makes it feel not quite like [what] it originally started as.” While the band replaced Hamelin with a good friend and enjoyed the writing process for Ruff, Lalonde said the year or so after its release saw him seriously questioning the purpose of Born Ruffians. For Lalonde, the band he and his friends started in high school over a decade ago seemed distant and its role was subject to doubt. “Maybe Born Ruffians was this band that existed and maybe now it’s something else,” he said about the time period. According to Lalonde, Hamelin’s return reasserted the band’s confidence, clarifying what they stood for, what they wanted to do and how they were going to do it. That focus paved the way for
Luke Lalonde performing in 2016.
this year’s release as the members sat down to work and incorporate the changes and challenges incumbent of a relatively long career in indie rock. “The core of a loving relationship can actually endure all those changes,” Lalonde said. “There’s something about a certain kind of friendship or certain kind of relationship that can change with the time.” “I’m getting very, very sentimental but I think our band and our friendship has that kind of strength and that kind of bond. A lot has changed but a lot has stayed the same.” Lalonde added these kinds of long term friendships work their way into the songs as members
REVIEW
intuitively know when to step in or aside, depending on where their music or bandmates go. The new album proves that cohesion with tightly written songs delivering emotional peaks and valleys with all the urgency of an experienced rock band. Lalonde’s relationship with his father also contributed to this openness — his father had gone through cancer treatment and the resulting emotions similarly found their way onto the record. “I sent him all the demos for this record. He listened to them over and over and over. He would send me reviews [saying] this was great. It was all positive. He was kind of the cheerleader for this record. We gave [it to] him … and
The Peking Acrobats somersault through the Grand Theatre Chinese acrobat troupe offers impressive display of strength B rittany G iliforte Contributor On Feb. 27, The Peking Acrobats gave a gravitydefying performance at The Grand Theatre. While they didn’t perform their famous human chair stack, which earned them a Guinness World Record in 1999, they didn’t fail to impress. Starting off the show on Tuesday night, the acrobats performed tricks and flips on a giant trampoline, springing onto tall surrounding poles where they climbed higher and off of which they somersaulted. After an impressive hula-hoop display, the acrobats went on to perform a series of balancing acts. From stacks of tiny glass cups, to umbrellas, to spinning plates, The Peking Acrobats showed they could balance, spin, juggle, toss and catch just about anything. Beyond balancing objects, the troupe’s stunts demonstrated extreme trust, teamwork and partnership as they balanced each other. They often required one acrobat to fully support another’s body weight as they rode around
in circles on a bicycle with every member of the troupe stacked on top of one another. At one point in the show, one female performer balanced on another’s head using only the support of one of her hands, all while spinning four plates on a stick with the other. Each of these moves were measured, carefully-executed
physical challenges. The troupe members generated a very real level of fear and danger whether it was by using spears to support a man’s body weight, or balancing on top of seven stacked chairs on one hand. However, the tension was often balanced with light-hearted and playful interactions with the
The Peking Acrobats’ offer stunning stunts.
audience. One young girl was invited onto the stage to hold a balloon that was to be popped with a small needle through a layer of thick glass. The Peking Acrobats poked fun as they dressed her in safety goggles and a hard helmet to keep her safe, despite the clear absence of danger involved in the act. The audience laughed and
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ROBERT GIARDA
JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
he just put it on and drove around and listened to it all the time,” Lalonde said, adding that the rest of the band’s parents shared his father’s enthusiasm. These emotional aspects are filtered through Lalonde’s new certainty about Born Ruffians, making the music work both as a personal record and an infectiously energetic addition to their live show. He said that while self-doubt can often creep in, a concentrated effort to get on stage and deliver on his goals for the band and translate that to the audience is a helpful guide. “We definitely do talk about what can we have on stage, besides playing really hard and playing really well. We can’t afford a full light show every night. All you can do is try your best out there.” enjoyed these small moments of comic relief from the dangerous nature of the other acts performed. The costumes, sets and props of the night were captivating in their variety of colour, material and texture. The female performers wore full bright bodysuits for many of their acts, including their dance with the diabolo — a juggling act in which the main performer had to balance an hourglass shaped object on a string using two sticks. The women performed a dance while balancing this object and tossing it overhead only to catch it again after somersaults and front and back hand-springs. The group costumes presenting ornamented Chinese dragons made up the most elaborate of the show’s props on Tuesday night. Six men, in three groups of two, shared costumes of large traditional dragon heads equipped with moving mouths and batting eyelids. During this act, roughly 12 pillars of different heights were lined up on stage. One dragon, made up of two male performers, would jump up onto the pillars and run across them, despite the differences in height and extreme physical control the runs demanded. The demonstration was impressive and no doubt, quite dangerous, but they pulled it off and made the feat appear effortless. The gravity-defying stunts, beautiful costuming and shocking performances captivated audience members in an impressive show of human strength.
Friday, March 2, 2018
queensjournal.ca
• 11
Sports Siobhan MacDonald pushing boundaries for disabled athletes
SUPPLIED BY SIOBHAN MACDONALD
Siobhan MacDonald is a second-year student at Queen’s.
Multiple limb amputee’s life defined by resilience, giving back and positivity Matt Scace Assistant Sports Editor For Siobhan MacDonald, adapting to the world around her has been a constant aspect of her life. Born without her left arm above the elbow, right leg above the knee and with a partial right hand, MacDonald’s disability came as a surprise to both her family and doctors. “It was a bit of a surprise … doctors did ultrasounds and stuff and had no idea,” MacDonald said. Since stepping foot in a sailboat for the first time at age six, sailing has taken MacDonald places she never thought possible. In 2013, MacDonald competed in her first Canada Summer Games in the 2.4mR race — her signature one person kneelboat sailing event. Since then, she’s participated in the 2014 IFDS World Para Sailing championships and 2016 Canadian 2.4mR championships. This summer, she was named Team Nova Scotia’s flag bearer at the Canada Summer Games and scored bronze in the 2.4mR event. Alongside her individual accolades, MacDonald has found enormous success at Queen’s on the varsity sailing team. Currently in her second year, she takes up the position of skipper and is the only disabled sailor on the team. In her first season, Queen’s won gold at the Student Yachting World Cup and Canadian I n t e rc o l l e g i a t e Sailing championships. This success has spilled into this year’s season, with MacDonald and her team finishing first at the CICSA Mid-Winter Regatta in Florida this weekend. But like anything, MacDonald had to start somewhere. Despite her disability, she recalled how her parents, Brenda and Angus, never treated her differently because of it. While her condition required extra work to find comfortable prosthetic limbs and solutions to certain daily tasks, her parents refused to let her disability define her childhood. From the moment she learned to walk, MacDonald was thrown into every activity that was available
to her. “[My parents] didn’t hold back which I’m pretty lucky for,” MacDonald said. After countless attempts at a wide array of sports, MacDonald found some activities would only allow her to do so much. With a hindered ability to perform certain movements, room for athletic progress proved difficult. When MacDonald acquainted herself with sailing at age six, she met her match. It was a sport that satisfied her appetite for athletic competition. “It’s almost like I reached a point where that was as far as I could go,” MacDonald said, alluding to her experience with sports like soccer and basketball. “Sailing was kind of that thing where I hadn’t hit that barrier yet.” MacDonald was raised in Mabou, Nova Scotia, a small town on the northern tip of the province home to 1,200 people. She said its tight-knit, welcoming community served as the perfect place to grow up. “Growing up in a small town was probably the best thing for me because everyone knew me. I never really had to deal with people being uncomfortable,” MacDonald said of living with her disability.
was kind “ofSailing that thing where I hadn’t hit that barrier yet.
”
—Siobhan MacDonald
Since she started sailing, MacDonald and her uncle have turned this quaint fishing town into a sailing hotspot for Nova Scotians. During her summers in Mabou, a single week would see a mobile sailing school roll into town, teaching residents how to sail for seven days. After seeing participation numbers explode each year, MacDonald, alongside her uncle and members of her family, set out to build Mabou’s first ever sailing club in 2012. “[Sailing] just kept growing
and growing until we built our own club with my family and my uncle,” MacDonald said. Over the next year, MacDonald and her family would scrounge websites like Kijiji for used boats. At this time, they also built a small clubhouse near the water. By the summer of 2013, the Mabou Sailing and Boating Club opened its doors for the first time. Since its inaugural summer, MacDonald has instructed the club’s young sailors, making herself instrumental to the club’s success. Registration numbers since its opening have only grown — the club instructs 80 kids over the course of eight weeks in the summer with demand continuously rising. “It’s wicked,” MacDonald said. “We have a whole new sport and atmosphere to our town which is great.” Although she’s been sailing since a young age, MacDonald has found her biggest success in the boat recently. It’s something she credits to her coach and 2008 Paralympic gold medalist Paul Tingley. MacDonald’s first big break came in 2012 when she caught the eyes of numerous Canadian para sailors who were looking for new Canadian sailing talent. Tingley noticed her talent on the water right away. “She knew how to sail and how to enjoy herself sailing which is really the best thing,” Tingley said. Since going under Tingley’s instruction in 2012, MacDonald has improved at an unparalleled pace. Every experience — from the Canada Summer Games to the World Para Sailing Championships — has come during Tingley’s time with MacDonald. The coach said MacDonald’s ability to improve at this pace is something he rarely sees. “She’s a sponge — she just wants to learn more and more and she really got it,” Tingley said. “That was really extraordinary.” By the time grade 12 rolled around, MacDonald’s passion for sailing had turned into an obsession. With university applications starting up, she looked for ways to continue
her career while pursuing an education. When Queen’s delivered their letter of acceptance in the spring of 2016 — alongside the Chancellor’s Scholarship — the choice for MacDonald was clear. Kingston was going to be her home for the next four years. After a successful tryout in August of 2016, MacDonald made the Queen’s varsity sailing team. Sailing, however, has changed MacDonald’s life in more ways than one. And it’s something her coach said shows right away. “Everyone loves Siobhan. It’s not hard to warm up to her, she’s great to be around. She’s positive, always smiling and seeing the good things,” Tingley said. But perhaps the most impressive of her characteristics is her seemingly perpetual positivity. Tingley, who has worked alongside her for six years now, is well aware of MacDonald’s unique outlook on life. “I think she learned a lot
about resilience and it gives you perspective. I’ve never seen her upset,” Tingley said. Although MacDonald’s positivity is something she’s aware of, she maintains things have always been that way for her. She largely credits her parents for this and knows she wouldn’t want to live any other way. “I think my parents have a positive attitude that I’ve always adapted.” MacDonald said. “I think it’s the best way.” Since being born with her disability, it’s clear that MacDonald has developed a life philosophy that has enabled her to see every challenge she’s faced in a positive light. “You’re not going to get far if you’re always thinking negatively and I’ve been lucky that I’ve gotten so many experiences because I’m disabled,” MacDonald said. “I think it’s one of my biggest assets.”
MacDonald (left) and Tingley (right).
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Sports
12 •queensjournal.ca
Friday, March 2, 2018
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Gaels lose first OUA quarterfinal since 2012 Queen’s fall short of UOttawa 74-63 Sebastian Bron Sports Editor After going into the playoffs with the third best record in Ontario, the women’s basketball team looked poised for a deep postseason run. But after their 74-63 loss to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the first round, Queen’s hopes of returning to the OUA final were put to rest. The loss marked the first time the Gaels have failed to escape the opening round of the playoffs since the 2011-12 season. Despite the Gaels’ familiarity with their opponent — they split the season series against the Gee-Gees — establishing the upper hand over Ottawa in the playoffs was a tough task. Queen’s only managed to hold a lead against
the Gee-Gees once throughout the contest. At one point, they trailed by as much as 14 points. In an interview with The Journal on Monday afternoon, head coach Dave Wilson expressed his disappointment over the loss. “If we don’t have a gold medal in our hands at the end of the season, I’m always going to be disappointed,” Wilson said of the Gaels’ first round exit. In spite of the loss, his discouragement stems more from the game’s result rather than his team’s play. “I’m not disappointed in our players or in our team … it’s disappointing in terms of the result,” he explained. “I thought we competed hard [but] we played a UOttawa team that came out exceptionally well prepared.” When asked where his team fell short in particular, Wilson said the Gaels’ pick-and-roll defense struggled to contain UOttawa’s starting frontcourt. On the night, Ottawa’s Angela Ribarich and
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Andrea Priamo (above) had 11 points and five rebounds for Queen’s in the loss.
Brigette Lefebvre combined for 37 points and 23 rebounds. “It’s a difficult play,” Wilson said about the pick-and-roll. “There’s lots of opportunity to deflect the ball or turn it over, it’s just we weren’t able to get those deflections this time around and consequently they were able to score out of it.” Wilson also cited a poor stretch of shooting in the second quarter — where the Gaels shot just 20 per cent from the field compared to Ottawa’s 41.2 per cent — as another contributing factor to the loss. “We struggled to get the ball in the basket … that means [UOttawa] gets off to the races, that means it’s hard to get our defense set,” Wilson said of his team’s shooting troubles. The Gaels are now 49-12 over their last three regular seasons — a record that’s second
best in the OUA over that time. Despite being one of the top teams in the province during this time, they haven’t won the OUA’s Critelli Cup since 2000-01. While they had a successful regular season, it took time for the Gaels’ roster to gel and find their rhythm. Even though his team was 8-1 in late November, Wilson told The Journal the Gaels were still “finding themselves” on the court. “This is the longest I’ve ever gone where we’re still trying to sort things out with our team in my coaching career,” Wilson said at the time. When asked if a lacking sense of chemistry reflected in the program’s first quarterfinal loss in six years, Wilson was quick to voice his support for his team. “I’m very pleased with how we ended up gelling, it just didn’t occur
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until the second semester which is longer than normal,” Wilson said of his November comments. “And it might make it sound like we were in disarray [but] that wasn’t really the case.” “I think we’re an exceptionally tight team in terms of chemistry [and] working together.” Looking ahead, Wilson is optimistic regarding the Gaels’ prospects for next season. With a handful of recruits already committed to the program, he’s certain they’ll “make for a very deep team that’s capable of putting the ball in the basket.” “It’s going to be exceptionally exciting,” Wilson said of next season. “It’s probably one of the best recruiting classes to go forth, not only with Queen’s but in the country.”
WOMEN’S HOCKEY
Queen’s roll into second round of OUA playoffs Win on Friday night would push Gaels into McCaw finals Stephanie Pascal had 40 saves on Wednesday.
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Matt Scace Assistant Sports Editor After an overtime 3-2 win against the Nipissing Lakers in North Bay on Wednesday, the women’s hockey team find themselves one win away from the OUA finals. In a tightly contested affair, they won game one of the OUA semi-finals with a goal from Taylor Hicks eight minutes into overtime. Now leading the series 1-0, Queen’s needs just one win to sink the Lakers and play for the McCaw Cup. “That was one of those fun playoff games,” head coach Matt Holmberg told The Journal on Thursday morning. “The line kind of becomes blurred between being a coach and being a fan.” Although Hicks will be remembered for her late game heroics, goaltender Stephanie Pascal quietly continued her strong play in net, stopping 38 of the Lakers’ 40 shots. In arguably her most important save of the night, Pascal stopped a Nipissing
shot with a clutch pad save early in overtime. Game one’s overtime thriller wasn’t the first time Queen’s had faced adversity in these playoffs. The Gaels won their first-round matchup with the Waterloo Warriors 2-1. The series was defined by strong goaltending, tight score lines and playoff jitters. “None of us were really shocked it went three games,” Holmberg said of his team’s series win over Waterloo. “The parity in the league is pretty great.” Despite winning the first game by a slim margin of 2-0, the Warriors bounced back in game two. With the Gaels looking to close out the series at home, Waterloo stifled Queen’s and took the game 2-0. “The biggest takeaway was how extremely happy and proud I was by the resilience the team showed after game two,” Holmberg said. He explained the result of game two delivered a blow to the Gaels, who hadn’t seen second-round playoff hockey since February of 2014. “For the young players that was a first and a huge stepping stone
for them.” With their next game on Friday night at the Kingston Memorial Centre, the Gaels could end the series against the Lakers with a sweep on home ice. If Nipissing pushes the series to a third and deciding game, the teams will play on Saturday night in Napanee at the Strathcona Paper Centre. With less time to prepare for games compared to the regular season, Holmberg said the team will stick to the same game plan they’ve followed all season. “At this point in the season, you just hope you can rely on your systems,” he said. While Holmberg understands the unpredictable nature of playoff hockey all too well, he noted one thing will be certain on Friday night. “We can certainly expect Nipissing to throw the kitchen sink at us,” Holmberg said, alluding to what he’ll need his team to do in response. “We just have to get off to a good quick start and establish our game.”
Sports
Friday, March 2, 2018
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MEN’S HOCKEY
Queen’s falter in overtime following record-breaking season Gaels lose series to Concordia 2-1 Jasnit Pabla Assistant News Editor After making their first Queen’s Cup final in 36 years last season, the men’s hockey team won’t see lightning strike twice. In this year’s OUA playoffs, Queen’s lost to the Concordia Stingers 2-1 in a
best of three series, ending their season on Sunday. By looking at the stats, anyone could’ve won the second-round series. It wasn’t clear-cut in any team’s favour. After losing their first game on home ice 4-2, Queen’s headed into game two desperate to force a sudden death game three. With goaltender Kevin Bailie making 45 saves and recording a shutout, the Gaels won 3-0. It secured them one last chance to move on in the OUA playoffs.
The Gaels’ 19-6-3 regular season record was a program-best.
“I knew that if we lost, it was my last hockey game ever,” Bailie, who’s in his last year of eligibility, told The Journal in an interview. “I think there was a little bit of that emotional side in it and the realization that if this is the last time I get to play a real meaningful game of hockey, I want to go out on my own terms.” Despite Queen’s taking a 1-0 lead in the second period in game three with a goal from Slater Doggett, the series’ deciding game was very much a case of
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back-and-forth play. Down 2-1 to Concordia with just under seven minutes left to play, Gaels forward Jaden Lindo scored, forcing overtime. Unfortunately for Queen’s, it was short-lived. Just 51 seconds into the extra frame, Concordia forward Philippe Sanche scored on a power-play, in effect ending the Gaels’ historic season. In an email to The Journal, Queen’s head coach Brett Gibson expressed that despite the loss, there was much to take away from the year his team has experienced. “Any season that ends without a championship leaves a taste of disappointment, but this was in no way a disappointing season,” he wrote. “There are generational players leaving our program after this loss but they have not disappointed me once.” “I am proud of what they accomplished over their time here.” Despite having to deal with a long list of injuries to start the 2017-18 season, the Gaels didn’t let this get in the way of their quest to become one of Canada’s top programs. Not only did they have the third-best record in the OUA, but the Gaels were ranked the eighth-best team in Canada. The team also broke last year’s record of 18 wins in a regular season with 19. This success continued into
the first round of the OUA playoffs where Queen’s dominated the Nipissing Lakers. The Gaels settled the series quickly with two consecutive wins, recording an impressive 10 goals scored in the process. Heading into round two against the Stingers, Gibson acknowledged the strength of their rival and the nature of the series to follow. “I knew coming into the series that the margin of error between the [two] teams was very slim,” he wrote. “One very good team was going to be eliminated and unfortunately for us, they found a way to score in OT before we did.” Now that the season is over, Gibson’s focus is on replacing his graduating athletes. Next year, the Gaels will be without Bailie, Warren Steele, Ryan Bloom, Eric Ming, Alex Stothart and Darcy Greenaway. Reflecting on his five years with the team, Bailie said the program is night-and-day from when he first arrived at the school. “It’s been a wild ride. There’s been no player on the ice who has had more fun over the years than me and the graduating guys,” he said of his experience with the program. “The year before I came here, [the program] was called a graveyard where players went to die. Now, it’s a springboard.”
14 • queensjournal.ca
Friday, March 2, 2018
Jessica Levett Contributor Imagine if your hero, idol or celebrity crush was accused of doing something completely hateful and immoral — like committing sexual assault. While it once may have been unimaginable, this has unfortunately become more of a reality than ever before. It’s a situation I experienced when numerous allegations of sexual assault came out against the popular Canadian band Hedley. Granted, the members of Hedley weren’t my leading idols and I wasn’t overly obsessed with them as a band, but I’d been a fan of theirs for many years and really enjoyed their music. So many of their old songs bring a favourite, feel-good vibe and their recent releases are stacked with party-ready songs. For these reasons, I was excited when I found out their tour would be bringing them to Kingston on Feb. 27. My friends and I bought floor seat tickets for a reasonable price and I prepared for what I expected to be one of the most enjoyable nights of my life … until I heard the accusations. Various headlines read “Canadian Band Hedley are Being Accused of Sexually Assaulting Young Fans”, “Lead Singer
Lifestyle Hedley on the set of their music video ‘Better Days’.
CULTURAL COMMENTARY
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Why I didn’t let myself go to Hedley’s Kingston concert The sexual assault allegations that made me reconsider my decisions of Hedley Accused of Rape”, “Hedley No Longer Playing Juno Awards After Sexual Misconduct Allegations.” The list goes on. My friend and I instinctively let out a simultaneous outcry when the allegations were first brought to our attention. We’d
just purchased our tickets a few days prior and couldn’t have been more disappointed or wished harder that there had been some sort of mistake. Yes, I was extremely excited for the concert but no, I could no
longer bring myself to go. Just by showing up to their concert, I wouldn’t only feel like I’d be supporting them, but I actually would be supporting them, emotionally and financially. Especially in the currently tense climate of the #MeToo movement,
supporting the brave women and men coming forward about their experiences with sexual assault is more crucial than ever. Contributing to the success of those who violate others promotes the idea that because of their celebrity status, they deserve special treatment and can get away with whatever they want. Though this has unfortunately been the norm for decades, I refuse to stand by it. Going to Hedley’s concert would only be encouraging the behaviour of the band members and delegitimizing the experiences of the victims and survivors. I refuse to continue to give money or power to those who don’t honour consent. I’m aware I could’ve easily disguised myself among the many fans who still attended the concert and leave without having to say a word. But my silence in this case would mean ignoring what I know is right. Losing out on all the money I paid for the Hedley tickets is a small price to pay to keep my morals intact and be on the right side of one of the biggest feminist movements our society has ever seen. Now’s the time to speak up and do what I can to hold Hedley accountable for their behaviour.
SPORTS
The best stories from the 2018 Winter Olympics A recap of two weeks full of Canadian glory
Photographs of the 2018 Canadian Olympic athletes.
Lauren Trossman Staff Writer Now that this year’s Winter Olympics have come to a close, we find ourselves being c o n f ro n te d with the responsibilities we’ve ignored for the past two weeks re-entering our lives. As midterms, essays and projects come back into view, it’s time to start grasping for any Olympics-related content to remind us of the good times. Carried out in Pyeongchang, Canada’s 2018 medal count will go down in history as our most successful Olympic games ever with a whopping 29 medals — six more than USA’s Olympic team, but who’s counting? With a record-breaking 102 events this year, it was hard to keep track of all the memorable moments that came out of these Olympics. Here’s a round-up of the most compelling and noteworthy stories of this year’s games. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir
After a devastating silver medal finish in 2014, Canadian ice dancing pair Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir took home gold this year to become the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history. Together, they’ve won five medals since 2010 and have since earned the highest-ever free dance event score on record. Not only was it their exceptional talents that pushed Virtue and Moir to become the face of Team Canada 2018, but their intense chemistry on the ice and their ambiguous relationship status also played a role in the publicity. With their skillful performances and heartwarming friendship, it’s no wonder the pair captured the attention of the nation. The past two weeks have been filled with questions about whether or not Virtue and Moir are romantically involved, after they joked about having dated at ages seven and nine. Lightheartedly refusing to comment further, we can only keep hoping in our hearts that they’ll end up together by the next Olympics.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY
Jocelyne Larocque’s behaviour under fire The Canadian women’s hockey team shocked fans worldwide when they broke their four-time winning streak and took home the silver medal after a loss to the US team. After the game, however, defender Jocelyne Larocque boldly removed her silver medal immediately after it was awarded. The Canadian athlete was highly criticized for a supposed lack of sportsmanship and for violating international hockey codes by disrespecting her medal. Larocque has since apologized, stating she takes her position as a role model very seriously and regrets her actions. Canadian bobsleigh team ties
Arguably the most jaw-dropping event at this year’s Winter Olympics was the result of the two-man bobsleigh event. Top Canadian bobsleigh team Justin Kripps and Alexander Kopacz delivered stunning results
in all four runs of the event. Come the final run, after steering their sled at speeds of 135 kilometers per hour, Team Kripps’ cumulative time matched Germany team athlete Friedrich’s first-place time down to the hundredth of a second. The shockingly improbable tie led to Canada and Germany sharing the gold medal podium. What’s even more surprising about this unlikely coincidence? The last time a two-man Canadian bobsleigh team took home an Olympic gold was in 1998 in Nagano, Japan, when Canadian Team Lueders similarly tied with Italy in the same event. Kim Boutin overcomes online hate
After winning her first Olympic bronze medal, Canadian short-track speed skater Kim Boutin was met with hordes of angry and hateful online messages, many of them including death threats. South Korean speed skating fans targeted Boutin after South Korean athlete Choi Min-jeong was disqualified from the event for interference, allowing Boutin to medal. Boutin shut down much of her social media as the RCMP, Canadian Olympic Committee and International Olympic Committee investigated the threats. Despite these pressures, Boutin went on to win two more medals, a silver
and another bronze, and was honoured as Canada’s flag bearer for the Closing Ceremonies. Bonus international story: Jamaican bobsleigh team drama
As we’ve already covered, bobsleigh proved to be one of the most dramatic sporting events of the 2018 Winter Olympics. As a fan of the 1993 film Cool Runnings, which illustrates Jamaica’s struggle in creating a bobsled team, I always look forward to watching the real Jamaican bobsled team in the Olympics each year. This year, however, their runnings didn’t start off so cool. Just a few days before their first event, the Jamaican women’s bobsleigh coach got in a fight with her team, left South Korea and took their only sled with her. Luckily, Jamaican beer company Red Stripe stepped in and offered to fund a new bobsleigh for the team, allowing them to compete and finish in 19th place. Though the drama and excitement of the Winter Olympics is over until 2022, we can look forward to this year’s Paralympics, running from March 8 to 18, and to the sweaty frenzy that is the Summer Olympics in 2020.
Lifestyle
Friday, March 2, 2018
An AK-15 disappearing.
POLITICS
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY
queensjournal.ca
Lives” in Washington D.C. on March 24 and most recently, Dick’s Sporting Goods — one of America’s largest gun retailers — announced their plans to stop selling assault-style weapons or selling to anyone under 21 years old, regardless of state laws. While these changes aren’t the only ones we need to put an end to these senseless shootings, it’s progress nonetheless and wouldn’t have happened without youth engagement. The events following the shooting have demonstrated two really important things. The first is that, contrary to many assumptions, millennial and post-millennial generations are interested in being
politically involved and active. The second is that people, no matter how young, are capable of creating change. González, Hogg and many other students from Stoneman Douglas have shown that anyone can influence positive change if they’re passionate. Hopefully, that will be encouragement enough for future generations to use their voices, despite the potential for discouragement from politicians. Students from Stoneman Douglas haven’t only created change for themselves — they also continue to pave the way for youth to be taken seriously in politics in the future.
Parkland shooting shows power of youth political engagement Regardless of backlash, students continue to inspire change Shivani Gonzalez Lifestyle Editor Youth political engagement is something that’s seemingly encouraged by everyone, but the past couple weeks have proven to us that politicians are willing to undermine the younger generation when they argue against their views. On Feb. 14, a shooter killed 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. After the horrific incident, responses were seemingly alike those following any other mass shooting. People were sending prayers and thoughts to the families and students involved and Republican Party lawmakers were stressing it still wasn’t the time to talk about gun reform. This has been the same pattern since the first mass shooting of this nature in 1996 at Columbine High School, and has been repeated over and over again after shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Pulse Nightclub, a Las Vegas concertand countless others. Ultimately, this shooting has turned out to be different than those in the past because we’re finally seeing some change, and it’s due completely to the efforts and strength of students from Stoneman Douglas. Following the shooting, students from the school immediately began calling for gun law reforms — most notably, Emma González and David Hogg. By using their voices, these students have generated more conversation and potential change of gun laws than ever before. This triumph is especially impressive considering the House, the Senate and the White House are all or majorly Republican-occupied. In turn, the response of many current
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politicians to this millennial political engagement has been completely atrocious. Instead of giving credit to these 15 and 16-year-olds for their ability to be so strong after facing trauma, some politicians reactions have been to try to delegitimize the students. The biggest example of this occurred when Donald Trump Jr. liked a tweet from a district secretary of Republican state representative claiming Hogg was a paid “crises actor”. This is a common right-wing conspiracy theory that floats around after most mass shootings — the belief that the left hires actors to be at the scene of these tragedies to capture media attention and push their anti-gun policies. These claims have never been legitimized, but what makes it problematic this time is that these theories are being engaged with by influential politicians. Politicians are going to far lengths to attempt to delegitimize the extremely brave students, and it’s becoming a concern for the future of youth political engagement. Yes, students like Hogg and González have been able to continue their fight regardless of backlash, but seeing adult politicians going against teenagers has the potential to discourage young people to use their voices in the future. Thanks to youth stepping forward — namely González’s speech at a rally following the shooting calling for “no more BS” and the many students willing to talk to TV networks about their experiences — there’s been more done for gun control reform in the last couple weeks than there has been in years. CNN hosted a town hall about gun control on Feb. 22, Stoneman Douglas students organized a “March For Our
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ACROSS 1 Unescorted 5 Third degree? 8 Admitting clients 12 Not pizzicato 13 Scull tool 14 Give a darn 15 Mary’s follower 16 Genetic initials 17 Eastern potentate 18 Shoelace hole 20 Cried like a puppy 22 Flightless bird 23 Reaction to fireworks 24 Gen. _____ E. Lee 27 Knight’s glove 32 Atmosphere 33 Plant bristle 34 Preceding 35 Blood bit 38 Bottom-row PC key 39 Spy org. 40 Mao’s successor 42 Angelic babe 45 Mini-program 49 Luau entertainment 50 Tier 52 Corporate emblem 53 On in years 54 First lady 55 So 56 Sampras or Seeger 57 Father 58 Criterion
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DOWN 1 Store transaction 2 Salver 3 High point Wine glass 5 Part of Iberia 6 Solo of “Star Wars” 7 Heavy cart 8 Spotted wildcat 9 Tract 10 Great Lake 11 Dweeb 19 Dorothy’s auntie 21 A billion years 24 Music genre 25 Lubricate 26 Arm bling 28 Amaze 29 Still frozen 30 Blunder 31 ____ Aviv 36 Long, harsh speech 37 ____ de cologne 38 Dosage unit
41 42 43 44 46 47 48 51
Pixar film about Carl Fredricksen Bloke Ginormous Raised Traditional tales Early birds? Whistle sound Latin 47-Down
Lifestyle
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POSTSCRIPT
Confusing my tennis ability with my masculinity How I used the sport to shield my insecurities
Josh surrounded by pictures from his youth.
Josh Granovsky Assistant Lifestyle Editor I’ve played a lot of traditional roles throughout my 19 years; I’ve been the angsty tween, the hard-working high school student, the sleep-through-myclasses university student. But the one role I could never quite fit into was that of a stereotypically “masculine” man. Growing up, I was raised in a female-dominated environment. I have three sisters who I’m close with and an extremely involved mother. My father plays a very active role in my life, but we’re both simply outnumbered by my family’s female power. My mother and sisters undoubtedly provided me with numerous qualities for which I’m extremely grateful. They taught me to express my feelings, show compassion and stay loyal to the people I care about. And, yes, there were a few interests and mannerisms I picked up from them that I’m not sure I would’ve otherwise; my hand often gravitates to my hip in the most Jewish-motherly way possible and there was a solid five years where I could’ve told you exactly what happened on that week’s America’s Next Top Model episode. I never saw anything wrong with the way I walked, talked or naturally gravitated to girls for friends, since they’re who I felt most comfortable with until I started grade school. As a kid, my physical attributes never seemed to properly align with my age. I was sizeably below-average in height for my entire childhood which, coupled with my disinterest in most sports
and my high-pitched voice, made me stand out among my male peers at school. Most of the guys I went to school with shared a selection of common traits — they all played sports together, had more male friends than female ones and didn’t discuss their feelings. I’d later learn these traits fit into an idea called “masculinity,” a term often used to tie strength to men. I didn’t possess many of these qualities — or at least not to the extent that my classmates did — so I was associated by others with “femininity,” a term often and unfortunately used to tie weakness to women. The boys in my classes didn’t approve of my breaking of this social taboo and their disapproval was often expressed in a method I similarly wasn’t overly familiar with: aggression. I was called “gay” as an insult for the first time at the ripe age of six. I can remember it clearer than I can most of my childhood birthdays. I didn’t know what the word meant, but I could tell by the disgust dripping from the boy’s tone that I was meant to feel offended. It was around this time that I started playing tennis. My proficiency for the sport quickly came to surpass most other six year olds thanks to a combination of natural skill and a good work ethic. I joined a high performance program at the age of nine. I was the youngest and smallest player by a wide margin, but I was also the fastest and most strategic. There was a strength in that — not necessarily a physical one, but a power in excelling at a
sport despite having none of the usual qualities used to do so. My tennis skills also protected me somewhat from my elementary school bullies. I was still short, squeaky and predominantly friends with girls. But I was also playing a sport at a high level, something people considered “weak” or “feminine” were apparently not typically capable of doing. Tennis became my shield against accusations of weakness. The insults they launched continually bounced off my against-all-odds athleticism. So, people eventually stopped firing them. With a newfound confidence coming into middle school, I made more friends, got a girlfriend and found a second family in the kids I trained with. I still had various underlying insecurities about my lack of growth and stereotypically feminine features. Even so, if no one was calling me out on them, I saw no reason to change. But then some cracks in my love of tennis began to manifest. To play tennis at a professional level, it’s essentially required to compete in tournaments in order to attain a provincial or national ranking. Tournaments always confused me. I trained with a group of other players but when it comes down to it, tennis is a one-on-one sport. I didn’t like having to turn against my friends the second we became “competitors.” I didn’t like seeing them lose as much as I didn’t like seeing myself not win. Still, I never voiced these concerns out of fear that my compassion would appear cowardly. Though I settled into the practices of playing a sport I no longer loved, high school proved to
be an even larger struggle. Still missing a growth spurt, I stuck out more than ever. A quick scroll through my ex-middleschool-girlfriend’s Ask.fm account gave me a pretty clear indication of how my ninth grade peers perceived me. One “question” read: “the only guy you ever [hooked up] with is [J]osh [G]ranovsky and he doesn’t really count because he’s a fag and kind of a girl.” I didn’t have an account of my own, so her page became a sounding board of “faggot” labellings, doubts of my heterosexuality and degradations of my “masculinity” in any other ways their adolescent brains could muster. My only method of defence against these comments, since I had no way to respond, was to throw myself further into tennis. I upped my training to six times a week, sometimes starting at 6:30 a.m. and ending at 10:30 p.m. My ranking rose to a peak of 49 in Ontario and 200 in Canada. I posted about my strict regimen on social media, revelling in the shock of my classmates’ comments about my “hidden manhood.” As my commitment to tennis expanded, so did my hate for it. I still didn’t like battling my friends on court, but now I also resented missing out on after-school activities or having to leave school early to accommodate training. Then, towards the end of tenth grade, my prayers were answered. I grew a full foot and my voice dropped an octave or two. I found the confidence
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY
to join a new friend group, gain a serious girlfriend and eventually, quit tennis. That year, I dropped my training to four days, which soon wilted to two and ultimately to none. Finally without constant commenting about my femininity from those around me, I became more assured in my self-worth. My social and mental stability meant I no longer needed tennis to shield me from people who thought I was “girlish.” While I’m happy to not be the anxious, five-foot-tall kid I was when I entered high school, I wish I hadn’t needed to grow a foot to gain confidence. I wish I didn’t have to stick with a sport I hated just to feel some ounce of strength. I wish I didn’t need to wait almost two decades to truly realize I could be a man just as I am, no matter what society historically defined one as. Now, at 19 years old and six feet tall, I can’t remember the last time someone legitimately questioned my masculinity. More importantly, I can’t remember the last time I questioned my masculinity. I like to think it has less to do with my proportional stature and more to do with learning to define my masculinity based on what makes me feel like a man, not what everyone else thinks a man should be. In an ideal world, sharing my story would contribute to the growing movement of dismantling what is now known as “toxic masculinity.” But I’ll still be more than satisfied if I can get just one boy to read this, realize he doesn’t have to fit into any male stereotypes and quit tennis.
