The Queen's Journal, Volume 151, Issue 18

the journal —

OPINIONS — PAGE 7

THE HAZING INCIDENT THAT ERASED A PRESTIGIOUS QUEEN’S COMMERCE CLUB

SCIENCE — PAGE 11

Nobel laureate Arthur McDonald talks physics with The Journal

JDUC $23 million over budget, students pay

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F r i day , J a n ua ry 1 9 , 2 0 2 3

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the Anishinaabe and

Haudenosaunee peoples.

Queen’s University

Closure of Arts and Science Online is a step backward for educational equity

Vol. 151, Issue 18

Situated on the

traditional lands of

Since 1873

Page 8

Cassidy McMackon Editor in Chief Originally billed at $62.3 million, new documents show the JDUC revitalization project will cost $85.6 million.

In June 2022, the AMS, SGPS, and Queen’s University signed an amendment to the original agreement that laid out the terms for the JDUC project.

Under a Freedom of Information request, The Journal learned the JDUC revitalization project was $23.3 million over budget in 2022, with student fees paying for the majority of the price increase.

According to the document, the higher price comes alongside “the significant construction activity in Ontario as well as supply chain issues.”

When plans for the project passed in 2019, the JDUC revitalization project was billed at $62.3 million. Undergraduate students will now spend $62.3 million to fund the project, while graduate students will pay $9.2 million. The new cost reflects a $17.7 million and $3.2 million increase for each society respectively.

DREAMS ARE COMING TRUE FOR WOMEN HOCKEY PLAYERS

Stock image of an initiation party.

According to the AMS, services confirmed to be moving into the new JDUC building include Tricolour Outlet, Common Ground’s sister location The Brew, the Queen’s Pub, the Peer Support Centre, the AMS Food Bank, Walkhome, and the AMS Media Centre—which is an amalgamation of the P&CC and Studio Q. All AMS offices currently housed in Rideau and La Salle Halls will be relocating

to the JDUC. SGPS President Devin Fowlie confirmed there will be two bookable meeting rooms for graduate students, as well as a large common area. The Sexual Health Resource Centre (SHRC) will also be making a return to the JDUC. The Journal contacted the University about how the University will ensure adequate space is allocated to student

services, but didn’t receive comment in time for publication.

The AMS, SGPS, and University share operating costs for the JDUC building. According to both the AMS and SGPS, these negotiations are currently underway.

“This building was a vision of students and will be an important location for students going forward,” Fowlie said in a written statement. “We are actively

Rory Stinson Senior Sports Editor Scout Watkins Southward, ArtSci ’24, learned to skate at Victoria Park in the University District when she was a toddler.

As a young girl, Watkins Southward would put on her Toronto Maple Leafs jersey and watch the boys in the NHL with her family. She started organized hockey when she was four years old, and though she wanted to play professional hockey, she knew the NHL was out of reach for girls.

Instead, she set her sights on the U22 Elite Women’s Hockey League and university hockey.

Mikayla Cranney, ArtSci ’27, was similarly grew up in a hockey family. A competitive person, she queensjournal.ca

Queen’s Women’s Hockey players reflect on the PWHL.

met a lot of her lifelong best friends through hockey. She too hoped to play university hockey, because other than the women’s national team, that was the top level of women’s hockey.

On Jan. 1, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) began its inaugural season, legitimizing the dream of playing professional women’s hockey for a @queensjournal

several female athletes.

A recent survey found that 35 per cent of Canadians believe the inauguration of the PWHL will have a major impact on inspiring a new generation of female athletes to pursue playing hockey professionally.

With the opportunity for livable salaries from the PWHL—a first for women’s hockey—there’s a @queensjournal

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

significant opportunity to make the sport more equitable.

Cranney and Watkins Southward of the Queen’s Women’s Hockey team sat down with The Journal to discuss the impact the inauguration of the PWHL has had on them, along with their experiences playing hockey.

Though still a rookie on the Queen’s Women’s Hockey team, @queensjournal

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

negotiating with those interests in mind. We understand the rising costs students face and want to maximize the space students receive while minimizing the cost to them.”

Though the AMS said the University sets the price per square foot for commercial tenants, they didn’t disclose how pricing is determined for student services.

See JDUC on page 4 Cranney had similar experiences to her captain, Watkins Southward, as a young woman in hockey.

“In elementary school, my friends would be like ‘Scout’s going to play in the NHL,’ and I knew right from a young age, I wanted to go as far as I could with hockey,” Watkins Southward said. “That involves playing with the boys at recess or playing hockey with the boys and I was like, ‘Hey, no, I want to do this with the girls at the highest level.’”

“Deep down, I knew I [couldn’t] play in the NHL, that’s just for men.

I was so heartbroken, thinking, ‘Why can’t I go somewhere and play pro or something with hockey? I want play in the NHL, but that’s not realistic,’” she said.

Watkins Southward explained she knew at a young age the NHL wasn’t a space for women hockey players, so she looked for teams, like the U22 Elite Women’s team, where she could continue her game.

“From that team, there wasn’t really any other option. I was like, ‘No, this is just the beginning for me. I just knew there was no way,’” she said.

See PWHL on page 12 @thequeensjournal

2 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

NEWS

Academic mission remains Queen’s top priority amid budget crisis

‘We will come through with this, and the institution will continue on with its mission’

News their budgets by 2025-26, Evans said.

The FAS has a larger deficit than other faculties because it lagged behind in meeting its target for international student recruitment this year, shy 79 students of the original projected numbers.

Faculty retirements were also lower than predicted.

In his presentation, Evans said Queen’s is falling short on its international recruitment by 152 students. The lower enrolment of undergraduate international students for the

Meghrig Milkon Assistant News Editor Queen’s Senate convened for an emergency meeting on Zoom to address questions related to the University’s operating budget deficit and its impact on academia.

In his opening remarks, Principal Patrick Deane emphasized the significant budget challenges Ontario universities are currently facing, not just Queen’s University.

“This is a sign of a widespread problem which arises from a very extended period of underfunding in the Province of Ontario,” Deane said.

Deane cited the Government’s 2019 tuition cut and freeze, and Queen’s decline in international enrolment as the root causes of the current budget deficit. He’s hopeful Queen’s will persevere through these challenging times.

Echoing Deane’s sentiments in a presentation to Senators, Provost Matthew Evans shared the causes and effects of the $48 million budget deficit.

Rising inflation coupled with employee salaries, which constitute 67 per cent of total

The meeting gave an overview of the University’s budget deficit.

expenditures, contributed significantly to Queen’s financial challenges. However, neither should compromise the University’s academic offerings, Evans said.

“Our priority has to be the academic mission. We have to continue to deliver the highest standard of education, maintain a robust research program and excellent teaching,” Evans said.

Queen’s decentralized budget model implemented in 2013 grants faculties autonomy over spending and income. For the 2024–25 fiscal year, structural deficits are evident across all faculties, with 80 per cent attributed to the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS).

The goal is for faculties to balance

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024 faculty fell short of 18 students.

CLARIFICATION “International students are — worth a considerable amount The Nov. 24 issue of The Queen’s of money to the faculties,” Journal contained a spelling error Evans said. in the word “accommodations” International students are which was present on a important for Queen’s longevity front-page headline. The Journal and campus culture. Evans regrets this error. said strong international enrolment enriches university life and campus diversity, while pressures that aren’t reflected supporting the institution’s in the budget are the decline financial stability. in enrolment this year, and To alleviate financial the closure of Bader College pressures on faculties, a deficit due to the state of the castle, which mitigation fund was established will have repercussions in the at the beginning of the year. This upcoming years.

“Unfortunately, it’s fairly obvious that both of those are likely to be negative,” Evans said.

In response to the financial challenges, Principal Patrick Deane and Provost Matthew Evans have established a bi-weekly task force.

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

“The task force will manage risk to ensure Queen’s is financially sustainable and resourced appropriately to support the academic mission, and to minimize the impact on students,” Evans said.

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

It’s not too late to run for Rector or AMS Executive

2023–24 school year cost the fund requires a 1.5 per cent University $12.1 million. contribution to be made by all Smith Engineering has units, including shared services, experienced a shortfall in the and faculties. enrolment of undergraduate When asked how the international students, with University plans to uphold its 81 fewer students than academic mission, Evans directed anticipated. This decrease in the focus to the deficit mitigation international undergraduate fund. According to Evans’ Aimee Look enrolment cost the faculty presentation, $9.8 million in the Business, Science, $3.2 million, projecting the 2024-25 fiscal will be used as a & Technology Editor second-highest deficit after the FAS “safety net” for the FAS. which lost out on $9.6 million from “That’s a considerable investment Students running for Queen’s the demographic. by us and reflects our values Rector, AMS executive or groups While the target for overall and the help that we have for with a fee going up for referendum undergraduate enrolment the faculty is very important and now have until Jan. 20 at 5 p.m. has been met by most faculties, a key part of the university and to secure nominations, the Smith School of Business we’ll do our best to sustain it,” according to a statement on the faced challenges in reaching the Evans said.

AMS Instagram account. goal of recruiting 500 students, the The two major external Students considering a run for an executive AMS position or looking to change a student fee require more than 204 signatures to be on the ballot. Students running for Rector require upwards of 281 student signatures.

After securing the required goes against universities’ codes number of signatures and sending of conduct. them to the AMS Chief Electoral In a statement to The Journal, Officer, students become AMS Queen’s denounced all forms executive candidates. of hate, including antisemitism During the nomination period, and Islamophobia, and groups and students shouldn’t be reaffirmed that the safety of the campaigning for their platform Meghrig Milkon Queen’s community is taken or fee, the AMS Instagram Assistant News Editor very seriously. statement said. The intention “We are committed to ensuring behind receiving student As controversy takes hold all members of our community signatures as nominations is solely of American campuses are safe, treated with respect, to notify students candidates are following the resignation of Ivy and can thrive on campus. intending on running for League University Presidents, We will be responding to the a position, or changing or US congress’ investigation letter from the Members of establishing a student fee. into antisemitism on campus Parliament in the coming days,” the When students sign a nomination continues. Canadian universities statement read. form, it doesn’t count as a vote are grappling with a similar Housefather’s Jan. 20 deadline towards that candidate or cause. call out. is on Sunday. He intends to Multiple positions in the In an open letter directed present responses to a House of upcoming SGPS elections are to 25 Canadian universities, Commons committee. vacant, with no declared candidates including Queen’s, Liberal Hillel Ontario expressed or students running uncontested, Member of Parliament Anthony gratitude in a statement of the nomination period ends on Jan. Housefather questioned how support of the MP’s letter.

22 at 4:00 p.m. universities are protecting The statement said The SGPS positions of Jewish students on campus. Jewish students on Vice-President (Community) Housefather questioned whether, university campuses are feeling and Vice-President (Finance) still “the call for genocide and the unsafe and vulnerable, and require candidates. elimination of the State of Israel” are in need of support now more

Queen’s will respond to MP’s letter on commitment to Jewish students

Two days before the deadline, students await Queen’s response

News

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024

COR closes, students search to sober up elsewhere

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 3

Queen’s top five jet setters on University’s dime

Campus Observation Room (COR) closed until St. Patrick’s Day Mikella Schuettler Assistant News Editor With COR closed, students must search elsewhere to sober up safely this winter.

The Campus Observation Room (COR), a space supervising students who’ve had too much to drink, closed its doors for the winter semester, with an exception planned during St. Patrick’s Day weekend on March 16 and 17. The closure was decided last year

by COR staff and campus partners after data showed reduced use of the COR during The Journal analyzes travel expenses through Queen’s Expense Reimbursement System (ERS). the winter. senior leadership positions.

Bader College in June and “There are many weekends when Using Queen’s data from the made an additional stop at Oxford the [COR] can keep as many as Expense Reimbursement System in March.

8-10 people out of the Emergency (ERS), The Journal ranks Queen’s Tierney attended the Room, which means those biggest jet setters for 2023. 2023 Canadian Association ER services are able to help The Principal’s Office reports of College & University others in the community,” said travel expenses separately and isn’t Student Services conference Kate Humphrys, health promotion included in the ranking. in Niagara Falls in June. coordinator at Student Wellness Services (SWS), in a statement to 3. Kevin Deluzio, Dean (Smith The Journal.

Sophia Coppolino Engineering) $51,327 In its absence, the COR’s Senior News Editor website describes ways students Picture a destination. Chances can support intoxicated peers, There are perks to being senior are Dean Deluzio travelled including a ‘dos and don’ts’ list for leaders at Queen’s, and travelling there this year, managing the dangers of choking internationally representing the racking up $51,327 in charges and injury.

University is one of them. to the University. Taking planes, Humphrys advised intoxicated Senior leaders across trains, and cars, Deluzio went students to go to the KHSC the University spent more everywhere from South Africa Emergency Department or than $359,654 on travel to the Netherlands. Deluzio’s Detox Center at 240 Brock St. between October 1, 2022 and biggest expense of $9,586 The Detox Center offers overnight October 1, 2023, marking is vaguely described as assistance, but is advertised as a approximately a 52 per cent “airline–(internationaldestinations)” JOURNAL FILE PHOTO for a recruitment trip. “withdrawal management service,” increase from the previous year, generally intended for individuals at according to The Journal’s analysis He took advancement trips risk of addiction relapse. of expense reports which were across the United States in Dr. Tim Chaplin, program obtained under a Freedom of 5. Barbara Crow, Dean March and travelled to India for medical director for emergency Information request.

(Faculty of Arts and Science) a recruitment trip in April. He services at Kingston Health Science Working out to about $29,971 $27,114 attended several Canadian Centre, was unaware the COR was per month, University money engineering conferences and the closing. He’s unsure of the impact was used for travel Coming in at number five, Governor General’s Luncheon the closure will have on emergency costs including commercial Dean Crow spent $27,114 during in June. rooms that rely on the COR airfare, ground transportation, The Journal’s reporting period. to care for students on weekends accommodations, and meals for 17 In October 2022, Crow travelled and holidays. to southeast Asia, visiting During the fall term, the COR the February, with hopes of Vietnam, and Indonesia. was open overnight on Fridays passing to continue the service. Later in the year, Crow and Saturdays from 9 p.m. until Student fees cover the free taxi travelled east again, 7 a.m., with extended hours rides to the COR, supplies such landing in the United Arab during Homecoming and as harm reduction materials, Emirates before heading to India. orientation week. Located near the and contribute to the salaries of the A lover of luxury, Leonard Dining Hall, Humphrys addiction support workers who run Crow stayed the Shangria-La estimates dozens of students use the centre. in New Delhi and the Four the service in any given year.

“COR can’t run without Seasons in Mumbai. Crow’s most The COR is manned by trained these professional experts,” expensive accommodation was student volunteers and Kingston Humphrys added. at the five-star hotel the Fairmont JOURNAL FILE PHOTO Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) With a voter turnout of Singapore, costing $5,977. She addictions support workers 10 per cent, COR needed 60 per ended the year in Austria. who offer a safe and confidential cent of students to vote “yes” 2. Sandra Den Otter, place for students to sober up. for their fee to be increased. It 4. Ann Tierney, Vice-Provost Vice-Provost (International) Students can bring their friends missed passage by six per cent, (Student Affairs) $38,840 $52,282 or take a taxi—paid for by the garnering 54 per cent of students COR—to access the service. voting in favour.

Charged with overseeing Queen’s international The COR failed to raise This winter, Humphrys hopes services promoting student representative, Den Otter’s role its optional student fee to $1 more students will vote for the wellbeing and engagement, Tierney took her worldwide this year, during the AMS fall referendum. COR’s fee to help future generations spent $38,840 in 2023. Travelling totalling $52,282.

The original 85 cent fee will of Queen’s students party safely. to England twice over the year, Attending the Asia-Pacific be back on the ballot in Tierney checked in on Association for International

Queen’s leadership recorded $359,654 in travel expenses in 2023

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

Business in Vietnam, the North American Conference in British Students in Chicago, and checking in on the Matariki Network of Universities in Perth, Den Otter is Queen’s very own Mr. Worldwide.

Notably, Den Otter spent $1,581 at Jump+ in Kingston on a laptop.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

1. Wanda Costen, Dean (Smith School of Business) $93,647

Earning of the title of Queen’s biggest jet setter, Dean Costen spent $93,647 on travel between October 1, 2022 and October 1, 2023. Costen travelled to Costa Rica, China, Spain, and more this year.

Costen met with alumni, took Smith professors out for dinner, and attended a dean’s conference in Texas.

Toronto meetings with Smith’s advisory board cost approximately $2,316 in March, with Costen staying at the Royal York Hotel.

The beginning of the period was busy for the Smith Dean, who visited Canada’s west coast for two weeks in October 2022 and was off to Europe for the second half of January.

Want to be a news writer? journal_news@ams.queensu.ca www.queensjournal.ca

News

4 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

Principal and VP (Inclusion) talk equity on campus for efficient visa processing for international students and investigate funding within the budget to support international students from lower economic brackets in pursuing a Queen’s education.

Sexual Violence Policy Updates

Simpson and Deane and the event.

Equity Town Hall sees wide range of conversation Mikella Schuettler Assistant News Editor Although many pressing social issues were at the forefront of students’ minds last semester, attendance was low at the Equity Town Hall hosted by the AMS Social Issues Commission on Jan. 17.

Vice-Principal (Culture, Equity, and Inclusion) Stephanie Simpson, and Principal Patrick Deane answered questions submitted by students in a sparsely attended room in Goodes Hall.

Topics ranged from housing to supporting international students. Both Simpson and Deane identified the ongoing violence in the Middle East as the most important social issue affecting students on campus.

“Many members of our university community have connections to the Middle East and are experiencing it in very troubling ways.

I think, that, for me, it is the biggest issue right now,” Deane said in an interview with The Journal following the town hall.

In attendance were the AMS executive, Rector Owen Crawford-Lem, and Student Senate Caucus Vice-Chair Leo Yang.

Housing Concerns

Simpson said students’ struggle to find housing weighs heavily on the minds of Queen’s senior leadership.

Deane and Simpson agreed housing is a national problem affecting students across Canada.

Administrators from Queen’s and the City of Kingston have regular meetings to tackle housing, Deane said. Discussions are addressing bylaws which limit development in the University District.

“It’s very much on the minds and hearts of people within the sector in terms of creating affordable and decent housing for students at our own university and in our own community,” Simpson said.

Deane acknowledged the challenge the recent closure of Bader College posed, with 100 new first year students being absorbed into the community unexpectedly. Bader

PHOTO BY MIKELLA SCHUETTLER

students received help from the Off Campus Living Advisor to secure rooms in Kingston for the winter term.

On the topic of the recent closure, Deane spoke of his hope to make the Bader College experience more accessible to all first years.

Bader offered smaller first year courses, often centered around experiential learning, but carried a price tag upwards of $40,000 per student.

Classroom Safety

In response to the hate-motivated stabbing at University of Waterloo in June, Queen’s has increased safety measures to protect students and faculty, acknowledging the work isn’t yet done.

“Queer, trans, and non-binary students on this campus don’t feel safe and our understandings around that have been developing long before the Waterloo incident took place,” Simpson said.

In the fall, the University reviewed classroom safety, ensuring there were working telephones in all classrooms and signs directing people to resources in the event of an emergency.

Simpson’s office will helm an anti-hate advisory group, which will include queer Queen’s community members.

Simpson knows physical safety is vital, but for LGBTQSIA+ community members, safety is more complex at Queen’s.

“It’s not just about how safe people feel from an overtly violent attack, but about how safe people feel being their authentic selves on this campus and whether they are able to express their identity,” Simpson said.

Deane and Simpson responded to a question about the new changes to the Policy on Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence, which went into effect on Jan. 2.

The policy changes, which attempt to make it easier for students to file complaints, incorporate recommendations from experts.

For Simpson, the most important revision includes eliminating the possibility a survivor would have to tell their story twice, which could’ve occurred under the previous policy.

“We wanted to make sure to the best of our ability that people deciding to come forward with their reality, their truth, would only need to go through that investigative process once,” Simpson said.

Though the policy is promising, Deane highlighted policies can only do so much, and students’ awareness is pivotal for implementing change.

“We have good policies on some key issues, harassment,

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024 discrimination and so on, but their effectiveness within our community or as an agent for cultural transformation, depends entirely on them being known,” Deane said.

According to Simpson, the communications department will be conducting a full rollout to advertise the new policy to students.

Accessibility was a consistent theme throughout the Town Hall. Simpson and Deane fielded questions about improving closed captioning

for online lectures and ensuring paths on campus are cleared during winter for community members using wheelchairs.

To address both issues, Simpson encouraged students to contact Andrew Ashby, manager of accessibility services, to pitch ways to improve accessibility on campus.

The AMS Social Issues Commission ended the meeting by promising another town hall meeting in March.

Multi million JDUC

reflects students’ current financial landscape.”

This election season, the Student Life Centre (SLC) fee is on the ballot for undergraduate students, with the AMS seeking a $5 increase from the current Continued from front... $38.57 fee.

The SLC fee covers According to the SGPS, there operational costs such as will be an increased cost for office rents, bookable rooms, space allocations for graduate and other club spaces. student spaces; however, the The SLC fee is being increased as graduate student society is the new JDUC includes features doing “everything they can” such as a fully functioning to ensure graduate students receive HVAC system, and accessibility a fair price for their share of space.

24-hours a day.

According to both student societies, the AMS and SGPS are working in tandem to advocate for student interests “The AMS is integral to our discussions about the JDUC,” Fowlie wrote.

“The space is occupied by the SGPS, AMS, and the University and so we are working closely with the AMS to negotiate the best prices for all students. We are united with the AMS in ensuring Payment breakdown for the JDUC. that students receive the best space possible at a rate that

Music school next victim of University’s budget cuts

University axes 12 course codes, student to professor ratio increases threefold Sofia Tosello Assistant News Editor

Small music courses find themselves on the chopping block as part of the University’s budget cuts.

The University is increasing music class sizes from three International Students to 10, axing 12 music courses that don’t meet the mandated With the ongoing budget minimum course enrollment crisis at Queen’s, international of 10 students, according to an student recruitment is a hot topic, email obtained by The Journal. and the town hall was The cuts include mandatory and no exception. elective courses offered to music “In this province, government and non-music majors across funding has made it important all four years of a student’s for institutions, colleges, degree programs. as well as universities to subsidize In place of the year-long their operations by drawing mandatory and elective courses large numbers of international (MUSC x21/x24) will be two students,” Deane said. semester long courses (MUSC Deane maintained international x22/x18 and MUSC x23/x19), students are valued members resulting in a significant increase in of Queen’s academic community. student to faculty ratio from 3:1 to Queen’s will continue to 10:1 per class, Julia Brook, director lobby the federal government of the DAN School of Drama and

Music confirmed.

Students will still receive private lessons from instructors, allowing them to refine their musical abilities, but it remains unclear whether students will receive less one-on-one time with their professor because of the changes.

Brook described individual lessons with instructors as a “core” part of these courses.

Course changes, which Brook describes as “restructuring,” haven’t been finalized. Brook will honour the course learning hours outlined by the University.

During the DAN faculty meeting on Jan. 16, faculty had various reactions to the changes, explained Brook. All faculty are committed to providing students with the best musical experience possible.

“Students will have the same level of opportunity to study applied music with these courses,” Brook said in an interview with The Journal.

“We will find ways to ensure our student experience continues to be the high caliber that it is.”

Drama student, Deanna Cervi, ConEd ’24, worries how increases in class size will impact drama and music

students’ education.

Cervi took a drama class last year with eight other students.

The smaller class size helped her grow as an individual artist.

“Drama and music classes are catered towards a smaller group so each individual student can really grow as an individual artist,” Cervi said in an interview with The Journal.

Cervi worries about adjunct professors who will be the first faculty to be terminated, according to leaked memos from faculty members.

“All of the best courses I have taken in the DAN school are by adjunct professors.

They have so much experimental knowledge, allowing us to grow as artists and setting us up for success,” Cervi said.

While she appreciates faculty have acknowledged cuts are happening, she hasn’t heard any productive suggestions to ensure the quality of students’ education remains the same.

Brook sent out a form to the DAN School listserv where students can ask questions about course changes.

She is keeping student leaders informed about the ongoing situation.

News

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 5

Queen’s exchange student bikes 1,037 km in support of unhoused youth Student bikes from Kingston to Washington D.C., raises $4,475 Sofia Tosello Assistant News Editor From dark highways to tales of the Vietnam War, Raphael Fenksi’s cross-border journey to support unhoused youth didn’t come without challenges.

Fenksi, a former German exchange student at Queen’s who attended the University from September to December, biked from Kingston to Washington D.C. to raise money for the Kingston Youth Shelter. He completed the 1,037-km journey in nine days, biking from December 9 to 14.

Doubling his initial target of $2,000, Fenski raised $4,475 for his “Race Against the Cold” fundraiser supporting Kingston’s unhoused youth.

A member of Queen’s Varsity Cycling Club, Fenski was accompanied by two peers to the Canadian border before starting his solo venture into the United States.

Fenski’s journey was filled with trials and tribulations, despite his

Raphael Fenski biked nine days to raise money for the Kingston Youth Shelter.

competitive cycling background. He recalls the dangers of cycling down a dark highway with no shoulder in Pennsylvania, and his encounter with a group of men carrying guns, as formidable moments.

His greatest setbacks were the four flat tires he got on the second day of his journey, when the conditions were bitterly cold. The prospect of

continuing to cycle for seven more days was daunting, but Fenski pushed through.

“At times it was hard to keep my motivation but I wanted to complete the journey,” Fenksi said in an interview with The Journal.

Along the way, Fenski relied on the app Warm Shower, which helps cross-country bikers find lodging at night so they can

17,000 students seek primary care at Student Wellness Services in four years Over 2,200 prescriptions for SSRIs prescribed to students Meghrig Milkon Assistant News Editor Mental health is a priority for staff at Queen’s Student Wellness Services.

Student Wellness Services (SWS) reported 17,156 primary care requests from students over the past four years, resulting in 2,200 Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), prescribed between

The report covers a four-year period.

September 2019 to October 2023.

With Queen’s 28,000 full-time students, SWS physicians and nurse practitioners scheduled

17,156 appointments in four years, according to an internal report obtained by The Journal through a Freedom of Information Request.

The statistic captures mental health concerns and diagnoses, ranging from anxiety and depression to personality disorders.

The report covers the past four years since Cynthia Gibney, SWS executive director, first started her position at Queen’s.

Ontario’s shortage of family physicians makes keeping up with student demand an ongoing challenge. SWS does its best to see as many students as possible and minimize the number of vacant

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

appointment times.

Despite complaints of phone holds and wait times, students no-show or cancel last minute

for approximately 10 per cent of appointments, Gibney said in a statement to The Journal. SWS doesn’t mandate students to provide reasons for cancellation but urges them to notify the service 24 hours in advance.

“We do a lot to remind students of their upcoming appointments, and we are always strongly encouraging them to please let us know, at least 24 hours in advance, if they need to cancel an appointment for any reason so that another student can take the spot,” Gibney said.

The report isn’t all-inclusive, with figures only reflecting appointments made with primary care practitioners and not other counsellors and supports available at Queen’s, including occupational therapists, and psychotherapists.

In the four-year period, SWS prescribed a total of 2,233 SSRIs, and 965 attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications to students, including initial prescriptions and subsequent refills.

To be proactive with mental health, SWS focuses on assisting students through the adjustment period in university.

SWS has one full-time and 12 part-time family physicians, as well as two medical residents.

The service is working with 120 students this year in a wide range of roles, fulfilling some students’

SUPPLIED BY RAPHAEL FENSKI

clean up after conquering particularly muddy trails.

Using the app, Fenski stayed with a former American military officer and an individual who lived through the Vietnam War. His host provided Fenski with good conversation and a warm meal before he hit the road again to race against the cold.

The fundraiser title, “Race Against the Cold,” holds sentimental significance to Fenski.

Fenksi’s uncle was unhoused and passed away from cold temperatures while living on the streets of Berlin. This fundraiser is a way to honour his uncle,

and serves as a reminder that nobody should be left out in the cold.

“I don’t wish [what happened to my uncle] on anybody,” Fenski said.

After living in Canada and Germany, Fenski believes both countries are experiencing a homelessness crisis, but Canada’s harsh winter climate makes it extremely dangerous to live outdoors without shelter.

His family connection, coupled with the visible housing crisis in Kingston, urged Fenski to take action.

Fenski documented his journey on his Instagram account.

His biggest fan, his mom, followed him from Germany every step of the way.

“My mom was very scared at first [about the journey], but then she became very excited and asked me ‘when are you going to upload the next video?’ It was fun to see that,” Fenski said.

Fenski couldn’t have completed his ride without his friends’ support in both Germany and Kingston. When Fenksi arrived in Washington D.C., exhausted, his friend greeted him with a sign, reminding him of why he began this journey in the first place.

“Mission accomplished: Race Against the Cold – 1000km from Kingston to Washington DC. Every mile brought more than just warm hearts,” the sign read.

academic requirements. Eight 13 administrative staff. Gibney is therapist interns are helping confident in her team’s ability to staff with a daily mental health meet students’ needs. walk-in clinic.

“We have amazing, dedicated SWS employs seven staff who are so committed to full-time nurses, 32 counsellors, providing the best care and service two occupational therapists, one possible to students to promote registered dietician, two mental their health and wellbeing,” health triage professionals, and Gibney said.

6 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

Editorials

Queen’s students and Barbara Crow missing in action Neither the participation of Queen’s students or Dean Barbara Crow was satisfactory at ASUS Assembly.

On Jan. 15, Provost Matthew Evans and Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration) Donna Janiec appeared in a town hall meeting to address student concerns about the University’s budget deficit and the future of the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS).

Despite hundreds of students expressing outrage about the proposed cuts online, only 13 bothered to attend the meeting. Although physically present, Dean of FAS Barbara Crow was similarly absent.

Crow wasn’t seated onstage and remained silent throughout the meeting, even in response to questions directed to her

by Evans.

Students have previously noted the negative portrayal of Evans in the Globe and Mail and Global News articles about the University’s budget deficit. It’s worth noting, Evans only assumed the The role of provost Journal’s in August and Perspective inherited many of the financial issues

the University is now facing.

The same, u n f o r t u n a t e l y, can’t be said for Barbara Crow.

Despite her previous successes as an academic and administrator at York University, Crow’s performance as Dean of FAS at Queen’s appears to be lacking in many ways.

Crow inherited FAS in a $9 million surplus. After just over six years of Crow in office, FAS is now facing a severe deficit.

Crow’s time in office has seen the suspension of the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program. The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is now pending suspension.

Allowing Evans to field questions relating to her responsibilities hardly implies her involvement in or concern for the faculty.

Students are anxious to understand what the rest of their education at Queen’s will look like. Many fear the quality of their education

EDITORIALS

PHOTO BY JOSEPH MARIATHASAN

Taylor Swift appears happy dating football player Travis Kelce. Football fans don’t feel the same.

Singer-superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce have recently been linked together as Hollywood’s newest it-couple. Football fans haven’t met Swift’s presence with a positive reception; they’ve taken to social media, twiddling their thumbs like the big, manly men they are to voice their distaste for the 12-time Grammy winner.

The vast majority of posts depicting Swift’s appearances at games spark responses like “Taylor Swift has ruined the NFL” or “is there anything more annoying than Taylor Swift at a football game?” In-person reactions are no better, as fans booed her when she appeared on the Jumbotron on Dec. 17.

The answer to why football fans are angered is simple—misogyny.

Swift is known for her success in the music industry—empowering lyricism and feminist expression which lends itself to a largely female fanbase. Though her talent precedes her, many only acknowledge her reputation of writing songs about the men she dates, and with that, implying she dates too many men.

Media depicts football as having macho, rowdy, and vastly male fanbases; it hosts tailgating and beer slinging

Maddie is a fourth-year sociology student and The Journal’s Senior Arts Editor.

Volume 151, Issue 18 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

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ILLUSTRATION BY ARDEN MASON-OURIQUE

suffering at the hands of budget cuts and limits on small class sizes.

The flurry of online activity, including one Instagram account with over 1,500 followers, isn’t translating into in-person activism.

Crow owes FAS students transparency. Her unwillingness to answer students’ questions combined with the University’s non-specific answers about budget cuts are dismissive of and infantilizing towards students.

In failing to attend relevant events like ASUS Assembly, Queen’s students are allowing this treatment to continue.

Grassroots organizing on social media can be valuable, but plaintive online presence is useless unless it crosses over from Instagram to the Assembly room floor.

Given the University’s financial situation, budget cuts seem inevitable.

Queen’s must ask itself what kind of institution it wants to be emerging from this deficit. Though administrators may not yet have the answer to this question, it’s one they must pursue and make evident to students.

Cutting smaller class sizes could very well relieve some of the University’s financial pressures. It could also be damaging to the wellness—or survival—of smaller departments. As academics and as paying participants in an institution, students deserve to know what changes to expect to their education.

Both Barbara Crow and Queen’s students owe more of their attention and presence to the health of future education at the University.

—Journal Editorial Board

Maddie Hunt Senior Arts Editor

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Editorial Board

Don’t hate the singer, hate the game Police: socialize, don’t as if they’re sports themselves.

Football Sunday is supposed to be “for the boys,” after all.

The boys aren’t mad because Swift’s taking screen time from the game—let’s face it, she probably gets one to two minutes of screentime in total—they’re mad because she’s a woman.

The anger shown by NFL fans spotlights the misogyny that still exists. Women don’t need to do anything particular to be treated poorly, particularly by large groups of men. Swift didn’t pursue a vendetta against any of the fans she receives backlash from for supporting her boyfriend.

After the Chiefs lost a game, one user posted to X, formerly known as Twitter: “So are we going to acknowledge the Taylor Swift curse or…?” Another user responded perfectly: “a whole team of men on the field and you still find a way to blame a woman in the bleachers.”

Swift isn’t hated because she’s a bad person or because her actions affected NFL games. She’s hated because she’s a woman. Football conceals misogyny by deeming itself a man’s sport—a sport that fosters a patriarchal, aggressive environment wherein women aren’t equal to men.

If it were Ryan Reynolds, the Rock, Joe Rogan, or any other male celebrity taking over the Jumbotron instead of Swift, there wouldn’t be the same dismay.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024

Sofia Tosello Vineeth Jarabana

Features Editors

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militarize

Contributions from all members of the Queen’s and Kingston community are welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions.

Traditional policing alone must no longer pass as a solution for crime.

A paper published in the University of Toronto’s journal Canadian Public Policy in Dec. 2023 examined a decade of data from 20 Canadian municipalities and found no relationship between police spending and crime rates.

In an interview with the Toronto Star, Associate Professor at Rutgers University’s school of criminal justice Brenden Beck notes police today have to respond to a greater variety and quantity of problems than they once did. In 2021, in most police jurisdictions in Ontario, as many as 40 per cent of calls to police involved persons with mental health issues.

A survey conducted in 2020 found that younger Canadians, on average, have less favourable opinions of the police than do their counterparts from older generations.

This perspective is possibly, at least in part, attributable to a growing understanding of the overrepresentation of members of Indigenous and other marginalized communities in the Canadian criminal justice system.

Given the evolving landscape of problems police have to respond to and the history of the institution of policing, traditional police budgets and practices aren’t the way forward.

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

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/editorials

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

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

Editorial opinions expressed in The Journal are the sole responsibility of The Queen’s Journal Editorial Board, and are not necessarily those of the University, the AMS or their officers.

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Opinions

7 • queensjournal.ca

OPINIONS

Friday, JANUARY 19, 2024

Your Perspective

Lydia found the ASO program to be a beacon of hope for non-traditional students.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Access Denied: Shutting down Queen’s ASO program

re-establishes barriers to education for folks who need it most ASO closure is a step backward for educational equity LYDIA LO Contributor This story originally appeared online on Jan. 16.

Queen’s decision to shutter its Arts and Science Online (ASO) program does nothing but reinforces barriers to education to its most deserving students.

The holiday season is meant to be a time filled with joy and hope for the coming year, yet with Queen’s decision to cancel ASO programming, all I experienced was a profound sense of abandonment when I was let go, not from a workplace, but from my school.

I’m a full-time mom of two and never got the chance to go to university. Raising my kids was my priority, but I always dreamed of getting a psychology degree.

Queen’s University’s ASO program was the perfect solution—it was both affordable and flexible for a mom like me.

I’m not shy about taking a long break before going back to school.

I don’t feel less capable than those who started university at 17. My path is different, and I’m proud of it.

Queen’s ASO allowed me to “earn my way” into a degree program. It allowed me to start as an interest student and progress into a degree program once I proved that I could do well in these courses.

My goal was to earn 18 credits with good grades and then move into a degree program, majoring in psychology. At first, I managed just one course a term while looking after my family. Eager to progress faster, I started taking two courses simultaneously in the Fall 2023 term. After two years of study, I’m close to becoming a

full degree student in psychology, with only one more term left to go.

It’s a huge move for me, and I’m beyond excited.

My journey mirrors that of many who found traditional university pathways out of reach.

It’s in the ASO program at Queen’s where we—the overlooked folks aspiring to a postsecondary education—discovered our haven.

The ASO 2021 Lifestyle Survey itself demonstrates this: 40 per cent of online students are from equity-deserving groups, 35 per cent are the first in our families to go to university, and 53 per cent work full-time.

In ASO, I’m part of a vibrant community of like-minded individuals. We come from diverse backgrounds, yet share similar challenges. We’re united in our pursuit of educational goals while juggling other life commitments.

The necessity of the ASO program at Queen’s transcends typical academic paths. It targets a significant yet often ignored demographic: the 35-40 per cent of high school graduates who defer or bypass immediate entry into higher education.

The reasons behind deferring postsecondary education are diverse, ranging from varying individual educational backgrounds to family dynamics and other personal commitments.

Re-entering the education system later in life is fraught with challenges for non-traditional students. Rigid full-time and in-person attendance requirements make traditional educational models impractical and inaccessible for many.

Not only does ASO provide greater flexibility, but it bridges a crucial gap in the educational landscape. This online-only program provides the same reputable quality of Queen’s University’s academic programs to non-traditional students and ensures its credentials are

equivalent to those of traditional in-person courses, making it indispensable to the University.

It represents more than an alternative route; it’s a thoughtfully designed portal that caters to the unique needs and circumstances of non-traditional students. It affirms that higher education isn’t a privilege of circumstance but rather a right for all.

Unfortunately, the continuity of this educational lifeline was unexpectedly disrupted. On Dec. 18 amidst bustling holiday preparations, I received a jarring email from Queen’s announcing the closure of the program.

It was straight to the point.

Without reasons or warning given, the email announced “the pathway to an online degree program or certificate via ASO is no longer available to you.” If I wanted to talk to an advisor about it, I’d have to wait until Jan. 22, which was over a month away.

A few days prior to that, I got an email out of nowhere about a projected $62.8 million operating deficit from the Provost of Queen’s. It discussed a necessary hiring freeze for new faculty and emphasized the negative impact of this decision.

As an online student, I didn’t know how it was relevant to me.

Now, regrettably, I do.

Queen’s decision to cancel ASO programs is a huge letdown and betrayal, and the sudden nature of the decision is shocking. It’s more than a simple change in policy—it reinforces barriers to education for those who can’t get a good education without online learning.

ASO students’ achievements and efforts are being wiped out, as if someone flipped a switch and made their accomplishments disappear.

This decision also makes little sense financially.

Consider the typical ASO course enrollment, ranging from 100 to 200 students. A conservative

estimate with an average class size of 100 students generates approximately $85,525 in tuition fees if the class consisted of just domestic students alone.

To break down the expenses, ASO course instructors—who typically consist of adjunct faculty, teaching fellows, and PhD candidates—receive an average compensation of $10,000 per course.

Supporting a class of 100 students typically requires three to five teaching assistants, with compensation for these staff totaling an average of $4,800 each over a semester-long course. This means, on average, each course generates more than $70,000 of revenue for the University. Given that ASO students use minimal to no physical campus resources, the price for maintaining campus facilities is offset, allowing Queen’s to generate a higher profit.

Queen’s ASO program is more than self-sufficient; it’s a financial asset to the University. Allowing students to enroll in degree programs doesn’t create extra costs for the University. We aren’t a financial burden, but quite the opposite—our participation in ASO is a significant, positive contribution to the University’s financial prosperity.

Feeling isolated and unsure of what to do, I checked Queen’s University’s official social media accounts, looking for some sign of comfort. I found nothing.

On Twitter, it’s all about celebrations, including faculty and student achievements, high impact factors, and most notably the $100 million endowment for the Smith School of Engineering. However, this public relations strategy lacks transparency regarding significant cuts being made. The University should share these realities equally, ensuring a complete and honest picture is presented to its community.

Even if financial interests are being prioritized over educational commitments, the University’s paying students deserve an honest explanation.

We deserve to know how the University justifies scrapping a beneficial, financially successful program, and what the rationale behind this decision was. The decision has significant implications for equity-seeking students.

This situation extends beyond just one program. Eliminating revenue-generating ASO programs won’t resolve the deficit—it signals the beginning of a series of detrimental cuts. The repercussions are widespread, affecting everyone from non-tenured adjunct faculty to graduate students burdened with extra work without additional compensation, to undergraduates who could experience a declining quality of education.

Even alumni might watch the reputation of their alma mater diminish. This season, many of us aren’t feeling peace or joy, but worry and frustration. We urge the University and the Queen’s community to recognize the gravity of this situation. We must seek sustainable solutions that don’t harm the diverse community at Queen’s.

To this end, a petition is circulating, calling for the University to reconsider its decision. All students, staff, and supporters are encouraged to sign.

This is about more than just our individual stories. It’s about holding institutions accountable to maintain an education system that is accessible and equitable for everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Lydia is a continuing student aiming to pursue a degree through Queen’s ASO program.

8 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

‘the journal’ investigates

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024

The hazing incident that erased a prestigious Queen’s Commerce club Commerce clubs are rife with hazing, but a ‘gateway entry’ to prestigious jobs

Aimée Look, Asbah Ahmad & Sophia Coppolino

More Hazing Incidents

QFA’s hazing incident didn’t happen in isolation.

There’s a culture of initiations This article contains descriptions at Queen’s extending across of hazing, mention of traumatic faculties, according to Spencer. injuries and may be disturbing Socials are part of building a to readers. Those who have club’s culture at Queen’s, and they experienced hazing may reach out called dangerous experiences to the Hazing Prevention Network “bad one-offs.” by calling 1-888-668-4293.

Hazing usually happens in three stages, and is proliferated As the night of hazing began, by exclusivity, hazing expert and members of a high-profile psychologist Susan Lipkins told commerce club were unaware it The Journal in an interview. would be the club’s last.

The first stage of hazing is fun The newest recruits of Queen’s and involves activities students are Finance Association (QFA) more familiar with, Lipkins said. convened with club leaders in In the second stage, the activities anticipation of their initiation on usually escalate. Near the end, October 4, 2022. Meanwhile, club existing members continue to members armed with solo cups use increasingly psychologically awaited the new members’ arrival and physically dangerous tactics. at a house in the University District.

An itinerary document The night would lead to rounds planning a hazing event in a of drinking games like “stack different commerce club in cup,” and indulgent rounds of October 2022 that was leaked alcoholic shots. to The Journal mirrors these In the early hours of the stages. It details students going morning after initiation, peers house-to-house in found Spencer* lying on the floor of the University District a campus building, intoxicated and and consuming copious amounts extremely vulnerable. of alcohol.

The 18-year-old student was The first-year students glassy-eyed and nearly unconscious, would initially present to other according to an email sent from members in Goodes Hall, the a peer’s parent to The Journal commerce building. Then, a and Smith School of Business member impersonating an Uber Dean Wanda Costen. Queen’s driver would pick up club members staff confirmed details of the from Goodes Hall, leading the incident via email. unsuspecting recruits to believe Queen’s staff and campus they were headed to the leader’s security came to the scene, house to sign the club’s contract. according to a statement from The driver would be drinking the University. The peer’s from a mickey of alcohol that was parent claimed Spencer didn’t actually filled with water. receive medical attention and While in the car, the plan was left under the supervision of indicated current students would their peers. pretend to repeatedly ask to be The very same night, new let out, before getting dropped off member Alex* was accompanied at the club’s first hazing location. home drunk. They don’t recall The first-year students would much from that night, but said then be blindfolded and instructed they vaguely remember an older to chug alcoholic coolers. student tucking them in and The leaders planned to drive putting water next to the bed. the first years to different students’ The next thing they knew, Alex houses and complete various hit their head in the bathroom. The challenges, including a “chug headache lasted two to three days. run” into the ARC and a “spin & The social was “celebratory,” hit” game which, according to the Alex said, happy to be involved itinerary, “need[ed] a baseball bat with QFA. They admitted to drinking and shitty cans.” “more than [they] probably should.”

At the end, the first years would be put in a “strobe shed” and Journal Staff

forced to drink alcohol potentially combined with milk out of a rubber glove with a hole in one finger.

The rest of the plan included other drinking games, laden with tequila and “jungle juice.” A leaked alcohol shopping list for the event totalled more than seven standard drinks per club member.

The anxiety surrounding what will happen next is part of the psychology of hazing.

The key is for new members to be unaware of what lies in store, Lipkins explained.

There’s “no free will” in hazing, she said.

Members of this club were enthusiastic about the plan to initiate new recruits, according to group messages leaked to The Journal.

The current leader of the club asked, “What if the frosh puke on their suits?” to which the leader at the time responded, “[it’s] encouraged.” Members responded with heart and laughing emojis when another member commented “reservation for 2 at KGH [Kingston General Hospital].”

The emergency room at Kingston General Hospital (KGH) currently doesn’t maintain statistics on hospitalization related to hazing.

Dr. Tim Chaplin, program medical director for the emergency department at KHSC, said while alcohol poisoning is always a risk during hazing rituals, it can sometimes be minimal in comparison to bodily traumas such as broken bones, lacerations, and assaults.

More commerce clubs host socials filled with hazing activities.

A current commerce student told The Journal he witnessed a club social where members had to drink upon failing challenges set out by club leaders.

He piped up and told the incoming students there was “no pressure” to keep drinking. The room went silent, he said, shrouded by awkwardness.

“Ultimately, at the end of the day, these clubs are your gateway entry to a lot of very prestigious jobs,” the student said. The professional relationships that emerge from clubs add to the pressure, he added.

As rumours spread across the commerce program about the incident leading to QFA’s disbandment, the student said

hearing peers say “worse things” had already happened in other clubs scared him. The student heard rumours that those who experienced hazing at QFA faced invasive medical interventions such as stomach pumping.

When a patient presents to the hospital after overconsuming alcohol, stomach pumping is rarely used as a line of treatment, and supportive management is the primary method of care given instead. Dr. Chaplin said pumping a stomach is a procedure fraught with risk and increased potential for harm.

None of the hazed QFA students had their stomach pumped that night.

Hazing is fundamentally about identity, according to Lipkins. After leaving the comfort of family and friends behind, university students are especially susceptible to wanting to fit in, turning to groups like clubs to fill the gap. “[Students] feel like that group will have their back and will protect them. The issue is that during the hazing, that group in fact is not protecting them—it’s doing the opposite,” Lipkins said.

It’s seen as a rite of passage.

Tolerating hazing traditions is a way for new members to prove they’re worthy of being in the group, Lipkins said. Before hazing even starts students understand the group is exclusive—they’re either in or out.

The Journal reached out to ten other students believed to be involvedinQFA,allofwhomdeclined to comment on the hazing activities of October 4, 2022. Dozens of commerce students declined The Journal’s request for comment.

Most students who spoke on the record only agreed to speaking anonymously to protect their safety.

Hazing adheres to a strict code of silence. Isolation and retribution from the group are scarier to students than any legal or academic consequences, Lipkins said. The threat of social alienation is enough to keep students involved in hazing quiet.

A History of Hazing at Smith

Peer pressure in commerce clubs was implicit and unspoken, a Comm ’22 alumna told The Journal in an interview. Her

hazing experience included a scavenger hunt and a night of heavy drinking games directed toward new members.

The alumna never felt unsafe and said she had a positive experience with clubs while attending Queen’s. But the amount of alcohol consumed at hazing socials “doesn’t fall into the bucket of safe,” she said.

“It’s really your first impression on a lot of these more senior people who have connections … or just the nature of that they’re older than you. There’s a bit of a power dynamic there,” the alumna said.

Another alumnus, Comm ’90, mostly encountered hazing during his orientation “frosh” week.

The alumnus called commerce a “hazing program,” and said his initiation was akin to being indoctrinated into a club, like in the film Dead Poets Society.

Team-building was central to the experience, and challenges were meant to bring students entering the program together.

Hazing included students being tied together on a rope and wandering downtown Kingston, making a “public spectacle,” and worshipping the Beer Store.

He also remembers late-night parties “going wrong” during the first few weeks of school.

Drinking strong mixers masking the taste of alcohol with Kool-Aid was popular, and many students vomited excessively—especially as most were inexperienced drinkers.

The alumnus noted other programs were “even worse” at the time, like Queen’s engineering program.

“I felt like some of those people weren’t asking for that, and weren’t interested in that,” he said. “They just sort of got sucked into it.”

Even familiarity with alcohol doesn’t make drinking any less dangerous, expert Lipkins said. After spending her career studying hazing incidents, she has seen the worst outcomes.

“If there is one thing I would like people to know, … it’s that part of the hazing is purposefully to get [students] drunk, and some portion of those kids die,” Lipkins said.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024

‘THE JOURNAL’ INVESTIGATES

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 9

The QFA Aftermath The finance club disappeared within weeks after the incident.

The website was taken down, the LinkedIn page scrapped, and the Instagram page removed.

In a statement to Queen’s Commerce students in November, Dean Wanda Costen acknowledged a “serious incident” involving alcohol led to the dispersion of the club.

A Freedom of Information request allowed The Journal to understand the wide-ranging internal conversations in the days following QFA’s closure.

Originally, the University claimed a third-party exemption under section 17 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. After a months-long appeal process—involving mediation through the Ontario Information and Privacy Commission—the University released all sections previously redacted under section 17.

With a Non-Academic Misconduct investigation underway, the club’s disbandment was handled by the University, rather than the student-run Commerce Society (ComSoc).

According to email records, QFA club members appealed the initial decision in the misconduct investigation. The Student Code states that student groups and leaders are responsible for code violations of those they oversee—regardless of if the misconduct is sanctioned or not, according to section IV. The decision to suspend all QFA activities on November 3, 2022, was madeaftera“thoroughinvestigation” by the Student Conduct Office, according to a statement from the University.

The society’s typical procedure for de-ratification wasn’t followed, as it usually is discussed in the society’s assembly, according to a former member of the assembly.

Club Co-Chairs and Commerce Society executives were informed that the club had been disbanded

by Oct. 28, 2022, according to an email from Arcan Nalca, associate dean (undergraduate program).

“The Smith School of Business administration unilaterally took action to remove QFA from the Society,” ComSoc President Mahir Hamid said in a statement to The Journal.

The club’s disbandment deprived students of finance opportunities built on QFA’s alumni network, Spencer said. The consequences imposed on QFA had a dual impact on commerce culture—some positive, and others negative, they added.

“As much as de-ratifying the club may have helped change culture, it ruined a lot of opportunities,” Spencer said. “You could have had the same implications with a smaller impact on the community.”

The club planned to hold two major events, with attendance from high-profile alumni. One was a visit from CIBC’s CEO Victor Dodig, for its “Road to CEO” event planned for November 2022. CIBC’s event was cancelled.

The other event, a stock pitch competition, was set to take place in New York in early 2023. As one of the oldest undergraduate finance associations in the country, QFA had large corporate ties and sponsorship deals with companies like National Bank.

Though QFA was disbanded by the business school, its financial obligations weren’t erased.

QFA had a contract with the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto which carried a $48,000 cancellation penalty. A $7,556 bus fee had already been paid. The hotel for the club’s New York trip

also had a $5,784 cancellation fee in addition to a $1,000 deposit.

In an email to Dean Costen, Smith’s director of finance Patrick Legresley said it was unlikely the Commerce Society and QFA had the funds to cover the cancellation penalties.

Costen wrote in an email on October 28, 2022. “I recognize our past practice has been to help cover shortfalls. I don’t happen to have that same orientation.”

The Commerce Society footed the bill associated with QFA’s disbandment, according to society president Hamid. The QFA fallout cost the society $62,340, according to The Journal’s calculations based on financial information in emails between the society and the University. The cost was potentially further reduced in negotiations.

“ComSoc has shouldered the financial responsibility of covering the fees from QFA’s cancelled conference,” Hamid said in the statement. “Since then, ComSoc has worked diligently to mitigate this financial impact without compromising our commitment to clubs and students.”

The University said in a statement that it partook in negotiations with vendors, but as a commerce club, QFA was the Commerce Society’s responsibility.

Previously the society projected

$215,690 in club funds for the entire 2022-23 school year, and clubs had already requested $289,537 for the fall semester alone. At a total cost of $62,340, the cancellation fees would consist of 29 per cent of the society’s 2022-23 budget.

Managing the Narrative

In the days following QFA’s closure, the University embarked on a carefully coordinated communications strategy to contain the release of information.

Amber Wallace, Smith’s director of communications and external relations, said managing “the story” after the Non-Academic Misconduct process would be a priority.

To prepare for alumni reactions to the hazing incident, Wallace emailed Dean Costen, suggesting they work with Development and Alumni Engagement teams.

Engaging with Stephen Smith, Sci ’72—the distinguished alumnus after whom the Smith School of Business was named and who donated $100 million to the Faculty of Engineering in 2023—would necessitate “special stakeholder engagement,” according to Wallace’s email.

Regarding the cancelled Road to CEO event for QFA, Smith Executive Director (Marketing and Communications) Nancy Evans said she expected CIBC to not respond on the issue—including a non-response to The Journal.

Internally, there were questions about how Costen was handling the club’s disbandment.

“I think Dean Costen’s concerns could be over-cautious, but she felt that Principal’s Office should be made aware,” Norma Barrett, director of student conduct, said in an email.

Barrett said Dean Costen was “unequivocal” in feeling that events needed to be cancelled as a consequence.

Looking Forward

The “blueprint of hazing” is a cycle where the victims become the perpetrators, expert Lipkins said. Members feel a right and duty to initiate new members like how they were in the past. To change the hazing culture at Queen’s, students need to take it down from the inside,

according to Lipkins.

“The most severe hazing will be reduced when the members who are being hazed join together as a group and say, ‘we’re not doing this anymore, we’re changing the tradition,” Lipkins said.

Always having to explain why she’s not drinking, Comm ’25 Emman Azam believes changing commerce culture is about safety and inclusion. As the leader of a club, Azam aims to make culture more accessible—without drinking at the centre.

One example is “sober socials,” where members can bring drinks, but the main activity is centred around something else, like painting or watching a movie.

Azam was previously part of a club that tallied strikes for students who missed socials. When she did attend, she was confronted with the expectation of drinking. Drinking culture is so deeply entrenched in certain clubs’ traditions that Azam claims not drinking would hamper her work success in those clubs.

“You feel like you have to overcompensate for the fact that you’re not drinking,” Azam said. “If I said no to drinking socials, people would have a problem—and they would say it to my face.”

Working an investment job over the summer, Azam was surprised to find no one batted an eye when she didn’t drink alcohol at afterhours socials. The corporate world is changing, and the culture in Queen’s Commerce needs to keep up, she said.

Universities are targeting the wrong people in attempts to address hazing, according to Lipkins. Adults on campus, not only students, need to know how to recognize hazing and report it. The University should offer students amnesty and rewards for coming forward, she added.

In the commerce program, Spencer said members are more caring, and there’s less pressure to drink. Socials are a really good way of breaking down walls and growing closer with peers, they said.

Spencer believes things are changing. *Names changed for safety reasons All graphics by Curtis Heinzl

Arts

10 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024

Artificial intelligence is evolving; we aren’t keeping up Queen’s alum’s new book assesses methods to combat AI proliferation

ARTS

Maddie Hunt Senior Arts Editor Artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing more dangers as it continues to grow. An author argues we aren’t keeping up, but society needs to.

Darren McKee, ArtSci ’03 and MPA ’08, published his book Uncontrollable: The Threat of Artificial Superintelligence and the Race to Save the World on November 17, 2023. In the beginner-friendly book, he explores the dire consequences of AI while offering ways to navigate the evolving technology. “[The book is a] look at the promise and peril of artificial intelligence. There’s a lot going on in the news about AI and the risks and capabilities it may have.

This is a book that’s trying to put it all together in one spot in a very easy to read manner about what’s going on, how AI works, and why it might be a risk,” McKee said in an interview with The Journal.

McKee started writing when he became alarmed about AI’s rapidly developing capabilities and lack of public awareness.

Not only was there a gap in

Darren McKee graduated with a BSc in 2003, and a MPA in 2008.

understanding, but there was also no current literature that spoke to AI’s development and need for navigation.

“These systems are getting more and more capable and there isn’t currently an up-to-date book about AI safety and risk that’s built for everyone. No technical background, no science background,” he said.

According to McKee, deepfake pornography, racist and sexist algorithmic biases, and voice cloning software are

pressing concerns that merit immediate attention.

“AI systems themselves are already very sophisticated. They can demonstrate things like deception, or manipulation and it is possible that the systems themselves will engage in what we call power seeking behavior,” McKee said.

“It doesn’t have to be intentional at this stage. It’s just a way of solving a problem. The system isn’t initially motivated by greed.

It’s just trying to achieve a goal and it doesn’t have normal human

SUPPLIED BY DARREN MCKEE

constraints in mind.”

A large issue with AI tools is the potential lack of reliability while displaying confidence in their answer output, regardless of whether the information is true.

McKee offered an example of someone asking ChatGPT about sexual harassment cases against American law professors, and for the AI to include citations.

The chat drew information about a professor being accused of sexual harassment while on a

school-sponsored trip to Alaska, followed by a citation from The Washington Post.

“The issue is none of it’s true. The professor wasn’t associated with that university.

He never went to Alaska. There’s no charge against him, and there’s no article, but the response the system gave made it seem like this was a very legitimate, real thing,” he said.

Becoming more involved and informed about AI is crucial to safeguarding against ill effects.

McKee said talking to friends, family, and political representatives about mitigation strategies are specific ways to protect oneself.

Broader suggestions include liability implementation for harmful AI practices and increased transparency regarding when, where, and how AI is being used.

It’s inevitable people will use AI, and they should, according to McKee—it’s simply about learning how to navigate the systems and avoid the associated risks.

“At a certain age we don’t want kids to use calculators because they should learn how to do math. That’s a good idea.

But later in life, if we’re not having them use calculators, they’re at a huge disadvantage. Similarly, while AI systems used in the wrong way could reduce one’s learning or growth, it’s also true these are tools younger generations will have to use,” he said.

Union Gallery kicks o f f 2 0 2 4 celebrating diversity

Union Gallery relaunches annual fundraising exhibition to highlight collaboration and diversity

Exhibit higlighted artists of different styles and genres.

Mackenzie Loveys Contributor Approaching 30 years in business, Union Gallery has historically held a fundraising exhibition highlighting donated work of student and

professional artists alike.

Union Gallery is set to showcase a diverse range of 124 art pieces from Jan. 16 to Feb. 10 as part of their upcoming lottery-style fundraising raffle. In the past, the fundraiser was known as “Cézanne’s Closet,” but has been

SUPPLIED BY JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

newly renamed “side by side.”

The Journal spoke with co-curators Bailey Laing, MA’24andReParsons, MA’24about the unveiling of Union Gallery’s wide-ranging exhibition featuring work donated by 60 different artists.

“There’s a lot of different pieces in a really great space close together—all different sizes, mediums, subject matters,” Laing said. “Everyone’s welcome to come in and check it out.”

The exhibition’s featured pieces represent the diversity within the artistic community, with work made by artists of differing ages, backgrounds, and career levels, bringing them all together, to stand “side by side.”

“We curated based on that idea of an interdisciplinary show and bringing in different pieces from different mediums, themes, and artists,” Parsons said.

Along with the exhibition, there is a virtual ticketed event on Feb. 10, where participants may purchase a ticket of $100 or $200 value.

The live event features a lottery style raffle, in which ticket holders’ names are drawn to establish the order participants may select artwork they would like corresponding to the dollar value of their ticket.

What was once Union Gallery’s fundraiser titled “Cézanne’s Closet,” the current fundraiser has rebranded itself with its new

name to represent the changes the gallery has undergone and the way it’s embracing collaboration in an artistic space.

“I think [Union Gallery] wanted to shift towards something that represents all of where this history has culminated to this very point in time,” Parsons said.

The curatorial duo emphasized the power of the collaborative process this name change indicates, as their team have been working “side by side” to celebrate the exciting changes being brought to the gallery’s nearly 30-year-old annual exhibition.

“We just built from our friendship together and we relied on each other equally throughout the whole process,” Parsons said.

“It really personified the meaning of ‘side by side’ in that we collaborated and everybody from the Union Gallery team came together and supported each other throughout this change.” queenjournal.ca/arts

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024

Business, Science, & Technology

<BIZ-SCI-TECH>

anti-matter and dark matter. He highlighted the ongoing SNOLAB experiments and new detectors that are being made to research these projects.

He believes people should be interested in what the field has to offer because it furthers technological advancements and seeks to answer existential questions about the creation of the universe.

Arthur B. McDonald Institute pioneers “ physics research and scientific communication

The aim of the lecture series is to enrich a public audience on the scientific world of physics

Queen’s University’s particle research puts Canada on the world stage Monica Aida Lopez Staff Writer One of the 2015 Nobel Prize laureates in Physics, Arthur McDonald, recently spoke about the history of the universe at the George and Maureen Ewan Lecture series at Queen’s University.

Queen’s Professor Emeritus McDonald is known for the discovery that neutrinos—exponentially tiny subatomic particles—have mass. The laureate is currently active in research with SNO+, Neutrinos and Dark Matter, DEAP, and DarkSide experiments at the Arthur B. McDonald Institute.

McDonald titled his lecture “Knowing Our Universe from a Hole in the Ground,” a nod to his research in the underground Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Laboratory (SNOLAB), where these discoveries were made.

His talk centered on the standard model of understanding elementary

particles—miniscule particles that join to form the more well-known protons and neutrons—and how research has contributed additions to this model over time.

Throughout the talk, he discussed the research journey and gave background on why SNOLAB was created in the first place—only an ultra-clean environment could capture measurements of neutrinos changing types.

My hope is that this will “ continue because this is an area where Canada can be a leader in this field of science

The aim of the lecture series is to enrich a public audience on the scientific world of physics, so McDonald gave various examples and analogies, including comparing the oscillation of neutrinos between their three flavours, or types, to a particle changing outfits.

McDonald concluded his talk by discussing the future of physics in revolutionizing our understanding of

“We have to push technology to its extreme levels in order to accomplish the measurements we are doing. We push the technology; we push the engineering,” McDonald said in an interview with The Journal.

The importance of sharing research findings as a publicly funded research institute is crucial to McDonald.

Technological advances in research carry over to other sectors—at the height of COVID-19, SNOLAB technologies were repurposed to help address the ventilator shortage.

Canada is a world leader in particle physics, with organizations such as the McDonald Institute promoting international collaboration. The institute has created 15 faculty positions across various universities.

“There are several faculty members here at Queen’s, but many more associated with the Institute across the country and seven other universities, who are focused on this field of study and are attracting real-frontier experiments in this field in the future,” McDonald said.

“My hope is that this will continue because this is an area where Canada can be a leader in this field of science.”

The McDonald Institute provides Canadian universities the opportunity

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 11 to accept responsibility for large fractions of the major experiments coming to SNOLAB—some of them being more costly than the facility itself. This requires substantial resources, both from an engineering perspective as well as university faculty.

Previously a tenured professor at Princeton University for seven years before coming to Queen’s, McDonald described Queen’s as a university that attracts the top students in Canada.

“All of my experiences here have been fun, but for the things I do around here, the greatest fun is interacting with students,” McDonald said.

When embarking on his research journey, McDonald never intended to become such a prominent figure in his field.

All of my experiences here have “been fun, but for the things I do around here, the greatest fun is interacting with students

“You never do this to try and win a Nobel Prize,” McDonald said. “When you take responsibility for a project of this scale, right from the very beginning of it you realize not so much that I’m a big deal, but more [that] what I’m doing is a big deal, and you try very hard to be successful.”

do this to try and “You never win a Nobel Prize

McDonald strives to positively represent Canada and its scientific community, promoting it as a world leader in physics.

“Canada can do, and is doing extremely good [in] science, and that’s worthy of support and to have young people inspired in this sort of science which really is fun to do.”

12 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

SPORTS

On Jan. 1, the PWHL began its inaugural season.

Sports

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

PWHL raises the bar for women hockey players Queen’s Women’s Hockey players reflect on PWHL

RORY STINSON Senior Sports Editor Story continued from front....

Watkins Southward said she attended the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association Dream Gap tour, where she met some of these players who’ve been working hard for development and recognition in Women’s Hockey.

She explained the struggle female athletes endure to have their game be taken seriously, which is something they’ve been fighting for a while.

“It’s definitely been something that women’s sports activists and pioneers have been fighting for for so long,” Watkins Southward said.

“They held all those girls’ dreams and aspirations on their back, and they didn’t quit until they got what they deserved. I’m just so happy, so proud of them, so inspired.”

Cranney shared her gratitude towards those women’s hockey activists who have paved the way for women’s hockey and given female players something to look forward to after university hockey.

“Now younger female hockey players have something to look

forward to, [they] have something to push for,” she said.

There’s no doubt the steps made towards further developing women’s hockey have been emotional, especially for women’s hockey players, Cranny added, who attended the PWHL season opener in Toronto.

“To see all the young, female hockey players there with their signs was really cool to me and to now know that there’s another goal I have after university hockey, just made me really happy,” she said.

Watkins Southward also watched the game, but from

home with family. She described watching the first game as an emotional experience.

“I couldn’t hold it together. I was crying, I was so emotional. My parents were both crying,” Watkins Southward said. “It was just such a huge moment for women’s sport, and specifically women’s hockey that I think we’ve been waiting for.”

With PWHL arenas selling out and 2.9 million viewers tuning in to the inaugural game in Canada, there’s been a new spotlight on the sport. Both Cranney and Watkins Southward believe the impact the PWHL has

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024 made will trickle down into all of women’s hockey.

“I was talking with some teammates about how the men’s hockey team was watching the [PWHL’s] game, which was really cool to see how everyone’s supporting women’s hockey now,” Cranney said.

“I’ve seen so much good feedback on the internet and everything about women’s hockey,” Watkins Southward added. “Women’s hockey is a game that needs to be loved for what it is as women’s hockey. It’s amazing. It’s fast.

It’s so, so physical and extremely skilled. The playmaking and goaltending is phenomenal.”

With this new league designed specifically for women, many girls’ dreams can now come true.

“There’s such a wave of confidence [and] empowerment that this league brings with it,” Watkins Southward said. “[If you] have a dream of playing pro hockey, no one’s going to laugh at you.

“When [women] say, ‘I want to play pro hockey,’ it doesn’t mean you want to play in the NHL, it means you want to play in the PWHL and I think having something that they can look forward at and see themselves in is really, really important,” Watkins Southward said.

The PWHL has already fulfilled the dreams of every woman on their roster and staff.

It’s going to be an exciting next few years as we see more girls enter the league and reach their dreams for the first time.

“It’s not just inspiring to the ten-year-olds,” Watkins Southward said. “This is inspiring to the 22-year-olds that are coming to the end of their hockey career, or maybe just beginning that kind of path.”

Chadwick celebrated her 1,000th point last weekend

RORY STINSON Senior Sports Editor Despite wearing the number 21 on her back, Julia Chadwick, MIR ’24, was the number one Queen’s Women’s Basketball player last weekend.

Chadwick made history as she smashed her own record when the Gaels tipped off against the York Lions. In the 95-53 game, Chadwick scored 43 of 95 points for the Gaels, breaking the Queen’s single-game points record, which was previously held by Brittany Moore, who celebrated a 40-point game in 2009.

“It was definitely exciting.

Julia Chadwick captures Queen’s Basketball history

Chadwick set new Queen’s Women’s Basketball single-game points and rebounds records.

In the game, I wasn’t really thinking too much about it,” Chadwick said in an interview with The Journal. “It was a fun game.”

Now in her fifth year on the Queen’s Women’s

Basketball team, Chadwick is no stranger to success on the court. As the top scorer for the Gaels, Chadwick celebrated her 1,000th OUA point last weekend.

Last season, she put up 361

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

points in just 22 games and lead the OUA in total rebounds with 264.

The single-game point record isn’t the only record Chadwick has broken in her time as a Gael. The previous single-game rebound

record—set by Chadwick last season—was broken last weekend, with 27 rebounds. Chadwick now occupies the top three spots for single-game rebounds across all Gaels teams, tying with Women’s Rugby all-star Sophie deGoede for third place with 21 rebounds.

“I didn’t realize I was breaking my own record, especially in the game. I had no idea I was rebounding like that,” Chadwick said. “I don’t even know if I realized that I had set that record before, so I was a little surprised to see that.”

Chadwick is currently 10th in Canada for points, eighth for total rebounds, fourth for field goals, and fourthforblocks.Chadwickisranked second for points per 40 minutes with 30.2. She’s less than two points behind OUA leader Dalyssa Fleurgin from Concordia University.

“It’s crazy to have that happen this weekend,” she said. “I’m looking forward to having other players on the team also do it because, yeah, it’s exciting.”

Following the Jan. 13 game, Chadwick was celebrated on social media by multiple sports media outlets, named OUA Player of the Week and U SPORTS Player of the Week.

Though she appreciates the praise, Chadwick mentioned this doesn’t compare to the support she’s received from her teammates.

“I think it was so special because it was with this team and group of players and coaching staff. It was a really fun moment, and it was becaus everyone was so supportive and involved and encouraging throughout the game and after the game,” she said.

Chadwick said it was because of her teammates and the coaching staff that she was able to succeed in the way she did.

When she got close to breaking the record, her coaching staff emphasized getting the ball into Chadwick’s possession.

“And then, just my teammates’ abilities to find me on the court, find me in spots like that, [that’s how] I was able to succeed,” Chadwick said. “A lot went into it.”

Throughout her interview, Chadwick expressed her love for her team, and how the reciprocated feelings from her teammates and coaching staff have contributed to the team’s triumphs.

“We have really good team culture and really good team chemistry. We’re able to find a really good balance of having fun and being competitive. It’s always the best part of my days to go to practice and be with the team,” she said. “That really reflects on court and in our performance.”

Moving forward, Chadwick expressed two more goals for the season: winning OUA and U SPORTS gold.

“It takes a bunch of small things, but if we continue to grow and continue to find our identity as a team, hopefully that’ll put us in a good position to do that,” she said.

Ranked fourth in Canada, the Gaels face off against the Laurier Golden Hawks at home on Feb. 2 as they play for gold.

Sports

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 13

How does Queen’s measure up in AIDAN’S ANGLE sports attendance?

Is it alarming Queen’s isn’t filling venues?

RORY STINSON Senior Sports Editor

This year, Queen’s hosted some major sporting events, drawing fans across sports to Gaels home games. Highlighting these games, The Journal analyzed OUA records to see how game attendance at Queen’s Athletic events compares across the board.

Starting with the Queen’s Men’s and Women’s Varsity teams, The Journal compared attendance at basketball, hockey, and soccer games. Other varsity teams didn’t have enough data to compare.

Queen’s Men’s and Women’s basketball games are held in the ARC main gym with a capacity of 1,900 spectators, hockey games are held in the Memorial Centre with a capacity of 3,300, and soccer games are held in Richardson Stadium with a capacity of over 8,000. On average, most games don’t come close to filling capacity.

With the exception of Women’s Soccer, men’s games typically see more spectators than women’s games. For Soccer and Basketball,

the women’s and the men’s teams play back-to-back with the women’s team playing their game first.

Basketball brings in the most fans between each sport.

Compared to the other teams the Gaels have faced this season, Queen’s sees significantly higher attendance rates than their opponents.

Though Queen’s isn’t filling their venue capacity, they are still doing well at bringing in spectators.

Queen’s is an outlier for women’s basketball attendance, with other Ontario schools drawing larger crowds at men’s games.

In November 2023, Queen’s hosted the U SPORTS National Football Championship: the Vanier Cup. Hosting the Vanier came with a promise of tourism in the Kingston community, as both teams competing in the championship were out of town, and the Vanier Cup is the biggest Canadian University Football event of the year.

U SPORTS reported over 7,100 fans entered Richardson Stadium to

Queen’s average attendance compared between Basketball, Hockey, and Soccer for both the Men’s and Women’s teams.

Queen’s Basketball average attendance compared to their opponent’s Basketball attendance.

Vanier Cup attendance over the last 15 years.

watch the game. Though up to date with current trends, the number marks a slight decline in last year’s Vanier attendance, when the Vanier Cup was held at the University of Western Ontario.

AIDAN MICHAELOV Assistant Sports Editor

With the OUA’s Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold signing Arizona Coyotes (NHL) prospect Artyom Duda, it’s worth revisiting the professional-level talent hidden across the Canadian U SPORTS rosters.

Duda, a 19-year-old defensive player, was drafted 36th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the Arizona Coyotes. He most recently played for Krasnaya Armiya in the MHL, a junior hockey league in Russia.

The highly regarded draft pick made a splash when electing to sign with the Bold. By bringing a massive NHL prospect to U SPORTS, the Bold now has a more competitive pool against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which historically sees more NHL draft picks.

While Duda initially hoped to play for Maine’s NCAA D1 hockey program, his participation in professional-level competition in Russia made him ineligible by NCAA standards.

He then chose the TMU Bold, a team with a guaranteed championship appearance as hosts of the U SPORTS national championship in March.

Though Duda has struggled to gain the momentum the Bold had hoped he’d bring to the table, putting up only two assists in four games, the challenge of moving across the globe and stepping into a new league shouldn’t be understated, and I’m sure Duda will find his footing soon.

Before playoffs roll around in March, I thought it’d be fun to highlight some of the top talent in U SPORTS hockey today, and take a look at players looking to outshine Duda at the national level.

Among the most prominent U SPORTS players is Simon LaFrance.

Having been with the Université du Québec-Trois-Rivières (UQTR)

Top NHL prospect Artyom Duda brings NHL eyes to U SPORTS Hockey.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

U SPORTS Hockey is better than you think The NHL prospects lurking in U SPORTS rosters

since the 2019-20 season, LaFrance has been a steady outlet for Trois-Rivières, averaging over one point per game across his four seasons with the team.

Earlier this year, the Quebec native was selected to participate at the Colorado Avalanche’s Rookie Camp. Though simply participating in the camp isn’t a particularly amazing achievement, LaFrance was noted for leaving a positive influence on Avalanche media, and since then, has been on an absolute tear. Putting up 20 goals and 12 assists in just 19 games this season, he’s found himself at the top of the U SPORTS leaderboard.

LaFrance was a vital piece of Canada’s 2023 World University Games team, where he recorded 10 points in seven games on his way to earning a gold medal.

After ending the 2022-23 season as a U SPORTS top talent and being on track to finish this season as the nation’s top scorer, LaFrance is making a compelling argument for himself to crack an American Hockey League (AHL) roster once this season is up.

Should UQTR square off against TMU, the LaFrance-Duda matchup would be fireworks.

As their junior hockey careers officially come to an end with the expiration of their university eligibilities, hockey players are left to either hang up their skates or make the jump to

professional hockey.

While rare, U SPORTS athletes have successfully made it into the NHL before.

After putting up sub-par numbers during his time in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Brandon Wheat Kings, goaltender Logan Thompson played for Brock University in the 2018-19 season. During his tenure with the Badgers, the Calgary native recorded a 0.934 save percentage and over 700 saves in 24 games.

This lead to him signing his first professional contract with the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL the following season.

Thompson eventually attracted the Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL in the 2020-21 season, and has maintained his spot in Vegas’s rotation ever since.

Other notable U SPORTS players to make the NHL, including Joel Ward, now Assistant Coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, and Derek Ryan of the Edmonton Oilers, share similar stories to Thompson. Ward played for the University of P.E.I. and Ryan played for the University of Alberta. Though they underperformed in their junior careers and went undrafted to the NHL, they have achieved U SPORTS stardom and caught the eyes of NHL scouts who, now more than ever, will be watching U SPORTS hockey.

Lifestyle

14 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024

We shouldn’t have to choose between STEM and the Arts the world, promoting diversity

can

better

engage

in

demands interconnectedness and understanding, the ability to appreciate and navigate diverse perspectives becomes paramount.

Studying literature, philosophy, history, religion, politics, music, and visual arts provides a nuanced

Our courses position us to contribute positively to the global community, and we’re primed to embrace our responsibility as thoughtful and empathetic global citizens committed to positive change, which is something

The

arts

transcend

rigid

shaping

cultural

narratives,

Stop belittling me for of thought, and fostering a meaningful dialogue that constraints, offering a unique artists inspiring innovation, and well-rounded worldview. In transcends cultural, political, perspective on understanding communicators bridging divides. my degree a globalized world that and geographical boundaries. humanity in a way that differs We must resist the Allie Moustakis Senior Lifestyle Editor

Louisa May Alcott once said “just because my dreams are different than yours doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.” Though written in 1868, these words mean just as much now as they did when they were first penned over 150 years ago.

As budget cuts threaten creative disciplines, both at Queen’s and across the world, it’s time we acknowledge a truly complete education is one that emphasizes critical thinking and empathetic understanding. This is only possible through the arts and humanities.

While advancements in STEM fields undoubtedly propel our society forward, there’s an urgent call to reassert the intrinsic worth of arts and humanities in education. Beyond the immediate and tangible outcomes of scientific discoveries and technological innovations, the arts and humanities contribute something equally profound but often less quantifiable: a deep understanding of the human experience.

In the pursuit of progress, we can’t afford to undermine the significance of fostering creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence at the university level—qualities inherently nurtured by the arts and humanities. While valuable, an education centred solely onSTEM disciplines can inadvertently create a lopsided perspective, preventing us from exploring a whole world of possibilities.

The arts and humanities offer a complementary dimension, enriching our understanding of

LIFESTYLE

To be complete citizens, we need the arts.

lens through which we can engage with the complexities of human existence.

The humanities allow us to think critically, equipping us with the ability to transcend local loyalties and approach world problems as citizens of the world who are aware of and understand the world at large and our place in it. They encourage us to see beyond one perspective, even if we may not agree. They allow us to better understand ourselves and in return, better understand others.

Humanities students can better grapple the moral complexities and ethical dimensions of global issues and foster a deep awareness of the interconnectedness of our shared human experience. We

they can’t—and don’t—teach in STEM. In an ideal world, we wouldn’t be forced to choose between a form of education that promotes profit and one that promotes good citizenship. While aspiring to secure a higher-paying job isn’t unreasonable, we shouldn’t impose this perspective on those who refuse to favour materialism over curiosity.

The main reason for the dismissal of the arts stems from the misguided belief that they impart no valuable knowledge or lack practical applicability in the real world. This misconception is remarkably widespread and couldn’t be further from the truth. Every form of knowledge holds inherent value.

This year’s Emmys made history

A look into the 2023 Emmys Cai Fletcher Contributor From history making wins to heartfelt reunions, this year’s Emmys didn’t disappoint.

2023 featured a host of problems for Hollywood, perhaps most notoriously, the SAG-AFTRA strikes. Actors and writers joined forces, shucking their pearls in favour of protest attire, to fight against the use of AI in film and media production. As such, this greatly delayed the production of the 2023 Emmys.

After all you can’t expect AI to write all the awkward jokes, emotional acceptance speeches, and dazzling musical numbers that make the award show such a spectacle.

Nevertheless, this year’s Emmys delivered. Dazzling—although occasionally wrinkled—outfits, heartfelt speeches, and sentimental reunions made the event a night to remember.

The award show opened with host Anthony Anderson giving a smashing monologue and piano performance that immediately captivated the audience before transitioning to a surprisingly funny appearance from Christina Applegate. With quick jokes, razor-sharp wit, and heartfelt speeches, it’s no wonder 4.3 million viewers tuned in.

This year’s Emmys weren’t just comical, they were historic.

Early in the program, Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, becoming the first Black actress in over 40 years to do so. Brunson delivered an emotional speech before joining Ayo Edebiri, another Black actress who was this year’s winner for Best Supporting Actress in a comedy series, backstage.

This moment illustrated a crucial push for diversity in Hollywood. The historically white dominated society chose to honour two Black women first in

their program—bestowing them with high awards.

Brunson and Edebiri weren’t the only POC actors honoured that night. Other performers like Niecy Nash-Betts, Ali Wong, Steven Yeun, and Lee Sung Jin were also presented with Emmys.

These winners also used their speeches to call for change, fight for better representation, and call out past injustices within Hollywood.

Once again making history, Mr. Rocketman himself, Elton John, achieved EGOT status, having received an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. Winning his first-ever Emmy for Best Variety Special Live, the 76-year-old is now the proud owner of the EGOT quartetand the 19th person to join the exclusive club.

John’s team accepted the award on his behalf, making a brief but excellent speech on the importance of his music as “the soundtrack to our lives.”

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/lifestyle

from STEM fields. Such subjects, and people who choose to study said subjects, shouldn’t be belittled or deemed unworthy.

People who study words, ideas, and identities are just as intellectual as those who study

ILLUSTRATION BY ARDEN MASON-OURIQUE

math, science, and engineering.

Humanities graduates become world leaders, the teachers shaping the minds of the future, and advocates driving societal change. In every corner of society, individuals with backgrounds in the humanities make invaluable contributions, serving as the architects of empathy, influencing policy, fostering inclusivity, and challenging the status quo. Beyond textbooks and classrooms, we’re storytellers

temptation to view the arts and humanities as expendable luxuries, because they’re not.

They’re essential components of a complete education preparing individuals not only for specific careers but for a life of intellectual curiosity, adaptability, and enriched human connection.

STEM and the arts aren’t mutually exclusive fields vying for limited resources. We shouldn’t have to choose between the two. The skills cultivated in the arts—creativity, critical thinking, and empathy—aren’t in opposition to STEM, but complement and enhance the application of scientific and technological knowledge. Critical thinking can lead to more well-rounded and ethically sound innovations in STEM contexts too, addressing not only technical challenges but also their broader implications for society.

Louisa May Alcott’s words have stood the test of time—the arts are important and it’s time we start treating them like it. By investing in the arts and humanities, Queen’s can distinguish itself as an institution committed to producing graduates not only proficient in their chosen fields, but also equipped with the breadth of knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of the modern world.

Shame on Queen’s for not seeing that.

Flesh to commodity: Frigid NFL playoff game breaks records

Is safety worth less than profit?

Cordelia Jamieson Staff Writer It’s time to stop deifying our favourite athletes.

On Jan. 13, the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins played the fourth-coldest game in NFL history, featuring 27mph winds and whopping -20-degree Celsius temperatures. The National Weather Service’s characterization of the conditions as “dangerously cold,” prompts a profound concern about the threshold at which the compromise of fan and player safety for financial gain and playoff-season viewership becomes unacceptable.

There’s an understood moral ambiguity associated with the suffering and violence glorified in professional sports, alongside the insinuation that being tough enough to play and win constitutes a heroic player or team.

For many, sports serve as more than mere entertainment—they’re a religious experience, a ritual that binds communities and transcends the boundaries of individual or player identity.

Football in particular has evolved

into a civic American religion, with Sunday night football taking on a quasi-sacred status—ironically, on the same evening considered the Lord’s day in many Abrahamic contexts.

In this sporting religion, deceased players are elevated to the status of saints, superstar athletes are defined as gods, reporters become scribes chronicling sacred narratives, trophies are revered icons, commissioners and referees assume roles akin to a high council, and stadiums stand as modern-day sacred spaces to see rituals unfold.

The consumerist religious fervor in the sporting industry, however, has become increasingly pronounced.

The celebrity of professional athletes is best understood as a transformation of flesh into commodity. This is evident when examining the aggregate value of the NFL reaching a staggering $163 billion—nearly equivalent to the combined value of the NBA and MLB. The Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs, as individual entities, command values of $5.7 billion and $4.3 billion respectively.

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/lifestyle

Lifestyle

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024

More than just partners: The WAG renaissance

WAGS are shaping their own narratives Natalie Viebrock Staff Writer Liz gives advice on how to reach out to an ex.

PHOTO BY JOSEPH MARIATHASAN

FROM LIZ, WITH LOVE: SEEKING CLOSURE WITH ONE MORE CONVERSATION

When is it okay to break no contact?

Elizabeth Provost Staff Writer Dear Liz, My boyfriend of three years and I just broke up and to say the last couple of weeks have been both heartbreaking and confusing is an understatement.

Though our decision to part ways was completely mutual and we ended on good terms, we decided we’d take some time for ourselves. We haven’t talked since that night, two weeks ago. He’s my best friend and the whole never speaking again thing doesn’t sit well with me.

I’m not sure if you’ll be able to give me a straight answer, but I guess my question is: when is the right time to reach out?

And how?

Signed, Newly single and confused Dear Newly single and confused,

I’m truly sorry to hear about your breakup. It’s understandable the change in routine from talking every day to not talking at all has been destabilizing.

The tips I’ll give you may not satisfy your answer. Truly, only you know what is best for you. That’s the key—now that you’re single, you must do what’s best for you.

Although I’m a big advocate of the no-contact rule post-breakup, I’ve always followed it with an understanding that distancing myself from the other is the only way in which I can grow without feeling tethered to my past. However, I’ve recently adopted this new policy in which I’m unapologetically honest with my intuition and urges. After finding myself double texting, asking awkward questions, and talking openly about my feelings, I’ve realized that holding back from these impulses only wastes my time.

When I do make such decisions, though, I ensure I’m making them for the right reasons. In your case, you might want to ask yourself, why do you want to reach out?

Are you seeking closure? Do you want to maintain a friendship? Are you just lonely and craving a comforting person?

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 15

Once you’ve determined your reason, here’s how I recommend you move forward.

Firstly, check in with yourself that the initial shock and intensity of emotions has subsided. If you still feel the same way you felt on the day of the breakup, you might need more time.

Second, choose a method that feels comfortable for the both of you. Meeting in person at a neutral location like a coffee shop or park would be my top choice, but if you primarily communicated through text, call, or FaceTime during the relationship, stick with that.

Next, before you text or meet them, make sure you have a clear understanding of what you’re trying to achieve with this conversation. Be clear on what final questions you have and be firm in whether you’re looking to get back together or simply check in. Keep yourself accountable to what you expect from the conversation. It seems like the most useful would be a final conversation about the relationship, so perhaps keep a promise to yourself that there will be no getting back together, and stick to it.

Be prepared for different responses. Your ex-boyfriend may need more time before he’s ready to engage in conversation, have different expectations for post-breakup communication, or may not be ready to reply at all. We all deal with breakups in our own unique ways, be emotionally prepared for a variety of outcomes. If he’s like me and doesn’t want to build a new friendship, don’t let that fog your perspective of your past together. What happens after the breakup is a result of two individuals healing. While his words and actions (or lack thereof) may help you find that closure, they won’t cause the closure—only you can do that for yourself.

Remember, your life—love and otherwise—doesn’t end with this breakup. This is just the beginning.

With love, Liz

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

Like a revolving door, the attention of the media and public shifts with every passing celebrity fixation.

However, the internet’s recent obsession feels reminiscent of a cultural phenomenon we’ve seen before: the sports wives and girlfriends (WAGs).

In the aftermath of Sunday’s NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs, many news outlets were abuzz with conversation focused on the women on the sidelines of the field. Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes turned heads in matching jackets designed by fellow WAG, Kristin Juszcyzyk, while TikTok megastar Alix Earle completed the ensemble as she cheered on her boyfriend Braxton Berrios on the Dolphins’ side.

The term WAG dates back to the 2006 World Cup, when the hosting town Baden-Baden, Germany was overrun by the glamourous partners of the English football team.

Spearheaded by original WAG

Victoria Beckham, the women delivered an enthralling performance for paparazzi as they shopped, drank, and took over local holes-in-the-wall while their husbands competed.

The ensuing tabloid chaos popularized the term WAG and incited obsession in both sports fans and pop culture enthusiasts alike.

The appeal is clear—no matter how hard one tries, no one can resist the charm of a celebrity romance. Fervent fans may find themselves just as intrigued by their favourite player’s love life as they are by their on-field performance or training regimens, as well as seeing how these women adapt to the limelight.

Though WAGs have a distinct ability to capture the affection of audiences, it’s critical to acknowledge the term doesn’t come without heteronormative and misogynistic connotations.

In 2010, the British Equalities and Human Rights Commission condemned the offensive use of the term, emphasizing that it reduces women to a relationship status, perpetuating demeaning stereotypes.

In many contexts, the phrase has been used to objectify women, defining them solely by their

relationship to a man.

The release of Netflix docuseries Beckham last fall reminded audiences of the harsh judgments WAGs face.

Despite her status as Posh Spice, Victoria Beckham was swiftly reduced to the singular label of WAG and endured intense scrutiny, especially when her husband David Beckham encountered challenges on the football field.

This new generation of WAGs is proving to embody a rehabilitative shift in the power couple narrative, and reflect a larger cultural shift towards female individuality.

In rewriting the script and asserting themselves beyond the roles of wife or girlfriend, WAGs are challenging the conventional, gendered blame often placed on them for the failures and missteps of their athletic beaus.

The renewed fixation on WAGs marks this shift, transcending the notion of these women being mere arm candy. These women are now recognized as powerful and established individuals in their own right, seperate from their husbands and boyfriends.

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/lifestyle

Lifestyle

16 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024

Suzy reflects on the transition from girlhood to adulthood.

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

Saying goodbye to the girl I once was

Romanticizing adulthood to grow up Suzy Leinster Staff Writer We’ve forgotten the reasons we ached to grow up.

The afternoon sun travels over the frost-tipped trees outside my living room window, yet my mother and I find ourselves existing in a timeless space.

Our backs sink into my grandparents’ elderly couch, and I have a profound appreciation for the privilege of being with my mother in this moment.

“I’ve lost my sense of wonder for the possibilities that come with every new year, and with it, I’m missing the pleasure of simply wandering in life

Our shared conversation, punctuated by comfortable silences, is a weight pressing into my skin, reminding me of the privilege it is to be my mother’s daughter. Occasionally, I glance over as she speaks of the trials of last Sunday’s dinner or the students in her class, and I ponder what it is to be retired.

Her days are filled with supply teaching twice a week, feeding the cats, and simply existing without the pressure of a job. I wonder what it means to have finished your career, to have adult children. To know what has been, and

not longer wonder what could be.

My mother carries a combination of steadiness and contentment I can’t seem to remember experiencing in my 22 years of age.

There’s a restlessness I’ve” carried with me since I turned 22, I have such a singular image of what I should be stuck in my head that I think I’ve forgotten the true essence of adulthood. Instead, the fear of never getting a job, buying a house, or finding a partner pervades my sense of self, I crave stability instead of possibility.

Over the holiday break as I held the image of my almost 60-year-old mother in my head, I realized I lost my sense of adventure. Paying my rent, buying exorbitantly priced groceries, and hunting for a part-time job tainted my view of adulthood until it became a burdensome weight I carried on my shoulders.

Wistfully, I remember the days when food magically appeared in the fridge, and the furthest I was ever away from home was a family vacation in the tropics.

My mother can afford groceries without watching for sales, and enjoys a vacation without the fear of taking time off work. She achieved one of her greatest aspirations in having a daughter, and I still struggle to find even a glimpse of what I want from my adulthood besides a stable career.

I feel myself holding onto my mom as a symbol of stability, and I wonder why I want to skip all the steps to get there.

I’ve lost my sense of wonder for the possibilities that come with every new year, and with it,

I’m missing the pleasure of simply wandering in life.

My age is written in the language of loss. Like a tongue-tied infant only capable of babbling my words, I can’t grasp the language of what it means to be an adult. I crawl around the floor and attempt to stand up, but I slip to the ground each time I find my feet, and the world jolts around me.

“With every centimetre of height, every layer of skin I shed and regrow, every passing year marks a departure from the girl I once was

With every centimetre of height, every layer of skin I shed and regrow, every passing year marks a departure from the girl I once was.

Dyeing my hair bleach blonde, hitting the gym, and forsaking fantasy books, I lament the loss of time for childhood activities. I feel like I don’t have the time to do a lot of the things I did when I was a child, despite remembering playing with dolls and running through the bursting sprinkler with a profound sense of fondness.

I realize I don’t want to be a child again—I simply want to have bursts of euphoria for my potential future.

The popularity of the Barbie movie gave rise to the romanticization of girlhood.

The trend encapsulates what it means to be a girl through images of dressing up, eating “girl dinners,” and enjoying

everyday activities in the same carefree manner as when you were a child.

However, I find revisiting my childhood memories doesn’t bring a sense of contentment for my adult self—it serves as a reminder of the person I no longer am.

I can’t avoid all my responsibilities in connecting with my girlhood—to me it is too much of an escape.

Perhaps it’s the language itself I disagree with, but the connotations surrounding girlhood appear inherently regressive and contained. It makes me feel like I’m searching for something already lost. To push for this idea of girlhood, I’m denying myself the liberty of experiencing adulthood.

Romanticizing my childhood is a big reason why I can’t enjoy being an adult, as I look for moments of a person I no longer am. I don’t want some of my most peaceful and tranquil moments to be found in my past—a time of blissful ignorance that has since inspired wisdom.

Instead of wearing my age and maturity as a badge of honour, there’s this sense of numbness and disdain for being unable to bring back the dreams of my past self.

Reflecting on my perspective of age has made me realize up until now, I’ve lacked gratitude and appreciation for the adult moments I’ve experienced.

I live with the freedom of not having to tell anyone where I am. I can order a bad takeout dinner, stay up as late as I want, and hang out with my friends 24/7. On top of that, I can choose to do all these things without asking for permission.

My mother used to

preach gratitude to me, and in return, I arrogantly waved the word away without a passing thought of what it might mean to me.

“To push for this idea of girlhood, I’m denying myself the liberty of experiencing adulthood

I thought I knew what gratitude meant, but I believe it takes experience to understand how to possess it. Gratitude isn’t just a word; it’s an experience, a deep appreciation for what you currently have without an incessant desire for more.

Reflecting on the girlhood trend, I find it fails to capture the true beauty of age—the profound impact a year or maybe even a decade can leave on our lives. Of course, my memory is littered with nostalgia, but I need to be present and slow down.

I’m grateful for being 22 and the opportunities I have and can strive for.

I want to romanticize adulthood because I can’t turn back the time and be the child I once was.

Maybe one day I will be like my mother, sitting on the couch with my daughter, although I can’t say for sure. What I am certain of is that motherhood isn’t merely a destination, but a culmination of experiences marked by laughter, tears, and shared moments.

So, as I grapple with the uncertainty of what lies ahead, I understand it’s a privilege, not a punishment, to be a woman and no longer a girl.