Queen's Journal - Volume 146 - Issue 17

the journal

Queen’s University

Vol. 146, Issue 17

Since 1873

Friday, January 11, 2019

University mourns loss of

Dr. Alfred Bader Distinguished alum gave more than 70 years, over $25 million to Queen’s community read his obituary on page 2 SUPPLIED BY DAVID BADER PHOTOGRAPHY

Queen’s to accept funding from Huawei despite CSIS warning University confirms potential project with Chinese tech giant R achel A iken Assistant News Editor On Wednesday, Queen’s accepted research project funding from Chinese technology company Huawei—despite warnings from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

On Oct. 4, representatives from the top research-intensive universities in Canada were cautioned about future relations with the company.

As reported in The Globe and Mail, universities listed within the U15 joined CSIS in Ottawa to discuss Huawei’s increased presence in the country.

The agency cautioned the research vice-principals of

the U15—of which Queen’s is a member—about receiving funding from Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. citing national security concerns.

At the meeting, CSIS officials, including Assistant Director of Intelligence Michael Peirce, expressed concerns about security and cyber intelligence surrounding Huawei’s implementation of 5G wireless tech in Canada

and its research connections to the country’s universities.

No specific courses of action accompanied the warning. Following these developments, The Journal inquired about Queen’s connections to Huawei.

When asked about any previous history with Huawei, the University stated that no research projects had been funded by the company up to this point.

Vice-Principal (Research) Dr. Kimberly Woodhouse also issued a statement concerning Queen’s relationship with the company.

“Huawei is one of scores of international companies that

See Huawei on page 5 GRAPHIC BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

SUPPLIED BY DAVID BADER PHOTOGRAPHY

STEVE SNYDER NAMED HEAD COACH OF QUEEN’S FOOTBALL • On Dec. 16, Athletics and Recreation

announced Snyder will take over as head coach for the 2019-20 season • The decision officially concluded a month-long national search • During Snyder’s time as offensive

coordinator with the Western Mustangs, he won two OUA Yates Cups full article on page

q

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ueen ’ s is back! word search Find it on Page 15

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

FEATURES

EDITORIALS

ARTS

SPORTS

LIFEST YLE

Female-oriented clubs navigate fields dominated by men

Statistics often dilute people’s lived experiences

Agnes exhibit showcases Roman renaissance art

page 10

A guide to new athletic facilities and equipment

January horoscopes to start the New Year off right

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@queensjournal

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queensjournal.ca

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@queensjournal

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page 14

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News

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Friday, January 11, 2019

OBITUARY

Distinguished alum gave more than 70 years, over $25 million to Queen’s Jasnit Pabla News Editor On Dec. 23, the Queen’s community received the news that distinguished alumnus Dr. Alfred Bader had passed away that day. He was 94.

Bader’s legacy at the university aside from his academic distinctions—Sci ’45 and ’46, MSc ’47, LLD ’86—transcended campus. He altered the fabric of the university experience through his contributions, and the lives of subsequent graduates.

Together with his wife, Isabel the couple generously sponsored Jewish studies and the arts on campus, as well as the Bader International Student Centre (BISC) in England, the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, and funding to the Agnes Etherington Art Centre.

In 2005, Bader offered more than $10 million to the University for the construction of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, later increasing the total donation to $22 million. According to a 2014 Journal article, Bader believed that the campus was lacking a “great theatre” with a performing arts centre and musical hall.

“Dr. Bader has ensured that generations of young people will have the opportunity to

Queen’s mourns loss of Dr. Alfred Bader

Dr. Alfred Bader (1924-2018).

experience the most remarkable art and music that has been created,” Director of the Isabel Bader Centre, Tricia Baldwin, said in a statement to The Journal.

In 2015, the Baders commissioned a $5.5 million donation to the university: $3 million was to be allocated to the Agnes, $1.5 million to the Jewish Studies program, and the final million to post-doctoral fellows in the humanities department.

Three years later, the Agnes and Isabel centres were gifted another million from the couple.

“Alfred Bader’s astonishing legacy through The Bader Collection of European Art will

Kingston will begin using the ranked ballot system in 2022.

continue to be central to our work,” Agnes Director Jan Allen told The Journal in a statement. “On a more personal level, Dr. Bader is fondly remembered as a passionate lover of art and a researcher driven by an adventurous sense of curiosity.”

Bader found the motivation to give to others through his love and commitment to the university experience that welcomed him when he first began his Queen’s journey in 1941.

In 1940, as students and Queen’s alumni continued their fight in the Second World War overseas, Bader was deported from Austria to Canada,

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

City of Kingston adopts ranked ballot voting system Alternative vote to push candidates to court student voters Ahrani Gnananayakan Contributor

18 council meeting.

In the 2016 Municipal Elections Modernization Act, Ontario Voting in Kingston will be on a municipalities were given the ranked ballot system before the option to change their election next municipal election in 2022. process beginning in 2018. Since City staff are moving it passed, London has been forward with ranked ballots the first municipality to following October’s referendum, make the transition to where 63 per cent of voters ranked ballot. supported changing the current In October’s election, the first-past-the-post voting system City of Kingston asked voters to a ranked ballot. Despite the which voting method they result being non-binding—less preferred in a referendum. In than fifty per cent of eligible a first-past-the-post system, voters participated in the voters can only choose one election—the City agreed to adopt candidate and the winner only the ranked ballot system in a Dec. needs one more vote than the

second-place candidate. In a ranked ballot system, voters rank their preferences.

After all votes are counted, the candidate with 50 per cent of the total votes, plus one vote, wins the election. If this isn’t achieved, the candidate with the least first-choice votes is eliminated, and their ballots are distributed to voters’ next ranked preference.

This process is repeated until a candidate has enough votes to win a majority.

While citizens have raised concerns at the City’s four open houses about the estimated

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S GAZETTE

where he was detained in an internment camp alongside other German-speaking refugees. It was his welcome to the country which would later host his exemplary educational career in the coming years.

Following his release from internment, he studied chemistry at Queen’s, then art, before later completing his Doctorate in Law. He’d go on to study at Harvard and publish popular papers that ultimately highlighted his success and commitment to his original studies in chemistry.

Since earning his academic distinctions, Bader’s been honoured by the University for his contributions as a benefactor,

receiving the Alumni Achievement Award by the Queen’s Alumni Association—the University’s highest honour.

“His own route to Queen’s as a refugee inspired him to do what he could to help others,” wrote Tom Harris, interim provost and vice-principal (academic), in a statement to The Journal.

In 2013, Bader formalized his gratitude to the Queen’s Principal who acted during his first term at the University in the ’40s, Robert Charles Wallace, in the Principal Wallace Freedom of Opportunity Award. It’s awarded annually to international students entering a first-year entry undergraduate degree program, with preference given to refugee students.

Bader’s legacy lives on through his wife, children, and his generous contributions to the Queen’s community—in the form of scholarships, awards, and funds that have impacted all corners of the university experience.

“Alfred Bader’s legacy at Queen’s University will endure in the many people whose lives he touched,” Principal Woolf wrote in a statement released on Christmas Eve. “It will live on in future generations who will be enriched by his profound love for his university.”

In 1993, The Journal cited a Whig-Standard interview where Bader gave his rationale for contributing the Herstmonceux Castle, the location of the BISC, to the University.

“My heart is at Queen’s,” he said. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

$220,000 in additional costs said. “However, looking to London of using a ranked ballot, Ontario as an example, there was the new voting system’s advocates an increase in voter turnout in the hope it will better represent most recent municipal election.” public opinion.

With candidates aiming for “A ranked ballot system will a majority win among a wider have a significant impact on range of voters, student votes voter efficacy because your will have more opportunities to votes will count for something press their interests. Campaigns even if you did not vote for the winning candidate, as well as an increased focus on positive “A ranked ballot system campaigning, as all candidates will have a significant are seeking support from impact on voter efficacy all voters,” said AMS Commissioner of Municipal because your votes Affairs Søren Christianson will count for in an email t o something even The Journal. if you did not In the new system, even if a vote for the candidate isn’t the first-choice preference for a voter, their winning candidate” second or third preference can contribute to a candidate’s victory, —Søren Christianson avoiding wasted ballots.

AMS Municipal The extra costs incurred by Affairs commissioner the City are currently preliminary estimates and based on the London municipality’s transition. will have a greater incentive Meanwhile, elections for school to reach students, which board trustees will continue w i l l provide them to use the first-past-the-post with an opportunity to have their method. According to the City’s concerns heard and addressed. website, Kingston “will run “It would be great [in the two types of elections: Ranked 2022 municipal election] to Ballot voting for the mayor see barriers to registration and district councillors; and lowered for students, as well as first-past-the-post for the school a polling station conveniently board trustees.” located on campus where all As for the impact on Queen’s students—not just those living students’ participation in elections, in Sydenhan—can vote,” Christianson is hopeful.

Christianson said.

“It is hard to say if we will see an increase [in voter turnout], journal_news@ams.queensu.ca as we don’t know how many Queen’s students voted in past municipal elections,” Christianson

News

Friday, January 11, 2019

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Queen’s club hosts annual Kingston blood drive during shortage Muslim Medical Association of Queen’s teams up with Canadian Blood Services

Claudia Rupnik Assistant News Editor

to collect 17,000 units of blood to meet hospital demand.

During the winter months, weekly The Muslim Medical Association of Queen’s donations to the blood bank generally (MMAQ) took over the Canadian Blood decreases and the amount of blood Services clinic in Kingston on Dec. 28 available for medical use dips. Canadian to help combat the seasonal decline of Blood Services experiences the shortage blood donations. annually, as regular blood donors Ahead of donation day, the group often become unavailable during the organized a six-week awareness campaign holiday season. that aimed to disprove common myths In November, MMAQ was awarded about blood donation. During this time, an Aesculapian Society Initiatives Grant they designed and distributed flyers and which provided the fumds necessary to infographics about the process of blood implement a blood donation campaign donation throughout Kingston, focusing in Kingston. on the Muslim community. The campaign The group contacted Canadian Blood helped attract 30 donors on Dec. 28.

Services for more information on how “The goal of the campaign was to address to get involved, and were informed the concerns Muslims have about blood organization was experiencing a decline in donations, debunk myths, and mobilize donations entering the winter season. the Muslim community to donate blood,” With the opportunity to address the said Shaimaa Helal, on behalf of MMAQ. decline in donations, MMAQ chose to use It was timely: in early December, their grant to raise awareness for the Canadian Blood Services issued a blood-shortage issue and operate the nationwide appeal for donations in blood drive on behalf of Canadian anticipation of the shortage.

Blood Services.

Blood donations are a critical part of They also organized transportation medical care, vital to surgeries, medical services for anyone interested in donating procedures, cancer treatments, and blood, arranging pickups from publicly the management of diseases. Each accessible locations—including the week, Canadian Blood Services needs Islamic Society of Kingston—offering

New space opens for graduate students on campus Helen Howard Graduate Students Reading Room opens in Stauffer Ellen Nagy Contributor This December, the SGPS and Stauffer Library celebrated the opening of the Helen Howard Graduate Students Reading Room.

On the third floor of Stauffer Library, the Helen Howard Reading Room is a success for the SGPS, which was concerned over the need for grad student specific spaces on campus. The new space holds two breakout rooms equipped with televisions, and a lounge area in the front. To enter, grad students receive an email with an access code for the keypad on the door, leaving the space free for their use only.

The study space was made possible through funds provided by Dr. Helen Howard. Once funding became available, the SGPS and library staff took over the task of designing a more welcoming, community-oriented space.

SGPS President Tyler Morrison credited Martha Whitehead, vice-provost (digital planning) and university librarian, and former SGPS President Adam Grotsky (2017-18), for their dedication and determination in seeing the project through to completion.

“The big focus on the space was a collaborative working space,” Morrison said in an interview with The Journal.

During the design phase, the leaders of

this project deferred to Queen’s graduate students to accommodate the needs and concerns they identified through their study experiences. The space was designed with a focus on fostering a stronger graduate community between departments.

“Sometimes the graduate experience can be an afterthought,” Morrison said, “[The Helen Howard Reading Room] shows grad students that they’re part of the fabric of Queen’s.”

Concerns about the graduate student experience isn’t new, and isolation among graduate students has been considered by the SGPS for some time.

In a survey completed in October three out of 10 grad students reported their graduate experience was lacking. Some of the concerns cited were mental health workshops, community engagement opportunities, and increased funding for professional research.

The push for more graduate spaces continues in the upcoming winter referendum on the redevelopment of the JDUC, Morrison said. The building is an extension of graduate life on campus.

During the 2017-18 referendum, while undergraduate students voted against the redevelopment, graduate students supported the motion.

“The focus would be on passing the JDUC Referendum,” Morrison said, “to make [more graduate space] happen.”

“These spaces are more than just tables and chairs. We need to keep the momentum going […] and continue to find other ways to foster community and create engagement.” journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

Muslim Medical Association of Queen’s.

special pickups for those further from the donation centre.

On the day of the event, Kingston residents attended the clinic to donate blood under the organization of MMAQ members. The blood was promptly transported to Ottawa where it was used in the days to follow.

Following their campaign, the Muslim Medical Association of Queen’s developed

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY SHAIMAA HELAL

a formal partnership with Canadian Blood Services with the vision of continuing the tradition and combatting seasonal declines in blood collection.

“30 Kingstonians came out that day to donate blood and were gifted a ‘Proud Blood Donor’ t-shirt for their service,” Helal told The Journal. “The Muslim Medical Associaton of Queen’s now has a partnership with Canadian Blood Services and hopes to host this event annually.”

The Helen Howard Graduate Students Reading Room opened in Stauffer. PHOTO BY TESSA WARBUTON

News

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Friday, January 11, 2019

City votes in favour of private cannabis retailers Storefronts to open in Kingston beginning April 2019 The investigation will be completed external to the AMS.

Claudia Rupnik Assistant News Editor JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

AMS to vote on cost for external investigation into president Price, timeline and investigator identity undisclosed Raechel Huizinga Assistant News Editor The AMS and Board of Directors has chosen an investigator for the external investigation into AMS President Miguel Martinez—the cost of which will be voted on later this month.

Last November, the Board engaged with a potential investigator for an external investigation into allegations made by former Judicial Affairs Manager Brandon Tyrrell against Martinez.

The Board “has explored several avenues and has settled on a particular investigator who they believe is best suited to conduct this investigation,” Chair for the Board of Directors, Mikela Page, wrote in an email to The Journal.

The AMS wouldn’t disclose the name of the investigator.

According to Page, the investigator has provided the Board with an estimate of the required number of hours to complete the investigation as well as an hourly cost.

While AMS Assembly voted to engage an investigator last November, they will vote again on the cost of the investigation “to allow Assembly to make an informed decision,” wrote Page.

The AMS didn’t disclose how the investigation would be funded.

At the AMS assembly meeting on Nov. 29, Engineering Society President Carson Cook moved that the Assembly direct the Board of Directors, in consultation with the President’s Caucus, to create a mandate for an external investigation into the allegations made against Martinez.

The motion also sought “to engage an external investigator for said investigation.”

The selected investigator has seen the mandate created by the President’s Caucus and the Board of Directors, according to Page’s statement to The Journal.

In his position as Judicial Affairs manager last fall, Tyrrell was investigating a complaint made against President Martinez regarding his conduct at Queen’s Model Parliament in January of 2018, which alleged Martinez’s executive status gave him preferential treatment in his sanction agreement with the University Conduct Office.

Tyrrell alleged Martinez interfered with

his investigation.

Last November, Martinez denied this, telling The Journal in an interview he didn’t interfere in Tyrrell’s investigation in “any way that policy doesn’t allow [him] to.”

Before his termination, Tyrrell told The Journal he feared he may be “arbitrarily dismissed” because of his reluctance to give up his investigation into Martinez’s behaviour.

Martinez denied the investigation influenced Tyrrell’s termination shortly after.

The AMS didn’t disclose how the investigation would be funded.

In a November interview, Munro Watters, AMS vice-president (university affairs), said Tyrrell was fired because he disclosed confidential information to The Journal, violating the Agency Agreement between the AMS and the University. The Agency Agreement provides authority to the AMS Non-Academic Misconduct System (NAM).

Tyrrell argued he was investigating Martinez under the AMS Policy Infringement Protocol (PIP) system, not NAM, and that the Agency Agreement only applies to cases the Judicial Affairs Office adopts from the NAM system.

According to Tyrrell, because the PIP system is independent of the University’s NAM system, he wasn’t tied to any obligations set out in the Agency Agreement.

Tyrrell argued his disclosure to The Journal—which Watters said is the reason for Tyrrell’s termination without two weeks’ notice—was justified by a notwithstanding clause included in the Judicial Policies and Procedures.

Citing an absence from the AMS offices in the days leading up to Tyrrell’s departure, Martinez denied any involvement in Tyrrell’s termination.

Martinez addressed Tyrrell’s allegations against him at the Assembly meeting in November when AMS Assembly voted to launch the external investigation.

“I cannot be silent in the face of his malfeasance,” Martinez said of Tyrrell. “This attempt to undermine who I am as an individual and misrepresent my character can go on no longer.”

The AMS didn’t respond to questions about the timeline of the investigation. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

Private cannabis retail stores are coming to Kingston after Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

During their bi-weekly meeting, Council agreed to notify the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) that the City of Kingston will permit the operation of private cannabis retail stores as of April 1.

Following the legalization of recreational cannabis on Oct. 17, the provincial government pledged to allow for its sale by private retail stores throughout Ontario starting April 1—licensed and monitored by the AGCO throughout the province.

The provincial government has allowed municipalities to decide whether they will permit private retailers to operate in their communities. Municipalities have until Jan. 22 to pass a resolution, or it will be automatically assumed they have opted in to the operation of future cannabis retail stores.

Council’s decision follows the chief administrative officer’s recommendation that Kingston opt-in to the province-wide motion. The suggestion included opening private cannabis retail stores.

The recommendation was backed by the results of an online survey conducted by City staff, which was available to the public from Nov. 22 until Dec. 12. The survey reached 2,027 individuals.

The results indicated that 85.1 per cent of respondents either somewhat or completely supported cannabis retail stores in Kingston. While many respondents also expressed they had no concerns regarding the physical establishment of cannabis retail stores in Kingston, others were concerned about the proximity to sensitive land uses, such as daycares and schools.

City staff also contacted seven municipalities that have already have private cannabis retailers, including Calgary and Winnipeg, to analyze the impact that this motion will have

Canada legalized weed on Oct. 17.

on the community.

They found there were very few complaints from the public regarding the operation of private retailers, noting that private stores largely surpass regulatory requirements because of concerns their licenses will be revoked.

They were unable to determine the impact that private retailers had on underground markets.

The results indicated that 85.1 per cent of respondents either somewhat or completely supported cannabis retail stores in Kingston.

The City anticipates receiving a p p rox i m a te ly $300,000 to cover implementation costs.

To aid municipalities, the provincial government has established the Ontario Cannabis Legalization Implementation Fund (OCLIF) to provide financial support to communities that allow private cannabis retailers.

Council plans to use this funding primarily for a public health campaign, police training and equipment—specifically, $77,000 to KFL&A Public Health and $207,000 to Police Services. The remainder is to be used by the City for miscellaneous costs associated with implementation.

As of Dec. 13, the Ontario government announced a temporary cap of 25 authorized retailers until cannabis supply is stabilized.

Kingston follows thirteen other municipalities that have opted-in to the provincial program, including Toronto and Ottawa. City staff will prepare a formal response to the AGCO in the upcoming weeks, outlining Kingston’s approach to implementation based on municipal cannabis policies. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

PHOTO BY IAIN SHERRIFF-SCOTT

News

Friday, January 11, 2019

CSIS cautions U15 universities from ties to Chinese company Huawei

Queen’s is a member of the U15 in Canada.

Continued from front ... are engaged in partnerships with Canadian universities,” Woodhouse wrote to The Journal.

“Queen’s has now been informed that Huawei has approved a contract concerning funding for one research project with the possibility of additional funding still under discussion. As is standard with these types of agreements, we cannot comment further on specifics.”

She added because of the University’s enrollment in the U15 there are regular opportunities for discussion concerning ongoing security issues for researchers.

“Queen’s will continue to support the work of faculty members and researchers who wish to pursue collaborative projects, and to comply with all federal directives and regulations regarding research partnerships,” she wrote.

An earlier Globe and Mail report revealed Huawei was partnered with numerous

Sustainability Action Fund back on track

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

research universities in Canada.

Through funding research projects in Canada, the company funnels the resulting intellectual property back into its own tech development.

According to the same report, Huawei has committed Queen’s Solar Design Team. an estimated $50 million to 13 Canadian universities.

On Dec. 4, CSIS Director David Vigneault addressed the Economic

Huawei has committed an estimated $50 million to 13 Canadian universities.

SAF allocated ‘smoothly’ in 2018, says Queen’s Solar Design Team Rachel Aiken Assistant News Editor

After an eight-month delay of grant allocation in 2017, AMS Club of Canada in Toronto, Vice-President (University Affairs) warning attendees about the use Munro Watters prioritized of 5G mobile networks facilitated efficiency for the Sustainability

by Huawei.

Action Fund (SAF) in 2018.

“Hostile states typically target Collected through a $2.00 companies or universities opt-out student fee, the grant is that are active in emerging awarded to multiple recipients technology—the kind of potentially per term to provide financial revolutionary discoveries assistance to student projects that that can bring massive profits,” concern sustainability. There are Vigneault said. three application terms during the year; summer, fall, and winter. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca In an interview with The Journal, Watters said the summer 2018 application period “went off without a hitch.”

“As a general timeline, I set myself roughly a month to get

INFORMATION FOR ALL STUDENTS IMPACTED

BY SEXUAL VIOLENCE GET HELP, GIVE HELP queensu.ca/sexualviolencesupport Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Coordinator, Barb Lotan bjl7@queensu.ca

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the outcome email out to people,” she said.

Watters admitted the fall term process was slightly delayed due to a “combination of factors.”

The application deadline was mid-October, but the grant committee didn’t convene until mid-November.

“The exam period and the break also put a wrench in things, but it was only delayed by a few weeks at most,” Watters said. She added she hopes to see the process move in a more timely manner during the next application term.

Last year, both summer and fall grants went unallocated, resulting in an eight-month delay for funds—which were finally granted in January of 2018.

That month, when asked about the delays, former Vice-President Palmer Lockridge told The Journal there was “a little bit of trouble getting [the] granting committee together.”

Watters said there was little transition into the responsibility of the SAF. “I was told there was

SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S SOLAR DESIGN TEAM

a grant and that was it,” she said.

“There was nothing really detailed in policy or procedure about the fund or how it’s supposed to be allocated.”

Watters put together a new granting process based on other policy and grant procedures within the AMS. She believes the new process hews closer to general AMS policies and systems, and will ensure a smoother transition for her successor in the following school year.

The Queen’s Solar Design Team (QSDT) was one of the recipients of the SAF in both 2017 and the 2018 summer term.

The team designs and engineers a solar, autonomous house—Queen’s Solar Education Centre—on West campus that operates exclusively using solar energy.

QSDT Business Manager Jackie Wang, Comm ’21, couldn’t comment on previous years however, he told The Journal that the team’s 2018 grant money came with “no delay.”

“This year the process for us went pretty smoothly,” Wang said.

“Before the school year started, we got our money. I would definitely encourage any group that has values that are aligned with the SAF to apply. I believe it’s a really great opportunity to advance some of the sustainable initiatives on campus.”

Watters also said the grant has been successful at promoting sustainability on campus and is valuable to future environment-oriented efforts.

“We have funded a lot of conferences, speaker series and workshops that are all incredibly valuable for that engagement surrounding sustainably on campus,” she said. “We also put a lot towards just regular organizations or orientation weeks where they try and have a little bit more of a sustainability focus, which I think is fantastic.”

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Friday, January 11, 2019

Features Mind the confidence gap IN-DEPTH STORIES FROM AROUND CAMPUS AND IN THE COMMUNITY

How female-oriented clubs help women navigate male-dominated fields Hannah Stafl Features Editor The confidence gap is 40 per cent—the difference between the 100 per cent qualifications women feel they need for a job and the 60 per cent men do, according to a Harvard Business Review study.

Whether it’s finance or physics, women can be reluctant to push for advancement, especially as they enter male-dominated disciplines in university—even when formal barriers have been removed.

At Queen’s, clubs like Women in International Security and Women in Science and Engineering aim to address the confidence gap, fostering professional skills and networks in male-dominated fields.

Despite women making up 59 per cent of students arriving at Queen’s in 2017, progress towards parity has been uneven. At 31 per cent, Queen’s Engineering has the country’s highest female enrolment in an engineering program. The Journal reported on lower numbers of women in the electrical and computer engineering disciplines.

Meanwhile, women students make up 48 per cent of the commerce program. But life after graduation doesn’t look the same: only 15 per cent of CEO and 25 per cent of vice president positions in Canada are held by women, according to the Canadian Women’s Foundation.

The slow progress women face in areas like science are symptoms of a phenomenon called the confidence gap, according to Professor Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant, who researches gendered news coverage.

In addition to institutional, political, and structural barriers to women advancing to leadership positions, “There are important psychological factors that are related to the structural factors, whereby women are less confident in their skills and qualifications,” she said.

Looking at young boys and girls, the gap doesn’t seem to exist. According to Goodyear-Grant, “They’re [equally] likely to accurately evaluate their skills.”

The gap widens as women grow older. Possible explanations include increased exposure to media negatively portraying ambitious women, higher female representation in caring professions such as nursing, and younger boys being streamed more frequently than girls into sciences and mathematics.

Women becoming more aware of gender-based discrimination may also “diminish their willingness to put themselves out there,” Goodyear-Grant said. If they expect discrimination, women may simply try to avoid it.

Practically, this lack of confidence means women may not ask for promotions. They may stay quiet in class or working groups, or refrain from negotiating salaries. If they do finally make it up the ladder in their firms or institutions, they may feel unworthy—what’s commonly known as imposter syndrome.

As ways to encourage women against a tendency to downplay their skills, Goodyear-Grant said mentorship and networking with other women are invaluable tools to close the gap. “[Don’t] tell them to be more confident, maybe show them.” ***

To this end, female-oriented clubs present on campus are attempting to close the gap at Queen’s and beyond. These groups exist for women in science, engineering, technology, politics, and international security, among others.

Meghann Grenier, Sci ’19, is President of Women In Science and Engineering (WiSE) at Queen’s. She said part of the value of women’s groups is they push members to get outside of their comfort zones, a common issue among women who may

GRAPHIC BY HANNAH STAFL

There is an observable gap in confidence between men and women.

have lower confidence than their male peers.

In her earlier years at Queen’s, Grenier’s first networking sessions were the most difficult and she often felt listing her accomplishments was a form of bragging. At one networking event, then-WiSE President Julia Vidotto noticed Grenier was apprehensive to participate and pulled her aside.

The president introduced herself first, and the pair walked around to different groups until Grenier was left alone to speak with a contact after an introduction had been made.

By the end of the day, Grenier discovered a newfound ability to speak about and introduce herself alone.

“They’re just human beings, you just talk to them,” Grenier recalled when the session was over.

Started in the United Kingdom, WiSE chapters have spread to campuses worldwide, hosting conferences and events showcasing professional women.

WiSE also matches members who want to participate with either upper-year or professional mentors in their fields.

In international security, confidence is often equally needed.

The Queen’s chapter of Women In International Security (WIIS), for instance, aims to promote women in the field by running conferences and speaker series.

Zina Ibrahim, ArtSci ’19, is the club’s president. She said the value of mentorship is it allows women to have a concrete example of someone like them prospering in their field.

“It’s very difficult to see yourself in a position where you’ve never seen another woman,” Ibrahim said.

Established fields like academia or international security were “made by men for men,” according to the club’s Vice President, Bibi Imre-Millei, ArtSci ’19. This can make choosing these career paths mentally daunting for women, even if outside institutional barriers have been removed, such as explicit policies prohibiting women from occupying certain roles.

During its speaker series, most of WIIS’ speakers shared their own experiences with imposter syndrome.

Assistant Professor Stéphanie Martel teaches in the Department

of Political Studies. During her graduate studies and at times during her professional life when starting something new, Martel experiences feelings of being an imposter.

She said simply identifying imposter syndrome is important.

“This feeling, while prevalent among students, has nothing to do with a person’s intrinsic value or objective performance,” she said. Awareness of the trend may make room for others to share their ideas when doing so may be daunting.

As they gain new ground, women can sometimes feel there is more competition among each other rather than the entire pool of job applicants.

But Ibrahim disagrees with this sentiment.

“It’s not a female CEO position.

It’s a CEO position,” she said.

At Queen’s Women in Financial Markets, Isabelle Callaghan and Sam Roper, both Sci ’20, mentor these future female CEOs. The club hosts monthly educational modules for

“It’s very difficult to see yourself in a position where you’ve never seen another woman.”

—Zina Ibrahim, President of WIIS

women. While the group is Commerce-oriented and covers topics such as investment banking basics, it features the same hallmarks of mentors and networks seen in WiSE and WIIS. Callaghan said that when women look at a field and don’t see someone who looks like them, “We think, why? Why are there no women there?” She believes some women may conclude there’s a reason for the lack of representation, rather than it being due to a lag in the spread of diversity.

Callaghan indicated a trend: There’s an abundance of women at the undergraduate level and

ILLUSTRATION BY KATHRYN BEST

the lower ranks of companies, but somewhere along the way, they get caught, with few making it to the top.

“Companies will always say, ‘Oh, we have a lot of women in the pipeline,’” Callaghan said. “There have been women in the pipeline for so long now ... where do they go?”

Callaghan said women may stumble because they may fail to develop connections in male-dominated workplaces.

When promotions come up—which can be influenced by interpersonal relationships developed outside the office—women may not be the first choice. ***

Patti Shugart is one woman who’s made it through the pipeline: she’s Managing Director and Global Head of Corporate Banking and Global Credit at RBC, under Capital Markets.

Shugart said self-assurance was key to her rise at RBC. She grew up with four brothers and had supportive parents, with her mother as a strong role model. It’s the confidence she’s nurtured that has kept her moving forward.

If anyone knows about the value that women can bring to the workforce, it’s Shugart.

Shugart wants other women to see capital markets and banking as viable career choices since women are just as capable as men.

Additionally, she said women are valuable to client facing teams, as more diverse groups are likely to produce a wider range of solutions.

Shugart described the struggle occuring to acquire the best talent—that is, streaming women into the pipeline. “We are in a talent war, full out,” she said.

All of the best people are wanted by a variety of groups, whether it’s private equity or technology firms, she added.

“Over the last 20 years, diversity and inclusion has become a competitive advantage in the capital markets industry,” Shugart said. “The focus now is attracting the women and once they are here, retaining them and promoting them.”

Focusing on women is just one shift in a perpetually changing workplace.

“Nothing ever stands still in this market,” Shugart said.

Friday, January 11, 2019

queensjournal.ca

EDITORIALS Millennial burnout needs to cool down The Journal’s Perspective

In 2019, young people are capable of working many jobs and getting straight As. But when it comes to taking out garbage or shovelling driveways, they find themselves incapacitated and swamped with stress.

Stereotypes surround millennials and Gen Zs. They’re lazy, disengaged, don’t vote, and stubbornly refuse to buy real estate and diamonds. However, an essay in Buzzfeed News argues this is a symptom of deep millennial burnout.

In a culture that constantly sends work-related notifications to people increasingly obsessed with achievement, leisure has ceased to exist.

Social media exists for every purpose: LinkedIn and Slack for work, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for personal branding. As young people feel pressured to curate their lives, they’ve been forced to view their peers’ accomplishments as threatening.

Millennials work incessantly to succeed and be validated, which must also be immediate and widely-known by their peers.

In an era saturated by information, we’ve grown scared of complacency. We’re forced to remain constantly switched on to impress bosses, co-workers, and peers. Everyone can reach us with demands for our energy and time at any given moment.

Major long-term goals leave little room for the anxieties of daily errands.

Particularly for women, who carry double burdens of domestic labour and professional achievement, the to-do list of tasks never shrinks, draining already-scant leisure time.

There’s pressure for young people to check the boxes of socializiation, academics, and hobbies.

But

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Volume 146 Issue 17 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board

Editors in Chief

Production Manager News Editor Assistant News Editors Features Editors Editorials Editor Opinions Editor Arts Editor Assistant Arts Editor Sports Editor

Sebastian Bron Nick Pearce Julia Balakrishnan Jasnit Pabla Rachel Aiken Raechel huizinga Claudia Rupnik Samantha Fink Hannah Stafl Meredith Wilson-Smith Sophia Spencer Brigid Goulem Brittany Giliforte Matt Scace

there’s also pressure to do self-care correctly. Leisure time has become politicized by the constant crush of a hyper-competitive culture.

Self-care means face masks, bath bombs, and weeknights drinking too much wine. While valid mechanisms for relaxation, these tools are best viewed through the light of an Instagram story. The pressure to appear balanced can become another trigger for burnout, as it’s encroached upon by demands from social media.

Self-care is about intent, not action. Stepping away from your work doesn’t necessarily mean leisure when it becomes a competition to relax more than others while simultaneously being more successful than them.

For millennials and Gen Zs, immediate gratification is easier to come by—and we’ve learned to work harder for it. This can have devastating repercussions on individuals.

Being obsessed with productivity makes it easy to get caught up. Every task feels equally pressing, leading the most important things—health, interpersonal relationships, maintaining one’s value system—to slip through the cracks.

This isn’t changing any time soon. If younger generations continue to pursue goals without stopping to appreciate success, we’ll soon find we’ve lost the energy to achieve any ambitions at all.

—Journal Editorial Board

ILLUSTRATION BY ZIER ZHOU Assistant Sports Editor Lifestyle Editor Assistant Lifestyle Editor Photo Editor Assistant Photo Editor Video Editor Assistant Video Editor Editorial Illustrator Copy Editors Editorial Intern

Maggie Gowland Josh Granovsky Ally Mastantuono Chris Yao Tessa Warburton Amelia Rankine Christian Soriano Zier Zhou Tegwyn Hughes Abigail Kingswood Lillian Gao

Contributing Staff Staff Writers and Photographers Jonathan karr Andrew Schjerning

Contributors Ahrani Gnananayakan Rana Kamh Eli Nadler Ellen Nagy

Business Staff Business Manager Head Sales Representative Sales Representative Office Administrator

•7

Samantha Fink

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

Statistics too often sideline lived experiences Whether demonstrating the number of victims of sexual violence or the percentage of people experiencing mental illness, statistics lend weight and merit to any given issue. But they do so at the risk of inducing apathy within the general public and diluting people’s lived experiences.

Last semester, I took an English seminar on human rights where we read testimonies from survivors of various human rights violations, including the Holocaust and South Africa’s apartheid regime. While most students were familiar with the background of the course material, I was shocked when I heard the personal stories of the people these tragedies affected.

Their stories upset me, and I was shocked by the lack of effort in commemorating hardships experienced in our communities.

There was an overwhelming discrepancy between what I learned and what I previously thought I knew. What tends to come into focus in mainstream media and discussion are the statistics of tragic experiences, rather than the stories of those who’ve lived through them.

Hearing these stories evoked compassion in a way that facts and statistics hadn’t done before.

Determined to pursue change and action, I thought of the people we’d read about and longed for a better world for their benefit.

Morgan Dodson Aidan Chalmers Ben Johnstone Liveny Krishnakumar

Want to contribute?

For information visit: www.queensjournal.ca/contribute or email the Editor in Chief at journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Contributions from all members of the Queen’s and Kingston community are welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions.

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

Rather than associating the events covered in the seminar with numbers, I now associated them with names and people.

I learned, by reflecting on ourselves, that it’s the stories of others which hold legitimate merit when it comes to changing the world.

When we emphasize statistics over stories, we negate the uniqueness of individual experiences, and we thread distinct stories together as one.

Moreover, we convince others that the problem is already too big to be worthwhile of their intervention.

We make our audiences powerless.

It’s tempting, when explaining a specific cause, to use statistics to demonstrate the immensity of an issue and the necessity for intervention.

But numbers should be an accessory in this pursuit, not an anchor.

If you’re trying to raise awareness about an issue and inspire others to make change, it shouldn’t matter whether four in 10 people are affected, or five in 10 people.

One person’s suffering should be enough to warrant help, and is more persuasive than a statistic in fueling progress.

Samantha is one of The Journal’s Features Editors. She’s a fourth-year English and Psychology student.

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

190 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3P4 Editorial Office: 613-533-2800 Business Office: 613-533-6711 Fax: 613-533-6728 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Please address complaints and grievances to the Editors in Chief.

The Queen’s Journal is printed on a Goss Community press by Performance Group of Companies in Smiths Falls, Ontario.

Contents © 2018 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal.

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8 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, January 11, 2019

OPINIONS

Your Perspective

Combatting climate change can’t be done alone Why collective action is our best shot at saving the planet Talking heads...

Can you describe “frost week” in one word?

PHOTOS BY TESSA WARBURTON

“Reunion.”

Alia Browns, ArtSci ’20

“Smooth.”

Jade Watson, Eng ’21

See more online at www. queensjournal.ca/opinions Kahm argues individualistic social trends dominate sustainable practices, failing to properly combat climate change.

Rana Kamh, MA ’20

government’s recent efforts driving less. purchasing the Trans Mountain The argument is if a person Increasingly, there’s been a pipeline demonstrate this lack were to carpool or use public shift towards individualistic of accountability. transportation, there’d be a approaches in combatting Social trends encouraging decrease in their ecological climate change, b e individual action in advertising or footprint. But this individualistic it through reducing animal social media make people hold approach in reducing greenhouse product consumption, thrift themselves responsible rather gas emissions does little to shopping or no longer using than the government. People hold oil and gas corporations plastic straws. participate under these policies accountable for their extraction However, this shift in social believing their personal change is practices, nor does it put pressure attitudes and consumption enough, worsening the extent of on local governments to invest in patterns isn’t enough to bring enviromental damages. public transportation and make it tangible change.

This form of activism is no more accessible.

Instead, collective action coincidence. Rather, it’s a direct Through collective action, holds everyone in society equally symptom of individualizing however, these alarming trends accountable, initiating movements the problem of fighting climate can be challenged. like policy and regulatory change at the expense of For example, during the change among governments collective movements.

Taiwanese waste crisis in the and corporations—the greatest Some may argue individual 1980s, collective action was contributors to climate change. action is an effective method successful in opposing the national A 2010 United Nations report for consumers to change their incineration project which published states corporations consumption patterns. However, effectively halted the construction generated approximately $2.2 eco-consumerism is lacking of burners. This also motivated trillion dollars in environmental given that companies integrate the Taiwanese government to damages, half of which were social or environmental trends create policies and programs to related to greenhouse gases. in their marketing to encourage support recycling efforts.

Companies are among the ‘green’ consumption. Eco-labelling More recently, New York top greenhouse gas emitting doesn’t accurately reflect the City looked to sue some top oil industries. Yet, without the backing ecological and social realities and gas corporations for their of a social trend questioning their experienced in developing complicit role in causing climate practices, the climate will continue countries, and it doesn’t provide a change—showing a political to deteriorate. viable solution for the structural willingness to hold corporations Governments are equally barriers behind social and accountable. Other cities who responsible for climate environmental issues. have filed lawsuits against change because of the waste, Furthermore, 1 0 0 corporations include San environmental damages and multinational corporations Francisco and Oakland. greenhouse gas emissions including Shell and ExxonMobil As a collective, it’s possible to produced by their respective are responsible for over 71 leverage the exemplary efforts energy, industrial and agricultural per cent of the world’s global of these cities to encourage sectors. Trends like the United greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, other governments to make States seeking to weaken a popular form of individual corporations responsible for restrictions on carbon emissions action to combat climate change their environmental damages. It or the Canadian federal is to reduce gas emissions by forces corporations to incur the

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

costs of protecting cities from the existing and future effects of climate change.

Individual action is an important facet in the fight against climate change and shouldn’t be completely discredited.

Nonetheless, the percentage of people who actively try to improve their day-to-day actions are quite low in comparison to the percentage of people who express a pro-environmental viewpoint.

Collective action could bridge that gap by advocating for changes in school curriculae to educate young people about the different ways to address climate change and other environmental issues.

While collective action might not produce immediate results, it remains an effective method to promote change.

Updating societal attitudes is required, but it also needs to challenge the idea that individual action is the best solution to limit the effects of climate change. This is especially true considering corporations and governments disproportionately contribute to environmental damages.

Through collective action, all composites and members of society can be held accountable.

Climate change is everyone’s problem, not yours alone.

Letter to the Editor Dear Opinions Editor,

As a master’s student in English, I cannot concur more with Alexandra Mantella’s excellent column on the value of studying older literature. While I certainly believe that there’s a place for the study of contemporary literature, its inclusion in the discipline shouldn’t mean dispensing with the classics. Rather, as she states, “Literary works are meant to be challenging.”

In the graduate program at Queen’s, we are required to take at least one course each in the three broad time periods of literature (pre-1600, 1600-1900 and 1900-onwards). Not only does this requirement allow us to explore literature outside of our own specialties, but it also ensures that a solid foundation is acquired in common literary trends throughout the years. While literary genres developed in the medieval and Renaissance periods may seem distant to us now, they still inform current popular culture (think of the epic and contemporary superhero movies).

Indeed, it is only by examining the literary works of the past that we can truly understand how themes Rana is a first-year and styles have evolved overtime. masters student in Global Development and Environmental Regards, Sustainability studies.

Natasha Lomonossoff

Friday, January 11, 2019

queensjournal.ca

Arts My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love (left), Marionetten eines abgesetzten Stücks (right).

How German street art stays relevant Brigid Goulem Arts Editor

The street art gallery on the East Side of the Berlin Wall is caught between being an Instagram hot spot and a haunting memory of a divided city.

Standing about 1.3 kilometres long along the Spree River in Berlin, the East Side Gallery is a public art display of painted murals along the east side of what remains of the Berlin Wall.

Like any good traveller, I made it a priority to immerse myself in the art and history of Berlin—a city with no shortage of either. With its roots in the history of oppression and resistance in Berlin, the East Side Gallery carries important lessons for today.

As I walked along the sidewalk beside the wall, I was struck by the difference between the wall today and what it symbolised only 30 years ago.

Today, the East Side Gallery is a tourist hot spot, and many can be seen posing for photos in front of the famous murals,

TRAVEL

Art in Travel: The Berlin Wall’s East Side Gallery is a vital, timeless message including My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love, which is a recreation of a photograph showing Soviet politician Leonid Brezhnev kissing East German politician Erich Honecker.

Its clear, as people pose and marvel at the bright colours, that the wall today is an object of fascination and the gallery is more tourist trap than warning from the past.

That’s not to say its history has been lost—the messaging of the murals is clear: division is dangerous. But it’s hard to imagine the mural-covered stretch of wall as a place where people were murdered for seeking a

WORKSHOP

Public Feelings are not Small Potatoes Micropress collective helps people connect and self-reflect Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor

Art is never just Small Potatoes for Kingston’s zines.

On Jan. 8, Small Potatoes— a micropress collective, made up of Michelle Bunton, Gabriel Cheung, Ella Gonzalez and Carina Magazzeni—hosted a zine making workshop called “Public Feelings” in Union Gallery to tackle the stigma around negative feelings like embarrassment and fear of failure.

“Part of the Public Feelings project is to try to de-pathologize so-called negative feelings by thinking about them in other ways. That’s what we were trying to enact by collectively making a zine, while also basing it on individual experiences,” Cheung said.

While the group typically works with local artists to develop its work, the Small Potatoes team wants to facilitate more workshops for students and other inexperienced artists.

The collective similarly grew from a shared desire to support other artists within the group’s own community.

Taking it’s name from the idiom, “it’s just small potatoes,” the group pushes back against the idea that any project—no matter how small—is irrelevant.

“We think that there’s this real, magical, joyful power in small projects,” said Magazzeni.

Bunton saw this zine’s power when it started to bring attendees together and out of their comfort zones.

Small Potatoes created a space in the middle of Union Gallery where their guests were able to work through their personal feelings comfortably, working to celebrate and de-stigmatize negative individual feelings in the comfort and safety of the group.

The collective asked the participants before the workshop to bring an object that

better life.

There are many reminders along the wall of the costs of division, and pleas for unity and freedom are a dominant theme in the murals.

“Freedom for everything on this earth!” reads one mural, which depicts a creature that seems to be an amalgam of different species—both human and animal.

Another, less upbeat, mural shows a puppeteer controlling the strings of puppet-corpses. The mural forces viewers to remember those whose lives have been lost in the struggle for political control

sparked any deep feeling or to be prepared to share a story or memory that did the same.

While nobody was required to share with the group, the collective noticed its guests’ nerves ease as they shared experiences and connected with each other.

All eight participants were given the opportunity to design their own page in what would become a 12-page zine, with the four members of Small Potatoes making up the other pages.

“We found throughout the course of the workshop, people became more open, and started sharing both what they were doing and the feelings they had surrounding the workshop,” Bunton said.

As people worked on their individual pages, the conversation about the items they brought, or the stories they shared, began to flow more comfortably.

“A lot of it started with technical sharing and collaboration, which then led to opening themselves up and being a little more

•9

PHOTO FROM GOOGLE IMAGES

in the region and the senseless violent consequences that saw people as pawns.

These paintings serve in part as a memorial to the divisive times of the Cold War that are permanently burned into the collective memory of the German people.

In addition to being an ode to the past, they are a warning for the future—a pressing one in today’s political climate: division is dangerous.

It’s a fitting reminder as debates over President Trump’s proposed border wall continue in the United States.

What became abundantly clear as I stared at the art was that the wall was damaging for both those kept in and those who could move freely.

The Berlin Wall, much like the proposed US-Mexico border wall, is a politicization of lives. The rhetoric in support of the wall ignores the lessons of history and the pleas for unity and freedom painted across the Berlin Wall.

It’s been 30 years since the Berlin Wall came down, and 29 years since the East Side Gallery was created. To this day it serves as an important reminder of the consequences of division.

vulnerable with the person beside them,” Bunton said. “People were engaging together.

I think there’s a physical element in sharing that then turned into a more emotional or conceptual element of sharing.”

The final product was titled “Public Feelings,” as everybody in the group agreed this encapsulated the experience in the workshop.

As they worked on the zine, participation worked out their own perception of negative feelings. The zine allowed the participants to question why their feelings of depression, anxiety, and public embarrassment were inherently negative.

Acting as an informal therapy session, the workshop helped participants to overcome these feelings’ negative connotations and learn how to look at them in a new light.

“We are so happy with how it turned out,” Magazzeni said. “It was so beautiful.”

GRAPHIC BY BRIGID GOULEM

Arts

10 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, January 11, 2019

WORKSHOP

The Agnes offers a Roman holiday Art exhibit showcases Renaissance painters from historic city Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor

Located in the Bader Gallery room, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre’s newest addition is called Rome, Capital of Painting.

The exhibit features paintings by prominent artists from the 17th century, including Sebastien Bourdon, Michael Sweets, and Moses van Uyttenbroeck. It’s a love letter to Rome, celebrating its historically significant artistic contributions and achievements.

Attendees viewing the exhibit might expect to see paintings of Roman landscapes, depictions of epic wars and royalty, and some religious paintings of cherubs, saints, and popes. While the paintings do lean heavily on religious influence, there’s more to the exhibit.

The room was full of compelling depictions of a range of subjects, from saints and peasants to religious and mythological figures. These portraits are realistic depictions of people interacting in intricate ways.

In the painting Jacob wrestling with an

angel, by van Uyttenbroeck, the subject is painted with his arms wrapped around the angel, grappling with him.

While they’re fighting, they stand by a body of water, and fishermen and cattle are shown in muted colours in the background.

The peaceful scenery contrasts the confrontation in the forefront, and Jacob’s red robe adds to this conflict between the idyllic countryside and religious struggle.

Though it features a prominent religious figure and an angel, it doesn’t look like a classic religious image. It’s a shocking struggle that hints at the internal conflict that can accompany religious devotion.

In Moses Striking Water from the Rock,

by Bourdon, the scene is intensely detailed and includes 12 figures, interacting with

COMMENTARY

What’s lost in documentary theatre Strong arguments aside, we should return to harder truths Brigid Goulem Arts Editor

It’s a truism that people seek out ideas to confirm their biases.

Consequently, in an era of fake-news and ‘alternative facts,’ the realm of theatre might seem an unusual place to turn for guidance.

In a recent article for the Conversation, Dan School of Drama Professor Jenn Stephenson made the argument for documentary theatre in the post-truth era.

Documentary theatre refers to plays that are either autobiographical, or draw verbatim from real texts.

While it may seem odd that truth should find its roots in a medium that typically produces fiction, Stephenson makes the argument that documentary plays teach us the process of truth making.

She believes the “quest for authenticity is an impossible dream,” and that the truth lies

in the acceptance of our inability to know for sure.

While Stephenson makes a strong point, she asks mainstream audiences to embrace contemporary anxieties and uncertainties in exchange for experimental theatre.

She cites post-structural theorists who believe that realities aren’t objective but representations of reality.

Feminists, anti-racists, and LGBTQ activists and academics have used these frameworks to create inclusive spaces for identities that deviate from the norm, but there’s no political monopoly on the theory.

She rightly points out the theory has been used by climate change deniers and other sects of the extreme right .

The response,

A Garden with an Artist Drawing from Antiquities by Johannes Lingelbach (above) and The Emperor Commodus as Hercules, from Three Famous Antique Statues at Rome (also known as Hercules and Telephos) by Hendrik Goltzius. (below).

each other in small groups.

It’s also a PHOTOS BY CHRIS YAO more predictable image of religious figures than in Jacob wrestling with an angel, featuring less violent imagery to represent the subject’s faith.

Looking closely at the paintings, you can see cracks in the paint and the broader strokes of colour.

The scenes look life-like from afar, but they have a blurry effect that adds to the implied activity in each dynamic scene.

Moses is turning to address the crowd of followers, and Jacob is preparing to attack the angel.

Close up, it’s hard to see any small details or discernable small brush strokes. The piece’s parts blend

together seamlessly.

While centuries old, each piece in the exhibition is an impressive example of insurmountable talent.

It’s a celebration of “The Capital of Painting’s” greatest artistic accomplishments. The complexity and intrigue of each painting adds to the superior perception of Roman art that the exhibit is commenting on.

Displayed in large print on the wall, is a lengthy description of what “Rome, Capital of Painting,” is meant to accomplish. The exhibit is a tribute to a city that holds a unique, inarguable place in European painting.

Celebrating traditional Roman and religious history is a vital part of enjoying the timeless pieces on display at the Agnes.

Stephenson argues, isn’t to pursue the truth at all costs, but to embrace the reality that nothing can be known.

“These feelings of insecurity are not just something to be endured but they should be embraced and fostered,” Stephenson writes.

However, this embrace of dialogue may be unconvincing for young people striving to address climate change or combat harmful narratives. In documentary theatre, the audience comes face-to-face with the process of deciding reality. By seeing the truth play out on stage, audiences are forced to question what is and isn’t included. Whose voices are heard? Who makes the important decisions?

The challenge is inevitable confirmation bias, as audiences tend to seek out

reassuring narratives over deliberate discomfort.

In a post-truth era, we should be working to reclaim hard answers, not send them off.

Readers can be forgiven for thinking experimental theatre production may have difficulty transferring to wider audiences swept up in harmful narratives. While it may be tempting to dive into ambiguity, a more stable artistic vision might be required for audiences already struggling with a world full of conflicting truths.

Stephenson writes that it’s doubt that compels people to engage with their own insecurity and to question how reality has come to be constructed.

She believes that this is achieved through listening to one another and facilitating the sharing of more perspectives. Through strong social connections, people can agree on the processes that construct reality rather than the content of said reality.

“When conspiracy theories flourish and lies are indifferently accepted, the thread between our lived experiences and our cartography of that world breaks.

Returning to the first principles of how ‘reality’ comes to be is a necessary first step,” she writes.

However, poststructural theory has done little to restrict this growth of conspiracy theories, and the answer of throwing more fuel on the fire may hinder efforts more than help them.

ILLUSTRATION BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

Friday, January 11, 2019

queensjournal.ca

• 11

Sports MEN’S HOCKEY

Slater Doggett competes against Canadian World Juniors First series appearance a motivator for Gaels forward

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY SLATER DOGGETT

Doggett (third from left) earned three assists in his three games.

Andrew Schjerning Staff Writer In December, Queen’s forward Slater Doggett laced up and featured for the U Sports All-Stars in a three-game series against Canada’s World Junior Prospects.

The series, which first began in 2015, was held in Victoria, B.C., from Dec. 12 to 14. With Doggett recording three assists and one shootout goal, the U Sports All-Stars edged out Team Canada two games to one.

“It was straight excitement. Other [Queen’s players] who’d played in the series during their time here said it was a great experience,” Doggett said of his reaction to earning the selection.

“When I found out, I was super excited to represent Queen’s—as well as Canadian university hockey—against some pretty elite players.”

Doggett was indeed up against some elite competition—each player on the World Junior Prospects team will ultimately be, or has already been, drafted to the National Hockey League (NHL).

“Knowing that most of [the World Junior Prospects] go on to play in the NHL definitely gets you up for the challenge,” Doggett said. “Some of those young guys, they can really skate.”

Despite his excitement for the series, Doggett understood he had to adjust his game to fit the U Sports All-Star roster.

“I’ve played on more of a scoring line at Queen’s,” he explained. “[T]he coaches [at U Sports] put me on a line with two guys and told us, ‘We don’t really care if you guys score, we just want you to play with high energy and make life tough for your opponents.’”

FOOTBALL

Steve Snyder named head coach of Queen’s football Snyder becomes fifth coach in 70 years for program Matt Scace Sports Editor On Dec. 16, Athletics and Recreation (A&R) announced that Steve Snyder will take over as head coach of Queen’s football in the 2019-20 season.

The decision officially concluded a month-long national search initiated after 19-year Head Coach Pat Sheahan was asked to resign in November.

“Steve has a profound interest in and respect for our football history as well as a strong, compelling vision for the future of our team; we look forward to seeing him bring that vision to life in the coming months,” Leslie Dal Cin, Executive Director of A&R, said in a press release.

Snyder arrives at Queen’s riding a wave of success with the Western Mustangs, where he served as their offensive coordinator for two years. During his time in London, the Mustangs won two OUA Yates Cups, played in the Vanier Cup twice, and were the first-ranked offense in the country this past season.

Prior to his stint at Western, Snyder spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator for the St. Francis Xavier X-Men. In 2015 and 2016, he helped the X-Men to consecutive Atlantic University Sport titles, and in 2016, the team averaged 37.4 points and 484.5 total yards per game.

Snyder holds a career 43-12 record in U Sports play.

“This football program has an incredible tradition of excellence—when we think of football in this country, we think of programs like Queen’s. The passion and commitment to football here at Queen’s is second to none,” Synder said in A&R’s press release.

Snyder’s offensive expertise will be a welcome addition to the Gaels’ coaching staff as they try to keep pace with the high-scoring OUA. This season, Queen’s ranked fourth in the league in yards per game (437.0), well behind the league-leading Mustangs (556.9). They also missed the playoffs this past season after finishing with a 3-5 record.

Following Snyder’s appointment to the position, Ryan Bechmanis has been promoted to the role of assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.

Queen’s has yet to release their full coaching staff. In their press release, A&R said they’ll be adding a new offensive coordinator to the team, a position held by Marcel Bellefeuille in the 2018 season.

The fourth-year forward said he and his U Sports teammates heeded their coaches’ instructions and found it contributed to the team’s overall success.

“We really embraced that attitude and tried to outwork the other team. [It] helped us score a few goals, and it was a good feeling to be able to contribute and get my name on the scoresheet,” Doggett said.

Doggett, who leads the Gaels with 12 goals this season, earned an assist in each of the series’ three games. His ability to set up his teammates instead of scoring goals was on full-display. He saw other areas of his game improve, which he credited to inspiration gained from both the U Sports coaching staff and his talented opponents.

“I definitely learned a few things from the coaches there. And some of those junior guys, they shoot five-hole a lot, so I’ve been trying that in practice,” he said.

Doggett, a former Windsor Spitfire of the

Ontario Hockey League, has played a key role in the men’s hockey team, who currently sit third in the OUA East this season. Despite being hit with a slate of injuries early in the year, Doggett’s contributed 17 points over 16 games this season—good for second on the roster. His high-scoring output is what earned him a spot on the U Sports All-Star team.

His selection vindicated Doggett—this was his first appearance at this series in his Queen’s career—and lent his talent wider recognition.

“It was in the back of my head that it was my last year at Queen’s, and [competing in this series] is always something I’ve wanted to do,” Doggett said.

“After being successful here, if [Queen’s] can win a championship and go to nationals, that will open a lot of doors for me.”

WOMEN`S RUGBY

Queen’s to host 2020 Women’s Rugby U Sports Championships Gaels win bid to host tournament for the first time since 2015 Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor Early in December, U Sports awarded Queen’s the opportunity to host the 2020 Women’s Rugby National Championship. As the host school, the Gaels are guaranteed a spot in the tournament.

In an interview with The Journal, women’s rugby Head Coach Dan Valley said the tournament will be an opportunity to showcase the school, his program, and the Kingston community at-large.

“I know [Queen’s] prides itself on putting on a very good show for the people that they’re welcoming onto campus and into the Kingston community, so it will be pretty cool,” said Valley, who in the fall completed his second season as the Gaels’ head coach.

“There are guidelines that they have to follow and people that need to liaison with U Sports, but it will very much have a Queen’s flavour to it.”

As for performing in the tournament, Valley said the automatic berth won’t distract his team from their regular season goals. “It’s nice to know that you’re going to compete at a national championship no

matter how things go, but at the same time, I like having the pressure of having to qualify and earn your way in,” Valley said.

“It certainly is a message that I imagine we’ll have to come back to at one or two points in the season to just go, ‘We know we’re going, but we want to be going in as the OUA champions, and not as the host team.’”

The Gaels last hosted the U Sports Championships in 2015. Despite a fourth-place OUA finish in that year’s regular season, the team came away with a silver medal after upsetting some of the country’s top competition.

In 2016, Queen’s missed out on the national championship after finishing fourth again, but qualified the subsequent season—Valley’s first with the program—to rank fifth in the country. After an OUA silver medal in 2018-19, Queen’s travelled to Wolfville, N.S. for U Sports in November, where they finished sixth among a field of eight teams.

Despite an exciting bit of news, Valley said his team’s attention is focused on the 2019-20 competitive season before they think of the 2020 tournament.

“I think we’ve done a good job of being excited about it initially,” Valley said. “And now it’s, ‘Okay, let’s get back to work for the season that’s directly in front of us, where our aspirations and our potential is sky-high.’”

Sports

12 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, January 11, 2019

ATHLETICS

New facilities, equipment on display at campus gyms ARC receives makeover, Mitchell Hall athletic facilities to open in coming weeks Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor The New Year brought a wealth of fresh fitness equipment to the ARC and the soon-to-be-opened athletic facilities at Mitchell Hall.

The fitness centre at Mitchell Hall, referred to as the ARC South and built on the foundations of the PEC, are connected to the original ARC (ARC North) by a tunnel.

Entrance to Mitchell Hall through the tunnel can be found beyond the women’s change rooms on the

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

ARC’s Lower Level 2.

In addition to the significant investment the University made in Mitchell Hall, Queen’s Athletics invested over $700,000 in equipment and upgrades to existing facilities in ARC North.

The ARC South is home to an exercise studio, three gymnasiums, an artificial turf training area, and the High Performance Training Centre.

The three gymnasiums were created to provide greater opportunities for intramurals and recreational activities.

The High Performance Training Centre currently remains closed due to unexpected flooding in the area earlier this week. The area was created for varsity athletes, who are only permitted to use the centre if their respective team schedules a training or conditioning session.

In an email to The Journal, Athletics and Recreation Executive Director Leslie Dal Cin said the

Gaels optimism ringing in New Year Queen’s hold 7-2 record, first in OUA East with playoffs on the horizon Lillian Gao Edtorial Intern The men’s volleyball team has momentum heading into the final nine games of the regular season.

Currently holding an OUA East-leading 7-2 record, Queen’s edged out some of the country’s best teams in the fall, establishing the team as a legitimate OUA playoff contender.

Gabriel DeGroot, the Gaels’ first-year head coach, said his team’s biggest test thus far was during an early November, five-set win over the McMaster Marauders, who at the time were ranked first in the country.

The win marked the Gaels’ first against McMaster in nine years.

“That was a huge, kind of a milestone win for us,” DeGroot said of beating the Marauders, adding they feel they can beat anyone. “Any opponent is a team we can beat … all it takes is a team that believes in themselves.”

DeGroot noted both of the Gaels’ losses this season—five-set defeats to the University of Windsor and U of T—are matches they wish they could play again.

Regardless, both matches

served as learning experiences, Degroot said.

With a 7-2 record, Queen’s is almost repeating its 2015-16 season, when they were 8-2 heading into the winter break. At this point last year, the Gaels were 4-3.

DeGroot said there are still things his team could work on, specifically offensively, but he has faith in his roster of young athletes.

“There’s definitely room to grow and we definitely know that there has been success [so far]. [C]ertain elements of our offense aren’t running yet,” DeGroot said.

While the Gaels lost two star players, Markus Trence and Jack Peckham, to gradutation.

DeGroot noted contributions from fourth-year Zac Hutcheson have helped fill their absence. Hutcheson currently has 137 kills this season—nearly double the numberof their second kills-leader, Mitchell Neuert, who has 77 kills.

“He[’s] definitely carried a huge load for us,” DeGroot said of Hutcheson. In addition, DeGroot believes that many players, including Hutcheson, are building off the strength of second-year setter Zane

New equipment will be added to the Stretching Zone in the coming weeks.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY NOUR MALZOUM

Training Centre will be dedicated solely to varsity athletes to maximize the available ARC North space for students and gym members.

As a result of the changes, the Lifting Zone in ARC North will be open to the public at all hours.

“The facilities [in the Lifting Zone] will no longer be programmed throughout the day, providing more space and opportunities for general members all day long,” Dal Cin wrote in her statement to The Journal.

While students can currently access Mitchell Hall, its new athletic facilities remain under construction. The only athletic areas currently open are gyms 3, 4, and 5.

In ARC North, both the Lifting and Conditioning Zones on Lower Level 1 have been updated with new equipment and surrounding turf areas.

The Lifting Zone received a custom functional training system featuring squat racks, benches, a slam ball wall for medicine ball training, battle rope stations, chin-up bars, TRX, and turf flooring. All of the lifting platforms previously in the Conditioning Zone have been moved to the Lifting Zone.

“Overall, we have increased the number of lifting platforms so that this activity can take place in more than one area and have centralized the ‘heavy lifting’ to Lower Level 1,” Dal Cin said.

“The functional training systems allow for significantly more individuals to use [the equipment] at one time, as opposed to the lifting platform.”

In the Conditioning Zone, there’s a second functional training system, featuring overhead ladders, built-in lifting stations, fly away bars for rings, a pegboard, rock climbing board, TRX station,

battle rope station, chin up bars and turf flooring.

Along with the new equipment, the personal training office has been moved into the Lifting Zone, as the strength and conditioning office will be moved into the ARC South to better accommodate varsity athletes.

In the coming week, upgrades to the Stretching Zone on the ARC North’s main floor will be underway. The area will be re-equipped with new cardio equipment, free weights, and additional turf flooring.

Dal Cin said the Athletics department continually reviews its available spaces to maximize its members’ gym experience.

“Our goal is to provide as many opportunities as possible for our members, and we constantly strive to update and enhance our equipment to meet the needs of students and other ARC users,” she said.

Grossinger, who earned OUA East Rookie of the Year honours last year and is ranked fifth in the OUA for digs with 70.

At the moment, Queen’s is riding a five-game winning streak. But for the remainder of the season, DeGroot has set out goals for the Gaels to continue their success into the winter. Their first goals is a first-place finish in the OUA East and the subsequent home-court advantage in the OUA quarter-finals. DeGroot is hopeful this would increase his team’s chances at securing a spot in the

OUA Final Four.

Deeper into the season, DeGroot hopes to reach the OUA final, which would give the Gaels a berth in the U Sports National Championships. The Gaels know what they still need to do to accomplish these goals and, according to DeGroot, are “well aware of what those pieces are.”

The team has one week remaining until it gets back on the hardwood. The season will resume on Jan. 18, when they Gaels travel to Guelph to play the Gryphons. They’ll return home the week after to host U of T and Ryerson.

Zane Grossinger.

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

Friday, January 11, 2019

queensjournal.ca

• 13

Lifestyle STUDENT STORIES

The Nutcracker’s reluctant biggest fan Why I begrudgingly watched the holiday-themed ballet 30 times

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responded, “60.”

When I came home for the holidays this past winter, I expected to fall into what’d become my usual routine: attend The Nutcracker, cheer for my sister, zone out for everything else. My days at home passed and I noticed no mention of the show, so I finally decided to ask what was going on. My mom informed me that my sister was in an “in-between year,” where she’d take the year off as she waited to become tall enough for her next role.

The last emotion I expected to feel from this news was sadness. But I couldn’t help but mourn the absence of this yearly tradition, and I yearned to put a finger on the reason why I missed it so much.

I wasn’t a secret ballet aficionado, and the emotional absence didn’t feel like nostalgia. While I didn’t miss The Nutcracker itself, I did miss my yearly ritual of openly supporting my sisters.

The thing that kept me coming back to the show year after year was the after-show moments where my family and I would pick up my sisters from backstage. We’d shower them with praise and flowers, and it was heartwarming to see how proud they were of themselves.

The fact I didn’t enjoy the show PP

Every holiday season, thousands of eager Canadians swarm downtown Toronto to witness the unique Christmastime magic that is The National Ballet of Canada’s production of The Nutcracker. Also every holiday season, I begrudgingly drag myself to the Four Seasons Theatre’s orchestra section and wait for The National Ballet of Canada’s production of The Nutcracker to end.

At some point in their lives, all three of my sisters moonlighted as very talented ballerinas, each of them performing in The Nutcracker numerous times over the past 15 years. Along with many bouquets of flowers and arrays of flashy animal costumes, their performances came with two free tickets.

I remember seeing the show for the first time at around five years old.

As a child, I would’ve preferred to be playing with Thomas the Tank Engine toys, but I didn’t have anything against ballet. I eagerly anticipated watching my sister’s performance as a mouse. She wore a head-to-toe costume, which meant I could only speculate which of the seven onstage mice she was. But the buzz surrounding her ballet debut carried me through the show, and I happily congratulated her on a job well done afterwards. After that first show, I had no strong positive or negative feelings towards The Nutcracker.

Then I saw the show roughly 29 times more.

I watched my sisters go through

the ballet’s natural role progression over many years: mouse to lamb, lamb to rat, rat to dog, and so on. I always felt a beaming sense of pride whenever they were onstage but, as soon as they retreated to the wings, I used everything in my power to will the curtains shut.

As I saw the show more, my problems with its story and dancing became unavoidable. The music put me to sleep, I found the choreography repetitive, and even at a young age I could recognize the ballet’s plot holes. Why were there dancing unicorns in a frozen Russian forest?

How did the two lead children get to meet the Sugar P l u m Jos h an F a i r y, d hi the most ss v a l u e d ister person in the after kingdom, without a ba lle so much as making an tp appointment? And what erfor on earth is so interesting man ce . about a wooden toy that cracks nuts?

By the time I was 13, I outright dreaded The Nutcracker. I felt bad that my ticket was taking the spot of a willing audience member, which only added to my poor disposition. Once my third sister joined the show as I neared 18, I felt as though I’d seen the same performance an infinite amount of times. I apparently wasn’t alone in this feeling, as I asked my mom to guess how many times I’d seen the show, and she earnestly

SU

Josh Granovsky Lifestyle Editor

The Journal’s January 2019 horoscopes Take a look at the start of your New Year Julia Balakrishnan Production Manager

Welcome to 2019 and the new semester—your resolutions are important to keep in mind during Capricorn season, since the sign is often plagued with self-doubt and hesitation. Maintaining good judgment in decision-making will serve you well in moving past the mistakes you made in 2018.

The new year is also an opportunity to start exploring your emotions on a more intellectual level. A better understanding of ourselves, especially our fears and motivations, is the inner cleanse we all need for a new beginning.

ARIES (Mar. 21—Apr. 19)

The new year is the end of a rocky cycle for you, which is all the more reason to seize the day and start on those resolutions.

You have the energy and ambition to achieve everything you desire, but be realistic with yourself.

TAURUS (Apr. 20—May 20)

A fresh start is particularly difficult for you as a person stuck in their ways, but you know what your failures in 2018 were. You have to purify your life

didn’t need to wait for Imy sisters to hop off

stage to tell them they were doing a great job—I could do it whenever I wanted.

For the rest of my time at home this winter, I made sure to tell my sisters each and every time they impressed me. I commended one for her wildly impressive gender studies essay and told the other how much her math skills had grown since I’d last helped her with her homework.

I’m embarrassed I hadn’t adopted this strategy earlier, and I wish I’d avoided falling into a pattern of saving my praise for them for select December nights. I don’t regret my Nutcracker experiences, so long as my sisters are able to look back and see how proud I am of them, and how proud I’ve always been.

CANCER (Jun. 22—Jul. 22)

QJ HOROSCOPES

To help with this fresh start, here are this month’s horoscopes based on the sun placement relative to Kingston and your birthdate.

outside of their performances almost added to my fulfillment, since I’d made some sort of sacrifice—doing something I didn’t enjoy—to support my sisters.

Once I’d figured this out, my whole attitude towards The Nutcracker seemed silly. Yes, I’d obviously overreacted by loathing it, but I’d also gotten into channelling all the praise I had for my sisters into feedback for their ballet performances.

I didn’t need to wait for my sisters to hop off stage to tell them they were doing a great job—I could do it whenever I wanted.

by throwing all your unnecessary burdens into a fire. Spend wisely on weekends.

GEMINI (May 21—Jun. 21)

The reason for the restlessness in your past is due to an inability to find the motivation to start.

The solution is to hit the books right away and unlock your mental potential. You’ll find your anxieties ease after a good study session.

You find yourself reaching for a romantic partner whenever things in other spheres of your life go awry, and your sensitive nature doesn’t cope well with distance. But you must learn to find your own strength this year, physically and emotionally. Self-care is a lifelong pursuit.

LEO (Jul. 23—Aug. 22)

Start this new chapter by developing healthy habits and routines. You have particular vulnerabilities that are challenging to overcome. The way to actively combat them is by improving your diet and work schedule, and allowing third parties to intervene and help you regain your strength.

VIRGO (Aug. 23—Sept.

22)

A sure way to get you fired up is to argue against wh a t yo u deem logical.

Take the lead

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

in your relationships but try to be more compromising in one-on-one conversations. That feeling of security will only grow stronger.

LIBRA (Sept. 23—Oct. 23)

It’s likely you’ll be less passive than you’ve been in previous years, and taking a leadership position both socially and professionally is starting to look appealing.

There’s no point in denying your business savvy anymore. It’s time to follow the advice you give everyone else.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24—Nov. 22)

Venus’ passage into Sagittarius indicates it’ll be a memorable year for you, full of adventure and great stories to tell. But to start a journey you need to know where to go, and, clichéd as it is, discovering yourself should take top priority.

To read more horoscopes, go to queensjournal.ca/ lifestyle

Lifestyle

14 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, January 11, 2019

POINT-COUNTERPOINT

Are New Year’s resolutions overrated?

Journal staff debate the value of seasonal goals Journal Staff

Yes Being fond of beginnings, I understand why the New Year can be hopeful. Resolutions naturally become a part of the feeling, and there’s nothing wrong with embarking on a journey towards self-improvement. However, it’s important to recognize that New Year’s Day is no more special than any other date on the calendar.

The glorification of goal-setting on Jan. 1 easily limits our perspective and traps us in an all-or-nothing mentality.

It’s no secret that a majority of New Year’s resolutions fail

by February, which can be very discouraging.

G ra n t e d , we m ay shrug our shoulders and tell ourselves that we’ll try harder the following year. But that becomes counter-productive, since

Show takes step back from groundbreaking 2018 ceremony Jonathan Karr Staff Writer

When Bohemian Rhapsody won the award for Best Motion Picture—Drama at this past Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards, the palpable shock coming from the show’s star-studded crowd

the anticipation of next year’s resolutions is another excuse for procrastination.

I’ve tried making New Year’s resolutions in the past, but fell short after realizing how much of my list from one year would overlap with the next. My year-long goals were simply too broad and not realistic enough, and I didn’t exactly need to write down the aspects of my life that required improvement.

It’s less overwhelming and far more effective to develop a plan with schedules or to-do lists, and focus on weekly or daily goals instead of thinking long-term.

While I’m not against having New Year’s resolutions, they are overrated. We shouldn’t wait 365 days before we choose to change ourselves for the better. We should be the ones in control of our time,

not the other way around.

—Zier Zhou, Editorial Illustrator

No

Saying New Year’s is an arbitrary time to commit to self-improvement underestimates the power of a fresh start.

Taking advantage of the New Year’s clean slate to make meaningful changes can be empowering, even if we don’t accomplish all we set out to do.

Although resolutions often get a bad rap for being useless, goal-setting is always a good idea.

Goals invite self-reflection, inspire

AWARDS SEASON

personal growth, and motivate us to work hard to achieve success.

When we make goals for the New Year, we devise our own blueprint for a rewarding 12 months and take the first step towards change, allowing us to identify our role in creating a better future.

Whether we stick to our resolutions or not, setting them does more good than harm.

Resolutions force us to evaluate the past year, reflect on our successes and failures, and decide what’s important moving forward.

Taking the time to review the past and refocus on the future is valuable in itself. The act has

Golden Globes falls short with underwhelming award results summed up how the entire evening had gone.

Award after award, crowd-pleasing nominees like A Star Is Born, BLACKkKLANSMAN, and Black Panther were cast aside as more controversial choices like Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody took their place.

While Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody may have been critically well-received, the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding both films made

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

New Year`s resolutions often get a bad rap for being useless.

their wins even more contentious and puzzling.

For example, the director of Bohemian Rhapsody, Bryan Singer, was fired from the film after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced in December 2017.

Meanwhile, Green Book actor Viggo Mortensen used the N-word during a panel discussion about his film in November.

For a ceremony that just last year served as the first major awards show to embrace the Time’s

Up and #MeToo movements, it felt as though its progress in 2018 was quickly forgotten to serve the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’ (HFPA) whimsical voting choices.

On the television side of the awards, final results were equally confusing. Shows nobody under 60 has heard of—like The Kominsky Method, A Very English Scandal and Escape at Dannemora—won a majority of awards over

the potential to be therapeutic, regardless of our ability to realize our goals.

At the very least, New Year’s resolutions collectively remind us of the importance of improvement.

Whether we hope to eat healthier or give back more in 2019, each New Year is a shining opportunity to consider bettering ourselves and the world around us.

Deciding to set a resolution doesn’t mean we limit our goal-making to once a year either.

It means we take advantage of new beginning to kickstart more fulfilling lifestyles.

In many ways, resolutions allow us to imagine a year that’s happier and healthier than the last. When we refuse to make them for fear of failure, we miss an important chance to reflect on ourselves, our lives, and the hopes we have for the future.

—Ally Mastantuono, Assistant Lifestyle Editor

critically-acclaimed juggernauts like Sharp Objects, American Crime Story, and Succession.

The outcomes at this year’s Golden Globes were pretty standard, especially considering the reputation of nonsensical award choices the HFPA is expected to make.

To read the rest of this review, go to queensjournal.ca/ lifestyle

SEASON LAUNCH 17 JANUARY 2019

MEMBERS’ PREVIEW 5–6 PM | PUBLIC RECEPTION 6–7:30 PM

SOUNDINGS AN EXHIBITION IN FIVE PARTS Curated by Candice Hopkins and Dylan Robinson Newly commissioned works by Indigenous artists

ROME, CAPITAL OF PAINTING The art of 17th-century Rome Soundings is one of the 200 exceptional projects funded through the Canada Council for the Arts’ New Chapter program. With this $35M investment, the Council supports the creation and sharing of the arts in communities across Canada.

Soundings is affiliated with The Isabel’s Ka’tarohkwi Festival of Indigenous Arts.

Sebastién Aubin, Graphic for Soundings: An Exhibition in Five Parts, 2018

www.agnes.queensu.ca

Lifestyle

Friday, January 11, 2019

queensjournal.ca

• 15

LIFE HACKS

Four TV shows you should watch this winter Latest series’ range from delightful to downright weird Josh Granovsky Lifestyle Editor

If you’re like me, you probably took one look at the winter snow and thought, “Wow, I’m not going outside again until spring.” Luckily, there are plenty of new TV shows coming out over the next few months to keep us company as we lay in our beds wrapped in three layers of blankets.

Here are some of the most exciting TV shows coming to screens this winter.

unexpected depth to its plot by simultaneously critiquing today’s youth, millennials, and Gen X-ers.

If you want to spend half an hour laughing at how ridiculous everyone in the world is—and how unaware we are of that—The Other Two will do the job perfectly.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Thursdays on NBC This past May, Brooklyn Nine-Nine fans received the worst news possible: FOX had cancelled the show after five seasons. But shortly thereafter, those fans’ angry sobs became tears of joy, as NBC announced it had saved the show and picked it up for a sixth season.

Back on television, New York’s 99th precinct is jumping in right where it left off after a Jan. 10 premiere. If you’re new to the show, you could probably watch it and easily cling onto the plot. If you’d rather start from the beginning, Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s first five seasons are streaming on Netflix.

its protagonist at her birthday party, which is thrown against her will. Just when she thinks her night can’t get any worse, she dies. Just when she thinks her death can’t get any worse, she’s forced to relive her party over and over again, ending in death each time.

The time-loop heavy show is a great way to celebrate the real Groundhog Day, with the first season dropping in its entirety on Feb. 1.

Russian Doll, Feb. 1

Have you ever wished you could watch a show with the quirky hijinks of Groundhog Day and the no-holds-barred humour of Orange is the New Black? Enter Netflix’s Russian Doll.

Starring Natasha Lyonne as Nadia, this Amy Poehler-produced series follows The Masked Singer, Wednesdays on FOX The winter’s breakout television hit came early, and it’s a weird one.

FOX’s The Masked Singer, which premiered on Jan. 2, is an American adaptation of a Korean singing competition. In the show, anonymous celebrities compete while dressed in full-body costumes. The contestants’ true identities aren’t revealed until they’re eliminated. Meanwhile, a panel of debatably unqualified judges—including Ken Jeong and Jenny McCarthy—try to guess the contestants’ identities after each performance.

A large part of The Masked Singer’s appeal is the mystery element of guessing which celebrity is behind which mask. But the show’s production elements separate it from similar series. Each costume looks fresh out of Alice in Wonderland, and the background dancers often wear morphsuits featuring only a massive eye over their faces.

The show’s singing skills are well below any other competition show on television, but I’m guessing the first episode’s 12 million viewers were focusing more on the spectacle than the contestants’ voices.

The Other Two, Jan. 24 When 13 year old ChaseDream’s debut single “Marry You at Recess” went viral, it turned him into an overnight sensation.

Meanwhile, Chase’s older brother is fighting for the role of ‘Man Who Smells Fart’ and his older sister is squatting in the houses she sells.

This is the set-up for Comedy Central’s The Other Two, a sitcom helmed by former SNL head writers Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider. As expected, the show’s jokes are fast and funny, anchored by performances from comedy legends Molly Shannon and Ken Marino. The Other Two also brings an

See if you can find all 15 Queen’s-related terms in The Journal’s word search.

Lifestyle

16 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, January 11, 2019

POSTSCRIPT

Tackling diabetes as a team sport How I learned to let friends into my life as a diabetic

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

Eli’s friends and family help her deal with diabetes.

Eli Nadler Contributor

When I was first diagnosed as a diabetic, I thought my condition was a burden to carry alone for the rest of my life. It took me a few years to figure out I had it backwards.

When I was twelve years old, I abruptly lost an alarming amount of weight. I suddenly looked like I was drowning in my Lululemon leggings, which were skin-tight weeks before. My family and friends were convinced I had an eating disorder, though I insisted I had never been so hungry and thirsty in my entire life. I began eating and hydrating like an NFL player instead of a twelve-year old girl.

My parents made an appointment with my family doctor, but I maintained nothing was wrong except for my insatiable thirst and hunger.

Within minutes of identifying the symptoms I’d avoid acknowledging over the past few months, I was rushed to SickKids hospital in Toronto. Within the hour, I was on multiple IVs and officially diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

I stayed at SickKids for a few nights and learned how to administer insulin needles. Every time I ate, I needed a shot to lower my blood sugar and allow digestion, which was up to 20 times a day. Count how many

times you eat anything in a day, and add a needle—I do that.

Exercise grew more complex, and I realized quickly I couldn’t look at food the same way. Every aspect of my life would now have to be carefully considered, measured and monitored.

Every aspect of “ my life would now

have to be carefully considered, measured and monitored

”

When I returned to school the following week, I suddenly looked great after regaining the weight and changing my diet. No longer drained from my malnutrition, I was now able to focus in class and have fun with my friends.

I agonized over how diabetes would change my life going forward, and how I’d be perceived. I hid my diagnosis from everyone around me, including my grandparents, friends and extended family. I snuck off every now and then to the nurse’s office to give myself insulin shots and my mom secretly pre-prepared and measured my meals.

The biggest pain accompanying my new predicament was my fear of appearing weak. I desperately wanted to keep up with my peers, but my disability slowed me down.

When I started giving myself the insulin my body needed to survive, I experienced the crash of low blood sugars for the first time. I became disoriented, and talking and reading suddenly felt impossible.

To understand, imagine being at the pier during Frosh Week and everyone is jumping into the water. You go to join them when suddenly you become dizzy, disoriented, light-headed. You try to speak but no words come out.

These episodes began happening to me; I couldn’t reveal my susceptibility to these moments of weakness that only insulin, sugar and time could fix. I hid my condition. However, hiding a part of my everyday life wasn’t a sustainable and I laugh looking back on it.

Now, halfway through my third year at Queen’s, my friends have at least a general idea of how my blood sugars should be, and they can recognize when I go low or high. When I went to a music festival a couple summers ago, my girlfriends were the ones who noticed my speech was off and suggested we spike my blood sugar with Beaver Tails.

While diabetes is something I will always have to live with, and it’s my responsibility above all else, I’ve learned it’s not something I have to go through alone.

I used to become angry and

irritated when friends or family inquired about my blood sugar.

Whether it’d be out of the blue check-ups or noticing symptoms of low or high blood sugar, the fear of being a ‘bad diabetic’ was embarrassing. I wanted the people around me to think I had everything under control all the time.

“

While diabetes is something I will always have to live with, and it’s my responsibility above all else, I’ve learned it’s not something I have to go through alone

”

I recognize now my friends’ concerns are an extra set of eyes on a body that is difficult to maintain. There’s no vacation from diabetes and I have to be careful and self-aware every moment, whether I’m asleep, drunk, high, in an exam, working out, or on a date. When my friends check in on me, it isn’t to judge me or my condition—it’s to help me and learn.

When I started dating someone at Queen’s, I mentioned I could wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM).

The monitor is an adhesive transmitter worn on your stomach that sends your blood sugar to your phone every couple of minutes through an app. Before this, testing my blood would consist of poking my finger to draw blood a couple times a day. A CGM would let me check my blood sugar hundreds of times a day, rather than manually testing six to seven times a day.

While now waterproof and generally comfortable, CGMs aren’t very attractive. The devices are box-like, sticky, and get dirty fast. Despite its benefits, I worried about carrying a visual representation of my disability.

I didn’t want to deal with the added stress of monitoring what I’d wear—I wanted to walk into Stages wearing a crop top without thinking about who was looking at my CGM. I weighed the pros and cons with my boyfriend: he was shocked I didn’t already have a CGM. Within weeks, he was helping me insert my first one.

Two years later, I still wear a CGM weekly and wouldn’t go a day without it.

I knew I’d made some great friends at Queen’s when, at the first pool party I attended wearing my monitor, none of my friends batted an eye. Most of them were just interested in downloading the accompanying “followers” app, where they could follow my blood sugars and get alerts. Friends, especially those in life science, enjoy it.

What I saw as weaknesses proved the strengths of my relationships. I’ll never be able to fully describe how much I appreciate my friends when they take a moment to help me manage my blood sugars, or talk

What I saw as “ weaknesses proved

the strengths of my relationships. I’ll never be able to fully describe how much I appreciate my friends

”

me through having embarrassingly low blood sugar in class.

Diabetes is hard. I won’t sugar-coat it but it’s made easier everyday by the people around me. A weakness only exists if you let it. I choose to see my literal highs and lows as opportunities to appreciate my support system instead of moments of individual failure. I couldn’t be more excited to share my juice boxes with the people I love.

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