the journal Vol. 146, Issue 12
Queen’s University
Friday, November 2, 2018
Since 1873
PhD student pleads guilty to poisoning colleague Zijie Wang to be sentenced Nov. 2 after pleading guilty in court last week to two charges Iain Sherriff-Scott & Raechel Huizinga Journal Staff A former Queen’s chemistry PhD candidate pleaded guilty to two charges last Thursday and admitted to poisoning his former colleague with a lethal substance. The plea comes after 26-year-old Zijie Wang was arrested by police on campus and charged earlier this year. In a courtroom on Oct. 25, Wang pleaded guilty to administering a noxious substance, to endanger life or cause bodily harm, and to a charge of aggravated assault. Wang will be sentenced at a hearing on Nov. 2. When Wang sat in front of Justice Allen Letourneau last Thursday, the victim, a member of Wang’s former research group, was a few feet behind him in the gallery. On the day of his arrest, Wang was videotaped in his lab coat using a pipette to administer a “clear substance” into the victim’s lunch on campus. The substance—identified as N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)—is highly toxic and a known carcinogen. After a toxicology report identified the substance, Court sketch of Zijie Wang at trial on Oct. 25. u
See Sentencing on page 5
ILLUSTRATION BY AMELIA RANKINE
QJSERIES
Senate repeals 1918 ‘colour bar’ on Black medical students
Working group established in School of Medicine to provide further recommendations R achel A iken Assistant News Editor
At the Senate’s Sept. 25 meeting, PhD candidate Edward Thomas brought a Notice of Motion to Senate
seeking the repeal of the century-old policy that barred Black students from entering Queen’s medical school. At the time, he noted the institutional rule was enforced as late as 1965, but the Senate hadn’t formally rescinded the bar. Dr. Richard Reznick, dean of the faculty of health sciences at Queen’s, was asked to move the motion in Tuesday’s meeting. “I’d like to compliment Edward Thomas, a PhD
candidate, for bringing this issue to Senate’s attention,” Reznick said. “I think that we all had a bit of a shock and a wake-up call [and] were also impressed by the depth of his research.” The motion, which was recommended by Thomas, called on Senate to rescind the resolution. However, Reznick noted the motion also called for consideration of additional measures.
CHRISTINE ZIOMKIEWICZ HAS BEEN MISSING FOR 40 YEARS, BUT NO ONE HAS FORGOTTEN Continued on page 6
See Colour Bar on page 5
EDITORIALS
OPINIONS
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SPORTS
LIFEST YLE
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Queen’s emphasizes reputation over students’ wellbeing
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Men’s basketball banking on youth and versatility this season
Exchange student attends first Indigenous Full Moon Ceremony
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