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the
Queen’s University
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journal
Volume 147, issue 15
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Friday, November 22, 2019
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Situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples.
since 1873
“Tear gas and rubber bullets”: Queen’s student caught in Hong Kong campus protests University confirms contact with 15 students on exchange in Hong Kong S ydney K o Assistant News Editor What was meant to be an opportunity to learn Mandarin abroad was cut short when Kelsey—a Queen’s student whose name has been changed to protect her identity— found herself entrenched in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests. In recent days, the ongoing unrest in Hong Kong has worsened as violence between police and demonstrators shifted to university campuses around the city. On Nov. 17, Queen’s issued a statement urging all 15 students on exchange in Hong Kong to return to Canada. Kelsey, who is on exchange at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), recalled the day protests first poured onto campus at 8 a.m. on Nov. 11. “It was an ordinary day for me,” she said. “I walked to class, but I didn’t see the teacher. She comes a little bit earlier so that seemed a little bit unusual.” Eventually, university staff arrived to inform Kelsey and her peers violence had broken out on campus. At 9 a.m., Kelsey received an email saying classes were cancelled for the rest of the day. Later, she noticed groups of students wearing masks around campus. It wasn’t long before Kelsey heard two students had an altercation with a police officer that sent students rushing back to their dormitories.
Before the end of the evening, CUHK emailed students announcing class cancellations for the following day. Through a confidential source, The Journal obtained emails sent by CUHK to students, warning them of the escalating situation. “Considering the worsening social unrest, the severely affected public transport services, and that repairs to the damaged facilities on campus takes time, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) announces that classes will be cancelled tomorrow,” the email read. By Tuesday morning, Kelsey received another email informing students of further class cancellations. The email said a group of individuals damaged the gate locks of the school gym and took bows, arrows, and javelins. As the protests continued, Kelsey said international students were told to contact their respected embassies for assistance. However, following limited instructions from CUHK, Kelsey contacted the Queen’s Environmental Health and Safety organization. While she eventually reached a representative, the 13-hour time difference made contacting Queen’s difficult. “I’m going to sit tight until I figure out a plan,” Kelsey said as she recalled the events of the week. However, on the evening of Nov. 13, her situation became urgent when CUHK See Hong Kong on page 3
Student Choice Initiative struck down in divisional court E llen N agy Assistant News Editor In a unanimous decision, the Ford government’s Student Choice Initiative (SCI) was ruled unlawful by the Divisional Court of Ontario on Thursday. First reported by The Varsity, the Divisional Court of Ontario ruled in favour of a collective of student groups on Nov. 21, including the York Federation of Students (YFS), the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario (CFS-O), and the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU), in their judicial review against the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU). The Ford government introduced the SCI in January, giving students the choice of opting out of fees deemed “non-essential” by the Ministry. At universities across the province, student fees support organizations
ranging from student unions and newspapers to campus food banks and sexual assault centres. “Ourselves and our predecessors in the AMS spent an immense amount of time reorganizing our governance structures, advocating for things that would protect student opportunities and student jobs, so it definitely was surprising to see that the [Student Choice] Initiative got struck down in court,” AMS President Auston Pierce said in an interview with The Journal. The application for judicial review was filed on May 24 by the CFS-O, denouncing the implementation of the SCI as unlawful and an overstep of the Ministry’s mandate. The court first heard arguments on Oct. 11. “I’m in contact with other presidents at student unions across the province right now and we’re just waiting and watching. We’ll be making a statement when we know more information,” Pierce said.
GRAPHIC BY AMELIA RANKINE
IN THIS ISSUE: SWS booking causing students stress, p. 6, Politics important year-round, p. 7, Tripp pushes athletes over the top, p. 8, CBC journalist talks Tibet-Hong Kong parallels, p. 13. queensjournal.ca
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