Provost Matthew Evans visits encampment on fourth day
Sofia Tosello Staff Writer
StudentS Stage proteSt at regiStrar’S office demanding diveStment updateS
Allie Moustakis & Meghrig Milkon Journal Staff
Around 20 students wearing keffiyehs and face masks held a sit-in at the Registrar’s Office inside Gordon Hall on Dec. 6, demanding updates from Queen’s University’s Responsible Investment Committee regarding their review of the Queen’s University Apartheid Divestment
(QUAD) request to divest from companies doing business in or with the State of Israel.
The protest, organized by Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), criticized the University’s lack of transparency and urgency in addressing the issue and request made by QUAD. As a result, the Registrar’s Office closed its in-person services for the day.
In a press release sent to
The Journal, SPHR questioned the impartiality of the Responsible Investment Committee, citing its composition and lack of consistent attendance by committee members during presentations. They pointed out the committee includes only one student representative, Rector and student trustee Niki Boytchuk-Hale, despite the significant impact its decisions could have on the student body.
Aya Alhasany & Jonathan
39th Rector of Queen’s robed at convocation
Meghrig Milkon Senior News Editor
Glitter thrown at Provost Evans during Senate protest
Jonathan Reilly Assistant News Editor
Bader college lacked Structural inSpection for 25 yearS, Staff allege
Aaniqa
Karmali Features Editor
A generous gift from Alfred Bader, LLD’86, deteriorated. For a former staff member at Bader College, Jessica*, it’s time Queen’s take the blame.
Herstmonceux Castle, the home of Bader College, was donated to Queen’s University by alumnus Alfred Bader and his wife, Isabel Bader in 1993.
Bader College closed after an inspection revealed significant damage to Herstmonceux Castle in November 2023. Students were quickly sent home and forced to adjust to life in Kingston. In April, 50 staff members were laid off and told to pack up their offices. Jessica was among the laid off staff, where she worked for several years. While Queen’s students and faculty were shocked
when they learned Herstmonceux Castle was crumbling, Jessica wasn’t surprised. The castle hadn’t been inspected for structural damages in 25 years, Jessica said in an interview with The Journal. Bader College’s Board of Trustees—which includes Provost Matthew Evans and three non-university trustees—made the deliberate decision to hold-off on inspections, Jessica alleged.
Graduate students score victory as the University halts cuts
Meghrig Milkon Senior News Editor
Meghrig Milkon & Aya Alhasany Journal Staff
PHOTO BY NELSON CHEN
PHOTO BY NELSON CHEN
unSafe conditionS puSh canada’S only maSter of art conServation program StudentS to Speak out
Jonathan Reilly Assistant News Editor
Eczema flare-ups, allergies, jackhammer sounds, and a lack of proper equipment are among the complaints from students in the Master of Art Conservation program.
Queen’s is home to Canada’s only Master of Art Conservation program, where students can specialize in preserving paintings,
artifacts, and paper objects, or conduct research in conservation science. With a $75 million USD donation from Bader Philanthropy Inc. towards the Agnes Reimagined project, the program will establish a new building featuring larger laboratories and workspaces, facilitate the purchase of new equipment, and support the hiring of additional professors.
During the construction of the
Team JEA voted next AMS executive
Allie Moustakis & Skylar Soroka Editors in Chief
City of Kingston declares food insecurity an emergency
Meghrig Milkon Senior News Editor
new building on 15 Bader Ln., which is expected to take twoyears to complete. Classes for the program were planned to be moved to Fleming Hall in the Jemmett Wing, however, the space infrastructure wasn’t in good enough condition to accommodate the expensive artwork, according to Quinn*, a student in the program.
In response, the University moved the program to Innovation Park, an off-campus facility.
Two Queen’s students acquitted of sexual assault charges in Mexico
Allie Moustakis & Skylar Soroka Editors in Chief
2,000 graduate student workers walk off the job
Queen’s student speaks out against antisemitism on Parliament Hill
Sofia Tosello Staff Writer
Lauren Nicol Assistant News Editor
The Queen’s Music Theatre program, offered in partnership with St. Lawrence College (SLC), has suspended admissions. St. Lawrence College suspended admissions to its Queen’s collaborative Music Theatre program on Jan. 28, when the college simultaneously suspended admissions to over 40 per cent,
Meghrig Milkon Senior News Editor
veterans
Aya Alhasany & Lauren Nicol Assistant News Editors
or 55 of their programs. The program follows a two-plustwo structure, with students spending two years at SLC before completing their studies at Queen’s DAN School of Drama and Music. However, SLC Chief Executive Officer Glenn Vollebregt it was suspended after the federal cap on international students led to declining enrollment. Current students in the
program, held at St. Lawrence’s Brockville campus, will complete their studies as planned at both SLC and the DAN School. However, no new students will be admitted. In a statement to The Journal, Vollebregt said current applicants were communicated options, including redirecting their applications to other Queen’s programs.
Meghrig Milkon Senior News Editor
Meghrig Milkon Senior News Editor
PHOTO BY NELSON CHEN
PHOTO BY NELSON CHEN
South Asian students respond to Canada’s rising anti-immigration sentiment
Sir John A. Macdonald’s legacy is woven into Canada’s history, with Kingston as the loom where a lawyer’s ambitious beginnings shaped the nation’s fabric.
Jan. 11 marks “Macdonald Day,” a celebration of the politician’s birthday—a day to honour our very first Prime Minister. Though a key figure in Canadian history, Macdonald’s legacy is much more embedded within Kingston, where he spent 15 years practicing law and launching his political career in the nation’s first capital. Macdonald’s legacy, however, is a controversial one at that.
Articles from Kingston’s The British Whig in the late 19th
PHOTO BY NELSON CHEN
century refers to Macdonald as “Kingston’s son.” Kingston held a distinct sense of pride and paternalism toward Macdonald, cherishing its connection to such a monumental figure in Canadian history. Founded in 1834, The British Whig was Kingston’s weekly newspaper, serving the city and Eastern Ontario before being amalgamated with The Daily Standard to create The Kingston Whig-Standard.
Once celebrated as Canada’s hero, Macdonald’s legacy is now mired in controversy, as his policies harmed many of the country’s most marginalized communities and continue to negatively affect Indigenous peoples today.
When everyday sounds become torture: The reality of misophonia
S
Features Editor
Sir John A. Macdonald’s story began in Kingston, but where does it end?
C loey A C onley Assistant Arts & Culture Editor
With few student-housing options near campus—partly due to the University Districts predominantly low-density zoning—Madison Donnelly, ArtSci ’26, felt pressured to sign the first lease she was offered.
“We didn’t really have any other options than to sign the lease we have now, I’m just happy it worked out,” Donnelly said in an interview with The Journal.
‘It feels like we’re swimming with sharks’: Students share theirstruggles with Kingston’s housing market
Donnelly recalls the first-year student experience of feeling pressured by the market to sign a lease before having even had the chance to settle into life in Kingston. She recalls being told to secure housing by October, months ahead of any
May move-in date hastening an already frantic process.
“It feels like we’re swimming with sharks, and Kingston landlords are just waiting to take a bite out of our wallets,” Alex McDonald, ArtSci ’26, said in an interview with The Journal
For some students, landlords’ constant presence can feel inescapable.
The University District, which surrounds Queen’s main campus, is officially bounded by Nelson and Collingwood St. to the west, Princess St. to the north, Division and Barrie St. to the east, and King St. to the south.
The heart of these confines is a housing crisis infused with chronic scarcity where too few vacancies drive rent higher with each passing year. e
Why Queen’s won’t divest $222 million
Editor in Chief
GRAPHIC BY SARAH ADAMS
Stop trying to make your grandparents proud
Sarah Eklove Opinions Editor
Tradition should enhance your life, not dictate it.
Political disagreements with older generations are common—maybe even expected. But coming to terms with differences in values and fundamental principles that will shape the way your family sees you is a harder pill to swallow. But a necessary one, nonetheless. Embracing independent
thinking and personal research is paramount to finding yourself.
At 18 years old, when I decided to attend a university in Ontario, I knew I was crushing my family’s dreams. While my parents always supported my siblings and I in pursuing education and becoming whoever we wanted to be, I knew my lack of urgency to find a Jewish husband and settle down would disappoint my Bubby (Yiddish word for grandmother).
AMS Assembly fails its own transparency test
Journal Editorial Board
This month’s Special Assembly will be remembered as much for its chaos and mismanagement as for its outcomes.
On Nov. 18, over 250 students gathered in Stirling Auditorium for the AMS Special General Assembly, which concluded nearly six and a half hours and several voting mishaps later. The disorderly timing and voting systems alone are enough indication of how operations
went that night. According to an AMS communications post, at its peak, Assembly saw 277 students in attendance, which is significantly higher than the 208 students required for quorum.
Compared to previous Special Assemblies, this year’s saw a considerable turnout, with students attending for a variety of reasons, including motions related to governance, equity, club ratification, policy, and two motions relating to The Journal’s autonomy and operations.
‘scoops’ don’t have to be seen through a tarnished lens
Skylar Soroka Editor in Chief
The term “scoop” with respect to news doesn’t deserve the negative connotation it often receives.
As a journalist, there’s a great thrill in truth-telling—an essential aspect of the profession. It’s about uncovering the truth and landing that big “scoop.” Yet, some stories whisper rather than shout—these quieter tales reveal the heartbeat of small communities.
Journalists aren’t only focused on exposing the seedy underbelly of our subjects. We also aim, and make it a habit of highlighting positive initiatives, even though many people see us as only doing the former.
The term “scoop” has evolved over time and varies with each perspective, but its core meaning persists—it’s when a reporter beats everyone else to break an important story.
Queen’s silent divestment decision speaks volumes
Journal Editorial Board
In a time when students most need clear communication, Queen’s continues its pattern of sweeping important matters under the rug.
After a nine-month review from the Principal’s Responsible Investing Committee, the University announced its decision on March 13 to rule against divesting funds from companies operating with or in the State of Israel.
The University owes it to students to bring attention to impactful decisions, given the gravity they have on students and the volume of student advocacy leading up to them. Queen’s failed to deliver.
To announce the conclusions reached by the Board of Trustees, the University released a single report in The Gazette, leaving all other channels of communication, such as the Queen’s Instagram, e-mail, and the school newsletter, empty of this decision.
Grad students are right, but their
strategy is wrong
Journal Editorial Board
The important battles fought by Queen’s graduate students inspire more division and confusion than solidarity.
Beginning March 10, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Local 901 took to Union St. and University Ave. to strike for fair wages, among other demands like affordable housing access
and paid hours to learn course content. The union represents roughly 2,000 Teaching Assistants (TAs), Research Assistants (RAs), and Teaching Fellows, all of which are crucial to the university ecosystem.
Unlike recent labour negotiations between unions and the University—which were saved by last-minute deals—no such tentative agreement was reached this time around.
Nelson Chen
Appearing as havens to wildlife and diversity, zoos are far from an innocent place. Living just a short drive from Orlando, Florida, I grew up with a particular love for SeaWorld and its animals. Petting stingrays, feeding belugas, and watching the famed “Shamu show” easily captured my naive imagination at five years old. However, this love didn’t last.
While parks like SeaWorld and Marineland
market themselves as champions of marine rescue and conservation, they’ve come under intense
In the past five years alone, Marineland has seen the mysterious deaths of 16 beluga whales, a bottlenose dolphin, an orca, two seals, and two sea lions. Despite a lengthy four-year investigation by Ontario Animal Welfare Services, little progress has been made in addressing the facility’s practices.
Disregarding ongoing concerns for animal welfare, Marineland announced plans to reopen for the 2024 season.
Natalie Viebrock Postscript Editor
Unpaid practicums impose stress and financial burden on Queen’s students.
In May, I completed a 120-hour practicum with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) as part of the requirements for the Queen’s Concurrent Education program.
The same month, on May 16, the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) celebrated a landmark
achievement: the successful lobbying for paid placements for social work students in Australia. The Australian Council of Heads of Social Work Education, which represents 38 universities, highlighted the significance of this move, stating, “social work placements, alongside teaching and nursing, have been recognized as an equity issue in feminized professions where many students, both urban and rural, face significant disadvantage.”
Photo Editor
ILLUSTRATION BY ELLA THOMAS
ILLUSTRATION BY ELLA THOMAS
ILLUSTRATION BY ELLA THOMAS
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ILLUSTRATION BY ELLA THOMAS
ILLUSTRATION BY ELLA THOMAS
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ILLUSTRATION BY KELLYANN MARIE
ILLUSTRATION BY KELLYANN MARIE
ILLUSTRATION BY KELLYANN MARIE
The Canada Disability Benefit is unjust—and the Government is okay with that
B rock M utic Contributor
While I don’t claim privileged epistemic access to the nature of justice, I believe I can recognize obvious injustices when I see them.
Consider, for instance, the conditions facing people with disabilities in Canada. Poverty is relatively rampant among Canadians experiencing disability, with an estimated 10.6 per cent of people with
disabilities over 16—or almost one million people—having faced poverty in 2021. This was twice the national rate among Canadians without disabilities.
For many such individuals, paying next month’s rent is never a guarantee, nor is having enough food this month.
‘Luxuries,’ like a cup of coffee, a night out at the movies, or buying a book, are commonly, and entirely, out of the question.
This is real, not fictional. It’s a reality for hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens.
l
Queen’s must divest from Israel before its institutional death
a y S ha t a B a SS u M
Contributor
Weeks after the rest of the world set up encampments in solidarity with Palestine, the Queen’s University Apartheid Divest (QUAD) and Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) Queen’s groups gathered in front of Richardson Hall. Among other demands, protestors have called for Queen’s divestment from corporations profiting from human rights violations in Palestine.
As an alumnus who is well-accustomed
to the violent and colonial response of Queen’s administration and students to the Palestinian cause, I’m inspired by the bravery of individuals involved in QUAD and SPHR.
However, it’s difficult to disregard the small numbers in which protestors are forced to gather and the unwavering involvement in the genocide in Gaza—Queen’s is a university desperate to maintain its fast-crumbling position as a home for Canada’s rich and white elite, even if it means destroying itself.
What the ‘&’ in Arts & Science means to me
J e NN S tephe NS o N Contributor
In my office in Dunning Hall, there’s an image of an ampersand hanging on the wall. I’m fond of ampersands. Beside the fact they just look cool, the ampersand (&) is for me a kind of value statement. It’s a guiding star. To me, that “&” is an icon for one of the things I love the best about the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS). We’re a Faculty of Arts and Science. We’re one of only five big Faculties of Arts and Science in Canada and one of two in Ontario—the other being the University of Toronto.
In summer 2023, as a Faculty, we started thinking about our curriculum, about our programs and our courses and how they’re organized and how they’re taught. As the Faculty and the University faced financial challenges, it was clear some change would be necessary. But rather than just cut things and simply be “less,” we have the opportunity to make choices about change that are driven by who we are and what we care about.
Our number one priority driving any change is to provide an excellent student academic experience.
Students of colour shouldn’t bear the burden of creating spaces that should already exist
The dream shall never die: Reflecting on Trump’s return and America’s future
r eaga N F el D Contributor
I’m sick of living in “unprecedented times.”
I’m truly at my limit. In the last four years, my generation has lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, online school, rising temperatures, and six seasons of Too Hot to Handle. We’ve experienced the first election of Donald Trump—a former TV presenter with five children from three different women—and, as of Nov. 6, have come to accept that we will now have to live through a second term.
The first president since Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th president of the United States—bet you’ve never heard of him—to be elected for two terms non-consecutively, Trump is also the first president to be a convicted felon. And the first president-elect to be referred to as “Hitler” by his vice presidentelect. And, and, and. The list goes on. At first glance, this might seem like the foundation for a critique focused solely on Trump’s personal shortcomings.
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JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
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NELSON CHEN
illy c oote Staff Writer
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lorella
J aya S igurd S on Business, Science, & Technology Editor
Rather than winding down after a long day of school, one student entrepreneur’s night is defined by the sweet hum of an oven.
Just a month ago, Cait’s Cookies was born as the product of Caitlyn Shim’s, ConEd ’27, disappointment in cookie options on campus, and her love for
baking. Selling her freshly made and individually wrapped cookies from $3 to $3.50 each, Shim’s baking and persistent marketing has propelled Cait’s Cookies into the Queen’s entrepreneur space.
“I realized how limited the options were for fresh, high-quality cookies to buy on campus,” Shim said in an interview with The Journal. “I’ve always loved baking for my friends and my family, and I was obsessed
with watching [videos of] my inspiration, Brooki.” Brooki is a well-known Australian baker and bakery owner who frequently posts lifestyle content on YouTube, primarily day-in-the-life videos. “I kept telling myself I wanted to start my own cookie business [like Brooki], but for years I never actually acted on it,” Shim added.
J ayden
eong Staff Writer
The majority of on-campus Bachelor’s of Health Sciences (BHSc) graduates with a general degree will begin their medical school journey this year. Students graduating from the BHSc on-campus program graduated on June 19, being the second cohort of graduates the program has seen.
The BHSc program offers both an on-campus program and an online stream, with BHSc online first accepting students in 2016, and the on-campus program enrolling their first cohort in 2019.
The program offers an option to graduate with a general degree, lasting three years, or a four-year honours degree. Students pursuing their honours may decide to leave after three years,
graduating with a general degree. According to the University’s convocation booklet, 59 on-campus graduates received their general degree this June, with 51 students graduating with distinction. The University’s academic regulations outline the requirements to graduate with degrees with distinction, which includes a minimum of 3.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA).
GRAPHIC BY ALLIE MOUSTAKIS
GRAPHIC BY NATALIE VIEBROCK
Jude Wheeler-Dee continues to make Queen’s history
H erbert W ang Assistant Sports Editor
a idan M ic H aelov Senior Sports Editor
Marking the halfway point of the regular season, the Gaels defeated their historic rival 48-20, the Ottawa Gee-Gees, on Sept. 14 in Ottawa, recording their 500th all-time win.
The Gaels first took to the gridiron in 1882, since then they’ve been a pioneer leading the way for other football programs nation-wide to look up to, and chase in
terms of legacy and prestige.
For Men’s Football Head Coach Steve Snyder, the win was more than just an achievement for those who played on the team.
“Anytime you can win a football game, it’s a good feeling. But when you put a bunch of history on top of it, and you’re able to share it with all the people that have played a part in the past that have helped us accumulate to this point,” he said.
Journal Staff
Queen’s students battle on the court and unite off of it, raising crucial funds for childhood cancer research in the process.
The Tri-Colour Classic (TCC) is an annual non-profit basketball game where the top basketball players from Smith’s Commerce and Engineering programs
face off in an intense battle to determine Smith’s top student-athletes.
On Nov. 14, the faculties of Commerce and Engineering tipped off at the Slush Puppie Place in its third annual Tri-Colour Classic basketball game. This year, TCC unveiled a donation of $250,000, bring their total contributions close to half-a-million dollars.
The annual game saw a Commerce victory, beating the other Smith faculty 54-46.
Men’s Volleyball win Forsyth Cup
a idan M ic H aelov
Senior Sports Editor
H erbert W ang Assistant Sports Editor
In 2024, an estimated 30,500 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer—a staggering number underscoring the importance of awareness and action.
The Women’s Soccer team hosted the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold in front of a home crowd at Richardson Stadium on Oct. 5. The game was lopsided for the Gaels, scoring seven goals to
the Bold’s zero.
Getting a win was important for the Gaels’ playoff odds. However, this game was bigger than just a regular-season game; it also hosted the fifth annual Kick for the Cure game.
Hosted every year since 2019, Kick for the Cure is an initiative started by former women’s soccer player, Christie Gray, Comm ’22, to raise awareness and money for breast cancer research.
Senior Sports Editor
The Gaels’ new system has created serious challenges for opposing teams this season.
The Queen’s Men’s Basketball team has made a significant change to how they approach the game defensively. After averaging over 32 points off turnovers in the last three games, Head Coach Stephen Barrie spoke with The Journal about the inspiration behind
the change, and what’s still needed to achieve his vision.
The System, a high-intensity defensive scheme developed by coach Jim Crutchfield at Nova Southeastern University, a National Collegiate Athletics Association Division II program in the United States, has inspired Queen’s new approach.
“The System,” applies constant pressure with a full-court press to force offensive players into making mistakes, allowing teams to increase scoring opportunities.
a idan M ic H aelov &
H erbert W ang
a idan M ic H aelov
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Arkells take Clark Hall Pub by surprise in pop-up performance
Blake lIvely’s case Proves PeoPle never BelIeve women, no matter how famous
V eer b halla Contributor
There’s no such thing as the “perfect victim.”
If you’ve been on social media at all for the past month, you’ve probably been bombarded with information about the ongoing legal battle between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni concerning their behaviour on the set of It Ends With Us—a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel about domestic violence.
In December 2024, Lively filed
a legal complaint against Baldoni and his production house, Wayfarer Studios, for creating a hostile work environment on set. This was followed by a lawsuit against Baldoni for sexual harassment and emotional distress.
Baldoni then sued the New York Times, who broke the news about Lively’s legal complaint, for libel. Now, in 2025, new information is emerging, with the pendulum of public opinion swaying between believing—and not believing—Lively’s claims.
I trIed daIly medItatIon for a week, here’s what I learned
N atalie V iebrock
Postscript Editor
I’ve never been good at sitting still. Even in Kindergarten, quie time on the carpet felt like a cruel joke. Now, as an adult with a mild social media addiction, my attention span is worse than ever. I can barely get through an episode of TV without checking my phone, let alone meditate in complete silence.
I love self-care as much as the next person, but the whole “clear your mind” thing has always seemed unattainable.
My brain is a constant loop of grocery lists, half-finished texts, and intrusive thoughts about the embarrassing thing I said in my seminar discussion last week.
Still, I couldn’t ignore the hype surrounding meditation. Celebrities swear by it, therapists recommend it, and apparently, even science backs it up.
So, in the name of personal growth—and possibly delusion—I committed to daily meditation for one whole week.
Blue Rodeo closes KCFF with celebration of music and friendship
e lla t ho M as Editorials Illustrator
Queen’s alum Omar El Akkad confronts Western indifference of humanitarian crises in Gaza
e V a s heaha N
Assistant Arts & Culture Editor
c loey a co N ley
Assistant Arts & Culture Editor
Project Red’s Portalis transports their audience through space, time, and dimension.
Running on Feb. 13 and 14 at Grant Hall, Project Red’s annual charity fashion show, Portalis offers a dazzling display of fashion, dance, and music, all for a good cause. The talented models presented a range of performances, from slow ballads to upbeat electro pop numbers, accompanied by incredibly
talented musicians and dancers.
Project Red started at Queen’s 15 years ago and has since earned over $300,000 in funding for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, making the club the foundation’s largest student body fundraiser in Canada. The executives expressed how important it was to them to encourage a heart-healthy lifestyle to students at Queen’s and the community. Their fundraising efforts go a long way to supporting a healthy lifestyle and Heart and Stroke awareness.
PHOTO BY HEIDEN JACOBI
from lIz, wIth love: was I ever more than a chaPter?
e lizabeth P ro V ost
Staff Writer
Dear Lost in Love and Left Behind, The ending of relationships often don’t match the tenderness of their beginnings. This isn’t because your connection didn’t matter. Your experience and what you put into the relationship is a testament to the depth of your feelings and courage, not a reflection of your worth. Any kind of love always means something. But people, especially when they’re unsure in who hey are, can sometimes react to love by pulling away or
attempting to redefine themselves, sometimes painfully. There’s no rule that a relationship must last to be “successful.” Every person we let into our lives— even those who leave—leaves a mark on us. And undeniably, we leave a mark on them. For the 20 year anniversary of the New York Times Modern Love column this month, editor Daniel Jones wrote a reflection titled, “Seven Ways to Love Better.” He shares the story of one author from the column, who wrote “The 12-Hour Goodbye That Started Everything” in 2017. honouring what happened.”
‘The Other Shore’ demonstrates the power of an ensemble
N
atalie V iebrock Postscript Editor
M adiso N t aylor Senior Arts & Culture Editor
PHOTO BY RANDY DEKLEINE-STIMPSON
GRAPHIC BY NATALIE VIEBROCK
PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG
n ay c hi h twe
Assistant Photo Editor
Cancer has always been an unwelcome visitor in my family. It visits so frequently that it’s become an inevitable guest, always taking someone with it.
Despite my family’s painful familiarity with cancer, I always thought it only affected my older family members, like my grandparents. So, for a long time, I thought, “When the time comes, I’ll deal with it.” Except the “time” came early—summer of 2023, to be exact.
I was 20, and time felt endless in this new decade of my life. With immense energy and optimism, I looked forward to experiencing every milestone, like my
The weight of what I carried home from exchange
d anica P iccoli
Contributor
I was never supposed to be at Queen’s. I didn’t even apply.
I was enrolled at Laurentian University in my hometown until they declared bankruptcy. I’ll never forget the spring day in Grade 12 when a family friend informed me, before I even opened Laurentian’s email, that the University had cut several programs, including mine, revoking my acceptance for the class of 2025.
The news hit me hard. Panic set in as I realized I hadn’t applied to any other schools, so sure of my path to stay home and save money all while getting my
degree. But that path seemed to have disappeared in plain sight.
Two weeks went by, and I still didn’t have a plan. It was late April when, on a whim—compelled by something I still can’t fully explain—I decided to reach out to Queen’s University Admissions. I sent an email pleading to the administration, explaining my situation and sharing how eager I was to begin my post-secondary studies as soon as possible.
The pressure was debilitating. I didn’t want to fall behind my peers, especially my triplet brother and sister, who were already on the path to starting their degrees in the fall. I felt utterly lost.
What
art school won’t teach me
e lla t ho M as
Editorials Illustrator
Every social event I’ve attended in the last few months has been plagued by one question in particular: “Ella, what are you doing after you graduate in the spring?”
Disguised as lighthearted small talk, this awful question causes me to stumble over my words, enunciating responses such as “masters,” “internship,” or “backpacking.” Their ears tend to perk up at the mention of attending art school, which makes me wonder if a fine arts degree is the right answer to my dilemma.
My mom is an artist, so I’ve painted
since my fingers could balance a brush in one hand. She taught me everything I know about art and the creative process—and, more importantly, how to observe and have fun like a kid again, finding joy in the act, rather than the product.
I’m the only one out of my three older siblings who paints regularly, if at all, which has awarded me a special bond with my mom in a space that merges our perspectives into one.
When I was little, we painted side-byside. I was her mini-me, copying her movements and stealing colours from her palette so my canvas mirrored hers as closely as possible.
graduation, first job, or wedding, with my mother on the sidelines, cheering me on as she always had.
Suddenly, the excitement for those moments was taken away—my mother was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. I recall weeks before my mother broke the news, she kept mentioning that she was sick, and that time was precious. I initially overlooked her remarks until one day in the middle of July when my mother sat me and my sister down in our living room. Noticing her teary eyes and serious demeanour, it occurred to me that she’d been dropping hints the entire summer, and that evening was when she chose to tell us the news.
Dear Cordelia, Signed Cordy
Breaking cultural barriers in my eating disorder recover
i shita R ikhi Contributor
The most significant obstacle in my path to recovery wasn’t just accessing treatment—it was breaking through cultural silence and raising my voice against generations of unwavering customs.
As a first-generation Canadian born to Indian immigrant parents, my experience with anorexia nervosa revealed a complex intersection between mental health treatment and cultural barriers. While balancing two distinct cultural identities presented its own challenges, it was the deeply rooted stigma surrounding mental health in immigrant communities
that proved most devastating to my recovery.
My parents’ journey began in Punjab, where they were raised with traditional values and expectations. After they got married, my father’s engineering career took him to Saudi Arabia while my mother remained in India. They eventually immigrated to Canada through the Comprehensive Ranking System, chasing the promise of their children’s success—an unspoken expectation that, though never directly expressed, was always present.
From an early age, I carried the weight of two worlds on my shoulders.
