The Queen's Journal, Volume 154, Issue 5

Queen’s University

THE JOURNAL —

Vol. 154, Issue 5

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Friday, September 11, 2026

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Situated on the

traditional lands of

the Anishinaabe and

Haudenosaunee peoples.

Since 1873

instead relying largely on that we are acting like we are,” such as media she said. She pointed to issues A new term or a new direction? isopportunities interviews and public events. including food insecurity and “I’m just trying to get it out as pressures on municipal services Mayor candidates make their case organically as I can,” he said. and infrastructure. She argued

Affordability, mental health, and Kingston’s relationship with Queen’s emerge as priorities Emmet Paradis Senior News Editor

Four candidates for Kingston mayor are pitching different approaches to the city’s affordability, housing, and social challenges ahead of the Oct. 26 municipal election. The mayor serves as the head of Kingston City Council, chairing council meetings, helping set the City’s priorities and direction, and representing Kingston publicly. The position also carries “strong mayor” powers under provincial legislation, including additional authority

Four candidates run for Sydenham District council-

over the municipal budget and certain City decisions. Election day is Oct. 26, with polls open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Advance voting will take place Oct. 16 and 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., while online voting will be available from Oct. 14 until polls close on election day. Candidates Grant Bedard, Conny Glenn, Vanessa Mensah, and Bryan Paterson, PhD ’06, spoke with The Journal about their priorities. Grant Bedard

Bedard is running without previous political experience. Born in Kingston, Bedard said his candidacy is rooted primarily in his life experience and a belief Kingston needs change. Having previously experienced homelessness, he said it was an experience that informed his perspective on challenges facing residents. Bedard initially considered running for councillor in his

lor open seat Race puts student housing and community relations at the forefront Lola Hustins Assistant News Editor

Four candidates — (John Meligrana, Annie Palone, Andrew DaCosta, and Rajesh Kumar) — are running for Sydenham District councillor. The race originally included five candidates, but Jago Garrett withdrew his candidacy on Aug. 18.

Previous Sydenham District Councillor Conny Glenn has left her seat to run for mayor, leaving the district without an incumbent. According to the City of Kingston’s electoral districts map, Sydenham District covers the area south of Johnson St., extending to Ontario St.,

east to Gore St., with Sir John A. Macdonald Blvd. forming its western boundary. Each candidate spoke with The Journal about their priorities for the district. Andrew DaCosta

“I live here, I work here, I study here. My life revolves around Sydenham,” said DaCosta, ArtSci ’29. Though a Queen’s student, DaCosta’s campaign website assures that he is “not running a campaign focused only on Queen’s students,” but focused on all residents of Sydenham District. Studying Political Studies for his second year at Queen’s, DaCosta’s platform focuses on six main points: the housing

Features

Municipal Election crisis, active transportation, the relationship between the City of Kingston and post-secondary institutions, capital tax, keeping residents informed, and a report card outlining his work and progress. DaCosta said Sydenham has not had a student representative on council in almost 40 years, pointing to Cam Watson, a Queen’s student who was elected as Sydenham Ward’s alderman — an elected member of a municipal government who represents a specific district or ward — in 1988. He said this makes student representation a key priority for him. He identified Kingston’s housing crisis as one of Sydenham’s biggest issues, saying candidates must be prepared to address it.

the City needs systemic changes and new approaches to addressing those challenges. Current Sydenham District Glenn said the relationship — which encompasses Queen’s between the City and Queen’s campus — Councillor Conny has improved during her time Glenn is campaigning for mayor representing Sydenham District on her record at City Hall and a and, if elected mayor, she call for a change in leadership. would focus on keeping those An ergonomist by training, relationships. Glenn said she ran a national “We can’t sort of take our ergonomics and disability man- foot off the pedal here,” she said. agement consulting company “The reality is on the student for almost 30 years. front; you guys change over According to her website, pretty quickly.” she’s running on four pillars: Among the major decisions housing, affordability, a city hall facing the next council, Glenn that reflects its city, and commu- identified the possibility of nity safety and belonging. moving water and wastewaShe currently sits on the ter services to a municipal board of the Federation of services corporation. She said Canadian Municipalities, a the model may have financial national organization represent- advantages, but argued council ing municipal governments, and must consider alternatives and co-chairs its Defence Task Force, public concerns before making a which focuses on the infrastruc- decision. ture needs of communities with military installations. See Mayor on page 2 “We are in the middle of multiple crises, and I don’t think Conny Glenn

signs. “That’s a climate initiative I’ve been working towards even right now on my campaign,” DaCosta said. Rajesh Kumar

“If you’re not ready to address that, I don’t think you’re ready for this position,” DaCosta said. He supports denser housing development to keep residents where they need to be, including students near campus and residents to essential services. DaCosta said he recently met with Principal Patrick Deane to discuss Kingston’s housing crisis and possible solutions and initiatives that both Queen’s and the City could develop. If elected, DaCosta said he would aim to establish a permanent office on Queen’s campus where students and residents could raise concerns with him or his team. On sustainability, DaCosta said he is the only candidate in the race using recyclable paper signs rather than plastic lawn

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A Look into Queen’s Cheer Page 8 @queensjournal

While working as the manager of economic development on the Partnership and Innovation Team at Queen’s, Kumar, who has a master’s degree from Queen’s, is also a PhD student in the Smith School of Business. He has served as chief administrative officer in the Municipality of Clyde River, Nunavut, where he managed multi-million-dollar budgets and built partnerships with Indigenous leaders. Kumar said he saw the challenges communities in Nunavut were facing from “very close quarters,” and, when he arrived in Kingston for his master’s degree, he “realized things are not very different here.” His campaign website highlights the four main focuses of his platform including creating safe, accessible, and liveable neighbourhoods, affordable housing, seeing that basic needs are met, and ensuring City Hall is fiscally responsible and kept accountable. See Sydenham on page 2

Arts & Culture

Sports

Remembering 9/11, 25 years later Page 4 queensjournal.ca

district, but decided to run for mayor after Brandon Tozo, who Bedard expected would seek the mayor’s position, instead ran for councillor in Kingscourt District. Asked about specific projects he would pursue, Bedard said he has ideas but declined to detail them, saying he’s concerned ideas he shares may later emerge from other candidates or sources. “I have some ideas, but I have noticed as time’s gone by, when I share out my ideas, they end up coming out from a different angle,” Bedard said. On the relationship between Queen’s and Kingston, Bedard said he would prefer greater emphasis on communication and less police involvement. “I think there should be more people just talking to each other and working out their differences,” he said. Bedard isn’t running what he described as a conventional campaign. He said he isn’t canvassing door-to-door and

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Kingston writer discusses the English student to published author pipeline Page 10 @thequeensjournal

NEWS

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NEWS

pathways for Queen’s research to inform municipal policy and continuing to consult students about their needs. She pointed to transportation and affordable, well-maintained student housing, as areas where students have raised concerns.

Mayor

Continued from front page... Vanessa Mensah Mental health therapist and former City of Kingston employee Vanessa Mensah said her experience working directly with residents and later within municipal GRAPHIC BY JACOB KRANJAC government shaped her decision Kingston residents will vote for their next mayor on Oct. 26. to run for mayor. Mensah has worked in social services for over 15 years and leadership that can bring people community well-being, and owns a mental health clinic in together,” Mensah said. belonging. And her final pillar Kingston, where she works with Her campaign is organized centres on creating jobs, supportfamilies, individuals, and couples. around four pillars, which ing businesses, and encouraging She previously worked as a thera- she said were developed after graduates to stay in Kingston. pist at Queen’s. listening to concerns from “We want to make sure that the Mensah also previously Kingston residents: “A Kingston money that is coming in is being worked as the City’s equity, diver- that works” focuses on safer spent properly,” she said. sity, and inclusion lead, where she neighbourhoods, infrastrucMensah described Queen’s advised the mayor, council, senior ture and reliable city services, as an important contributor to leadership, and City departments while her City Hall pillar empha- Kingston’s economy and said she on equity in policies and services. sizes transparency, accountability, wants to strengthen the rela“Kingston is growing and it’s and accessibility. Her third pillar tionship between the University changing, and it really deserves focuses on housing, healthcare, and City by creating stronger his goal being to work “collab- as a planning liaison for the Sydenham oratively to ensure inclusive, Sydenham District Association Continued from front page...

Being a husband and father of two, Kumar prides himself on being simultaneously a student and a family man, saying it offers him a unique but combined perspective of student life and family life. He said he understands first-hand the challenges of stakeholders. Canvassing around Sydenham, Kumar said he has spoken with more than 500 residents and that his priorities come directly from conversations with Sydenham residents. He identified housing as a major issue, saying many new buildings and units are not being built for the “common person.” He also spoke with unhoused individuals who are struggling with mental health challenges and substance use but have few places to turn. “You can keep pushing your dust under the carpet, it does not mean that your house is clean,” Kumar said. He wants to explore tiny homes, prefabricated houses, and mobile homes as affordable housing options, emphasizing that the City could pilot and refine these projects based on the challenges that arise. When informing The Journal that he had withdrawn his name from candidacy, Jago Garrett noted that he had “withdrawn to nominate [his] fellow student, Rajesh Kumar.” When asked about their relationship, Kumar said that they didn’t know each other before the race. John Meligrana

As an associate professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen’s, Meligrana, MPL ’91, has lived in Sydenham District for 25 years and wants to draw on his experience in the area to support students, newcomers, families, renters, and homeowners. Meligrana’s campaign website highlights both Sydenham-wide and Kingston-wide issues, with

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

practical, and accountable local government.” Within the first five to six years that Meligrana lived in Sydenham, he said he noticed a lack of communication between residents, students, and Queen’s. In April 2005, he held a community meeting in Robert Sutherland Hall, where people attended presentations and breakout sessions to get “the ball rolling on the discussion about student-community relations.” He said bringing the community together is “going to be a critical asset moving forward.” Meligrana pointed to housing as Sydenham’s biggest issue. Regarding the Student Housing Strategy, he said “the word student is almost a misnomer, it’s going to be a community housing strategy.” “This community has always had students living here and always will,” he said. “I think there’s goodwill amongst all members of our community, it’s just building upon that goodwill.” Meligrana also said he plans to protect Sydenham’s tree canopy. Through his canvassing, he said several residents told him there have been issues with mature trees being cut down for no apparent reason. He said he would like council to review their tree removal policies as well as the role that Utilities Kingston may play to ensure that Sydenham’s trees remain protected. Meligrana said he would like the city to continue tapping into their funds for environmental initiatives and promoting the fact that local neighbourhood associations can as well. However, he acknowledged that there may not be much allocated to these kinds of projects. “I think the city has small amounts of funds that communities can access to do some kinds of environmental action plans,” Meligrana said. Annie Palone

Palone works as a freelance urban designer and volunteers

Bryan Paterson

Paterson, an economist and faculty member at the Royal Military College of Canada, is seeking another term as Kingston’s mayor after 12 years in the role. He said his campaign is focused on navigating what he described as economic “choppy waters” created by affordability pressures, the housing crisis, and trade tensions with the U.S. His campaign has three main priorities: cost-of-living relief, housing, and creating community spaces and safer neighbourhoods. “I just hear every day how people are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet,” he said. On affordability, Paterson said

he wants to keep property tax increases among the lowest in Ontario and introduce measures aimed at making transit and food more affordable. Housing represents another major concern. He said young people and families increasingly feel home ownership is beyond their reach. His third priority focuses on creating what Paterson described as vibrant community spaces and safer neighbourhoods. He said he wants to invest in new indoor and outdoor spaces where residents can meet and connect, while also improving public safety in response to concerns he’s heard from residents. He said the relationship between Queen’s and Kingston also involves addressing challenges, pointing to street parties and unsafe behaviour as areas where cooperation is necessary. “What makes Queen’s successful also benefits Kingston,” he said. “When you come as a Queen’s student, you’re not just becoming a Queen’s student, you’re becoming a resident of Kingston.”

Vincent Cinanni acclaimed for second term as Williamsville

and as vice-chair of Downtown Kingston Business Improvement Area’s (BIA) Streetscapes & Public Spaces Committee. Having grown up on Traymoor St., she described herself as having “deep roots in the Sydenham Kavina Sathiyanarayana District.” Assistant News Editor D u r i n g h e r i n t e r v i e w, Palone identified liveabil- Vincent Cinanni is returning for a ity, affordability, and sustain- second term as city councillor for ability as her three priorities. Williamsville, acclaimed on Aug. However, her campaign website 24 by City Clerk and Returning highlights four main priorities: Officer Janet Jaynes. Cinanni, liveable neighbourhoods, quality the incumbent councillor, was housing, sustainable growth and the only candidate to file for the environmental protection, and a district nine seat by the Aug. 21 community voice at city hall. nomination deadline. When asked what she saw In an interview with The as Sydenham’s biggest issue, Journal, Cinanni said supporting she pointed to housing and local initiatives and bringing resithe Student Housing Strategy. dents together have remained priShe said the strategy could orities during his first four years provide demographic data in office. on the City’s student popuHis work as Williamsville lation, which she believes District councillor has included current census data fails to supporting community events capture. and initiatives. S h e a l s o wa n t s t o c o n Cinanni said he helped secure tinue initiatives championed funding for the Compton Park by former councillor Glenn, Music Festival and ensured including what Palone called the Memorial Centre Farmers’ a proposed “landlord regis- Market’s barn was updated and try” that distinguishes rental insulated for winter operations. properties from owner-occupied He also volunteered in-person homes. On February 8, 2024, for both events. Council approved Residential “That brings community Rental Licensing, an iteration of together, and I find that that's Glenn’s 2022 pilot Residential very important,” he said. Rental Licensing Program. T h e re n ova t i o n s to t h e “I think the more data we have Kingston Memorial Centre have that we can use to drive our deci- been an area of conversation sion making, the smarter the between elected officials, comdecisions that we can make are,” munity members, and the groups Palone said. that use the space. Previous renoShe also pointed to sustain- vation proposals have faced oppoability initiatives, including sition from community members. potentially using waste heat from The most recent proposal adds Queen’s future supercomputer to a second NHL sized rink to the heat homes in the winter. building. This would be in partShe also said “other questions” nership with Queen’s through were emerging, including the pos- a long-term structured lease sibility of Defence Canada using agreement. the Kingston Collegiate and During his term, Cinanni said Vocational Institute (KCVI) build- he wants to develop a plan for ing as a supercomputing station. the Memorial Centre that would However, Queen’s owns the KCVI allow the City of Kingston to move building and has not identified a forward with renovations and future use for the property, and explore new ideas for the space. Defence Canada has not publicly Student housing is another announced plans to use the build- issue Cinanni said requires attening for this purpose. tion in Williamsville. He said the

councillor growth of student housing has affected both students and permanent residents. “People have been buying houses and then splitting them up as many bedrooms as possible, and then putting as many students in there,” he said. “So, there ends up being substandard housing.” Many older houses tailored to lower income levels have been repurposed as student housing, according to Cinanni. He said there have been “astronomical” boosts in rent for these houses, without changing the quality. The City needs to develop strategies that address the demand for student housing without putting additional pressure on the permanent housing supply, he said. “This is the way it’s going now. It’s not good for students. It’s not good for the permanent residents,” he added. “It needs to be something that will be great for everyone.” Cinanni said maintaining a relationship between the City and Kingston’s post-secondary institutions will remain important during his second term. He has participated in the postsecondary working group since its creation, which brings together representatives from student government and administration at Queen’s, St. Lawrence College, and the Royal Military College of Canada, to address challenges students are facing. “We talk about homecoming, we talk about strategies and how to keep things safe and we talk about housing, […] and the needs of students,” Cinanni said. “So, we try to figure out from the city side what can we do to help.” Continued online at www.queensjournal.ca

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

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QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 3

Three candidates run for councillor seat in King’s Town district

Candidates outline platforms on housing, accountability, and affordability

Kavina Sathiyanarayana Assistant News Editor

With the election approaching, voters in King’s Town will have three candidates to choose from to represent the district in Kingston City Council.

City council is a governing body for municipal decision making. The King’s Town councillor will represent constituents living from the waterfront between John Counter Blvd and Johnson St until Division St. Municipal elections will be held on Oct. 26. Aba Mortley, Sci ’02, Melissa Reid, and Greg Ridge ArtSci ’13, have announced their intentions to run. The candidates spoke with The Journal about their platforms. Aba Mortley

Mortley is a professor — and the esthetics program coordinator — at St. Lawrence College, the owner of Cher-Mere Day Spa, and a mother of four. After living in Kingston for 25 years, moving from Trinidad to attend Queen’s, she said her experiences have shaped her perspective on issues facing the City. Mortley is running for council to improve transparency and accountability, to build healthy, strong, inclusive neighbourhoods, support smart, sustainable

growth and infrastructure, and really be accountable to where support local businesses and jobs. our money is being spent and She identified housing as a key how it’s being spent,” she said. priority, noting that Kingston’s “Not just for today, but for people low vacancy rate and high who are coming after us.” demand are closely tied to homelessness. She said expanding Melissa Reid access to social housing across income levels should be part of Reid is an independent landthe City’s response. scaper and home renovator. She Addressing homelessness also is also founder and operations means recognizing the concerns manager of the Peer Outreach of residents and business owners Empowerment Team, a nonfor Mortley. profit organization that aims to “We can be really empathetic provide day-to-day support for GRAPHIC BAK GRAPHIC BY BY CLAIRE CLAIRE BAK and want to do something for people experiencing homelesshomelessness, and we also can ness, addiction, and mental health be concerned about how people challenges. feel and want to feel safe in their Reid is campaigning for neighbourhoods,” she said. greater affordability and responMortley said the challenge sible growth, affordable housing, is finding ways for those pri- a Kingston heritage approach orities to work together rather that reflects the city’s full histhan treating them as competing tory, action on recent changes at concerns. Utilities Kingston and the closure “As somebody who has had of consumption and treatment a small business for 15 years, I services, and measures to address have employed up to 13 people food insecurity. at a time,” she said. “Multiply “I work a lot with the unhoused me by however many little busi- community and people experiencnesses are in Kingston, […] small ing addiction and mental health business and medium business [challenges], which a lot of people are really the backbone of most have said, well, that makes you economies.” a one-issue candidate,” she said. She wants to reduce red tape “I would wear that title proudly that leads to delays and uncer- because it’s probably the biggest tainty, not to take away account- issue of our era and it’s affecting ability, but to “make sure that it’s everybody.” more accessible to somebody Reid said people directly who’s already wearing 10 hats affected by municipal policies and trying to support the com- need to have a greater role in munity with a business idea that shaping those decisions. She they have.” found the City’s decision to creMortley listed accountability ate a new public corporation to as her second key priority in her oversee the $3.2 billion water and platform. wastewater operations lacked “We’re at a time where our dol- transparency to the public. lar is being stretched; we want to City and Utilities Kingston

re p re s e n t a t ive s s a i d i n a Kingstonist article this move will allow the City to transfer an estimated $150 million in current utility-related debt to a new entity and allow additional borrowing and expansion to utilities assets without the need for City Council approval “I’m not arguing that their idea isn’t a good idea, but my problem with it is that it’s billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money that none of us had any idea what was being expected,” she said. Another concern for Reid is the Ministry of Heath’s plan to shut down Kingston’s supervised drug consumption site at the end of September, replaced with a Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) hub. Reid anticipates gaps in service following the closure. Reid is pushing for a transition plan for the Oct. 1 service changes and consideration for the cost of inaction. Reid said the stigma surrounding drug consumption can make it difficult to address the issue. “We’re the last supervised consumption site to close in Ontario,” she said. Reid said Kingston has had the opportunity to learn from communities where similar services have already closed, including the resulting gaps and impacts. “Kingston is in a worse position but could have been in a better position than any other city.” Greg Ridge

“I’ve been born, grown up, and live in the district of King’s Town; it’s an area that’s very close to my

Portsmouth District councillor secures position in municipal election

Don Amos will return for a second term representing Portsmouth District Lola Hustins Assistant News Editor First elected in 2022, Don Amos has been acclaimed for another four-year term representing Portsmouth District, which includes Queen’s West Campus and St. Lawrence College. Amos was the sole candidate registered for the district, leading City Clerk and Returning Officer Janet Jaynes to declare him elected by acclamation as district councillor on Aug. 24. An election by acclamation occurs when the number of candidates is equal to or less than the number of available seats, eliminating the need for a vote. As district councillor, Amos represents Portsmouth residents on City Council and serves as a link between constituents and municipal government. The district gives Amos a constituency made up of both students and long-term residents.

store in the area. “We need to ensure that commercial space is brought into any project that is developed there in the future to ensure a grocery store can be in that area,” Amos said. On his campaign website, Amos said he wants to work with landlords, students, and postsecondary institutions to prevent and address issues that may arise. When asked what issues he expects to deal with, Amos pointed to housing affordability. He said he would like to see additional student residences built at both St. Lawrence College and Queen’s, particularly for first-year PHOTO SUPPLIED BY DON AMOS students. Voting for municipal elections will be held Oct. 26. Amos said he met with administrations from both institutions In an interview with The said he would like to see another during his first term. He said that Journal, Amos identified food market or vendor operate con- the institutions understand stusecurity and housing affordabil- sistently at Portsmouth Olympic dents are struggling with housing ity as the biggest issues currently Harbour. affordability, but that new resifacing Portsmouth District. Amos said the district cur- dence projects could cost millions “I recognized partway through rently lacks a full-service grocery of dollars. He hopes to encourage [my] term that there was no real store, describing it as “absent of the institutions to explore federal fresh food security in the district,” food.” and provincial funding opportuhe said. He added that a potential nities to help move the projects As councillor, Amos said he development on the “provincial forward. worked with Lionhearts Kingston lands” across from St. Lawrence Having served as deputy to introduce pop-up markets College could help address the mayor from April to May in both in Portsmouth, such as in the gap. If the lands are sold for 2023 and 2024, Amos said the Seniors Association Kingston development, he said commer- experience allowed him to see Region building on Francis St. cial space should be included in the full scope of the City’s work. and at St. Lawrence College. He the project to allow for a grocery He said the role helped him

heart,” Greg Ridge said. He has served as King’s Town’s district councillor since November 2022. Ridge said his campaign is focused on four priorities: housing, affordability, arts and culture, and community safety. “We’ve done a significant amount of work in terms of increasing the amount of affordable transitional supported housing units that are available for people,” he said. In September new supportive housing units will be made available, with 33 allocated to seniors at a new facility on Queen Mary Road. During his time in office, he secured $200,000 in municipal grants for organizations addressing food insecurity. Ridge said food insecurity is particularly concerning in Kingston, with one in three households impacted. He also pointed to investments in arts and culture to strengthen Kingston’s broader economy and attract visitors to the city. “When you’re talking about funding for arts projects, you’re talking about not just paying the artists, but paying anybody else who’s related to that,” he said. He said those investments create “economic multipliers” that reach the community as a whole. Protecting existing arts opportunities while also supporting new ventures is a priority. Ridge is also hoping to invest in the community by investing in roads, parks and active transportation, while strengthening partnerships around mental health, addictions treatment and homelessness support. understand how the “tiny moving parts” of municipal government contribute to Kingston as a whole, giving him a broader perspective when making decisions as Portsmouth District councillor. His campaign website also highlighted an initiative Amos calls “Green Kingston,” which proposes expanding the City’s electric vehicle fleet, building more structures with a zero-carbon footprint, and developing additional green space. Amos said keeping Portsmouth residents informed about sustainable practices, such as recycling, is one of his priorities. “Communication, communication. [It] all comes down to that,” Amos said. Amos said he plans to continue distributing constituent cards annually with information for residents, including municipal phone numbers and recycling information. Want to contribute to News? —

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themselves. anything else,” Amarasingam said. but you can’t just yell your opinion Ascough said the interest he The way people encounter at me. You have to give evidence,” saw in his classrooms existed extremist movements changed too. Ascough said. alongside the risk of blaming Amarasingam said 9/11 unfolded That also means resisting Muslims more broadly for the in a largely offline world, while explanations that make violence actions of a small subgroup of relationships and communities simpler than it is. extremism-fueled terrorists. built around extremist ideas can “What I want to avoid is single“People have a hard time sepa- now develop largely or entirely issue kinds of things like, oh, relirating particular acts by terror- online. gion causes war,” Ascough said. ists from the whole. It becomes a Kain remembers the years after “And so, we can’t just have a way of vilifying a whole group of the attacks through fear rather single thing because then we’ll be people,” Ascough said. than scholarship. tricked into thinking we can solve Haglund heard similar con“There was just so much almost it in a simplistic way,” he said. Alexandra Gromova clear,” Amarasingam said in an cerns at a campus symposium paralyzing fear, like fear of, well, Amarasingam’s own effort to Features Editor interview with The Journal. shortly afterward, where students now we can’t travel on an airplane understand political violence David Haglund, who was teach- asked whether 9/11 would bring ever again because who knows eventually took him inside Fifteen minutes into Wayne Cox’s ing American foreign policy at “a tide of Islamophobia” and make if it’ll be turned into a weapon,” extremist movements. first lecture of the year, a student Queen’s that term, remembers university life increasingly diffi- Kain said. He has interviewed ISIS fightran through the door. walking out of Mackintosh-Corry cult for Muslim students. She also remembers fearing ers who grew up in the West, went It was Sept. 11, 2001. Cox, and finding students who hadn’t “For a while, it [...] kind of another attack and worrying to school and university, and, in then a professor in Queen’s heard the news. looked like that might happen,” about how the U.S. would respond. some cases, left spouses and chilDepartment of Political Studies, “I said, you know, something big Haglund said. Haglund remembers the inter- dren behind. was teaching POLS 260, a full-year has happened. It’s going to change Cox said the wider political national solidarity immediately “But then you talk to them, and international relations course, your future forever,” Haglund said climate intensified those tensions. after 9/11 as real but brief. they’re just regular kids, right?” when the late student interrupted in an interview with The Journal. “The environment was kind of “The shock lasted a couple of Amarasingam said. him with news from New York. Haglund said the attacks were a tinderbox for a long period of weeks, maybe,” he said. “So, it’s like regular people, but A plane had flown into the an extraordinary national trauma. time, and people became quite Then public attention moved they came to a place of believing World Trade Center, the student He places them alongside other polarized,” Cox said. from the attacks to the response. that this was fundamentally sometold the room, and CNN was moments of profound shock in He pointed to the language Haglund said Afghanistan began thing they needed to do.” reporting a terrorist bombing. American history. “It was obvi- used by then-U.S. President filling the news as focus shifted to Trying to understand how “And I mean, you know, what ously an emotionally disturbing George W. Bush during the War the campaign against the Taliban. they reached that point has am I supposed to say after that?” event, which history has a col- on Terror. Cox also remembers the initial sometimes brought accusations Cox said in an interview with The lection [of], right?” Haglund said. “George Bush was saying things desire to help. Having previously that Amarasingam is humanizing Journal. “[But] was as it as emotionally dis- like, you’re either with us or lived and worked in New York, he people who supported or commitAbout half the class left. turbing as Pearl Harbor had been you’re with the terrorists. I mean, watched the attacks knowing the ted violence. Cox finished explaining the for the United States?” that’s a polarizing tactic,” Cox said. streets around the World Trade “It’s like understanding course expectations, opened the The polarization extended far Center. them is the point,” he said. For floor to questions, and tried to A campus searching for beyond Queen’s, Cox said, but the “And I think every Canadian felt Amarasingam, understanding isn’t console the students who stayed. answers campus wasn’t insulated from it. that and they wanted to do some- the same as excusing. “But we really didn’t know fully “You could feel it on campus,” thing,” Cox said. “It’s easy to be like, these guys what was going on,” Cox said. Cox’s course stopped following Cox said. He remains critical of how the are crazy, just ignore them,” he Twenty-five years later, Cox its outline almost immediately. War on Terror developed, but said. “But actually, why did they and four other members of the “For those first three or four The post-9/11 world said the response also grew from leave Toronto to go to Syria?” Queen’s community spoke with weeks, the course kind of turned solidarity. On the morning of Sept. 11, The Journal about the day and into a current events course,” Cox On his first flight to Europe “We can’t forget the fact that it as the news kept arriving in what followed. said. after 9/11, Haglund felt nervous was motivated by a sense of com- Ascough’s seminar, his class Four were at Queen’s on Sept. The following year, the class and suspicious, full of fear of the munity,” Cox said. was trying to understand an act 11, 2001. The fifth was beginning grew sharply. Cox said the first possibility that someone could try whose perpetrators they did not university in Toronto and would time he taught international to take control of the plane. Twenty-five years later yet know. later come to Queen’s to teach relations to Queen’s students, 88 “Back then it was one of the first “So, then we talked about how and research religion and politi- students were enrolled. The year things in the immediate aftermath For Kain, the anniversary still we imagine people would want cal violence. after 9/11, POLS 260 had 400. of 9/11 that you had to have on reaches back to how abruptly that to do this to other people, right?” Their memories trace the ques“When 9/11 happened, you your mind. What would I do?” sense of safety disappeared. Ascough said. tions that followed the attacks, know, the numbers tell every- Haglund said. She described an “instant Amarasingam has spent much the scrutiny directed at Muslim thing,” Cox said. That fear became part of a switch” from generally feeling of the 25 years since studying verstudents and communities, the “People were galvanized to broader security culture. Haglund safe in the world to becoming sions of that question. wars and security culture that world events based upon 9/11,” said the new consciousness sur- more weary. His answer doesn’t place the came after, and how their under- he said. rounding what became known as “It was literally like the day that capacity for political violence standing changed over the next Cox said crises may bring Homeland Security remains one the world changed,” Kain said. entirely on the people he studies. 25 years. students into international rela- of the clearest ways 9/11 affects Haglund said hindsight can “I think any one of us put in tions, but following the news isn’t students who weren’t alive for the also make the past appear more the right conditions, in the right The morning of 9/11 enough. attacks, particularly at airports predictable than it was. injustices, with the right framing “You cannot turn your course and borders. He points to the First World of us versus them, can become a Nicole Kain, Nurs ’06, was into a course on just current The attacks also reshaped the War, whose causes remain violent person, can very quickly living in residence at the time events. You have to teach theories, field Amarasingam would enter. debated after generations of dehumanize other people,” of the attacks. On the fourth and you have to teach, like, what “But post-9/11, it was all jihad- scholarship, as an example of Amarasingam said. floor of McNeil, students were is power and what is economics?” ism all the time, right? That was how difficult it can be to explain “These aren’t like special people crowded around the common- Cox said. the only thing that anyone cared an event even after it happens. over here that are like genetiroom television. Religious studies saw a similar about,” Amarasingam said. “The thing about the future is no cally different from us,” he said. “We were watching the TV when increase. Over time, he watched the one can foresee it. No one’s been “Everyone has this capability and the second plane hit the other “What we saw after 9/11 was research broaden again. Scholars there,” Haglund said. potential.” tower. I will never forget that, I an increase, a noticeable increase increasingly moved away from “Just be alert to the power of “I think political violence and think, as long as I live,” Kain said in the number of students taking trying to identify a profile of the contingency,” he said. terrorism and extremism are the in an interview with The Journal. courses on Islam, taking world kind of person who becomes an For Cox, that uncertainty makes same,” Amarasingam said. “We Across campus, Richard religions,” Ascough said. extremist and toward tracing the education more important. all have this capability; we just Ascough, who teaches religious Ascough said students were different pathways that can bring “I came to the realization myself haven’t been tested in the same studies at Queen’s, was beginning enrolling because they wanted people to violence. when I got the opportunity to go way.” a graduate seminar on apocalyptic to understand Islam rather than Amarasingam said the earlier to university that ignorance or Twenty-five years later, the five literature and movements. condemn it. emphasis on profiling had conse- a lack of knowledge is often the accounts leave unique answers That morning, one of Ascough’s “It was people that truly wanted quences. Muslim men who grew root of most evil,” Cox said. about what 9/11 changed, but seminar students had a cousin to understand what this religion beards or became more religiously He said professors can’t pre- none treat remembering it as an who worked in the World Trade is,” he said. observant could be treated as pare students for every event end in itself. Center and didn’t know whether “I mean, it’s unfortunate it takes suspicious. they’ll encounter, but they can Cox said the point of returning he had gone to work that day. She an event like that to pull people “There’s nothing kind of fun- give them tools that last beyond to tragedies like 9/11 is to rememlater learned he hadn’t. into a course, right? Like, we damental to Islam or being a a particular crisis. ber them “with the hope that they At the University of Toronto, would hope that people would conservative Muslim that auto“What you want to give them is will never happen again.” Amarnath Amarasingam, who want to,” Ascough said. matically means that you’re also the tools that they can carry with “A part of what we should take now teaches religion and politiKain’s own questions changed sympathetic to terrorist groups,” them for the rest of their lives, away from this is that we’re all in cal violence at Queen’s, was in his too. She said she considered Amarasingam said. which is the intellectual curios- this together,” Cox said, “that we first week as a university student. herself relatively well-informed Researchers now examine ity to learn stuff,” Cox said. should not default to the tactics Someone brought a television into before 9/11 but had never heard common pathways across difAscough approaches that of divide and hatred.” the quad, and a crowd gathered of al-Qaeda and knew little about ferent ideologies, he said, rather responsibility from the classroom, around it. Afghanistan. than treating religion itself as the where people with fundamentally “I think the initial question was “That was all brand new, at least explanation. different views still must find a always, was this an accident and to me at the time,” Kain said. “There’s nothing special about way to speak to each other. was it not? And it wasn’t until the Some of that search for religion that makes it any more “I don’t have to agree with you second plane hit that it became answers fell on Muslim students conducive to radicalization than to be respectful of your opinion,

Remembering 9/11, 25 years later

Five members of the Queen’s community reflect on the anniversary

5 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

EDITORIALS Online gambling is an epidemic

Noah Cyr Senior Sports Editor Online gambling has become more prevalent among people aged 19 to 25, with no sign of decline. In 2022, the Ontario government became the first province in Canada to allow online sports and casino betting in a legal, though ostensibly restrictive, way. Since then, the rise and prevalence of online gambling specifically between the ages of 19 to 25 has skyrocketed. The process has left a lasting and devastating impact on the thoughts and feelings on gambling within the sporting community. Before the change, online gambling in Ontario was restricted and regulated by Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG). Following the

expansion, third-party gambling corporations were allowed to operate legally within the province. Roughly one in three young adults reported gambling online in a 2025 report, with a high number of these people reporting using savings and increased credit card debt to gamble. While gambling has been part of many human cultures, it had always been an in-person experience that required physical stakes. Online gambling takes that control away. You’re not seeing your stakes disappear, and in the blink of an eye, you’ve decimated your bank account. The explosion of online gambling isn’t just limited to sportsbooks but casino games as well. With the legislation change, we’ve given dopamine-seeking, undeveloped brains access to Las Vegas in their pocket, and we’re starting to see the consequences of that.

How not to solve a housing crisis

EDITORIALS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

The Journal’s average broadcast. Third-party gambling is also Perspective expanding outside of Ontario and

According to a study done by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the number of calls to helplines related to gambling has risen 300 per cent when comparing 2012 to 2025. Among these calls, 68.5 per cent were selfinitiated phone calls. That is a staggering number as almost 70 per cent of callers know they have a gambling problem but simply can’t regulate it. When the liberalization of these gambling sites was launched, strict regulation to try to mitigate the issue of gambling abuse was created. All sites have tools to restrict and limit deposits and losses, among other things. Even with online gambling sites offering tools for limits and cooldowns, it isn’t enough to stop them from generating $2.2 billion in revenue in 2024 . This issue is compounded by the fact that Canadian sports fans spend about 20 per cent of every game watching gambling ads. A study done by CBC Marketplace concluded that the average sports broadcast runs roughly three hours and tallied 3,537 gambling messages in an

into Alberta. As of July 13, some established gambling commercial corporations could be accessed in the province of Alberta. Alberta is a sought-after gambling market, as the province is expected to generate $76 million in revenue from legalization. According to the Alberta government, one per cent of that will go to responsible gambling. As provinces continue to expand the scope of online gambling, the younger demographic will continue to be targeted and exploited to the big business of gambling corporations. This is a reminder and a call for gambling regulation to continue and expand their outreach about the severe risks of problem gambling which include health risks, relationship strain and financial insecurities. Online gambling has become a silent addiction for young adults who are under the impression that they will be the small percentage that can beat the house. But the house is everywhere, and, without proper regulation, it seems like it will continue.

High-income rentals may increase rental supply, but it won’t address the core issue of the Kingston housing crisis. Newly built student accommodations in Kingston, notably The Hive, GeoPark, and more, are all said to address housing unaffordability, yet are simultaneously dubbed as luxury rentals. While luxury units may partially alleviate the supply issue, it’s not enough to fix the issue at large. When the new housing stock is almost exclusively focused on “luxury” apartments, it becomes increasingly unfeasible for many prospective students to attend Queen’s without financial help. Combined with recent OSAP cuts, Queen’s is being increasingly entrenched as an institution only for the privileged elite who can afford it. Granted, Queen’s has never been known as an affordable university, but there was a time not so long ago that working class students ILLUSTRATION BY ANNA VAN RAALTE could plausibly afford to finance themselves through school. If it wasn’t already obvious, increased demand on housing surrounding Queen’s operating budget, there is an ecofinancial support from parents is essentially Queen’s. “Luxury apartments” will absorb nomic case for the University to increase its a requirement to attend Queen’s now. some of the demand, but it cannot account student count. Queens won’t feel the sting, but No doubt, the student area absolutely needs for all of it. its students will. more short-term housing. Rent inflation has It will also concentrate more power in a A similar criticism can be aimed at the been brutal, and many students simply do not select small group of property companies, Government of Ontario, and towards property have enough options. Students need quality who will be the only groups able to finance developers in Kingston. However, considering housing options across the whole spectrum, these large acquisition projects. In a property that we pay thousands of dollars to Queen’s, not solely in high-value projects. market that is already experiencing artificial we should expect that the University would We need more affordable housing in the market conditions, it creates the conditions provide some advocacy for its future students. future, and this trend will only make education for predatory pricing. There is reason to be concerned at the less accessible for students. The profit motive is to be expected, but future direction of the city and its housing Adding to this problem is the growing stu- we should not accept price gouging, and we market, but we cannot allow ourselves to be dent body at Queen’s. cannot allow for oligopolies. taken advantage of more than we already are. Leaked consultant documents from 2024 What’s also concerning is the fact that show that Queen’s has been provided rec- Queen’s is not doing enough to oppose — Journal Editorial Board ommendations to expand its student body to this trend. Considering how powerful the 30,000 full-time in-person students by 2040. University is as an institution in Kingston, If this plan were to be implemented, it would complacency simply is not acceptable. require even more rental units to absorb the Since student tuition is instrumental in

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Volume 154, Issue 5 Publishing Since 1873

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Reilly Managing Editor Eva Sheahan News Editor Emmet Paradis Assistant News Editors Lola Hustins Kavina Sathiyanarayana Rachel Wu Production Manager Jordan Medulan Features Editors Alexandra Gromova Editorials Editor Taylor Fountain Editorials Illustrator Anna Van Raalte Opinions Editor Sophie Campbell Arts & Culture Editor Chloe Nunes Assistant Arts & Culture Editor Mayah Ricketts Samuel Shaffer Postscript Editor Julia Ludden Business, Science, & Technology Editor Murray Halpin Uroosa Imtiaz Sports Editor Noah Cyr Assistant Sports Editor Malek Benemeur Jacksen MacLean Mulimedia Editor Lilly Meechan Assistant Multimedia Editor Drew Gabrille Cuencaho Photo Editor Claire Bak Assistant Photo Editor Eve Linden Copy Editors Elizabeth Poidevin Ananya Sharma Jaimeson Terada Graphics Editor Angelina Liu QTBIPOC Advisory Board Members Merab Ali Daniel Gill-Sitoski Rohaan Malik

Business Staff Business Manager Jacob Kranjac Sales Representatives Kate Wong Fundraising Representative Sophia Varga

Want to contribute?

For information visit: www.queensjournal.ca/contribute or email the Editor in Chief at eic@queensjournal.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.

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

Editorial opinions expressed in The Journal are the sole responsibility of The Queen’s Journal Editorial Board, and are not necessarily those of the University, the AMS or their officers. Queen’s Centre, 3rd Floor, Rooms A620/A616 284 Earl St, Kingston, ON, K7L 3P4 Email: eic@queensjournal.ca

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OPINIONS

6 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

OPINIONS

Your Perspective

Queen's is finally acknowledging its place on the Great Lakes

AMS Between the Motions: strong Universities Invest in Community Dreyden George Contributor

McDonald reflects on Queen's Univesity becoming a Blue University.

your running routes. In reality, lake and protecting it go hand in The University it’s a living ecosystem that hand. is joining a faces intense challenges: climate A B l u e U n ive r s i t y a l s o change, pollution, invasive species, reminds us that water is about global network and aging infrastructure. These social and economic justice. are not remote or abstract prob- Around the world — and within of universities lems. They’re unfolding literally Canada — hundreds of millions at the edge of campus. of people still lack reliable access committed T h e g o o d n e w s i s t h a t to safe drinking water and sanito water and Queen's has an extraordinary tation. Many First Nations comof researchers, stu- munities in Ontario continue sanitation as public community dents, and staff working on to face deplorable water situathese issues across campus. tions. If Queen's is serious about human rights Faculty and students from reconciliation, sustainability, and

areas as diverse as engineering, global citizenship, freshwater environmental studies, geography, must be part of that conversation. biology, development studies, There is also the current public health, and history are situation in the United States Most Queen’s students know engaged. that needs to betaken into Lake Ontario as a place to Topics are equally varied with account. After more than a cencool off after exams or to people studying drinking water: tury of working closely with watch a sunset from the pier. contaminants, fisheries, climate policy makers, researchers, Not many stop to think about the resilience, wastewater treatment, and activists on the American extraordinary body of water that Indigenous water governance, side of the Great Lakes, we are shapes our campus and our city. and the future of public water ser- now faced with a U.S. adminThat needs to change, which vices. Becoming a Blue University istration that has effectively is why I’m delighted that Queen’s helps connect these efforts while abandoned any kind of colwill become a Blue University making water a more visible part legial, science-based water on Sept. 17. We are now part of campus life. management. of an international network of It should also help create The ridiculous move to universities committed to awareness of Lake Ontario. Take rename Lake Ontario to Lake protecting water as a human the Gord Downie Pier. Thousands America is just the tip of a right, promoting public water of students visit it every year, proverbially bad iceberg: systems, and reducing reli- but few know why it exists. It research budgets have been ance on bottled water. As was not inevitable. It was the slashed and research stations such, we have committed result of more than a dozen closed, with academics being told ourselves to advancing research, years of community advo- they cannot even speak to their teaching, and public engagement cacy and public investment Canadian counterparts. on these issues. It’s a fitting, and aimed at making Kingston's Hopefully this madness will long overdue, commitment for waterfront accessible to everyone. be reversed in the next admina university located next to the Public spaces like the pier do istration, but it will take years largest freshwater system on more than provide recreation. — if not decades — to rebuild Earth. They invite us to build rela- what has been lost with water Being a Blue University is tionships with the lake. Every research in the United States. All not just about adding another swim, paddle, walk, or sun- the more reason for Queen’s to logo to the university website. set becomes an opportunity stand up and take a lead on this It’s about changing the way we to appreciate that clean water front. think about where we live. depends on good public polWhat can students do? Lake Ontario is easy to icy, careful environmental Start by getting curious. take for granted. It’s always stewardship, scientific research, Take a course about water, there — outside the class- and active citizenship. In regardless of your program. room, beside residences, along other words, enjoying the Attend a public lecture. Visit

David McDonald Contributor

Editor’s note: AMS Between the Motions is a new column established by The Journal in collaboration with the AMS executive team. The three executives will take turns writing the column, with one article published each month The Journal is in print during the school year. Submissions are subject to The Journal’s standard editing practices. As incoming students come to campus and participate in welcoming activities across faculties and student groups, they bring a pillar of the Queen’s experience to life: finding community within a space they will call home. However, it’s important to consider how we can retain the level of student engagement we see in September and increase the number of students attending PHOTO BY DAVID MCDONALD events, participating in opportunities, or engaging in group activithe Beaty Water Research ties throughout the year. Centre. Learn about the hisMany factors can contribute to to r y o f L a ke O n t a r i o a n d reduced engagement, including t h e I n d i g e n o u s c o m m u n i- limited resources for programt i e s wh o h ave l ive d w i t h ming, the cost of living, the need these waters for millennia. to balance academics, or a lack of Join one of the many student opportunities that feel relevant o r g a n i z a t i o n s w o r k i n g to students. on sustainability and environC u r re n t ly, m u c h o f o u r mental issues. Participate in community-building and conWorld Water Day events. nection throughout the school Ask questions about where year relies on the effort of your drinking water comes from, the many ratified clubs and how waste water is treated, and societies at Queen’s. These prowhy publicly accessible water- vide networking, community fronts matter. The more we building, charitable engagement, understand these systems, the and opportunities to make an more likely we are to protect impact. them. From an AMS perspective, we A Blue University is only are working this year to plan more as strong as the people who fun and large-scale programming. bring it to life. Faculty can The AMS will have a focus on create new learning oppor- utilizing and leveraging our protunities. Researchers can col- gramming, as an opportunity to laborate across disciplines. further promote and bring interThe University can strengthen est to student government civic partnerships with Indigenous engagment. communities and the City Another important piece is the of Kingston. But students University itself, its student sermust also embrace this commit- vices, and programming foster a ment if we are going to turn this h e a l t h y Q u e e n’ s s t u d e n t Blue University designation into environment. a vibrant campus culture. Although students may not Queen’s has always been need to understand the entirety of defined by its location on Lake the Queen’s budget model, given Ontario. Now we have an oppor- the model is currently under tunity to be shaped by it as well. review, one important consideration is how the model funds the David McDonald is a Professor shared services at Queen’s. in Global Development Studies Shared services are universal at Queen’s and Director of the to departments and, in turn, stuMunicipal Services Project. dents. The difference can sound minute, but the contrast can be vast, impacting whether you can get as extensive wellness services or academic supports as an Arts Want to write for Opinions? and Science student in comparison to a Commerce student. Reach out to opinions@queensjournal.ca Continued online at www.queensjournal.ca

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

BUSINESS, SCIENCE, & TECHNOLOGY

<BIZ-SCI-TECH> Alum returns as part of $1-billion global research chair program

Not all e-bikes are created equal

E-bikes come in various form factors.

As E-bikes flood Kingston streets, students may PHOTO BY COREY LABLANS The Miller Museum of Geology in Miller Hall, where the Department is housed. not know the including rocks, landslides, and interaction with climate and line between Gabriel Walton debris, he said in an interview environmental variables is quite is among 64 new with The Journal. different in different parts of the legal and illegal Originally from Ottawa, Walton country,” he said. research chairs said his years as a geological engiHis research includes “open Murray Halpin neering student at Queen’s was an pit and the stability of Business, Science, and announced across “awesome time” and formative the mining slopes associated with those Technology Editor mines,” he said. Working with govCanada last month experience. Uroosa Imtiaz Business, Science, and Technology Editor

Gabriel Walton, ArtSci ’11, PhD ’14, will join Queen’s next fall through a national program to recruit top researchers from around the world. Walton, a geological sciences researcher at the Colorado School of Mines, was named the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair in Slope Geohazard Management for Infrastructure and Mining in a Changing Climate. The Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs of Canada program, named after the late former chief of staff to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, aims to recruit researchers based outside Canada to 100 new chairs in key priority areas through a $1 billion investment over 12 years. Walton’s research focuses on slope geohazards, which involve materials coming down a slope,

“There’s something unique about having both the geological engineers and the geology students in the same department,” he said. He said the student body was very cohesive, with the student council, called Miller Club, organizing a lot of great events and building a strong community within the department. A major reason for his return is the strength of the department and the broader Faculty of Engineering, as well as opportunities for collaboration on campus. He described Queen’s as a place with “a lot of potential for impactful interdisciplinary research,” citing both the faculty and the quality of students and trainees. He is eager to study slope hazards across Canada, where geographic diversity shapes how they interact with climate and environmental conditions. “We’re such a diverse country geographically that the nature of slope hazards and their

ernment and industry partners, he aims to make these operations safer and more economically efficient. Mine development and critical minerals are priorities for the Canadian government, he said. Walton said climate change is intensifying the risks geohazards pose to mining, transportation, and communities. Climate change poses direct risks from events such as wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding, as well as cascading hazards such as landslides, rockfalls, and debris flows that these events can trigger, he explained. He pointed to the November 2021 atmospheric river event in B.C., which caused $675 million in insured damage. “There was a lot of direct flooding damage, but there was also a very large number of slope failures that impacted infrastructure and communities,” he said. Another industry affected is transportation, with commercial rail and trucking in B.C. facing a major risk. The research chair offers $1 million or $500,000 for eight years, with an optional four-year extension at 50 per cent of the original award value. Walton explained that the duration and size of the funding package will allow him to scale up his research program at Queen’s, support a large cohort of graduate trainees, and pursue ambitious, long-range projects beyond the typical three-year funding cycles. More than three-quarters of the inaugural cohort come from the U.S., following a national effort to attract research talent in the face of research cuts by the Trump administration. The research chair program is part of the larger Canada Impact+ Global Research Initiative, announced in December 2025, which commits $1.7 billion across several streams to attract talented early-career researchers and graduate students and support research infrastructure.

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 7

Walk down any street around Queen’s, and you will notice that e-bikes, electric scooters, and modified electric dirt bikes are everywhere. Not all of them belong on the streets. Kingston police issued a public advisory in late August warning the public about a surge in illegal electric vehicles seen on city streets, including bike lanes and public trails. The warning came just before thousands of Queen’s students moved back into the city this past weekend, with police and by-law compliance announcing there will be increased enforcement in the city and university district during the first week of school. This timing was not a coincidence. E-bikes have been surging in popularity, promoting a quick and affordable method of transportation. They are cheaper than a car, faster than walking, and, unlike regular bicycles, they do not require physical exertion for power. As the market has exploded, so has the variety of models being sold, and a growing number of these devices do not meet the provinces definition of an e-bike. Under Ontario’s Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, a legal e-bike must have working pedals, the motor cannot be greater than 500 watts and 32 km/h max. which cuts power off any higher. Riders must also be 16 years-old or older, wear an approved helmet, and follow the same regulations on the road as cyclists. What Kingston police have been witnessing is a whole different product. Electric dirt bikes, like Talaria and Sur-ron, have no pedals and can reach speeds of 80 km/h stock. Modifications can bring this to over 100 km/h. Under the law, these are off-road vehicles, only permitted on private property. Driving one on public roadways can result in the same charge as

PHOTO BY ANGELINA LIU

operating an unregistered motor vehicle. Eric Wainwright, an e-bike technician and representative of I-Cycle Electric Bike Co. in Kingston, said the distinction between what his store sells and what is making the headlines could not be clearer. “Those are clearly not bicycles,” Wainwright said in an interview with The Journal. “There’s no pedals. There’s no way to cycle.” He described the danger of these models simply. “You put sneakers, shorts, a t-shirt, and maybe a helmet on a 13-year-old and say go have fun. That’s dangerous. You know, riding the wrong way up one-way streets or into oncoming traffic. This is not Grand Theft Auto where there is a stop button.” Wainwright said that legal e-bikes are more than capable of getting students and commuters to where they need to be. “32 km/h is not really dangerous,” he said. “Basically, the speed of a galloping horse. It’s quick enough to get you where you’re going in a reasonable time.” He described how the store has seen a strong growth in young riders, including students at local post-secondary institutions, and military personnel from Canadian Forces Base Kingston who are looking to get to work without breaking a sweat. “They’ll ride home without any assist because they want the workout,” he said. “They’re getting the best of both worlds.” This idea resonates closely with Mark Hogan, a Queen’s University student and Kingston resident, whose appeal for using e-bikes goes beyond getting fast transportation. “It was a gift from my father when I was a teenager, who wanted to experiment with the technology. I didn’t use it as much for transportation at first it, was more for personal enjoyment. But it’s cheaper than a car, more enjoyable than a regular bike, and faster than the bus,” Hogan said. Wainwright followed along these lines, mentioning that the appeal of e-bikes goes beyond helping people get from point A to point B. “Anything we can do to get more people out of cars and out getting some healthy exercise, whether assisted or not, I think is a great idea,” he said. “Every time I see a cyclist, whether assisted or not, and I’m driving my vehicle, I think that’s one less pickup in front of me at the light.”

8 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

SPORTS

SPORTS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

Queen’s Football sets sights on Waterloo after week one win

“We’re excited to be back at Richardson in front of our supporters,” coach says Quarterback Alex Vreeken #12 fends off Laurier defenders in last years night game.

Noah Cyr Senior Sports Editor Queens Football is gearing up for their first appearance of the season at Richardson Stadium after an away game win. On Sept. 12, the University of Waterloo Warriors will travel to Kingston to take on the Gaels in a rare evening game at 5 p.m. The Warriors are coming off their first win of the season over Carleton, after losing their season opener to University of Ottawa a week before. Queens will be rested up, after having a second week bye. The Gaels took the first game of their season from the University of Toronto Varsity Blues by a score of 28-12 on Aug. 30. Gaels quarterback Alex Vreeken, Kin ’27, threw for 366 yards and a touchdown, while wide receivers Mateo Tuoiti and Russell Weir, both ArtSci ’27, had 90 and 89 yards respectively. On the defensive side, linebacker James Gillingham, ArtSci ’28, led the way with eight tackles,

including six solo. The defense would also pick up four sacks, holding the Varsity Blues to 12 points, just three in the last half. But it was kicker Tyler Mullan, ArtSci ’27, who stole the show with four field goals and two converts. Following his performance, Mullan became the Queens Football program record holder for most field goals in a career. Looking ahead, the Gaels are preparing for a physical Waterloo team. At a media availability alongside Weir and Jacob Baldwin, ArtSci ’27, Head Coach Steve Snyder explained he was focused on the task at hand following the team’s bye. “It felt like an additional extension to training camp,” Snyder said on Sept. 10. “We were able to get back to our fundamental circuits but also give the guys a couple days off.” Snyder is content with the progression of his team from the preseason game against Laval. “We’ve steadily gotten better, a ton to clean up as you would

expect,” Snyder said. “We’ve made small improvements daily since then, in all three phases.” Wide receiver Russell Weir, ArtSci ’27, is excited for his final home opener at Richardson. “Gonna try to soak it all in and play for each other, you definitely don’t want to miss a night game at Richardson,” Weir said. Going into his second full year as a receiver, Weir has become a familiar target for quarterback Alex Vreeken. “He has lots of receivers to choose from, the fact he trusts me is very special,” Weir said. Linebacker Jacob Baldwin, ArtSci ’28, has stepped into a leadership role on the defence this year. “I’ve had a lot of help from coaches and other leaders, the most important thing is showing up every day and being consistent,” Baldwin said. The Gaels are anticipating a physical and lively battle under the lights of Richardson Stadium.

PHOTO BY JASHAN DUA

A Look into Queen’s Cheer From football games to national championships, cheerleading is an integral part of sports at Queen’s Jacksen MacLean Assistant Sports Editor There’s an important part of Queen’s Athletics that can be overlooked on the sidelines. While it’s the athletes on the field or court who occupy most people’s attention, cheering on all the varsity teams are the members of the Queen’s Varsity Cheerleading Team. Present at every home football game and select basketball home games, the team performs elaborate performances and stunts in an attempt to energize the crowd. In an interview with The Journal, co-head coach Dave Wesley-James talked about how undervalued the cheerleading team often is. “I think that a lot of people don’t really appreciate cheer for what it is,” Wesley-James said. “A lot of the time when people think

about Cheer they think of people at football games waving pompoms... but that is such a tiny, tiny part of what we do.” Along with performing home games, the team also helps around campus and the broader Kingston area. The team has works with Relay for Life, the Winter Adapted Games, and helps with end-of-year events for elementary schools around the city as well. However, the team’s main ambition is competing professionally around Canada, according to Wesley-James. “We are much, much more focused on competing, which I think probably most people when they see the Cheer team don’t even realize we have competitions,” he said. The Cheerleading team undergoes a demanding workout schedule, training three times a week, with athletes expected to work out several times throughout the week on their own. During the practices, the team works on their routine to perfect their baskets, pyramids, tumbling, and stunts. All this work is in preparation for Cheer Canada Nationals held in February, in which the team will look to defend its national championship which it won

Cheer team performs during the game at a capcity crowd at Richardson Stadium.

earlier this year. According to Wesley-James, the team will look towards captains Kira Ng, ArtSci ’27, and Noah Budd, ArtSci ’27, to provide veteran leadership to help lead the team to another championship. The team also performs at the Power Cheerleading Athletics (PCA) Collegiate Championships, also held in February. Historically, cheerleading has been a sport dominated by women but these gender stereotypes have been challenged at Queen’s. “For us, it’s quite a mix. We’ve

got roughly a half and half split [of men and women],” WesleyJames said. “But if you look at the broader scope of cheerleading as a whole, it’s dominated by women. especially at the younger levels.” As stated by Wesley-James, the fact that the sport is dominated by women has its advantages and disadvantages. On one side, the sport provides an opportunity women to participate in athletics and helps offset the heavily mandominated sports, such as football. He said woman-dominated landscape has led to barriers in

PHOTO BY JASHAN DUA

other ways, such as preventing the sport from becoming part of the Olympic Games. “For Olympic sports, the IOC is looking for sports that have great participation from both genders. So, cheerleading being so female dominated, that’s actually viewed as a negative for getting into the Olympics,” he said. Olympics aside, there’s no debating the prevalence of the cheer team in Queen’s Athletics and Kingston as a whole.

ARTS & CULTURE

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

ARTS & CULTURE

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 9

How old is too old to club?

clubbing have an expiration Constant rebranding Does date in a university town? won’t create a better you Sam Shaffer Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

many aren’t honest about how version of yourself, it’s impossible Trendy rebrands they achieved their looks or their to actually get to know who you With age comes wisdom, none can mean nothing confidence. are. Of course, learning who you deny. But, as we get older, there It’s harmful when the target are is a lifelong commitment, but will always be a younger crowd without real action audience for these celebrity the conclusion is only prolonged to engage in the activities of their Mayah Ricketts Assistant Arts & Culture Editor As a new semester begins, social media is flooded with posts suggesting that the best way to start the school year is with a total rebrand. Whether it’s a new year or new semester, a new “you” is mandatory. Young people across short and long-form content platforms are constantly being sold a new kind of lifestyle that they simply need to adopt to be to be the version of themselves society demands. These rebrands are typically attached to a specific aesthetic with a catchy name. Hailey Beiber’s slick back ponytail, manicure, and 2022 Rhode launch rocked the internet, and led to a legion of young women rebranding themselves as “clean girls,” which of course means substituting their coffee for matcha. Other “aesthetics” had the same digital impact as the “clean girl.” Lana Del Rey birthed the Coquette look, full of pastel pinks, ballet flats, and hair bows. One reference to Kylie Jenner’s “King Kylie” era had the entire world longing to return to 2016. Social media flooded with people reminiscing on their lives a decade ago, young people trying to recreate Jenner’s iconic thick brows and matte lipstick. Celebrity lifestyles have always been aspirational, but social media makes their lives seem more attainable. Many seem to believe that living like Hailey Bieber should work for them too. But it doesn’t. So much more than an expensive skin-care routine goes into celebrity aesthetics. They have the resources to appear flawless in public. It’s almost impossible to replicate, especially when

brands and influencers is teenage girls and young women. Society is already unkind to women of all ages who don’t fit the standard. Women have been forced to fit into boxes for years, and these aesthetics have only contributed to restricting young women’s true sense of self. These celebrity followers end up buying somebody’s entire wardrobe through an affiliated Instagram hyperlink and attempt to copy an influencer’s entire nighttime routine, hoping that change will suddenly transform their lives. But it takes much more than a “new era,” completely comprised by someone else, to change who you are. Fresh starts are always helpful, especially when school or work gets to be too much. A new routine gives you something else to focus on and helps bring back a feeling of control. However, how is that possible when the inspiration for the “new you” came directly from someone else? It voids the purpose of trying to become a new you if the person you want to become is someone else entirely. If every milestone requires a new era and, consequently, a new

when you don’t take the time to discover yourself outside of social media’s influence. Rebranding is not the same as making real change. A company can change their packaging, but ultimately, the product is the same. Changing your style and your makeup routine to fit into a mold won’t make a difference in the long run. Especially when that mold changes every few months to fit what’s trendy. That’s not to say that rebrands are entirely useless. “Fake it until you make it” has proved to be a very successful method of selfimprovement — when it’s paired with self-reflection. Changing your appearance and adhering to a new aesthetic can help you grow, but only if you know exactly why you’re making that change in the first place. While a new semester can be the perfect opportunity to try something new, it doesn’t mean becoming an entirely different person. Instead of asking who we should replicate next, we should figure out what we already like about ourselves.

Is the new you just a click away?

PHOTO BY ANGELINA LIU

ArtSci ‘84

Ted Hsu

predecessors to “keep the flame burning.” So, what are we left to do in fourth year? Living in a university town complicates aging, as a neverending wave of youngsters arrive every September to pursue their university education, and more importantly, party. When the eyes of these “fresh crowds” often point to the doors of Stages or Ale for their weekend nights, upper years are left to wonder how they should be spending their time. Is it time for almost graduates and PhD students to move on, hit The Toucan, and forget Stages entirely? Although the only limitations in terms of clubbing are being underage, the social differences between 19-year-old first years and 21-year-old (and up) fourth years is greater than one might expect. Newer “of age” students might feel as though they are finally entitled to the party life of a university student, unhappy they must share the scene with someone they consider to be “unc.” While older students with established friend groups and connections to locations might feel as though the younger crowd is “taking over” their territory. In the thick of orientation week, many upper years may find themselves reflecting on their past as first years, a time when graduation feels like a lifetime away. It’s important to recognize the different experiences of these age groups in the context of university life. First years have a certain air about them, like a ball of clay yet to be molded. They live in a time where friendships might last a week, where they experience the pier for the first time, where they get midnight food at Loco. This extends to their nights out as well. Most will remember their first time going to the clubs on Princess St., dancing with their friends, and feeling ecstatic at the prospect that this could happen every weekend for the next four

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years. Whereas upper years are veterans of the space. But, on these nights out, they are faced with the fact that a new crowd has arrived to take up their leisure space. It’s a strange feeling. It’s also a very “small town university problem." Upper years who might be going to school in larger cities, like Toronto or Montreal, have a downtown area far bigger than our own in Kingston. The issues of running into lower years and feeling embarrassment for their age is less of a reality in a city where there’s an abundance of nightlife options for people of all ages. Although it’s fair to feel this embarrassment about returning to a club that may be infested with younger years, and so few clubs that mingling is bound to happen, this shouldn’t be something to end a 21-year-old’s clubbing career. Just because graduation looms on the horizon does not mean the university experience needs to be cut short, and it surely does not mean that partying should be cut out, especially for the last year of an era defined by festivity. As long as nobody is being overtly creepy or uncomfortable to the lower years attending the club, using their experience to prey on their inexperience, the question “how old is too old to club?” is inconsequential. It is a fact that people who attend clubs in university towns will be running in the same crowds as their predecessors and successors. The “older” folk should not be shamed into retreating to bar life so the younger years can club. Instead, recognize each other's differences and dance your hearts out.

Want to contribute to Arts & Culture? Email ac@queensu.ca

ARTS & CULTURE

10 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

ARTS & CULTURE The wonderful world of cheap outdoor drinking in Downtown Kingston

Finding downtown patios that preserve that perfect summer evening

Sam Shaffer Assistant Arts & Culture Editor Though summer is coming to an end as the school year begins, the perks of the season don’t have to go just yet. While the temperature drops along with our collective spirits, many downtown establishments still have their summer patios open to the public with special deals that take customers back to mid-July. With the influx of students coming into the city, there’s only a small window of time where outdoor drinking remains a viable option, and these selected patios consider the bars with the best deals for happy hour. There’s no better way to drink than in the sun while saving money. While these bars may differ from one another in atmosphere and patrons, they all make for great outings that can be enjoyed by any crowd. The Toucan, located on Princess St., is a staple of Kingston nightlife. Though it’s on everyone’s Friday and Saturday night itineraries, this local favourite is not to be misinterpreted as solely a rowdy Irish pub. Their outdoor patio area makes for a great evening setting, with happy hour taking place from 2 to 5 p.m. on weekdays, with specially priced cocktails until 3 p.m. However, the clear vinyl tarp encasing the patio on most nights risks recreating the vibe of being a caged animal, separating customers from the open-air patios often provide. Nonetheless, The Toucan

will always remain a viable option for any alcohol related outing, patio included. Musiikki, located on Brock St., has an outdoor area that could easily be mistaken as the setting of a fairytale. Imagine being serenaded by acoustic instruments under the stars with ambient lighting to accompany your evening. Yes, you can have that at Musiikki. Musiikki hosts live music events every night, including on their back patio. With happy hours from 4 to 7 p.m. every day, and 15 per cent off drinks, Musiikki creates an enjoyable environment year-round. Their patio is unmatched. Union Kitchen, located on Princess St., may not have one of the best patio areas for sitting and enjoying a beverage with friends as you are plunked into the middle of Princess St., but there’s a happy hour on sangrias and spritz from 4 to 6 p.m. that is quite enticing. Still, Union Kitchen remains a rather dull restaurant bar when put up against other patio areas in downtown Kingston. With similar deals as the other two but no entertainment, there are better patio areas to spend time at. The Caesar Company, also on Princess St., is home to another lovely patio area for Kingstonians to enjoy.Their large outdoor section, pointed towards the street, is especially nice when the sun is out. While their September deals are rather underwhelming in comparison to other places downtown, they offer $5 off tacos and smash burgers, and are planning to revamp their happy hour drink specials sometime in September. So, for now, while the environment of The Caesar Company is rather hard to beat, their special deals leave much to be desired. For on-campus options, The

Queen’s Pub offers a shaded patio view of Stauffer on their large outdoor patio. This student-run pub is easily the most convenient place to enjoy the outdoors over a drink after class, and with a 24/7 deal on pints of PBR for $7, The Pub is worth the visit. These patios will not be available all year, so it’s best to enjoy them while it’s still possible. With the amount of lovely outdoor locations and good deals, happy hour has never been a happier experience.

The Toucan, Musiikki, Union Kitchen, and the Caesar PHOTO BY CLAIRE BAK Company can be found in Downtown Kingston.

Framework, which was approved in November 2025, making this year it’s inaugural year. The CKAF is administered by the Kingston Arts Council every year on behalf of the City of Kingston. The municipal support increases the public’s access to the arts while improving accessibility for applicants, subsequently creating more opportunities for artists. The Creation & Development Grants are available to all artists in the Kingston area. The artistic discipline has no limits; dancers, musicians, theatre performers, visual artists, and more, are all encouraged to apply. “CKAF Creation and Development Grants are open to artists working in any discipline to support the creation, develMayah Ricketts opment, and production of new Assistant Arts & Culture Editor work or the competition of works in progress,” Executive Director Since 2007, the City of Kingston Nicole Daniels wrote in the press Arts Fund (CKAF) has worked release. with the Kingston Arts Council Although other funding bod(KAC) to distribute over $11 mil- ies like the Ontario Arts Council lion to the city’s arts sector. exclude students from their This year, $738,000 is available definition of professional artthrough CKAF, with $567,170 ists, CKAF grants are eligible to going back to local art initiatives, Queen’s students. and over $171,000 in funding for “CKAF Creation & Development community artists under KAC’s Grants are open to artists worknew Creation & Development ing in any discipline to support Grants. the creation, development, and In a press release sent to The production of new work or the Journal, the KAC announced appli- completion of works in progress. cations for their Project Grants These grants are open to any and Creation & Development applicants who fit the definition Grants, operating under the new of a professional artist outlined City of Kingston Arts Fund (CKAF) in the Grant Guidelines, and KAC

is unique in that we don't exclude students from that definition,” Daniels wrote in a statement to The Journal. While the funds cannot support school related projects, these funding opportunities allows students to pursue art outside of school. With an emphasis on supporting the creation process, the CKAF grants appear to prioritize nurturing the artists’ experience rather than the presentation of their art to the public. “The new Creation & Development Grants stream offers a meaningful opportunity for a wider variety of artists to seek critical financial support to sustain and grow their practice,” Daniels stated. While increasing funding opportunities for students, KAC intends to make funding more accessible with this program. This includes offering up to $500 financial support to disabled applicants so they can access writing supports. “Together with expanded accessibility support and dedicated applicant assistance, these changes reflect our commitment to building a more inclusive and sustainable arts sector,” Daniels wrote in the press release. The application deadline for the Project Grants and Creation & Development Grants is Sept. 21.

Trang Thanh Tran, who wrote the New York Times Bestseller She Is a Haunting, a queer young adult Gothic novel. Beyond the mentorship, Hannan's inspiration and influences came from all thing's horror. She was into ghost hunting shows and her degree introduced her to the Gothic, which came to influence her work. But English degrees traditionally consist of reading books, not necessarily writing your own. "Definitely a bit of a balancing act and a lot of spreadsheets were involved with my class readings and all of the things I needed to do that week for the book. Some writing in lectures, but we won't tell my profs about that," Hannan joked. In her debut queer young adult horror, We Were Never Here, Georgia becomes a ghost of who she once was after her girlfriend’s

parents went to Queen's, Kingston holds a special place in Hannan's heart. "I have done a lot of writing at every café and library that I could find, even around the Queen's campus. In the summer, I come back and I'm in the Douglas library and no one else is there and it's beautiful." As well, Hannan grew up attending Kingston’s WritersFest (KWF) which had an impact on her writing and ambition. "[It] felt much more achievable because these real people in front of me are doing this, I can do this too, we're not that different. KWF has always been special to me for that reason, and Kingston is a great place to write, especially if you want to do Gothic stuff." On Oct. 2, Hannan will be panelling at KWF’s "Beyond the Veil of Things."

New Kingston Arts Council Grants fund

both student and community art initiatives

to make it work, someone death. As the story unfolds, her the main characters had a huge Kingston writer discusses trying had seen it who knew what they grief takes on a ghostly presence. YouTube channel and being public were doing," Hannan said in an While her mind was tormented facing, I knew that was something the English student to interview with The Journal. by that last night, her physical I wanted to touch on." As a born and raised Kingstonian whose published author pipeline Hannan was mentored by attributes change too.

Her debut sapphic horror released after she finished undergrad Chloe Nunes Senior Arts & Culture Editor While most English literature students have story drafts haunting their Google drives, Kingstonborn speculative fiction writer Sophia Hannan brought hers to life, signing a literary agent, getting a book deal, and a publication credit all before finishing her undergrad. During Hannan's first-year at Trent University, Simon & Schuster acquired her first novel, We Were Never Here, a spine-chilling debut that centers around a popular YouTube ghost hunting show that falls apart after the death of the co-host, Jules. As her presence haunts the narrative,

her grieving girlfriend, Georgia, is left to pick up the pieces. After releasing her book this summer, Hannan is pursuing a master's in creative writing at the University of Toronto while continuing to balance her studentauthor double life with a second book on the way and an upcoming panel at Kingston WritersFest. For Hannan, her writing journey began with what she calls a 17-year-old's "unearned confidence." This led her to apply for online mentorship programs, where her drafts were met with positive responses from readers. "I felt really good about the book at that point because I knew it wasn't just me looking at it and

"I was thinking a lot about the language of being consumed by grief and what that would look like if it were to happen more physically, and in a creepier way, but I also feel like a lot of grief is a loss of agency. You can't control the situation around you or even how you feel, and so I wanted to write her loss of autonomy in that way,” Hannan said. As well as grief, We Were Never Here touches on YouTube's toxic fan culture, including queer baiting and real person fanfiction, creating online personas that impact characters off-screen. When Hannan was online during COVID-19 and realizing she was queer, she felt she was seeing a culture of “you have to come out if you want to make queer art or do anything or say anything in relation to the queer community.” “When I decided that I was going to write a book where

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

POSTSCRIPT

POSTSCRIPT

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 11

Jaimeson adapts a newly positive mindset upon starting fourth year.

ILLUSTRATION BY ANNA VAN RAALTE

Queen’s hasn’t been for me, but maybe fourth year is A new perspective, three years too late Jaimeson Terada Copy Editor I’ve been having growing pains. This isn’t an uncommon thing for university students to feel. Between navigating living alone, more intensive schoolwork, and increased personal financial responsibilities for the first time, undergrad takes a while to ease into. However, thousands of high school graduates choose to pursue their education at Queen’s each year. It’s reputation for having a vibrant student life that promises excitement and fun alongside a major life adjustment attracts them. Tight-knit communities, a strong social culture, and healthy school spirit both draw students in and help them to enjoy their stay. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to attend a university of Queen’s size and prestige, with an engaging program, financial security, and amazing friends. To be swimming in privileges such as these made me even guiltier for what I felt: being at Queen’s made me miserable. It wasn’t one thing or another; there was no magic wand I

could’ve waved to bring myself where I needed to be. In short, I felt empty. I didn’t recognize the hollowed-out person I became after each new semester, and I didn’t like that person either. In my personal situation, transferring schools was not an option. As a result, the feeling of being stuck amplified my self-alienation. Many factors contributed to my gloom. My cultural heritage, which I can fully immerse myself in back home, felt difficult to connect to here. As someone who is lucky enough to have a tight-knit bond with my sibling, parents, and grandmother, I felt guilty about letting them grow older and go through day-to-day life in ways I would be a stranger to. Coming from a larger metropolitan area, Kingston also felt constricting in size and number of available experiences. I felt as though my life had somehow gotten smaller, at a time when it should have felt more boundless than ever. I craved feeling like myself again. Trust me, it was not for lack of trying. I joined clubs, found a job I enjoyed, pushed myself to make new friends, and made the effort to try a myriad of fun activities

around Kingston. My experiences richened; I found new favourite spots around town, and I made memories that I deeply value. Still, the feeling didn’t go away. Eventually, I sought professional counselling in an attempt to figure out what was wrong with me. It helped me engage with ways to soothe my strongest emotions, but didn’t quite ease the question I kept asking myself: why do I turn into a person I don’t like when I’m here? As the years have gone by, I’ve felt much of my own self-development take place in the time between April and September. I’ve matured, increased my selfconfidence, and gained new perspectives. Maybe it’s the lessons of the year catching up with me when I have the space to process them, sure; but it’s a lot harder to see it like that from inside my own body, feeling trapped for eight months of the year before feeling the warmth of self-growth. So, this year, when the end of August came and I could smell my fourth year approaching, the feelings that arose startled me. Suddenly, I felt scared and sad that my university life was coming to an end. Daily routines, my favorite haunts, and nowfamiliar activities all took on a

rose-coloured tint. Being in the thick of it had distorted my own perspective to the point of regularly sobbing myself to sleep. Now that I can see the end and know I will soon be unstuck, I’m not so eager to let it all go. In a way, I feel invalidated for ever being so unhappy in the first place. At the end of the day, I am so grateful to be able to pursue a post-secondary education at such a good school. However, the day to day isn’t always easy. For me, it felt like I was wasting valuable years of my life being in a place that estranged me from myself, all while being unable to change the situation short of dropping out. To those who have a similar dilemma, whether you’re in first year or fourth, I understand. Have hope. When you’re feeling stuck physically, there are always ways to help ‘unstick’ mentally. When I think about what I’m scared to let go of the most, it’s the things that Kingston and Queen’s uniquely offer. Engaging in discussions that make you feel curious and worldly with the wide network of brilliant scholars here is a true gift, and one that has made my daily life feel wider than the edges of Kingston. A very walkable downtown,

full of interesting small businesses and community events, is also something that I had always appreciated but now can’t imagine leaving. Watching a flick at The Screening Room, enjoying sunset ice cream at Mio Gelato, or trying a yoga class at Skandiflow are just a few of my favourite ways to enjoy the local charm. I found a small way to recognize myself through each of these community fixtures, and it helped me gain back a sense of self-familiarity that I missed on the day to day. The experience of being surrounded by people at a similar stage in their lives, going through it all at the same time together, is especially cherished to me. Small talk takes on a larger force when it consists of people asking ‘what the plan is’ after this; you know, for your life? The fear of the unknown is definitely part of what makes fourth year feel more welcoming to embrace and difficult to let go of, but it also inspires me to live with a distinctly tricolour flair while I’m here. My graduation goggles are strapped on tight, but my expectations are still tempered. There will be good days and bad days, that’s no question. However, I am committed to appreciating this stage as more than a transitory one. Being at Queen’s has taught me to foster my relationship with myself first and foremost. After all, it is the most important one I’ll ever have.

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