Queen’s University
THE JOURNAL —
Vol. 154, Issue 9
Football
Win over Western puts Gaels at the top of OUA football
Gaels end long winless streak over Mustangs Noah Cyr Sports Editor On a perfect day in London, the Gaels prevailed over the Western Mustangs for the first time since 2012, taking the game 41-30. The Queen’s Football team made the Trek to London on Oct. 3 to take on the Western Mustangs, with the top spot in the OUA on the line. The Mustangs went into the game with a 4-0 record and were ranked third in the U Sports rankings, slightly above the Gaels, also 4-0, who were ranked fourth. The first quarter began with the defences at the forefront, limiting these highly successful offences. The Mustangs and Gaels began their drives with not
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for a field goal, earning the first points of the game. The Mustangs would respond with a field goal of their own at the end of the first quarter, making it 3-3 after one. The second quarter featured two screens, the first to Walton and the second to Jayce Baldwin, ArtSci ’29, who would take it 44 yards deep into Mustang territory. The Mustangs would stop them, forcing another field goal. But after lining up offside, the Gaels had an opportunity for six points. Baldwin would make them pay, punching it in for a rushing touchdown, giving the Gaels a 10-3 lead.
a whole lot going for them, exchanging punts. The Gaels second drive had some promise when they pushed to midfield and were able to connect with a long 61-yard reception courtesy of Logan Walton, ArtSci ’29, but was rescinded due to a chop block penalty. They would be pushed back and forced to settle for a punt. The lead would not After a quick two forced last long, as the Mustangs by the Gaels defence, the scored a touchoffence would redeem down on the themselves with ensuing kickoff, a few quick returning it 98 plays to ya r d s t o t h e get them endzone. down the The Gaels field. They offence would w o u l d be stymied after p u sh i n to six plays, giving the Mustang terMustangs the momenritory, taking a tum as they marched shot towards down the field into the endzone the Gaels redzone. but ultiSee Football on page 8 mately s e t tling
Friday, October 9, 2026
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Situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples.
Since 1873
University
Non-academic misconduct up by 19 per cent within a year
Male students were responsible for 70 per cent of serious NAM incidents Lola Hustins Assistant News Editor Queen’s saw a 19 per cent increase in non-academic misconduct (NAM) cases despite a 12 per cent decrease in student respondents from 2024-25 to 2025-26. According to the 2025-26 Non-Academic Misconduct Annual Report, 2024-25 saw 1,079 NAM cases, whereas 2025-26 saw 1,287 cases, accounting for the 19 per cent increase. 93 per cent of incidents related to residence conduct. NAMs includes incidents or student behaviours that violate the Queen’s Student Code of Conduct, which all students commit to following when they register for a Queen’s course or program. According to the report, the increase in total cases is
“largely driven by ongoing efforts to hold students consistently accountable to the expectations outlined in the Residence Contract.” The report also said the decrease in student respondents is the result of fewer cases having more than one respondent. The report, provided by the University Culture Committee, was discussed at Queen’s Oct. 2 Board of Trustees meeting and provided details on the student NAM cases ranging from May 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026.. The total number of students involved in NAM processes represented 5.6 per cent of the total student population. Many of the respondents were under the Residence Contract, with out-of-residence respondents accounting for 0.4 per cent.
NAM cases fall under two categories. According to the Student Code of Conduct, while “Category 2 is generally considered to encompass relatively more grievous types of misconduct than Category 1, the demarcation between these Categories is not absolute.” Male students were responsible for 70 per cent of serious NAM incidents, falling under Category 2, and represented 40.2 per cent of Queen’s student population, according to the report. The report also noted that 60 per cent of serious NAM violations were attributed to first-year students, with many of the cases related to residence violations. See NAM on page 2
Campus Life
Students raise concerns about drug and alcohol use on campus
September Vic Pit ambulance call sparks discussion on supports for students Emmet Paradis Senior News Editor Reports of suspected drug overdoses in Queen’s residences have raised concerns among first-year students, with some questioning the drug safety information they’ve received since arriving on campus. On Sept. 11, students gathered for what’s known as “Vic Pit,” a nickname for a common gathering of primarily first-year students outside of the residence building Victoria Hall. According to Evan Zakem, ArtSci ’30, during the Vic Pit on the 11th a student appeared to lose consciousness and require medical attention. Zakem, who lives in Victoria Hall, said he and his friends witnessed the student passed out in a chair in the building’s first-floor lobby. He recalled the student
vomiting and said an ambulance arrived to transport her from residence. Students who witnessed or heard about the incidents suspected an over consumption of drugs or alcohol. However, The Journal was unable to confirm the nature of the student’s medical emergency. Maya Pollien, ArtSci ’30, who lives on the first floor of Victoria Hall, said she heard about the incident. “There were musings in the hallways. We didn’t get any confirmation,” Pollien said in an interview with The Journal. Olivia Groscha, ArtSci ’30, who lives on West Campus, also heard about the incident. Pollien and Groscha said they saw an ambulance but didn’t witness the student receiving medical attention. “I think it shocked a lot of people. A lot of people were talking about it,” Pollien
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY RACHEL MEKIS
Students surround an ambluance called to the Vic Pit on Sept. 11.
said. “I hope she’s okay.” Emily Li, HealthSci ’28, a don currently living on the sixth floor Victoria Hall, said she also heard about the incident. Although she didn’t witness it, Li said she heard from other dons that students had interfered with emergency responders. “A lot of dons were upset that a lot of students were [apparently] dancing around the ambulance, kind of blocking the way,” Li said in an interview with The Journal. Groscha and Pollien also said they heard of a second incident that night, where a
student walked through the first-floor windows into the University’s Waldron Tower residence building. In a statement to The Journal, Queen’s said Campus Security and Emergency Services (CSES) responded to nine drug-related calls in residence involving an ambulance during the 2025-26 academic year. The University said most calls involved reactions to recreational drugs. See Ambulance on page 3
Features
Editorials
The Cornell case proves society needs to change
Jody Wilson-Raybould and Roshan Danesh come to Kingston WritersFest
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Page 5
Page 9
Is Kingston’s “North of Princess” Stigma Fair?
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NEWS
2 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA
NEWS
University reports $160.4 million surplus amid criticism over spending priorities
Majority of surplus attributed to strong investment returns be relied on to fund ongoing Emmet Paradis Senior News Editor
Queen’s reported a $160.4 million consolidated surplus for the 2025-26 fiscal year, largely driven by investment returns, as some faculty question how the University is allocating its resources. T h e B o a rd o f Tr u s t e e s approved Queen’s audited consolidated financial statements at its Oct. 2 meeting. The University reported the nine-figure surplus for the April 30 year-end, up from $35.7 million the previous year. Queen’s attributed the increase primarily to strong investment returns. Although Queen’s reported a $160.4 million surplus, most of that money came from investments rather than its regular operations. Without those investment earnings, the University’s surplus was $16 million. The difference was even greater in Queen’s operating fund, which funds teaching, staff, and other day-to-day expenses. While the fund reported an $87.5 million surplus, only $800,000 remained when investment income set aside for daily operations was excluded. In its report, Queen’s said investment returns can fluctuate considerably and shouldn’t
as funding available for strategic capital investment priorities. QCAA calculated Queen’s total capital reserves grew from $164 million in 2023, when the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) hiring freeze began, to approximately $306 million in 2025-26. That figure includes both the University’s $189.6 million in general capital reserves and approximately $116.5 million categorized as other capital reserves and projects in progress. At the Oct. 2 Board of Trustees meeting, Provost and VicePrincipal (Academic) Matthew Evans said using variable investment returns to fund permanent positions could leave the University unable to support those expenses in years when returns fall. King suggested a portion of the reserves could be maintained to offset years with weaker investment returns, allowing some investment income to support operations more consistently. “The other thing would be to use some of that $142 million for Investment income reserve that could buffer down contributes to growing the years when investments do reserves dip,” King said. “There could be an amount of investment that goes Queen’s reported $189.6 mil- to operations safely on a yearly lion in general capital reserves basis with this buffer in place.” at the end of 2025-26, up from The University’s Transition $127.7 million the previous Fund has also grown, increasyear. The financial statements ing from $39.9 million in 2024describe general capital reserves 25 to $49.7 million in 2025-26,
expenses. The University allocates $10 million annually from its Pooled Investment Fund (PIF) to operations. The Queen’s Coalition Against Austerity (QCAA) criticized the University’s priorities in an Oct. 2 post, questioning why Queen’s continues to build its financial reserves while faculties face staffing reductions and hiring restrictions. The group argued more of the University’s investment earnings should be directed toward teaching, faculty hiring, and maintaining existing campus infrastructure instead of accumulating in reserves. Samantha King, a professor and director in kinesiology and health studies, questioned the University’s approach to allocating those returns. “Investment income is treated like an aberration every year, despite these consistent surpluses,” King said in an interview with The Journal.
Queen’s international tuition revenue falls by $7.5 million
The report also states that Domestic tuiton changes to federal immigration revenue rises by policies continue to constrain international student recruitment. $4.4 million amidst According to Queen’s 2015-16 Enrolment Report, 2,239 interinternational national students were enrolled at the University, accounting for recruitment 9.2 per cent of the student popu‘challenges’ lation. By 2025-26, the number Lola Hustins Assistant News Editor
Queen’s international for-credit tuition revenue fell by $7.5 million in 2025-26 as the University navigates federal policies limiting international study permits. According to Queen’s draft audited 2025-26 consolidated financial statements, presented to the Board of Trustees on Oct. 2, a decline in international student enrolment contributed to a $7.5 million decrease in international for-credit tuition revenue. Meanwhile, domestic for-credit tuition revenue increased by $4.4 million. The financial statements attribute the $7.5 million decrease in international for-credit tuition revenue partly to declining international enrolment. International students accounted for approximately 8.8 per cent of the student population and 24.2 per cent of tuition revenue in 2025-26.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026
had risen to 3,199, showing an increase of 990 international students over a decade. The Government of Canada first introduced a cap on international study permit applications in 2024, restricting the number of applications Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada would accept for processing. According to Queen’s 2024-25 Enrolment Report, 3,381 international students were enrolled at the University that year. This represents a decrease of 182 international students, or approximately 5.4 per cent, between 2024-25 and 2025-26. The 2025-26 consolidated financial statements explain that for-credit tuition fees are charged for academic courses taken toward a degree program. International students pay higher tuition fees than domestic students because provincial operating grants do not offset the total education costs of international students.
In a statement to The Journal, Queen’s said the decline in international student enrolment has had an impact on the University’s budgeting. However, the University said the decline has been partially offset in other areas, including the increase in domestic tuition revenue. The decline comes as the University prepares to increase tuition for Ontario students following changes to the province’s tuition framework. I n F e b r u a r y, O n t a r i o announced a revised tuition framework allowing universities to increase tuition for domestic Ontario students by up to two per cent annually from 2026-27 through 2028-29. The framework also allows annual increases of up to five per cent for domestic students from outside Ontario. Queen’s “relies on international tuition revenue to support its operations,” the report states, adding that changes to federal immigration policies have constrained international student recruitment and opportunities for enrolment growth. In a written statement to The Journal, Samantha Rogers, the AMS commissioner of campus affairs and a fourth-year international student attending Queen’s from New Zealand, said that although international tuition has historically been a significant source of revenue for universities, they can no longer rely on that revenue to the same extent. “Universities should not have to depend on higher international
NAM Continued from front page...
NAM violations falling under Category 2 are addressed by the Student Conduct Office (SCO), whereas violations falling under Category 1 are addressed by the prompting questions from King. Non-Academic Misconduct Intake “What is that fund being used Office (NAMIO). for, and why is it being prioritized According to the report, the over funding faculties and fund- SCO issued 109 outcomes. Of ing teaching?” King said. these, 79 per cent were educaIn a November 2025 statement tional or developmental sanctions, to The Journal, Queen’s said the including workshops, seminars, Transition Fund supports aca- meetings with SCO campus partdemic and administrative priori- ners, and reflection assignments. ties, including the Queen’s Renew A further 15.5 per cent of the program, technology investments, sanctions issued were correcand efforts to maintain a sustain- tive, with students being handed able operating budget. no-contact directives, a loss of privileges, suspension, notices Faculty reductions raise of prohibition, and behavioural concerns over teaching agreements. The remaining 5.5 per cent of Ending the hiring freeze in sanctions were restorative, includthe FAS would be King’s first ing community service, apologies, priority for additional University and restitution. spending. In a statement to The Journal, She argues these policies have Queen’s said that 80 per cent of affected the number and types students in residence met the of courses faculties can offer as expectations of the Residence the University continues to enrol Contract, noting that most resimore students. dence-related NAM cases involved She said hiring more faculty “lower-level behaviours,” with should be “the immediate thing noise related violations remainto invest in so that we can run ing the most common. enough courses and run our proThe University said violations grams and students can get the related to guests and failure to coquality of education they deserve.” operate rose, but alcohol-related Larger classes and fewer instruc- violations decreased. The report tors have changed how students also shows a 40 per cent decrease are taught and assessed,. in residence damages. “Students aren’t getting the In 2024-25, residence damage chance to write as much as they costs totaled $396,039. In 2025used to,” she said. “They’re not 26, the damage costs totaled getting the kind of individual $219,836. attention that we know benefits The University attributes this students.” decrease to the investment in video cameras in common areas tuition fees to compensate for in most residence buildings. inadequate public funding,” In 2024-25, more than 700 Rogers said. security cameras were installed Queen’s said it is experienc- across residence buildings. ing the effects of federal changes The report states that a to international student policy review of the Student Code of alongside other Canadian Conduct will occur in 2026-27 universities. and will include community “These changes have affected consultation. A specific date of student mobility and enrolment the review was not specified. patterns across the sector, creating a more challenging recruit- improving the international stument environment for institutions dent experience, noting that their nationwide,” Queen’s said. international affairs portfolio is She added that while there currently realigning its priorities continue to be efforts to build a to focus on the needs of current strong international community international students. at Queen’s, the size of the comOne of the portfolio’s priorities munity is smaller than it used to include changing the International be and has “had a major impact Student Bursary, given out by the on the overall international AMS to international students, experience.” to be distributed each semester She noted that, with fewer rather than annually. international students on campus, Queen’s said official enrolment there are fewer opportunities for data for the 2026-27 academic those students to naturally meet year will not be available to the each other and build the sense public until after the University’s of community that had existed annual Nov. 1 enrolment count has previously. been finalized. In response to the federal policy changes, Queen’s said it has continued to strengthen recruitment efforts in estabCORRECTIONS lished and emerging markets, — expand outreach activities, and A new generation of filminvest in admission awards and makers are platformed scholarships. at 10 From The Next Gen The University also said it is exploring “new pathways” for A previous version of this story international students to study at incorrectly spelled Noah Levac’s Queen’s, including shorter study- name. abroad experiences. For international students cur- The Journal regrets the error. rently attending Queen’s, Rogers said the AMS is committed to
NEWS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026
QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 3
Samuel Lowe remembered for the lives he touched and communities he built Emmet Paradis Senior News Editor
little to do with his friend’s accomplishments. Angasu remembers Lowe’s Samuel Lowe had a way of mak- colourful floral shirts, his habit ing people feel like their ambi- of rollerblading everywhere, and tions mattered. the countless nights they stayed When a first-year student told awake discussing music. him about her goals, he immediWhen they first met, Angasu ately began finding ways to help said Lowe immediately stood out. her achieve them. When another “He was very unique. And he was student couldn’t afford to attend very proud of the fact that he was a conference, he quietly paid for unique,” he said. their flight out of his own pockets. The two became close through To those who knew him, these their shared interest in rap music. weren’t isolated acts of generos- Angasu recalled nights when ity. They reflected the way Lowe neither could sleep, and they approached his relationships, his would drive across Kingston to leadership, and the communities a 24-hour A&W near the highway. he helped build. Over time the pair became Lowe, a 24-year-old Queen’s familiar with an employee who student and co-founder of the worked the overnight shift. Black Undergraduate Coalition Before leaving Kingston, Lowe (BUC) died Sept. 8 following a bought him a gift card as a thankmountaineering incident in Banff you for putting up with their lateNational Park. night visits. According to reporting by The “That’s the kind of stuff he Jasper Local, Lowe left Jasper, would do,” Angasu said. Alta., on Sept. 7 for a hiking and Lowe also spent several weeks climbing trip in a remote area of living with Angasu’s family. “He eastern Banff National Park. He treated them like family, even stayed in contact with family and when I wasn’t there,” he said. friends through a satellite com“He would go to an extreme munication device, sending his to help me out when I needed it,” last message around 6 p.m. on Angasu said. Sept. 8. Lorenzo Yankam, HealthSci ’27 For the Queen’s community, and co-founder of the BUC, first his death marked the loss of a stu- met Lowe through Black student dent whose influence extended organizations at Queen’s. well beyond campus. “Sam really treasured that comOriginally from P.E.I., Lowe munity,” he said. “He treasured started studying at Queen’s in that moment of collectiveness.” 2021 after receiving the Loran Black student organizations at Award and being named a universities across Canada were Chernoff Scholar. often addressing similar issues, D u r i n g h i s t i m e a t t h e Yankam said, but lacked a uniUniversity, he became involved fied network through which to with the Queen’s Black Academic share resources and coordinate Society (QBAS), the Queen’s Black advocacy. Clubs Caucus (QBCC), and the In 2024, Lowe helped estabBUC. lish the BUC, an organization But for Michael Angasu, connecting Black undergraduHealthSci ’27, who lived with ate student associations across Lowe since second-year, the the country. memories that stand out have In March, the organization
Ambulance
Continued from front page... This academic year, Queen’s said there’s been “no indication to date of a projected change in volume,” of these calls. The University did not confirm or deny the need for an ambulance at Victoria Hall on Sept. 11. The University did not address the Waldron Tower incident in its statement to The Journal. Southeast Public Health (SEPH) couldn’t confirm an increase in drug poisonings, explaining in a statement to The Journal that its surveillance data isn’t detailed enough to reliably identify suspected poisonings involving Queen’s students, university-aged individuals, or incidents specifically on or around campus. Frontenac Paramedics also couldn’t provide statistics to The Journal, citing privacy requirements associated with calls to private dwellings. University warns students following residence incidents
Following the Sept. 11 weekend, Queen’s sent an email to all first-year students warning about concerning behaviour in
and around residence buildings. In the email obtained by The Journal, Emma Ferguson, manager of residence conduct and support, and Christopher Scott, director of Campus Security and Emergency Services, addressed incidents involving large gatherings, aggression toward emergency responders, and property damage. “Large and loud crowds have gathered in front of Victoria Hall; there has been reported aggression toward campus security staff and first responders, and intentional damage to property,” the email said. The University also warned students against climbing onto residence rooftops, trees, and hydro poles. The email encouraged students to make informed decisions about substance use and highlighted campus resources, including the Campus Observation Room, Queen’s First Aid (QFA), and AMS Walkhome. Li, who has also worked as a don in Morris Hall, said she believes the partying and drinking culture at Victoria Hall has intensified compared to when she lived in the building as a first-year student two years ago. She recalled Vic Pit gatherings taking place primarily on weekends when she was a first-year
Lowe co-founded the BUC in 2024.
brought together approximately 300 Black student leaders from universities across Canada for its conference. The coalition covered transportation and accommodation expenses for students travelling from across the country. “A huge goal for Sam was eliminating student barriers,” Yankam said. Yankam recalled an occasion when the coalition had reached its budget limit for transporting out-of-province students to the conference. One student continued reaching out, hoping to attend. Rather than turning them away, Lowe paid for the student’s flight himself. For JoyGold Goodluck, ArtSci ’29, a Queen’s student and fellow Loran Scholar, Lowe’s influence began with a question. Rather than asking about her background or accomplishments, Lowe wanted to know what she hoped to do during university. After hearing her goals, Lowe immediately offered advice, shared connections, and helped
her find opportunities to get involved. Their relationship developed into a mentorship. Goodluck said Lowe never appeared concerned about keeping opportunities or knowledge to himself. Instead, he looked for ways to help younger students follow similar paths. “He was like a brother,” she said. Tianna Edwards, interim director of the Yellow House Student Centre for Equity and Inclusion, first met Lowe during a Black Welcome event in 2023. Lowe immediately caught her attention. He arrived wearing a bow tie and patterned blazer, more formally dressed than anyone else. “Every senior administrator I ran into knew Sam by the end of the two-day conference or had experienced a meaningful connection with him,” Edwards said.
She said his enthusiasm for learning was inseparable from his commitment to improving the institutions around him. Meena Waseem, a Loran
student. This September, how- pointing to restrictions on ever, she said large gatherings alcohol quantities, glass conoccurred outside Victoria Hall tainers, and drinking games in every night during the week of residence.“[But] there’s so many classes. different types of drugs that just “It’s just so much more intense, weren’t really listed or talked the drinking culture and the party about in our training.” culture,” she said. In its statement, Queen’s said residence dons receive annual Students question drug training on substance use, recsafety education ognizing the signs of an overdose, and administering naloxone. Despite the University’s harm The University said harm reduction efforts, some first-year reduction education is promoted students told The Journal they throughout the academic year, haven’t received information especially during periods with about drug safety directly from increased student activity. their residence dons. Troy Fleming, ArtSci ’30, who Unregulated drug supply lives in Watson Hall, said his don is unpredictable hadn’t provided him with drugrelated safety training. While SEPH couldn’t confirm Fleming also said he’d heard an increase in poisoning rates, reports of dons “handing out it said reports from community Narcan like it’s candy.” Narcan is a partners continue to raise concommon brand name of naloxone. cerns about the unpredictable, Rachel Mekis, ArtSci ’30, simi- unregulated drug supply. larly said her don hadn’t provided The health unit specifically information about drug safety. pointed to the presence of highly She also heard about the incident potent opioids, including carfeninvolving the student at Victoria tanil — which can be even stronHall. ger than traditional fentanyl, in Li said she believes residence samples expected to contain just dons receive more detailed fentanyl. guidance about alcohol-related The health unit also pointed to violations than other forms of an example from earlier this year substance use. in which a local sample expected “We have very specific pro- to be cocaine contained no tocols about alcohol,” Li said, cocaine. Testing instead identified
SUPPLIED BY LORENZO YANKEM
Scholar and advocate who attended Queen’s before Lowe, recalled his determination to bring people together through his advocacy. When Lowe invited her to speak about equity and accessibility at a BUC conference, she questioned whether she, as a nonBlack person, should be addressing Black students on the topic. “This is something everyone should care about, and I need to see that role modelled,” Lowe told her, according to Waseem. She said his ability to envision positive change before others could see it was what she will miss the most about Lowe. Following his death, Yankam said the support from students, University staff, and others who knew Lowe has been comforting. He hopes the BUC will continue building on the work they started together, guided by the same commitment to community that motivated Lowe. “Sam lived to bring people together,” he said. fluorofentanyl, MDMA, ketamine, medetomidine, and caffeine. SEPH said the finding illustrates the difficulty of knowing what substances from the unregulated supply contain. “It’s important not to make assumptions about who may be at risk, as stigma can prevent people from being open about their substance use,” the statement said. Naloxone available in every residence
Queen’s said naloxone is available in wall-mounted cases in the front lobby of every residence building. Dons on call between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. also carry naloxone, as do CSES staff and on-call QFA teams. All residence dons are required to maintain first aid and CPR training and receive annual training on substance use, recognizing signs of an overdose, and administering naloxone, according to the University. If someone in residence shows signs of a potential drug overdose, Queen’s said its protocol is to call 911. The don on call, CSES, and/ or QFA responders can provide interim care and administer naloxone until paramedics arrive. naloxone until paramedics arrive.
4 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA
FEATURES
FEATURES
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026
side, however, argue that this Meanwhile, south of Princess campus.” Gordon agreed, “stusimply isn’t the case. Knapp says Street students can access the dents will pay a large sum of prethere’s “still a big student com- Kingston waterfront and pier, mium to get up at 8:20 for an 8:30 munity” in the area she’s living in. City Park, and Victoria Park. class”. There is a reason for this. According to Knapp, having less Additionally, the environment Dr. Gordon explained to The students can be a positive, as “it’s of each neighbourhood can Journal that there isn’t a convegenerally less busy than the main “The neighbourhoods aren’t nient way for students to get to streets in the University District. as charming north of Princess campus beyond walking. There’s It’s nice to have a bit more of Street,” said Gordon. The houses a lack of parking for students on a break from the constant noise north of Princess Street are often campus, biking lacks convenience Katherine Hunter Princess altogether. To many this and activity.” newer builds or smaller wooden due to the weather, and despite Features Editor stigma isn’t a fair one. The convenience of a house’s houses built on larger plots, built the push to use public transit, Marika Knapp, ArtSci ’29, location is another factor in stu- after the second world war for it hasn’t taken off amongst stuAccording to David Gordon, pro- agrees. “I think the stigma is dents’ choices of where to live. veterans. Meanwhile, south of dents yet. The lack of convenient fessor of Urban and Regional probably stronger than the actual It is undeniable that living on Princess Street, the houses are ways to get to campus means Planning at Queen’s, living north experience,” said Knapp, reflect- the far side of Princess Street larger Victorian homes made students will overpay to live in of Princess Street has long been ing on her own experience living certainly adds to the walk for of masonry that became too big the University District, Gordon treated by students as less north of Princess Street. students to get to campus. Many for families once they stopped concluded. desirable. The stigma, said Knapp, is worry that the distance would keeping servants in the house and Knapp, meanwhile, feels the The widely recognized, highly “based on reputation and student keep them from attending classes, were often converted into room- north side is the area where stuconcentrated student area exists culture” rather than actual experi- participating in on campus activi- ing houses, Gordon mentioned. dents are getting better value on the south side of Princess ence living past Princess. Living ties, or having easy access to for their money. Eade agreed, Street. This has led to somewhat north of Princess Street hasn’t school amenities. Safety telling The Journal that stuof a stigma developing against liv- lived up to its unsafe and inconLiving south of Princess Street, dents searching for higher value ing on the “other side” of Princess venient reputation for Knapp. She Pires really likes her location, as While students have raised properties look to the north of Street, or NOP (North of Princess), told The Journal since moving it offers a “short walk to campus, safety concerns about the north Princess Street. To live north of with many students believing the north of Princess Street she has easy access to bus stops, and easy side, Knapp says her location Princess, students are looking north side is unsafe, less fun, and felt safe, connected to students access to Princess Street.” Pires hasn’t affected her feelings of at “rent discounts around 10-20 inconveniently located. and campus, and the longer dis- highlighted the convenience of safety in the slightest, adding that percent,” Eade said. He added The Journal set out to speak to tance from campus “hasn’t really her location as a reason she chose she hasn’t “had any incidents that that students often begin by students, landlords, and urban affected” her life at all. to live south of Princess Street, have made [her] feel unsafe or searching for properties on the planning experts to determine The neighbourhood’s reputa- and added that she wouldn’t less safe than [she] would have south side, but many often end whether there was validity to this tion can greatly affect the hous- consider living north of Princess felt living closer to campus.” up on the north. He emphasized stigma. What started as a simple ing market in the area, Kingston Street out of worries the location Despite this, safety while living that location doesn’t equate to question of geographical location landlord for over 20 years, Jason would be an inconvenience. on the north side still seems to happiness for tenants, sharing turned out to carry far more fac- Eade, said in an interview with Eade shared that student wor- be a concern students have, with that his tenants living north of tors: convenience, neighbourhood The Journal. Eade owns proper- ries about houses further from Pires sharing that while she feels Princess Street are often some quality, connection to the student ties on both the north and south campus being inconvenient are safe living in her south of cam- of his happiest. community, safety, and price. side. The stigma against the north “valid concerns.” He explained to pus home, the idea of crossing The diverging rent costs on side of Princess may be an unfair The Journal that further walks in Princess Street to get to a house either side of Princess Street outIntroducing the stigma one, but fair or not, Eade believes Kingston’s turbulent winters can on the north side at night doesn’t line an example of advice given to students often start their hous- be a problem for students. make her feel safe. many first-year students when Princess Street functions ing searches with a desire to live For Ford, proximity to campus The perception of a lack of they begin searching for housas somewhat of a dividing line south of Princess Street. is a huge plus of living south of safety north of Princess Street ing. Ford shared with The Journal through downtown Kingston, Princess. “Being able to make it to isn’t a new one, Gordon added. that in her first year she was told separating more regular resiCommunity and location your class in under five minutes “You didn’t go past Princess Street that “when looking for a house dential areas from much of the is amazing,” she told The Journal. as a Queen’s student,” Gordon you must look at three factors: city’s student housing and camThe area in Kingston called the However, for Knapp, living reflected on his time as an under- quality, location, and price.” pus. Although this is beginning “University District” houses most north of Princess Street hasn’t graduate student. “The north side Due to the circumstances of to change as students are pushed of the Queen’s students living off proved to be much of an incon- was not safe for young men in a the Kingston housing market, north as the housing demand for campus, according to research venience. The walk, she said, is Queen’s jacket.” “you likely have to sacrifice one, students increases, with rising by Myles Fox, a former Queen’s only a few minutes longer than From the south side, Ford if not two, of these factors,” said enrollment the amount of hous- Masters student. Houses in this most houses on the south side. “I shared that she generally feels Ford. For students who are potening on the south side remains area have an extremely high don’t think I’m any less involved safe where she lives. However, tially willing to live a little further relatively the same. demand rate, selling “faster and than my friends who live South she has had a few issues. “One from campus, the north side may Bobbi Spark, a north end for more money,” said Eade. of Princess,” Knapp said. “A few of my roommates witnessed an be the place to look. resident, was quoted in Richard Because this area is so popu- extra minutes of walking hasn’t attempted car robbery, our neigh“For me, I would rather walk Harris’s 1987 novel Democracy in lar, living in the student neigh- really affected my ability to par- bours have had issues with peo- an extra few minutes and get a Kingston as having said: “Princess bourhood can be the basis of ticipate in anything.” ple entering their property and much nicer place for the same or Street provides a very clear divi- a wonderful collective experiIt is worth noting that while going through their garbage, and lower price,” Knapp said. sion of the “haves” and “have-nots” ence. Madison Pires, ArtSci ’29, living north of Princess Street one of my roommates had her living in Kingston.” describes living in the University is, for some, the biggest thing car mirror stolen,” Ford shared. *** Gordon told The Journal District as “lively” and “fun.” to consider in terms of location, Ford emphasized that despite that, historically, low-income Olivia Ford, HealthSci ’29, shared students on the south side can this, she hasn’t felt unsafe living While there are differences in residents of Kingston have been her thoughts on living in the end up even further than those in the area, telling The Journal housing, infrastructure, accesconcentrated north of Princess University District, “students on the north. Knapp commented that “it feels really safe to be sur- sibility, and character of each Street. Meanwhile, the south really want a quintessential uni- that for her “east and west also rounded by people your own age neighbourhood north or south of side of Princess Street housed versity experience”, she said, add- played a role,” when picking a all the time.” Princess Street, whether one side the wealthy “haves.” As a result, ing that for a lot of students the house. She was concerned that is better than the other depends this area has been gentrified, with University District is part of that houses too far west would be an Prices largely on individual preference. the houses in the Old Sydenham desired experience. even further walk than houses Many students are willing to neighborhood often being expenOne downside, said Ford, is north of Princess Street. The Kingston housing mar- pay more to live as close to camsive, large 19th century homes. the noise. “It’s not a problem ket is a competitive one, and pus as possible, while those lookWealthy individuals have moved during the day, but during the Neighbourhood charm as a result, rent prices in the ing for lower prices or greater into these historical Victorian night proximity to campus and area are growing more expen- value for their money may choose homes on the south side, preserv- the University District leads to Another deterrent for students sive. Zumper’s Canadian Rent to live north of Princess Street. ing and improving the homes, and a lot of noise on the streets that to avoid living north of Princess Report in September 2026 placed The University District may creating a beautiful and antique can disrupt sleep,” she said. “You are the tangible differences in Kingston as the 8th most expen- offer a different student living living area south of Princess can hear students coming home infrastructure and neighbour- sive city to live in within Canada. experience from the areas north Street. from nights out most nights of hood atmosphere between north For students living in a city of Princess Street, but students The divide between “north the week.” versus south of Princess Street, where the average rent is $2,140 living farther from campus are and south of Princess” is a class Despite this, Ford still loves liv- Gordon shared. a month, price is understand- not necessarily disconnected divide that has marked Kingston ing in the University District. “It’s North of Princess Street stu- ably a concern, and living on from the university community. for decades, according to Gordon. lively and feels like an extension dents only have close proximity the south side can lead to much Instead, according to Knapp, they This divide isn’t confined to the of campus. It definitely provides to one park that, while improved higher rental costs for students. have developed their own stuviews of native Kingstonians. It a sense of belonging and some- in the last decade, is not in great However, Pires shared with The dent community north of Princess has translated into the minds of thing almost familial for students,” shape, according to Gordon. The Journal that, in her opinion, the Street. students too in the form of the Ford said. park most easily accessible to higher rental prices are “worth For students, like Knapp, Pires, stigma against the north side of According to students, there is students on the north side of it for the location,” agreeing with and Ford, the Princess Street Princess Street that many Queen’s a perception on campus that liv- Princess Street is McBurney Park. the sentiment that the costs on divide may be less about north students continue to hold today. ing outside the University District According to a past Journal article, the south side of Princess Street versus south and more about Without much knowledge of means living completely outside the park was built on top of a are reflective of the quality of the finding the community and livwhat it’s like to live on the north a student area, or that the further 19th century graveyard that was, location. ing situation that suits them. side of Princess Street, many stu- you live from campus, the more of for considerable time, the resting Knapp shared that in her opindents try to seek out houses on the quintessential student experi- place of many Kingstonians who ion, “being south of Princess, a lot the south side or even outwardly ence you will miss out on. died from cholera, diphtheria, of what you’re paying for is the refuse to search for houses past Students living on the north and typhus. location and being right beside
Is Kingston’s ‘North of Princess’ Stigma Fair?
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
EDITORIALS
EDITORIALS
The Journal’s Perspective
Are universities going out of style? Lilly Meechan Multimedia Editor Go to university, earn a degree, find an entry-level job, and work your way up. For decades, students have been told by teachers, parents, and peers that university was the safest pathway to a stable a life. However, that promise has now changed. More university students’ futures are up in the air than ever before. Youth unemployment remains higher than pre-pandemic levels, and young Canadians are not confident a solution will come soon enough. And it is difficult to imagine a quick resolution, so what changed? Part of the answer is the changing demands of the labour market. University graduates now enter an employment environment where, between 2022 and 2025, job vacancies requiring bachelor’s degrees and fewer than three years of experience dropped by more than 50 per cent. This, of course, hasn’t changed the expectation from employers
for graduates to arrive with prior relevant experience. Combine that with the fact that entry-level positions are quickly being replaced with AI, it comes as no surprise that 40 per cent of graduates in Canada are underemployed, and roughly one in ten are flat-out unemployed. At the same time, the federal and provincial governments are pouring billions of dollars into areas such as the skilled trades, infrastructure, and defence due to growing labour market needs. By 2033, Canada will need more than 1.4 million new skilled trades workers, prompting major investments in trades attraction, such as workforce training programs and subsidies. If the federal government is on a mission to “Build Canada Strong,” prioritizing trades workers and manufacturers is not unreasonable, but it is unclear where many university students’ expertise and degrees fit into this agenda. Canada, of course, still needs countless university-educated professionals and skills — but it does expose a growing
The Cornell case proves society needs to change
This story discusses sexual violence and may be distressing to some readers. Until institutions take sexual violence seriously, survivors will keep staying silent Amid the shocking rape allegations brought forth at Cornell University, the lawyer representing Jane Doe stated that she has been the victim of constant
threats and harassment — including the efforts to publicly reveal her identity online. The efforts weren’t just restricted to anonymous accounts online. Under the absurd guise of “journalistic diligence,” independent “journalist” Michael Tracey posted what he claimed was Jane Doe’s name, either intentionally or obliviously ignoring the fact that anonymity is a staple of
ILLUSTRATION BY ANNA VAN RAATLE
AI can never replace true journalism
Find the story online at www.queensjournal.com
QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 5 because employers are looking for students with soft skills, not just hard skills like research. They want tangible proof that graduates can work in teams, communicate clearly, solve problems in real workplaces, and adapt quickly. Yet, universities emphasize research and technical skill and fail to provide enough opportunities for students to develop the practical and interpersonal skills employers need. Universities, therefore, are going out of style because the promise attached to them is becoming harder to deliver, and the skills they teach are currently less essential to the workforce and economy. If universities want to remain the obvious choice for the next generation, they cannot rely on reputation, research and rankings alone. They need to better connect education to employment, expand work-integrated learning, respond to labour-market needs, and prove a degree can still provide a meaningful pathway into the economy students are actually entering. The workforce Canada needs is changing and universities, employers, and governments need to work together through this transition if we want our institutions not only to remain prestigious, but to remain effective.
contradiction. Governments are increasingly organizing economic policy around physical infrastructure, defence capabilities, and industrial capacity, but as Canadian universities continue to struggle financially, they must compete for international and domestic students. Attracting said students depends on international rankings and prestige, criteria mostly weighted and awarded through research performance. This financial dependence creates a counterincentive structure, compared against government and labour market needs. Meanwhile, work-integrated learning opportunities can cost universities hundreds or even thousands of dollars per student and, for many degrees, does not significantly contribute to reputation or rankings. In other words, universities are being pushed to prioritize the things that make them look competitive as institutions, not necessarily the things that make their students competitive as violence is far less likely to be employees. reported than cases of physical That distinction is critical assault. The information that came out responsible journalism. Tracey of the sexual assault trial of the later redacted his statement. five players from the 2018 World In a moment where society Junior Canadian hockey team is should have come together to evidence of this culture existing support a victim, we instead in Canada. During both incidents, continue to embody a culture similar degrading texts were sent that systemically dehumanizes to group chats as the alleged asand disregards violence against sault was ongoing. Many jumped women. to the same victim-blaming arguConsider for an instance the ments that were used in defence of courage to go public with these the hockey players for the accused allegations, and consider the hu- in the Cornell case. miliation, scrutiny, and backlash This culture permeates our enJane Doe has received. Given that, tire society, and though we may it’s no surprise why only 8.6 per sometimes forget it’s presence, it cent of sexual assaults are report- has never gone away. The “Cornell ed, according to a 2025 survey by 7” was not the first, nor, unfortuthe Canadian government. nately, will it be the last of these The fear of retaliation, and the types of cases. fear that your abusers will garIt starts with wholesale sysner more understanding than you temic changes and stronger sexual will, disincentives victims of education. Consent, sexual viosexual assault from coming lence, and how to approach these forward — the majority of topics more broadly needs greater whom are women. emphasis in our public-school This creates a culture curriculums to truly change the where allegations are not culture. taken seriously and downIt can also take days, months, played across every institu- even years for victims to come tional level — from univer- forward with their stories. And sity administrations, police yet, our system to prosecute rape departments, and individuals cases in Canada is completely broonline. ken. Less than half of the reported And this culture doesn’t cases of sexual assault result in just exist in the United States, charges being laid, of which only it exists here in Canada as half proceed to court, only 55 per well. cent lead to a criminal conviction. It’s easy to blame-shift, Not only that, cases of sexual and to associate this issue assault are also routinely delayed as one that is “American.” in the court system, further reHowever, the idea of tangi- flecting the need for a compreble gender parody in Canada, hensive review of how we handle especially regarding sexual these cases. violence, is a myth. Importantly, it will also require Women in Canada are all of us to have difficult converthree times more likely to sation on how violence against experience sexual assault women is so readily accepted in than men, 49 per cent of society, and how all of us have women age 25 to 34 have the responsibility to change it. experienced a sexual assault at least once, and sexual — Journal Editorial Board
THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Volume 154, Issue 9 Publishing Since 1873
Editorial Board Jonathan Reilly Eva Sheahan Emmet Paradis Lola Hustins Rachel Wu Production Manager Jordan Medulan Features Editor Alexandra Gromova Katherine Hunter 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 Multimedia Editor Lilly Meechan Assistant Multimedia Editor Drew Gabrielle Cuencaho Photo Editor Claire Bak Assistant Photo Editor Eve Linden Graphics Editor Angelina Liu Copy Editor Elizabeth Poidevin Ananya Sharma Jaimeson Terada QTBIPOC Advisory Board Member Merab Ali Daniel Gill-Sitoski Rohaan Malik Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Assistant News Editor
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OPINIONS
6 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026
OPINIONS Innovation without AMS Between the Motions: oversight is a risk Is Queen's Alcohol Policy unsafe for students? we cannot ignore Your Perspective
As technological capabilities grow, so must our institutions' ability to govern them Nicolas David Brasset-Duque Contributor
In the span of a few years, technologies like AI have transformed education, employment opportunities, and research. The rapid pace of technological innovation raises serious questions about inequality and the distribution of power. In particular, we must consider the widening technological divide between wealthy and poor populations, between large corporations and smaller businesses, and between technologically advanced “core” countries and those on the periphery of the global economy. At the start of the decade, students hadn’t yet been introduced to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Chegg was among the technological challenges facing educators. Following ChatGPT’s public release on Nov. 30, 2022, it quickly became one of the fastestgrowing consumer applications in history. Political, academic, and social institutions were unprepared for the rapid changes brought about by AI, while ChatGPT surprised educators with its ability to generate code in seconds. Tasks that could have taken computing students hours of research, troubleshooting, and experimentation could suddenly be completed in a matter of seconds. It showed just how quickly technology could transform the skills students had spent years developing. AI has transformed how educators grade assignments, how students prepare for exams, and, more broadly, how we approach everyday life. We are rapidly approaching a new era of technological transformation, with other tools like quantum computing, neurotechnology, biotechnology, advanced robotics, and nuclear fusion emerging as major areas of research and development. Governments and leading economies are increasingly competing to establish themselves as leaders in these fields. China illustrates this competition given recent advancements in nuclear fusion, with its experimental “artificial sun” reactor successfully overcoming a longstanding plasma density barrier, marking a significant step toward developing fusion as a potentially abundant source of clean energy. China is also investing billions in
quantum-secure networks and satellite technology. These technologies possess potentially transformative, almost unprecedented capabilities. The danger does not simply lie in the power they provide, but in the possibility that this power becomes concentrated in the hands of a small number of states, corporations, or individuals. When an actor can influence economies, control critical infrastructure, shape the information people receive, or develop technologies far beyond the reach of the public and competing institutions, meaningful oversight becomes increasingly difficult. Power of this scale becomes dangerous when those affected by its decisions have little ability to understand, challenge, or restrain them. In the United States, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar introduced the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act which aims to pause advanced AI development until we have put in place rigorous federal testing and oversight to ensure AI does not harm humanity. The fact remains that no political, social, or academic institution can keep pace with the power of the technologies we are able to create. There is no doubt that, with proper oversight, these technologies have the potential to improve our lives in ways that once seemed unimaginable. AI tools developed by Queen’s students, such as Lawtonica, demonstrate this potential at a local level. By applying AI to municipal bylaws, Lawtonica could help transform how regulations are accessed and understood in Kingston, demonstrating how technological innovation can serve the public good. However, policy must be developed in anticipation of a rapidly changing and increasingly unpredictable technological environment, particularly as these technologies reshape education, employment, and access to opportunities. Consider a simple example at Queen’s: when the Queen’s Pub used AI-generated images to market its food instead of hiring a professional photographer or designer, what happens to the value of the creative work those professionals provide? This may seem like a small decision, but multiplied across thousands of businesses and industries, these choices could fundamentally change how creative labour is valued and how people earn a living. And what happens to education when the relationship between student and educator becomes increasingly mediated by AI? If students begin receiving
more of their feedback, writing assistance and academic guidance from machines, the human center of education gets lost. At a moment when many young people already feel disconnected from their schools and universities, we should be careful not to replace meaningful human interaction simply because an automated alternative is faster or cheaper. Queen’s is uniquely positioned to participate in this conversation. It is not simply an institution that PHOTO BY AVERY PAPOULIDIS will be affected by technological Avery examines the Queen's Alcohol Policy. change, it is an institution that helps produce the world’s best researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and professionals who will shape it. The university therefore has an opportunity to make technological governance part of the con- Avery Papoulidis versation alongside technological Contributor innovation. That means asking questions The Queen’s Alcohol Policy claims doesn’t stop students from drinkthat go beyond whether students a commitment to harm reduction, ing, they just do it somewhere know how to use AI. Who owns however, after reading the policy else. On Homecoming, that means the systems we increasingly de- more closely, it appears as though crowded house parties, packed pend upon? Who has access to the main goal is simply less drink- streets and downtown clubs, the computing power required to ing on campus. During peak party where nobody is monitoring aldevelop them? Which jobs will be weekends like Homecoming, mis- cohol consumption and where transformed or displaced? How understanding the definition of students are farther from safety should universities protect aca- harm reduction may be putting services like StuCons, Walkhome, demic integrity while still teach- students at greater risk. the Campus Observation Room, ing students to work alongside Harm reduction is an under- Queen’s First Aid, and Campus these tools? And what responsi- standing that some behaviours Security. bilities do institutions have when are going to happen whether Other universities have taken technological innovation moves institutions approve or not, and a different approach. Last weekfaster than public policy? rather than trying to stop them, end, the University of Ottawa These are not questions that it asks how to make these behav- hosted a homecoming tailgate can be answered by engineers iours safer. It’s the same logic be- in a campus residence parking alone. They require economists, hind naloxone kits, sex education, lot, with bring-your-own-beer for political scientists, ethicists, law- and drug testing services. When students 19+, a food truck on site, yers, educators, students, and the applied to drinking, it means ac- and free shuttles to the football broader public to participate in cepting that students will drink game. Western also pairs its largthe conversation. and focusing on where, how, and er football games with tailgates at The technological future is al- what supports are available. their stadium. For these schools, ready being built around us. The The Queen’s Alcohol Policy of- drinking can be controlled in a question is whether we will ac- ten does the opposite. Campus space with adequate oversight tively shape that future together pubs cannot serve shots or shoot- and safety services nearby. or allow a small number of insti- ers during peak periods, like The Alcohol Policy is up for retutions, corporations, and govern- Orientation Week, Homecoming, view this year, and Queen’s has ments to shape it for us. Halloween, and St. Patrick’s the opportunity to look at harm Day. Mixed drinks are capped at reduction more holistically. That two ounces of liquor, drink spe- doesn’t mean getting rid of the Nicolas David Brasset-Duque is cials are prohibited, and Special policy altogether. It means asking a 2025 graduate of Computer Occasion Permits for tailgating whether each regulation makes Science and Global Development. are banned on university property. students safer or simply moves While each individual rule drinking out of sight, especially sounds responsible on paper, on the busiest nights of the year. together, they make campus the A good alcohol policy isn’t one least appealing place to drink, that pushes drinking off campus. especially on weekends when It’s one that gets students home If you are interested in writing students are drinking the most. safely at the end of each night. an op-ed, contact To be fair, parts of the policy opinions@queensjournal.ca are genuine harm reduction. Food for more information. must be offered wherever alcohol Avery Papoulidis is a is served. Pub staff, orientation fourth-year Health Studies The Journal will also be hosting leaders, and residence dons are student and the AMS's Contributor Day on Wednesday, required to receive alcohol trainvice-president (operations). Oct. 21, at 6:30pm in room ing. Designated drivers get free A620 of the Queen's Centre. non-alcoholic drinks at campus pubs, and hazing is prohibited. More details on how to write However, with excessive refor Opinions, as well as other strictions on alcohol service, sections of The Journal, will be campus events can’t come close shared at the event. to competing with $3.75 singles at Stage Rage or a pregame at home. We know that the policy
The University should rethink their definition of ‘harm reduction’ during this year’s Alcohol Policy review
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026
BUSINESS, SCIENCE, & TECHNOLOGY
<BIZ-SCI-TECH>
Students unleash their curiosity for Science Literacy Week
Arora delivering a workshop on astroparticle physics on Oct 3.
Workshops explored radiation in cancer treatment, astrophysics, and nuclear energy Uroosa Imtiaz Business, Science, and Technology Editor Students had the opportunity to unleash their curiosity in Chernoff Hall last Saturday to mark Science Literacy Week. The annual week-long celebration is organized by the Canadian Association of Science Centres to inspire the next generation of leaders in STEM. This year’s week from Oct. 4-11, with over 170 events across Canada open to the public. Four tier-1 research institutes came together for the first time to host “Let Curiosity Radiate:
Exploring Radiation,” a full-day science exploration event at Chernoff Hall on Oct. 3 for high school students and first-year undergraduates. “This year’s theme was curiosity, unleashed — curiosity being one of the key pillars for scientific research,” said Nikhil Arora, MSc ’18, PhD ’22, an education and outreach officer at the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute, in an interview with The Journal. Radiation is energy in the form of particles or waves, like when an atom goes from a high energy state to a low energy state by emitting a particle, explained Arora. Radiation can either be ionizing or non-ionizing, depending on its energy. Ionizing radiation has enough energy to remove electrons from atoms and can be harmful at high doses, but it can also be harnessed for medical imaging, cancer treatment, and scientific research. The day featured workshops from each institute exploring
PHOTO BY HANNAH FITZPATRICK
radiation’s role in cancer treatment, understanding the universe, and generating nuclear energy. Arora introduced radioactivity and the “Lego blocks that make up the universe,” followed by a presentation on nuclear energy from the newly launched MAXNuclear Institute, which studies the interactions of materials in extreme conditions like nuclear reactors. The group then toured the Sinclair Cancer Research Institute, attached to Botterell Hall, where they saw a CT scanner, which combines X-rays to create detailed 3-D images of the body, and a linear accelerator, which delivers highenergy X-rays or electrons to destroy tumours. A f t e r l u n c h , Te t y a n a Levhchenko, a research, training, & outreach coordinator at the Carbon to Metal Coating Institute (C2MCI), gave a workshop using x-ray crystallography to reveal the exact atomic structures of gold nanoclusters. The C2MCI’s research includes
studying carbene-coated gold nanoclusters to improve treatment for hard-to-treat cancers. Outside of potential therapeutics, Levhchenko also wanted to show students that “nanoclusters are cool — not just cool, they’re beautiful. The symmetry is something that makes nanoclusters special,” she told The Journal in an interview. Arora ended the event by walking through the story of the Nobel Prize-winning Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) experiment, asking, “What if we understand radioactivity so well that we can filter it out? What does the universe have to tell us then?” The SNO experiment took place at what is now SNOLAB, two kilometres underground in Sudbury, where thick rock reduces background radiation by a factor of 50 million, helping resolve a long-standing puzzle in physics by showing solar neutrinos change identity and have mass. As a graduate student, Arora ran the Queen’s Observatory, sparking his passion for outreach and science communication. He now also leads the Canadian Astroparticle Physics Summer School (CAPSS), an intensive week-long program for second and third-year undergraduates that takes them to SNOLAB in Sudbury for an in-depth walkthrough of the experiment. Levhchenko believes students left the event understanding that “science is about collaboration,” by exploring radiation from different perspectives and seeing how physics and chemistry work together. She also hopes the event destigmatized radiation by showing how it can help scientists gather useful information. For Arora, the takeaway he wanted students to have is that “science is about problem solving,” and that “the universe is understandable to the level we want to understand it […] not just by the people who did this work or who won the Nobel Prize, but every single person who studied science.” “This idea that the universe is understandable becomes a fairly empowering thing to have,” he said.
QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 7
CIBC invests $300,000 in Kingston’s Robotic Surgery Program Murray Halpin Business, Science, and Technology Editor Kingston Health Sciences Centre’s (KHSC) robotic surgery program has received $300,000 in funding from CIBC, as demand for advancement in robot assisted surgeries grows across Ontario. The donation was made through University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHKF) and will support KHSC’s A. Britton Smith Q.C. Robotics program. According to KHSC, the program has grown to performing 400 robot assisted procedures each year. KHSC is the only health centre that offers the technology between Toronto and Montreal along the highway 401 corridor. Most of the surgeries performed with robotics treat colorectal, lung, prostate, kidney, and gynecologic cancers. This investment comes at an important time for KHSC’s robotic surgery program,” Jason Hann, executive vice-president of patient care at KHSC, said in a statement to The Journal. “As demand has grown, we’ve expanded the number of procedures we perform each year across a growing number of surgical specialties using robotic technology.” Rather than manually performing incisions on a patient, the robotic procedures allow surgeons to sit at a console and guide the arms through multiple precise incisions, by using a magnified 3D view of the inside of the body. Continued online at www.queensjournal.ca
SPORTS
8 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA
SPORTS Football
Continued from front page... The Mustangs would respond with a field goal of their own at the end of the first quarter, making it 3-3 after one. The second quarter featured two screens, the first to Walton and the second to Jayce Baldwin, ArtSci ’29, who would take it 44 yards deep into Mustang territory. The Mustangs would stop them, forcing another field goal. But after lining up offside, the Gaels had an opportunity for six points. Baldwin would make them pay, punching it in for a rushing touchdown, giving the Gaels a 10-3 lead. The lead would not last long, as the Mustangs scored a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff, returning it 98 yards to the endzone. The Gaels offence would be stymied after six plays, giving the Mustangs the momentum as they marched down the field into the Gaels redzone. The Mustangs would get to the Queen’s sevenyard line but throw up gift of an interception to Gaels linebacker James Gillingham, ArtSci ’28, letting Queen’s off the hook. The interception would energize the Gaels offence, blazing down the field and completing every play, capped off by a long throw to Russell Weir, ArtSci ’27, who zigged and zagged his way past the Mustang defender and into the endzone for a touchdown. The touchdown put them up 17-10 late in the second quarter. After an important two and out, forced by good defence from the Gaels, the offence would have 47 seconds to put more points on the board. It would be Weir again as quarterback Alex Vreeken, Kin ’27would find Weir up the middle for his second touchdown of the game. The Mustangs would add a field goal at the end of the half, making the score 24-13. A third quarter early touchdown by the Mustangs cut the deficit to just four. The Gaels would answer with a field goal,
giving them the seven-point lead. After a stop by the Queen’s defence, the offence couldn’t get anything going. Deep in their own territory, the Gaels conceded a safety, forfeiting two points but starting the Mustangs in their territory. This strategy proved to be the right one as the Gaels were able to force a sack and then a fumble out of the hands of the Mustang quarterback, which was recovered by the Gaels. The success didn’t last long though as a pass by Vreeken would be intercepted by the Mustangs who rushed the ball into the Gaels side of the field. The Mustangs would connect on a 38-yard pass, giving them their first lead of the game, 29-27. As the Gaels looked for a response, they took to the air. Vreeken would find a trio of his receivers, starting with Walton. Then, a 29-yard catch and run from Baldwin would take the team into Western territory. The Gaels would take a shot towards the endzone, targeting Cederic Smith, ArtSci ’27, who didn’t come up with the ball but drew a pass interference penalty to lengthen the drive. Smith would then get open in the middle of the field and catch a rocket of a pass in the endzone, returning the lead to the Gaels. The offence would stay on the field for a successful two-point conversion giving them a six-point lead. The Gaels defence wouldn’t give up another touchdown for the rest of the game, while also forcing two interceptions and a fumble. The team would later add two field goals, extending the lead. The Mustangs added a rouge on a punt, making the final score 41-30. Queen’s held the Mustangs to their lowest point total of the season and gave the program its first victory against Western since 2012. The Gaels, alone at the top of the OUA, will welcome the Windsor Lancers at Richardson Stadium on Oct. 10 with kickoff at 3 p.m.
Queen’s Hockey opens new season against familiar playoff opponents Malek Benameur Assistant Sports Editor The Gaels enter the season with a new head coach following one of the program’s strongest playoff runs in recent years. Queen’s finished the 2025-26 regular season at 14-13-1 before reaching the OUA East final, where they fell to Université du Quebec Trois Rivières (UQTR) in three games. Queen’s went on to defeat TMU 4-3 in overtime for the OUA bronze medal, earning a berth at the U Sports National Championship before falling 5-2 to UNB in the quarterfinals. Brandon Perry takes over behind the bench following Brett Gibson’s retirement after 20 seasons with the program. In an interview with The Journal, Perry said his first
preseason at Queen’s has been busy, with the Gaels facing several strong opponents while dealing with injuries across their roster. “We played seven games in 15 days, which is a lot for anybody,” Perry said. The demanding exhibition schedule included matchups against McGill University, UQTR, the University of Prince Edward Island, and Toronto Metropolitan University. Perry said the team struggled to hold leads in several games, with injuries leaving Queen’s without four of its top defensemen at one point. Despite the difficult start, Perry said the group improved throughout the preseason and enters the regular season in a better position. “The teams trending in the right direction and we’re getting
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026
Laps for Life raises over $175,000 for cancer research
Laps for life runners at Tindall Field during the event on Oct. 3.
Runners complete a ‘mentally tough challenge for a good cause,’ founder says
PHOTO BY JACKSEN MACLEAN
Thirty three runners took on a herculean task last weekend in an attempt to help fight cancer. On Oct. 3, Tindall Field was home to the Laps for Life event, a 12-hour “ultra marathon” that runners undergo to help fundraise money for cancer research. By the end of the day, the runners had completed over 4,200 kilometres and raised a total of $177,000. All of the money raised will go to the Canadian Cancer Society to help fight a bigger cause. To learn more about the event, The Journal interviewed one of the founders of Laps for Life Noal Keuken, Comm ’28, and one of the event participants, Evan Romachyk, Sci ’28. Laps for Life is part of a wider non-profit initiative at Queen’s called the Cure Cancer Classic (CCC). Entirely student-run, the CCC organizes hockey events, like the Queen’s Classic, CommerceIvey Game, and the Commerce Classic, as well as the CCC Golf Tournament, to raise money for cancer research. Their biggest event is the rivalry hockey
game between the Commerce and Engineering faculties, which raised over $330,000 by itself when it was held last year. Keuken was part of the CCC last year and decided to expand it to include a marathon to help raise funds. “Me and two buddies had the idea to do a 12-hour ultra marathon to expand how much money we raised in the year,” Keuken said. “So just the three of us did it last year. It was kind of unstructured, but we raised $47,000.” Keuken is the only remaining founder still at Queen’s, as the other two founders graduated last year, but that didn’t deter him from trying to grow the event. “I really wanted to expand [Laps for Life] this year, so I started reaching out to everyone I knew that would be crazy enough to try to run 100 kilometers.” On the day itself, each runner attempts to run 100 kilometers in a 12-hour time span, starting at 7a.m. Beforehand, people can select a runner and pledge a dollar amount for each kilometer their runner completes throughout the day. There is also an anonymous donor from the CCC who matches the total amount of donations. The runners are supposed to run for 53 minutes with sevenminute breaks in between. As the day went on, the breaks were extended but some chose to drop out due to exhaustion. However, all runners were able to complete at least a marathon. Only three of the runners
completed the full 100 kilometers this year, one of them being Romachyk. “Noal started talking to me [...] and he was like ‘do you want to try [Laps for Life] this year?’ I was like, ‘yeah, I’ll give it a shot,’” Romachyk said. He said the most amount he’d ever ran before the event was 21 kilometers. However, he has done multiple swimming and biking marathons, including swimming to Wolfe Island and back. “I was kind of nervous,” he commented on the idea of trying to run 100 kilometres. “To be honest, I would never have done this if I didn’t see [Keuken] doing it last year. I would have thought that it was mentally impossible.” Romachyk said he “hit a wall” around the 30-kilometer mark and started becoming nauseous. However, he pushed on and stayed deep into the night to complete the full 100 kilometers. “It was definitely a battle,” he said. “However, as you see other people do it, then you believe that you can do it as well.” Keuken also wanted to emphasize that many of the runners, like Romachyk, were not professional runners, which makes their feats and milestones all the more impressive. “It’s mostly recreational [runners]. It’s just a group of people that went out and tried to do a mentally tough challenge for a good cause. That’s really what the event is,” Keuken said.
healthy at the right time,” Perry said . Perry also inherits a roster without several of last season’s key contributors, including Nolan Hutcheson, ArtSci ’26, and Jack Duff, ArtSci ’26. Both played important roles in the Gaels’ postseason run, leaving opportunities for returning players to take on greater responsibilities. “We’ve got four or five lines that could all play,” Perry said. “Not one player is going to fill that spot.” The new coach also wants the team to place a greater emphasis on puck possession and creating opportunities through offensive entries, rather than relying as heavily on dumping the puck into the offensive zone. “If you don’t have the puck, you’re chasing the game most of
the night,” said Perry. Among the players Perry expects to take a step forward is Colin Holmes, ArtSci ’29, who impressed the new coach with his preseason production. Perry estimated Holmes scored eight goals in seven exhibition games. “He looks fantastic early on here,” Perry said, adding that the offensive approach being introduced suits Holmes’s game. Perry also highlighted newcomer Chad Muller, ArtSci ’30, who joins Queen’s after playing NCAA Division I hockey at Long Island University. Perry said Muller’s previous university experience should help his transition, despite the different demands of of the Canadian university schedule. The Gaels begin the season against a UQTR team that
eliminated them from last year’s OUA playoffs. For Perry, the matchup offers an early opportunity to measure his team against one of the conferenece’s strongest oppoenents. “You don’t win championships in October,” said Perry. While Perry hopes to leave Trois-Rivières with what he says, “at very least a split,” he emphasized that executing the team’s systems and improving special teams will remain priorities. The Gaels open their season in a back-to-back, starting on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. against the UQTR Patriotes in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, before facing them again on Oct. 10 at 4 p.m.
Jacksen Maclean Assistant Sports Editor
ARTS & CULTURE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026
ARTS & CULTURE
Former Minister of Justice Jody Wilson-Raybould and lawyer Roshan Danesh come to Kingston WritersFest
When leadership stops making sense, look in between Alexandra Gromova Features Editor In Seattle, a store clerk gave former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Jody Wilson-Raybould the words that convinced her to write another book. “Nothing really makes sense anymore. Our leaders don’t make sense,” Wilson-Raybould recalled him saying. She shared that story at Kingston WritersFest on Oct. 3, where she and co-author Roshan Danesh joined moderator Kyle Wyatt, Editor-in-Chief of the Literary Review of Canada, at the Kingston Marriott. Their answer to that cynicism is The
Inbetween Leader: Cultivating Courage and Unity in a Complex World, released Sept. 29. Drawing on interviews with 80 people, the book argues leadership begins not in title or power, but in the difficult work of standing between people. Wilson-Raybould, a member of the We Wai Kai Nation, was a Crown prosecutor and Regional Chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations before becoming Canada’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General. Danesh, a lawyer and educator whose work spans Indigenous rights and peacebuilding, served as her special counsel on Indigenous reconciliation. Their partnership began around 2009, developing principles for how First Nations in British Columbia would engage with the Crown — work that now grounds the book’s concern with crossing silos without erasing difference. The book begins by separating leadership from power.
Artist Ani Castillo leaves the internet behind in ‘The Digital Convent’
Mayah Ricketts Assistant Arts & Culture Editor “We are animals and we’re living as if we are machines.” In the winter of 2025, Ani Castillo lived in Kingston as Queen’s Writer-in-Residence. Before she arrived, she contacted the Sisters of Providence, a convent located on Church Street and asked them if she could stay with them during her residency. The Sisters denied her request, but it made Castillo think about why she wanted to move into a convent in the first place. She found that her main reason was to avoid distractions, thus removing any barriers to creating art. Castillo also reached out to the convent out of a desire to protect herself from the dating world, in which she’d been deeply immersed since her divorce. Out of that, The Digital Convent was born. The Convent is Castillo’s personal experiment, where she removes social media from the equation to focus solely on creating art. The process is documented in her “Letters” from The Digital Convent on her Substack. In an interview with The Journal, Castillo said that she asked herself: “How can I protect myself, first from the dating world, because it’s so exhausting, but also from distraction?” Castillo vowed to only use the internet for work, art, and education, to create art every day, and to connect with other human beings. Castillo felt that she was consistently consuming what the internet had to offer without digesting anything. In “LETTER #1 From The Digital Convent,” she wrote that “the worst of it all is that; / I DID NOT REMEMBER
the majority of the stuff I had just consumed! / It slid from my memory completely, like it never happened.” Castillo’s constant scrolling impacted her mood and always made her feel worse than before. She would ask herself, “How much is my mood worth that I’m just giving it away?” and “What would it be if I didn’t hijack it or affect it through these things?” Castillo later told The Journal that these consumption habits were taking away from not only the amount she created, but her passion for making art in general. “I started remembering how when I was very young, I used to think about art the most in my life,” Castillo said. “And I realized how things have been taking away from my life as an artist.” The Digital Convent’s goal is protecting Castillo from external distractions by focusing on creating and being consumed, not by social media, but by the things that she loves. In that area, Castillo has been successful, creating a new work of art every day since November 2025. Although The Digital Convent’s vows outlined that she would share her art with others, not everything reached the public eye. After experiencing health challenges, Castillo found that she was not in the right space to share what she was creating. Despite this, she still made art every day. Not everything was a huge masterpiece, but it didn’t matter. If she was making something, she was doing a service to herself as an artist. Continued online at www.queensjournal.ca
Wilson-Raybould calls those who hold a title without fulfilling its responsibilities “LINOs”— leaders in name only. “Simply by virtue of achieving a position, a corner office or a political position does not make a leader,” she said during the panel. Against the “LINO,” the book offers the “inbetweener:” someone who stands neither above nor apart, but between people divided by institutions, history or ideology. “Where do you position yourself as a leader? […] Above, below, or in between?” Danesh said. For the authors, standing in between does not mean flattening disagreement. Unity, Danesh stressed, is not uniformity. It requires the slower work of listening, repair, and staying in relationship across difference. “Building unity is hard,” Danesh said. “We have to do repair and restoration.” Wilson-Raybould recalled how difficult that work can be inside
QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 9 hierarchical institutions. Early in her time as justice minister, she phoned the public servant whose name appeared on a briefing note rather than routing her question back through the hierarchy. “They, I think, had a heart attack,” Wilson-Raybould said. She contrasted Ottawa’s hierarchy with the community-based governance she was raised with, where everyone has a role to play. That approach can collide with politics, where consensus-building meets institutions shaped by speed, partisanship, and rank. Still, neither author treated that mismatch as a reason for resignation. “When the world’s horizon darkens,” Danesh said, drawing on his own tradition, “hope is a scarce and precious resource.” He connected that hope to “constructive resilience”: not simply enduring difficulty, but moving through it in a way that allows change to emerge. The book returns repeatedly to people whose work may never be visible. Danesh spoke about Wilson-Raybould’s grandmother, who helped preserve the Potlatch with others while working “in the shadows,” never knowing what it might make possible for later generations. “Sometimes we don’t see the change that we have facilitated
even within our lifetime,” WilsonRaybould said. During the question-andanswer period, the final audience question brought that idea directly to younger people entering institutions. A PhD student in leadership studies asked how to know when to push quietly for change, when to disrupt a system, and when to walk away. Wilson-Raybould advised her to keep a personal “board of directors:” a small circle of people who share her values and will tell her honestly when a risk is worth taking. Then, she offered a test she uses herself. At the end of difficult days, Wilson-Raybould said, she looks in the mirror and asks, “Do I still see myself, who I am, who I was raised to be?” “If that image was getting at all blurry, then I knew I wasn’t making the right decisions.” Her answer returned the evening to an idea Wilson-Raybould had raised earlier: That everyone will eventually be called on to lead, title or not. Her mirror test places the measure of leadership somewhere more ordinary than a corner office, but rather on if someone can still see their values reflected in the choices they make.
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ARTS & CULTURE
10 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026
The article Skydance doesn’t want you to see I am an autumn
Mike Flanagan brings ‘Carrie’ into the 21st century
MUSE’s Mini Desk 2026
Available exclusively online at www.queensjournal.ca
Writer and activist Jamal Saeed encourages participants to activate the poet within
KWF “Writing Workshop” took place on Oct. 1.
Sara Boustani Contributor As the workshop and interview were conducted in Arabic, all quotes and learned material have been translated. Activist and writer Jamal Saeed argues that poets are born from lived experiences that are kept inside until one day an event unleashes those buried feelings and memories.
“Poets must write about and draw attention to every instance where the humanity of others is violated.”
On Oct. 1 at 10:30 a.m. at the Kingston WritersFest, Saeed explored his philosophy that every lived experience is a poem itself at his Arabic “Writing Workshop.” A small workshop, there was only one attendee. The low turnout didn’t stop Saeed from hosting a thorough and moving workshop built around different questions such as, ‘How do we understand the relationship between art and poetry?’ and ‘Do we live poetry before we write it?’ Each question was designed to guide participants, step by step, through the process of discovering how to write their own poem. “Inside every person, there is a poet,” Saeed said as he introduced the workshop’s purpose. During the workshop, Saeed explained that as we go through experiences in life, our inner poets formulate different poems. These are not just words rearranged to create sentences but lived experiences, thoughts that
occur to us that turn into words to eventually become a poem. Saeed’s first workshop question asked whether life events make poetry, or do they go hand in hand together? “Having lived the experiences of estrangement, I know how deeply it etches itself into my soul […] I longed to be transformed into a song, one that would drift through the cosmos, inspiring hope, spreading a sense of serenity akin to a smile, or acting as an eraser for some of the sorrows we endure,” he said. Jamal Saeed wrote articles as a human rights activist while living in Syria under the Assad regime. His writing against the dictatorship of Hafez al-Assad cost him 12 years in prison. During his years of captivity as a prisoner of conscience, writing became a way to resist his imprisonment. “Writing in prison serves as a refuge and a sanctuary; it is an attempt to reimagine one’s relationship with the things found there, the concrete walls, the iron bars and all that is grim, and an effort to create space far more expansive than prison itself,” Saeed said in an interview with The Journal. Instead of seeing the walls and bars as symbols of confinement, Saeed reimagined his lived experiences into something beyond the physical limits of the prison. In his workshop, Saeed related poetry to painting. When an artist creates a picture, they infuse it with a part of their soul. It is a commemorative image of internal experiences. Similarly, poetry transcends mere words through imagery and imagination. “Poetry helps me preserve
PHOTO BY CLAIRE BAK
that emotional and soulful side of myself. The part connected to things, people, places, dates, and memories. That is one of the values of poetry,” he said. Saeed suggests that writing poetry is useful for remembering and expressing who we are, but our actual life choices and experiences are the real substance of our identity. “Sometimes, I feel that the poetry we write or read may not be as significant as the poetry we actually live. The poetry we live is what matters most; it is who we are. In contrast, the poetry we read consists of words that merely express who we are.” He pushes people to write, specifically those who might be going through the same circumstances as the ones he once went through. “Poets must write about and draw attention to every instance where the humanity of others is violated. It is shameful for poets and writers not to write about this or take on representing the cause,” Saeed explained. One should abandon the thought that voice cannot cause change, for it is through silence that destruction prevails. Do not doubt your ability and allow the poet inside of you to express themselves, he encouraged. “Do not hesitate to write. Read as much as possible from poets around the world. Do not listen to anyone but your own voice and inner poet. Do not view poetry as a burden,” he said. All of us should embrace poems with all their beauties and flaws, for in every poem resides a piece of you, Saeed advises.
Simrit Grewal Contributor On Oct. 6, a $111 billion deal closed between Paramount and Warner Bros to create the largest media corporation in all of history, Skydance, which would drastically change the media landscape. Enter Coyote vs. Acme; the film that almost didn’t make it out of a vault in the depths of the Warner Bros basement. After releasing theatrically on Aug. 28, Coyote vs. Acme may have survived, but how many original feel-good stories about exposing corporate corruption won’t if the industry as we know it collapses? In the words of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the merger “threatens the economic and creative health of the American entertainment industry. The merger eliminates competition for buying film and television writing, resulting in suppressed compensation, worse deal terms, and reduced programming volume and diversity.” Coyote vs. Acme follows Wile E. Coyote and under-qualified personal law firm attorney Kevin Avery (Will Forte) teaming up to sue mega conglomerate corporation Acme and their CEO Foghorn Leghorn (John Cena) for years of malfunctioning products. Wile E. is given a difficult battle; his Sisyphean struggle to capture Roadrunner in the original Looney Tunes cartoons provides the perfect background for his struggle within the film and his time for retribution is now. The courtroom dramatization and blend of cartoon logic with humans makes it incredibly fun to watch but also reminds the audience of the similar legal battles the film faced. Somehow, this comedy managed to claw its way from the ashes of cancellation and rise to a $100 million profit at the box office. While it may have found its success story, much like Coyote in the film, the journey to victory felt an awful lot like the endless chasing of Road Runner. Coyote vs. Acme originally began development in 2018 with Lego Batman director Chris McKay to direct, who was then replaced by Dave Green. Principal photography took place during the summer of 2022 and the film was scheduled to be released in the summer of 2023. However, Coyote vs. Acme’s summer release slot was quietly replaced with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, placing the film on the backburner until November 2023, when Warner Bros announced that they would no longer be releasing the film in order to obtain a taxwrite off,
shortly after the Writer’s Strike had concluded. The decision was a shock to fans, who eventually petitioned to #SaveCoyotevsAcme, including the cast and crew. Warner Bros. then engaged in a two-year long journey to attempt to sell the film, which eventually went to Ketchup Entertainment in March of 2025 for $50 million. The film released on Aug. 28, officially marking the film’s escape from being a tax write off. However, the film’s delayed release directly parallels the current Hollywood climate. Coyote vs. Acme’s overarching themes involve class struggles and the abuse of corporate power. Its consumer culture commentary feels ironic coming from a Warner Bros product but given the circumstances with the release of the film, it feels more prophetic. While Wile E Coyote may have ended up successful, all signs point towards a regression within the Hollywood system and the possibility of even more films facing the same fate or worse. A company led by David Ellison, with an all-too-cozy relationship to Donald Trump, means the threat of censorship and lack of original stories may become a reality with one media conglomerate running the film and television industry. Although Ellison stated that “you will absolutely see us tell original stories,” he has also discussed his desire to turn Skydance into a “tech company,” which roughly translates to incorporating AI technologies to replace human creativity and labour. Coyote vs Acme and the introduction of Skydance marks a transformative point within Hollywood. The merger only creates more animosity and difficulties for professionals in an already unstable market. Over the past few years, Coyote vs Acme is one of many films that have been shelved or threatened to be shelved due to corporate power. Most people haven’t even heard of the completed Leslie Grace Batgirl film, also produced by Warner Bros before it was completely abandoned with no plans to sell. Or even Luca Guadagnino’s controversial Artificial being dropped by Amazon shortly before Amazon’s Open AI partnership (now with NEON). A l t h o u g h t h e f u t u re o f Hollywood is uncertain, artists can make the decision whether they’ll be a Road Runner or a coyote.
GRAPHIC BY ANGELINA LIU
‘We are a company of family values that values its family of companies.’
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026
POSTSCRIPT
I left Queen’s with a degree and a new understanding of myself Reflecting as an alumni on my university experience Grace Chen Contributor Travelling nearly 4,830 km across the country to Kingston was more than an out-of-province adventure that awarded me with a degree. It was a life-changing portal that transformed my understanding of belonging and myself. Growing up, I often felt wired differently. I was naturally intense, passionate, and creatively inclined — traits that stuck out and isolated me when social dynamics got more complex during high school. At Queen’s, I learned I was neurodivergent, and experienced the world differently — in almost high definition. I am highly attuned to aesthetics and sensory details: bright lights, textures, the emptiness or fullness of a space. My environment could profoundly impact my mood and energy. I am easily moved by music, film, visual art, and notice details and patterns others overlook. Tenth grade marked a major rupture in my relationships at school and at home. By the end of the year, instead of receiving the accommodations or support I needed to re-integrate into the student community, I was gradually pushed to the margins of school life. I would spend entire lunches alone in quiet corners, drift between groups without anyone asking if I was alright, and eventually be dismissed when I reached out for support again. As a young adult, I tried to make sense of what I experienced as profound institutional failure from the school system — becoming isolated by school personnel and peers to the point where I no longer really had anyone to spend
time with, and was missing out on teenage milestones reflected in movies, pop culture, and social media. By 12th grade, I was increasingly eating alone and had become so socially disconnected that I was barely represented in group photos that seemed to document everyone else’s friendship — on social media, in the school yearbook, and in the grad dinner dance slideshow, which was largely made up of private party photos. To anyone looking back at the Class of 2019 yearbook, my absence might have been incidental. I knew otherwise. During the peak of my symptoms, my social circles had unraveled, and I was unable to re-integrate into the broader student network. It took years, and moving out east, to see just how disconnected and depressed I had become during the years I was supposed to be making friends, going to parties, and experiencing the ordinary milestones of adolescence. Even now, being near my high school can trigger intense somatic flashbacks. My body remembers the counsellor’s office, where private, philosophical messages I had written to peers were taken out of context, and the isolation that followed. I remember the quiet corners and bathrooms where I could disappear from the world around me. Only later did I begin to understand why the world around me felt so overwhelming. I eventually learned that my brain did not filter sensory information the way I assumed everyone else’s did. Bright lights, packed lecture halls, loud house parties, and overlapping conversations left me overstimulated. In high school, I didn’t understand why I needed to retreat to the libraries or go home during lunch. That followed me to Queen’s, even when I desperately wanted to participate in campus life. Gradually, through repeated exposure and finding safe people to go out with, I could now decode a social world that had
POSTSCRIPT
IMAGE SUPPLIED BY GRACE CHEN
once seemed to come intuitively to everyone else. I learned its rhythms and implicit rules. More importantly, I discovered that a social misstep did not have to mean losing people, compared to high school, where there was less understanding and education around me about neurodiversity. At Queen’s, my natural traits thrived instead of being sources of social friction. My quirks and behaviours: writing long, philosophical text messages, having sudden bursts of inspiration, and approaching ideas from unconventional angles, were things that could make me memorable. For the first time, I did not feel I had to minimize myself to conform; I could fully be myself and still be accepted. No one directly told me I was neurodivergent; it was a gradual accumulation of pieces. At Queen’s, conversations around mental health became more open, and I eventually researched the various conditions associated with neurodiversity. The dots connected.
IMAGE SUPPLIED BY GRACE CHEN
The journey of that late discovery was emotional, but brought me much relief and clarity. I think back to the move-in day of a banner outside my residence building saying “Welcome to Victoria Hall,” with chalk on the pavement that read “Your Life Starts Here”. Little did I know, my life did in fact start there. I remember my first week in September 2019. The other first-years and I were running down Summer Hill as a mob of Orientation week
QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 11 leaders wrapped in white robes chased us down. We boarded a bus to a farm outside the village of Lyndhurst, wearing our painted coveralls. Then, someone in the crowd of hundreds in the darkened night sky, spoke. A student shared that in high school she never felt she fit in, but only four days at Queen’s, she felt she belonged. Hundreds of students erupted into cheers and applause around the bonfire under the dark September sky. Today I understand why that moment affected me so deeply. Our environment can expose how things we have been conditioned to see as flaws were actually mismatches between a person and the world around them. Throughout high school, I did not have awareness of my neurodivergent traits. I just knew they made social situations and crowded hallways difficult. In moments of sensory overwhelm, I could withdraw, become facially flat, or visibly change colour. I became conscious of how little my outward expression reflected what was happening inside me and interpreted this mismatch as something being wrong with me. Orientation Week gave me the chance to re-invent my social settings from a completely blank, fresh slate. As I became socially comfortable, my facial expressions over time became more spontaneous and expansive. I
Move-in day September 2019.
became increasingly expressive in ways I once struggled to. Queen’s showed me that human levels of openness are not always the products of human nature, but can be shaped by the systems that govern them. The tight-knit student bubble showed me what it felt like to live in a world less constrained by grade, age, and proximity. Every act of inclusion rewrote something in me — an invitation for a meal, being asked what my plans were for the weekend, and if I wanted to tag along to Stages or a movie night. L ove d o e s n o t h ave t o come through grand gestures. Sometimes it simply looks like someone saving you a seat, remembering what you said weeks ago, or making you feel seen in a crowd at a dance party. People often talk about “glowups” — new clothes, sense of style, a new confidence. My change went beyond those things. After 2019, what strikes me the most is how much more naturally I laugh now. Some traces remain. I still struggle to access emotions outwardly, with lingering flatness in my facial expressions and
vocal tone. For years, looking downwards and speaking without much tonal variation were byproducts of the isolation I endured every day. With time and distance, I activated my emotional expressiveness again. Now, I remind myself that any flatness when I talk is an aftereffect of what I lived through — not who I am. I did not only “glow-up” though. I became visible to others, and to myself. I regained access to laughter, emotional expression, body confidence, trust, intimacy, and a sense of being fully present. I felt more at home in my body. Physically, I felt warmer too, as if parts of me that had been frozen for years were thawing. I wondered how I, who entered university carrying heavy neurodevelopmental trauma and a loss of hometown roots, could ever have continuity again. My lived experiences taught me an important distinction though: lost continuity does not mean you cannot create future continuity. I cannot turn back time and steer myself in a different direction, or re-create the relationships I didn’t have. However, the people who met me in 2019 and afterwards can still have 10, 20, 40 years of shared history with me. Newer roots scattered across the globe are not any less real. Today, my past and present no
IMAGE SUPPLIED BY GRACE CHEN
longer feel like separate lives. My past is the catalyst towards my motivation to seek out those who feel marginalized or as though they are living life on the outside, standing on the sidelines while the rest of the world moves forward without them. I think back to that September night at White’s Farm exactly seven years ago now, when an incoming student told a crowd of strangers how after only four days, Queen’s felt like family. Almost a decade later, I understand why the crowd listened so intently. We were all searching for the same thing; a place in this next chapter where we could belong. Sometimes, all it takes is one place, one community, to turn your life around and show you that you were never meant to face the world alone. I found mine. Queen’s gave me a place where I finally found the words for what I experienced and a community with whom I could begin writing what came next. The foundations of my adolescence had been fractured, but my story did not end there. It continued.
12 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA
POSTSCRIPT
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