F R I D AY , M A R C H 6 , 2 0 1 5 — I S S U E 2 5
THE JOURNAL QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY — SINCE 1873
ZZ on top
The Golden Key • page 2
page 10
Feature • Landlords’ legal loopholes • page 3 RICHARDSON STADIUM
ADMINISTRATION
Sexual assault policy Student safety an issue for stadium consultation moving forward Concerns raised about drop from bleachers to field at proposed facility B Y M ISHAL O MAR Assistant News Editor Concerns around student safety and student experience arose at a special meeting of AMS Assembly that presented the upcoming plans for the Richardson Stadium revitalization project. University officials Ann Tierney, Michael Fraser, John Witjes, Leslie Dal Cin and architect Gerry Shoalts presented on Monday and answered questions about the project. The revitalization project will largely focus on improving four areas: lighting, seating, the field and the scoreboard, which will be a Jumbotron. Sound and light consultants are working on the project, the presenters said, in response to concerns about noise and light pollution, adding that the new stadium will actually help to prevent sound and light spillage. Noise mitigation has already been implemented in the north field, and since then, there have been no complaints from neighbours about noise pollution, they said. The plan includes more accessible washrooms, a redone
parking lot and fixing the roof of the changing room. The stadium will also have only one entrance, on the east side. People will be able to enter the stadium from the top, and there will be a walkway around the seats to make it accessible for the physically disabled. Seats in the bottom rows will be raised six feet off the field, which some members of Assembly said could be a safety concern if students rush the field. As of right now, the plan doesn’t involve building stairs so that attendees can walk down to the field. Members said this needs to be an issue taken into account, as it’s unrealistic to assume that students will choose not to jump over the six-foot drop at halftime or the end of a game. Rector Mike Young later told the Journal that while they’re not fighting to keep the field rush tradition “alive”, it’s important for the University to acknowledge the safety concerns associated with the six-foot drop. “There will be students, I think, who over the next few years will try and rush the fields, and if there’s See Premium on page 6
Working group has completed series of four open meetings
B Y C HLOE S OBEL J ENNA Z UCKER Journal Staff
AND
The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Working Group (SAPRWG) finished up a series of four open consultations regarding a permanent sexual assault policy this week. The SAPRWG has been working since its inception in 2013 to provide victims of sexual assault with a safe environment to discuss their traumatic experience and to gather and share information on campus sexual assaults.
The working group released an interim protocol in January, intended to communicate the group’s current position on sexual assault and support services. The interim protocol provides the University’s current position in respect to sexual assault, as well as listing available support services and educational approaches to sexual assault. A permanent policy is expected to be released by April 30. The open meetings each lasted an hour, during which people were asked to comment specifically on four areas: general
Sports: Women’s basketball aims for nationals
policy and procedures, support and response, prevention efforts and environment. Arig al Shaibah, assistant dean of student affairs and chair of the working group, said they worked to make the open meetings a safe environment for survivors by establishing ground rules for “respectful dialogue, a non-judgmental airing of opinions, people speaking about their own experiences rather than sharing other people’s stories and requesting confidentiality at those meetings”.
See Meetings on page 6
Lifestyle: No money, more problems
page 12
page 16
Editorial: Addressing campus racism page 8