campus news K in g ’s C h a p l ai n cy Ass ured There may be the sense that faith is on the decline in Canada, but it took the possible loss of King’s College’s chaplain, the Reverend Dr. Gary Thorne, to bring it home to the college’s community-driven quad. In late 2011, the Anglican Dioceses of Nova Scotia and P.E.I informed the college that they would have to reduce their funding to for the King’s Chaplaincy by half. “The Anglican Dioceses of Nova Scotia and P.E.I. (are) becoming smaller. Its budget is getting smaller,” said Thorne. The resounding opposition to the decision from students, faculty and community members was a testament to the value of chaplaincy at King’s. Students organized an Antiquated Day, created to celebrate King’s traditions and the college’s chaplaincy tradition. A Facebook group protesting the decision quickly gained support. Before long, according to King’s Students’ Union then-president Gabe Hoogers, the “overwhelming charity of individuals”—a small number of donors who would pay Thorne’s salary for the next five years—came through. “People stepped up to the plate and pledged funds to support the chaplaincy,” said Hoogers. Thorne considers it his role “to support and encourage students in their endeavours and to help them succeed in whatever way they themselves define success—personally, socially, academically, spiritually.” Thanks to the generosity of those unnamed donors, and to the strength of the community, Fr. Thorne will be around to provide guidance and support in the coming years. —David Salenieks
Ki ng ’s Stu den t Sta n ds U p, T u r ns Back f or E n v i r o n men t On Dec. 7, 2011, James Hutt woke up at 6 a.m. in Durban, South Africa, “full of anxiety” as he put on a T-shirt, followed by a dress shirt. Written on his t-shirt were the words: ‘Turn Your Back on Canada’. The message was a response to Environment Minister Peter Kent’s decision to back out of the Kyoto Accord—Hutt and five other members of the Canadian Youth Delegation
planned to deliver it before the world. Hutt, who graduated in May, was a Canadian Youth Delegation member attending the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. As Kent opened his address, they took off their dress shirts, stood up and turned their backs. “Time stopped,” said Hutt. “I clasped my hands together in front and felt my heart thundering. What seemed like half an hour standing there was probably 20 seconds.” Then, members of the audience both behind them and in front of them began to turn their backs, too. “When it happened, I knew that we had taken power away from Kent and our government,” said Hutt. The protest lasted for three or four minutes. The delegates were led out and questioned, and the act drew national media attention. “They kicked us out, which we knew would happen,” Hutt said. “But it was not only worth it, but necessary. We had shown the world that our leaders do not represent our interests and that Canadians want real action on climate change.” —Philippa Wolff
Mi ddle Bay Ge ts A Radio Stat ion Over the course of the last few months, Axel Soos rolled out of bed at 7:30 a.m. four days a week, walked two steps across his residence room to his desk, and broadcast a live radio show. His morning show was a staple of 97.3 FM The Bay, a radio station that first-year FYP student Soos created in October from scratch, and broadcasted to every corner of the King’s quad with Sunday-to-Friday programming. “I thought I’d do (the show) every once in a while for a joke. Then, there was so much interest around the school and people getting involved that it turned into that,” he said, pointing to the station’s programming schedule on his corkboard, next to taped-down wires connecting microphones, computers, a transmitter and a self-fashioned antenna. The station took form right after frosh week. Soos and a group of friends sent out a call for show hosts and received more than 20 responses from first years in a few days. Outside of music programming, the shows
covered a wide but still uniquely King’s-inflected spectrum, from Sportacus (a sports report), to Wastelands (featuring spoken word), to FYP Me Gently (a sex advice show). In the last few months, residence staff gave him a room in the basement of Middle Bay to broadcast from. Archived episodes were posted online at thebayradio.blogspot.com. It all happened without funding from the college or the students’ union, with Soos paying for the equipment himself and show hosts pitching in. “The one part I like about this is our autonomy and being able to do everything as we see fit,” he said. When asked how he balanced the Foundation Year Programmeme, a social life, and an entire radio station, Soos replied: “That’s an incredibly good question, and when I figure it out, I’ll let you know.” The station helped bring the quad community together for many first-years. “The radio station has made me feel at home at King’s,” said Haydn Watters, a first-year journalism student who helped with the station. “I love our radio show,” added John Cavan, another first-year student who worked with Soos. “I love King’s, and if we can do something to bring more community to this place, I’m very happy to do that.” However, with Soos moving off campus as he begins his second year, the future of The Bay is in doubt. “It’s been in question all year. I mean, it’s a huge time commitment,” he said. If it does continue, he hopes it will involve him in a facilitating role, helping next year’s first-years keep up the Bay spirit. “That we’ve been able to sustain this thing for the entire year is quite the accomplishment.” —Natascia Lypny and Ben Harrison The Watch, the King’s College independent student magazine, has been a voice for campus happenings since it was founded in 1989. This past school year has been especially newsworthy, with a new student-run canteen, a new radio station, a new president, and many referenda and votes. As the editors-in-chief, we’ve had our hands full, and we were lucky to have lots of great student reporters help us cover the stories that have most engaged and affected King’s students. Here’s a taste of some of this year’s most important stories, and check out www.watchmagazine.ca for all of our year’s reporting! —Charlotte Harrison and Evelyn Hornbeck, Editors-in-Chief Tidings | summer 2012
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