Darts:

• AMS food services supplies: Meal offerings at campus food venues are consistently inconsistent—more careful thought needs to go into food ordering and menu planning. It’s nice to be able to order the “usual” once in a while.
• Attacks against Nick Day: The tone of the discussion surrounding Rector Nick Day went past holding him accountable and became threatening when attack ads circulated online.
• EngSoc exclusivity: The Engineering faculty society demonstrated deplorable hostility to media services this year, attempting to block both the Journal and QTV from attending the grease pole orientation event.
• GPA awareness: Despite an extended window of time in which to inform students, the administration failed to clearly communicate the structure of the new GPA system to students on an individual basis.
• HCDS funding: Students continue to struggle with wait times for much-needed appointments. This service is arguably the most important on campus and needs to be a top priority in terms of financial resources and personnel.
• Nick Day as rector: Rector Day showed a lack of responsibility in addressing the duties of one of the highest positions at the university—even after students figured out what his job entails.
• Rico Garcia’s Alpine Tower: This poorly-researched idea drew attention to ASUS’s enormous financial surplus. Stockpiling an opt-outable fee without a pre-established initiative to fund demonstrates a lack of forethought and raises concerns about how the money will be spent.
• SOLUS: The multi-million dollar database is confusing, non-intuitive and in some cases inaccurate with marks and degree requirements. Who would have thought that students would be nostalgic for QCARD?
• Tim Horton’s line-ups: In comparison to the franchise’s BioSciences Complex facility, the line at the Queen’s Centre location is an unreasonable time-commitment. The long wait is a hazard to foot traffic and a personal frustration, and it’s only going to get worse.
• University’s response to the rector referendum: From not taking a firm stance on the Day controversy to a lack of official policy concerning the Rector’s removal, the administration seemed ill-prepared to deal with a contentious issue. Having representatives is important—as is being able to remove them.

Laurels:

• AMS campaigns: Both teams in this year’s executive race stayed on-message and mounted professional campaigns—a refreshing change from back-stabbing and mud-slinging.
• Bottled water ban: It’s an inconvenience, but hopefully the bottled water ban will encourage the University to make bottle-free water more available on campus. Also, it can’t hurt to encourage the public to make sustainable beverage choices.
• Debit at CoGro: The introduction of cash-free transactions is a time-efficient business model and has led to a spike in sales. Offering a payment method in line with students’ needs was an excellent initiative to implement.
• John Last and the ‘Run This Town’ campaign: Last and his friends did an impressive job raising awareness about issues relevant to the youth vote. Despite acknowledging the slim probability of winning the election, Last showed a degree of knowledge on par with the other candidates in the race.
• John Stackhouse: The current editor in chief of the Globe and Mail and Journal alumnus took time to visit students this February, sharing personal anecdotes about opportunities in the world of journalism. It’s encouraging to see an alumnus take the time to reconnect with his or her alma mater.
• OPIRG hip-hop festival: The first of its kind, this event left the beaten track from the type of programming usually offered on-campus and in Kingston. A variety of international acts were on hand to perform live, lead workshops and encourage dialogue about different forms of self-expression.
• Queen’s Wears Pink: The breast cancer awareness campaign got people’s attention with a direct and simple message, encouraging students from all faculties to take part. The response from the rugby team was especially encouraging.
• Rob Lee: This year’s AMS Assembly speaker has taken a front seat in making Assembly an accessible body, demonstrating an impressive range of knowledge and a personable demeanour.
• The Jack Project: This awareness initiative headed by Eric Windeler is a positive step forward and will hopefully continue to raise awareness around mental health issues.
• Women’s sports: An impressive year for female athletes included two OUA banners and a national championship. With strong commitment and drive, women’s teams were a source of school spirit and pride this year.