February 26, 2021

Editors' Note: Black History Month Issue

The Queen’s Journal, Issue 21, was originally intended to be our first Black History Month Issue. While we campaigned for Black contributors and planned extensive Black History Month content, we were unable to garner the amount of engagement from Black students we had hoped for. We’re writing th…

February 26, 2021

Being healthy isn’t about perfection, especially in a pandemic

Like everything else, healthy eating has been further complicated by the pandemic. Maintaining our health-inspired habits is important, but by no means demands perfection—especially now. Doctors ar…

February 26, 2021

Editors' Note: The Queen's Journal BIPOC Advisory Board

This past November, The Journal formed its first BIPOC Advisory Board. An idea first suggested by Aysha Tabassum, incoming co-Editor in Chief and current Features Editor, the Board will bring much …

February 26, 2021

Onscreen abortion representation is vital, but has its limits

Abortion isn’t just a right; it’s a choice made by women every day. Mainstream media should represent the procedure as such—at the very least an option, if not a decision made—though we can’t rely …

Queen’s didn’t tell students it’d missed its fundraising deadline for the JDUC. Now what?

February 11, 2021

This year, undergraduate students paid $40 each to support turning the John Deutsch University Centre (JDUC) into a more sustainable, accessible, and modern building through the mandatory JDUC Rede…

As a journalist, tweeting hate speech has consequences—as it should

February 11, 2021

It’s well within a newspaper’s rights to fire staff with cause—especially if that staff member is expressing hateful views. Student journalist Jonathan Bradley recently alleged he was fired from Ry…

Democracy is never ‘first past the post’

February 9, 2021

We supposedly live in a representative democracy. Yet in 2011, a party that only 39.6 per cent of the electorate voted for took majority control of Parliament. The reason for this is our current vo…

It’s time to talk about male eating disorders

February 9, 2021

Most can identify disordered eating patterns in women, but we don’t often talk about what those patterns might look like in men. That needs to change. Male eating disorders are a reality that, beca…

Abortion access is an integral part of healthcare

February 9, 2021

For over 30 years, Canada has been the only nation in the world to have no legal abortion restrictions at a federal level. However, abortions are still far more politicized than other medical proce…

Editors' Note

February 5, 2021

It has come to our attention that during an Instagram live on Feb. 5, AMS Executive Presidential candidate of Team TIA Isaac Sahota claimed The Journal did not allow someone to comment on The Journ…

Stop asking recent graduates about their futures

February 5, 2021

Graduates already face pressure from an uncertain job market; they don’t need you to ask them about their plans for the future. Graduating should be a celebration, but a diploma isn’t enough anymor…

With the AMS facing steep challenges, Team RTZ is ready to lead

February 5, 2021

Our Process: The endorsement is the result of a vote by The Journal Editorial Board. The Editorial Board considers prior interviews, debates, platforms, and a private questioning period with the te…

AMS winter referendum statements

February 4, 2021

The Journal provides free space in our print edition and online for parties on the referendum ballot. All statements are unedited. This year, the winter election and referendum will take place on F…

Bell, let’s talk: mental illness isn’t Michael Bublé watering plants

February 2, 2021

‘Bell Let’s Talk’ Day encourages the de-stigmatization of conversations about mental health issues, but the flaws of the campaign itself need addressing: namely, the band-aid solutions it offers in…

Lower financial literacy for women is a problem that must be addressed

February 2, 2021

Closing the financial literacy gap is a necessary step towards equality. Women, specifically women of colour, consistently report less confidence in their finances and economic future than their ma…

Accessible information is the key to combatting hate groups

February 2, 2021

There’s a misconception that alt-right hate groups, while openly plaguing the US since Trump’s election, don’t have a Canadian equivalent. That belief is misinformed. Hateful ideologies exist as mu…

People-pleasing: breaking the habit is difficult, but necessary

February 2, 2021

Feelings of guilt around saying no, an overwhelming fear of letting people down, and a sense of emotional isolation are some of the familiar signs of people-pleasing. Unfortunately, the phenomenon …

Vaccine prioritization is in place for a reason

January 29, 2021

Vaccine prioritization is a sign our healthcare system is working, giving vaccines to those who need it most. Yet the recent Rodney Baker scandal proves that, even at a time when class differences …

Athletics departments need to be wary of keeping things behind closed doors

January 29, 2021

Cultures of silence don’t end well. We learned as much last winter when The Globe and Mail published an expansive investigation into Guelph University’s cross country and track coach, Dave Scott-Th…

Residence rule-breakers must be punished, but not at the cost of others’ safety

January 29, 2021

When students break social distancing protocols, there must be logical consequences. Earlier this week, roughly 20 McGill students were temporarily evicted from residences for seven days after alle…

To address vaccine hesitancy among Black and Indigenous Canadians, the government must act on racism in healthcare

January 26, 2021

Despite being disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, many Black and Indigenous Canadians are hesitant to receive the vaccine. They have every right to be. As the government enacts i…

Men have a responsibility to dismantle rape culture

January 26, 2021

This article discusses sexual violence and may be triggering for some readers. The Kingston Sexual Assault Centre’s 24-hour crisis and support phone line can be reached at 613-544-6424 / 1-800-544-…

Taking care of our homeless neighbours starts with us

January 26, 2021

The Kingston community—students, the Queen’s administration, and the City itself—have a responsibility to take care of its homeless neighbours. A recent letter to the editor appearing in the Kingst…

Student journalists are journalists. They should be recognized as such.

January 26, 2021

Despite the important news coverage provided by student-operated publications, student reporters often face hurdles in being recognized as legitimate journalists. Student journalists provide covera…

Being a young filmmaker in Canada is something to celebrate, not escape

January 24, 2021

There’s a lingering preconception among many young filmmakers in Canada that to truly have a successful career in film, we must pack up and head down south for good. This belief is false and distra…

Academic culture is driving students to cheat

January 22, 2021

Academic misconduct is a direct product of academic culture. Only in changing that culture can we address cheating and plagiarism. Earlier this week, two TAs sounded the alarm on Queen’s professors…

‘Cancel culture’ is an imperfect step toward necessary change

January 22, 2021

The time to hold people accountable is now. Over the last few years, ‘cancel culture’ has become inescapable. A sudden rumble in our social landscape has since become a landslide of accusations fro…

Uncontested elections and student engagement go hand in hand

January 22, 2021

Uncontested elections are bad for democracy, which is why we must address their prevalence here at Queen’s sooner rather than later. Only one team is currently running for AMS Executive this year, …

Until widespread vaccination, Canada should freeze student loan repayments

January 19, 2021

Until job opportunities for Canadian youth are restored to pre-pandemic levels, it’s unreasonable to mandate students make loan repayments. A recent iPolitics article reported that, between Februar…

During the pandemic, what constitutes essential surgery is murkier than ever

January 19, 2021

Despite non-essential surgeries being on hold, plastic surgeries have continued in the private sector. But we shouldn’t be so quick to point fingers at individuals receiving enhancements right now;…