November 12, 2021

Getting home safely as a woman still isn’t guaranteed

This article discusses sexual assault 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 / 1-800-544-6424. As a woman, getting home safe after a night out is often a major cause of concern. I’ve only be…

November 12, 2021

Letting go of my fears of the world ending

I spent my childhood waiting for the world to end. The idea that some big event could happen at any time and change my entire life was always in the back of my mind—and I had no say in the matter….

November 12, 2021

'Eternals' breaks the Marvel mold

In 2008, Iron Man was released to rave reviews. The movie was a surprise hit, subverting expectations of who a superhero was. Iron Man did what nobody thought was possible—it was the first superhe…

November 12, 2021

The Astroworld festival disaster is a cautionary tale

Nobody involved with the Astroworld festival disaster is innocent. On Nov. 5 in Houston, Texas, tragedy struck at NRG Park when eight people were killed in a crowd surge during rapper Travis Scott…

@simran changed the game for brown girls everywhere

November 5, 2021

I distinctly remember the first time Simran Randhawa showed up on my explore page. She was wearing a crop top, ripped jeans, and a saree draped around her shoulders and waist. View this po…

I’m going to stop performing my queerness for validation

November 5, 2021

I experience an enormous amount of pressure to perform my queerness to the perfect rhythm. If I’m a little offbeat, I risk coming off as disinterested in someone I like. If I forget a step, someone…

‘You’ season three is a portrait of white mediocracy

November 5, 2021

In the latest season of You, new parents Joe and Love Quinn-Goldberg are as hot and murderous as ever. Spoilers ahead—obviously. As the show progresses and the bodies pile up, one might expect view…

Confessions of a closeted theatre kid

November 5, 2021

It’s rare for me to tell people I love theatre. Only the people who really know and understand me are privy to my love for the stage—especially because when it does come up in conversation, I’m of…

Why I lose all social finesse trying to work out at the ARC

November 5, 2021

It seems as if every time I walk into the ARC to work out, I’m either a witness to or participant in a cringe-worthy social moment. After three years of this madness, I can’t tell if I’m the proble…

The ‘Toronto girl’ lifestyle can seep into Queen’s culture

November 2, 2021

Toronto has always represented the big city lifestyle I’ve dreamed of embodying. In my mind, it’s the closest Canadians can get to New York City. However, being a “Toronto girl” is an exclusive way…

Piecing the puzzle together: Society’s fascination with serial killers

October 29, 2021

As Netflix rolls out series after series about the lives of history’s most depraved serial killers, many of us have spent countless hours in front of the TV, completely captivated by the shock, hor…

‘No Time to Die’ subverts our expectations of the classic ‘Bond girl’ trope

October 29, 2021

I’ve come to expect a certain kind of girl from the Bond franchise. She’s stunning, confident, and casually sporting a Beretta pistol strapped to her thigh. Part of me has always wanted to embody…

There’s more to running than burning calories

October 29, 2021

This article discusses eating disorders and may be triggering for some readers. The Canadian Mental Health Association Crisis Line can be reached at 1-800-875-6213. Part of my self-worth has alwa…

Exercise-tracking smartwatches are detrimental to a healthy body image

October 29, 2021

This article discusses eating disorders and may be triggering for some readers. The Canadian Mental Health Association Crisis Line can be reached at 1-800-875-6213. In the summer of eighth grade, I…

Jordan Peele’s brilliance makes horror accessible

October 26, 2021

I’ve never liked horror movies. Something about the combination of jump scares, Ouija boards, and dolls made me retreat from the entire genre. After seeing about five “essential” horror films, I vo…

‘Sex Education’ is back and raunchier than ever

October 22, 2021

Kinks, aliens, hookups, cheating—the new season of Sex Education has it all. The plot of the show’s third season primarily revolves around new head teacher Hope. She essentially acts as the Disney …

Queen’s HOCO is more than a party

October 22, 2021

Homecoming (HOCO) is, first and foremost, a football game. But for many Queen’s students, the HOCO experience is a big party. If you day drink, wear Queen’s tricolour merchandise, attend massive st…

Not a girl: Exploring my gender identity

October 22, 2021

Back in twelfth grade, I wrote a panicked journal entry beginning with the line, “I don’t think I’m a girl.” It’s difficult to question something you’ve accepted as a straightforward truth all your…

Let’s appreciate Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly’s relationship

October 22, 2021

Megan Fox is no stranger to mainstream media. The pop culture icon is probably most recognized for her debut role in the 2007 film Transformers, directed by Michael Bay. Fox has been dubbed one of …

How to take control of your finances

October 7, 2021

With minimal education about financial literacy in high schools and universities, many students don’t know where to begin when learning to navigate their finances as young adults. I’ve assembled a …

The Emma Chamberlain appeal

October 7, 2021

Watching Emma Chamberlain’s YouTube videos feels like being on FaceTime with your best friend. In the midst of cancel culture and social media anxiety, our generation has steadily followed and fal…

Moving beyond the male gaze

October 7, 2021

The first time I watched the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice, I replayed the iconic ‘hand scene’ at least ten times. If you haven’t seen it, Mr. Darcy silently reaches out to help Elizabeth Ben…

Overthinking is my Shakespearean tragedy

October 7, 2021

Overthinking has absorbed my university life. I find myself bound by standards for and perceptions of myself—and sometimes it goes overboard. I refer to my overthinking as an “analysis curse.” I …

‘Dear White People’ Vol. 4 absolutely wrecked me

October 1, 2021

I’ve been obsessed with Dear White People (DWP) ever since the Netflix series’ controversial premiere. This show about how Black students and other students of colour navigate a predominantly white…

Meditation in university can take many forms

October 1, 2021

One of the words most frequently used to describe student life at Queen’s and beyond is “stressful.” With newfound independence and never-ending responsibilities, it becomes difficult for students …

My American citizenship branded me an ‘other’ at Queen’s

October 1, 2021

On my first day at Queen’s, I drove to Kingston with my parents in a U-Haul, unloaded my things on my floor in Gordon Brockington Hall, and understood what it meant to be an outsider in Canada. Sit…

‘We’re Not Really Strangers’ highlights our desire to form deep connections

October 1, 2021

Does it still hurt? What are you holding on to that’s no longer holding on to you? How are you, really? It’s not often that we allow another person to see us in our most vulnerable state. In some w…

Which contemporary books will be classics in 50 years?

September 28, 2021

Normal People by Sally Rooney Normal People is the coming-of-age story. It’s like The Catcher in the Rye, except it’s fun to read, and the main character isn’t a dick. It will become a literary cla…

Achieving the 'that girl' aesthetic is harder than you think

September 24, 2021

It’s been exactly one year and one month since I slurped on a bowl of authentic Taiwanese beef noodle soup. One year and one month since I’ve seen my parents, not through a small black screen, but …

Breaking free from a musical rut

September 24, 2021

I have a bit of a rocky history with music. I tend to fall in love with a new song or album, listen to it ad nauseam for two months straight, become slightly irritated by it, avoid it for a mont…