May 19, 2020

Letter to the Editor: May 19th

Dear Editors, If you are a university-age Ontarian, you likely remember the “Yours to Discover” license plates. The Ministry of Transportation first issued the blue-on-white reflective sheet license plates to Ontario drivers in 1996. They began with the format of AAAA-001. The plates are heavi…

March 27, 2020

What COVID-19 can teach us about the climate crisis

The world is in the midst of what could become the deadliest global pandemic in living memory. Even as we lack adequate testing capabilities, global cases of COVID-19 have surpasse…

March 27, 2020

Talking Heads: What will you miss most about The Journal?

“Singing High School Musical and Jonas Brother songs at 3 a.m. with my buddies. Staying up late every Thursday to finish the paper with my friends has been an absolute privilege.” Ally Mastantuono…

March 20, 2020

Talking Heads: What do you want Queen’s to be remembered for?

“I want Queen’s to be remembered for its strong community, especially within the faculties. A huge support system exists within each of them, and I am so proud to be part of mine.” Grace Chen, Con…

What the VIA rail blockades taught me about Indigenous issues in Canada

March 20, 2020

The recent blockade protests in support of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs caused a big shock to Canada, both economically and politically. Now that it seems media coverage has stopped, I wanted…

Racism over coronavirus outbreak is senseless

March 13, 2020

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has a lot of people scared and looking for someone to blame. We can see this hysteria reflected in the stock market going down, and in people bul…

Talking Heads: If you could switch faculties, which faculty would you switch into?

March 13, 2020

“Con-Ed, but I’d be a bad teacher.” Kenny Yu, Comm ‘22 “I wouldn’t switch faculties.” Juman Arief, Comm ‘23 “Probably Commerce. I wouldn’t have to do as much work and I’d make more money.” Migue…

Letter to the editors: March 13

March 13, 2020

Dear Editors, In 1989, a group of concerned women staged a Sit-In in then Principal David Smith’s office to call attention to the issue of sexual violence on the Queen’s University campus. A key de…

White queers at Queen’s must do more for our racialized counterparts

March 10, 2020

My sense of community in campus activist spaces has starkly changed over my four years at Queen’s in profound ways. These experiences have provided me with a community I’ve never had, based in care…

Letter to the Editor: March 10th

March 10, 2020

Dear Editors, The Muslim-Jewish symposium that was held on February 28 and 29 has not resonated well with the majority of the Jewish community at Queen’s. When my Jewish friends and I first saw the…

Talking Heads: Why are you walking out for Wet’suwet’en?

March 6, 2020

“The reason why I’m here today is to stand in solidarity with some of our Indigenous peers here on campus, and the ongoing efforts towards reconciliation within Canada.” Auston Pierce, ArtSci ‘20 …

We need to teach children the right way to combat confrontation

March 6, 2020

Westerners like to believe that we’ve evolved to a state that renders confrontation obsolete. This is apparent through the sayings we feed our children. When young people bully others using either …

Cross country coach’s firing says more about Queen’s than his own behaviour

March 3, 2020

In the middle of Reading Week, Queen’s Athletics hit the front page of The Globe and Mail. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a story about success on the field. The cross country and track coach, Steve Boyd…

Talking Heads: What are the worst and best buildings to have a class in?

February 28, 2020

“I only have class in Goodes.” Fatin Noor, Comm ’23 “I would say West [Duncan McArthur Hall] is probably one of the worst, and the best is BioSci.” Anisha Grover, ArtSci ’22 “I feel like the wor…

It’s time to rethink our social media expectations

February 28, 2020

Technology has granted us knowledge in seconds, but access to everyone else as well. There are countless memes out there about how we expect a response to a text a minute before we’ve even sent it….

Letter to the Editor: February 13th

February 13, 2020

Dear Editor, Canada is a country built on rights and freedoms. Freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly are two examples of rights that are enshrined in our Charter. For the past seve…

Post-themed party, racial insensitivity is alive and well on campus

February 13, 2020

Editors’ Note: The author has been granted anonymity out of concern for personal safety. To start the decade, news of the novel coronavirus made headlines, spreading panic and fear faster than the …

Talking Heads: Why did you choose Queen’s?

February 13, 2020

“What sealed the deal for me was touring the day before Homecoming (I clearly was unaware of how wild Queen’s Hoco was, being an American student). I saw all the alumni walking around in their Que…

It’s time to take mental health maintenance more seriously

February 11, 2020

When you’re in a state of mental health crisis, you become a priority. When you’re no longer a priority, maintaining your mental wellness becomes far more difficult than it should be. I experience…

Letter to the Editor: February 11th

February 11, 2020

Dear Editors, “With an open heart, we can worry less about which side has been wronged and worry more about joining sides to do right.” – Obama Since its founding in 2015, the Queen’s Female Leader…

Campus equity groups can do better to consider the needs of those who occupy multiple oppressed identities

February 7, 2020

In early January, Queen’s Female Leadership in Politics (QFLIP) held their fifth annual conference. If you’re unfamiliar with the conference, their website states they work “towards the intersectio…

Talking Heads: What's your favourite thing to get at Queen's Pub?

February 7, 2020

“I’ve never been because I’m underage, and I also don’t want to see my Econ prof there.” Eleni Pantieras, Comm ’23 “Prince Eddy’s peach wheat beer.” Thorolf van Walsum, ArtSci ’21 “My favourite …

Letter to the Editor: January 7th

February 7, 2020

Dear Editors, I am from Guangzhou, China. At present, my family and tens of millions of Chinese families are bravely fighting against the spread of the virus. My mother has launched several fundrai…

Relationships on a year abroad and why we don’t need them

February 4, 2020

When I arrived back in England from my first semester abroad at Queens, I was full of excitement and stories of my time here. However, I quickly found that few people really wanted to know what it …

Talking Heads: Why should students engage with campus politics?

January 31, 2020

“It has the ability to make your life better.” David Niddam-Dent, ArtSci ’22 “It can help define your undergraduate career.” Matt D’Alessandro, ArtSci ’22 “To stay informed about current issu…

What I wish someone had told me when I had an eating disorder at Queen’s

January 31, 2020

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. My four years in Kingston were…

Western Canada is left behind in federal politics

January 28, 2020

The Canadian federal election in October shed some much-needed light on important aspects of our nation’s political climate that are still going unaddressed. One of these notable outcomes was the p…

Talking Heads: Would you rather live in Jean Royce or Harkness?

January 24, 2020

“I feel like […] Harkness.” Rachel Cantor, Kin ’23 “Harkness. Just ’cause it’s closer.” Tabassum Pasha, Comm ’21 “I’d never go to West. The other one.” Chris Went, Nursing AST ’21

Why Bell Let’s Talk has the power to bind us together

January 24, 2020

I know it’s a cold time out there for many of you, but for many others, it’s a time where the pressures of life can be overwhelming, to say the least. I say this because I know that, today, many st…

The anti-5G movement is a new form of fearmongering

January 21, 2020

Over the past few months, you may have noticed Kingston yard signs advertising the following: “NO SMALL CELL ANTENNAS! OUR KIDS LIVE HERE! STOP 5G!” That notion has no factual basis and it prevents…