Culture Archives - Queen's Journal

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

Written on November 2, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle.

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 of living, gatekept by high rent and $16 cocktails. Toronto influencers, as highlighted on their TikTok...

Overwhelming criticism of Maryam Monsef reveals Canada’s cultural insensitivity

Written on September 2, 2021. Posted in Editorials.

On Aug. 25, Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef issued a direct plea to the Taliban, urging for the safe release of people from Afghanistan. For addressing members of the Taliban as “our brothers,” she’s faced an onslaught of misdirected criticism. News outlets and social media users mercilessly...

Supporting a culturally diverse campus is essential

Written on March 19, 2021. Posted in Editorials.

When it comes to teaching students about other cultures, the way schools go about teaching them is vital. Orientalism continues to pervade Western curriculum. Instead of taking a nuanced approach to giving students a clear understanding of different nations, Western society too often lumps people...

Queen’s Eats: Culinary connections to my culture

Written on February 4, 2020. Posted in Columns.

Cultural identity as a second-generation Canadian is difficult to navigate. I was born in the Greater Toronto Area to a Filipino mother and an Indonesian father, and when I was one year old, we moved from our diverse neighborhood in Vaughan to a predominantly white farming town about an hour and a...

Women's magazines promote women's public health

Written on September 7, 2018. Posted in Editorials.

Women’s health and government policy go hand-in-hand. In a year that highlighted gendered abuses, women’s magazines have provided essential information. In the past year, the value of women’s magazines has become more evident than ever. The volatile political climate in the United States has seeped...

Decolonializing culture through the arts

Written on February 3, 2017. Posted in Arts.

“I hope to communicate in ways that encourage, move or incite people to pause and question ways of being, relating and thinking they take for granted,” Leah Decter, artist and activist, said in an interview with The Journal. Decter is a multi-media artist who combats existing colonial frameworks...

Diwali lights up Grant Hall

Written on November 25, 2016. Posted in Lifestyle.

Walking into Grant Hall, I entered a completely different atmosphere than the bitter snowstorm raging outside. The already colorful Grant Hall was warm, dressed up with balloons, curtains, round tables and floral centerpieces. Guests mingled around tables wearing sarees, lehengas and semi-formal...

Reading the under-rated and under-read

Written on September 23, 2016. Posted in Lifestyle.

Like “cool” or “art,” the term “classic literature” is notoriously indefinable. The literary canon taught in universities and reprinted countless times is full of works by authors who we’re told are great before we can decide for ourselves. After many years of feeling the pressure to read all the...

A journey through the ages: visiting the Aga Khan Museum

Written on June 27, 2016. Posted in Arts.

With the exception of a brief middle school field trip to a Toronto mosque, my overall exposure to Islamic art had been very limited until I visited the Aga Khan Museum. The Aga Khan is devoted to showcasing Islamic and Persian art and Muslim culture from different corners of the world. The name of...

When trends ignore the deeper meaning

Written on June 27, 2016. Posted in Lifestyle.

Many symbols from Eastern artwork have become as commonplace in the home of university students as textbooks and Kraft Dinner. In almost every HomeSense you can find decorative Buddha heads, Indigo and Chapters sell mandala colouring books, and it has become difficult to tell if the tapestry hanging...

Jamaican coconut bread

Written on February 9, 2016. Posted in Lifestyle.

Black History Month serves as a reminder of the importance of appreciating and exploring other cultures — and honestly, there’s nothing that brings people together quite like food. This month, I decided to explore a recipe in Jamaican cuisine provided by a good friend of mine. This recipe for coconut...

From hipster to yuccie: The transformation of a privileged generation

Written on February 5, 2016. Posted in Lifestyle.

Every generation has its cliché, creative folk toting liberal arts degrees and the privilege of a middle class existence. You know the kind — you see them in the line at Starbucks in Goodes Hall every morning; tidy beards with patchouli beard oil, slicked back hair with a sweet fade and tight pants. The...

The importance of Black History Month

Written on February 2, 2016. Posted in Lifestyle.

Earlier this year, I experienced possibly the most awkward first date of my life. My date asked me why a club like the African Caribbean Students’ Association (ACSA) existed. He then proceeded to state that it’s the same thing as having a “White person’s club”. Read more at QJLongform.com.

Spirit of India comes to Kingston

Written on November 27, 2015. Posted in Arts.

With stunning moves and jaw-dropping feats, Bollywood Masala Orchestra and Dancers of India brought the rich dancing culture of India to downtown Kingston. Appearing in front of a full house at The Grand Theatre on Wednesday evening, the dance and music performance group from India celebrated the...

My culture isn’t a costume

Written on October 23, 2015. Posted in Lifestyle.

Celebrities at Coachella wearing Native American headdresses, bindis and dream catchers is a common sight.The Kardashian-Jenner siblings have come under fire for sporting cornrows, dreadlocks and even the niqab. Recently, Valentino presented its spring-summer 2016 collection inspired by Africa. White...

A sorry apology from The Daily

Written on October 23, 2015. Posted in Editorials.

A student newspaper’s mandate is to be representative of its readership and to be inclusive to students of all backgrounds. The McGill Daily hasn’t lived up to this directive. The paper recently issued a letter of apology for its failure to respond to a tweet expressing an anti-Semitic sentiment...

I’m not your racism meter

Written on October 20, 2015. Posted in Editorials.

I know that as a student at Queen’s — a school with a diversity problem — there’d be a risk of facing racism. What I didn’t expect was to be turned into everyone’s token person of colour (POC) friend that they could use as a point of reference. Because I’m Sri Lankan, I’m expected to answer questions...

A brown face in a white place

Written on October 16, 2015. Posted in Lifestyle.

Being a woman of colour in a primarily white school like Queen’s is incredibly daunting. When I first received my offer of admission, I was ecstatic. Out of all the schools I applied to, Queen’s was secretly the only one I cared about. When the email popped into my inbox, I cried so much my mom thought...

The Netflix & chill phenomenon

Written on October 16, 2015. Posted in Lifestyle.

Back in 2012, when “Gangnam Style” was dominating the Top 40 charts and I was beginning my first year at Queen’s, Netflix became a way for me to escape the dreariness of my day-to-day school life and avoid yet another night out at Stages. For me, there was nothing quainter than kicking back on a...

Sacred Aboriginal tradition

Written on November 14, 2014. Posted in Arts.

The Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre offers emotional and cultural support for Indigenous students through hand drumming circles. Also offering academic tutoring, cultural programming and an Indigenous-oriented library, the centre creates a welcoming environment for all students. Hand drumming...

Inappropriate appropriation

Written on October 24, 2014. Posted in Opinions.

Tania Nguyen, ArtSci ’18 Cultural appropriation — and what it looks like — is a good thing to be cognizant of before dressing up this Halloween. Cultural appropriation is the act of thieving specific aspects from other cultures and framing them as your own. This trend has become pervasive within...

Overt to covert

Written on March 14, 2014. Posted in Features.

In January, I wore a hijab for 18 days. I’m a non-Muslim woman, but I wanted to conduct a social experiment to experience what it’s like to cover on a daily basis. I suspected I wouldn’t be the target of racial slurs, threats or ill-treatment. What I didn’t anticipate, however, was for the opposite...

Proudly indigenous

Written on January 31, 2014. Posted in Features.

Ashley Maracle didn’t wear a cap and gown to her convocation. Instead, she wore her traditional Mohawk regalia. Dissatisfied with the lack of support and programming offered by Queen’s Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre prior to 2009, Maracle and two other students wore graduation ensembles...

Music making for social justice

Written on November 22, 2013. Posted in Arts.

Think music rooted in social justice. The Kingston Soul Shakedown, an event run by a group of local DJs and dancers, aims to create a positive space for marginalized individuals. Ekta Singh, also known as DJ E, combined her social activism and love of international and independent music to help form...

Reclaiming significance

Written on October 18, 2013. Posted in Arts.

She was singing on her own long before she made a career of it. Tanya Tagaq was born and raised in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, a small town of about 2,500 people. On Friday evening, she’ll be bringing her culture and heritage to Queen’s as part of the Tone Deaf music festival at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian...

Culture clash over kid’s care

Written on September 27, 2013. Posted in Editorials.

Two Winnipeg foster parents will soon learn whether or not they can continue caring for the child who has been with them for two years. Because the child in question is Métis and the parents are Filipino, the Métis Child and Family Services Authority has attempted to block the adoption in favour of...

Exchange Diaries: Settling in for the semester

Written on September 18, 2013. Posted in Lifestyle.

Chloe Grande is in France on exchange for the upcoming year. She will be sharing her experience as a regular contributor for QJBlogs. My anxiety levels hit a new high the day I left for France. Until then, when asked how I felt about leaving, my go-to reply was always excited. As my departure day...

A day of misfortune

Written on September 13, 2013. Posted in Lifestyle.

Proceed with caution and hope luck is on your side today — it’s Friday the 13th. I’d like to think I’m not superstitious, but in reality I am. I knock on wood to prevent jinxing something I’ve said. If I see a black cat ahead of me, I mentally command it to stay in place until I walk past. On Friday...

Anticipating the dead

Written on January 25, 2013. Posted in Lifestyle.

Tim Bailey wants to break down sometimes, but he knows he can’t. It’s the nature of his business. As a funeral home director, Bailey is the one that families must turn to when they can’t keep it together. Outside of Robert J. Reid & Sons Funeral Home, Bailey looks like any other man in his late...

The power behind a profane tongue

Written on November 16, 2012. Posted in Lifestyle.

Sometimes a good “fuck you” is all you need. “There is nothing that will serve better,” department of philosophy professor Adèle Mercier says at the end of our interview, as an afterthought of sorts. “Offensive words serve a kind of purpose in language,” she said earlier in the conversation. “They...

Tag: Culture

The Journal, Queen's University - Since 1873

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