Last week, Queen’s was cited as Canada’s best employer by Forbes magazine. This assessment may ring true for some workers at Queen’s, however for many others it sounds like a Beaverton headline.

While the EQuIP and Positive Space programs at Queen’s are both valuable student resources, the positive space training itself needs an upgrade if it’s going to make a lasting impact on student leaders.

“Mac-Corry Hall.”Patricia Warren, ArtSci ’19 “Stauff.”Rebecca Lindsay, PHEKin ’19 “The ARC.”Jacqueline Toole, PHEKin ’19 

“Heading to France to visit my boyfriend.”Jackie Ji, ArtSci ’17 “Seeing cousins in Waterloo and then going to Niagara.”Parnam Boparai, ArtSci ’19 “I’m spending the first weekend in New York.”Emily Beebe, ArtSci ’19 

The concept of volunteering for a few weeks in a remote destination may be doing more harm than good. While the country varies — India, Tanzania, Bolivia, Malaysia, etc. — and the initiative may be different — building schools, education, starting an NGO — the concept is the same: it’s called “voluntourism”.

Queen’s counselling services are making strides to accommodate more students but fails to solve issues surrounding the short-term approach that counsellors tend to take.

While the #DressLikeAWoman hashtag attempts to promote equality by showing that woman and their dress can’t be reduced to a single description, it doesn’t confront that defining woman is in itself problematic.

“Beyoncé. You get three valentines for one.”Shreeya Thakar, ArtSci ’17 “Wow, so many pretty people…Chris Pratt.”Samantha Rivas, ArtSci ’20 “Seth Rogan or Snoop Dogg.”Tiffany Tsilker, ArtSci ’20 

“A country in Scandinavia.”Claire Weersink, PHEKin ’20 “Japan.”Jeffrey Turnock, Sci ’17 “Paris.”Claire Swarbrick, PHEKin ’20 

When embarking on an education exchange experience, it’s important that young people acknowledge the differences that exist from society to society. This acknowledgment is the first step in making sure that the leaning taking place is healthy and beneficial to both the students and the country.

“Inclusivity in hiring practices.”Amy Haddlesey, ArtSci ’18 “Accessibility around campus.”Emily Forbes, ArtSci ’19 “Encouraging more hands-on learning strategies.”Jacquline O’Rourke, ConEd ’18  

Every year, when election season rolls around, I wonder how candidates prepare to run. This year, I had a taste of that process myself, when I chose to make a bid for Undergraduate Student Trustee. In the end, I chose not to fill out the campaign paperwork, but it wasn’t because I got cold feet. I chose not to run because the entire election process is incredibly inaccessible to the average student.

On Jan 19, to the dismay of the campus environmental community, the AMS Assembly passed a motion to dissolve the Commission of Environmental Affairs (CEA).

In September of 2012, I received a phone call I never thought I would get.

“Being less stressed.” Olivia Litt, ConEd ’18  “Cooking for myself more.”Madison Kent, ConEd ’18  “Going to the gym everyday.” Sophie Travaglini, ArtSci ’20  

One of the first things I saw this morning was a Toronto Star article concerning more First Nations kids taking their lives, and chiefs calling for help to deal with the suicide crisis. In conversation with a friend about it, she said to me “I wish I could help, but as a student I just don’t know how.”

“Hanging Christmas lights.”Elspeth Yates, ArtSci ’18  “Decorating the tree with my grandmother.”Jordan Adair, ArtSci ’18 “The food. I’m Polish.”Ola Lemanowicz, ArtSci ’18  

“It’s Week 11 …”Makenzie Mackay, ArtSci ’17 “Thank god it’s almost Christmas.”Tamika Myskiw, ArtSci ’19 “I like what I’m doing so the stress is manageable.”Zarah Suficienca, ConEd ’17