December 1, 2005
Vol. 133, Issue 23

Singing in the Season

Holiday spirit filled Grant Hall during the 60th Annual Carol Service held by EngSoc on Sunday night. Canned goods were donated at the door. (Lukasz Rygielski)

Campus gears up for federal election

On Monday evening, a non-confidence motion passed in the House of Commons, officially beginning a federal election campaign. Only 17 months after the last federal election, candidates and politically-minded students alike are gearing up for the longest federal election campaign in more than two decades. The timing of this campaign, which will span the holiday season, has been criticized by some observers.

Date rape drugs hit home

Through the darkness, the only thing Alexandra recalls is someone shouting. When Alexandra opened her eyes around 9 a.m., she felt dizzy and disoriented. Her vision was blurred, but her eyes eventually adjusted. Six thin, silver needles protruded from the tops of her hands and the soft flesh of her wrists and inner arms. Small tubes, connected to the needles, ran up and away into plastic, fluid-filled sacks. Then Alexandra realized she wasn’t wearing her own clothes.

Race, racism and blackface

When trying to decide on a university, Kareena Elliston, ArtSci ’06, said she was warned by her high school teachers and counsellors against choosing Queen’s. Elliston said it wasn’t long before she encountered racist attitudes during her first year. “One student told me I ‘wasn’t really black,’” she said. Elliston said one student’s recent Halloween costume is another example of racism on campus.

Culinary makeover for Vic common room

It’s for students like Catherine Payne, Comm ’09, that a new food and entertainment facility has been proposed for the lower common room in Victoria Hall. Payne, who lives on main campus, said that although she doesn’t plan on living in residence next year when the facility is scheduled to open, she thinks it’s a neat idea. The project, slated for groundbreaking on May 1 and opening next September, is currently in the design stages.

Exemption sought from information act

A proposed amendment to a provincial government bill may mean students could be refused access to information from University meetings where decisions and deliberations are made. Administrators, however, say new legislation won’t reduce the transparency of Queen’s existing freedom of information policies.

JComm rules on second AAA case

A student was found guilty of violating the All Ages Access (AAA) policy when she forgot to retrieve her student card from a charity event in early November. Last Thursday, the Judicial Committee (JComm) met to decide the matter of AMS vs. Kelsea Fitzpatrick, Sci ’09. Alvin Tedjo was the StuCon on duty at the exit door at the time Fitzpatrick left the bar. Tedjo said at the hearing that he was not more than two or three feet from the exit door at any time.

Campus rallies to support Grad Club

Undergrads, graduate students, faculty and staff packed The Grad Club Nov. 24 to collectively voice their support for the popular campus hangout. Members of the Law Students’ Society hosted the “Save The Grad Club” party and fundraiser to show support for the campus bar and circulate a petition opposing current proposals by the Union Street Project, which calls for the demolition of whole or part of The Grad Club’s building.

News In Brief

ASUS must improve accountability

The recent ASUS budget debacle has left a torrent of unanswered questions in its wake. In September, the largest faculty society at this university reported a net loss of $26,403 for the 2004-05 academic year.

Kashechewan tragedy greater than water crisis

Every child dreams. In Canada we try to indulge the dreams of each child equally. Publicly funded education, universal health care and other social services draw people to Canada from every corner of the world so that they may hope for a better future for their children. Yet when it comes to our aboriginal peoples, the original people of this land, neglect and inequality are the reality.

What makes a town home?

Karachi is a busy bustling city, a metropolis too big for its own good. It seems to be bursting at its seams, with too many people, cars, houses, traffic, troubles and buildings—all packed into an area with not enough trees, parks and relaxing spots.

A darker side of Santa Claus

If you’re looking for a play that will imbue you with that warm, joyful Christmas spirit, The Eight: Reindeer Monologues probably isn’t for you. However, if you’re unfazed by a description of a drunken Mrs. Claus attending a Christmas party dressed only in gold body paint, pasties, and a strategically placed elf, you might want to consider checking out this play.

Gaels golden at Invitational

The Queen’s figure skating team opened their season with a bang, dominating the competition at last Friday’s Queen’s Invitational en route to a 13-point victory over the second-place team from McGill.

Ch-ch-ch-changes: Another year gone

I won’t lie to you. Of all the people to be occupying this space at the back of this student newspaper, of all the former student writers who have left the student life for something else altogether, of all the people who could be capable of some sort of authorial claim over the cold reality and unspoken trials of post-graduate life —well, I gotta say, I’m probably not your girl.

Issue in photos

View all images from vol. 133, issue 23.