March 7, 2008
Vol. 135, Issue 36

Taking a dip

Students from the Queen’s Salsa Club perform at the African Caribbean Students Association Culture Show dress rehearsal in Duncan McArthur Auditorium last night. (Joshua Chan)

Leora Jackson new rector

Leora Jackson was named Queen’s 31st rector late Tuesday night with 37.7 per cent--936 votes--in the sixth round of preferential ballotting.

AMS wants to oust Hitchcock

The AMS wants Principal Karen Hitchcock out, but that doesn’t make a difference to the committee reviewing her reappointment. After more than two hours of discussion and debate on Wednesday evening, AMS Assembly unanimously passed a motion stating its opposition to Hitchcock’s reappointment. There was one abstention. Hitchcock’s five-year term ends June 30, 2009.

Fix tried for Queen’s Centre

Thanks to cost overrun, the University has revised its contract with the company working on Phase One of Queen’s Centre construction. The first phase of the project is $41 million over budget. Yesterday in an e-mailed statement to the Journal, Associate Vice-Principal (Facilities) Ann Browne said the University changed its contract with PCL construction because of cost increases. Discussions on changing the contract began in December.

Wanted: $132M

Vice-Principal (Advancement) David Mitchell has a $132-million goal hanging over him—the amount the University’s expected to raise in donations towards the cost of the Queen’s Centre. It’s more than half the original budgeted cost of the $230-million centre. So far the project is $41 million over what’s budgeted, and rising construction costs mean the price tag for Phases Two and Three may go up, as well.

SGPS elects new president, one vice-president

The Society for Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) elected its executive on Feb. 28 with an 8.77 per cent voter turnout. Jeff Welsh, PhD ’09, was elected president with 87.16 per cent of the vote. Sean Tucker, PhD ’09, was elected vice-president internal (graduate) with 85.21 per cent of the vote. He could not be reached for comment.

Report calls for Frosh Week checks, balances

AMS Vice-President (University Affairs) Julia Mitchell released her report on the Orientation Round Table (ORT) Feb. 28, recommending new checks for the Round Table Co-ordinator to prevent a repeat of financial and communication irregularity last year. Mitchell presented the report, which she worked on with Campus Activities Commissioner Caroline DuWors, at last week’s AMS Assembly meeting.

Accessibility is costly but critical

For most students, having a 9:30 a.m. class on Monday means sleeping in until 9 a.m. and making a mad dash for the door. For Katie Charboneau, ArtSci ’11, the day begins at 7 a.m. with a wake-up call from her nurse, who helps her get out of bed and get ready in the morning. Charboneau’s quadriplegic because of a car accident she was in two years ago. She has limited grip in her arms and uses a motorized wheelchair to get around.

Platform similarities prevail at rector debates

News In Brief

Contributors of the Month

Rector election statements

What's the Best of Kingston?

Tell us your favourite places to have breakfast, go out with friends, cure a hangover and more.

Fill out the Journal’s Best of Kingston survey for your chance to win a gift certificate to Atomica.

Results will be published in the Journal April 3.

Digging the hole deeper

When the University unveiled plans for the Queen’s Centre in 2004, it budgeted $230 million for its construction. Phase One was supposed to csot $124 million, Phase Two $83 million and Phase Three $23 million.

Uranium mining’s polluted legacy

Just an hour’s drive north of Kingston, 30,000 acres of private and crown land have been staked for uranium exploration, causing grave concern amongst both aboriginal and non-native communities.

Family blends voices

For Kate and Anna McGarrigle music constitutes more a lifetime than a lifestyle. The sisters have been playing and making their original, bilingual folk-rock music ever since they began their band together in Montreal during the early 1970s.

How the West always wins

The OUA champion McMaster Marauders’ perfect season came to a halt at last week’s national men’s volleyball championships when they were upset in four sets by the seventh-seeded Winnipeg Wesmen in the first round.

What’s luck got to do with it?

You may not believe in leprechauns or pots of gold, but chances are you’ve received a blessing from someone you don’t even know after a sneeze.

Issue in Photos

View all images from vol. 135, issue 36.