February 26, 2009
Vol. 136, Issue 35

Rector Leora Jackson and Undergraduate Student Trustee Michael Ceci stand in front of the Policy Studies building. On Feb. 23, the Board of Directors voted to change the name of the building to Robert Sutherland Hall. (Matthew Rushworth)

Honouring Robert Sutherland

One hundred thirty-one years after his death, Robert Sutherland has returned to Queen’s. On Feb. 23, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted in favour of a student-initiated motion to rename the Policy Studiesbuilding Robert Sutherland Hall to honour the legacy of Queen’s first major benefactor. Sutherland, the first black person to graduate from a British-North American university and be called to the bar of Upper Canada, graduated from Queen’s in 1852. Upon his death in 1878, he left his entire estate to Queen’s—a $12,000 bequest that at the time was equal to the University’s annual operating budget.

More faculty cuts to come

In further cost-cutting measures, several faculties will lose a significant number of appointments and salaries will be frozen, Principal Tom Williams announced yesterday during his Principal’s Report to the Community in Robert Sutherland Hall. The Faculty of Arts and Science will lose 47 positions over the next three years.

Queen’s cancels scholar program

The Queen’s National Scholar program (QNS) is the latest casualty to the University’s budget cuts. The program was founded in 1983 to attract exceptional young researchers to Queen’s.

Queen’s e-mail plagued by virus

A computer virus circulating around Queen’s Webmail under the guise of an e-mail greeting card has caused a backlog at Queen’s Information Technology Services. The sender of the greeting card appears as “e-cards@hallmark.com” or “e-cards@americangreetings.com” with the subject line “You have got a new E-card from your friend!”

Objection to census could land alumnus in jail

A Queen’s alumnus and Kingston resident is facing a $300 fine and up to three months in prison for refusing to fill out his 2006 census form. Todd Stelmach, Rehab ’00, will appear in court Mar. 5 to plead not guilty.

News in brief

Sports in brief

Best of Kingston survey

Have your say in where the best pizza can be found, which local offers the best people-watching and where to spend your time hung over.

Click Here to take survey

Results will appear in the Apr. 2 edition of the Journal.

Please direct any questions to queensjournal.postscript@gmail.com

Athletics needs team effort

The Department of Athletics and Recreation is proposing a $120 fee increase to maintain its programs.

Why the Canadians should stay

It has been more than seven years since the U.S. and its NATO allies toppled the Taliban regime and uprooted a large safe haven belonging to the sectarians of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

Moving mountains for health

Whether it’s scaling the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro or conducting research on global health from her office at Queen’s, Dr. Karen Yeates, a nephrologist at Kingston General Hospital and a Queen’s professor, is working to improve women’s health.

Bare-boned and badass

Brian Borcherdt doesn’t want to be the guy who complains all the time.

Silver success for figure skating

Queen’s figure skating team concluded their season with a second-place finish at the OUA championships last week at the University of Toronto.

What’s God got to do with it?

On July 23, 1998, Edward J. Larson, a science historian then based out of the University of Georgia, and Larry Witham, a journalist, published the results of an oft-invoked, somewhat controversial study that came to the conclusion that “among the top natural scientists, disbelief [in God] is greater than ever—almost total.”

Issue in Photos

View all images from vol. 136, issue 35.