The Journal provides free space for parties on the referendum ballot. All statements are unedited.
This year’s winter referendum—and AMS election—will take place on Feb. 6 and 7.
AMS Food Bank
The AMS Food Bank provides confidential and non-judgmental food options to members of the Queen’s community in the most comfortable environment possible. The Food Bank helps to ensure that Queen’s students can be healthy and productive as they pursue academic achievement and alleviate poverty amongst Queen’s community members. The student fee for the AMS Food Bank directly goes into purchasing food for patrons. With the small budget we currently have and the increase in grocery prices it is becoming more difficult to provide patrons with the same reliable and quality food as in the past. With the financial burden the COVID-19 pandemic placed on students, our number of patrons is increasing. This is leading to shortages in the Food Bank as well as more patrons requesting special items. We offer a service in the Food Bank where patrons are able to request up to 5 items not included in our regular stock and this year we are noticing an increase in requests for diapers, baby food and dietary needs (halal, lactose free etc.). A new initiative the Food Bank took on was the PEACH Market (Providing Equal Access, Changing Hunger) which is a collaboration with Queen’s Hospitality. The PEACH Market is a pay what you can café where students can get a healthy entree, soup, or snack for little to no cost. A small portion of the budget also goes toward marketing to try to make the AMS Food Bank and PEACH Market service known for those who need it most.
Exhibit Change
Exhibit Change is a student-led club that aims to inform the community about significant issues (including but not limited to major global events, major social issues, etc.) while using the power of art as a means to garner interest in the topic and as a conduit for advocacy.
Our output is divided into two sectors: the research and the art sectors. These wings work together to complete a multitude of projects so that we can post them on our social media pages to continually and regularly inform the community and bring attention to important issues worldwide.
Regarding our plans for the student fee, we would like to use this student fee to cover our recurrent expenses (paint, painting tools, yarn, etc.) as well as expand our club into various more artistic mediums such as music (which is costly) and other potential artistic avenues. Moreover, this fee would definitely also help expand from just posting on social media to doing many more in-person events and consequently interacting much more with the student body.
Project Sunshine
Queen’s Project Sunshine is a university chapter of Project Sunshine, an international not-for-profit organization that brings free educational, creative, and social programming to children facing medical challenges. Our club provides three avenues of engagement: TelePlay, Sending Sunshine, and fundraising. We currently have 11 volunteers.
In the TelePlay program, our volunteers lead interactive virtual game sessions for pediatric patients and their families. All of our members receive standardized training from Project Sunshine and Vulnerable Sector Checks (VSCs) before volunteering. We initiated biweekly TelePlay programming at our partner health facility in August 2022.
In the Sending Sunshine program, volunteers assemble developmentally-appropriate activity kits for pediatric patients. Each of the kits includes supplies for a themed arts and crafts activity. Since January 2022, we have created and delivered ~150 activity kits for pediatric patients at our Kingston partner facility.
Finally, we engage in fundraising to support the mission of Project Sunshine Canada (every $1 raised supports the creation of 1 activity kit). We have raised over $3100 since January 2022 through two fundraisers.
Although Project Sunshine provides logistic and organizational support to all university chapters, no budgetary support is given. Therefore, the club has no budget for team socials, marketing, fundraising, and volunteer appreciation – all of which are critical components of the club experience. We have used creative solutions to engage in these activities, but we could not eliminate the financial burden for our volunteers, which is not sustainable over the long-term.
With a student fee, we would increase our club’s financial accessibility by covering the cost of VSCs and fundraising materials for volunteers. We would also be able to run more on-campus outreach/fundraising events for the Queen’s community. Ultimately, this would allow us to expand our club capacity and better achieve our mandate of bringing joy and play to pediatric patients.
Qapsule
Qapsule is creating Queen’s first interdisciplinary, multimedia, academic Health Sciences journal!
Please note that applications and submissions to Qapsule are NOT restricted to students in the Health Sciences program. Students from any faculty and program may submit to Qapsule given it is related to the Health Sciences. In fact, interdisciplinary submissions are highly encouraged!
The journal features work related to the Health Sciences of Queen’s students. The purpose of the journal is to disseminate research findings in the health sciences, highlight faculty and student success, and showcase the works of all undergraduate students related to the health sciences. This will include written works as well as illustrations, infographics, and videos. A new issue of the journal will be published annually.
Our team is currently made up of passionate Queen’s undergraduate students and a Health Sciences Faculty Advisory Panel comprised of Tiziana Cotchini, Laura van Staalduinen, Christopher Lohans, and Jeremy Butler. Qapsule also has official sponsorships with the Health Sciences Society, the Alma Mater Society, Dr. Michael Adams, the Bachelor of Health Sciences Program, and the Queen’s University Library. We work collectively towards the common goal of publishing undergraduate coursework, opinions, and insights into contemporary topics in the health sciences. Through our workshops, publications, and other events, the team comes together to form a strong community characterized by trust and friendship. We are completely volunteer-based; every member—whether student or Faculty—is part of the team because they truly wish to help enrich the undergraduate student experience at Queen’s University.
Queen’s Chess Club
Queen’s Chess Club is a diverse community of students sharing their passion for chess. We organize chess tournaments, social events and weekly meetings. Our mission is to create a community of Queen’s students who share a love for chess. We strive to focus on the culture and community of our club. We believe that to engage more students in the game of chess establishing a community where people feel comfortable and included is vital. Our goal is to use the Queen’s University spirit to inspire and create a long-lasting legacy of Queen’s Chess Players.
Queen’s Correctional Service Volunteers
Queen’s Correctional Services Volunteers (QCSV) is a club dedicated to promoting the rehabilitation of federal offenders in the Kingston community. By running various workshops, ranging from Life Skills to Employment and Resume Building, we aim to build confident, critically-thinking citizens who will contribute positively to the community!
Queen’s Hellenic Student’s Association
The Queen’s Hellenic Student Association (QHSA) is a rapidly growing cultural club at Queen’s University which was originally established in 2013. Since the beginning of our time at Queen’s, QHSA has had a mission to promote Hellenic culture on campus. Our club generally holds a few events each month which aim to unify students of Hellenic descent and those simply interested in our culture. By promoting an open atmosphere and celebrating Hellenic culture, both ancient and modern, we intend to bring the true spirit of Neo-Hellenism to life amongst the members of our organization. We also hope to create and maintain a sense of community that is a great joy to participate in. Membership is not limited solely to students of Greek lineage but is open to all those who are interested in Greek culture. In turn, every member has an equal opportunity to participate in our association.
While most QHSA events are held on campus or online, and intended for Queen’s students, we also tend to help the Kingston Greek Community whenever possible. The main event that our club helps the Kingston Greek Community with is their Greek food sales. This event is hosted, planned, and executed entirely by the Greek Community of Kingston. However, QHSA helps support by purchasing food at our own disclosure, and we help market the event through our club’s social media pages. Additionally, while QHSA is not a religious group, some members may choose to attend church together to further support the Kingston Greek Community. University can be a huge adjustment for most students. Therefore, if QHSA can provide a sense of comfort and support for Queen’s students, our goal has been achieved.
Queen’s Musical Theatre
Queen’s Musical Theatre is a student-run organization that aims to provide opportunities for those interested in or passionate about theatre. The club was formed in 1969 when the Queen’s Glee Club, which was established in 1883, made significant changes to its mandate. With the 1969 production of “The Boyfriend” QMT started producing Broadway musicals. Now, the club aims to stage two musical productions per year, welcoming students from all faculties to contribute to the productions, as well as host events such as cabaret nights. You can see photos from past productions and learn more about us at www.queensmusicaltheatre.ca.
Tags
ams referendum, winter referendum
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.