Rising female tennis player Sania Mirza is the subject of a growing controversy. The 18-year-old, a self-described devout Muslim, has been criticized by some Muslim clerics for her attire on the court. Her polo shirt and tennis skirt are a common and comparatively modest combination in the sport. However, the clerics argue that Mirza is going against the principles of Islam by wearing clothing that fails to cover large areas of her body.
This week students learned that signs with slogans affixed to houses are considered graffiti by city inspectors, even if the homeowners put the signs up themselves.

Let’s talk Deere, not Dior

October 25, 2005
As we drove through the early morning mist, I gazed out past the front seat through golden farm fields and fiery treetops lit up by the sun. I was heading to Toronto on a road trip, and although most of my fellow Queen’s students in the car felt at home when we got there, the passing countryside is more familiar for me. The car ride reminded me of the day my class voted that having multiple new vehicles in the driveway was—shrug—fairly normal, and half of them admitted they cruised around in their own leased little numbers.
The Kingston Police recently sent a letter requesting the University pay $84,000 for the expenses they incurred in order to police the Ghetto during Homecoming. In a second letter, the police suggested that the University have automatic punishment in place for students who violate the Criminal code. They have also anticipated new strategies for next year, which may include helmets, Tasers and tear gas.
McGill University has chosen to cancel the remainder of its football season early after an investigation into its Aug. 27 rookie night revealed that allegations of hazing made by a player were true. The player has subsequently left the team and the university.

Losing touch with InTouch

October 21, 2005
It’s time to come clean about my rehabilitation from an embarrassing addiction to weekly celebrity gossip magazines. I know it will generate a lot of eye rolling and groans, but recent events have caused me to evaluate my problem. I started reading my mother’s copies of Vogue when I was about 14.
The celebrated return of the NHL has been a bittersweet occasion for diehard fans. After an entire season without hockey, spectators are soaking up every minute of play they possibly can. The game, however, has not returned from its hiatus quite the same. The new rules arguably have not resulted in a positive change in the sport.
It is appalling that the Iraq war was in the works before there were any valid suspicions that the country was harbouring weapons of mass destruction, the reason the Bush administration has consistently given for its preemptive invasion. In September 2002, Card told the New York Times they had a “meticulously planned strategy” and that “from a marketing point of view, you don’t introduce new products in August,” which was why the wheels began turning in September instead.

Rites of the river

October 18, 2005
As of yesterday, at 11:40 a.m., I am officially 21 years old. As I was getting ready for this birthday I realized that it means nothing to me. What does it mean to be 21? I’m now allowed to drink in the U.S., but what else is there when you’re 21? I feel like I’ve passed all the exciting birthdays: 16 when—after years of dreaming—driving is within your reach, 18 when you legally become an adult and 19 when alcohol is something you are allowed to have in public instead of something secret.
Just because it’s called the Ghetto does not mean the housing area around campus has to live up to its name. Students, like other Kingston residents, should be able to expect living conditions that meet municipal standards. At the same time, students are ultimately responsible for making sure their houses are meeting minimum requirements by being proactive in seeking out solutions. Hopefully, SPAT will help students begin to deal with housing problems.
Principal Hitchcock’s “Engaging the World” is a discussion paper outlining the principal’s vision for the future of Queen’s—namely, “global engagement.” The principal’s discussion paper incorporates broad phrases and jargon, but few specifics as to how exactly this “global engagement” will be brought about.
Non-academic discipline at Queen’s is a peer-administered system that involves students passing judgment on other students for committing offences. These offences can range in severity from disturbance of the peace up to offences akin to vandalism and assault. Most of you at this point will be asking “Why should I care?” and for the vast majority of you, this system will be outside your experiences at Queen’s.
Although the end of the freeze will likely mean higher tuition fees, it was unreasonable to hope the freeze would last forever. A tuition freeze is not a long-term way to keep university accessible. One long-term solution is to increase student assistance and funding, which the provincial government has pledged to do.
A recent Toronto Star article reported that the number of women studying engineering in Ontario is on the decline. In response to the decline, engineering schools have taken steps to entice women back to engineering by eliminating Ontario’s grade 12 geometry and discrete mathematics course as an entrance requirement. Instead, the article reports, applicants may substitute more “female-friendly” courses, such as biology.

Cheer up, buddy

October 6, 2005
It’s been a rough couple of weeks, eh? I mean, we’ve all been taking a serious beating in the press, our teachers are comparing us to the minions of the Third Reich, trees are attacking our homes and vehicles, and we’ve been threatened with water cannons and attack dogs by the mayor. Plus, when Principal Hitchcock isn’t checking her messages on the Ghetto snitch line, she’s meeting with students only long enough to take fingerprints.
Tuesday night, at the Kingston city council meeting, councillors voted in favour of requesting that Queen’s provide financial compensation for the costs of having the police, fire and ambulance services on Aberdeen Street during Homecoming weekend. They also approved the creation of a committee directed at finding ways to thwart any future illegal activity in the Sydenham district. It should be noted that council voted to remove a clause to potentially grant police the ability to use more drastic measures to control crowds.
David Naylor, U of T’s new president, spent his first day on the job attending classes and will continue to do so for the rest of the week at all three of U of T’s campuses. He will also be going to basketball practice and talking to students in the cafeterias. He told the Toronto Star he was doing this to get an idea of “how the university looks and feels for students.”

Dear Coffee and Co.

October 4, 2005
Yesterday it was pointed out to me that Coffee & Co. and Stooley’s are gaining a new neighbour on the corner of Division and Johnson. While I really shouldn’t judge any company that decides to move in and market itself to the many students of the area, I’m still slightly upset by this. For those who haven’t heard, the multinational super-company Starbucks is moving in across the street from both Coffee and Co. and Stooley’s.
During the next three weeks, a gathering of Catholic bishops may consider denying Holy Communion to politicians who have supported the legalization of same-sex marriage. Although a practicing Catholic, Prime Minister Paul Martin has maintained that he will separate his personal beliefs from his duties as a politician.
Adèle Mercier’s letter has only fueled the continuing saga of Aberdeen. Comparing partiers to “Hitler youth” has done nothing to improve the situation. If anything, it has reaffirmed the media’s untrue stereotypes of Queen’s students, and offended those with painful connections to a Nazi past.
Skip to content