Every year, Queen’s welcomes thousands of eager-to-learn first-year students who worked extremely hard to get into this high-ranking institution. But the mentality that students must push themselves to get into Queen’s doesn’t stop after they’re accepted into their programs. 

Despite the steep price, first-year residences have long proven valuable experiences for students adjusting to living on their own. But as students age beyond first year, the benefits of Queen’s residence living don’t quite outweigh the costs.

Universities often pride themselves on their strong communities and their dedication to their students.

The rhetoric that young Canadians don’t vote is outdated and inaccurate—and politicians do us a disservice when they fail to consider that.

Climate crisis exposure on social media is the first step to saving the planet.

Working women suffer from the burden of traditional gendered expectations—and it’s destroying their health.

Seeking medical or psychiatric help as a student can be an intimidating task. Campus healthcare resources don’t make that any easier by imposing steep no-show fees on vulnerable students sometimes forced to cancel appointments last-minute.

The Internet is an excellent forum for sharing ideas—until hateful dialogue across social media leads to violence in the real world.

Municipalities’ declarations of climate emergencies aren’t empty gestures. They’re a call to affect change at provincial and national levels of government, and they demonstrate solidarity with their communities’ priorities.

We all know what sets Queen’s apart from other universities is the school’s intense sense of spirit. But under the guise of maintaining this spirit, real student issues are swept under the rug.

The recent outbreak of respiratory illnesses borne from what’s known as the “vaping crisis” has health officials concerned about the dangers of nicotine and cannabis vaporizers.

Justin Trudeau’s choice to don blackface on several occasions was racist and unacceptable. 

Campus’ charming historical buildings might add to the University’s appeal, but old architecture only goes so far when its walls are lined with asbestos.

Every year, Queen’s boasts about its sustainability efforts, from selling reusable straws to offering electric vehicle charging stations. But when it really counts, the school falls silent.

Consent education isn’t something that can be reduced to a catchy slogan or a colourful poster. Its teaching should reflect the same nuance and gravity of real-life sexual encounters.

Female-identifying university students have the power to generate and advocate for female-focused research on the ground level—and that’s something we should take advantage of.

Mistakes are inevitable, even for medical professionals. But if hospitals aren’t willing to be held accountable and learn from these mistakes, future patients will pay the price.

When politicians target universities, they diminish hard-working students and professors sharing knowledge and curiosity—not some imagined intellectual elite.

Given the severity of the climate crisis, we need to consider sustainability in every component of our lives—and that includes landscaping. 

With Canada’s 2019 federal election campaign officially underway, now is not the time to extinguish the climate debate—it’s time to ramp it up.