EQuIP Orientation Week wins award
Queerientation, an alternative orientation week organized and held by the AMS’s Education on Queer Issues Project (EQuIP), has won the Queen’s Human Rights Initiative award.
The award is given out annually by the University’s Human Rights Office in recognition of initiatives that have contributed to advancing equality and human rights on campus.
“EQuIP is thrilled to win the Human Rights Initiative Award — I am overjoyed that a sense of community, support, and comfort were found by so many,” Queerientation Chair Jessica Sinclair said.
The event aims to raise awareness on queer issues, promote positive and safe spaces and establish a queer-positive support and resource system on campus and in Kingston.
Typically held over the course of September, this year’s Queerientation was compacted to feature the same events over a course of 13 days following faculty orientation week. The event, held between Sept. 12 and 24, included movie screenings and karaoke nights.
Sinclair, ArtsSci ’13, said she increased the event’s advertising efforts over the summer months to advertise the event.
“It was really important that the AMS put [Queerientation] to the forefront and helped spread the message. It’s something they haven’t done in previous years,” she said.
The event saw triple the turnout compared to previous years and included people of all ages, schools, sexual orientation and gender identities.
Queerientation will receive formal recognition at a ceremony on Jan. 25.
— Vincent Matak
McGuinty tuition cuts have limits
While more than 300,000 undergraduate students are considered eligible to receive the Ontario Government’s new 30 per cent Off Ontario Tuition Grant, a portion of Queen’s students won’t qualify.
Part-time students, those out of highschool for more than four years and non-Ontario residents don’t qualify for the grant that can result in savings of up to $800 per semester.
“The government needed to set parameters for the grant and wanted to capture middle- and low-income families,” said Mira Dineen, AMS academic affairs commissioner.
The grant also requires students to have a combined parental income of $160,000 or less.
“The AMS is encouraged by the first step from the government in addressing some aspects of accessibility to education,” Dineen said.
Starting this September, the 30 per cent Off Ontario Tuition Grant will apply to the full school year, meaning eligible students in a university or college degree program will save up to $1,600.
“For this semester, the government will administer the grant as a reimbursement,” Dineen, ArtSci ’12, said.
It hasn’t been decided whether or not future grants will be given through reimbursement or automatically taken from the cost of tuition.
— Rosie Hales
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