Darts & laurels 2007-08

Darts

  • Campus construction: Finding a new route to class everyday isn’t as fun as one might think. If our mess of a campus had been cleaned up on time, we wouldn’t spend seminars shouting over the sound of explosions just to get participation marks.
  • The Queen’s Centre: It’s not rocket science to write a budget that accounts for rising construction costs, nor is it a challenge to confirm financial contributions before putting people down to give $4.5 million.
  • Principal Karen Hitchcock: Her mantra of “engaging the world” has led her to forget the people she should be engaging: her students. If Hitchcock were a magician, her trick would be to disappear when she’s needed most.
  • The Engineering Society Executive: Withholding information from the Journal, pub staff and patrons after closing Clark Hall Pub was opaque and underhanded. What they did make public showed they had no idea what was going on, anyway.
  • RWS’s failure to close Tricolour Outfitters: Way to get elected and throw a pivotal platform point out the window. This doesn’t bode well for accountability next year, and slaps anyone who voted for Team RWS based on its closing across the face.
  • Racist assault: This incident was deplorable and these four students should be utterly ashamed. The students who know who it was and have elected to keep quiet are a party to this disgusting act. The University’s response to this was shamefully delayed and its impact muted.
  • Orientation Round Table 2007: Lack of proper budgeting for Frosh Week is a prime example of the AMS’s inability to function properly. If ORT Co-ordinator Ryan Shoemaker had done his job or if anyone had checked up on him these “surprise” expenditures might not have happened.
  • Justice Douglas Cunningham: Cunningham’s decision to use professor Bob Lovelace to set an example was an abuse of power and did nothing to stop Lovelace’s cause.
  • The Athletics Review: Delays surrounding the review made its final unveiling anticlimatic. Principal Karen Hitchcock’s response was useless and set the stage for an identical review a year from now.
  • Tricolour’s “Sport of Kings” T-shirts: AMS retail services director Alvin Tedjo erred in his judgment to allow the store to sell T-shirts depicting a king chess piece standing behind a bent-over queen piece under the header “Sport of Kings.” We can only hope this kind of sexism doesn’t exemplify Queen’s spirit.

Laurels

  • After-hours Child Care payment: Undergraduate student Andréa Stanger’s thesis found the promised funds from the cancelled service were never transferred. The AMS was swift in paying the Ban Righ Centre the full amount plus interest, acknowledging its mistake and righting the wrong of a previous executive.
  • Vice-Principal (Academic) Patrick Deane: Deane defended students against city council’s condemnations and told the city how ridiculous its demands for Homecoming payments were. He’s erudite and on the ball and his willingness to take on tasks outside his job description demonstrates his dedication to the University.
  • AMS motion on Hitchcock’s re-appointment: Although the AMS Assembly’s decision to withhold support for Hitchcock’s re-appointment needed student consultation, it should be commended. Good on the Assembly for speaking up.
  • Student publications: Social Issues Commission publications such as Outwrite and Queen’s Feminist Review did a fabulous job of integrating important issues and giving groups an active voice on campus.
  • Bob Lovelace and his supporters: Lovelace impressed us as an advocate and a professor. He never stepped down from fighting his cause and he never imposed it on his students, either. Queen’s is right to hold his position until he returns.
  • Queen’s diversity adviser Barrington Walker: Walker’s job isn’t enviable, especially at a school such as Queen’s, where diversity’s lacking. He’s the right person for the job and has the know-how to create change.
  • Vice-Principal (Advancement) David Mitchell: Mitchell’s job includes fundraising for the Queen’s Centre and handling a $132-million burden. If anyone’s going to dig the Queen’s Centre out of its hole, Mitchell’s the one to do it.
  • Commerce Society President Dave Waugh: EngSoc makes any undergraduate society look good this year, but ComSoc stands out.Waugh has it together and uses his position to make things happen—from the AMS motion on Hitchcock to questioning Frosh Week bills.
  • Connie Dayboll: An all-star rower, Dayboll has racked up a stunning eight OUA gold medals in four years and deserves credit for her dedication to the sport—not to mention the early mornings.
  • Sexual Health Resource Centre: SHRC staff are all volunteers who handle sensitive but vital issues that other people can be squeamish to address.

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