Letter to the Editor

Re: Venture Outside the Bubble

I found the article Venture outside the bubble (published July 29, 2014) ridiculous.

The byline of this article reads: There is more to Kingston than Queen’s. My understanding, then, is that the article recommends services that are not owned and operated by Queen’s, and are therefore experiences that lie outside the undefined

“Queen’s bubble.”

I take issue with the conceptualization of the “Queen’s bubble” that is presented. I find the article narrow-minded because it implies that by leaving campus you are breaking out of the

“Queen’s bubble.”

This is a very student-centric view that does not provide fruitful recommendations but with a to-do list of student-frequented services that lie close to campus.

The only fault I found in this article was the headline/byline. There is no harm in sharing

student-favourite outings.

What I find ridiculous is that the final piece is, at best, a print copy of what students already know, and at worst a perpetuation of a

student-minded orientation. The article gives ways to be a denizen of Kingston when it should — according to the headline — recommend ways to become a citizen. Breaking the “Queen’s bubble” ideally involves interacting with the city and

its residents.

Examples of breaking out of the Queen’s bubble — for me,

anyway — would include befriending the city’s homeless residents; participating in beautification initiatives, such as gardening or picking up garbage; volunteering at local schools, churches or hospitals; or supporting local artisans.

Like the article, I am presenting a student’s opinion of what the “Queen’s bubble” is and how to leave it. While the presented conceptualization of the “Queen’s bubble” is just as valid an assumption as my own, I urge students to critically consider what their understanding of the “Queen’s bubble” is, and to make efforts to step outside it.

If that means going to the Brooklyn or Boiler Room, so be it. I hope, however, that students will break their “bubbles” in ways greater than the article’s myopic recommendations of eating, studying and partying local.

Sarah Cassidy

ArtSci ’14

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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.

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