Less than 24 hours after it was smashed at an anti-Jordan Peterson protest, one Queen’s student started an online fundraiser to repair a century-old stained glass window at Grant Hall.
Queen’s Engineering student Kodie Becker started the fundraiser on the morning of Mar. 6. The fundraiser was set up on the crowd funding website GoFundMe, seeking $500 for the repairs.
The event’s description reads “it doesn’t matter” if the University can pay for the window itself or not. “This is about showing that we still care about our heritage, our campus, and our community. If every undergraduate student were to donate less than the cost of a beer at QP, then we’d have more than $20,000.”
Becker further intends to present however much is raised to the University on behalf of the students “no matter their views, opinions, and past actions.”
In an interview with The Journal, Becker said he was reading about the Peterson debate on Monday night when the broken window came to his attention. “It makes me sad to see public places damaged, especially ones as significant to our heritage and community such as Grant Hall,” Becker wrote.
Within the description, Becker further spoke to the importance of the building and its history. “We start and end our journeys at this university in that building, and I know it means a lot to the community, both past and present. It’s establishment too is one of community, it was entirely funded by students more than a century ago,” it reads. “I feel as if we have this duty to continue this community engagement in keeping it well kept for people to enjoy in the future.”
When asked about why the target of $500 was chosen for the campaign, Becker told The Journal “the set target is just there because the platform needed one, otherwise I was kind of just hoping for any amount to put forth to the damages as a show of good will.”
While unsure of how to deliver the funds to the University, Becker explained he’s currently looking into the process. “I’m just happy to see people are willing to get engaged in fixing Grant Hall, no matter how many people contribute, and no matter how much of a dent we put in the bill,” he wrote.
At the time of publication, the fundraiser has raised $589, with no expressed date of closing.
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