Editorials Archive: 2005

The recent ASUS budget debacle has left a torrent of unanswered questions in its wake. In September, the largest faculty society at this university reported a net loss of $26,403 for the 2004-05 academic year.Continue...

Last week, the AMS and SGPS each presented draft reports of their preliminary recommendations on the non-academic discipline system to the University Senate. They were mandated to do so by the Principal’s Task Force on Community Relations which had recommended “strengthening the mandate and resources of AMS and SGPS for addressing non-academic discipline with a focus on off-campus student behaviour.” The SGPS raised concerns at the meeting as to the scope of the Code of Conduct. As it stands, the Code of Conduct could potentially be applied to discipline a Queen’s student who breaches the Code anywhere in the world. The boundaries of the Code of Conduct should be clarified and reinforced during the welcoming ceremony, even before students sign on the dotted line to confirm their acceptance to Queen’s, and thus their agreement to abide by the Code of Conduct.Continue...

Looking around at the faces on campus, I’ve noticed a general aura of weariness that is strikingly common at this time of the year. Students adopt a certain zombie-esque quality, going through the day mechanically, with too many wishful thoughts about the upcoming holidays. As Emerson succinctly put it, “we are always getting ready to live, but never living.”Continue...

On Tuesday, the Liberals introduced Bill C-74, whose short title is the “Modernization of Investigative Techniques Act.” According to the government, C-74 is an “act regulating telecommunications facilities to facilitate the lawful interception of information transmitted by means of those facilities and respecting the provisions of telecommunications subscriber information.”Continue...

This week, Maclean’s released its annual university rankings. Queen’s placed fifth in the medical doctoral category—the same as last year—which, according to the magazine, includes schools that “have a broad range of Ph.D. programs and research, as well as medical schools.” Most surprising and disappointing was the University’s fall from third to seventh-place in overall ranking in the national reputational category, as decided by CEOs, corporate recruiters, and guidance counselorsContinue...

November is a cunning and cruel month. Riding on the popularity of October’s home-cooked meals, falling leaves, and suggestive costume choices, November quietly creeps in and begins its oppressive 30-day reign over our lives. We are driven to despair by November’s gloom and are left crying out for December to come and rescue us with all its festive joy.Continue...

Saskatchewan Roughriders middle linebacker Trevis Smith has been arrested for aggravated assault after a woman alleged that Smith had unprotected sex with her and did not disclose his HIV-positive status.Continue...

Paramount recently removed billboard advertisements promoting 50 Cent’s upcoming film, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, in select Los Angeles neighbourhoods amidst community protests. One advertisement shows the artist posing in a crucifixion-like pose with a gun in one hand and a microphone in the other. Another shows 50 Cent with a gun tucked into his pants, carrying a child. When the billboards appeared in neighbourhoods in South Central Los Angeles, activists faulted the studio for its insensitivity.Continue...

I’ve done a lot of dumb things in the name of sport. Two nights ago, I added mild hypothermia to the list.

I ran a hard track workout with the Queen’s ski team and didn’t bother changing into dry clothes for the chilly walk home. I walked in the door, threw off my tights and long underwear and hopped into a hot shower. It must have triggered some weird biochemical response, because as soon as I left the shower, I started shivering so uncontrollably that within minutes I was huddled in bed in a sweatshirt and three blankets.Continue...