Some students took a break from partying and took to cleaning instead.
The Queen’s Conference on Ocean Sustainability (QCOS) hosted its annual cleanup of the pier shoreline on Oct. 26. QCOS is an on-campus club dedicated to promoting environmental conservation and sustainability, especially in relation to aquatic ecosystems. Over 15 students, both club members and non-members alike, came together to collect seven large bags of garbage, with Kingston locals joining in the effort as the event went on.
Co-Presidents of QCOS—Ava Shivgulam, ArtSci ’27, and Shaneen Khan, ArtSci ’26—explained in an interview with The Journal that big partying weekends like fauxcoming, also known as FOCO, can result in massive amounts of littering by the pier.
“There’s a lot of cans on the ground and garbage,” Shivgulam said. “Queen’s is already a large population, but a lot of people also come from other universities to party here, so it gets a little dirty down at the beach.”
During the cleanup, volunteers foundcans, papers, bottle caps and even clothes. While the co-presidents acknowledge that some littering during party weekends is inevitable, they believe the University should be doing more during these weekends to mitigate the amount of garbage.
“Queen’s should take initiative in placing more garbage bins and public recycling bins around the community, as well as along the pier,” Shaheen said. “And then also just making people aware that, if you’re going to be at the street party, there’s a garbage bin along the streets. Don’t litter, recycle!”
While QCOS was able to collect seven large bags of garbage, the presidents claim this is an improvement upon last year, in which the cleanup produced 10 bags of garbage. They credit this increase in cleanliness, in part, to the installation of gates to block off the pier this past weekend.
Still, the co-presidents are working to protect Kingston’s fresh water and make the campus more sustainable. They’re currently planning their annual Ocean Sustainability Conference, which platforms speakers specializing in environmental conservation and aquatic protection.
“We had these two speakers come last year from The River Institute, and they talked about how vital the St. Lawrence River waterway is to Kingston communities,” Shivgulam said. “We really encourage students to come to [the conference]. It’s a free event, free catering.”
This year, the co-presidents are also working to revamp The Ocean Lover’s Cookbook—a 2023 QCOS project featuring recipes that use more sustainable foods and generate less food waste.
“Last week, we pitched making an updated one for current Queen’s students,” Shivgulam said. “A lot of Queen’s students aren’t only on a budget, but are also looking to eat healthier. So, we’re making a cookbook that can reduce prices and not use certain imported products that affect the environment with CO2 emissions.”
Both co-presidents are committed to making the University more sustainable not only for the sake of current students, but also for future generations of Queen’s students.
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