Keara’s pulse quickened as the incessant click-click-click of pens in the lecture hall felt like nails on a chalkboard. Each tap-tap-tap of typing in the library sliced through her focus, and even the faintest crack of knuckles or rustle of food seemed to pierce her nerves. Every noise, from the clinking of silverware to the crunch of snacks, turned her quiet study time into a relentless slap to her senses.

Of all the courses offered at Queen’s, PSYC 100 is infamous for being among the most daunting and stressful for first-year students. Elleni Kypriotakis, ArtSci ’27, is one of many students who took PSYC 100 to fulfill a degree requirement. When she started the course last fall, the then first-year student knew it would be no easy feat to the course, let alone ace it.

Orientation week ushers in a new school year for first-year students eager to begin their post-secondary journeys. As these fresh beginnings unfold, a more intricate narrative emerges—one where upper-year orientation leaders play a vital role in guiding newcomers through their first steps on campus.

As a first-generation Indian immigrant to Canada, Divya* has observed a recent shift in attitudes towards South Asian immigrants.

Mya Haines, ArtSci ’26, senses a stigma around the use of emergency services on-campus. She believes this reluctance stems from a fear among students, painting them as vulnerable and deterring them from seeking the help they may urgently need.

Kingston has a long legacy of queer spaces, but much of this history is hidden, not unlike the queer community itself. With Kingston’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community experiencing a shortage of queer nightlife spaces today, history serves as a reminder that queer people have always found ways to exist, whether out in the open or in the shadows.

As students and faculty alike agree, if Queen’s continues to and empower female engineers, it sets a promising precedent for the future of diversity and inclusion in the field.

Sabina Shah, Meds ’25, always had medicine in the back of her mind whenever she considered potential career options.

Standing outside of a military-style tent in Belle Park encampment, her chihuahua playing between her feet, Jennifer Nolan-Kennedy gazed at the pile of disturbed dirt where her home used to stand.

Just as seatbelts safeguard us in case of accidents, safe sex entails taking precautions to minimize risks. Even when students take measures to test against STIs, there’s a knowledge gap on campus of where to get tested and what services are available. There’re a variety of challenges in promoting safer-sex practices and sexual health awareness.

With the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, Queen’s published a set of guidelines for its use in academic settings in August 2023.

In the pocket of his military uniform, Yuri* keeps one bullet and a letter from an unknown Ukrainian child who he saved when they were caught in a violent Russian onslaught. The objects remind Yuri of his commitment to his homeland, despite the horrors in the eastern city of Bakhmut.

While the world of poetry offers a blank page for each poet, for Black poets challenging history, the page expands. With each stroke, these poets can redefine conventional notions of Blackness, infusing their verses with resilience and grace.

With reports of food and housing insecurity, graduate students have long been speaking out about their quality of life.

As Queen’s grapples with a tarnished reputation and a looming deficit, students and faculty alike are facing difficulties, but also potential upsides. Campus is filled with concern about the broader perception of the validity of a Queen’s degree.

As the night of hazing began, of a high-profile commerce club were unaware it would be the club’s last.

In his first two years of undergrad, Tyler Tâm Trần, Comm ’25, worked remotely as a Revenue Assistant (RAA) for the City of Ottawa.

In the first part of an investigative series on the JDUC redevelopment project, The Journal is releasing blueprints for the new JDUC structure.