Practicums: What every education student looks forward to—a chance to put into practice everything we’ve learned in our classes, make professional and personal connections, and create valuable relationships with our students.
We started at Queen’s in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2021. Now, as we approach the end of our undergraduate careers, we find ourselves trying to graduate during the first academic strike at Queen’s in 183 years.
Can you picture yourself in 16 years? Where do you live? What job do you have? Did you travel the world? Do you have a family? What are your values and priorities?
My year started out as any professor’s dream. I only had one course to teach, which opened lots of time for research, and it was on my favourite topic: climate justice.
The PSAC 901 strike isn’t just happening on the picket line—it’s also being fought online, where misinformation and hostility threaten to divide our campus and weaken our ability to fight for fair working conditions.
My grandfather etched the phrase “there’s no such thing as an accident—you were either careless, or you did it on purpose” into my moral com from a young age.
During a recent discussion at a Black Histories and Futures Month event, I listened as peers and colleagues shared their experiences at Queen’s and life in Kingston.
When we arrived at Queen’s University, we knew the statistics. We knew we were stepping into a space where students of colour were the minority, and where the institution had a long-standing reputation of being predominantly white.
The topic of climate change isn’t foreign in the world of academia. Despite decades of mass devastation, humanity has repeatedly failed to heed scientific warnings.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year—or at least the most chaotic. Queen’s students are presented with the thrilling and mildly terrifying opportunity to step up and run for a student government role.