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    Queen's hosting Matariki colloquium

    [Gauvin Bailey]
    Gauvin Bailey (Art History), the Bader Chair in Southern Baroque Art, is the keynote speaker for the Religion Across the Humanities: A Matariki Humanities Colloquium. (University Communications) 

    The role of religion within the humanities is the focus of an international conference being hosted by Queen’s University from Oct. 1-3.

    Starting Thursday, Queen’s will host Religion Across the Humanities: A Matariki Humanities Colloquium, bringing together scholars from the seven member institutions of the Matariki Network of Universities.

    The highlight of the event is the keynote presentation by Queen’s own Gauvin Bailey (Art History), the Bader Chair in Southern Baroque Art. Dr. Bailey will offer up an engaging talk, that is open to the public, entitled “The Spiritual Rococo: Décor and Divinity from the Salons of Paris to the Missions of Patagonia” on Thursday, from 6-6:45 pm in Speaker’s Corner, Stauffer Library.

    In his presentation, Dr. Bailey will address some “fundamental conundrums” that impede the understanding of 18th-Century aesthetics, culture, and religion, including why Rococo, a profane, self-consciously private manner of ornamenting the French aristocratic home turned into one of the world’s most popular manifestations of the sacred and why is Rococo still treated as a decadent nemesis of the Enlightenment when the two had fundamental characteristics in common?

    “I seek to answer these questions by treating Rococo as a global phenomenon and by exploring its moral and spiritual dimensions through the lens of populist French religious literature of the day—a body of work I call the ‘Spiritual Rococo,’” Dr. Bailey says. “I will trace Rococo’s development from France through Central Europe, Portugal, Brazil, and Spanish South America by considering the parallel diffusion of the style itself and the literature of the Spiritual Rococo in these same regions. One of my ultimate goals is to acknowledge Rococo’s essential modernity.”

    He adds that such events hosted by the MNU are important because they bring together scholars from a variety of disciplines but with key interests in common.

    “In this case the colloquium is focussed on religion, a critical aspect of research and teaching in many fields,” he says. “The opportunity for cross-disciplinary dialogue made possible by the Matariki Humanities Colloquium make these connections happen.”

    The MNU is an international group of leading, like-minded universities. Along with Queen’s, member institutions include: Dartmouth College (US); Durham University (England); Uppsala University (Sweden; University of Tubingen (Germany); University of Western Australia; and University of Otago (New Zealand).

    Dr. Bailey also is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Correspondent Étranger, Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, Institut de France.

    Flags lowered for Mary Balanchuk

    Flags on campus are lowered in memory of Mary Lilian Balanchuk, a professor emerita in the Faculty of Education. She died on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital in Kingston.

    [Mary Balanchuk with sister Stephanie Patterson]
    Mary Balanchuk (right), Arts'49, is survived by her sister Stephanie Patterson, Arts'63. The siblings attended the launch of the Initiative Campaign in 2012. 

    Ms. Balanchuk is a former member of the Queen’s Board of Trustees and a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award in 1994. She served as president of the Faculty Women’s Club (now known as the Queen’s Women’s Association) from 1998-2001.

    Family and friends will be received at the Gordon F. Tompkins Funeral Home – Township Chapel (435 Davis Drive) on Friday, Oct. 2 from 10 am until the service at 11 am. Reception to follow. Final place of rest will be Mountainview Cemetery, Thunder Bay.

    For those wishing, donations may be made to the Mary Balanchuk & Stephanie Patterson Fund. 

    Opening doors to the future

    • [Queen's Career Fair]
      The Queen's Career Fair was hosted Tuesday by Career Services with more than 100 recruiter booths available for students to visit.
    • [Queen's Career Fair]
      Queen's students were able to meet with recruiters from a variety of sectors and a wide range of schools during the Queen's Career Fair.
    • [Queen's Career Fair]
      As part of the Student Prep Area at the Queen's Career Fair, students were able to get a quality photo taken for their LinkedIn profile.
    • [Queen's Career Fair]
      The Queen's Career Fair was hosted Tuesday by Career Services with more than 100 recruiter booths available for students to visit.
    • [Queen's Career Fair]
      Principal Daniel Woolf toured the Queen's Career Fair and spoke with Annette Lilly, Associate Director of the Research Program Office at Queen's School of Business.

    The prospect of making some valuable connections with potential employers and post-secondary institutions drew crowds of students to the Queen’s Career Fair on Tuesday.

    Held at the Athletics and Recreation Centre’s main gym, the event brought together more than 100 recruiter booths from organizations in both the public and private sectors. Visitors were also able to get some help in polishing up their resume as well as a quality headshot for their LinkedIn profile.

    New this year, Career Services partnered with the Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC) to help students interested in working or studying outside of Canada.

    Introductory French for Adults course offered

    A new partnership between Enrichment Studies Unit (ESU) and the Department of French Studies at Queen’s University has created a one-day French Language course for adults and parents of French Immersion students.

    This course, being offered Saturday, Oct. 3 or Saturday, Oct. 17 from 9 am-5 pm, provides participants with introductory language skills and vocabulary that will assist with communicating in and understanding basic French.

    The course will be taught by Marianne Pivot, a professional French language instructor with experience working with both adults and children. She created this course for families of French immersion students who want to better understand and communicate in French or for those interested basic French skills.

    The course fee is $125 for seven hours of instruction, course materials, a catered lunch and parking. All participants will receive a certificate of completion. Call the ESU Office at 613-533-3181 to register. Space is limited.

    Taking a closer look at the Class of 2019

    More than 4,600 undergraduate students from the Class of 2019 are experiencing university academic life for the first time this month, with classes beginning on Queen’s campus in Kingston and at the Bader International Student Centre (BISC) in Sussex, England.

    [Class of 2019]
    More than 4,600 undergraduate students make up the Class of 2019 at Queen's University. (University Communications)

    “Queen’s is excited to welcome the incoming class, the newest members of the Queen’s family,” says Daniel Woolf, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. “We look forward to supporting these students as their passion for learning takes them in new and exciting directions over the next four years.”

    Queen’s received nearly 31,000 applications for 4,517 spaces in the first-year class. The incoming class boasts an average of 88.4  per cent, and female students make up 60 per cent of first-year students.

    These new students hail from all 10 provinces, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Queen’s also continues to make progress on its goal of increasing the number of high achieving international undergraduate students. There are 318 international students in the first-year class, an increase of 29.8 per cent over the same time last year. Almost 10  per cent of the incoming class    attended high school outside of Canada in 42 different countries and 29 U.S. states.

    “The Queen’s student learning experience is enriched by the diversity of experience and perspective that students from all over the country and around the world bring to the Queen’s campus,” says Ann Tierney, Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs.

    Queen’s continues to do well in attracting Ontario, out of province and international students with acceptances from Ontario students increasing by 4.3 per cent and out of province acceptances increasing by 8 per cent. 

    Some other quick facts about the incoming class include:
    • 4.3 per cent of students self-identify as the first generation in their family to attend post-secondary education;
    • 1.5 per cent of the incoming class identifies as Aboriginal; and
    • 93 per cent of the incoming class was 18 years of age or younger as of June 1, 2015. 

    Faculty of Arts and Science students make up 68.7 per cent of the incoming class, followed by the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science with 16.5 per cent, Commerce with 10.7 per cent and Nursing with 2 per cent.

    Gaels get back on winning track

    [Gaels vs Varsity Blues]
    Queen's Gaels receiver Peter Hannon celebrates his touchdown during Saturday's 37-18 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues. (Photo by Jamie MacDonald)

    FOOTBALL

    The Queen's Gaels (3-2) got a breakout game from quarterback Nate Hobbs as they scored a 37-18 road win over the Toronto Varsity Blues (1-3) on Saturday.

    Hobbs threw for 401 yards and two touchdowns while adding 14 yards on the ground and another touchdown as he faced his older brother Marcus, the backup pivot for Toronto.

    MEN’S SOCCER

    The Queen's Gaels men's soccer team (5-1-2) stretched their win streak to five games with a pair of victories at home on the weekend. On Sunday at Miklas-McCarney Field, the Gaels topped the Trent Excalibur 4-2. On Saturday dispatched the UOIT Ridgebacks (3-3-1) by a score of 1-0.

    WOMEN’S SOCCER

    The Queen’s Gaels women’s soccer team (4-2-3) earned a weekend split after beating the Trent Excalibur 4-1 on Sunday at Miklas-McCarney Field. On Saturday the Gaels (0-7-0) lost 1-0 to the UOIT Ridgebacks (4-2-0).

    WOMEN’S RUGBY

    Emma Chown had a big night for the Queen’s Gaels women’s rugby team (3-0) scoring five tries in a 106-3 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues (0-3) Saturday at Nixon Field.  The Gaels scored a pair of tries in the first five minutes and held a 64-3 lead at the half.
     
    MEN’S RUGBY

    The Queen’s Gaels men’s rugby team (3-1) battled to a 33-19 win over the RMC Paladins on Saturday, relying on a dominant second half. The Paladins led 14-12 at halftime.

    MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

    The Queen’s Gaels men's volleyball team began their preparation for the 2015-16 season with their first exhibition action this weekend in Toronto at the Ryerson National Bank Invitational Tournament, finishing with a 2-1 round-robin record. That was enough to get the Gaels into the final but they fell to the Western Mustangs on Sunday in four sets (17-25, 20-25, 25-21 and 19-25).

    WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

    The Queen’s Gaels women's volleyball team participated in their second exhibition tournament in Saskatchewan this weekend at the University of Regina Invitational tournament. Queen's went 1-2 in the round robin and claimed fifth place with a four-set win over Brandon on Sunday (32-34, 25-17, 25-21, 25-17).

    JDUC window project starts Sept. 28

    On Monday, Sept. 28, Emmons & Mitchell will commence work on pulling windows (installing temporary Lexan inserts) from the west end of the John Deutsch University Centre (JDUC) main elevation on the east side of Wallace Hall. Fencing is in place for isolation of the work from public areas. Site work using genie or boom lifts will only operate within the fenced area.

    On Tuesday, Sept. 29, weather permitting, Emmons & Mitchell will commence installing the walk-through scaffold over the south entrance and the two basement exits to the side. During the installation of the scaffold, each of the three exits will sequentially be out of service for regular use – i.e., only one exit at a time will be out of service. Even during the brief time that an exit is “closed” it will still be available for emergency use.  A simple barricade to dissuade use of an exit will be easily and quickly moved clear if an emergency occurs.

    Please note:

    • Emmons & Mitchell will temporarily dismantle the walk-through scaffold and remove equipment and fencing for Homecoming events.
    • Work associated with this project will be done in stages. The current schedule has the crew working in Wallace Hall and on most of the west elevation windows next spring and summer. The site foreman from Emmons & Mitchell will work with the Student Life Centre staff as appropriate. 
    • Grad Residence is not included in the scope of work for this project.

    Any questions regarding this window project should be directed to Fixit by phone at extension 77301 or by e-mail.

    Accessibility audit update: Sept. 28-Oct. 2

    Several campus buildings will undergo an accessibility audit during the week of Sept. 28:

    • 18 Barrie St. – Monday, Sept. 28
    • Richardson Hall – Tuesday, Sept. 29
    • Dunning Hall – Wednesday, Sept. 30
    • John Watson Hall – Thursday, Oct. 1 and Friday, Oct. 2

    Overseen by Campus Planning and Development (CPD), the audit is evaluating Queen’s buildings for compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and several other provincial and municipal design standards and codes. The results of the audit will help CPD plan and prioritize repairs and upgrades that have the maximum benefit for students, faculty and staff.

    Questions or concerns about the accessibility audit can be directed to Barry Kaplan, AODA Project Manager, Campus Planning and Development, by email or 613-533-6001.

    Preparing for the next step at Queen's Career Fair

    Transitions are a regular part of university life and for those looking to get an early start on their time after Queen’s – either finding a job or further education – the Queen’s Career Fair offers the chance to gain information and make some vital connections.

    [Queen's Career Fair]
    Queen's students can make connections with employers and educational programs at the Queen's Career Fair. (University Communications) 

    This year’s event, being hosted Tuesday at the ARC Gym, is the biggest ever at Queen’s, attracting over 100 recruiter booths, including employers from a variety of sectors and a wide range of schools.

    New this year, the Queen’s Career Fair is partnering with the Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC) to help students interested in working or studying outside of Canada.

    “This event gives students a chance to speak with employers, educational programs, and advisors, all in one location,” says Ann Tierney, Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs. “Queen’s students have multiple options to consider and the career fair allows them to see what is available after graduation.”

    This year’s Queen’s Career Fair includes:

    Student Prep Area – get ideas about questions to ask and a map of exhibitors as well as a new headshot to make you LinkedIn profile a bit more professional looking.

    Employer Showcase – featuring close to 30 organizations from a variety of sectors, including all three levels of government, interested in hiring Queen’s students

    Education Expo – with more than 70 further education programs including law, education, rehabilitation and medicine

    Skills Development Zone –providing opportunities for students to increase their career skills including: resume review clinic; drop-in career advising booth; QUIP (learn about internships) and more.

    International Opportunities – meet with representatives from a variety of sectors and countries

    The Queen’s Career Fair is being held at the ARC on Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 10:30 am-3 pm.

    For more information go to careers.queensu.ca/events-workshops/career-fair

    Fit Tip: Stretching for health

    Have you stretched today?

    Flexibility, which is the ability to move a joint through its complete range of motion, is one of the most neglected components of a workout for most people. Flexibility is important for completing everyday activities like getting up out of bed, lifting groceries and vacuuming the floor. If not done regularly, your flexibility will deteriorate with age. 

    Here are some stretches you can do at your desk.

    [Stretching]

     

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