Queen’s Engineering Society issues statement ‘Go Nuts’ cancellation

Editorial note: The following is a public letter from the Queen’s University Engineering Society regarding the cancellation of the annual Go Nuts event during orientation. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Kingstonist.

The Engineering Society regrets the cancellation of the annual Go Nutz (sic) Orientation Week tradition, due to an unfortunate series of unforeseeable logistical, experiential and environmental factors that impacted our first-year students’ volunteer contributions to the event.

The Engineering Society has enjoyed a strong relationship with the Rotary Club of Kingston over the last half century. We have always been proud to work alongside and contribute to an organization that aids and strengthens the greater Kingston community in so many ways. This valuable partnership has allowed our members to experience the joys and benefits of giving back to their new local community and has supplemented their learning in the classroom.

Engineering orientation at Queen’s is a complex annual event that involves 350 volunteers, budgeting, planning, and liaising with all levels of Queen’s University, the City of Kingston and other local organizations. We strive to provide an orientation week that will live on in the collective memories of the first-year class.

A significant part of Orientation Week is the recognition of our students’ autonomy as they consider how to contribute to our community through clubs, campus activities and volunteerism. We encourage our members to get the most out of their experience at Queen’s and participate in as many community events, including Go Nutz (sic), as they are comfortable.

Many factors beyond the students’ control led to their decision not to participate, and the Engineering Society supports our members in their right to decide which activities to participate in at their sole discretion.

The Engineering Society is acutely aware of the impact of this lost revenue on our valued partners at Rotary and the Kingston community. On Thursday morning, we met with the President of the Rotary to discuss methods to alleviate this. We have purchased a significant amount of chocolate and will be distributing it at several events celebrating the positive impact of Rotary in the community. We are in the initial planning stages with Rotary to look towards new innovative ways that our students can interact with and support them.

After a successful run of almost six decades, it is time to look forward to reinventing our relationship with Rotary. It is our sincerest hope to find new and mutually beneficial pathways to be unified with Rotary in their service to the Kingston community.

Aidan Shimizu
Queen’s Engineering Society President

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