The Tribune Vol. 43 Issue 23

The Tribune

EDITORIAL

Assist, don’t resist, TAs in their strikes for better rights

FEATURE

When walls talk

Practices of resistance in times of crisis presents: How to use new media

13

Statement regarding former SSMU President Darshan Daryanani

The Tribune Publications Society

As part of our mandate to cover campus news and student politics, The Tribune published 33 articles about Darshan Daryanani, former President of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), between 2021 and 2022. However, all of the facts were not available at the time of reporting.

In the Spring of 2023, Daryanani commenced legal action against 19 defendants including The Tribune and a staff writer, claiming damages for injury to his reputation, health, and earning potential. Daryanani and The Tribune have settled the matter, without any admission of liability.

As part of the settlement, The Tribune is publishing this statement to clarify the timeline and facts regarding Daryanani’s presidency.

Start of Presidency

Even before Daryanani assumed office as SSMU President, efforts were made to remove him from his role.

In March 2021, one of the candidates, who was subsequently elected to the SSMU Executive, publicly encouraged his peers to “start a controversy” about Daryanani. The candidate received a sanction from Elections SSMU for negatively campaigning against Daryanani. Nonetheless, Daryanani won the SSMU presidential race against two candidates, with 55% of the vote.

In May 2021, the aforementioned individual unsuccessfully attempted to oust Daryanani with a “vote of non-confidence”.

On May 31, 2021, during a confidential session, the SSMU Board removed Daryanani from his position as Chair of the SSMU Board of Directors. Daryanani was not present in the meeting, nor was he provided with any reasoning for his removal. Daryanani maintains that the SSMU’s ac-

tions contravened his employment contract and SSMU governing documents.

The Tribune has only recently learnt of this context.

Five-month long Suspension

Only three months after Daryanani commenced office as President, the SSMU Board took the extraordinary measure to suspend him from his role as President.

The SSMU Board initially told Daryanani that the suspension would end on November 5, 2021. Instead, they repeatedly extended his suspension four more times, over a period of five months. No reason was given for the suspension or subsequent extensions.

The Tribune did not have this context at that time of reporting.

Reinstatement

On January 6, 2022, SSMU finally appointed an independent lawyer to conduct an “admissibility analysis” into the complaints. Daryanani was not required to be interviewed by the investigator, and he was never informed of any allegations against him.

The analysis was conducted by Maître Magalie Poulin, a lawyer at HumaniLex Services Conseils. Poulin concluded that:

“None of these complaints are reasonably susceptible to lead to a conclusion of psychological harassment if they were respectively subject to an investigation. Indeed, even if all the alleged facts were proven as they were reported to us by the Complainants, they could not constitute a situation of harassment for either one of them.”

Daryanani was accordingly reinstated on February 14, 2022; however, he had lost five months of his Presidency.

In the February 22, 2022 issue, The Tribune covered this reinstatement, including

1,600 TAs go on strike as negotiations with McGill stall

collective agreement

over

AGSEM calls for higher wages and healthcare benefits

Fabienne de Cartier Staff Writer

Students walking through Roddick Gates on Monday, March 25 were met with the sounds of bells, chants, and honks, as well as a massive banner that read “McGill is a union university.” This picket line marked the start of McGill Teaching Assistants’ (TAs) strike for better pay, healthcare, and indexed working hours.

The Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM)—the union which represents TAs—hopes that this strike will pressure McGill to take negotiations for a new collective agreement (CA) more seriously. Since the beginning of the academic year, AGSEM has met with McGill 15 times to bargain over both monetary and non-monetary aspects of a new contract. PG.2

perspectives from Daryanani and SSMU executives. At that time, The Tribune did not report on the conclusion of the investigation.

Impeachment

Despite the result of the investigation, SSMU representatives organized an online impeachment assembly on April 11, 2022, just six weeks before the scheduled end of his term.

The SSMU representatives did not provide any reasons for Daryanani’s removal. Daryanani claims that it was impossible for him to have a fair opportunity to defend himself against unknown allegations. He main-

tains that the impeachment violated SSMU regulations, and that it was inherently devoid of fairness and transparency.

Resolution

Daryanani’s claim against the other defendants remains ongoing in the Superior Court of Quebec.

Daryanani believes that the resolution with The Tribune is a positive step, and that going forward, there will be an increased awareness of the fundamental principles of due process, procedural fairness and natural justice on university campuses, in student government and in the media.

McGill Senate discusses Palestine, tuition hikes, and budget cuts

Senate Steering Committee shuts down discourse about McGill’s ties to Israel

Alex Jonas Contributor

The McGill Senate convened on March 20 in Leacock for its third meeting of 2024. Central topics were student calls for McGill to cut ties with Israeli institutions, the tense atmosphere on campus

over Israel’s siege on Gaza, and the ongoing legal battle between McGill and the provincial government over proposed tuition hikes.

The meeting began with memorial tributes to the late Professor Emeritus Radoslav Zuk and Professor Monica Popescu, followed by a discussion of the

Senate Steering Committee report. The report explains that four motions related to the ongoing genocide of Palestinians had been submitted but were unanimously declined by the Steering Committee—meaning they were not on the agenda for discussion—on the grounds that they are not Senate business.

1,600 TAs go on strike as negotiations with McGill stall over collective agreement

AGSEM calls for higher wages and healthcare benefits

Fabienne de Cartier Staff Writer

Continued from page 1.

At an AGSEM rally on March 20, Dallas Jokic, a member of the AGSEM bargaining team, explained that TAs felt the need to go on strike because they did not feel that the university was genuinely considering their demands for fair pay.

“TAs are just really feeling the difficulty of getting by on a day-to-day basis,” Jokic said to The Tribune. “We talked to members who are having to make difficult choices like skipping meals or moving apartments. McGill is one of the top schools in Canada. It’s one of the richest schools in Canada. We know that they have the money to pay us fairly.”

On campus, AGSEM has been putting up posters to raise awareness about the fact that TAs at McGill are paid $33.03 per hour, while TAs at other Canadian universities tend to make $40 to $50 per hour.

AGSEM’s monetary proposal, which was submitted on Dec. 18, proposed a 40 per cent raise to bring their wages in line with those offered at other post-secondary institutions. The proposal also asked for cost of living adjustments, indexing working hours to class sizes, and healthcare benefits. When AGSEM and McGill convened on Jan. 30, McGill rejected the proposal but was unprepared to make an offer of their own.

In subsequent bargaining meetings, McGill submitted a counterproposal and offered a pay raise of 1.25 per cent the first year and 1 per cent in subsequent years, and then increased their offer to 2.25 per cent the first year and 1.25 per cent in subsequent years. Neither offer addressed cost of living adjustments, indexing, or healthcare. In the AGSEM newsletter, the bargaining and bargaining support committee argued that since McGill’s offers were not in line with the current rate of inflation, they essentially constituted a pay cut.

After passing a strike mandate during the week of March 11, AGSEM met with McGill again on March 19 to try to reach an agreement and avoid calling a strike. McGill raised their offer to a 4.25 per cent wage increase the first year, 2.25 per cent the second year, and

2 per cent in subsequent years and offered to put indexation on the agenda of the Labour Relations Committee. However, AGSEM did not feel that this was a fair offer and ultimately decided a strike was necessary.

While on strike, TAs are not allowed to do any work—meaning they cannot grade, hold office hours, run conferences, or answer emails. If TAs do work while on strike, they are violating the law. They are also not receiving pay from the university. Those who participate in strike activities can, however, get strike pay from the union.

Emma McKay, AGSEM’s mobilization officer, told The Tribune that the union is acutely aware that the lack of pay while on strike puts many TAs in a precarious position. They explained that there are a few pools of funds that AGSEM is pulling from to pay those who engage in strike activities or need emergency funds to pay their expenses.

In the absence of TAs, many have questioned who will be responsible for grading coursework. In the leadup to the strike, McGill issued a Quick Guide for Instructors Regarding Student Assessments and a Frequently Asked Questions page about the “labour dispute” with AGSEM, which states professors can take on the grading that is typically done by TAs in the event of a strike.

On Friday, March 22, after it became clear that a strike was imminent the following Monday, AGSEM’s lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to McGill. In the letter, AGSEM’s lawyers state that McGill instructors cannot legally perform the work of striking TAs and claim that the university has falsely attempted to position lecturers, instructors, and faculty as TAs’ managers to allow them to break the strike and perform scab work.

The letter reads, “It is clear that you are trying to influence the power balance in favour of the Employer by using disinformation and by sending directives meant to convince other employees to perform TA tasks, in contravention to article 109.1 of the Labour Code. Such tactics will not be tolerated.”

The McGill Association of University Teachers (MAUT)—which represents instructors—consulted Melançon Marceau Grenier Cohen, a Montreal law firm that specializes in labour law, and came to a similar conclusion a little under two weeks before the

strike began. The association issued a statement to their members indicating that professors may be in violation of labour law if they grade work that is typically evaluated by TAs during a TA strike, as they have been instructed to do by many of McGill’s program directors and deans. MAUT doubled down on this position on March 25, giving their members advice on how to proceed if asked to do TAs’ work.

“If an instructor is asked to take on more grading than usual, as a result of the strike, they should first ask the Dean to reconsider in light of section 109.1 of the Quebec Labour Code. If there is no change, the instructor may challenge [e]mployer direction to do more grading than normal by filing an application under section 109.1 of the Quebec Labour Code as soon as possible,” the statement reads.

Renee Sieber, a McGill professor and the 2022-2023 MAUT president, explained that the administration has been closely regulating what messages managers send out about the TA strike.

“We’re seeing very tight message control; that deans and chairs cannot make any modifications to these messages,” Seiber said. “It is incredibly top down.”

Seiber also stressed that the McGill administration does not seem to recognize the immense value that TAs bring to the entire McGill community.

“We’re all in a community of higher education. Our TAs work with us. They’re often also our graduate students, and we support them [....] They’re part and parcel of the intellectual engagement in this community,” Seiber said.

Anthony Voileau, U2 Science, expressed a similar sentiment, asserting that TAs have been integral to his life as a student at McGill.

“I’m a computer science student and the computer science TAs are basically how I pass my classes. I think it’s completely normal for them to be asking for more wages. They’re absolutely essential to my McGill life.”

At the picket line, McKay told The Tribune that TAs sympathize with students who are anxious about the academic repercussions of the strike. However, they noted that better working conditions for TAs would produce better learning conditions for undergraduate students in the long run.

“All of us in the union have spent a long time in academia, and we can all really empathize with the situation of undergrads here,” McKay said. “[But] we know that every time we stop the fight because it’s hard, we lose.”

McGill Director of Labour and Employee Relations Francis Desjardins issued a statement to staff and students on March 23 recognizing TAs’ right to go on strike. However, he asserted that TAs did not have the right to picket on university property.

“We expect to see picket lines on public property around the downtown campus, as is within the rights of striking employees.

However, they may not picket on University grounds nor impede normal access to buildings,” Desjardins wrote.

In a statement published in February before their own strike, the Association of Law Professors Employed at McGill (AMPL) put out a statement contesting McGill’s claims that picketing on university grounds is illegal, writing that the McGill University Health Centre had been penalized in the past for prohibiting similar picketing by striking workers. AGSEM has referred to this statement to challenge McGill’s claims.

McKay told The Tribune that the union has no intention to implement any hard picketing strategies.

“Our top priorities when picketing is safety for everyone involved, and avoiding legal consequences for everyone involved. So we have absolutely no intention of doing something that would put our members at risk,” McKay said.

However, McKay noted that AGSEM would be picketing on university property and that despite Desjardins’ statement, they were legally entitled to do so.

In the afternoon that the strike began, McGill sent another university-wide message claiming that picketers had partially blocked entrances and instructing students and staff to call security if they could not gain access to buildings or had their classes disrupted.

Some, like a TA named Sebastien, who preferred to only be referred to by first name, think that McGill is using misinformation as a tactic.

“I think one of McGill’s last-ditch attempts at subverting the strike is misinformation. They’ve been spreading a fair amount of it,” Sebastien said while picketing in front of the Arts Building. “Several things that they’ve said over the past couple of weeks have just been inaccurate. We are perfectly allowed to picket on McGill University grounds, as we currently are. They’ve also completely misinformed a lot of course lecturers and faculty. Fortunately, we have huge amounts of solidarity, I think both from the student body and from professors and lecturers.”

McGill declined to comment on the CA negotiations or cease and desist letter from AGSEM. Media relations officer Frédérique Mazerolle briefly commented on the value of TAs and the impacts of the strike.

“McGill deeply values the contributions of teaching assistants and hopes for a timely end to the strike,” Mazerolle wrote. “The University is continuing its operations, prioritizing the measures necessary to ensure that students are not unduly affected by the labour action.”

AGSEM will have its next bargaining meeting with McGill on March 26.

SSMU Base Fee increase fails in Winter 2024 Referendum, slew of questions pass

SSMU 2024-2025 executives voted in, President and VP Finance positions remain unfilled

Jasjot Grewal News Editor

Polls to decide next year’s Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) executive team and the results of the 19 Winter 2024 Referendum questions closed on March 22. Of the 22,504 eligible voters, 19.1 per cent cast a ballot in the election for the executive board, and 19.2 per cent voted on the referendum questions, in comparison to the 35.1 per cent of students who cast a ballot last semester. All but three referendum questions passed.

The question of an SSMU Base Fee increase failed with 58.3 per cent of voters casting a “No” vote. The increase would have mandated that full-time students in all faculties excluding Law, Dentistry, and Medicine pay an additional $27.11 per semester for a total of $95.59, and part-time students in all faculties excluding Law, Dentistry, and Medicine to pay an additional $13.16 per semester for a total of $46.40 per semester. SSMU had heavily advertised for a “Yes” vote to this question in the weeks preceding the election, as the fee increase also failed to pass last semester. SSMU argued that an increase to the membership fee was necessary to continue to provide 18 services, over 200 clubs, continue to operate Gerts, and pay SSMUnion employees liveable wages, as SSMU it has been operating at an anticipated annual deficit of $726,257.90.

In a written statement to The Tribune, SSMU [insert name of execs] expressed that they were disheartened by the result of the vote, and will have to reduce their operations significantly.

“[M]aintaining such a large deficit is not sustainable. We have already done what we can to reduce our deficit without reducing student benefits, and we have reached the limits of those cuts,” they wrote. “We will be working closely with the SSMUnion over the next few weeks to discuss next steps, as they are a key collaborator and supporter of the base fee increase. We intend to reassess the base fee campaign and to better understand the students’ needs in anticipation of running at least one more referendum to increase SSMUnion employee salaries.”

Alongside the referendum questions, the 2024-2025 SSMU executive board was also voted in—excluding the positions of President and Vice-President (VP) Finance—as no candidates came forward for these two positions during the nomination period.

Chloé Muñoz was elected VP Student Life, with 50.2 per cent of the vote. Avin Ahmadi, who also ran for the VP Student Life position, received 32.4 per cent of the vote. Muñoz expressed that she feels pleased that her hard work campaigning paid off, and that she looks forward to spending the summer revamping and standardizing processes for SSMU clubs.

“Through this process [of campaigning] I was also able to learn more about community concerns directly,” Muñoz wrote to The Tribune. “This one-on-one discussion is something I hope to carry through in my position.”

In a written statement to The Tribune, Ahmadi wished Muñoz well for the upcoming year and explained that she would not be running for the remaining two executive positions,

as she felt her experience was more relevant and aligned with the VP Student Life role.

“In my opinion, the main purpose of elections is for students to choose who they want to have on the executive team, and ultimately the executive staff are there to represent students. I respect the results and wish Chloé all the best,” Ahmadi wrote.

VP-elect Sustainability and Operations Meg Baltes, who ran unopposed, was elected with 80.3 per cent of the vote. Baltes expressed her excitement to begin the role in a written statement to The Tribune, thanking all the students who voted for her. Baltes explained that her first steps in the position would include working to understand the actions of past executives.

“I believe using my training period to fully flesh out the position will ensure that I can be successful throughout the school year,” Baltes wrote. “While I do not want to go into the role with a preconceived agenda, I do believe that it is important to make spaces for student organizations and clubs in the building (especially ones that offer essential services to students to tackle issues such as mental health and food insecurity), revitalize Gerts to make it a community hub, and make sure mini-courses are accessible to a larger amount of the student body through increased subsidies.”

Baltes also addressed concerns surrounding her candidacy, including the fact that she is a full-time honours student, which could potentially limit the hours she is able to dedicate to the position.

“[M]y busy schedule may serve as a benefit to the position. I am a big proponent of efficiency and usually hate bureaucracy because of its incredible time lag in enacting tangible policies. Therefore, I am coming into this position with no intention of wasting my time. I want to go into the school year with a clear vision, effectively delegate responsibilities, and not entertain meetings or discussions that are arbitrary,” Baltes wrote.

For the VP External position, Hugo Solomon received a 52.1 per cent vote, while Michal Ekiert* received a 29.1 per cent vote—the other 18.8 per cent of voters chose neither of the candidates. Solomon expressed that he felt elated to win the election in a written statement

to The Tribune

“It might sound cliché but it’s an immense privilege to represent the SSMU members and student body in such a consequential, powerful moment. I’m excited, sure, but also candid about the multifaceted challenges that me and the board will undoubtedly face in making our vital objectives manifest. I welcome the coming challenge, and I celebrate the journey which has led me to this moment,” Solomon wrote.

Solomon also acknowledged that many students continue to grieve the ongoing genocide in Palestine and promised to work alongside Palestinian advocacy groups on campus.

“I see your frustration. I see the undeniable determination and resolve of the hunger strikers putting their very lives on the line. So let me be clear: I pledge to work with you to achieve justice, working across communities and student groups to make our campus safer and reflective of our values,” he wrote.

Zeena Zahidah*, who ran unopposed, won the VP Internal Affairs position with a 79.3 per cent vote.

Abe Berglas won the VP University Affairs position after running unopposed with a 75.4 per cent vote. Berglas declined to provide a comment to The Tribune

A by-election will likely be held to fill the President and VP Finance positions. The nomination period for the presidency began on March 25.

“We are hopeful that a candidate will step forward in the by-election and have even received a few people interested in the role before the by-election was announced. In the scenario that no candidates present themselves, the tasks of the president will likely have to be distributed among the executives,” SSMU President Alexandre Ashkir said in a written statement to The Tribune. “Work has been done this year to increase transparency and accountability by the membership, which we hope will invite further involvement of members in their union.”

Along with the question of the SSMU Base Fee increase, two other questions failed on the referendum. The question of an increase to the Referral Services fee—which currently supports the Union for Gender Empowerment (UGE), Queer McGill, the Peer Support Centre, the Eating Disorder Resource Centre, and

Nightline—failed with a 54.6 per cent “No” vote.

UGE explained that the majority “No” vote means that UGE will not receive its allocated $1.25 of the Referral Services fee increase, and subsequently will have to run its services at a reduced capacity.

“To be specific, this means that our resource co-op, which offers pay-what-you-can gender-affirming gear, reusable menstrual products, and safer sex supplies, will not be as well stocked next year,” a representative of the UGE who wished to remain anonymous told The Tribune. “We will not be able to hire a full team of staff, or run as many events. Unfortunately, we foresee that the UGE will simply not be able to serve as many students as we would like.”

In addition, the question of the First-Year Fee reinstatement failed with a 51.9 per cent “No” vote. The fee, which supports the First Year Council in organizing events and giveaways for first-year students at McGill, also failed to pass in the Fall 2023 Referendum.

A student-initiated question concerning the renewal of the opt-outable fee toward Student Support—a for-profit company that provides students with services such as Calm, ProWritingAid, and Udemy—also passed. While the SSMU Legislative Council voted to terminate its relationship with the company on Feb. 9, 2023 due to the company’s history as FundQi and ethics, the question received a 57.6 per cent “Yes” vote.

SSMU WALKSAFE passed its fee increase, with a 65.9 per cent “Yes” vote. The service provides students with a safe means of travelling throughout Montreal, with a team of two volunteers to accompany them on their walk home or on public transportation.

The student-initiated question for an optoutable fee increase for MustBus—a studentrun bus service that has routes to cities like New York, Toronto, and Boston—passed with a 51.1 per cent “Yes” vote. Keep.meSAFE— a service that provides free and confidential mental health for students—also successfully renewed its fee with a 64.4 per cent “Yes” vote.

The Black Students’ Network (BSN) service fee increase passed with a 61.2 per cent “Yes” vote. The opt-outable fee increase will aid BSN in implementing the Addressing AntiBlack Racism Plan and continue to offer events throughout Montreal. The Arab Students’ Network fee increase also passed with a 56.1 per cent “Yes” vote.

Two questions regarding the funding of the Legal Information Clinic passed. The first was to renew the clinic’s fee, which passed with a 72 per cent “Yes” vote. The second was to increase the fee from $4.50 to $5.71, which passed with a 59.4 per cent “Yes” vote. Similarly, the Campus Life fee was renewed with a 60 per cent “Yes” vote and secured a fee increase (from $2.00 to $2.83 per semester) with a 50.2 per cent “Yes” vote.

Other questions that passed included the Queer Equity Support Fee increase, Club Fee increase, the Student Academic Support Services fee increase, the Library Improvement Fund fee renewal, and the Creation of Student Rights Fee and Fund.

*Ekiert and Zahidah could not be reached for comment in time for publication.

The VP Sustainability and Operations position was reinstated in June 2023 after six years of vacancy. (Anna Zhou / The Tribune)

McGill Senate discusses Palestine, tuition hikes, and budget cuts

Senate Steering Committee shuts down discourse about McGill’s ties to Israel

Alex Jonas Contributor

Continued from page 1.

These motions requested a condemnation of Israeli military presence in Gaza, the prohibition of academic trips to and exchanges to schools in Israel, and divestment from companies complicit in Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

Senator Ipek Türeli asked for further clarification regarding the Senate Steering Committee’s rejection of the motions. McGill President Deep Saini stated that as a financial matter, divestment is an issue pertaining to the Board of Governors. Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) Angela Campbell added that it would be “entirely inappropriate” for the Senate to impose restrictions on the specifics of academic courses.

“Senate has the purview to approve particular programs and courses in terms of what, gen-

erally, they speak to [...] but they don’t speak to the specifics of what an instructor does with that course,” Campbell explained.

She added that the preamble “had many inconsistencies and errors,” an additional reason behind the motions’ rejection.

Law Senator Weeam Ben Rejeb asked why the Senate did not offer other alternative paths to address this issue instead of simply turning it down on the basis that it is not within the Senate’s jurisdiction. Deputy Provost of Student Life and Learning Fabrice Labeau’s response was that there is an “established path” of bureaucratic procedures that allows subcommittees to deal with specific issues and motions before they come to the Senate.

During his remarks, Saini acknowledged that the Board had chosen Pierre Boivin to be the University’s 21st Chancellor and that he would assume the role on July 1. He then moved on to discuss the “campus climate,” expressing an acceptance of political activism but only when it is practiced within specific bounds so as to minimize disruptions to the university’s operations.

“Students and colleagues have the right to learn and work in a peaceful environment that is propitious for their success,” Saini said. “And when protest activities interfere with these rights, they are no longer acceptable. I reiterate that if this line is crossed—that is if demonstrations block access to buildings or otherwise interfere with campus activi-

ties—we will apply our policies and procedures to ensure that the university business can continue unimpeded.”

President Saini also discussed McGill’s ongoing legal battle with the Quebec government over the proposed tuition hikes for out-of-province Canadian students and international students attending English-speaking universities in the province. McGill is asking the court to issue a stay, which would suspend the implementation of the proposed measures while the court deliberates on the challenges.

He also clarified the misunderstanding about mandatory French proficiency levels, stating that French proficiency will not be a condition for graduation for McGill students, as some may have believed. In reality, 80 per cent of all undergraduate students from out of province will be expected to reach level-5 proficiency, or the university will be penalized in a yet-to-be-defined manner.

After Saini’s remarks, Ben Rejeb raised concerns about the health of the students who have been on a hunger strike for over a month to pressure the university to divest from companies complicit in Israel’s siege on Gaza. The hunger strikers’ online posts document their drastic weight loss and worsening health. Saini responded that the university is in touch with them, but remarked that the group of hunger strikers should follow the established processes to communicate with the university. Since the Senate meeting, one of the indefinite hunger strikers has been hospitalized due to deteriorating health from 34 days of starvation

and has ended her strike.

Later, Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic) Christopher Manfredi gave a presentation on budget planning, describing the theme of the 2025 fiscal year (FY2025) as “uncertainty.”

Manfredi explained that in addition to the tuition increases for newly enrolled out-of-province students, the Quebec government’s re-regulation of tuition for international students will also impact McGill’s budget going into FY2025.

“So we will now start getting a grant for those [international] students, but we will also have to start paying a forfaitaire [flat rate] for those students. And the grant will be roughly $12,000, the forfaitaire will be $17,000. So we’re going to lose roughly $5,000 per newly enrolled international student, starting with the cohort coming in fall 2024,” Manfredi said.

According to Manfredi, the university is looking to find roughly three million dollars in cost savings for FY2025—which starts on May 1, 2024, and ends on April 30, 2025— and more as the year progresses.

Moment of the Meeting

Senator Türeli pointed out that while the Senate Steering Committee’s report argued that the Senate’s prohibition of trips to Israel in individual academic courses would be an infringement on the professors’ academic freedom, their denial of the senators’ opportunity to debate the matter is just as much of an infringement.

“In the Senate, we should have the academic freedom to discuss this important issue,” Senator Türeli said.

Soundbite

“We’re not going to achieve savings through layoffs [....] We are going to have to probably reduce headcount through attrition as a blunt instrument.”

— Manfredi, on strategies to cut costs for FY2025.

Panel discusses the politics of memory through the lens of Haiti, the Congo, and

Angola

Panelists discussed various postcolonial trajectories at ISID event

Caroline Sun News Editor

Content warning: Mentions of violence and genocide

On March 22, the Institute of the Study on International Development (ISID) hosted a panel titled “Global History, Global Memory.” The panel featured Professors Sabine Cadeau and Pedro Monaville from McGill’s Department of History and Classical Studies, and Professor Elisa Scaraggi from NOVA University Lisbon. Rachel Hatcher, who serves as McGill’s Jewish Student Affairs Liaison, chaired the panel. This event was part of a day-long conference called “Developing Memory, Memories of Development,” held in the Thomson House Ballroom.

Cadeau was the first to speak about her research on the 1937 Haitian Massacre, the subject of her recently published book, More than a Massacre . She aimed to demonstrate the gap between the history she uncovered through the memory of survivors of the massacre and the records found in the Haitian state archives, trying to preserve the history that has been forcibly removed from state records. Cadeau explained that she found no records of violence during that pe-

riod of Haiti’s official history. She believes this erasure of violence from history is an intentional act by the state to hide its past crimes.

“Perpetrators of violence contribute to what is easily forgotten,” Cadeau stated.

Monaville continued the discussion, reflecting on the topic of his latest book, Students of the World . He sought to understand and analyze the repression faced by the student movement advocating during the 1960s for the decolonization of Congo. He explained that state policies and practices of violence, exemplified by the Kinshasa student massacre in 1969, led to the suppression of the student movement. For Monaville, this event is reminiscent of the repression of the anti-colonial activism done under the Belgian regime, such as the urban riots in January 1959, before the Republic of Congo became independent in June 1960.

“One of the earliest kicks in my project was to understand the significance of the repression of the student movement in a chain of state violence, connecting the colonial past to the colonial present,” Monaville said.

Afterward, Scaraggi proceeded to talk about the liberation movement in Angola against the Portuguese government, starting in 1961. She explained that the movement

comprised three main groups: The National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA), the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The conflict between the three movements eventually led to a civil war, starting in 1975—the year Angola became independent from the Portuguese colonial regime—and ending in 2002. Scaraggi argued that politics and history were shaped by two important factors: The monopoly of explanation of the past by the prevailing party, MPLA, and a single account of liberation, which was used to legitimize the party’s authority. Panelists received questions from the public after presenting their work. Jacob Blanc, an associate professor and one of the organizers of the event, explained how the panelists’ research and discussion that ensued align with the ISID’s mission in an interview with The Tribune . Blanc noted that the ISID supports research that conceptual-

izes the way societies develop themselves and how they think of their development differently from the way international organizations do, which is through “traditional development avenues.”

“[We are] looking at three different postcolonial contexts, thinking about violence—both within the boundaries of colonial forms of oppression and resistance, but then also now in postcolonial context—and what it means to even think about the past, and particularly when the past is very violent and difficult to talk about,” Blanc said.

President Saini noted the increasing phenomenon of doxxing on campus. (Maeve Reilly / The Tribune)

McGill

Arian Kamel akamel@thetribune.ca

Tillie Burlock tburlock@thetribune.ca

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Ghazal

Assist, don’t resist, TAs in their strikes for better rights

The Tribune Editorial Board

On Monday, March 25, McGill teaching assistants (TAs) began striking following months of failed bargaining and 19 meetings with the university to negotiate a new collective agreement (CA). Last week’s strike vote found 87.5 per cent of the TAs in favour of striking, providing the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) the power to call a strike at any time. AGSEM’s primary demand is the provision of fair wages, namely, an increase from $33.03 to $46.36 an hour. This would bring McGill in line with the average pay at other Canadian universities, equalling that of the University of Toronto. Other demands include an automatic cost of living adjustment if inflation surpasses three per cent and the inclusion of healthcare in their contracts—which is missing from the proposed agreement entirely.

McGill TAs are currently the lowest paid at any Canadian university, despite McGill’s massive endowment being the third largest in the country. With the tuition hikes imposed by

the Quebec government as a cover dominating the current news cycle, McGill is able to stifle TA demands with lesser pushback. Although the university is facing major financial concerns due to the provincial government’s policies, it is pouring funds into new on-campus projects, including the McLennan-Redpath library complex renovations and the settler-colonial New Vic Project. While McGill is clearly in dire need of better infrastructure, it cannot come at the expense of paying a liveable wage to those who keep the university running.

TAs are an integral component of the university’s day-to-day operations. Professors and students alike rely on them, not only for their tireless work grading and correcting assignments but also as an important and accessible point of contact for students who are often unable to reach out to professors for help. TAs allow professors to improve the quality of their teaching and maximize student learning by focusing primarily on lectures and class content, while TAs take over the bulk of grading and running conferences or labs. Moreover, the TA position is a significant part of the graduate student

experience and contributes to the TA’s own learning, especially for students who want to teach professionally. The university cannot continue to encourage its students to become TAs as a way to work and study while simultaneously signalling that they do not care about their student workers by refusing to compensate them fairly.

Although the strike was a lastresort effort for TAs, it is a particularly effective tool for AGSEM, as McGill has proven time and again how difficult they are to bargain with. By striking, the TAs hope to prove how indispensable they are. Quebec’s stringent anti-scab labour laws provide the ideal conditions for a TA strike by prohibiting the reallocation of work that has already been assigned to striking workers. Although this should apply to tasks such as marking assignments, the McGill administration is exploiting a loophole that allows them to pass this work off to professors instead by classifying professors as “managers” who, under the Quebec Labour Code, are able to take on the TAs’ work. Regardless, overworking professors is not an effective or long-term solution for AGSEM’s demands and is a

massive disservice to the student body.

This strike also comes after the university resisted efforts from the Faculty of Law and Education professors to unionize. McGill has an abysmal record with unionization on campus, and their battle against the law and education professors proved that McGill would rather be an exploitative workplace than a liveable one. This situation also illustrates the university’s sheer power, as McGill locked members of the Faculty of Law out of their email and online services on the day of their strike without justification or prior notification. Given that professors have significantly more power and job security than TAs, this is an incredibly precarious situation for them.

The future for McGill and its TAs is murky, as no one knows how long the strikes will last. As the TAs continue to take a stand, students and professors alike must show their support through solidarity on the picket lines and by reaching out to the administration and demanding that McGill take action. We must resist the urge to turn against TAs as classes continue to be disrupted and instead stand firm in our support of the fight for their rights.

When I grow up, I want to still be an idealist

Caroline Sun News Editor

This is a coming-of-age story.

At a young age, I signed up for multiple activities outside of school—dance, piano, chess classes, all that good stuff. Being relatively skilled at each thing I tried, I quickly became a busy kid, running to different places each day after the ring of the school bell. The same thing continued as I reached the bittersweet

years of adolescence. I picked up the saxophone just simply because I thought playing in my high school’s jazz band during Jazz Night looked really fun. My habit of setting out to do random things and expecting myself to do well at them worked out fairly well for most of my teen years. However, the expectation that I would excel at everything I did became the reason why I would skip school to avoid writing an exam for which I did not think I studied enough. Before I knew it, I turned into what they call a “perfectionist,” or what I call an idealist.

I like to think of myself as an idealist rather than a perfectionist because I do not see myself as someone who wants everything to be perfect. Rather, I understand myself as someone who wants to attain the standards that I set for myself at the beginning of a journey, albeit, they are pretty high.

Regardless of the choice of word, the fallout was not a pretty scene: Successive burnouts, which I never recognized as such, created a massive breakdown that took the better part of a year to recover from.

I do not think my story is unique

unfortunately. A lot of young people are taught to value achievements over failures, to be competitive, and to be fueled by the notion that hard work is the recipe to success. Sadly, they end up in similar states early in life and are consumed by the unreachable idea of pure meritocracy.

My point is not to discourage people from working hard toward their goals in life. In fact, I’ve still chosen to work hard toward what I believe in since that dark episode of my life. But I learned from it that things do not always pan out the way you imagined they would. This could take the form of a previously agreed-upon commitment turning into something that seems to take up your time more than you expected and finding it hard to manage your time with your new set of responsibilities. If you are luckier than me, you will have an easier path, adjust to circumstances smoothly, and find yourself doing something that you didn’t think about before and find yourself liking it. A lot of the time though, you realize that achieving your goals is not as simple as going after them or terrible things happen completely out of the blue. In

ERRATUM

those cases, you need to decide what to do next and how to do it.

Here is one other thing I learned. When you grow up, you have more freedom but also more responsibility over your choices—the dilemma of adulthood. The good news is that you can decide that mistakes and failures are not bad, to certain extents. What I have come to enjoy as well are the times when I find I can work through a tough moment and learn something new. At least, that’s what I tell myself to feel wise.

The point is that it’s impossible to know exactly how things are going to turn out. There is no way to know whether there is a drawn-out path for you and what that path looks like. So, when shit hits the fan—pardon the vulgarity—if you are not able to adjust yourself to the setting, you will find yourself disappointed with life and maybe even worse, yourself. After realizing this, what I decided to believe is that it does not matter where you end up; it only matters if you like where you are and what you do at that moment. The mistakes and the journey are all equally mine.

Features: An article published in the March 19, 2024 issue (“An investigation into the lack of diversity within McGill professors and staff”) stated that the Biennial Report on Employment Equity in 2023 demonstrated that 45.2 per cent of professors who answered the survey consider themselves as a “racialized person” or a “visible minority” and that 3.2 per cent of respondents self-describe as “Indigenous,” and another 3.2 per cent deem themselves to belong in the “ethnic minorities/first language learned” category. In fact, according to the report, 20.3 per cent of tenure-stream professors who answered the survey consider themselves as a “racialized person” or a “visible minority.” 1.3 per cent of respondents self-describe as “Indigenous,” and another 16.2 per cent deem themselves to belong in the “ethnic minorities/first language learned” category.” Furthermore, it is worth noting that the table in which these numbers can be found does not mention professors and staff who self-identify as white, cisgender, non-disabled, and French- or English speaking and thus does not account for the entire McGill tenured professor and staff population.

On behalf of Floor Fellows

On Feb. 15, Daniel Fournier, Associate Director of McGill Residence Life, announced that the Floor Fellow position, a staple of the McGill residence system, would be abolished effective May 2024. This callous decision leaves McGill as the only major Canadian university without Floor Fellows or a comparable position; it will harm Floor Fellows who are losing employment and every student living in residence. Furthermore, this decision bears concerning implications for McGill’s future. The abolition of Floor Fellows will no doubt herald more cuts to student services, and more broadly, it signals the decline of McGill as a major global institution.

McGill proclaims itself as “one of the leading universities in the world” while it cuts essential services for its students.

Floor Fellows are necessary for student life at McGill—they are regularly the first to respond to instances of sexual assault, medical emergencies, and suicidal ideation. McGill alleges that their services—namely the Wellness Hub and Office for Sexual Vio -

COMMENTARY

Yasmine Guroluk Contributor

McGill’s Student Accessibility and Achievement (SAA) program consistently faces criticism for not providing thoughtful support tailored to student’s needs and not adequately addressing the diverse range of student challenges. Forty per cent of Canada’s university students self-identify as having a disability, which raises the question: Are students truly receiving the support they require? The SAA’s consistent failure to adapt causes concern regarding the effectiveness of disability support services for McGill students.

The SAA works online and in-person to ensure widened access for students with mental and physical disabilities. Their services include extended time for exams, shared notes, and guidance to assist in navigating personal and academic development. However, McGill students are required to provide provincially mandated medical documentation from a professional sanctioned by PL-21—an amendment of Quebec’s Professional Code and mental health laws, to

Floor Fellows are the latest domino to fall in McGill’s decline

lence Response, Support, & Education (OSVRSE)—overlap with the responsibilities of Floor Fellows, thereby making the position redundant. This conclusion fundamentally misconstrues the purpose of this important role. Floor Fellows are not therapists, doctors, or counsellors—nor should they be. Floor Fellows are peer-support staff that form the crucial link between McGill’s bureaucracy and first-year students.

The Wellness Hub and OSVRSE can be inaccessible for the average student, as both are critically understaffed and suffer from extremely long wait times. While

Floor Fellows alone cannot rectify this dysfunction, they play a critical role in supporting their students when they cannot immediately access the university’s services.

Floor Fellows serve as critical peer support for university students at their most vulnerable during their first year of university. Most of these students are living independently for the first time and many are new to Montreal. Although Residence Life offers some workshops for firstyear students, this is far from a substitute for the one-on-one,

personalized help that Floor Fellows offer. Floor Fellows establish a personal relationship with their students, and therefore many students feel comfortable disclosing traumatic experiences with them that they wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing with unfamiliar adults. Although McGill purports to be increasing security personnel for safety within residences, security can not be equated to peers, and will no doubt struggle to make a meaningful connection with the residents they police.

McGill is not simply creating a less-exciting residence—they are creating a dangerous environment wherein predators can thrive and students are disincentivized to report sexual violence when it inevitably occurs. Moreover, in a climate where 95 per cent of Canadian university students reported being overwhelmed, 84 per cent are suffering from anxiety, and 80 per cent are lonely or depressed, the decision to cut back on mental health support staff is shocking. Given the mental health crisis throughout Canadian universities and Canada as a whole, McGill must invest more in the mental health of its students, not strip them.

Incoming first-year students and their families will pay more and receive less in residence without Floor Fellows. Tuition, rent, and meal plan expenses are all expected to increase next year, both as a result of tuition hikes and other financial difficulties. With this in mind, is McGill truly competitive with other Canadian universities? As attending McGill becomes increasingly financially unattainable and the services provided by the university decline, the name recognition and prestige McGill boasts will plummet. For those set on McGill, living in res -

idence is a less attractive option than ever, with less peer support, increasingly inaccessible resources, and skyrocketing costs. Living off-campus, rather than in residence, is not only more affordable but now provides an equally supportive environment to McGill residences.

McGill can still reaffirm its commitment to its students and engage its Floor Fellows in good faith dialogue regarding the future of their position. Whether they will enter discussion, or continue down the path of institutional decline, remains to be seen.

McGill’s Student Accessibility and Achievement is not achieving its goals

gain access to resources. Only then does the program work with students to determine which services are most suitable to their individual conditions.

Unfortunately, numerous students struggle to acquire SAA support due to a lack of access to proper medical documentation. Many students fail to receive proper diagnoses at the university due to McGill’s lengthy waitlist and have a similarly hard time when searching outside the university due to immense costs restricting access to private healthcare, especially for those who do not have proper insurance. Why is there not an appropriate program in place for those without medical documentation? McGill’s Student Wellness Hub (SWH) is not enough to assist those in crisis. While helpful for some, services such as group therapy do not increase a person’s ability to focus, and the SWH’s months-long wait to speak to a medical professional compounds anxiety.

When a student does provide proper documentation, there are still numerous restrictions preventing them from taking full advantage of available support. The Canadian government determines the SAA’s funding, affect -

ing the distribution of resources. For example, upcoming budget restrictions could result in a reduction of the program’s operational capacity. Public opinion of disabilities factors into government decisions, potentially causing students to miss out on essential opportunities. Marginalization already affects the stability of many students’ university life due to negative social perceptions of disabilities and when compounded by the lack of accommodation at McGill, it creates a sense of discouragement.

The SAA claims to modify its support based on student and stakeholder feedback. However, if a portion of this feedback comes from students registered with the SAA, why have so few necessary changes been made?

For example, students must sign up for exam accommodations at least 14 days prior to the date of assessment. Attempting to manage a full course load as a disabled student, alongside sign-up dates for course assessments, is overwhelming. While the SAA reminds students through emails and posted announcements, this is insufficient for those with memory and organizational challenges. Additionally, numerous courses do not announce assess -

27 per cent of Canadians aged 15 years and older have one or more disabilities that affect their daily activities.

ment dates within the SAA’s provided time frame. If an evaluation is announced one week in advance and a student fails to seek support prior to that time, they are disqualified from receiving assistance.

Despite its shortcomings, the SAA remains crucial at McGill, supporting a marginalized part of the student body. From facilitating meetings with Learner Support Specialists to working on individualized academic strategies, the SAA provides essential student services. However, McGill must pay attention to where

it can and should be improving. Enhanced staff training on disability awareness, increased support for those without direct access to the SAA due to inaccessible medical care at McGill and across Canada, and better implementation of student feedback are vital to the SAA’s resource improvement. The program must evolve to address fluctuating barriers affecting students, offering personalized supports that ensure equitable access. In this age of an evolving disability justice movement, why is it so difficult to assist students primed for success?

(Mason Bramadat / The Tribune)

Queen’s University provides dedicated in-residence mental health services for students. (James Knechtel / The Tribune)

‘Until August’—published against the late author’s wishes—revisits desire

Exploring Gabriel García Márquez’s previously unpublished last novel

Kellie Elrick Staff Writer

Memory was my source material and my tool. Without it, there’s nothing.”

Gabriel García Márquez began to write Until August toward the end of his life. It was intended to be part of a much longer work, cut short by García Márquez’s battle with dementia.

His final verdict was absolute: “This book doesn’t work. It must be destroyed.”

García Márquez left behind five versions of the novel. The newly published version—released on March 6 in Spanish and March 12 in English—stems primarily from two texts: “Version five, dated July 5, 2004,” which Cristóbal Pera describes as García Márquez’s favourite of the five in the editor’s note of the novel’s Spanish edition, and a digital document of all alternate passages and scenes that had not made the cut.

Rodrigo and Gonzalo García Barcha—García Márquez’s sons—waited ten years after their father’s death before revisiting the text.

“Judging the book to be much better than we remembered it,” they wrote in the preface, “another possibility occurred to us: that the fading faculties that kept him from finishing the book also kept him from realizing how good it was.”

Delving into the novel, I was astonished to find this story—the real one—refracted around every corner.

Ana Magdalena Bach (whose name is one “n” short of that of Johann Sebastian Bach’s wife, Anna Magdalena Bach) returns to an indeterminate tropical island every August. It’s where her mother asked to be buried; Ana doesn’t know why.

She’s married—happily, mostly. But every year on the island, she takes a new lover, just for a night. Each affair winds up, climaxes, and eventually ends in disappointment. A night of sex is soured when her lover leaves her a 20-dollar bill. Years later, Ana sees another former lover on the news, wanted as a pimp, perhaps a murderer.

Her trips to the island are an effort to discover untold truths about her late mother, to communicate with the dead. This is effectively what Until August is: A previously untold story emerging

from the past, a window into a dead parent.

The story of the novel is also the story of its publication.

García Márquez deftly blends curiosity and desire until they become one and the same. Until August suggests that sexual desire is not so different from the desire for knowledge—and that they are both ultimately expressions of love.

On the island, between fragmented affairs, Ana reads a number of structurally fragmented crisis works: Dracula (epistolary), The Martian

Chronicles (a so-called “fix-up” novel), A Journal of the Plague Year (journal).

The title Until August focuses on the before, the gaps in the year preceding visits to the island, but also Ana’s life before her mother’s death. García Márquez inserts whole worlds into these gaps, leaving threads of other stories in Ana’s wake.

We are reminded of the worlds existing within people coming and going, music floating into the foreground, married couples taking refuge in motel rooms, flowers on gravestones, and bishops who have sex in hotels.

García Márquez said that Until August should be destroyed. But he didn’t destroy it. Opening the novel felt like divulging a secret, as if I were doing something I shouldn’t. But it’s a kind of infidelity that stems from love.

“In an act of betrayal, we decided to put his readers’ pleasure ahead of all other considerations,” his sons write in the preface. “If they are delighted, it’s possible that Gabo might forgive us.”

To call it an unpublished masterpiece may be a little strong—but it’s still very good. It’s still Gabriel García Márquez.

Near the end of the novel, Ana begins to realize that her life on the island is not entirely her own.

“She did not feel sad but rather encouraged by the realization that the miracle of her life was to have continued that of her dead mother.”

This is what stories do—they continue in those left over after their germination has faded away into the past. We are left to wonder what could have been written if García Márquez had had time to weave something out of the still-hanging threads.

It’s time to give complex women characters leading roles

The cancellation of Sofia Coppola’s project revives debate over Hollywood’s double standards

Lily Dodson Contributor

In a recent interview with The New Yorker , acclaimed director Sofia Coppola argued that Apple TV+ executives slashed her latest project after finding the woman lead “unlikeable.” Known for her work on films such as The Virgin Suicides , Marie Antoinette , and most recently Priscilla , Coppola was set to partner with the streaming service to create a limited series based on Edith Wharton’s novel The Custom of the Country starring Florence Pugh. According to Coppola, “the idea of an unlikeable woman wasn’t [the Apple executives’] thing.” While complex women characters have been around for ages, the idea of them in a lead role is often critiqued much more than roles for men of similar “complex calibre.” Coppola herself even admits to the interviewers that, while her leading character is “unlikeable,” “so is Tony Soprano!” Her words highlight the misogynistic hypocrisy that is deeply embedded in the entertainment industry.

In television, audiences often enjoy watching a character that is unlikeable or complex, especially as these individuals are generally easier to relate to than flawless characters.

While some of the highest-rated and most critically acclaimed shows ever feature an unlikeable lead, these characters are overwhelmingly men: Walter White of Breaking Bad , Tony Soprano of The So -

pranos , and, more recently, Kendall and Roman Roy of Succession . Part of what I enjoy most about a show is watching a protagonist whom I know I should really hate but still find myself rooting for in the end.

The cancellation of Coppola’s project reinvites debates over why complex women characters are so widely disliked in television, especially in comparison to their counterparts. In all three of the aforementioned shows, the woman lead is consistently disliked by audiences; Breaking Bad ’s Skyler White is arguably one of the most hated female characters in television history. When looking back at the show, it’s hard for me to remember what I actually disliked about Skyler while watching. Did I grow to find her annoying because everyone who has seen the show constantly emphasizes their dislike of her, or did I dislike her too? With Skyler’s role being so well-written, why did viewers despise Skyler—and Gunn’s portrayal of Skyler— yet seem to love Walt? The obvious answer is internalized misogyny. While complex male characters like Walt are considered heroes, especially due to his justification of his actions by “providing for his family,” women complex characters who do the same thing—Skyler, trying to protect her family from Walt’s evil—are considered hypocrites. I’m sure if some people rewatched the show, they would hate Walt as much as one should—as many of his actions are despicable—and perhaps recognize Skyler as the voice of reason that she

was meant to be.

Unfortunately, these double standards are not exclusive to Breaking Bad . Perhaps almost as disliked as Skyler is Shiv Roy in Succession —the only daughter in the HBO family drama. Shiv is not as disliked as Skyler, but many view her as the worst sibling on the show. Many view her as unlikeable due to her conniving and almost “evil” nature, but it is important to view her actions as doing what is necessary to succeed as the only daughter in the family.

Going back to Coppola’s show, the cancellation is disappointing not only because audiences are missing out on the po -

tent combination of Coppola’s directorial talents and Pugh’s ability to play a diverse range of roles wide but also because there is a need for more complex women characters in leading and better-written roles.

Maybe Apple TV+ didn’t want to take the risk, but some production company at some point in time will have to—TV needs to have a complex woman lead for viewers to resonate with. The trend of complex women characters being labelled “unlikeable” while their male counterparts are applauded needs to end. After all, how can viewers ever be expected to like one if they’re never given the chance?

Marquez is the Nobel Prize–winning author of One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera (Abbey Locker / The Tribune)

Many were excited for this adaptation by Coppola, as it was supposed to star Florence Pugh. (Maïa Salhofer / The Tribune)

Earlier this week, I was absent-mindedly clicking through a social media timeline when an image caught my eye. An acquaintance had shared a picture of some math-themed graffiti she’d discovered Sharpie-d onto a bathroom wall: The word “series” repeated across several tiles, with “Taylor,” “MacLaurin,” “Fourier,” and “geometric” printed above each.

Given that I was working on this article, I did what anyone would do—I awkwardly DM-ed her, (“aha this is so random”) asking where this artwork was located. I ended up in the wrong bathroom, but it too boasted an impressive display of stickers and graffiti littered on the stalls.

As any student knows, these smallbut-mighty acts of so-called vandalism aren’t unique to a single destination. It’s not hard to find handwritten notes and peeling stickers on elevator doors, street corners, and partitions between library desks. Impermanent yet often difficult to remove, public, and against the rules, stickering and graffiti share several traits that set them apart from other forms of communication. I wanted to explore how these unique features lend themselves to use by students and groups across campus.

Media of “Resistance-based action”

Opposition to formal rules governing the use of space is baked into graffiti and stickering as forms of media. This is certainly the case at McGill, where, as McGill media relations officer Frédérique Mazerolle explained in a written statement to The Tribune that building directors must approve any notices and posters on the university’s premises.

“No posters are allowed anywhere other than on notice boards provided for the purpose,” Mazerolle wrote. “When unauthorized posters are found, it is standard practice to remove them. The protocol is to remove the graffiti/stickers as soon as possible and when it is safe to do so.”

Melissa Proietti is the assistant director of the Montreal campus of Champlain College and served as the festival director for Montreal’s annual Under Pressure International Graffiti Festival for 15 years. Her

research—including her PhD completed in McGill’s Department of Integrated Studies—looks into the ways that graffiti can be incorporated into educational contexts. In an interview with The Tribune, Proietti explained that graffiti culture is rooted in the artist making space for themselves in an environment where they may otherwise lack the power to change their surroundings.

“[Graffiti is] a mindset for people who identify with a lifestyle that’s associated with it, and a mindset of understanding what it means to take space for yourself in often urban areas, city spaces that are really densely populated, and that are not often really equitable in terms of space and living situations.” Proietti said. “Traditionally speaking, and where we see graffiti culture really becoming noticeable in more popular culture is in that resistance-based action, [...] taking space and doing it for yourself [...] your friends, and for that kind of notoriety.”

Like graffiti, stickering as a medium is shaped by its resistance to institutional and legal rules. Lola Milder, U3 Arts, has been involved with stickering campaigns for student groups such as Divest McGill and Let’s Eat McGill, as well as for organizing against tuition hikes. Milder highlighted that despite their contested use, the persistence and accumulation of stickers across campus works to legitimize the practice in the eyes of students.

“When you come to a place where there are stickers— even evidence of stickers being ripped off—it’s a reminder to new students that there’s something going on that students are trying or community members are trying to get information out, especially information that the administration is not interested in being circulated,” Milder said. “And that creates this classic [feeling] of, ‘oh, there’s something subversive [and] anti-institution going on.’”

In this way, the mere presence of graffiti, stickers, or their remnants encourages more students to join the dialogue and add their own messages. Even messages that are not explicitly political support this “classic” anti-institutional attitude by nature of their media, sometimes quite literally. For example, when the remains of partly torn-off stickers become a surface for a new crop of graffiti, or when one message scrawled on the wall sparks an entire debate below.

From her experiences speaking with graffiti artists, Proietti recalled that many of them discussed a feeling that once they paint a piece of graffiti, it enters a public space and no longer solely belongs to them.

“[The graffiti] does [belong to you], because it’s your identity, but it also now lives outside,” Proietti said. “When things live outside, [they] become part of a bigger picture.”

There are works of graffiti so iconic that they’ve become a familiar sight

in my day-to-day life: “FUCK MEN” with “command or declaration? Instructions unclear” printed neatly underneath in response; “you can do it dont give up” on a bathroom wall; a portrait of a person with eyes closed in quiet contemplation drawn in swirly, looping black marker. Indeed, while the identities of these unknown graffiti artists are meaningfully absent from this article, their impact goes beyond an isolated message. It builds upon this culture of resistance and serves as a way for students to assert their voice and express their frustrations toward a university that fails to support them, listen to them, and be honest with them.

A tool for mobilization and organizing

Given that graffiti and stickering the institutional rules governing prising that student activist groups the public around a cause.

Milder attested to the way that the work of an organized group “safe for [them] to engage.”

“I feel like there’s a rule of thumb people have to see something multiple think of it as legitimate and consider er said. “Let’s say the first sticker then they see an Instagram post, from afar. And it like builds into I’ll actually go closer and see what Through form of viewing, stickering to articulate thoughts the viewer acting upon and motivate them action item.

Zahur Ashrafuzzaman, BA ’23 Divest McGill and Let’s Eat McGill, stickering in familiarizing the public on campus. They also attest to the works of graffiti as a strategy to campaign, even if they disagree

“A group like Divest or Let’s actions with many sorts on campus ones that I’ve seen that actually online platform like the McGill eye-catching sort of actions even sarily not match up with [different Ashrafuzzaman remarked that fits of graffiti’s “decentralized, certain activists can take on the the likelihood that the artist or by McGill staff.

This past week, as I walked the Association of Graduate Students (AGSEM) had put stickers all over strike. AGSEM President Mario union encourages members to meetings and put them up where community members within their Roy noted that as a result, the is a reflection “that [AGSEM] members

organizing

stickering inherently undermine governing a space, it’s perhaps unsurgroups use them as ways to rally

that stickering can familiarize group to students, showing them it’s thumb or something where multiple times before they consider getting involved,” Mild sticker is just that first thing, and post, and then they see an event into [a feeling of] ‘oh okay, maybe what they’re doing.’”

stickering has the potential viewer may not have considered them to partake in the group’s next

’23 and former member of McGill, echoed the importance of public with activist campaigns the efficacy of large outdoor to get students talking about a disagree with its tactics.

Eat, does lots of different campus but some of the major actually get people talking on an subreddit, are these graffiti even if [...] they might not neces[different measures] of impacts.”

that one of the practical beneautonomous [...] style” is that the task by themselves, limiting the group be held accountable

home from class I noticed that Students Employed at McGill over campus promoting their Roy told The Tribune that the take posters and stickers from where they see fit as a way to reach their faculty or program.

the representation of stickers members really want to show to

McGill and to the entire community that they care for what they are fighting for, and they really want to win what they are fighting for.” In addition to sharing information, stickers can be powerful visual symbols of the support behind a movement.

Stickering as a site of resource-sharing

Not only is stickering a useful form of student activism, but it can also raise awareness of support services on campus that students may otherwise overlook. In the women’s washrooms at McGill, it’s not uncommon to see stickers for the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS), the Eating Disorder Centre of the Students’ Society of McGill University, and McGill Students’ Nightline.

Aiya Hyslop-Healy, U1 Arts and VP External of McGill Students’ Nightline, explained in an interview with The Tribune that the group had stickered on campus to raise awareness about their services among students. The strategy has seen success, as some of their volunteers reported expressing interest in joining after seeing these stickers.

At a time when social media is a dominant approach for grabbing the public’s attention, Hyslop-Healy highlighted that stickering can work in tandem with social media to reach audiences that would otherwise be inaccessible.

“[With] social media [...] people have to actually follow us to receive the content that we do,” Hyslop-Healy said. “So I think that’s why stickers are so useful, because anybody can see what we have to offer. And then they can go and look it up on Instagram and find out more about us.”

Potty talk: Messaging and Location Matters

The words that go into designing graffiti and stickers are also crucial in ensuring they capture their audience’s attention. As the fabled series graffiti illustrates, humorous wording with a relatable message is a sure way to catch someone’s eye. Ashrafuzzaman explained that in their sticker design for Let’s Eat McGill, they try to use wordplay to create catchy messages that are memorable for viewers. Due to the often simple nature of graffiti’s messaging in particular, it relies heavily on shared context for audiences to understand its meaning. For example, messages like “Divest” spray-painted on a building may conjure different meanings depending on what issues are in the spotlight on campus.

“Around McGill campus, there’s quite a bit of graffiti recently with things like ‘McGill Funds Genocide’ or ‘Divest,’” Ashrafuzzaman said. “In this case, it’s relatively clear given the available context that ‘Divest’ here means divestment of McGill’s investments in Israeli apartheid and genocide, whereas a few years ago, ‘Divest’ would be probably taken as referring to fossil fuels [....] But of course both these movements have been going on for some time and aren’t exclusive in any way.”

The specific locations where creators place graffiti and stickers are also strategic, with the bathroom stall being perhaps the most iconic example. Proietti noted that bathrooms are a unique space for their sense of privacy and safety, opening them up to graffiti as a form of expression. Because of their unique position as private areas that users may perceive as dirty and less maintained, “the rules get a little bit grey.”

nal dialogue,” Proietti said. “It’s not like you’re out on the front line of some kind of really intense debate. It’s a really low-pressure place.”

“[T]hose spaces are [...] kind of contestable in the sense of who they belong to, and how well maintained they really are, and if that’s truly vandalism at that point, or if you’re kind of more taking part in a commu-

In addition to being contestable spaces, bathrooms are places of repose. Milder spoke to the way that “moments of forced pause” around campus—such as bathrooms and elevators—are prime real estate for stickers because they’re more likely to capture someone’s attention. At the same time, she highlighted practical considerations surrounding the threat of stickers being noticed by McGill staff and taken down. For instance, while staff may consider a sticker outside to be a threat to the university’s public image, one “in fifth floor Burnside” might slip through the cracks.

Milder also explained that when there are other stickers in one space she is more inclined to add one to the same group, fostering camaraderie between the causes.

“It’s almost like you’re supporting the other stickers,” Milder said. “You’re like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna put another one here, and then maybe it’s less likely they’ll take both of us down.’”

* Clustered around bathroom stall doors, on elevator walls, and on stair railings, stickers and graffiti serve as a timeline of recent student activism—from the Association of McGill University Support Employees floor fellow strike in 2022 to the demand “Free Palestine.” These messages do more than occupy space in bathroom stalls, they support mobilization and organizing efforts and act as a means to share important resources on campus. Their very forms are tools for students to make space for themselves at a university that does not adequately support them or take into consideration their voices.

There’s no guarantee that the graffiti and stickers we pass each day (the “series” family included) will last. But given the role that these practices play in activism and expression, the writing’s on the wall: For every bathroom door replaced and Sharpie that’s scrubbed away, a new generation of creators will be ready to take up the torch.

Can Matt Champion move beyond his boy band past?

The former Brockhampton member is still finding his footing on his new album, ‘Mika’s Laundry’

Isaiah Albert-Stein Opinion Editor

Emilia Fowler Contributor &

Aquick look at the Y-intersection’s collection of baggy pants, tiny sunglasses, tote bags, and ironic baseball caps indicates an unspoken truth—many of McGill’s trendiest students may have been fans of Brockhampton in their heyday. The “best boy band since One Direction” was a groundbreaking force in hip-hop in the late 2010s with a DIY approach to songwriting that highlighted both the variety of each member’s style and the unity of the eclectic group—but it was the band’s distinct visual style and emphasis on inclusion that won the hearts of young listeners. With openly gay frontman Kevin Abstract at the helm, the racially diverse, self-labeled “boy band” wrote deeply personal verses covering their

experiences with racism, patriarchy, poverty, and homophobia. Brockhampton challenged the very notion of a boy band or rap collective by designating all the performers, producers, designers, and photographers as members, underscoring this collaborative approach with a curated aesthetic across their videos and performances. Even today, anyone wearing overalls in public might be part of Brockhampton.

However, well before their breakup in 2022, Brockhampton began to fade from relevance as their boundary-pushing act lost steam. Ameer Vann’s sexual assault allegations and departure from the band following 2017’s acclaimed SATURATION album trilogy cast a shadow over Brockhampton’s subsequent releases and eroded their cohesive boy band image. While their first post-Vann single, 2018’s “1999 WILDFIRE,” is a strong contender for the group’s best song, and 2019’s “SUGAR” went platinum and sparked an early TikTok trend, the group slowly fell out of fashion with their young audience. Even if you can still rap Brockhampton member Matt Champion’s opening verse on “SWEET” wordfor-word, you probably aren’t following any former member’s career closely enough to know about Champion’s new album, Mika’s Laundry, which released on March 22.

Today, Brockhamp-

Let’s go lesbians…to the movies!

ton’s frequent collaborators continue to outperform them and appeal to Gen-Z listeners who have long left the group behind. McGill students are far more likely to favour artists such as Dominic Fike, who filmed a music video with the group and featured on Kevin Abstract’s Arizona Baby in 2019, or rising indie artist Dijon, who produced for Brockhampton early in his career. Dijon now lends his own musical credibility to Champion’s album with a feature on “Aphid” and assorted production credits.

Champion’s first solo release since 2017 is an ambitious R&B album that artfully incorporates complex production and wide-ranging vocals into a creative, modern sound. Still, he mostly fails to move beyond the boundaries of his former and current co-creatives. Champion produced the album with Henry Kwapis (lead producer for Fike’s Sunburn and much of Dijon’s discography) and much of Mika’s Laundry feels a little too inspired by those more progressive artists; the vocals on “Everybody Likes You” are effectively a thin impression of Dijon’s more soulful style. Other songs reveal the constraints of Champion’s boy band past—“Gbiv” could pass as an outtake from Brockhampton’s GINGER

Champion’s personal voice stands out more when he moves further from his previous sound. On “Dogfish” especially, his skill as a rapper and singer shines over the adventurous, groovy production and highlights the best qualities of his performance throughout the album. His collaboration with BLACKPINK’s JENNIE on “Slow Motion” stands out among the lineup of features by combining JENNIE’s soft vocals and Korean R&B style with currently trending jungle and garage drum beats. With more than seven million streams since its single release three weeks ago, this collaboration could show promise in the mainstream

Song lyrics don’t need to make sense

Charlotte Hayes Staff Writer

While songs like Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” contain lyrics more profound than most poetry in the modern canon, others just kind of…feel right. Sometimes, when it comes to the words to a song, what is being said matters so much less than how it’s said. Nonsensical lyrics can operate as everything from metaphor to verbal percussion, each allowing an artist to alter the confines of traditional language use within the medium. So whether it’s Hozier’s “Drain the whole sea, get something shiny, something meaty for the main course” in “Take Me to Church” or the (in)famous “If I was a sculptor, but then again, no” from Elton John’s “Your Song,” maybe it’s better to not think too hard about what anyone’s singing and just let the music move you.

market for Champion’s solo career.

Brockhampton proved to be more of a fad than the legacy-building supergroup they claimed to be in their prime, and Mika’s Laundry certainly isn’t a sign of their return to relevance. Does the fact that Brockhampton has grown “uncool” mean that we’ve left their members behind for newer artists and trendier directions? Maybe. Would Matt Champion make a ripple without his past in the once-ubiquitous boy band? Probably not. Mika’s Laundry isn’t perfect, but its best moments show promise for an interesting career—if Champion can shed the weight of his Brockhampton past.

How the recent success of Sapphic films can help save their TV show counterparts

Charlotte Hayes Staff Writer

From boxers to bodybuilders to road trippers and beyond, the past six months have given us an unprecedented number of movies about queer women. As slow, candlelit period pieces fueled by stolen glances, often the sole lesbian representation in media, feel increasingly outdated, this new “golden age” presents an exciting prospect in terms of representation. Films about queer women are expanding in scope, genre, and number, marking a sharp contrast with their television counterparts, which often face cancellation after just one or two seasons.

A film that could be credited with bringing lesbian cinema to the mainstream is Bottoms Apart from its incredible script, hilarious antics, and revival of the raunchy teen comedy genre that has been largely absent but sorely missed, the primary draw of the movie lies in its co-leads: Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott. Both breakout stars in their own right, they seem to stand as role models for a younger, predominantly women, queer audience, as well as leaders in a comedy space that hasn’t always been so welcoming to them. Though this trend of genre reclamation and revitalization is particularly evident in Bottoms, it can easily be applied to the success of other recent mainstream movies about queer women as well.

Sapphic stories on the silver screen have also seen a remarkable genre expansion as of late.

From road trip movies to neo-noirs, the first few months of 2024 have seen delightfully messy interpretations of lesbian relationships onscreen. Drive Away Dolls is unabashedly raunchy and unafraid to depict lesbian women fully in control of their sexuality, as opposed to continually struggling with some sort of repressed desire. By allowing the characters to freely explore and express their sexuality without being a side plot to a separate heterosexual storyline, a certain level of authenticity shines through in the way these women communicate, engage with, and relate to one another. More-

over, by using genres that are not often explored in queer cinema, like mob movies, the screenwriters can effectively exploit the differences that a diverse perspective brings to a tired or worn-out genre.

In a similar vein, Rose Glass’s Love Lies Bleeding, starring Kristen Stewart (Lou), revitalizes the genre of noir filmmaking from a lesbian character’s perspective. Both Stewart and Glass have spoken about not using a coming-out narrative, favouring genre-based elements instead. Drive Away Dolls and Love Lies Bleeding use this decentring of identity to seamlessly integrate representation into

these often violent and grotesque genres. The result is media creation that allows queer women viewers to connect with a story based on their identity while still enjoying the particularities and tropes of a specific genre.

While movies featuring lesbian characters are succeeding at the box office and online, their television counterparts, like Amazon Prime’s A League of Their Own or Netflix’s First Kill, are frequently axed after just one or two short seasons. Showrunners consistently push forward shows featuring gay men as critical darlings and beacons of diversity, while they often sideline lesbian women even in conversations about representation within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Many of these shows have passionate and young online fanbases, leading media critics to take them less seriously. Consequently, these shows are deprioritized both in terms of awards and finances, making them first on the chopping block when it comes time for renewal. Lesbian films can operate under the umbrella of high art, slipping by under the guise of subversion, whereas lesbian TV shows, with all their glorious authenticity, are more vulnerable to criticism.

It has undoubtedly been an incredible year for queer women in film, and hopefully, it sets a precedent that allows more young queer women to develop stories and characters that reflect their lived experiences. It would be fantastic if the success of queer women in film could help propel sapphic-centred TV shows into second seasons and beyond.

Brockhampton’s 2019 single “Sugar” was their only song to make the Billboard 100. (Abbey Locker / The Tribune)

Katy O’Brian stars as a bodybuilder in ‘Love Lies Bleeding’. (Zoe Lee / The Tribune)

Oh the places we’ll go!

McGill

students’ travel bucket lists

Katherine Weaver Staff Writer

Summer is nearing, and with it come those mid-lecture daydreams of travel. For some, visions of an idyllic European getaway dance through their heads. For others, bucket list travel may look like an adventurous road trip or a rugged hiking adventure through some of Canada’s national parks. Where do McGill students dream of travelling? The Tribune talked to some students to learn more about some of their bucket list travel spots.

“I’d really like to go back to Indonesia. A couple of years ago, my family and I went to Bali, and I really enjoyed it. So it would be fun to go back and do that again or see some other areas with friends or with my sister [....] I’ve never been to other eastern Asian cities. I think a place like Tokyo or somewhere like that could be fun. But there’s so much out there; it’s hard to pick!”

– Zola Campisi, U1 Science

“I think it would be really cool to go to Newfoundland and do some camping trips in some of the parks there. I really like hiking, backpacking, canoeing, and that kind of thing.”

– Liam Foese, U2 Arts

“I would love to travel and spend a couple of weeks in South America and visit Colombia,

Argentina, Ecuador, and Brazil. The coastlines and landscape there seem beautiful and there’s a lot of history and ancient ruins I would love to explore. I plan to spend a semester in Colombia next year to learn Spanish and continue to learn more about South America! I think it would also be cool to visit more of South and South Eastern Asia at some point. Those cultures are also super interesting and I’m a geography minor, so the new master-planned cities interest me.”

– Sonali Cowieson, U2 Arts and Science

“I would really like to visit my cousin in Tokyo, see the cherry blossoms during the day [....] At night, my cousin promised he’d take me to his favourite bars and to the karaoke bar Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray sing at in the movie, Lost in Translation.”

– Emilia Oliver, U2 Science

“My bucket list travel plans would be to visit countries in Southeast Asia. In the past, I feel like I’ve only ever really travelled to countries that have very Western cultures, so I want to get the chance to see something different. It might sound stupid, but in particular, I really want to visit Cambodia because I really like the food there!”

– Iona Wyper, U3 Science

“One of my bucket list trips right now would be hiking the mountains in Peru and Argentina just because I’ve seen so many pretty

Where to find the perfect iced coffee

A guide to cafés near campus

Maria Gheorghiu & Dante Ventulieri Staff Writer & Student Life Editor

Afew weeks ago, Montreal’s temperatures peaked at 16 degrees, awakening the insatiable and overpowering urge to get an iced coffee from deep within us. It’s a normal response for any caffeine-driven student, even though the blissful warmth only lasted a day. So, here are our recommendations for iced coffee near(ish) campus.

Mintar

10 minutes on foot

Mintar has quickly become our go-to coffee place. It’s close to campus, has a relaxing vibe perfect for finishing an assignment, and has a great selection of food and drinks. Their iced latte, made with either regular, soy, almond, or oat milk, is a real star in its own right, and while you can add syrups, it might only take away from the flavour. The real showstopper is their caffè crema, which is coming back soon. And for an added treat, you’ll get to support a Palestinian-owned business in the process.

Café RÌ YUÈ

10 minutes on foot

If you’re looking for an iced coffee that’s both delicious and unique, Cafe RÌ YUÈ is a great choice. Though we only sampled their basic iced latte, the café’s other flavour options, including dalgona, osmanthus, and sesame, have us champing at the bit to go back. You can replace the milk with plant-based alterna-

photos and astrophotography photos from trails up in this area. I would also like to visit this park in Northern Canada called Auyuittuq National Park which is only accessible by boat for part of the year and requires guides to protect you from the polar bears. I saw the mountains while I was flying over the Park and it looked insane, so it’s an eventual goal to go there. These places are fairly remote

and hard to find, but in the shorter term, I’d love to go visit Churchill which is the polar bear capital of the world and do some backpacking in the mountains in Norway. I really like travelling to get to see new parts of the world that you can’t really see anywhere else and I really love hiking, the mountains, and the ocean.”

– Tristan Stevens, U3 Science

tives for 50 cents, and if you already reached your caffeine limit for the day, they have an extensive offering of cold non-coffee drinks. We took our coffees to go, but highly recommend taking the time to enjoy the adorable tableware, the immaculate vibes, and the stunning cakes.

Leaves House Café

5 minutes on foot

If you’re in the mood for something plantbased, Leaves House is a perfect option close to campus. It’s even better if you usually feel constrained by the small variety of iced coffee options at cafés: All of their drinks, from coffees to hōjicha super-lattes, can be upgraded to an iced version for free, and you can choose from five varieties of oat, macadamia, or pistachio milk (we’ll definitely be trying the last one soon). Take a break from McGill in their light and airy study space, perfect for clearing your mind and regenerating your energy.

Café Chato 15 minutes by metro

When your group project is getting too irritating and you need a break from other people, head to this cozy spot near the Verdun metro station. Café Chato is a vegetarian café and more importantly, a space for rescue cats looking for a new family. They offer an extensive menu of cold beverages and their iced latte is sure to hit the spot. It’s a great spot to take a break, pet some cats, and relax. Keep in mind, the weekends tend to be busy with families and kids, so going on a weekday might be more enjoyable.

Café Milano

45 minutes by metro and bus

You’ve been on campus all day, shifting between lecture halls and libraries, and you can’t bear the thought of spending another minute in the McGill bubble. Not to worry: The East End is calling your name, and we think you should answer. While the commute might be daunting, Café Milano in St-Leonard is totally worth it, if only for their caffè crema. Think of it as a frapp, but Italian and better in every way. As a bonus, you get to explore Montreal’s changing urban morphology as you ride the bus eastward.

Honourable mention: Tim Hortons

A few issues ago, when recommending places to get soup near campus, we named Tim Hortons as the place to avoid. While we stand by what we said, we think Timmies deserves a redemption arc. When you’re in a pinch and on a budget, our national treasure has everything to offer. Choose from varieties of flavoured or plain cold brews and iced lattes, or opt for an Iced Capp to bring a nostalgic summer vibe to your study session. Good thing they don’t make iced versions of their soups.

McGill’s robust study abroad programs are a great way to visit a dream destination while still in school. (Sylvie Bourque / The Tribune)

All things academic: Course recommendations

A guide to fun, light, and interesting electives

Abby McCormick Student Life Editor

As a third-year student at McGill, I’ve taken my fair share of courses at the university—90 credits worth to be exact. Some were hard, some were reading-heavy, and others were just plain boring. To help you avoid the pitfalls of an elective gone wrong, here are some of my favourite courses I have taken at McGill so far.

PSYC 331: Inter-Group Relations

Semester I took it in: Winter 2023

Professor I took it with: Jordan Axt

Why are people prejudiced?

What factors contribute to differential outcomes between groups? How can we combat discrimination? If these questions interest you, Inter-Group Relations is the course for you. The class delves into research and theories related to stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination, with an emphasis on racial inequities. Professor Axt, who runs the McGill Intergroup Cognition Lab, provides fascinating lectures with real-world examples and interactive components. PSYC 331 does not use a textbook and instead relies on YouTube interviews with experts in the field and Vox articles to supplement the lecture material. One important note is that this course requires PSYC 215: Social Psychology, but I promise, sitting through the prereq is worth it.

WCOM 250 (formerly CEAP 250): Research Essay and Rhetoric Semester I took it in: Winter 2022

Professor I took it with: Zachary Abram

If there is one class at McGill that I believe should be mandatory for all undergraduate students, it is this one. Tackling topics such as concision, grammar, purpose, and style, WCOM 250 teaches students the art of essay writing. I can honestly say that this course is what took my writing from high school to university level. The course includes rhetoric and citation workshops along with lectures and group discussions designed to help students improve their writing. Students can submit multiple drafts of assignments and receive feedback on each one, creating a collaborative learning environment between students and their professors (and a great way to boost your grade).

PHIL 237: Contemporary Moral Issues

Semester I took it in: Winter 2022 Professor I took it with: Stephanie Leary

Contemporary Moral Issues analyzes modern-day topics, such as the Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movements through a philosophical lens. The course introduces students to argument-building, and philosophical writing, making it a great elective for those with no prior experience in philosophy. Professor Leary’s slides are crystal clear and, despite some of the readings being challenging, she does a great job of explaining them. The class also has weekly conferences, which are a great way to engage with your classmates and TAs.

PSYC 204: Introduction to Psychological Statistics

Semester I took it in: Fall 2022 Professor I took it with: Jessica Flake

You may think I’m crazy for including a math course on a list of fun electives. But, trust me on this one: PSYC 204 with Jessica Flake is interesting, fun, and easy if you put in a little effort. The course details basic statistical principles, including means, standard deviations, and t-tests with examples that are relevant to students’ lives. The grading scheme is nicely distributed between attendance, online

homework (with multiple attempts per question), tiny tests, a final exam, and extra credit points for participating in psychology studies.

CHEM 181: Chemistry of Foods

Semester I took it in: Now Professors I took it with: David Harpp and Joe Schwarcz

No list of electives would be complete without Chem of Foods. This fully online, asynchronous course allows students to work through short videos at their own pace. The professors are highly engaging and their pas-

sion for the subject can be felt through the screen. Plus, you can use your notes for the exams, as they are fully online and open-book.

Honourable Mentions:

CANS 301: Topics in Canadian Studies: Leadership in Canada

BIOL 115: Essential Biology

PSYC 471: Human Motivation (PSYC 215 is a prerequisite)

PHIL 242: Topics in Feminist Theory

FREN 201: Le français littéraire (FRSL 431 or a placement test is a prerequisite)

The Tribune’s Women’s History Crossword

Abby McCormick Student Life Editor

14.

Down

1. The founder of Canada’s first hospital and namesake of a popular park near campus

3. The former women’s-only dormitory at McGill

5. A Montreal-born civil rights activist who led the 1969 occupation of Sir George Williams University

6. A McGill alum who earned the Hugh MacLennan Prize for her novel, Lullaby for Little Criminals

9. A Canadian war heroine of the War of 1812 and namesake of a chocolate brand

11. The author of The Handmaid’s Tale

12. An Ottawa-born singer who made it big with her album, Jagged Little Pill

13. The only person to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year four times

2. The first woman Prime Minister of Canada

4. A suffragette leader and part of “The Famous Five”

7. The 17th Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill

8. The only woman to currently be featured on a Canadian bill

10. A Canadian singer-songwriter famous for her social activism and pacifism

The first woman Vice President of the U.S. and former Montreal resident

15. The first woman to serve as a provincial Premier in Canada in 1991

Registration for the summer semester is currently open on Minerva. (Mason Bramadat /The Tribune)

McGill’s Undergraduate Poster Showcase celebrates star students’ scientific research

Research topics included LGBTQ+ health, knee surgery, and student motivation.

K. Coco Zhang Science & Technology Editor

On March 19, McGill’s Office of Science Education hosted its fifth annual Undergraduate Poster Showcase in the University Centre Ballroom, providing students with an opportunity to share their research, passion projects, and in-class work. This year, the event featured 150 colourful posters rich with information, images, and creative interpretations of science.

The Tribune spoke to undergraduate students Michelle Kowalska, Evonne Henning, and Emma Tomiuk about their research.

Exploring LGBTQ+ substance recovery

“Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ individuals may be at higher risk of struggling with substance misuse compared to their cisgender and heterosexual peers, mainly due to social and systemic factors, such as homophobia, transphobia, and discrimination,” Kowalska, U3 Arts, said in her poster presentation.

For Kowalska, this heightened risk of substance misuse points to the importance of creating inclusive support services and recovery programs that are

responsive to the needs of LGBTQ+ people. It is also essential to understand their personal experiences of substance misuse and recovery.

“To be able to investigate that, we conducted semi-structured interviews with LGBTQ+ individuals to discuss questions such as what is substance misuse and what is abstinence versus recovery,” Kowalska continued.

Her findings suggest the need to broaden traditional definitions of recovery to encompass LGBTQ+ perspectives and highlight the impact of intersectional factors such as race, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on recovery experiences.

Kowalska’s study also calls for further research into LGBTQ+ recovery experiences, particularly the intersections of identity and recovery, to better understand and support the needs of these communities.

Partial versus total knee replacement in patients with knee osteoarthritis

In Canada, roughly 55,000 knee replacements are performed each year. Around 90 per cent of these are total knee replacements, with partial knee replacements making up the rest.

Knee replacement surgery involves replacing parts of injured or

worn-out knee joints with an artificial implant. It is one of the most recommended surgeries for knee osteoarthritis—a condition that reduces one’s ability to move freely by causing pain, swelling, and stiffness in the knee joint.

“A partial knee replacement preserves the anterior cruciate ligament, which is a ligament that controls the motion of the knee, but a total knee replacement removes this ligament,” Henning, U3 Science, said in her poster presentation. “A partial knee replacement is [also] less invasive, heals faster, and has a shorter operation time.”

Given the advantages of partial replacements over total knee replacements, Henning’s team aimed to quantify the differences in knee function between patients who undergo the former surgery and those who undergo the latter.

Henning did not observe statistically significant differences between the two groups of patients in terms of pain, stiffness, and physical function.

“This suggests that a partial knee replacement could be a potential alternative to total knee replacement for patients with knee osteoarthritis,” Henning said.

Student motivation changes and rela-

tion to learning

Expectancy-value theory is one of the most influential theories for understanding motivation. One component of this theory, cost, can be defined as the extent to which a student needs to sacrifice to perform a task.

“[According to expectancy-value theory,] there are three types of cost— psychological cost, effort cost, and opportunity cost,” Tomiuk, U3 Arts and Science, said in her poster presentation.

Tomiuk is dedicated to studying the changes in motivation of McGill undergraduate students throughout the semester and whether motivation levels can predict students’ grades.

Another component of the theory is value, defined as the extent to which

the individual values the desired outcome. Value can be further categorized into interest value (personal enjoyment), utility value (perceived usefulness for future goals), and attainment value (the importance of achieving the outcome).

Self-efficacy, one’s belief in one’s capacity to achieve a goal, also plays a crucial role in controlling motivation.

“We found that costs and attainment value decrease over time, whereas self-efficacy and interest value increase over time,” Tomiuk said. “Lower costs and higher self-efficacy predict higher grades.”

Tomiuk suggested that future research could focus on the impact of students’ learning environment on their motivation.

Practices of resistance in times of crisis presents: How to use new media

The revolutionary potential of podcasts in a new age of technology

Jenna Durante Contributor

On March 22, McGill’s Faculty of Arts hosted a workshop led by Jack Solar, the Spoken Word Coordinator at the campus radio station CKUT 90.3 FM, on the use of a rapidly developing form of information technology: Podcasts.

The event was part of the “Public Narrative and Critical Thinking in Times of Hyper Technologization” workshop series, which also included a discussion of artificial intelligence.

Solar began with a history of radio broadcasting, along with an overview of the basics of recording and editing a podcast. This included an explanation of the necessary hardware and software, as well as some tips for content management. For the rest of the presentation, Solar explored the revolutionary potential of podcasts and how we can utilize new technology to spread information across the public sphere.

As Solar explained, CKUT holds significant historical importance in the Montreal community, originating from McGill’s radio club, which was es-

tablished in 1921. They officially began broadcasting in Nov. 1987 and have been creating and sharing content ever since. Solar highlighted the impact of FM radio, which allows the station to reach audiences as far as the Eastern Townships and upstate New York.

The campus radio station is known for its diverse programming, including advocacy for Black awareness, 2SLGBTQIA+ issues, homelessness awareness, and coverage of student protests.

“We want to speak about things that are challenging,” Solar said in their presentation. “Our goal is not to speak for other people but to put a microphone in front of them and let them tell their stories.”

While traditional FM radio stations have wide public reach, a podcast can be a more accessible way to start making audio content. Having started with just a MacBook and Garageband, Solar emphasized the low barriers to entry of podcasting and the basics needed to start a podcast of your own.

Looking at the technical aspects of production, Solar highlighted that recording, edit-

ing, and publishing are the three steps to follow in creating a successful podcast. All you need is a device to record on, a microphone, a place to record, an editing software system, and a platform to post your content to.

Solar emphasizes the importance of finding the purpose of your podcast, defining the topics you want to cover, and identifying your target audience. Think about the “who,” “what,” and “why” of your podcast and how you are going to get people to engage with your story.

Discussing some of the challenges of podcasting, Solar looked at the reality of content creation. Building an audience, making a story that will catch people’s attention, scripting, and finding your style are all factors that need to be considered when developing a new podcast.

“The truth is that podcasting is about marketing, charisma, and character. It is as much about finding your angle as it is about finding your voice,” Solar said.

Solar advises against per-

fectionism and procrastination and urges podcast enthusiasts to find their unique perspective, original branding, and collaborators to make the podcast authentic, compelling, and impactful for its viewers.

“It’s good to look at the landscape of successful people, see what they’re doing, and learn from them—or counter them,” Solar explained.

Solar advises aspiring podcast creators to emphasize storytelling that captivates audiences and builds a sense of connection among viewers.

Unlike traditional media or news outlets that may focus on negative aspects like reprimanding or shaming audience members, successful podcasts prioritize creating genuine connections and meaningful conversations, rather than promoting divergence.

They concluded by reiterating the workshop’s aim to educate and inspire individuals to use their voices and share meaningful stories. As technology continues to evolve, podcasts can be a tool for education and promoting social change, creating a space to form connections across diverse communities.

American psychologists Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen first developed the expectancy-value theory in 1975. (Undergraduate Poster Showcase)

scitech@thetribune.ca

Searching for the genetic underpinnings of rare disease

Let’s

not oversimplify–DNA is complicated.

By Zoe Dubin Design Editor

licates, mistakes can occur

Roughly 2 metres of DNA are crammed into the nucleus. The DNA is bound up in proteins and manipulated by molecular machines trying to read, organize, and silence it in response to complex cues.

In the United States, rare diseases affect one in ten people. Getting diagnosed with a rare disease is an arduous journey–often called a diagnostic odyssey. The elusive nature of genetic mutations mean that some diseases are complete mysteries. Bernard Brais, a McGill professor, sat down with The Tribune to discuss his experience working as a neurologist at The Montreal Neurological InstituteHospital and the implications of his recently published paper, Deep Intronic FGF14 GAA Repeat Expansion in Late-Onset Cerebellar Ataxia, which used long-read sequencing to find a genetic mutation underlying Late-Onset Cerebellar Ataxia (LOCA): A rare genetic disease which degeneratively impairs patients’ abilities to walk and coordinate movement.

“The diagnostic odyssey is due in part to physicians seeing a lot of patients, and sometimes needing to be reminded about a patient that is still looking for what they have. Unfortunately, that comes down to the patient to say, ‘Look, I want to know more.’

All quotes from Bernard Brais

“I see patients that have been seen by five, six neurologists before me. And sometimes I see them and I tell them, I think I know what you have, but I can’t test it because we’re still working on [finding a genetic cause].”

“Those are the stories that really keep you going because you never know what you’re going to find when you search for [genetic] errors.

In Quebec, in particular, when we find errors, we know there’s going to be many patients, because we have a repertoire of errors that are shared.

For a small population, like French Canadians, we’re all descendants of a few, maybe 10 or 12,000 people. So we share genes, and therefore recessive disease.”

“We found the [LOCA] mutation, and then treatment became available immediately. And I will always remember one of the patients said to me, ‘Just to tell you how well I’m doing, I came up the seven flights of stairs to come and see you’ – it was another world.”

“One of the spouses who was dying of cancer said, ‘Ben that you have to promise me, you’re going to find what my wife has.’ It took me 22 years.”

“What I do in the clinic is integrate completely genetic testing. This [testing] can be for a single gene, but mostly many genes, what we call a gene panel test. There are labs now that are starting to use long read sequencing as a first line diagnostic method instead of exome sequencing or genome sequencing, But, it’s still expensive. In Canada, I don’t think many people use long read sequencing. It’s not really suited in a clinical setting. But, I think it’s the way of the future.”

“It seemslike this is a revolution We’re still finding causes of things that are common ”

Ready, set, go: Paris faces hurdles for the Olympic and Paralympic games

Environmental scandals and corruption allegations plague Paris 2024

Julie Ferreyra Sports Editor

In four months, Paris will welcome over visitors, spectators, and over 10,000 athletes for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As the opening ceremony edges closer, The Tribune takes a look at the controversies surrounding the event.

The first descent into the scandal spiral began last year, when the carefully crafted image of ethics sold to the French public began to crack as allegations of corruption surrounding the International Olympic Committee (IOC) emerged. On June 20, 2023, the French police raided several locations associated with the IOC, including the headquarters of the Organizational Committee of the Games (COJOP), as well as Solideo, the group overseeing the construction and sites for the games. France’s main anti-corruption entity, the Office Central de lutte contre la Corruption et les Infractions Financières et Fiscales (OCLCIFF) conducted the raids as part of a series of investigations that began in 2021. The following day, police raided the sports consulting firm Keneo, under potential charges of illegal conflicts of interest, embezzlement of public funds, and

preferential treatment, dating back to 2017. However, these legal issues were just the start of a string of controversies.

When the COJOP unveiled the schedule of events, it became clear that one in particular—surfing— would be taking place over 15,000 km away from the French capital in Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia. While there is no doubt that the island hosts some of the world’s best waves, its fragile environment raises several concerns. Each year, Teahupo’o sets up and dismantles a semi-permanent wood tower to host the judges for the World Surf League competition. However, the COJOP planned to build a permanent aluminum tower almost twice as heavy as the wooden structure for the Olympics.

Polynesian surfer Matahi Drollet flagged issues with this construction. The main concern is the ecological risks, as no environmental assessment had been conducted prior to the announcement. Risks include disruptions to the underwater ecosystem the propagation of ciguatera, an illness that plagues fish, impacting the local fishing economy. Perhaps the biggest fear is the potential influence on the nature of the island’s legendary waves. Following widespread mobilization

among local communities and environmental activists, the authorities shared an updated plan. The aluminum tower will go back to the dimensions of the current structure, accommodating only 25-30 individuals, as opposed to the 40 originally planned. However, the structure will still use a concrete base for its foundation, which risks harming sea life by disrupting the physical landscape of the natural coastal ecosystem and leaching harmful chemicals into the water.

The seemingly resolved issue resurged in early Dec. 2023 when the President of French Polynesia, Moetai Brotherson, cancelled the planned tests of the structure and halted its construction. In a video shared by the Vai Ara o Teahupo’i association following the route of the barge carrying the tower, destroyed coral reefs were clearly visible. On Dec. 5, the prosecutor’s office of Papeete opened an investigation into the potential violation of French Polynesia’s environmental code. However, the file was closed on March 3, due to “insufficiently characterized infractions.”

Back in the French capital, the Ministry of Sports announced in May 2023 that around 3,000

student accommodations would be requisitioned to house the Olympic and Paralympic Games’ staff from the Centres Régionaux des Oeuvres Universitaires et Scolaires (CROUS), which handles accommodations, financial aid, and other support for students. The CROUS guarantee for students to regain their residences back in September and some compensation and limited assistance. However, the leading student union advocated for the CROUS to first turn to students who would willingly provide their accommodations, instead of mandating

it to students who may not be able to find alternatives. Many need to stay in their accommodations over the summer due to classes or other responsibilities. Finding affordable options in Paris is a challenge in normal circumstances, and even more so in a context where excess demand from the Olympic games is pushing up prices.

Ultimately, in a race against time, one question remains: Will the City of Light be ready to host the thousands of expected visitors, or will the shadows of controversy loom over the first Olympics held in Paris since 1924?

The

French sporting authorities must be held accountable for their Islamophobic policies

Football has more Muslim stars than ever before. So why don’t we give them our respect?

Sara Escallon Sotomayor Sports Editor

On March 18, the men’s football international break began and hundreds of footballers joined their senior and youth national teams for international friendlies to prepare for the Copa America and European championships this summer. Wearing the badge, if only once, is their ultimate aspiration. Most can only dream of standing under those lights, hand on their heart, ready to play with the hopes of millions of their compatriots on their backs. Yet for some, this dream is more loaded than for others. Muslim French players have been told that it does not matter if they are good enough: To represent their country, they must repress their personal and spiritual beliefs.

Three days after the beginning of the international break, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced they would not permit any players associated with the French national training centre, Clairefontaine, to fast, instead directing them to make up the days after Ramadan. The decision

forced Mahamadou Diawara to leave the under-19 French national squad so that he could continue his fast. This comes only one week after the FFF refused to allow evening matches in France to be paused for players to break their fast upon the arrival of Iftaar at sundown.

The

This contrasts the approach taken by professional leagues in England, Germany, and the Netherlands, where games may be paused for a few minutes at Iftaar for players to drink water and eat.

Considered the most important month in the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is of tremendous spiritual importance to Muslim communities all over the world, including some of the world’s best footballers such as Mo Salah, Granit Xhaka, and İlkay Gündoğan. Muslim footballers such as Zinedine Zidane, Frank Ribéry, and N’Golo Kanté have formed the core of the French national team for the last thirty years, a period in which France has won two World Cups

and been runner-up in two more. However, the racial and religious composition of les Bleus has never been more contentious. In the wake of a message the player wrote on Twitter sending prayers to Gaza in October, French international and former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema was falsely accused of having links to the Muslim Brotherhood by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.

It is not just men’s professional footballers who are victims of these policies. Women athletes were banned from wearing a headscarf in France, a rule which has been

relaxed temporarily for non-French internationals at the Olympics in Paris this summer, but will nonetheless be reinstated immediately afterward. This comes in the wake of the infamous burkini ban in many French jurisdictions in 2016 which led to Muslim women being excluded from public spaces including pools and beaches.

The French sporting authority’s purposeful misinterpretation of the principle of laïcité, which maintains the separation between church and state, is cited as justification for the overt discrimination against Muslim athletes. Yet there is no reference to the fact it is the state, not private citizens, which are beholden to this. It would be ludicrous to expect any typical private citizen to change their spiritual beliefs upon entering their workplace. Why does the FFF expect players to give up their religion upon entering the playing field?

Muslims make up a significant proportion of the French population, and have been the victim of political attacks by members of the resurgent far right for over a decade. The irony of France—a country that colonized, repressed, and exploited huge swathes of the Muslim world—now repressing its own Muslim citizens, is lost on none. For Muslim French athletes, playing for the tricolour is weighted with contradiction and hazard.

France is one of the global talent centres for football and is home to some of the best men’s and women’s professional football leagues in the world. France’s sporting authorities owe a safe space to their youth and senior athletes to engage in their spiritual beliefs. The FFF must have the courage to stand up for their athletes instead of pandering to the fancies of Islamophobic politicians who refuse to accept the diverse reality of modern France. Muslims who play sports are not refusing to assimilate to France: They are participating in one of the most important nationbuilding components of public life, and helping expand the meaning of French citizenship.

McGill24: Key to the survival of McGill’s ‘Other’ Sport Clubs

For tier 2 teams and varsity clubs at McGill, McGill24 is sink or swim for their future

Lialah Mavani Contributor

On March 13, McGill kicked off its annual fundraising event: McGill24. It’s housed on the McGill Crowdfunding website, and various sports teams, clubs, and other university initiatives have donation pages detailing their monetary goal and the background of their campaign. Donations made on March 13 are matched by the university at a rate determined after the donation page has closed. McGill24 is an integral initiative for sports teams to raise funds, particularly for those with tier-two varsity status and club teams that represent the university and aspire to become varsity.

Over 20 sports teams benefit from the McGill24 event. Several tier-two varsity teams such as McGill Rowing and Martlets Field Hockey rely on fundraising efforts to cover expenses not fully met by McGill’s contribution. Club teams like Martlets Lacrosse and McGill Squash are equally as dependent on this funding, given that they are often student-run and self-funded. Unlike varsity teams, competitive sports clubs receive rare, sporadic funding from the university. Instead, they rely on contributions from their alumni networks and other donors. As such, the survival and growth of these club sports are

dependent on McGill24.

Co-captain of the Martlets Lacrosse team Rachel Anderson shared that the team is fully selffunded and stretches its fees and funds raised through McGill24 to pay for their competitive season and expand its program.

Anderson remarks that McGill24 helps reduce team fees, making the Canadian national sport accessible for all students at McGill while also allowing them to travel and play in the Ontario University Athletic (OUA) events.

The Martlets Field Hockey team has a similar story to that of the Women’s Lacrosse Club.

“While Field Hockey is a varsity sport at McGill, we fall into the second tier, meaning that we are fully self-funded,” players and McGill24 ambassadors Clara Smyrski and Grace Hodges explained.

By the end of McGill24, the field hockey team raised $9,310—70 per cent of its goal. As the only Quebec team playing in the OUA, the Martlets face particular challenges. Hodges and Smyrski elaborate that for the past few seasons all of their games have been away games, meaning they spend every weekend travelling to Ontario, and costs tend to add up.

Hodges adds that

McGill24 is vital in keeping team fees down and making sports more accessible. Funds raised through McGill24 are used to help subsidize travel costs and buy new equipment for the team.

Smyrski explains that the campaign also allows the team to host clinics at McGill and creates exposure for the sport in Quebec.

Furthermore, another varsity sport that depends on the success of McGill24 is the McGill Rowing team. Varya Kataria, Head Chair of Fundraising for McGill Rowing, explains that as a varsity tier-two team, rowing receives partial funding from McGill; however, they depend on funds raised through McGill24. Rowing is infamously costly, and the team costs stem primarily from buying boats, entering regattas, and paying for practice space at the Olympic Basin.

Following the pattern of high costs, rowing crew fees are 700 dollars per season but ultimately vary depending on funding efforts. This year the team’s goal was to make the sport accessible by bringing down team fees. Kataria explains that a portion of the McGill24 funds goes towards growing their endowment fund, with the future goal of being

financially independent from McGill Athletics’ funding.

“If we can offset [crew fees] by anything then it makes the sport more accessible,” Kataria elaborated. “We have financial support for athletes who can’t pay the full crew fees, but that is through the McGill24 money. It’s so important that we keep that money there so that we are not getting rid of good rowers just because they can’t pay the crew fees.”

As many of the teams who

participated in the McGill24 campaign have revealed, their success and expansion of athletics at McGill is often dependent on fundraising and crowdfunding efforts. Without contributions from family, friends, and generous alumni, many club teams like Martlet’s Lacrosse and McGill Squash can’t continue to grow and achieve their goals.

As Anderson concluded: “If we [McGill Club Teams] don’t have money, then we won’t have a season.”

By: Zoe Dubin Design Editor

This year’s edition of McGill24 raised $4.86 million in donations. (Mason Bramadat / The Tribune)