The McGill Tribune Vol. 41 Issue 11

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2021 | VOL. 41 | ISSUE 11

McGILLTRIBUNE.COM | @McGILLTRIBUNE

Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

Trans liberation requires multifaceted action

From feminism to feminisms

PG. 7

PGs. 2-3

THE CREATIVE SUPPLEMENT THE CREATIVE SUPPLEMENT THE CREATIVE SUPPLEMENT PG. 9-16

(Corey Zhu / The McGill Tribune)

Students croon for the comeback of karaoke

PG. 10

Divest McGill and Divest For Human Rights Coalition host democratization assembly

Assembly fosters open discussion about democratizing McGill’s governance structure Joseph Pappas Contributor Divest McGill and Divest For Human Rights McGill

hosted Democratize McGill, a hybrid open assembly, on Nov. 19 to facilitate discussion about ways to democratize the university’s many governance structures. The approximately 100 students in attendance—both in-person at Leacock 132

and on Zoom—were encouraged to share their thoughts on McGill’s current governance structure and propose formal solutions, which the entire assembly then voted on.

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The treacherous trend of celebrities dating teenagers

Redbirds basketball bests Bishop’s in thrilling affair

Naya Moser Contributor

Madison McLauchlan Managing Editor

19-year old and 30-year-old cast as love interests highlight Hollywood’s uncomfortable custom

Music fans far and wide rejoiced on Nov. 12 over Taylor Swift’s re-recording of her 2012 hit album Red, re-

branded as Red (Taylor’s Version). This redux country-pop album joins Fearless (Taylor’s Version) on the singer’s journey to finally own all the rights to all her music. Diehard fans were especially ex-

cited for this album, as it includes the highly anticipated, 10-minute version of “All Too Well,” a song rumoured to be about her relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

PG. 14

Cameron Elliot sank winning basket to eke out 76-74 win The energy in Love Competition Hall was brimming with anticipation ahead of the opening tipoff between the McGill Redbirds

(3–0) and Bishop’s Gaiters (1–2) on Nov. 20. The hotly contested match ended in a narrow 76-74 win for the Redbirds, who furthered their threegame win streak to sit atop the RSEQ conference standings.

PG. 16

From feminism to feminisms Understanding the plurality of feminist thought Lily Cason, News Editor

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’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve brainstormed the perfect slogan to scribble on my cardboard sign right before a protest. Almost always, I end up settling on something I deem to be just so-so.

The same thing happened in January 2017, a day after Donald Trump’s inauguration, when I joined what felt like the rest of the world at the Women’s March in Washington D.C. for possibly the largest single day of protest ever, cardboard sign in hand.

While I didn’t have a “pussy” hat—pink hats with little cat ears sparked by then-president Trump’s comments about grabbing women “by the pussy”—I was the stereotypical attendee in almost every way: A white 15-year-old girl, passionate, idealistic, more than a little naive, and fully prepared to have no voice the following day from all the chanting and screaming.

I think this is the side of feminism many relatively privileged girls and young women are introduced to first. It’s made readily available to us. It’s the stuff that makes the news—it’s loud, and it’s flashy.

I don’t say any of this to belittle protesting, or this brand of feminism more broadly, but as I’ve grown up, I’ve realized how many other forms feminism can take.

It turned out that what I once saw as a relatively homogeneous movement was much more site-specific than I had thought. For example, the feminism I engage with in Washington D.C., where I’m from, is often entangled with federal politics: Which senate and congressional races are looming, whether the candidates are progressive or regressive on so-called “women’s issues,” and so on and so forth.

Only when I got older did I learn about other feminist initiatives taking place in my city, namely Black feminist organizing like Jaimee A. Swift’s Black Women Radicals. These non-mainstream forms of feminism rarely receive the same external validation and media coverage, but nevertheless carry out vitally important work.

While some may think of feminism as a whole as the most easily identifiable activism we see in the news, like Women’s Marches, in reality, it encompasses much broader, more nuanced movements, ideologies, and art forms. This is probably why Alexandra Ketchum, a faculty lecturer in McGill’s Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies, offered me the sage advice to “go with plural of ‘feminisms’ rather than single ‘feminism.’”

Traditionally, scholars have summarized the historical stages of the feminist movement into three, and more recently four, “waves,” each characterized by a set

of core principles and practices. As the story goes, during the first wave, middle-to upper-class white women were were mostly preoccupied with securing the right to vote for themselves, while second-wave feminists took up a broader range of issues like reproductive rights, the wage g a p , and more, rallying around the cry “the personal is political.”

Third-wave feminists rejected much of prior feminist thought, challenging notions of gender and sexuality, and advocating for the feminist movement to adopt a more intersectional approach.

Rather notoriously, many third-wave feminists adopted slurs which had been seen as sexist, derogatory, and inexcusable by second-wave feminists, reclaiming them as their own. Some believe we are now in a fourth wave, centred around causes like the #MeToo movement—but this is still up for debate.

The wave theory itself has its limitations, however. Ketchum takes issue with it because she feels it only encapsulates the stages and evolution of a certain brand of white feminism, not all feminisms. The question remains: What are we talking about when we talk about feminism?

The many forms of feminism in Quebec Far from being an evolving consensus of opinions, feminist thought has had its share of internal conflict. One point of contention within the movement was the debate over the creation of women-only spaces. In the 1970s and ‘80s, lesbian separatism was very much in vogue, and some straight women swore off of heterosexual relationships as a political choice.

Unsurprisingly, this practice garnered backlash from many lesbians, who pointed to the long history of homophobia and oppression they had endured and disparaged the idea of “opting-in” to lesbianism.

Even today, while some see women-only spaces as a way to increase lesbian visibility and establish much-needed spheres of safety for women, others see them as trans-exclusionary and counterproductive.

Ketchum explained that in Montreal, separate women’s spaces never fully took off. This was due in large part to the fact that feminist activism in Quebec overlapped with the fight for Quebec sovereignty—a movement led by people of all genders.

The two political causes were—and often still are, according to a 2010 study—seen as inextricably intertwined. The radical Front de libération des femmes du Québec (FLF), formed in 1969, encapsulated this notion in its slogan, “No women’s liberation without Quebec liberation. No Quebec

liberation without women’s liberation.”

As the historian Sean Mills lays out in his book The Empire Within, many women in Montreal, including those in the FLF, saw themselves as marginalized by both their status as women and their status as Quebecers, thus believing that both obstacles needed to be eliminated to achieve true liberation. This is an example of intersectionality—the idea that multiple parts of one’s identity can cause overlapping experiences of privilege and marginalization. The FLF’s rallying cry was a page out of Black feminists’ book: These feminists coined the term and have long since pushed for an intersectional approach to feminism that recognizes the need to not only dismantle the patriarchy, but also all other oppressive institutions.

However, the FLF was not very inclusive of Black women and other marginalized groups, frequently refusing to expend energy on the fight for racial equality. This illustrates a greater pattern in many feminist circles: Black women and other marginalized feminists are often excluded from the conversation, sometimes in spite of having inspired it in the first place. Instead, these women created their own, separate, groups—such as the Congress of Black Women of Canada and Quebec Native Women Inc.—to more adequately address their struggles.

There were other tensions between FLF’s members that went beyond their exclusion of racialized people.

Because of the unique mix of French and English language and culture in Quebec, activists often drew from multiple streams of feminist thought.

“There is an influence of American Anglo feminist writings coming into Quebec, especially through scholars coming to McGill University, like American feminist scholars coming in,” Ketchum explained. “But, then you also have the France-French influence.”

It was precisely the issue of language within the FLF, which was founded by both French and English speakers in 1970, that caused a rift in the organization just a year after it was created. Francophone members didn’t like the increasing import of English-language texts into the Montreal feminist scene, which they saw as inherently colonial, and thus began to exclude Anglophone members of the group.

While the FLF’s Quebecois nationalist brand of feminism was at the time the predominantly recognized and lauded form of the movement in Montreal, it is by no means the whole story. In this way, it is much like the feminism I was first exposed to in D.C. Without the activism of the Kahnawake women, who pushed back not only against the patriarchy but also against white settler colonialism, advocating important changes like the revision of section 12(1)(b) of the Indian Act, the women’s movement would not be where it is today.

The same goes for the work of Haitian women in Montreal, who emphasized the role of class in the feminist struggle in their work.

The accessibility of academic feminism Since coming to McGill last year, I’ve been exposed to more feminist scholarship than ever before. While fascinating, one

thing that has stood out to me is that some feminist scholarship can feel extremely inaccessible. While reading parts of Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble for my critical theory course, it was hard not to wonder who this text is accessible for—and who the hell fully understands it.

When I spoke to graduate student Winnie Yang, who is working toward her PhD in sociology with a concentration in gender and women’s studies at McGill, she brought up the difficulty of Gender Trouble unprompted.

Perhaps it’s just that notorious. “ I think i t ’s

s o m e type of inside joke for people who study genders or whatever,” Yang said. “Like in ‘Gender Studies 101’ people will talk about Gender Trouble

by Judith Butler. [It’s] just the piece that’s always assigned in any gender courses or feminist courses, so I’ve read it so many times, but just never understand it. Every time I read it, I don’t know what’s going on.”

Of course, such theoretical texts aren’t useless. Gender Trouble triggered a philosophical revolution, redefining the parameters within which

feminists conceptualized liberation. These texts can also inspire more accessible forms of scholarly work, such as research into the lived experiences of people of various genders.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing that some academic work is not readily accessible for people,” Yang expressed. “To a certain extent, [...] a lot of empirical research stems from the theoretical pieces that we talk about, and then they translate the language and they go out and actually use these theories to do research in real-life settings.”

Yang isn’t just speculating. A 2018 article in the journal Frontiers in Psychology addressed how concepts from Butler’s 1990 book, such as gender performativity, can and should be further harnessed by social psychologists doing research on gender.

While feminism can sometimes be buried in these d e n s e texts, i t ’ s also full of

ideas that can readily be applied in practice. After all, many women don’t need to read a book to understand gendered violence; they experience it every day. In 2017, the same year I attended the Women’s march, the #MeToo movement exploded.

Targeted feminist activism When the #MeToo movement went viral, a reckoning ensued. Many institutions and individuals were forced to confront their role in perpetuating the cycle of sexual violence against women. The Quebec music scene was no exception.

Long-standing issues of low

representation, unequal pay, en who are perhaps most in and harassment were just as need of material support. present north of the U.S. border.

For example, in 2017, less than Feminism as front-line work 30 per cent of spots at musical festivals and other programFrontline work helping ming in Quebec went to women, women in need through sites despite them making up near- like community centres and ly 50 per cent of the industry. shelters is undoubtedly a femMuch like the broader en- inist project. It’s also a needtertainment industry, the mu- ed one, especially now as the sic industry in Quebec came pandemic, ever-pervasive in late to addressing sexism. This our lives, has disproportionwas partially because of its ately impacted the women of sporadic and gig-based work- Montreal. Marianne Pelletier, ing conditions, McGill PhD is the Frontline Services Evecandidate in sociology Lysan- ning team leader at Chez Doris, dre Champagne explained. a day shelter that provides a “It took a little bit more time wide range of services for vulin music, to engage with the nerable women in Montreal. feminist movement, and to re- She explained that the organially take it as a whole and to re- zation has had to make difficult group,” Champagne said. “Be- decisions during the pandemic. cause [the arts are] so spread out “As of now, we really had over time, and [...] it’s so infor- to rethink our services bemal [...], it has been super hard cause of the pandemic,” Pelto get these women together. ” letier said in an interview with That changed in 2017, when a The McGill Tribune. “And so, group of 136 women—including [...] in December of last year, prominent artists Mélanie and we had to make a very tough Stéphanie Boulay, Ariane Bru- decision [that] we would only net, Catherine Durand, Ariane focus on our services on homeMoffatt, Safia Nolin, and Amy- less women, which means that lie—penned a letter calling out all of the housed women didn’t the sexism within Quebec’s mu- have that place anymore.” sic industry and demanding fesI asked Pelletier whether tivals do a better job represent- she identifies Chez Doris as a ing women. These women also “feminist” organization and founded Femmes en musique, whether that label holds much or FEM, a stock for group that her. She strives to respondhighlight ed with an and comadamant bat sexism “yes,” exin Queplaining bec’s muthat femisic scene. nist inter“ I t ’s vention is now a critically group that importhas been ant to the working organifor pozation’s litical iss u e s o p -e r ations. Pelletirepresenting women and er emphasized that Chez Dotrans people and queer peo- ris doesn’t do what is called ple [...] in the music industry in French “donner la morale,” in Quebec,” Champagne said. or tell women what is right Like many other feminist for them. Rather, it strives to collectives, Champagne noted meet them where they are. that FEM has received backlash “I think that’s one big over an initial lack of diversi- part of feminist intervention,” ty and inclusion. In response, Pelletier said. “To [be] here groups such as MTL Women and now with the person.” in Music, Lotus Collective, In my opinion, this is an imand Shesaid.so have formed portant facet of feminism that with the goal of representing a white liberal feminists, in parmore diverse array of people. ticular, tend to overlook. Too In recent years, all of these often white feminists talk down groups, along with a few oth- to those they purport to want to ers, have been brought togeth- help and see their feminism as er by UQAM researcher Vanessa “the” feminism. As I grow oldBlais-Tremblay’s DIG! Project, er, I recognize that any univera network that strives to com- sal conception of feminism is pile data on and ultimately going to exclude certain groups, combat inequalities in Que- thus harming the whole movebec’s music industry. Cham- ment. While I will undoubtedly pagne, who is a research as- find myself hunched over a resistant for the project, showed cycled piece of cardboard with me an extensive map of re- a sharpie in hand sometime sources the team has compiled soon, I hope it will be with a that includes information on richer conception of feminism the aforementioned groups, fi- than my 15-year-old self had. nancing music, promoting music, legal services, and more.

But feminism doesn’t just line library bookshelves Designed by Xiaotian Wang, or improve working conditions—it also helps the wom- Design Editor

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2021

McGill open to doing more research into potential unmarked Indigenous graves at the Royal Vic site

Decision comes after pressure from Mohawk nation Juliet Morrison Staff Writer

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cGill has stated it is open to looking further into the possible presence of unmarked graves of Indigenous children on the Royal Vic site, according to a letter published by the office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) on Nov. 9.

The letter, written by Christopher Manfredi, McGill’s provost and vice-principal (Academic), comes after Indigenous activists called for a halt to McGill’s New Vic Project so an investigation could be conducted.

The Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI) has formally invited the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke to collaborate with them in the investigation.

Kanien’kehá:ka kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers), a group from the Kanien’kehá:ka nation, believe that Indigenous children may have been among victims of the torture experiments conducted by Dr. Donald Ewen Cameron at the Allan Memorial Institute—a former psychiatric hospital next to the Royal Victoria Hospital—in the 1950s and 1960s. The group also suspects that the children were buried at the site.

Kwetiio Wakskarewake,

a Mohawk Mother, explained what McGill’s willingness to cooperate means for the Indigenous community.

“For [McGill] to have a response to us speaking up and responding is a step in the right direction for somebody to take responsibility,” Wakskarewake told The McGill Tribune. “We cannot let it go on any longer that we are silenced or buried on the ground with no one claiming us. That is very important to us, that people understand and know the real history of the onkwehonwe people and that this land has never been given up.”

In a statement to the Tribune, the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Indigenous Affairs Commissioner pointed out McGill’s lateness in following up with the kahnistensera’s concerns.

“SSMU Indigenous Affairs expresses complete and utter dismay [...] at how the issue of the pre-colonial Iroquois village and the unmarked graves of children were handled from the very start when concerns were raised by the rightful representatives of the kanien’keha:ka community,” wrote the commissioner.

McGill media relations officer

Mohawk Mothers were frustrated that McGill did not address the kahnistensera community in McGill’s letter. (Anoushka Oke / The McGill Tribune) Frédérique Mazerolle reiterated the university’s commitment to reconciliation in the context of the New Vic Project.

“The McGill community views reconciliation as fundamental to the pursuit of our academic mission and our relationship with Indigenous people,” Mazerolle wrote to the Tribune. “We are committed to collaborating with governments and Indigenous community leadership to undertake the work necessary to investigate [the site].”

A press release from Kahentinetha, a kanien’keha:ka

kahnistensera (Mohawk Mother) of the Bear Clan and founder of Mohawk Nation News, on Nov. 14 states that as the kanien’keha:ka kahnistensera are the keepers of the unceded land the Royal Vic site is located on, all procedures pertaining to the investigation must go through them.

While the kahnistensera approve of McGill’s willingness for an investigation, they are concerned about how the investigation will be carried out. They have also questioned the involvement of the Band Council Offices of Kahnawake

and Kanehsatake, who were invited to collaborate on the investigation by the Société Québécoise des Infrastructures (SQI) as Indigenous community representatives.

The kahnistensera deem these Band Councils a conflict of interest for the investigation as they are federally imposed governance structures. Band Councils, in the kahnistensera’s view, do not adequately represent the kanien’keha:ka people. Instead, the kahnistensera wish to conduct and lead the investigation themselves.

“Many times the people are left out of the conversation and it is handed to a Band Council, and that is not the way onkwehonwe (first peoples) works,” Wakskarewake said. “We will do what we need to do to take care of the land and the soil, and especially the children. We haven’t had that conversation [with McGill]. If any information is to go to [the Band Council, it needs to be redirected] through kahnistensera.”

The kahnistensera are currently reaching out to the McGill administration to advocate for the Band Council to be removed from investigation procedures and to instead have the kanien’keha:ka kahnistensera supervise the investigation.

Divest McGill and Divest For Human Rights Coalition host democratization assembly

Assembly fosters open discussion about democratizing McGill’s governance structure Joseph Pappas Contributor Continued from page 1.

In a binding vote that occurred at the end of the meeting, the assembly unanimously determined that Democratize McGill would become an independent coalition separate from Divest McGill. Votes on whether to pursue solutions were non-binding. Instead, they provided direction and objectives for the coalition to strive for.

Participants discussed how to increase student involvement and representation in McGill’s various decision-making bodies.

While the event focussed on integrating democratic values and processes into current governance structures, attendees also introduced ideas about democratizing other areas such as academics and the university’s financial investments. Iryn McMechan, U1 Arts, described the energy and environment of the assembly.

“Being at this event, it was easy to detect tension in the voices of many McGill students,” McMechan said. “We are tired of not having our voices heard and experiencing a total lack of transparency when it comes to a lack of decisions.”

Many of the students present expressed

discontent with McGill’s current governing structure. Participants cited the university’s ongoing investment in fossil fuels and their exclusion of Black, Indigenous, and Palestinian voices in their decision making as evidence of the disconnect between the McGill community’s values and the university’s actions.

Attendees proposed different—sometimes contrasting—solutions to address the many

While the event did not produce a concrete list of demands for the university, it highlighted many common concerns about the current nature of McGill’s governance structure.

(Léa Bourget / The McGill Tribune)

issues on the table. Propositions included electing—rather than appointing—the 17 members of the McGill Board of Governors, recording and releasing all meetings of the Board of Governors in a more accessible way, and transitioning McGill’s governance structure from one of a representative republic to one of direct democracy.

Although attendees’ conception of how the university should go about democratization varied, certain concerns and ideas resonated unanimously. Sebastian Wittekindt, a secondyear PhD candidate in neuroscience, feels that student organizations and political assemblies wield little power in affecting change McGill’s current governance scheme.

“The fact is that these organizations really only have a consultative role,” Wittekindt said.

“We need to push for [the] direct influence of students [....] If we propose these ideas just as us sitting here, they’ll go back to lunch and ignore us.”

While the event did not establish a concrete list of directives Democratize McGill would follow, common sentiments and ideas were highlighted as essential to the student movement going forward. Maya Garfinkel, U3 Arts, outlined an important feature of the Democratize McGill movement for the future.

“Going forward, we must prioritize and centre people who have been historically

(Léa Bourget / The McGill Tribune) marginalized in the McGill community, specifically Arab, Palestinian, Black, and Indigenous students, staff, and faculty, in order for our movement to be more equitable,” Garfinkel said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

Laura Doyle Péan, a U3 law student and Divest McGill organizer, explained to the Tribune that she was happy with how the event went.

“The assembly was very successful in terms of getting students excited about democratization and starting the coalition, which was our intention from the start,” Doyle Péan wrote. “We strongly encourage all community members, groups, clubs, unions and associations interested in democratizing the university to reach out and join the coalition.”

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Barrage of emails from Elections SSMU confuses voters Students express a lack of trust and interest in SSMU Ghazal Azizi Contributor

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he Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Fall 2021 Referendum’s results were released on Nov. 15 following a string of technical errors and discrepancies in communication that resulted in widespread confusion. Initially, the voting period was scheduled to start on Nov. 8 and end on Nov. 12. However, a day after the polls were opened, SSMU notified students by email that the original ballot had been replaced with a new ballot, which would be open until Nov. 15 at 17:00.

For many McGill students, stopping emails from Elections SSMU was the only motivation to vote in the Fall 2021 referendum. (unsplash.com)

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Éric Sader, SSMU’s vice-president (VP) Finance, explained that the initial ballots lacked information about budgetary details for each motion.

“The motions were amended during the Legislative Council to each include the budgets, [...] but there was a miscommunication on who was responsible to make sure those budgets were a part of the questions,” Sader said. “We didn’t want people to have voted [...] without seeing the budgets, so we had to rerun the referendum.”

Despite the opening of a new ballot, the Fall 2021 Referendum saw a higher voter turnout than the 2020-2021 year. 19.5 per cent of electors cast a ballot this fall, marking a 3.6 per cent increase from the previous Winter 2021 Referendum.

Citing the increase in voter turnout, as well as the increased margins by which the motions passed, Sader believes that the rerun had minimal impact on the outcome of the referendum. “[The error] was caught relatively early, and generally people who vote in SSMU referendums early are people [who] are very motivated to vote,” Sader said. “My hope is [that] those people were able to vote in the new ballot immediately.

I am quite confident that [the results] reflected the desires of the student body.”

In addition to the initial technical problems, a Nov. 15 email from Elections SSMU stated that voting would be open until Nov. 17, even though polls closed on Nov. 15, inciting further confusion among some voters.

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Sarah Paulin, SSMU’s VP Internal Affairs, clarified that the email was only sent out to undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts and directed voters to the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS)’s departmental referendum, which had been mistakenly labeled as the Fall 2021 referendum. “[The discrepancies in the emails] is a problem, but I do not think it is a problem of that big of a magnitude because there was no [narrow margin of victory] in any of the referendum questions,” Paulin said in an interview with the Tribune. “We will be talking to the AUS, but apart from that we will be keeping the results as it is.”

Sam Lowery, U3 Management, expressed frustration and a lack of trust in SSMU, describing its agenda as irrelevant to the average student.

“I struggle to take SSMU seriously, because to me it’s a bunch of kids who are set on going into government and want to play politician in university,” Lowery said in an interview with the Tribune. “I don’t feel like what SSMU does or how any of the referenda turn out affect my day-to-day life, and honestly I don’t want SSMU to affect my day-to-day life.

Good on them for getting the voter turnout to increase, but at the same time I think [the low turnout] is still definitely reflective of a general apathy towards whatever it is [that] [SSMU] is doing.”

Sader acknowledged that the lack of interest from students is a significant issue that SSMU aims to address in order for the society to make decisions with the confidence of its membership.

“There have been a lot of good initiatives from the [Chief of Electoral Office] to try to improve participation [by] making sure that the questions are easily accessible, easily understandable,” Sader said. “At the same time, we need to be realistic in the sense that a lot of students don’t care about [elections and referenda] and that’s fine [because it’s] a student’s right not to care.”

Sustainability initiative ‘impact200’ project winners to be announced next month

Bicentennial challenge aims to promote environmental consciousness on campus and around the world Sabrina Nelson Contributor

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aunched in August 2020 as part of McGill’s bicentennial celebrations, impact200 is a challenge that invites teams of students to submit proposals for projects to enhance sustainability on campus, in Montreal, and around the world. The challenge was organized by the Bicentennial Office in collaboration with the McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship, the McGill Office of Sustainability (MOOS), the McGill Sustainability Systems Initiative (MSSI), and representatives of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. On Dec. 2, the winners of the challenge will be announced, with prizes ranging from $2,000 to $10,000. Once completed, the finalist teams will be offered the opportunity to refine their project through a training program provided by the Dobson Centre and to ultimately bring it into action if it places in the top three spots.

Each project aims to address one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, such as food security, eradication of poverty, and climate action. From the 44 initial proposals, 10 finalists were selected to develop the feasability of their concept over the summer and then deliver a final presentation of their project in November. The university’s flagship Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF) gave each finalist $5,000 to cover the project’s development expenses and connected each project with mentors for support.

Frédérique Mazerolle, McGill media relations officer, said that the university was pleased to foster sustainable solutions for local and global challenges

being innovated at McGill.

“Sustainability is an institutional priority at McGill, as evidenced by the ambitious goals we have set out for ourselves in the Climate & Sustainability Strategy 2020-2025,” Mazerolle wrote. “It is our responsibility as members of the global community that we do what we can to achieve these goals to reduce our impact on climate change and contribute positively to the sustainability of the planet.”

Simon Cleghorn, U1 Engineering and cofounder of the team 200 Urban Garden—one of the 10 finalists—explained that their project aims to make cities more sustainable by converting underutilized parcels of land into vibrant community green spaces.

“The initiative gave us a rare opportunity as students to create and pursue a sustainable innovation with external funding,” Cleghorn wrote to the Tribune. “As six environmentalists, this was extremely exciting for us. Impact200 allowed us the opportunity to engage with other like-minded students with similar goals pertaining to sustainability.”

According to Simon Cleghorn, impact200 has been a great way of getting more involved in the McGill community and contributing to sustainable innovation along with like-minded students. (mcgill.ca)

(Mimi Thian / unsplash.com) Two other finalists, McGill Mycelium Project and FoodMap, attempt to promote sustainability by responding to food insecurity. Another, SOlar-A, designed water filtration backpacks to ensure areas with low resources have access to clean water through solar and biomechanical energy. McGill Engineers in Action plans to design a footbridge for rural communities in Bolivia or Eswatini, to then have a group of students work alongside these communities to develop it. The other finalists were teams Algo, CoolHealth, MentalLingual, MiniWaste, and unEarth.

Joining forces in September 2020, Cleghorn and his team decided to participate in impact200 with the goal of implementing sustainable gardens on McGill’s downtown campus.

“We began planning our proof-of-concept Wong Garden and formulating the vision of ‘200 Urban Garden’ at weekly meetings all throughout

the 2020-2021 academic year,” Cleghorn said.

“This past summer we successfully constructed the Wong Garden, which includes various forms of green technology and a wide range of produce.”

Gérald Cadet, director of bicentennial planning at the Office of the Principal & ViceChancellor, explained that the winning projects would be chosen based on the quality of each team’s final pitches, the applicability of each project to the SDG goals, and the project’s ability to create transformative and beneficial futures.

“The judges considered many criteria, among which [was] the potential to become Bright Spots, that is, projects that transform some piece of the world for the better, clarity of the proposal, etc.,” Cadet wrote to the Tribune. “The challenge is likely to be a one-time; however, through one of the components of the Dobson Cup, students can propose sustainability-focused projects.”

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2021

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SSMU Board of Directors tackles questions on SSMU’s transparency, toxic environment

VP University Affairs questioned Office of Investments on fossil fuel divestment Madison McLauchlan Managing Editor

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he Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Board of Directors (BoD) convened on Nov. 18 to ratify several motions and hear two presentations: A pitch to purchase a membership to “Lobby”—an online sharing platform that can host social events—and another presentation by the Office of Investments about McGill’s investment portfolio. The board also called on members to volunteer for committee roles for the 20212022 school year. SSMU president Darshan Daryanani and general manager Daniel Dufour continued their string of absences from SSMU BoD and Legislative Council meetings.

The board unanimously approved the motion to ratify the Services Review Committee Report and the Clubs Committee Report. The motion to purchase 2,000 monthly seats for Lobby at the cost of $24,000 for a 12-month contract was moved to the confidential session.

During a last-minute question period, Chair Alexandre Ashkir read out a number of questions that had been sent to the council through an online form. Éric Sader, vice-president (VP) Finance, fielded most of the queries.

Sader responded to a question asking when the SSMU will take accountability for the anti-Palestinian climate on campus, including following up on their promise to investigate the alleged internal blacklist of pro-Palestine students.

“The SSMU launched an independent third party investigation into the allegations of a blacklist circulating at McGill university,” Sader said. “The society is actively working to ensure the safety of all its members.”

Sader also pointed to the SSMU Executive Committee’s June 30 statement as evidence of their public acknowledgment of the issue.

Ashkir read out other inquiries regarding the roles of the president and the general manager on the BoD, as well as how SSMU is dealing with accusations that it is a toxic workplace

Lobby is an online sharing platform that student groups can use for social activities (Leanne Young / The McGill Tribune) environment.

“In order to address these issues, the BoD has already reformed the HR committee, so it no longer contains executives [and] that it is far removed from day-to-day leadership,” Sader said.

“The idea [...] is to remove these executives from this body as this body is the one that makes recommendations to the BoD before the board makes its final decisions. [This will] allow for increased accountability.”

Council Representatives Ghania Javed, Charlotte Gurung, and Yara Coussa were named to the HR committee, and an equity commissioner will be joining too.

Earlier in the meeting, Victoria-Mei Zummo, the governance, compliance, and environmental, social, and governance analyst for McGill’s Office of Investments, delivered a presentation about the office’s strategies for responsible investing, which include a commitment to sustaining a low-carbon emissions portfolio.

Zummo mentioned that McGill holds the fourth-largest university endowment in Canada, managing over 1.8-billion dollars worth of assets.

“The target is to sustain a listed equity portfolio that is 32 per cent less carbon-intensive than its benchmark by 2025,” Zummo said. “As of last December, we were already emitting 20 per cent

less [...] than the benchmark, but there is still further reduction to do.”

Claire Downie, VP University Affairs, asked Zummo why McGill has not released a plan to divest from fossil fuels in light of the University of Toronto’s recent announcement of its divestment plan. Zummo emphasized that divestment is out of the Office’s hands and directed Downie to read the Councillor’s report on the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR).

“It is not something at the Office of Investments that is [...] our decision,” Zummo said. “We are really implementing [the] Councillor’s recommendation and the mandate that was given to us.”

MOMENT OF THE MEETING

With several open slots left after an initial round of allocating Board members to committees, VP Internal Sarah Paulin verified that every voting member of the Board was required to sign up for at least one committee. VP Student Life Karla Heisele Cubilla volunteered for the finance committee while Downie opted for health and dental review.

SOUND BITE

“This is not a matter of restriction, but rather of privacy.

The society’s employees are not politicians or elected representatives and thus are not obligated by their position to speak to the media [....] We’re working with our team to ensure that there is a step-by-step process to further enable interactions between the media and our staff in future times.”

— Éric Sader, VP Finance, on why SSMU employees are prohibited from speaking to the media

McGill Artificial Intelligence Society panel discusses ethics and regulation of artificial intelligence Panellists emphasized importance of diversity in AI education to avoid AI bias Dhanishta Ambwani Contributor

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he McGill Artificial Intelligence Society (MAIS) held its first inperson event of the school year, a panel titled “Ethics in AI,” on Nov. 17. The audience was at full capacity, drawing in a crowd of

approximately 35 people from the McGill community to the Trottier lecture hall.

The panel featured three professionals who engage with issues surrounding AI ethics in their respective disciplines: Masa Sweidan, McGill alumna and business development manager at the Montreal AI

A key point of interest at the event was personal data protection regulation.

(Lucia Linaje-Ferrel / The McGill Tribune)

Ethics institute (MAIEI); Ignacio Cofone, assistant professor of privacy law, AI law, and business associations at McGill; and Mark Likhten, legal innovation lead at Cyberjustice Lab at L’Universite de Montreal (UdeM).

Kaustav Das Sharma, U4 Engineering and team lead of the McGill AI Podcast, moderated the event.

The panellists acknowledged that AI is often misrepresented in media and popular culture, and agreed that it is important for the public to gain a more holistic understanding of AI and the ethical barriers that emerge with its advancement.

“What is important is to […] be clear about what AI is,” Likhten said. “It is a very powerful tool, but it’s still a tool which needs […] human intervention.”

Cofone considered more precise issues, namely bias, transparency, and privacy within AI, as the issues that should garner more public attention.

These three issues are at the core of his research in AI regulation.

“One important aspect to be aware of […] is AI bias,” Cofone said.

“AI decision-making affects everyone, everyday [....]

Transparency [in AI] is important particularly with decision-making processes such as calculating credit scores to see if you would get a house [or] calculating your risk score to see if you go to jail [….] Privacy is important because most AI is trained with [sensitive] information about us.”

There was also discussion regarding how public institutions can work to push inclusivity and diversity to the forefront of AI research and development.

Sweidan stated that diversifying AI education is a crucial first step.

“Having education that includes women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ [communities] is extremely important,” Sweidan said. “Having people with different backgrounds, looking at it from the philosophy standpoint, [from computer science], from law, I think that is what leads

to a more holistic education, and I think that is an extremely important first step.”

Panellists also discussed the potential of AI systems to inflict harm, and the importance of adequate personal data protection regulation. Ending on a positive note, Das Sharma asked panellists what makes them excited for a future blossoming with cuttingedge AI development. Sweidan said that she is excited by the possibilities for AI creativity, while Likhten cited the applications of AI in justice.

“I am actually very optimistic for the future,” said Likhten. “[Cyberjustice Lab] works a lot with tools [using] AI to improve access to justice, and the possibilities that we see in that field are endless [....] We talk a lot about people getting stripped of their personal data […], and the bad sides of AI, but there are lots, and lots of […] good things that you can do with AI that remain within the boundaries of ethical principles.”

opinion@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2021

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EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Sequoia Kim editor@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Ruobing Chen rchen@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Kennedy McKee-Braide kmckee-braide@mcgilltribune.com Madison Mclauchlan mmclauchlan@mcgilltribune.com Maya Abuali mabuali@mcgilltribune.com

News Editors Lily Cason, Ella Fitzhugh & Madison Edward-Wright news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Jonah Fried, Matthew Molinaro & Sepideh Afshar opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editors Shafaq Nami & Youssef Wahba scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Life Editors Holly Wethey & Wendy Zhao studentlife@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Tasmin Chu features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Lowell Wolfe & Michelle Siegel arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Adam Burton & Sarah Farnand sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Jinny Moon & Xiaotian Wang design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor Kate Addison photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editors Farah Jay & Noah Vaton multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Abby de Gala & Marwan Shiraz Khan webdev@mcgilltribune.com

The McGill Tribune Editorial Board

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ransgender Day of Remembrance takes place every Nov. 20, and, while not officially acknowledged in Quebec, acts as a dedicated time to reflect on the lives of transgender, non-binary, and two-spirit individuals taken too soon. Trans individuals continually experience higher rates of violence than cisgender people, with racialized trans people disproportionately affected. While Transgender Day of Remembrance pays tribute to those lost, it also presents an opportunity to chart a path forward toward trans liberation. This struggle requires a layered approach on legislative, educational, and personal levels.

In order to move toward change at McGill, there must be a long-term commitment at both the individual and institutional levels to dismantle societal norms that isolate queer communities.

This year has been a tumultuous one for the trans community in Quebec, bringing with it both victories and disappointments. In January, Superior Court Justice Gregory Moore invalidated several articles of the Civil Code, such as one prohibiting individuals from

OFF THE BOARD Jackie Lee Copy Editor

Social Media Editor Taneeshaa Pradhan socialmedia@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Marilie Pilon business@mcgilltribune.com

TPS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sequoia Kim, Reem Abdul Majid, Matthew Molinaro, Shafaq Nami, Marilie Pilon, Namrata Rana, Shreya Rastogi

STAFF

CONTRIBUTORS Shireen Aamir, Dhanishta Ambwani, Ghazal Azizi, Valentina de la Borbolla, Mahnoor Chaudhry, Catherine Hall, Charlotte Hayes, Paulina Kasak, Lucía Linaje-Ferrel, Ananya Mohanty, Naya Moser, Sabrina Nelson, Joseph Pappas, Annika Pavlin, Catherine Plawutsky, Atticus Rusin, Courtney Squires

TRIBUNE OFFICE Shatner University Centre, 3480 McTavish, Suite 110 Montreal, QC H3A 0E7 - T: 519.546.8263 The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Société de Publication de la Tribune, a student society of McGill University.

The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of The McGill Tribune and the Société de Publication de la Tribune, and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. Letters to the editor may be sent to editor@mcgilltribune.com and must include the contributor’s name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted only to the Tribune. Submissions judged by the Tribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or solely promotional in nature will not be published. The Tribune reserves the right to edit all contributions. Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board.

All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff.

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he door squeaks on its hinge, and a child, freshly orphaned, emerges from her room and pads toward the cusp of the ornate staircase. Tiny fingers thread through the balusters as she surveys the manor’s foyer.

Our party—seven of us, a ragtag bunch bound by circumstance and fate—freezes. Waits with bated breath.

“Roll for stealth,” the dungeon master (DM) instructs our party’s wizard, who’s only half-concealed below in the shadow of the handrail.

Discovery mid-heist would jeopardize the stability of the city, and also land us in prison. Or worse. “...natural 20,” my friend says, smug like a sun-warmed cat, syllables stretched in satisfaction.

Filtered through my laptop speakers, the responding chorus is

changing their sex on their birth certificate, citing their transphobic and discriminatory nature. His decision noted the acute risk of suicide when one is denied the ability to affirm their gender identity on legal documentation. In response, the Quebec government introduced Bill 2, which they wrongfully believed would benefit trans people by separating gender and sex on identifying documentation. However, the bill’s proposed changes, which were allegedly made in good faith, lacked proper consultation and resulted in major push-back from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and their allies. The bill has now been tabled and awaits edits after the government agreed to engage in proper community consultation.

Fundamentally, meaningful legislation pushes for change and is developed in a way that both respects and amplifies the voices of those most affected by the policy.

Governmental bodies are not the only institutions in Quebec rife with transphobia. Take, for example, the healthcare field. Gender-affirming surgery is essential for many to alleviate body dysphoria. Yet, it is inaccessible to those who cannot pay out of pocket for operations deemed “non-essential, including” breast augmentations and other

feminizing surgeries. A body that is representative of one’s identity should not be a luxury, but a right.

At McGill, the administration can make changes that could contribute to breaking down the gender binary. One such action might be increasing the number of gender-inclusive bathrooms on campus. Studies have shown that over 70 per cent of trans and gender nonconforming individuals experienced discomfort when using gender-specific bathrooms, which can be detrimental to one’s mental health. The very few gender-neutral bathrooms currently available at McGill are not enough, and their sporadic and specific placement might make trans and non-binary students feel outed.

McGill also has a role to play when it comes to supporting and encouraging trans scholarship and representation. The first step to this commitment is creating a safe space for students and staff alike. McGill has the power to mandate professors to respect their students’ pronouns–– this is not. a privilege, but a necessity.

Similarly, these changes can occur at the individual level. Trans voices must be respected and uplifted as they lead the charge toward liberation––but allies must ultimately

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EDITORIAL

Trans liberation requires multifaceted action

Copy Editor Jackie Lee copy@mcgilltribune.com

Léa Bourget, Elissa Dresdner, Saumya Gogte, Suzanna Graham, Bronte Grimmer, Arian Kamel, Louis LussierPiette, Adam Matthews-Kott, Abby McCormick, Adam Menikefs, Zoe Mineret, Juliet Morrison, Anoushka Oke, Juwel Rana, Mikaela Shadick, Corey Zhu

OPINION

ensure the burden of education is not placed solely on trans individuals.

Being an ally must go beyond posting about Bill 2 on Instagram; it involves an active commitment to intervening in ignorant, transphobic behaviour or jokes. While positive changes such as the new inclusion of the genderneutral personal pronoun “iel” in the major French dictionary Le Petit Robert are welcomed, it is important to remain vigilant against backlash from those who are transphobic.

Trans communities have long been politicized by politicians and excluded by many feminists and queer activists—many of whom follow movements that were kickstarted by trans women of colour, such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. The fight for liberation is not over until it is a reality for all, so it is important to diffuse demands for change across the many institutions that all work together to isolate the trans community. Progress must be multifaceted if it is to be effective, from government and educational structures to interpersonal interactions. Transgender Day of Remembrance should double as a time for cisgender people to reflect on how to uplift trans voices, and support the push for a thriving future that supports all.

Roll for initiative tinny, but our collective relief echoes through the audio.

My friends and I are playing Dungeons and Dragons, commonly abbreviated as D&D. Although some were already veterans of the game during high school, to me the game remained peripheral, overly time consuming and complex. As graduation passed and university lodged its talons into our free time, it wasn’t until the pandemic started that we decided to begin our own campaign.

And we weren’t the only ones: As many turned to online spaces for connection and entertainment during the pandemic, D&D catapulted from the Forgotten Realms back into the zeitgeist. Sales jumped 33 per cent last year, contributing to its six-year growth streak. Originally published in 1974, the fantasy role-playing game has long held a place in popular culture as the quintessential nerd activity. But it has evolved from its roots. The fifth edition, released in 2014, prioritized storytelling over convoluted battle mechanics, attracting new players.

While sessions are ideally held in person, online platforms such as Discord and Roll 20 allow sessions to be held regardless of location or time zone separating friends—or even strangers, as avenues like reddit threads or tabletop clubs in local libraries have proliferated.

Though there might not be a physical board to gather around, the

game’s framework remains the same.

The players design characters, the DM charts quests, and the dice dictate everything in between. Roll a one on a perception check, and my half-elf druid could stumble right into a den of thieves; roll a 20 on a dexterity saving throw, and she might successfully leap to cover.

No other game holds a flame to the complete creative freedom D&D offers. As the adventure unfurls into being, the DM and players can manipulate its strands to weave dynamic, thoughtful narratives, a tapestry suspended between collective imaginations. Visual components like set pieces or miniatures, though they might compliment gameplay, are dressings for the ultimate stage: The theatre of the mind, an endlessly customizable space.

It’s also inherently co-operative: Each member of the party works together during combat, diverting an attack or casting a healing spell, but also collaborates during the roleplaying element. Some players value the game mechanics, tailoring warriors with carefully calibrated stats that will deliver the strongest attacks; others, like me, favour the improv aspect, an excuse to exercise intuition and think

on the fly. For more still, especially young people, D&D can act as an outlet, an opportunity to project real issues onto fictional avatars in order to safely unpack trauma or experiment with gender expression or personality.

In conceptualizing elements of the self onto a new form while remaining omniscient, you can explore your own identity—it’s free group therapy!

What I find most valuable are the memories my friends and I forge together, sharing a laugh over in-game jokes or reflecting when combat goes wrong. As my character levels up with each completed arc, outside the game, I do too. Despite the perpetual essays my major requires, I’ve never considered myself a capital-w Writer.

D&D gives me permission to have fun with the craft, and revel in the communal storytelling at its heart.

Our campaign will reach its 1.5 year anniversary in a few days. Even through dozens of six-hour sessions, it’s taken me until now to solidify my character’s identity—a representation, perhaps, of the nebulous distress I’ve felt over these long months.

Regardless, I’m proud of us. And not only for our characters’ successful heist, but the story we’ve authored, together.

ERRATUM An article in the November 16, 2021 issue titled “All items in SSMU Fall 2021 referendum pass after initial technical difficulties” incorrectly stated that Queer McGill was running an existence referendum. In fact, they were not. The Tribune regrets this error.

8

OPINION

COMMENTARY

opinion@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2021

‘Post a picture of your pet’: Imagining an online future for activism

Valentina de la Borbolla Contributor

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ast month, many found their Instagram story feeds flooded with Plant a Tree Co.’s viral “Post a picture of your pet and we’ll plant a tree” sticker. The trend comes after the platform added the new “Add Yours” sticker feature, which allows users to attach their own pictures to a public prompt on their stories. Days later, Plant a Tree Co.’s prompt had over four million uploads and showed no signs of slowing. Following the growing reach of the post, many Instagram users began to question the viability of the account’s tree-planting promises. Plant a Tree Co. clearly backpedaled because they deleted the original post just after 10 minutes of putting it online. But because of the new sticker feature, the post kept circulating, effectively granting it a life of its own. Plant a Tree Co. will not be planting four, five, or six million trees. They have, however, redirected their goals and started a fundraiser instead.

While it was a mistake on the part of Plant a Tree Co. to make a promise that they knew could spin so far out of their control, the post’s quick virality indicates the complicated relationship between activism and social media. While it has the potential to be a tool for change, social media amplifies the performative aspect of activism––of which “Post a picture of your

Plant a Tree Co. ‘s backpedaling only ten minutes after their original post shows the problems and potentials for online activism. (EuroNews)

COMMENTARY Courtney Squires Contributor

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he holiday season is approaching, and as many people start the scramble to find gifts for loved ones, friends, or coworkers, a harsh discovery awaits them. Tried and true, books have remained one of the best gifts to give on any occasion, the perfect balance between thoughtful and casual. However, the tumultuous pandemic economy has caused paper, ink, and printing presses to be in high demand, leading to an increase in book prices. The days when a hardcover novel did not cost an arm and a leg are long over, with the average adult fiction book priced at around $34.00 CAD. The rising price of books is just one of the negative effects of current inflation trends threatening the extinction of libraries and smaller book businesses. Everyone must do their part by buying books from local bookstores, and remembering to plan ahead to avoid resorting to large corporate sellers like Amazon.

Though the pandemic has led to a recent spike in demand for books, it is getting progressively more expensive to produce them.

pet and we’ll plant a tree” is the perfect example. When activism is performative, it is usually a means to virtue-signal or show support for a cause without meaningful engagement. Treating activism as a fad without focussed intent and motivation will always be ineffective.

This trend, also known as “slacktivism,” does highlight how activists can benefit from social media: A single post can reach millions of people in a matter of minutes. This rapid spread of information renders participation in social movements more visible and accessible to a wider audience. Despite worries about the rise of slacktivism, collective action facilitated through online platforms has undeniably led to real change. Online campaigns like #MeToo gained the traction they did almost entirely because of social media. When much of our lives transitioned online during the pandemic, Black Lives Matter (BLM) activism shifted to social media as well, albeit with varying degrees of success. Performativity is even more striking when comparing the traction BLM gained in 2020 versus in 2014—when people were less present online. Without the internet, notifying people of protest locations, mutual aid needs, and community dangers was completely different. For one, mobilizing people through traditional channels, like physical posters or word of mouth, is far less effective because the internet has profoundly changed how we form communities and movements. Whereas potential protestors might have learned of a demonstration at a Sunday service, they are now more likely to find it on their feed online.

However, despite the potential for mass mobilization and visibility that online platforms enable, it is crucial to question whether they can sustain movements, and to what extent this visibility risks distorting a movement’s message. It would be naive to disregard the fact that most of the power of social media comes from posts being looked at and reacted to by others.

When you mix the performative aspect of social media with white privilege, the revenue opportunities of platforms like Instagram, and easily digestible infographics, you are bound to produce a diluted movement. The type of mobilization encouraged by posts like “Post a picture of your pet” is low effort, and consequently, low benefit. It takes nothing to post a picture of your dog. It also gets you nothing, or nothing more than nicely curated feed.

Undergraduate students, made up mostly of avid social media users, need to find the balance between convenience and complacency. The reason why a lot of social media activism is ineffective is not because movements are poorly organized or because Instagram distorts messages; it is ineffective because it is performative. Online activism can host the nuanced and complex conversations that social issues require, but in order for that to happen users need to be more intentional in how they participate in social movements. There is revolutionary potential in the internet, and it doesn’t need to mimic life offline to thrive. It just needs to be authentic.

Physical books are worth their cost The price of wood pulp rose approximately 71 per cent this year after an environmental initiative in China led to the shutdown of many pulp and paper mills. The large price change has made book prices skyrocket and production timelines slow. Further, the supply chain has taken a hit due to the pandemic, and lengthy shipping delays are predicted for this upcoming holiday season.

This seeming book shortage will certainly put a hamper on many people’s plans to shop last minute, as there will be fewer books stocked on the shelves, and delayed projected delivery times— some stretching well into the new year.

With the many roadblocks to obtaining physical copies of books this year, the growing market for online literature like e-books, Kindles, Kobos has skyrocketed. Online literature tends to be cheaper—no manufacturing, distribution or shipping costs—so with book prices increasing this year, more costconscious consumers might pursue those options in lieu of purchasing a physical copy. Also more environmentally friendly, investing in a Kindle or another digital library, saves paper.

While there are benefits to making the switch to online, physical books are still overall the better choice.

McGill, too, has hopped on this online literature bandwagon. Many English courses have started to offer their texts in PDF form, selecting readings available from online resource platforms or offering online course packs so students do not have to purchase an entire short story collection. McGill courses in general have also adapted to online life: The majority of assignments can be submitted online, reducing the need for physical copies of papers—and even some exams are now delivered online. Though, with the hybrid learning scheme, many students find themselves struggling to adapt to fully remote learning. If physical copies of textbooks and novels are slowly phased out, it is almost certain that students’ productivity will suffer, with reading on paper being important for neurological comprehension.

Reducing screen time by doing readings and note-taking offline helps both concentration and retention, and reduces eye strain.

This phenomenon also has consequences for libraries. They,

Rising prices of books from inflation are threatening libraries’ existence and the future of independent bookstore. (The Word) too, risk being rendered useless.

This is especially dismaying, as libraries are one of the only public places people can visit without having to pay. Small businesses are also affected, with non-chain bookstores relying heavily on an in-person customer base. While larger names like Indigo and Barnes & Noble may be able to stay afloat in this transitioning market, smaller names like Montreal’s S.W. Welch Bookseller

might not.

However, it would be unlikely that such a change in the literary market would happen before it could be prevented.

Yet, to keep the magical world of printed literature alive, everyone must do their part: Keep buying books—especially from small businesses—and get any holiday shopping done sooner rather than later to ensure there are no empty presents under the tree.

The McGill Tribune

Fall 2021

CREATIVE SUPPLEMENT

Untitled, Hugo Solomon

a brief history of a car crash Natalie Carberi I got into a car crash last year. I remember screaming as I turned swerved at the intersection, smashing into a bright red sports car. I broke my bank account paying the insurance fees. I broke my left wrist. I couldn’t write my final essay for English – I typed it one handed. It was supposed to be about what I wanted to do when I finished high school. I lied the entire way through.

I passed my driver’s test two months before the crash, a year before I met her, before I decided I’d rather spent money on university than a speedy metal box. My hands were shaking as I drove, but I passed.

I stuffed my permit in my wallet and the first thing I did was hit the highway. Nowadays, I think the first thing I would’ve done is call her. I would’ve offered her a ride and she would’ve said no.

“Marissa,” she would’ve said, voice staticky with bad reception, “Why are you laughing?”

Banging my hand on the dashboard, I would’ve told her, “Because now I have lower insurance fees.” And she would’ve laughed but she wouldn’t have gotten it. I would’ve hung up, and cranked the rock station.

I almost told her I loved her, once. We were sitting on the curb of an unlit street, waiting for the bus. We had a total of seven dollars twenty between us: she’d lost her wallet and I’d maxed all my credit cards.

The was gum stuck on the concrete. Montreal is wonderful until you have no money.

I amused myself by translating the road signs. She laughed at my French and told me the real translation, and I insisted she was wrong.

I offered her a cigarette and she smiled but said no. I shrugged and lit one even though I didn’t feel like smoking anymore: the embers lit up my fingernails until they were glowing red, and I thought they might catch fire.

There was no light, but I couldn’t help but thinking she’s gorgeous every half-second. She wouldn’t believe me if I did. She used to tell me that she was too skinny or not busty enough or unfashionable or whatever. I can’t see what she’s talking about. One day, I’d describe it to her in great detail. Probably while she was asleep.

So I had a pack of almonds, and I offered them to her. We hadn’t eaten dinner, but she still didn’t take me up on my offer. She’ll give me cookies and lend me money but never accept a thing in exchange. I wish she would.

It was dark, and I was half drunk, so bit my lip and tried to work out a love confession. I hate love confessions. There’s no way to make one without sounding pathetic. I tried to think of how to ask her out. The words were right there but I couldn’t say them. By the time I’d swallowed my pride, the bus’s gleaming headlights had pierced the hazy night, and she was already up and gone. I dropped the coins into her hands and thought about what it would be like if the bus crashed and we both died tonight, how I’d feel never having said a word to her. My fingers were over my pulse, the one on my left wrist, and I wondered what it’d feel like if she pressed her lips there.

I left university last year. Couldn’t stand having a permit but not a car.

Got a job as a truck driver. Sometimes she texts me: little things, so much schoolwork think you might’ve made the right decision. And I’ll laugh like I would’ve laughed if she’d ever asked me about insurance rates. The last thing she texted me was, you’ve got all the luck.

I laughed and responded with of course I do, but lucky people don’t get into car crashes.

Holding stars in your hand Ashlesha Shringarpure

Untitled Herrinah Zhang

Swallowing the Pip

Akasaka

Clementine Larrouilh

Jinny Moon

Unsettling how this colorado-weird settles Something to do with this Grippy sticky strangeness was it a want, did you need, I need To do: groceries - Citrus Upside-Down Cake something bitter in how my name tastes orange, get rosemary and oranges are love don’t forget are sun-soaked souls don’t forget the Nutmeg Flour and Butter but then, but what, but why did you do Was I sweet? Was I tempting? Did my peel entice? did you mean to do: you forgot the Sugar and Ginger The orange is a whole you Split into halves and quarters and eighths you Spat out the pips every unsavory bit And ate me alive for all of my tenderness

Montreal in November Laura Tobon

Untitled Hugo Solomon

Collage Study no. 12 John Vaccaro

Untitled, Like a Sigh Evelyn Burvant Yesterday I watched the earth make love to the sky.

It was violent and red, and the abyss above me was turned dark and bruised.

The clouds bent down to pool around mountain peaks and the sea reached her fingers up to stroke the moon.

The wind swept through every tree body tickling bark with their hollow tongues.

Like a painting every brush stroke was carried in the fingers of a god.

From here, where do I go? what do I do?

Like ships cast out into the maw of the waves I’m swallowed up and every piece of myself I thought I was drifts away hoping to cling to a bit of the sky or be lifted by the wind.

Maybe I will take in some of their grace, and feel the thunderstorm in my body still.

La fille de la rue de la Paix Quitterie Drouhet

Knot

Sébastien Géroli

Two Canadas

Kate Addison Erica Brown

snaggle toothed love

Sea and Sky

Kristiaan van den Hoeven The cold of the grass against my feet felt like bliss. My toes were brown from the garden. The hostas seemed lazy in the sun, dozing with the dog in the August heat.

The back of the yard was lined with a bush, and either side with a cedar hedge that always seemed to absorb every ball that flew into it, reluctant to offer them back up without the price of fifteen-second terror, scratched, reddened hands, and stomachs aching from laughter The soil in that part of the region was spongy and marshy because of its proximity to the river, and so maples predominated, but our backyard featured a crab apple tree that yielded nothing but those gnarled little things that made our beagle sick. We tried to make apple sauce once. We failed, but we laughed.

Urban forest canopied those winding streets, named after French départements that included charming, quaint names like ‘des Pyrénées,’ ‘des Vosges’ and ‘d’Alsace.’

The same six models of generous houses were reproduced, and people for whom the Canadian dream of the 1960s really had come true collected in the area.

But my mother didn’t send me to high school there. I went to school where the urban forest didn’t grow. Where the streets had potholes and were lined with squat, grey houses. Where the electricity lines failed to shelter the people from the glaring sun. Houses had only one car, or none. My neighbor had four.

It was a very different Canada from the one I knew. A Canada where kids had to save for their trip to Greece, where some kids didn’t have enough to eat, where my friends’ parents had substance abuse problems and they came to school with sleepless eyes and souls heavy and deprived of opportunity.

That Canada was just across the boulevard. But on this side, the sun filtered through green foliage into the lukewarm poolwater.

The Bison Erica Brown

Interaction Erica Brown

I will never have the wisdom of the bison, the calf asleep in the tall grass on the hill, the knowledge that comes from nearly knowing your end.

Reaching the edge of extinction, and coming back.

And yet, when I hold the jaw of the babe, He begins to share what he knows.

Against my own body, the top of the joint presses into my bicep, and the curvature follows the crook of my elbow, it fills the the palm of my hand, and tapers off perfectly at my thumb.

He sits in my arm - skull of the past and the present.

And though I get the sense that most of the knowing is held in the massive shoulders, The juvenile still plays loose with his thoughts, and they bleed all over.

Extracted right from the grass of the earth, and pounded by the molars that are only now loosening from the perfectly formed bone.

Relaxing into the duff and foliage of the forest floor.

He was in the process of seeping his knowledge back down into the dirt, that it had given to him in the first place, when I found him.

And I think when I hold the jaw I can feel some of the wisdom rubbing off into my arms.

So that when I hold the bone through the night, my dreams are enlightened, and the end doesn’t feel so final.

Walden Pond Maeve Reilly

Forbidden fruit Elise Bundschuh

Forever Stuck Yasmine Guroluk I made my way, through the trees, The wind whispering soft lullabies; The songs of nearby birds, traveling through the sky.

Dampened dirt, beneath my toes, Alone at last, no one to keep Satisfied; With lingering smiles, And innocent eyes.

Restless bones, and shattered souls, Cursing the past, that they stole, Always looking Over— A bruised shoulder.

It’s a... coming of age film.

A motion picture, blurred at the edges; Forever stuck, in my hometown.

Tomato Soup Rory Daly In a photo I think I have long since lost, a younger me sits in a high chair. All around me is my meal, a tomato soup that I am failing to eat. That is not to say it isn’t on my mouth—it is there, and on my hands, and on everything else in the picture. I cannot say I am less of a messy eater nowadays. However, I still enjoy a good soup.

I refuse to believe a man who knew the joys of soup could truly be disenchanted with life.

Tasmin Chu

But of those paintings, there is one that is strangely out of place. It is his greatest work—a simple illustration of two elders eating soup. One of the pair is smiling. The other is making finger guns at someone or something we cannot see.

study in red

There are no works as haunting as the Black Paintings of the Spanish artist Francisco Goya. In a house on the edge of Madrid, he made his finest works, expressing misery for the condition of his patria, which was slowly backsliding into a medieval state after years of reforms. They say each is dripping with this melancholy and disillusionment.

Letter from the Editors: The McGill Tribune is proud to present the Fall 2021 Creative Supplement, highlighting the creativity of the McGill community in the form of poetry, prose, photography, illustration, and mixed media. We appreciate all of the excellent submissions; we had a great time putting the project together. Though the last year has been difficult, it is inspiring that artists have persevered and sought out creative outlets amidst the chaos. We hope that as you wander through the pieces, you can discern the hard work and talent of each creator, and the feelings they are trying to express.

Ruobing Chen, Creative Director Jinny Moon & Xiaotian Wang, Design Editors Marwan Shiraz Khan & Abby de Gala, Web Developers Sequoia Kim, Editor in Chief Taneeshaa Pradhan, Social Media Editor Kate Addison, Photo Editor Sepideh Afshar, Opinion Editor Lily Cason, News Editor Tasmin Chu, Features Editor Sarah Farnand, Sports Editor Kennedy McKee-Braide, Managing Editor Shafaq Nami, Science & Technology Editor Noah Vaton, Multimedia Editor

Night Out, Yanna Tri

studentlife@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2021

STUDENT LIFE

9

Indulging in Ăn Chè Desserts

Delving into Montreal’s one-stop-shop for Vietnamese desserts Abby McCormick Staff Writer

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isiting one of Montreal’s many bakeries is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth while supporting a local business. Those in search of rich desserts with naturally sourced ingredients should look no further than Ăn Chè Desserts. This home bakery, currently operating out of pop-up shops, offers a wide variety of Vietnamese desserts, from steamed layer cake to pandan jelly. Ăn Chè, which translates to Let’s go eat Chè, specializes in the traditional Vietnamese dessert chè, adding new flavours and ingredients for a modern spin. Chè, a jelly-based

(anchedesserts.com)

dessert typically served in a bowl of sweetened milk, can be topped with tapioca pearls, fruit, coconut cream, and bean paste. Regardless of the season, it makes for an ideal snack as it can be served hot or cold. Ăn Chè Desserts’ founder, Linh Le Kim, turned her passion for making desserts into a business venture during the COVID-19 lockdown. After receiving positive reviews from her family and friends, Le Kim felt encouraged to sell her creations to the wider Montreal community.

“Much to my surprise, there was a huge response,” Le Kim said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “People loved the texture and found [the desserts] beautiful and colourful.”

For Le Kim, baking is a way of paying tribute to her culture and reminiscing about her childhood.

“My family was supposed to go back to Vietnam [when COVID-19 hit], and I began trying to recreate the memories of Vietnam at home,” Le Kim said. “My inspiration comes from my mother and the part of my childhood spent in Vietnam.” Ăn Chè prides itself on the naturally sourced ingredients and

colouring the team uses to handcraft every dish on the menu. “[We] don’t take shortcuts,” Le Kim said. “[Ăn Chè aims for] the real taste of chè pre-globalization, when artificial flavours weren’t as widely available.”

One of Ăn Chè’s most popular desserts from their recent pop-up shop is the pandan deluxe. This dish is traditionally made with three components and served over ice with coconut milk. Ăn Chè’s pandan includes handmade pandan jelly, tapioca water jelly, and bean paste, all blended in a coconut milk base. These ingredients make for a dessert that is chewy, crunchy, and refreshing. Ăn Chè’s clientele varies greatly from younger to older people and from Montreal locals to students. Many of Le Kim’s older customers visit Ăn Chè in search of childhood tastes, while those who aren’t familiar with Vietnamese desserts visit for the opportunity to try something new.

“Our goal is to be traditional, but modern enough to be approachable for younger people or those who aren’t exposed [to Vietnamese flavours],” Le Kim

Profits from Ăn Chè’s Báhn Box will go to the Saigon’s Children Charity for COVID19 relief and includes steamed pandan cakes, pandan honeycomb cake, and a sticky rice combo (anchedesserts.com)

said.

With most desserts from this region being vegan and gluten-free, Southeast Asian desserts are known for their fruity ingredients, vivid colours, and unique mix of textures.

Common elements include cassava, agar-agar, pandan, palm sugar, taro, and tropical fruits.

“Southeast Asian flavours aren’t yet mainstream in Montreal or in North America, so we have room to grow,” Le Kim said. “It touches so many cultures, from Malaysian to Indonesian.”

Since its opening last year, Ăn Chè has continued to operate through pop-up shops. These have primarily taken the form of threeday set-ups at local cafes, including Dans L’Espace and Leaves Cafe. Ăn Chè will partner with 12 other vendors in its next pop-up shop entitled Vision. This pop-up will be taking place on Saturday, Dec. 4 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 435 Rue Beaubien West in Outremont.

It will include new dishes, such as glutinous rice chè, pandan steamed cakes, and pandan honeycomb cake.

What does your major say about you?

The secret lives of different majors Mahnoor Chaudhry Contributor

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hat does your major say about you? The McGill Tribune spoke to students of different majors to find out whether the stereotypes about them are true.

1. English With the crushing burden of endless readings and constant familial scepticism, English majors have always had a hard time.

Although their creativity and openmindedness makes them quite agreeable, they often find solidarity in their peers’ collective struggle. They have a diverse taste in everything artsy, and, at some point, have tried calling themselves artists.

Before entering the program, Faith Ruetas, a third-year English literature major and copresident of the Department of English Student Association, expected a homogenous crowd in her classrooms. “[I thought] it was just all white girls whose parents pay for their education so they can smoke and write poetry,” Ruetas said.

“There are some people who might fit one or two of those characteristics, but there is nice diversity in the program.”

English majors are also often told that their degree will not amount to much and that their career prospects are hopeless. That said, Francesco Cremonini, another second-year English major, believes an English degree opens up many different paths for students.

“I like English because it’s more open ended, ‘’ Cremonini said. “The program is really versatile.”

Hang in there, English majors—your path will soon materialize.

2. Computer Science A dark room, energy drinks, and the sound of keyboards crunching code is what a typical night looks for computer science students.

Although it’s a well known fact that these students compete with each other to get those six hour long technical interviews—that often end up in rejection—their career prospects are still much brighter than their rooms.

Academic success, however, can sometimes come at the expense of a social life.

“We are all sacrificing every part of our life to get into FAANG,”said Ibrahim Naveed,

a fourth-year computer science major. Fitting for the bloody image it summons, this acronym refers to the five most prominent––and perhaps soul-sucking––big technology companies.

Students’ mathematical and analytical skills are sure to get them there!

To find comp sci majors, all you need to do is head up to the Trottier building at any odd hour, be it day or night.

3. Political Science Individuals pursuing political science are known to have a passion for playing devil’s advocate: They enjoy pushing boundaries and get a rush when adopting controversial opinions—even if these opinions aren’t necessarily their own. They feel the urge to save the world, but believe the best way to do this is by having petty debates in their conference

Discover whether you fit in the program you chose or whether your people are to be found elsewhere. (thetab.com)

sections.

As some prepare for the future by roleplaying as politicians in the classroom, it can be difficult to tell their real personalities from their alter egos.

In all seriousness, poli sci majors are typically good writers and genuinely want to apply their learning into real-life political action.

“People in poli sci seem to have a similar trajectory about what we want to do with our learning in the field of law,” Mira Cantor, a third-year political science major told The Tribune. “[Many] want to go down in a journalistic direction.”

4. Economics Devoid of a social life, these students are just trying to survive the semester without having more than five mental breakdowns.

They are either the ones that are raising class averages or the ones cursing those that are.

In this program, students have different career prospects and expect to go into diverse fields after they graduate, from financial consulting to the public sector.

Though they’re known for having a competitive edge, most might agree that teamwork gets them further.

“I couldn’t survive this program without collaborating with my friends,” said third-year economics student Hamza Farooq.

Economics majors can frequently be found huddled in groups on the first floor of Redpath Library, trying to power get through or keep track of all their one assignments.

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STUDENT LIFE

studentlife@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2021

Students croon for the comeback of karaoke

Reflecting on the joys of karaoke Isabella González Contributor

K

araoke allows people to come together and shine on the stage regardless of their musical talents; it is a stage where shower singers and professional singers stand on equal footing.

When dance floors and other nightlife venues in Montreal officially reopened on November 15, people could once again head to the karaoke stage to belt their favourite songs— and McGill students are itching to grab a mic

once again.

Hana Mollin, U1 Management, enjoys karaoke because it gives her the opportunity to sing freely in front of an audience.

“It’s a very low-stress way of singing,” Mollin told The McGill Tribune. “I like to sing in the shower or when I’m driving.

But I don’t tend to sing in front of people a lot, so karaoke is fun. I don’t mind singing in front of people [there] just because of the environment. It’s a place where everybody can come together and sing.”

For others looking forward to the return

Les Trois Minots on St. Laurent Blvd was a popular karaoke spot for students pre-pandemic. (985fm.ca)

of karaoke, like Luciana Decormis, U2 Education, it’s all about the spotlight.

“I think my favourite thing about karaoke is I really like attention,” Decormis said. “So I like performing and it’s just so fun.”

Although karaoke allows individuals to indulge in the spotlight, it can be a community experience for many. Izabella Beller, U2 Arts, typically picks crowd-pleaser songs to allow others in the room to join in. Her favourite songs to sing include classics from Mamma Mia or heart-wrenching Taylor Swift ballads.

“If it’s just a song that I like that a lot of people don’t know, then it’s not fun cause I’m just by myself,” Beller said. “I want people to be as excited as I am for the songs.”

Everyone has a go-to karaoke song that they know they can rely on no matter what. It seems that many students use the open stage to feel empowered, as if they’re on top of the world. Mollin’s go-to karaoke song is Bodak Yellow by Cardi B. “I feel like a badass when I sing it,” Mollin said. “It makes me feel powerful.”

Decormis draws a similar feeling from her go-to karaoke song.

“I really like Tusa [by Karol G],” Decormis said. “It’s one of the few reggaeton songs that empowers women and is not sexualizing [....] Girl power, you know?”

Not only does Decormis enjoy the rush of confidence she gets while performing Tusa, she also loves that it brings her back to

fond memories.

“It reminds me of the time right before quarantine and of 12th grade and all my friends,” Decormis reminisced.

Music has always had the power to transport people elsewhere, but the energizing and judgement-free atmosphere of the karaoke room allows for a unique form of escapism.

In Quebec, karaoke bars unfortunately have been closed since September 2020, since they had been a source of COVID-19 case spikes. Financially, it was a tough year for many karaoke bar owners. Now that they’re reopening, the karaoke scene in Montreal looks forward to a resurgence.

Mollin is already making plans after being away from the karaoke scene for a while. Since pandemic restrictions kept many first-year students away from nightlife experiences last year, Mollin looks forward to embracing her adulthood through karaoke.

“I hope to go [to a karaoke bar] with my roommates.” Mollin said. “I used to go to karaoke bars with my family a lot. But it’ll be different this time because I feel more like an adult, and I’m doing it with my friends, and I can drink too. I feel like I’ve grown up.”

Decormis and Beller checked out a karaoke location last weekend, and are excited to return now that COVID-19 restrictions in the venues have eased.

“I’m definitely planning on going again.

Especially now that you can dance,” Beller said.

Let’s talk about sex, baby

Debunking misconceptions about sex and university Paulina Kasak Contributor

E

verybody seems to be talking about sex. It saturates the media; from tv shows to movies to video games to event advertisements—it’s inescapable.

From a young age, many children are exposed to ‘sexual education’ tactics that emphasize abstinence and fear-mongering: “Don’t have sex before marriage! Don’t have sex without being in love! Just don’t have sex!” This type of rhetoric clouds the seriousness of sex, turning it into a simple didactic coming-of-age lesson.

The significant gap in sexual knowledge among young adults speaks to the lack of accessible educational resources. Jessica Legault, spokesperson for the EduSex coalition in Quebec, noted that 75 per cent of teachers polled in November didn’t have any training in the sex education courses that they were asked to teach.

Nonetheless, on the brink of adolescence, this restrictive cultural narrative takes a turn.

Casual sex––and lots of it––is considered to be a norm across university campuses. In popular culture and pornography, young adults are bombarded with portrayals of sex that often contradict their experiences.

Although sex-positive shows like Sex Education and Big Mouth attempt to unpack unhealthy understandings of sexuality, there

A 2016 McGill study found that 3 out of four students were sexually active.

(Shireen Aamir / The McGill Tribune)

is still an overabundance of media geared toward young viewers that present toxic depictions of sexual relationships and also set unrealistic expectations.

With hook-up culture being a norm, many university students face mounting sexual pressures.

Though talking about sex helps inform safe and educated decisions, the discourse surrounding hookup culture can often make those who aren’t engaging in sexual activity feel alienated or abnormal.

Mikaela Fasold, U3 Arts, feels that the stress incoming university students harbour toward sex is tied to anxiety around fitting in.

“When people get to university, they realize that a lot of people are having sex, including their friends, so they may feel left out,” Fasold said. “Sex in university is conveyed as a way to fit in [....] This creates the mindset that you need to have sex in order to fit in with the university lifestyle.”

Many movies, such as The To Do List,

portray sexual activity as something that needs to be “mastered” before even entering university. These types of films depict university as the single opportunity to explore one’s sexuality to the fullest extent: Have fun, have sex, and if not, you’ll miss out on the “university experience.”

Massimo DiSilvestro, U2 Arts, thinks that the pressure to have sex stems from conventional stereotypes about romantic experiences that portray sex as a necessary formative experience for young adults.

“Something lonely arises from looking at other people advancing romantically when you aren’t,” DiSilvestro said. “The popularity and public face of the word ‘sex’ feeds into a narrative that, as we reach adulthood, we are supposed to complete certain milestones, including sexual activity.”

Sex is a natural part of life, and university can provide students with the opportunity to explore their sexuality.

However, no one should feel pressured to have sex. There exists a multitude of reasons for abstinence––religion, asexuality, a lack of time, a disinterest in popular hook-up culture, or the simple feeling of just not being ready. All of these reasons, and more, are valid in their own right.

Sex is everywhere, no doubt about it. But, not everyone is having sex—it’s guaranteed, in fact, that fewer people are having sex than you think.

scitech@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2021

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

11

Biology symposium investigates modes of language learning

While language shapes the evolution of human society, birdsong shapes avian interactions Bryana-Alexa Liberta Contributor

H

ow language plays a role in the evolution of human societies remains a fascinating question for language researchers, given the diversity of language learning techniques and abilities.

Some McGill researchers, however, are one step closer to finding the answer. On Nov. 15, a symposium on the “Cultural Evolution of Communication” discussed how society plays a role in the formation and learning of language and, conversely, how language plays a role in constructing societies. The event, hosted by Jon Sakata, a professor in McGill’s Department of Biology, presented the research of Pauline Palma, a PhD candidate in experimental psychology, and Logan James, a McGill alumnus who completed a PhD in 2019 with the Department of Biology.

Pauline Palma: How bilingualism affects the progression of language Many have wondered what the advantages of being bilingual are and how bilingual societies differ from monolingual ones at the cognitive level. In her latest research, Palma addressed this question, looking

specifically into whether prior linguistic knowledge in individuals can affect language evolution.

In order to test for the ability to learn a language, Palma recruited young adults who identified English as their first language and French as their second. In a training phase, she used two types of word sets as stimuli—a “French-like” word set containing made-up words resembling French words, and an “English-like’ word set containing made-up words resembling English words.

Each set contained 12 words. However, during the training phase, Palma only presented nine words to participants, who were then shown all 12 words at the test phase.

This technique measured if the participants were able to use what they had learned in the training phase and apply it in the test phase—in other words, the researchers wanted to test whether the bilingual participants were able to learn this “new” language, and whether this had implications for the way they learn language compared to monolingual speakers.

Palma’s results showed that the learnability of one’s native language, whether that be English or French, increased over time. As well, the structure of a language increases for the English-like languages when learned first, whereas the French-

like languages developed structure in both conditions. Palma explained that her results demonstrate a phenomenon in bilinguals called an asymmetric switch cost.

“An asymmetric switch cost is when switching to your dominant language becomes more difficult because of intuition, which was seen at the societal level,” Palma said.

Moving forward, Palma hopes to explore whether these results are reproducible and whether individuals’ differences in their modes of language acquisition can alter these results.

Logan James: The biology of birdsongs

While more than 7000 languages exist, more than half of the global population speaks 23 languages only. (medium.com)

James, who is currently conducting field work in Panama, presented his research on the biology behind the formation of birdsong. In his studies, James used zebra finches as a model to test how environmental factors can have an impact on the sequencing and timing of their songs, and whether or not there are biological biases behind certain song patterns.

“So the question we have is, how do [zebra finches] select which pattern to produce and what timing to produce?” James said. “In general, they’re going to be learning this from their fathers.”

One experiment that he performed was playing back a random birdsong sequence during song learning and observing its impact on zebra finch song production later on. The results showed that even with a randomized input, the birds produce a song that was similar to the formal birdsong of the zebra finch due to certain biological biases.

James compares this to how humans process sound.

“There is a similar [process taking place] in humans, where we as humans use these internal filters to produce particular sequences and timings,” James said.

Computational Witness Stand: A new way to prevent credit card fraud Zero-knowledge proofs could be the key to foolproof personal security Atticus O’Rourke Rusin Contributor

I

n 2018 alone, reported fraud cases increased by 18.4 percent from the previous year and over 20 billion dollars were lost. Although not the only source of card fraud, one major concern is the security of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). With the spread of ATMs throughout the world, personal banking security has become an increasingly prevalent issue. From hijacking ATM terminals using “skimmers,”a device that collects messages sent on the ATMs data lines, to installing cameras to record individuals inputting their PINs, there are numerous ways for scammers to steal sensitive information from under your nose.

To prevent fraud, Claude Crépeau, a professor in McGill’s School of Computer Science, along with researchers from other institutions, is looking to find methods for beefing up modern bank security systems.

Once your bank PIN falls into the wrong hands, the process of resetting it can be a hassle. All the while, your account can be accessed and funds can be taken out. This is where Crépeau’s work comes into play. Using a type of cryptographic method known as zero-knowledge proofs, combined with Einstein’s theory of relativity—which stipulates that matter, and in turn, electronic information, cannot travel faster than the speed of light—the team has developed a new method of combating card fraud.

To understand zero-knowledge proofs, imagine that person A has two identical containers. One contains a coin and the other contains a die. Person B wants to prove to person A that they can identify which container has the coin and which one has the die, even after they are mixed up. In order to do so, person A will mix up the containers and person B will guess which one has each object. If person B does this correctly several times, person A will accept that person B knows which container has the coin.

However, person A will still be unaware of how person

B knows this.

Although not yet present in ATMs, bank machines could use zero-knowledge proofs in order to verify a cardholder’s identity; the cardholder proves their identity with their PIN, and the ATM machine verifies it without accessing the encrypted information. However, even this method of verification would not be foolproof. Therefore, the difficulty of cracking zero-knowledge proofs often rests upon how difficult it is to solve these equations. Some zero-knowledge proofs have already been cracked, while others may only be solved once quantum computing becomes more advanced. This raises the issue of never knowing the level of security of the proof used by banks until it is too late.

Einstein’s theory of relativity is the second piece of the research puzzle. A fraudulent ATM could record the answers given and attempt to solve the equation used to

Zero-knowledge proofs could be the key to foolproof personal security (securityintelligence.com)

encode them, thereby cracking the zero-knowledge proof.

The team decided to use multiple devices mimicking ATMs, set up approximately 60 metres from one another.

A cardholder inserted their bank card into each one, and then the machines performed zero-knowledge proofs in order to prove the cardholder’s identity. For this process to work, the devices were not allowed to communicate with each other. Otherwise, fraudulent devices could potentially share information to help each other crack the code. However, if they aren’t able to collaborate, then it is similar to an investigator interviewing two witnesses separately—if their testimonials do not match up, then their story is impossible to corroborate, and the devices will be proven fraudulent.

If the devices are prevented from communicating, any potential hijacker would be forced to solve not one, but two, highly complicated equations in order to work back to the zero-knowledge proof. Since that information cannot travel faster than light, the transfer of useful information between devices will be limited, preventing access to the encrypted information.

“What we have demonstrated makes it tremendously closer to being practical in the sense that it has never been demonstrated before,” Crépeau said. “We strongly believe that with […] more important investment [in] equipment of a higher quality […] we can bring [the distance between ATMs] down to a couple metres or maybe even a single metre.”

Combining zero-knowledge proofs with Einstein’s theory of relativity could allow for a more secure method of validating one’s own identity that won’t be threatened by the advancement of quantum computing.

Although still just a proof of concept, the team’s research has the potential to dramatically improve currently vulnerable banking security. The research into the dynamic between information, light, and zero-knowledge proofs could have important implications for the future of personal banking security.

12

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

scitech@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2021

The changing landscape of industrial mining Exploring emerging technologies throughout the different phases of mining operations Adam Matthews-Kott

essential part of exploration geology, as XRF technology develops, geologists will be able to get results faster and with higher accuracy. rom the diamonds in Nunavut to the gold in BritAnother technological innovation that ish Columbia to the iron ores in Labrador, Canada has revolutionized the field of explohas a multitude of resources spanning from coast to ration geology is the use of drones coast to coast. Producing over 30 different minerals and for surveillance. Drones have an metals, it is no surprise that Canada plays a substantial advantage over other survey role in the global mining industry. As priorities shift within methods because they can the industry to account for environmental and economic cover vast swaths of ground changes, Canada has the opportunity to set the bar for while still keeping the scale the future of mining. One way toward a new mining fron- of the survey specific to the tier is to embrace technological innovations that will help area. This is in contrast the industry continue playing a pivotal role in the coun- to walking, which is retry’s economy. stricted to the ground “We can’t stop mining, but if we want to have our level, and satellites, current society [...] if we want to keep this planet and which lack the necsome of our last remaining wildernesses, then we have to essary resolution to look at how we mine and do it very responsibly,” Scott identify areas of inBerdahl, the CEO of Snowline Gold Corp, a junior mining terest on the single company based in the Yukon, said in an interview with kilometer scale.

The McGill Tribune.

Drones can perThe life cycle of a mine consists of several stages, be- form a wide range of ginning with the initial discovery of a viable reserve, to measurements using visplanning, then production, and finally to the closure and ible and near-infrared light to reclamation of the mine as operations wind down. With detect colour variation and any changes in each stage being relatively distinct from one another, the earth’s magnetic field. In addition to these both large and small mining companies are implementing specialized functions, they can capture high-rescreative technological solutions to improve each stage of olution photography of exposed rock faces. Drones the mining process. then allow geologists to develop more accurate models The first stage in establishing a mine is the search for of the geology they are working with and to pinpoint spereserves. The scouting is often considered the most swash- cific areas of interest to explore. Due to these advantages, buckling of mine operations, where small teams work in drones are rapidly becoming the swiss-army knife of minvast and often remote locations to find a viable deposit ing exploration. to mine. This is the stage where junior mining companies Following the discovery of a viable deposit, the work alongside major mining companies, often selling planning phase begins. This part of the operation can their properties to the major players when a quantifiable take years to progress as a multitude of factors must be increase in property value is discovered. weighed, including production and environmental costs in One technology that has proven useful in these re- comparison to the value derived from the extracted matemote environments is x-ray fluorescence (XRF). Exposing rials. In addition to the extremely high start-up costs, with rock samples to x-rays causes the different elements found initial investment often being upwards of billions of dolinside to enter a higher energy stage. The elements then lars, mine operators need to be confident that the mined re-emit light at specific wavelengths, allowing scientists to materials will offset the cost. This can be challenging as determine the elemental composition of the rock sample. profits are tied to the value of the resource which then Traditionally, samples that were thought to contain experiences large fluctuations, whether it be a material sought-after minerals and metals would be sent to the like lithium, nickel, and quartz or a precious commodity assay lab so that geologists could get a completely accu- such as diamonds. rate composition of the rock. In the context of exploration One group working to make this process faster and geology, this could mean shipping samples hundreds of less risky is COSMO laboratory, led by Roussos Dimitrakilometres away to get tested. With portable XRF, it is now kopoulos, a professor in McGill’s Department of Mining possible to get compositional analyses of rock samples Engineering. without ever having to leave the field.

“We are looking at industrial mine Although lab tests are composites,” Dimitrakopoulos said still an in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “You have tens of millions of variables, and so, how do you follow them?

Suddenly you look at this and say we would like new methods to optimize the whole thing.”

The project aims to optimize models to estimate ore bodies and their economic viability while taking the entire supply chain into account. “[Our] modOver 200 mines and 6,500 sand, gravel, and stone quarries are running in Canada els perform betright now. (Ruobing Chen / The McGill Tribune) ter because they account for what

Staff Writer

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may or may not be in the ground,” Dimitrakopoulos said. “The conventional way is to take an average of what’s in the ground. This does not fully represent what is there [because] average in does not mean average out.”

Once planning is complete, construction can begin, followed by the start of mine operations. In contrast to the early exploration stage of mine operations, in this phase, the landscape is fairly well understood, and the goal is to begin extracting resources from the ground.

A group of technologies that are predicted to become commonplace by 2025 are autonomous machines.

The key word here being autonomous, these machines are able to work with minimal supervision 24/7 on a variety of tasks, including drilling, blasting, loading, and hauling. Load Haul Dump (LHD) vehicles are an example of the types of machines used. These vehicles are primarily designed to cart ore out of the mine to be processed into various materials.

Along with ore that is extracted, economically unviable material called tailings are generated as a byproduct. These tailings have the potential to create major environmental damage through leaching salts and heavy metals into nearby water sources and spreading harmful dust particles to surrounding communities. Scientists are currently looking into how to mitigate the environmental risk that tailings pose.

Greg Dipple, a professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of British Columbia, is leading a research project that aims to combat this source of environmental disturbance. The project looks to repurpose mine tailings from nickel, diamond, platinum mines as carbon traps to offset carbon emissions released throughout the mining process.

After the resource is depleted and primary production grinds to a halt, it’s time for the closure and reclamation process to begin. This involves maintaining the mine to avoid contaminating nearby areas and returning the site back to its original state as much as possible.

New and emerging technologies within the mining sector have exciting implications for the industry. As we begin to reevaluate how resource extraction is done in Canada, it is important to continue to find new methods to make mining more efficient, economically sustainable, and environmentally conscious.

arts@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2021

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ fails to recapture the magic of its predecessor The sporadic tone renders this reboot instantly forgettable Charlotte Hayes Contributor

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ollywood’s obsession with reboots has given birth to one of its worst yet, Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Arriving in theatres across North America on Nov. 19, this long-delayed film might have been better off going straight to video-on-demand. Although director Jason Reitman is the son of the

original installment director Ivan Reitman, Ghostbusters: Afterlife reinscribes the sarcastic comedy of the original movies into a cheesy story about friendship and family values. With an astounding 124-minute runtime, the movie spends nearly half of this without any significant plot development—it focuses more on self-referential jokes than it does trying to build its own plot.

The film follows Callie (Carrie

Josh Gad voices the newest Ghost Muncher in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. (denofgeek.com)

Coon), a single mom struggling to make ends meet. After her estranged father dies, she moves her family into his old farmhouse near a small mining town to the disdain of her children, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace).

As they sort through the rubble of their grandfather’s life, Trevor and Phoebe discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secrets their grandfather left behind. In order to solve the mysteries and save the world from impending doom at the hands of a demonic ghost, they need a little help from fan favourites like Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) of the original series.

Avid fans of the franchise will immediately notice that the film largely ignores the original sequel as well as the 2016 reboot. Ghostbusters: Afterlife attempts to create a more dramatic take on the beloved franchise, but the result diverges too far from the source material. Lacking the signature comedic style from the 1984 film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife feels less like a faithful sequel and more like an attempt to capitalize on the nostalgia and success of the original film. It turns a beloved fantasy-comedy into what more closely resembles a melancholic family drama.

Most of the members of the family completely lack any personality and complexity. Callie receives next to zero screen time after her introduction and Phoebe’s newfound friend is so single-minded, his name is literally just his hobby: Podcast

(Logan Kim). Trevor and Phoebe are nothing more than the tired archetypes of the belligerent teenager and the overly precocious younger sibling. That being said, both young actors do a fairly good job with the dry material they were given.

Grace plays possibly one of the most annoying child geniuses ever seen on film, but excellently portrays Phoebe’s growing connection with her grandfather, and Wolfhard is a bonafide veteran of the genre. His competence in making the absurd sound realistic almost allows the audience to suspend their disbelief.

Even the ghosts in Ghostbusters: Afterlife are an uncanny shell of the original franchise, using undoubtedly some of the worst CGI in recent memory. Using a strange combination of practical effects and green screens, the film looks cheap.

All attempts at suspense, terror, or seriousness are dampened by the appearances of cartoony ghosts. Straddling its identity between that of a thriller and a cartoon, the film can’t decide whether it wants its audiences to laugh at, or be scared of, the supernatural.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife epitomizes the rationality behind why reboots should end: It is impossible to recapture the magic of the original franchise. The film is purely trite ‘80s nostalgia packed with callbacks to the original, but nothing more. With a weak plot, hackneyed dialogue, and an awful combination of bad CGI and SFX, the film fails to recapture the charming cynicism of its predecessor.

‘The Wheel of Time’ turns, and women are behind it Amazon’s newest series refuses the fantasies of patriarchy Catherine Hall Contributor

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obert Jordan’s famous fantasy novel series The Wheel of Time has long been considered unadaptable to film and television due to its complex world and the hundreds of characters that populate it.

Amazon Video’s new spin on the series, of which the first three episodes premiered on Nov. 19, undertakes the massive project of rendering this fantasy epic to the big screen. In the first episodes, these reservations seem to be well-founded, as the complexity makes it seem like there are too many subplots. The epic, which will reportedly run for eight seasons, is only starting to spin its wheels.

Despite a rough start, the show has so far been saved by the careful attention it grants its female characters, who drive most of the action.

The show is based on Jordan’s epic fantasy series spanning 14 books—15 if you count the prequel—with each entry well over 500 pages. For the uninitiated, the story follows Moiraine Damodred (Rosamund Pike), a member of the powerful all-female organization known as the Aes Sedai, on her quest to find the Dragon Reborn, a prophesied individual who will have the power to either save or break the world. Moiraine and her warder (Daniel Henney) reach Emond’s Field, a small and practically forgotten village, and together find five young adults (Josha Stradowski, Marcus Rutherford, Zoë Robins, Madeleine Madden, Barney Harris). One of them is the Dragon Reborn, though Moiraine does not know which of them it is.

Jordan’s world-building and carefully woven introduction demand more time than the first three episodes

can provide. Although there are great moments of tension, especially between Moiraine and Nynaeve (Zoë Robins), the show rushes through each interaction, leaving viewers no time to properly absorb the outstanding performances. Even when their stories are not given enough time to develop, all the actors are skilled enough that the characters live up to their counterparts in the books. Still, the fast pace makes some of this drama and dialogue feel as uninspiring as a cheap young adult novel.

The show’s outstanding qualities lie in its nuanced and varied representation of female empowerment. From the first scene showing Moraine gearing up for her journey while in voice-over informing viewers that she is setting out to find the Dragon Reborn, it is clear that women run this fantasy world. During an action scene, a group of older women from Emond’s Field fight back against a Trolloc—a giant bestial servant of the Dark One, the story’s mysterious, evil antagonist. But the show doesn’t limit itself to the “strong female character” archetype.

Rather, women populate the world as village wisdoms, blacksmiths, property owners, and of course, powerful sorceresses. This is an incredibly refreshing step away from male-dominated fantasy franchises such as The Lord of the Rings. The show’s female characters are also treated infinitely better than the overly sexualized women of Game of Thrones. Furthermore, in the books, the prophesied Dragon Reborn could only ever be a man.

In the show, Moiraine suggests that the Dragon could be of any gender, amending the strict gender binary that permeates almost every aspect of Jordan’s world.

Ultimately, The Wheel of Time holds much potential.

Visually, the show is a true spectacle, with CGI magic

and landscapes of epic proportions that elevate the show to a dazzling level of mysticism. But the true magic comes from the performances of the leading actors, especially of the women, who bring power and life to an otherwise clunky exposition. Hopefully, now that some of the foundation has been set, the show will grant its characters enough time to weave a story as compelling as the one Jordan penned.

Amazon’s The Wheel of Time shines a new light on female empowerment in the male-dominated landscape of fantasy. (nerdist.com)

14 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

arts@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2021

Tuesday Night Café Theatre production ‘The Elephant’ is a powerful musical about surviving abuse Troy Lebane’s original musical explores the aftermath of workplace sexual assault Suzanna Graham Staff Writer Content Warning: discussion of sexual assault

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uesday Night Café Theatre (TNC)’s newest production The Elephant is a powerful story of survival and perseverance. Written and directed by Troy Lebane, U3 Music Education, this musical portrays characters in the aftermath of an abuser’s arrest in his former workplace and offers a powerful exploration of how survivors can regain power over their narratives.

Set within a high school theatre department, The Elephant begins after the department’s former head is arrested for sexual misconduct against a student. The musical depicts the varied responses to this event: Ignorant principal Brad (Jacob Barton, U4 Music and Education) attempts to cover up the situation, while vice-principal Phyllis (Nina Vukelic, U2 Arts) blames Orlee (Renée Withnell, U2 Arts & Science), another teacher, for not reporting the allegations internally before involving the police.

Despite this rampant victim-blaming within

the administration, teachers Tanner (Lebane) and Tamara (Will Barry, U3 Arts) take a stand by actively questioning the administration’s dismissive attitude and lack of support systems available to students.

Lebane’s writing expertly handles this heavy topic, and the musicality of his score offers a new, lighthearted mode of delivery.

Each song spotlights a different character’s internal monologue, showing how complex the issue of sexual assault is at the level of individual affect. In a catchy song, titled “Couture over comfort,” Tamara encourages Tanner to come forward with his story, comparing his way of speaking up to a couture pair of shoes—uncomfortable yet unapologetic, and therefore superior to comfortable shoes.

While the show centres sexual assault and its aftermath, it does not actually portray the abuse itself. Instead, Orlee and Tanner’s sexual assault stories are told through gossip and personal monologues. These two communication methods often contradict, showing how stories become warped when spread as rumours, conveying how dismissive responses—like those of the administration—harm survivors emotionally.

Lebane’s musical was inspired by the #MeToo movement and his own experience with sexual assault. The #MeToo movement amplifies the voices of sexual assault survivors and aims to create a dialogue that condemns abusers, particularly those in positions of power.

“Often you don’t see men represented in the narrative of coming forward because a lot of them are the perpetrators,” Lebane said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “But there are a lot that are survivors as well, and have yet to tell their story. Toxic masculinity plays a big part in men not coming forward because they’re afraid they’ll be seen as less than or less masculine, less tough.”

Tanner routinely defies toxic masculinity throughout the show by being vulnerable, proving that there is nothing wrong about a man sharing his emotions and speaking up against his abuser. It is also worth mentioning that despite Tanner and Orlee’s internal conflicts on whether or not to come forward, their friends constantly support them.

“I want [survivors] to know, especially men, that they are not alone,” Lebane said.

“It’s a very courageous thing to come for-

Lebane originally wrote ‘The Elephant’ as a play in 2019, yet adapted the show into a musical as he started writing songs that he felt connected with the narrative. (Tuesday Night Café Theatre) ward. It’s never going to be the right time for anything. It’s never going to feel amazing. But it’s a step in the right direction if we can hear more people’s stories.”

Although The Elephant focusses on how survivors cope with sexual assault, the musical also shares with the audience ways in how they can support survivors. By listening to and believing survivors, sexual assault will no longer be the elephant in the room. ’The Elephant’ will have two more performances at TNC on Nov. 25 & 26 at 8 p.m.

The treacherous trope of celebrities dating teenagers 19 and 30 year old cast as love interests highlight Hollywood’s uncomfortable custom Naya Moser Contributor Continued from page 1.

The release was accompanied by a short film, written and directed by Swift herself, starring Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink, a 19-year-old, and Teen Wolf star Dylan O’Brien, who, at 30, is 11 years her senior. Swift’s casting decision mirrors a pattern of grooming and exploitation that appears all too frequently in the entertainment industry. Beautiful and haunting, the film depicts a brief but intense relationship between the two main characters.

The film’s casting is intended to make the viewer feel uncomfortable, even if this juxtaposition is often normalized. The story forces the viewer to confront the notion of physical relationships between people of vastly different ages, especially during one visceral scene when O’Brien and Sink are shown together in bed.

On camera it looks, and feels, wrong. Sadie is physically much smaller, her movements are more colourful and she stands in stark contrast to O’Brien’s tall and dark persona.

Emotionally, the same pattern is suggested. But in Hollywood, Alist celebrities in their 30s and 40s are known for having wives and

The song, All Too Well, was accompanied by a short film, written and directed by Taylor Swift herself, and starring Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink and Teen Wolf star Dylan O’Brien. (Saumya Gogte / The McGill Tribune) girlfriends fresh into their 20s— precisely what Swift highlights in her film. Jake Gyllenhaal, 40, Swift’s former paramour, is currently dating Jeanne Cadieu, a 25-year-old French model who was 21 at the start of their relationship. Leonardo DiCaprio, 47, hasn’t dated anyone older than 25 since 1999. This gap is normalized and sensationalized, with actors celebrated for their professional success while their relationship misgivings are ignored.

Swift’s film does what we should all be doing: Questioning why relationships that are undertaken

between partners at tremendously different life stages are so common and accepted. Although technically legal, there’s something to be said about celebrities starring in Oscar-winning movies with partners freshly graduated from highschool—it feels potentially abusive and exploitative, and sets a dangerous precedent for young adults entering relationships.

Audiences have always accepted age gaps in relationships between incredibly young women and significantly older men. For this, we can look at

recent releases like the series Never Have I Ever, which stars Darren Barnet, 30, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, 19, as love interests. Swift rejects this practice, truthfully portraying the trope of an innocent, naive ingenue, and her older, cruel lover as problematic. A line in her song, “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” states, “The punchline goes, I get older but your lovers stay my age,” highlighting a joke and drawing attention to a decades old custom.

This phenomenon of older men dating younger women is not restricted to Hollywood either, as young adults have taken to TikTok to share the relatability of the film. The phenomenon in Hollywood has spilled over into the everyday lives of young people, who are now helping to dismantle the normalization of such relationships.

Taylor Swift’s short film is a beautiful, intentional piece of media and the message is clear.

In the age of women’s empowerment and Gaslighting, Gatekeeping, and Girlbossing, the acceptance of such inappropriate power dynamics should not persist. Taylor Swift is doing what she knows best and using her art to take a stand—this time against the glamourization of the Hollywood age gap.

Folio Magazine Issue 26 Launch Party

McGill’s bi-annual art and design publication launches their latest issue over a few drinks with featured artists and live music performances.

Thursday, Nov. 25, 8 p.m.–11 p.m.

Le Depanneur Cafe 206 Bernard $5

McGill Jazz Orchestra II Canadian sounds and beyond

A show displaying campus talent. Tickets can be found online or by phone (514-3984547).

Monday, Nov. 29, 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

Strathcona Music Building $17 for students/senior citizens, $22 for general public

RAW (Stand-Up Comedy) Be one of the first to see new comedy bits and traveling comedians working on their craft.

Sunday, Nov. 28, doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.

The Brass Door Pub (2171 Crescent ) $10

Bob Ross Night

A fun night of painting with Queer McGill and the man himself. Supplies provided.

15-person capacity.

Friday, Nov. 26, 6:30 p.m.

SSMU Building Free

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2021

sports@mcgilltribune.com

SPORTS

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McGill cross-country finishes strong at U Sports championships Second-year Matthew Beaudet named national rookie of the year Sarah Farnand Sports Editor

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n Nov. 20, cross-country runners from across Canada gathered at the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City for the U Sports championship.

Representing the Martlets was fourth-year Maia Watson and graduate student Chloe Fleurent-Gregoire. The Redbirds, led by second-year Matthew Beaudet, represented McGill as a team at nationals for the first time in five years.

The day started out with the women’s race at 12 p.m. The course, eight kilometres in total, consisted of four laps of a very technical and hilly two-kilometre course.

Jessy Lacourse of Laval and Lauren McNeil of UBC Okanagan established themselves as the clear leaders early on in the race, creating a significant gap between them and the next runners. While McNeil led for the majority of the race, Lacourse had a stronger kick and passed McNeil in the last 500 metres of the race to claim the national title. Fleurent-Gregoire was the first McGill finisher, coming in 34th out of 128 runners with a time of 30:33, just over two minutes behind first place.

Although Fleurent-Gregoire did not achieve her goal of coming in the top 30, it was extremely close and she was pleased with her performance overall. Having her teammates cheering from back home was reassuring, though she missed their presence

at the race.

“I have been to nationals as a whole team before and that is a special experience,” Fleurent-Gregoire said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “Obviously, I had my teammate Maia with me, which was nice, but it’s not the same as having your whole team. [I] knew they were watching and it inspired Maia and I to race hard for them.

I hope that I am inspiring them to hopefully come to nationals as a team in the next few years.”

Watson finished almost exactly two minutes after Fleurent-Gregoire, placing 94th with a time of 32:35. This was only the second eight-kilometre race of the season for both Martlets, with the only other equidistant race being the RSEQ Championships.

The men’s competition kicked off at 1 p.m., with a large pack of tightly clumped runners taking the lead. As the race went on, the rest of the pack spread out, but the group of runners at the front, which included McGill’s Beaudet, remained neck-and-neck.

The front runners battled it out until the very end, when Guelph’s Mitchell Ubene outkicked Laval’s Thomas Fafard, winning the race by one second.

Beaudet finished strong to come in seventh with a time of 24:47. While his time was just slightly slower than his provincial time, the conditions and the competition made the national race more challenging.

“It was very difficult, a lot muddier than provincials and the field was a lot more

Beaudet was McGill’s first male runner to qualify for First Team All-Canadian in 25 years.

(Mathieu Belanger / McGill Athletics) competitive and dense,” Beaudet said. “I knew that I had to stay with two runners from Laval, Thomas Fafard [and Jean Simon] Desgagnés, as they were going to be leading or right near the front. So the plan was to stick with them for most of it and do what I can in the last kilometre.”

With a strong showing at his first Nationals to cap off an impressive season, Beaudet was named national rookie of the year and made First Team All-Canadian.

The Redbirds boasted other strong performances as well. The next four McGill runners finished fairly close together, with third-year Henry Wellenstein leading the

charge. Wellenstein ended strong, creating some distance between himself and the rest of his teammates and ending with a time of 25:52, a 41-second improvement from his time at the RSEQ Championships.

First-years Tom Secheyron, William Davalan, and Jack Stanley rounded out the top five Redbird finishers—Davalan and Stanley finished only six and a half seconds, or five places, apart. With such a young team, the Redbirds cross-country squad have a bright future and could pose a real threat to powerhouses like the University of Laval or the University of Guelph in the years to come.

Peng Shuai resurfaces, but justice for survivors is nowhere to be found Tennis player’s disappearance reflects a larger culture of silence around sexual abuse in athletics Zoé Mineret Staff Writer Content Warning: This discusses sexual violence.

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n Nov. 2, Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai posted a statement to Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, accusing former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of sexually assaulting her in his home three years prior.

Shortly after, the statement was deleted from the platform and Peng Shuai disappeared from the public eye.

The post was censored and Chinese media did not allow citizens to search certain terms related to the situation, such as Peng Shuai’s name. This disappearance has led to international concern for her safety.

The hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai has been trending on various social media platforms and fellow athletes such as Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic expressed their distress over the situation.

On Nov. 17, an email allegedly written by Peng Shuai to Steve Simon, the chairman and CEO of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), attested to

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai disappeared from the public eye for nearly three weeks after she reported that a former senior Chinese official sexually assaulted her. (Harry How / Getty Images) her safety and well-being. Simon openly questioned the veracity of the statement, tweeting that “​​ Peng Shuai must be allowed to speak freely, without coercion or intimidation from any source.”

Simon has threatened to cease the WTA’s business in China if the safety of the tennis player is not confirmed.

On Nov. 20, disturbing footage of the tennis player dining in Beijing was released. In the videos, Peng doesn’t speak and clearly looks uncomfortable. Though the videos are a reassuring indicator that

Peng is alive, the footage does not guarantee her security or comfort.

That Peng Shuai could have her autonomy stripped just for telling her truth reflects a larger culture of silencing and dismissal that many athletes face when they speak out about sexual assault within the sports world. Over the years, multiple athletes have been reduced to silence regarding the sexual abuse they have endured at the hands of coaches and teammates.

Sexual violence is severely underreported, and sports organizations such as USA

Gymnastics have also played a part in encouraging the culture of silence in athletics. It appears that the athletes’ performances and organizations’ reputations are deemed more important than athletes’ mental or physical health.

In 2018, former USA Gymnastics coach Larry Nassar was tried and sentenced to prison for sex crimes. Nassar had sexually abused at least 265 girls and women under the guise of medical treatment and procedures. This abuse was covered up and brushed under the rug by multiple institutions at the expense of the athletes.

Michigan State University received reports of sexual abuse regarding Nassar in the 1990s yet continued to employ the doctor.

Only in 2015 did the FBI begin privately investigating him.

Between the beginning of the investigation by federal authorities and the public denunciation of his abuse by //The Indianapolis Star//, Nassar had abused more than 40 women and girls.

The Nassar case is a clear example of the failure of athletic institutions and organizations to treat sexual abuse and assault cases seriously. As recently as 2021, Alen Hadzic, a fencer for Team USA, was

allowed to compete in the Olympics despite multiple accusations of sexual misconduct against him.

Allowing athletes and coaches with a history of sexual misconduct to attend and participate in sporting events is detrimental to those athletes who have experienced sexual abuse—and also puts others at risk.

Prominent American gymnasts who suffered abuse by Nassar, such as Simone Biles and Aly Raisman, have denounced the system that enabled their abuse and faced backlash for speaking out. However, Peng’s situation is particularly worrying because the entire narrative of her story is controlled by the Chinese government.

The case of Peng Shuai reveals a culture of silence that blankets athletes around the world, protecting perpetrators and stifling survivors. There need to be significant changes made in the way cases of sexual abuse and sexual misconduct are handled by athletic institutions. When reports of abuse are constantly dismissed or pushed aside, athletes are led to believe that speaking out will change nothing, while abusers are never held accountable.

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 2021

sports@mcgilltribune.com

Redbirds basketball bests Bishop’s in thrilling affair Cameron Elliot sank winning basket to eke out 76-74 win Madison McLauchlan Managing Editor Continued from page 1.

The two teams had not faced off since the 2019-2020 season, when McGill swept Bishops in all five games. Given this history, the visiting Gaiters set out to prove that they were a new-and-improved team, scoring more points than the Redbirds in three out of four quarters. Despite missing two key players, they gave the Redbirds a run for their money, but the home team ultimately outlasted them. Fifth-year Sam Jenkins scored his first double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds in total.

It was a physical game from the get-go: The Gaiters

McGill was on fire in the second quarter, shooting 66.67 per cent from outside the paint and 53 per cent from inside.

(Sequoia Kim / The McGill Tribune) established a relentless pace of play, racking up early threes and keeping the McGill squad on their toes. Despite energetic performances from Jenkins and fourth-year Kevin Li, who boasted 10 points in only 14 minutes played, the Redbirds ended the first period down 22-18.

The second period was when the Redbirds really hit their

stride, dribbling circles around their opponents and snagging rebounds to sink a series of tip-ins, not to mention the four free throws to cap off the frame 45-38.

After halftime, the Redbirds were starting to get worn down and their man-to-man press suffered as a result; fouls out of frustration led to a string of opportunities in the lane for Bishop’s. Guard Carl Dubois sank one free throw after another to reduce the gap late in the third quarter, bringing the score to 62-57.

In the final frame, the Gaiters were hot on McGill’s heels and would not go down without a fight. The final minute of the game had the crowd at the edge of their seats, especially after a crucial turnover by McGill handed Bishop’s the layup they needed to even the score. But Cameron Elliot retaliated with a layup of his own to put the Redbirds in the lead with less than a minute left. Despite a last-ditch trey attempt, the Gaiters could not respond in time and the game went to the home team.

In a post-game interview with The McGill Tribune, Kevin Li explained how the Redbirds were feeling in that last minute when the score was still tied.

“We were pretty calm because [...] we played another game against UQAM, one of the best teams in the league, and we beat them by two points,” Li said. “We were down by five, but we all knew we were going to come back [....] We have the confidence to win.”

When asked about points to improve upon in the future,

Li mentioned one in particular.

“Just rebounds,” Li said. “I left too many boards, I thought my team was going to get it but I had the idea in my mind that [I was] going to get every rebound.”

Teammate Cameron Elliot added a few elements of play he thought the team could work on to maintain momentum going forward.

“It starts with defence, always making sure we’re all on the same page [and] knowing who’s who on the other team, and making sure that we’re working harder than them,” Elliot said.

While a couple of Gaiters stood out for their efforts, the Redbirds’ teamwork shined through. Elliot felt that the team chemistry has improved since their pre-season lineup.

“I think we got off to maybe a rocky start, getting used to new things and stuff,” Elliot said of the team’s pre-season record. “But we’re starting to click and mesh a little better.”

This is certainly evidenced by their undefeated record in the RSEQ conference so far. The Redbirds head to Laval to face the Rouge et Or in their last matchup of the fall semester on Nov. 26.

MOMENT OF THE GAME

With only 47 seconds left on the clock and the scoreboard reading 74-74, third-year guard Cameron Elliot scored the final basket that was left unanswered, clinching the win.

QUOTABLE

“I think we made some mistakes, we made some good plays, but at the end of the day, we got the win and that’s what matters.” —Third-year Cameron Elliot

STAT CORNER

The Redbirds were deadly at the free throw line, sinking 14 out of 17 attempts (82.4 per cent).

Exposing the history of streaking in sports

Investigating the roots of America’s favourite naked pastime Adam Burton Sports Editor

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treaking, despite its taboo status, is a popular idea in our collective cultural memory. It’s a common high school and college movie trope to force the loser of a bet to “streak across the quad” or “do a naked lap.” This idea, however, didn’t come from nowhere: The art of stripping down to nothing and dashing as fast as you can has been around for decades.

The true origin of streaking in sports is hotly contested—a cursory glance at online sources will uncover nothing but conflicting accounts. The Guardian cites Michael O’Brien’s sprint across England v. France rugby match at Twickenham for a meagre payout of 10 pounds as the first of several streaking incidents that would plague sports in the years to come. Others, however, cite the University of Georgia as the patient zero of the streaking fad, with several streaking incidents, including a 1,500-person naked dash through

campus in the spring of 1974, with some students even parachuting in the nude from above.

Some have even stipulated that streaking’s roots trace back to the 18th century, with reports of Founding Father John Adams’ son running amok across the Harvard Campus without his clothes on.

No matter where streaking claims its roots, it’s undeniable that a golden age of streaking emerged in the ‘70s. Streaking swept college campuses across both the North American and international stage, with sports fans taking to the field in the buff like never before. Streakers would sometimes interrupt gameplay several times a match, and players often felt a need to retaliate. This was the case in a 1977 match between New Zealand and Australia which featured three streakers, the third of whom was promptly spanked with a cricket bat by Australian cricketer Greg Chappell.

Streaking incidents like this haven’t died down—in fact, they’ve only grown more

popular. Mark Roberts embodies this reality perfectly: As the self-proclaimed “world’s most prolific streaker,” Roberts has streaked at over five hundred events and has even been paid to streak at high profile events like Super Bowl XXXVIII, where

Not only do you need to purchase front row seats to an event, but once you arrive, you need to figure out how to derobe quickly and get on the field before security notices you. After that, you need to run as fast as you can to avoid both security and players

Streaking is rumored to have started as early as 1775, when Charles Adams, son of John Adams, ran across Harvard campus naked.

(Adam Burton / The McGill Tribune) he was ultimately bowled over

by Patriots’ linebacker Matt Chatham.

Streaking is a logistical feat.

with the goal of staying on the field as long as possible—and getting away unscathed. Despite these challenges, people continue

to seek out streaking in great numbers, leaving many asking, “Why?” Are streakers seeking out fame? Are they adrenaline junkies? Or are they just sexual thrill-seekers? While it’s hard to attribute any single motivation to the whole of streaking subculture, Mark Roberts provided some insight in a 2015 interview with The Guardian, explaining that streaking was addictive from the very start.

“It was just infectious. It was the adrenaline I got from that first day. I went crazy [....]

I quickly realized that people really enjoyed watching me do this—this crazy mad streaking.”

The rush acquired from pulling off a stunt like this is certainly motivation for some to streak, the cost of interrupting a game and exposing yourself to thousands of spectators is clearly not deterrent enough.

While it’s hard to say why streaking has gripped sports the way it has, it’s probably here to stay—as long as it’s possible to get past security.