The McGill Tribune Vol. 41 Issue 17

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 2022 | VOL. 41 | ISSUE 17

Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

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EDITORIAL

FEATURE

STUDENT LIFE

Raising awareness will not end the mental health crisis

Carving fish in the sand

A peace of home

PG. 5

PGs. 8-9

PG. 14

(Ruobing Chen / The McGill Tribune) PG. 16

Looking back on a high-octane Formula One season

McGill takes legal action against former student over Access to Information requests

McGill persists with legal action despite student dropping their requests Juliet Morrison Staff Writer McGill University is scheduled for a hearing before the Commission d’accès à l’information on Feb. 1 to bring a case against a former student.

In a legal document obtained

by The McGill Tribune, the

university claims that the student “is abusing her right of access in an excessive and unreasonable manner” and using the requests to “intimidate McGill staff.” They also claim that the requester has filed applications “whose processing could seriously interfere with the university’s activities.”

The university is seeking authorization to disregard three of the student’s ATI requests, after the student withdrew the same three requests in contention on Nov. 16. McGill has fulfilled 12 of 15 past requests filed by the student thus far.

The hearing is the third in the process.

PG. 2

Scientists discover first millipede to have at least one thousand legs Millipedes defy expectations in the world of entomology Atticus O’Rourke Rusin Contributor It’s safe to say that most people are familiar

with the creepy-crawly known as the millipede; from scuttling out of the dirt in your garden to gnawing on leaves in your attic, millipedes are PG. 12 a common sighting.

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NEWS

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TUESDAY, FEBURARY 1 2022

McGill takes legal action against former student over Access to Information requests

McGill persists with legal action despite student dropping their requests Juliet Morrison Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

Jamie* initially filed an ATI request to inquire about the procedural standards of the McGill SportsMed Clinic where she received treatment for a concussion for a period of 10 months, starting in Nov. 2018. In an interview with Tribune, Jamie* said she experienced five more concussions after the initial one that brought her to the clinic—an outcome she believes could have been prevented had she received proper treatment at the clinic.

“I had gone to the clinic for treatment after a concussion and I got five more in a year,” Jamie* said. “I was really mistreated at the clinic, and there’s also sexual misconduct by the physiotherapist. And basically I became disabled, and had dropped out of school. When I got treatment at other places [in October 2019], the things that were possible to be resolved from a concussion [were] resolved within two months. So, all of the inappropriate treatments [...] went on for almost a year [and] I didn’t need to get five concussions.”

After seeking treatment elsewhere, Jamie* began to question her experience at the McGill SportsMed Clinic because it differed significantly from the treatment she received in October 2019. In August 2020, Jamie* confronted the McGill administration, sending a series of emails to the Deputy Provost Fabrice Labeau disclosing her experience at the SportsMed Clinic and asking them to investigate. According to Jamie*, Labeau told her that an investigation would not be pursued, stating that the clinic had acted appropriately and was properly staffed. Jamie* continued to file requests, filing a total of 15 ATIs inquiring about the clinic’s practices, procedures, budgets, and, eventually, the clinic’s communications about her. McGill has fulfilled 12 of her requests.

On Jan. 6, 2020, the Athletics Department asked Jamie* to sign a contract that would prohibit her from pursuing all university parties involved in her requests in exchange for a refund of the fees she spent at the clinic. The contract specifically mentioned that the reimbursement was not an admission of any wrong-doing.

Jamie* did not sign the order. Though the Clinic eventually refunded her and withdrew the contract, she continued to file ATIs because her questions had still not been answered. Subsequently, in November 2020, McGill filed the request to disregard Jamie*’s latest ATIs, citing her requests as “abusive.”

As a public body in Quebec, McGill is subject to the “Act respecting Access to documents held

by public bodies and the Protection of personal information.” Every person has a right to ask for access to documents held by the university under this act, with the exception of documents containing confidential personal information that would expose an individual’s identity or information without their consent. All requests at McGill are handled by the university’s Secretariat.

Under sec. 137.1 of the Act, however, the university can request an authorization to disregard a request if it interferes with the public body’s affairs—such as the university’s ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. These requests require hearings before the Commission d’accès à l’information.

The university’s current request, obtained by the Tribune, claims that Jamie*’s ATIs are repetitive, numerous, and systematic in nature, emphasizing her previous requests.

McGill’s request also states that fulfilling Jamie*’s requests would be a strain on resources, due to the number of documents that would need to be pulled, analyzed for redaction, and then submitted to Jamie*. According to documents obtained by the Tribune, McGill estimates that Jamie*’s requests would take a total of 502 to 528 hours to complete—186 to 212 hours to pull the files and 316 hours for the secretariat to analyze them—if the university were to provide them.

In an email to the Tribune, McGill’s media relations officer Frédérique Mazerolle described the procedures of responding to ATI requests, noting that doing so requires deploying significant university resources. According to Mazerolle, the university receives more than 100 requests a year.

“Many requests contain several different requests for documents,” Mazerolle wrote. “The University does not often know who the requestors are and whether they are members of the University community—this therefore is not relevant to the way in which the requests are treated.”

Jamie* was surprised to get the notice about the hearing before the Commission, because according to her, she received no communication from the administration on her requests being improper. Under Division III, section 42, of the act, it is stated that if a request is not precise enough for the institution to properly fulfill it, the person in charge of fulfilling the request must assist the requestor in narrowing down the parameters.

“Under the act, [...] if something is not feasible, you’re supposed to communicate with a requester,” Jamie* said in an interview with the Tribune. “No one ever asked me to narrow down requests or change the

The former student also has an appeal before the Commission, however, McGill’s request to disregard was prioritized over their appeal.

(Defne Gurcay / The McGill Tribune) request. I would have been happy to do so.”

McGill also contends—in documents filed with the Commission and in a public hearing—that Jamie*’s requests were made with the intention to compromise certain staff’s careers at the SportsMed Clinic. They argue that the requests were made to intimidate personnel, and that they constitute a “continuous fishing expedition” in which the requestor asks for information without knowing what they are looking for.

“It is kind of ridiculous, because I was not asking for anything personal,” Jamie* said. “It was all around like, operations and budgets, contracts and qualifications of these people. And the amount of money spent on professional education [and] their funding on different types of objective concussion treatment measures, that sort of thing [....] It was my intent to try and get [the administration] to investigate, which is reasonable.”

Due to the trauma and prolonged challenges she said she faced, Jamie* withdrew her requests in an attempt to move on in Nov. 2021. However, her action was ignored, and the hearings proceeded. While speaking with the Tribune, Jamie described that dealing with the power imbalance between herself and McGill led her to suffer physical consequences, and contributed to her post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“Even when I agreed to back

down, McGill still insisted on spending money and going to this hearing,” said Jamie*. “Everytime I asked for them to investigate, everytime I asked them to make improvements, they muzzled me with gag orders [....] Because of how they treated me I have long-lasting, not only physical, but also psychological, implications. I was diagnosed with PTSD. They are literally forcing me to relive this to counteract their bullshit, which is also just ongoing harm.”

In the university’s request to disregard Jamie*’s ATIs, McGill’s legal counsel disclosed that it would share Jamie’s personal and confidential history with the Sportsmed Clinic during the hearing for context. Her personal and medical history was previously unmentioned in the documents McGill submitted to the Commission, but it had been brought up at a previous hearing on Jan. 2022 when McGill brought up Jamie’s cognitive problems before the judge. Jamie mentioned she thought the clinic would withhold her medical history because a person’s medical history is considered private information.

“I objected to them bringing up my medical history, because [...] they’re using my own personal information that they shouldn’t have access to,” Jamie said. “[Now] I have to go and explain everything that happened, which again, in the context, [...] was also really fucked up [....] It doesn’t actually matter

why the person filed the request [...] because the public bodies have an obligation if the request is reasonable.

So, the fact that they’ve brought up so much personal information about me, and they’ve made it about me and my motivations, it’s actually not appropriate.”

Conner Spencer, BA ‘18 and 2017-2018 Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) vicepresident External, has experience filing ATIs on behalf of student activist campaigns—including SSMU’s 2018 Open Letter decreeing that McGill failed to support students in the face of allegations of sexual misconduct from professors. Spencer attested that McGill has a track record of being nonchalant with student confidentiality.

“In my capacity as an elected student leader on campus and a member of campaigns on campus, it also was a pattern that we saw of loose-lippedness with students’ personal information,” Spencer said. “[Jamie’s case] is part of a culture of treating students as clients and not as members of the community. If a member of their ‘student clientele’ does something that they do not want them doing, they try and intimidate everyone else by going hard against [the student].”

Other students have been brought before the Commission

by McGill, such as McGill’s case against Demilitarize McGill in 2016, which was dropped the day before the case was to be presented to the Commission.

David Summerhayes, BA ‘05, filed multiple ATIs on behalf of Divest McGill in 2012. Summerhayes said he was shocked when the first request he filed for Divest McGill got sent directly to the Commission.

“I don’t think they fully realize how alienating it is and how unnecessary it seems [to involve lawyers],” Summerhayes said.

“It’s easy to feel like they are not collaborating with us, because they’re hiring lawyers [....] It is really alienating and impersonal and shocking. For instance, even if that’s their only choice, I think they could do a better job of saying, ‘Hey, this is an official process now, and if we run into a roadblock [....] we’re going to go to the Commission.’ They should warn us.”

The Tribune reached out to the McGill administration for a comment on Jamie’s case. The administration declined to answer any questions related to her case, stating, “There is a case in front of the Commission d’accès à l’information that raises all of these issues. Consequently, we will not answer questions that are specific to that case.” * Jamie’s name has been changed to preserve their anonymity.

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TUESDAY, FEBURARY 1 2022

NEWS

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#McGillOnStrike gains momentum as Law Students Association votes to strike

EGSS strike extended; AUS scheduled to vote on Feb. 2 Ghazal Azizi Staff Writer

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he Social Work Student Association (SWSA) passed a motion to strike on Jan. 17 after McGill denied the faculty’s decision to continue online learning until Feb. 25. Since then, many other faculty student associations have followed suit, joining forces under the hashtag #McGillOnStrike to protest the timing of McGill’s reopening amid COVID-19 and the lack of accommodations offered to immunocompromised community members.

On Jan. 25, the Education Graduate Student’s Society (EGSS) successfully passed a motion to extend their strike until Feb. 25 at a General Assembly (GA), with 71 in favour, 13 against, and 16 abstaining. Students taking part in the strike will attend all remote activities, but will withhold in-person participation until the

A EGSS organizer says Dilson Rassier, the dean of education, has refused to meet with the strike committee, claiming that organizers do not represent the student body. (mcgill.ca)

administration complies with their demands.

Though the initial resolution called for exclusively online classes, the motion was amended to demand a hybrid approach instead, which would give students the choice of attending classes virtually without penalty. Striking students also insist in the resolution that McGill provide safer learning conditions, such as supplying N95 masks and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration.

Additionally, EGSS members ask that instructors be given the option to teach online, independent of what the university had decided.

Emma McKay, a PhD candidate in education and one of the EGSS strike organizers, expressed skepticism over the administration’s handling of the Omicron variant, calling into question its decision to reopen. McKay explained that students pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning (MATL)— the largest program in the Faculty of Education—are currently doing internships across Montreal that require them to come into close contact with students lacking sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE).

“Classes in that program [...] are continuing online in accordance with the 20 per cent allotment of online classes and with instructors who heard about the strike,” McKay said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “But, if those classes were to follow McGill’s instructions, McGill would be doing something really dangerous and frankly immoral [by putting] many people in danger of contracting a harmful and possibly deadly virus.”

Bryan Buraga, U4 Arts & Science and 2019-2020 president of Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), has called on the Faculty of Arts to implement a hybrid learning system similar to that of the Winter 2021 semester. The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) granted Buraga’s request to call a GA after he obtained the 200 signatures required to call an assembly. The meeting is scheduled for Feb. 2 where, if it reaches its 500 person strike quorum, attendees will

vote on the motion to strike.

Buraga expressed frustration with McGill’s continuous stifling of community efforts, such as their shutdown of the law students’ contact-tracing initiative or the School of Social Work’s decision to remain online. “[T]he top-down approach that the admin has been leaning on has shown it’s not working. It shows a lack of trust in community members [...] but it also ignores the expertise in this university,” Buraga said in an interview with the Tribune. “If we don’t rely on our community members, who the admin continues to use whenever they put out their press releases about how prestigious McGill is, then what are we? I think with the actions that we’re taking in the next few days, it’s really going to start a discussion about who this university is really for.”

On Jan. 28, the Law Students Association (LSA) convened for a GA, after which a ballot was emailed to students to vote on whether to strike at the Faculty of Law. The motion passed with 56.6 per cent in favour of a strike, though instead of a general strike where students refuse to attend both online and in-person classes, LSA is on a targeted strike where students refrain only from attending in-person activities.

Christopher Ciafro, 3L, who has been independently campaigning for a general strike at the Faculty of Law, shared Buraga’s comments about McGill’s lack of consultation with the student body.

“We are seen more as consumers and not as contributing members to a greater university society,” Ciafro said. “You see that in the language, I think, from some of the administration who are denouncing strike actions, saying it’s a boycott. Well, if it is a boycott, what does that mean of how you see us? It’s a strike because there’s labour that goes into being a student. We’re contributing to the academic success of the university.”

Transgender students cite difficulty changing legal name on Minerva

McGill offers little support to avoid deadnaming Madison Edward-Wright & Joseph Pappas News Editor & Contributor

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month into the Winter 2022 semester and the McGill administration and the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) have begun preparing for the Spring 2022 graduation season, even organizing graduation photos and planning inperson ceremonies. For Ezra-Jean Taylor, U3 Arts, however, the prospect of finishing their degree in two semesters is stressful because she has been unable to change her name in the Minerva system, which means that currently, their diploma will not state their legal name.

Taylor is a transgender student who spent a year going through the process of legally changing their name, which they accomplished in 2021. While Minerva—the platform McGill uses for official student documentation—has an option for students to input their preferred name, changing a legal name in the system is more complicated, Taylor explained in an email to The McGill Tribune.

“I found some confusing information on how to change my legal name [on Minerva] and emailed the Office for Academic records,” Taylor wrote. “I was told

I would need a court order stating my legal name has changed as well as proof of that name being used on ID.” The process proved to be more convoluted than obtaining a court order. McGill requested that Taylor also provide a new Certificate of Acceptance of Quebec (CAQ) and student visa—both of which are issued by the Government of Quebec—demonstrating their new legal name.

“As far as I am aware, to reapply for the CAQ and student visa, you need to show McGill transcripts and a letter of admission,” Taylor elucidated.

“You see where the issue is?

If both groups need the other’s documents, nothing can be done.”

Jordan Elbualy, the events coordinator for Queer McGill (QM), told the Tribune in an email that while QM has not had any cases such as Taylor’s come to their attention recently, the struggles that trans students face in dealing with the university’s administrative system have existed for years. Specifically, Elbualy noted that the systems in place put trans students at risk of being deadnamed—that is, referring to a person by the name they had before they changed their name—which can remind the person of traumatic

experiences and induce feelings of anxiety and depression.

“Students often have issues where they are deadnamed in a variety of locations, such as when logging into MyCourses, accessing through Shibboleth, and others,” Elbualy wrote. “McGill has made some small concessions to us, such as changing emails from alias emails to legitimate emails, but that is simply not enough for students.”

Taylor views the obstacles that they are facing as less of a problem on Minerva’s part, and more of a problem from McGill, whose actions and policies, in Taylor’s opinion, are behind the times and harmful for trans students.

“Being transgender in Montreal, and particularly at McGill, is quite isolating,” Taylor wrote. “There are groups and activities here or there, but nothing concrete that could help guide trans students through this process.”

SSMU’s gender and sexuality commissioner Grey Cooper underscored that transphobia is still very present at McGill.

“There are still frequent issues for students in regards to getting their names respected and used, being gendered correctly, and being able to navigate classes in a way that does not misgender

It costs $120 to renew a CAQ and $150 for a new study permit—necessary steps to change one’s name on such documents.

(Drea Garcia / The McGill Tribune) them,” Cooper wrote in an email to the Tribune. “More options and ease in the access of name changes, medical support, and mental health support for trans students who have dealt with traumatic interactions due to transphobia, would help improve McGill for the trans community.”

Transgender students

and other members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ can find varying types of support on the Project10, Queer McGill, and the Union for Gender Empowerment websites.

Students wishing to address struggles they have faced in the McGill community can contact the SSMU Gender and Sexuality Advocacy Committee.

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TUESDAY, FEBURARY 1 2022

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McGill administration, student groups hold vigil marking the fifth year since Quebec City mosque shooting

The vigil honoured the six lives lost in 2017 and addressed ongoing Islamophobia across the globe Tess Pilkington Contributor

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he Institute of Islamic Studies, the Muslim Students Association (MSA), and McGill’s Associate Provost (Equity & Academic Policies) Angela Campbell held a remote vigil on Jan. 28 to commemorate the six lives lost in the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting. This year marks McGill’s first commemoration of the tragedy since the federal government declared in 2021 that Jan. 29 would officially become a national day of remembrance for the victims.

Ehab Lotayef, a founding member of Muslim Awareness Week (MAW), introduced the speakers at the vigil. This year, MAW had events in Montreal as well as Gatineau, Sherbrooke, and Quebec City. Lotayef hopes that running an informative and open MAW will help reduce the rise of Islamophobia. ​​“The goal of [MAW] is really to take the issue of ignorance and fear that led to what happened in Quebec City, to deal with it in a core way, and that core way in our belief is to have people [...] know [more] about the Muslim community,” Lotayef said.

McGill’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier began the vigil by recognizing the importance of honouring those lost and acknowledging the necessity of fighting discrimination in the McGill community.

“This tragic anniversary also reminds us of the need to reaffirm in our own community at McGill our ongoing commitment to the values of mutual respect and inclusion, and ensure that we all live up to these values,” Fortier said.

Also present at the commemmoration was Alia Hassan-

An in-person vigil was held on Jan. 29 in in Montreal’s Metro Park. (mcgill.ca) Cournol, the first Arab woman with a Muslim and Christian background to sit on the Council of Montreal. HassanCournol urged McGill students to get directly involved in activism resisting Islamophobia.

“I want you guys to remember to continue on acting, to continue on being involved in politics, in your communities, in your associations, because that’s exactly what we need right now,” Hassan-Cournol said.

McGill students then took turns reading the names and honouring the lives of the victims of the shooting: Ibrahima Barry, 39, Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42, Khaled Belkacemi,

60, Aboubaker Thabti, 44, Abdelkrim Hassane, 41, and Azzedine Soufiane, 57.

Michelle Hartman, director of the McGill Institute of Islamic Studies, described the institute as a space for Muslims and non-Muslims alike to share in the research, teaching, learning, and sharing of Islam in Quebec and internationally.

“The impact of the tragedy, we have to remember, is felt not just on January 29, once a year, but all year round,” Hartman said. “The Institute of Islamic Studies continues our steadfast rejection of all forms of racism and Islamophobia and our commitment to fighting them in our local communities and beyond.”

In order to further the vigil’s discussion of Islamophobia, Sarah Abou-Bakr, this year’s recipient of the Centre culturel islamique de Québec (CCIQ) Memorial Award, spoke of her experience in combating discrimination. In an interview with the Tribune, she recalled the moment she arrived at the CCIQ during an annual visit and saw a man teaching kids the Quran.

“One of the board members told me that this man [who was teaching] was shot in the stomach during the [Quebec City mosque] attack, but he made it,” Abou-Bakr said. “I think that this is a reminder that regardless of hate, we’re still here and we will be here spreading love and kindness no matter what. We will get back on our feet every single time.”

If you or someone you know if experiencing Islamophobia, support can be found at Association des musulmans et des arabes pour la laïcité au Québec (AMAL Quebec), Paroles de femmes, Justice Femme, and Lavoiedesfemmes, and the Islamophobia Legal Assistance Hotline at 604-343-3828.

Professor Debra Thompson on the ‘absented presence’ of Black communities in Canada

The faulty image of a perfect Canada undermines important discussions about race Matthew Molinaro & Lily Cason Opinion Editor & News Editor

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he African Studies Students’ Association of McGill (ASSA) hosted a talk by professor Debra Thompson on Jan. 27 titled “The Great White North: Blackness in Canada.” An associate professor

Thompson analyzed Canada’s policy of multiculturalism, stressing that its contemporary ideal relies on a specific, marketable “brand” of Blackness. (mcgill.ca)

in the political science department and Canada Research Chair in Racial Inequality in Democratic Societies at McGill, Thompson spoke about the under-valued and often obscured history and contemporary politics of being Black in Canada.

Thompson began her talk by providing historical context on the oft-forced Black migration to Canada, surfacing the names of some of the first Black people who were enslaved in the country. Olivier Le Jeune was the first person to be bought and sold in Canada in 1629. He was between six and nine years old.

Thompson explained that in examining Black experiences, it can be harmful and misleading to compare the histories of slavery and racism in the U.S. and Canada, as people tend to falsely perceive Canada’s history as less violent or significant.

“A lot of Canadians don’t know, or don’t like to admit, that slavery existed here and my sense is that it’s because, or at least partially because, of a spectre of American slavery,” Thompson said. “On the eve of the Civil War [...], there were

more Black folks enslaved in the U.S. than the population of Canada at the time.”

Thompson explained how, despite the diversity of Canada’s Black communities, the flourishing tradition of Black Canadian scholarship can act as a unifying force in the fight against white supremacy.

Canadian scholars use the oxymoronic term “absented presence” to describe how Canadian culture simultaneously attempts to erase Black Canada while relying on it to prove Canada’s supposed multiculturalism.

“There are active agents and there are active discourses [...] which work together to give the impression that there are no Black people in Canada, that Blackness is recent, that we don’t really belong,” Thompson said. “We are interlopers on this great Canadian experiment, in the ‘Great White North.’ The ‘presence’ part of ‘absented presence’ [...] talks about the ways that so many narratives of Canadian identity depend on our existence, even as they erase us.”

In the context of Quebec, Thompson noted the rampant

appropriation of Black activist rhetoric in nationalist Francophone discourse. She pointed to Pierre Vallières’ infamous 1968 analysis of the Quebecois as the “white N-words” of America.

“White Francophones have often used the language of Black freedom struggles to describe their own conflict with Anglophone Canada and it is so problematic,” Thompson said.

“There are literally Black people in Canada, in Montreal, fighting [...] rampant anti-Black racism [...] without any kind of platform to counter the appropriation of this language, this anti-colonial, Black, freedom struggle language that white Francophones have essentially stolen and used as their own.”

ASSA co-president Leïla Ahouman, BA ‘21, and vicepresident Academic Laïka Decelles, U3 Arts, spoke to The McGill Tribune after the event, explaining that the ASSA works to emphasize and spotlight Black academia. The pair highlighted Uhuru—the McGill Journal of African Studies—and discussed the importance of Black student-

faculty relationships.

“It’s the connection between professors and students that’s often missing,” Ahouman said.

“And oftentimes being of African descent [or] from the diaspora, what’s difficult is we oftentimes don’t even have the chance to learn from our own. This is very sad because we often have perspectives of our own cultures, of our own people, from people outside of our culture, and things being said are not always respectful.”

Decelles added that she believes the ASSA plays a vital role beyond the McGill community as well, acknowledging that universities tend to discount and overlook Black scholarship.

“One important point to highlight is to have Black bodies and academia together,” Decelles said. “There’s this long history of being secluded and marginalized and put aside. I think that the ASSA is just great for its members that it’s representing, but also [...] it offers a platform in Montreal for others to be able to see Black scholars share their thoughts.”

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 2022

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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 Sepideh Afshar, Aubrey Quinney & Matthew Molinaro 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 Sarah Farnand & Sophia Gorbounov sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Jinny Moon & Xiaotian Wang design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor Anoushka Oke photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editors Noah Vaton & Wendy Lin multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Abby de Gala & Sneha Senthil webdev@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Jackie Lee copy@mcgilltribune.com

Raising awareness will not end the mental health crisis The McGill Tribune Editorial Board CW: Suicide, mental illness Jan. 26 marked the 12th annual Bell Let’s Talk day, an initiative designed by multibillion dollar telecommunications company Bell that fundraises and spreads awareness about mental health. Despite the importance of destigmatizing mental illness, the reality of Bell’s actions cheapen their purported belief in championing mental health. But even beyond the problems inherent to the company itself, any effort that seeks to bring awareness to the issue of mental health without addressing its structural factors is destined to fail.

Bell’s campaign is engineered to co-opt “awareness” as a marketing tool. The company pledges to donate five cents for calls and texts conducted over their networks, along with social media engagement with the #BellLetsTalk hashtag.

Despite being one of the largest telecommunications corporations in Canada, with assets sitting at around $60 billion, its largest actual

OFF THE BOARD Ruobing Chen Creative Director

Social Media Editor Taneeshaa Pradhan socialmedia@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Joseph Abounohra business@mcgilltribune.com

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

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

CONTRIBUTORS Ghazal Azizi, Bryan Buraga, Tillie Burlock, Drea Garcia, Erika MacKenzie, Lucia Linaje-Ferrel , Defne Gurcay, Madhura Lotlikar, Allegra Mammoli, Sabrina Nelson, Henry Olsen, Joseph Pappas, Annika Pavlin, Tess Pilkington, Catherine Plawutsky, Atticus O’Rourke Rusin, Brian Schatteman, Courtney Squires, Kimaya Tadeke, Dante Ventulieri

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he initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 demanded my partner and I enter a long distance relationship that—unbeknownst to us at the time—would stretch on for over a year. Physically, we were only separated by a few cities, but given the circumstances, it felt like a far-removed idea that we would be able to meet face-toface for some time. For the better part of this chapter of my life, I felt bitterness toward the world that divided us, that sentenced us to an unfounded punishment. Recently, however, I have entertained the idea that long distance has strengthened

contribution toward its mental health campaign are its relative pocket change donations—this year clocking in at $8 million. Bell, like many other large corporations that engage in these kinds of initiatives, donates pennies of their overall profits and uses these good deeds for tax write-offs and PR. Even if we are to give Bell the benefit of the doubt regarding its intentions, the campaign’s sincerity is completely undermined by the exploitation of its employees every other day of the year. In recent years, employees have broken the silence, coming forward with countless reports of toxicity in the workplace, including allegations that Bell denies disability accommodations and puts much pressure on their employees— sometimes so much that they suffer physical consequences as extreme as vomiting blood. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company also let go of hundreds of employees with no concern for their mental or financial well-being.

Bell’s activities are even more sinister outside of the work environment: The company exploits incarcerated people, charging exorbitant rates for telephone

calls in and out of prisons. Some families have reported paying over $700 monthly just to be able to speak to their loved ones who are incarcerated. Bell’s utter disrespect for those in prisons, who are already at a higher risk of mental illness themselves, further proves that while those who may be reposting campaign graphics to social media may earnestly care about mental health, Bell does not.

Treating mental health as a problem that ends with awareness has proven to be an incomplete strategy. Despite a consistent rise in engagement over the years, a study conducted between 2011 and 2016 found that the campaign has been ineffective at reducing suicide rates in Ontario. And even though Bell does donate to meaningful treatment and research initiatives across Canada, the relatively small donation provided annually can do little to address the ongoing mental health crisis in the grand scheme of things. Even if the company is unwilling to donate more, the initiative’s organizers should try to address the systemic factors that contribute to growing rates of mental illness and suicide, such as

OPINION

5

EDITORIAL income inequality, job insecurity, and lack of access to proper health services.

While less so the case over the past few years, McGill has publicly taken part in Bell Let’s Talk in the past. The irony of its support for the initiative is clear, considering that the university has consistently ignored student pleas to improve their mental health services. But perhaps it should not be surprising––always concerned with optics, McGill is quick to advertise their alleged vast array of services. And much like how Bell has the resources to do much more good than its current campaign can, the university is well-positioned to make a genuine positive impact on its students’ lives by offering better services and increasing efforts to shift its stone-cold, competitive culture. But instead, it continues to prioritize cost-saving measures and donor appeasal.

Students should not be fooled by self-serving PR stunts, whether they come from McGill or major corporations like Bell. Addressing mental health is structural and urgent, and should be treated as such.

Ruminating on the kilometres between us our trust in each other and in our relationship—despite, and as a consequence of, being a laborious struggle.

Though undertaking a long distance relationship risks causing an emotional rift that only worsens with time spent apart, I have found that it is still possible to foster affection. There is even research to show that long distance couples are equivalently, or more, content in their relationships than those living in closer proximity. I have found that the physical blockade between us imposed more accomodations on both ends, ultimately cultivating greater patience and will to compromise. We have discovered during long distance that we have distinct ways of dealing with hardships, and appreciate that eventually, we will be able to talk through our personal and mutual stressors instead of swerving around them. Some conversations, in particular, made for emotionally draining slews of texts and calls.

But in the end, it was imperative that we tackle issues that the pandemic brought forth not as arguments against each other, but as opportunities to create a solution in tandem.

Over the duration of quarantine, many couples we knew had split apart, their relationships too deeply fractured by the absence of physical intimacy in social isolation.

Though feeding attachment with a touch and embrace is of pivotal importance for some in the early stages of a relationship, a seedling of emotional intimacy should also be synchronously nurtured.

Studies show that fulfillment in a relationship leans on the depth of friendship between those engaged in it—a sense of familiarity and sharing common interests, among other things. Whether it was having lengthy video calls discussing the infinitesimal fingerprint humans leave in the universe or building our three-story mansion in our Minecraft world, we would spend time with each other to whittle away at the boundlessness of social distancing. We made an abundance of pleasant memories together over the last few years, even when we only saw one another as a laggy, two-dimensional image on a small phone screen.

Although my partner and I came out of the long-distance stage of our relationship relatively unscathed, we still had to surmount many rough patches to reach where we are now. Being unable to see each other in person meant that it took progressively more effort to quench insecurities about one another and the relationship.

At times, a small bud of doubt might surface, making us question whether we had committed to long distance due to a sunk cost fallacy,

succumbing to the amount of time and effort we had dedicated prior.

Yet at the end of the day, living away from my partner reminded me of all the reasons I missed him and all the cracks in my life he filled— the reasons why I was initially devoted to the relationship.

One aspect that unites long distance couples is focussing on the light at the end of the road: An endpoint, to which the physical gap can be cinched. That was not a benefit we could relish in, as the end date of social isolation kept darting out of our reach just as we neared it. It was increasingly difficult to seek a positive outlook with my bleak state of mind, but with my partner’s support, I felt more secure in tackling my turbulent thoughts.

Aside from reinforcing our bonds as a couple, long distance also provided us a chance to grow as individuals and strengthen our own emotional foundations in times of heartache.

May 2, 2021—the day my partner and I took the train back into this city—was the first time we knew we could be together for longer than half a day. On that night, we sat in the dark, sobbing to the bygone pain of being separated and to the newfound relief and joy of reunion; holding each other tightly to shield against an unease of being divided by distance once more.

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OPINION

COMMENTARY

Groundhog day: Climate change’s age-old scapegoat

Courtney Squires Contributor

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roundhog Day, a tradition dating back to the late 19th century, has long provided respite from many long winter months. Moving from candles, to hedgehogs, and finally, to groundhogs, the holiday has gone through many transformations. Yet predicting the weather has remained its steady focus. On Feb. 2, the possibility of these -20 degree days stretching on for six more weeks will be determined by none other than Phil, the groundhog from Western Pennsylvania, whose full name is actually Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather-Prophet Extraordinary. While the prophetic power of Phil provides a fun start to February, it indirectly dismisses the progressive warming of the Earth due to climate change.

As the tradition goes, if the groundhog sees his shadow on Feb. 2, then we can expect six more weeks of winter, but if not, then spring weather is just around the corner. However, though Phil has been forecasting since 1887, he has just a 39 per cent accuracy rate–– less than the roughly 50 percent odds you would get if you flipped a coin. This holiday is largely based on tradition, rather than lore like many others, its purpose is increasingly muddled and fragmented throughout the years.

It is also simply not well known, and even if known, not well understood. It turns out that

COMMENTARY Bryan Buraga Contributor As the COVID-19 pandemic nears its second anniversary, McGill’s response to the ongoing health crisis has been thoroughly disappointing and incompetent. It has gotten to the point where many students are taking matters into their own hands to protect themselves, their peers, and their loved ones.

Undergraduates from the School of Social Work voted to go on strike after the administration overruled the school’s decision to postpone their return to in-person classes until

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 2022

opinion@mcgilltribune.com

determining whether Phil sees his shadow or not is actually just based off whether or not he casts a shadow at all, rather than whether he catches sight of it. Traditions themselves can be problematic, as they are often stubborn to change, at the expense of modern issues. Climate change is not linear, but exponential, so despite Groundhog Day being a cute tradition, society has outgrown the need for a meteorological scapegoat.

Over the past 70 years, higher summer temperatures have been arriving earlier and bleeding into autumnal months because of the cumulative warming effects of climate change.

Just last summer, there was a heat wave across North America, with Lytton, a small town in British Columbia burning to the ground after being ravaged by forest fires. Shattering Canada’s previous heat record, the temperatures reached a scorching 47.9 C degrees Celsius.

Effects were also felt here in Montreal, with humidex values skyrocketing to between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius and nights providing little to no relief from the uncomfortable heat and humidity. Phil provides a distraction for many who refuse to face the realities of climate change, of why bikini season has become increasingly prolonged. It is no secret that temperatures are rising and extreme weather events are increasing in severity and number across the globe. But rather than blaming an early summer on a groundhog, we need to address the real problem.

So while this holiday might seem like

a harmless way to raise spirits and optimism during the seemingly endless cold months, in a world filled with performative activism, keeping Groundhog Day on calendars emphasizes a holiday that bears little cultural significance today that no one understands nor celebrates.

els. Simple and dismissive explanations, like letting Phil take the fall for an early spring, are what the fast-paced world of social media thrives on.

It is easier to enjoy spring when we can accredit it to the prophetic powers of Phil,

Groundhog Day should not be celebrated anymore because of its inadvertent dismissal of the worsening effects of climate change. (CNN) The human desire to find an answer for everything finds temporary relief in holidays like this—succumbing to an external locus of control and letting someone, or something, else take the blame. But humans, alone, are responsible for the worsening effects of climate change, on both individual and industrial lev-

rather than the exponentially worsening effects of global warming. We have reached a point where we can no longer be passive in the face of climate change: It affects each and every one of us, and we must be proactive. By the end of the century, summers could be six months long, and that’s not groundhog’s fault. It’s ours.

McGill’s COVID-19 response has been a shitshow from the start Feb. 25. The strike came after McGill violated its own Senate resolution allowing faculties to make such decisions for themselves and the academic freedom that it professes to defend. Similarly, students from the Faculty of Law voted to go on strike until the university introduced better hybrid options. Instead of heeding to genuine concerns about the return to in-person activities, the administration has continued their email and video propaganda campaign in a frustrating attempt to pacify the more than 22,000 McGillians who have expressed their demand for changes through an open letter.

This is on par for the course of an authoritarian, paternalistic administration, whose COVID-19 response has, frankly, been a disaster since the beginning of the pandemic.

A few days before the university first shut down early in March 2020, in my capacity as the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) president, I remember speaking to Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Fabrice Labeau about student concerns regarding the thennew virus that was spreading across the globe. As the SSMU President is responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of the student body,

McGill fails to listen not only to their own experts in the healthcare field but also the community members most at risk.

(The Globe and Mail)

I hoped to glean more information from him regarding the university’s plans. Labeau assured me key administrators were meeting regularly as part of the nascent Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), the insular group that has been deciding McGill’s COVID response over the past two years. I asked if students could be a part of that group, as it was important to communicate student concerns in real-time and have students be an active part of guiding the university’s response. In reply, he said that students would not get a seat at the table because the group presides over “operational matters.”

To this day, the EOC does not have student representation.

From the very beginning, the administration’s response has failed students. When universities worldwide first began to shut down, students on exchange were left in the dark. Since then, students in residence have reported that the university has fallen short in upholding its own safety guidelines, and floor fellows have stated that they are not receiving the support or communication they need to do their jobs safely. McGill has neither imposed a vaccine mandate, unlike many other Canadian universities, nor, at the very least, required unvaccinated McGillians to undergo regular rapid testing, like the University of Brit-

ish Columbia. Over the final exam period last December, the administration forced students to complete exams in person, despite the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, and Dalhousie University, among others, refusing to do so, as the Omicron variant fomented the fifth wave of COVID-19.

In the two months since the Omicron variant first appeared in Canada, I had hoped the administration would use this time to make campus as safe as possible for those wishing to return to face-to-face learning. I had also hoped that our courses would be made as accessible as possible for those unable to attend, whether they be immunocompromised, infected with COVID-19, or dealing with the multifaceted effects the pandemic has had on our lives. Instead, the administration has resigned itself to letting McGillians get sick en masse and has left students to fend for themselves if they contract COVID-19 or have to quarantine, relying on the goodwill of their professors rather than a guarantee of online educational access.

McGillians have lost faith in the administration’s ability to make the best choices for the safety and wellbeing of the McGill community.

But it’s okay everyone: The McGill administration knows what’s best for you.

arts@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 2022

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

7

The price of stardom: When your image is no longer yours

It’s time for celebrities to gain partial ownership of the photos paparazzi take of them Arian Kamel Staff Writer

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little over a week ago, a video surfaced of Kanye West, with the swagger of a man who left his sanity on the 2016 VMA stage, confronting a member of the paparazzi. This isn’t a change of pace for Kanye—the man confronts the paparazzi as often as I miss my 8:30 lectures— but he does bring up an important

point on image ownership.

“You guys can follow us, you can stand outside our hotel at any given time, but you don’t give us any percentage of what you’re making off us, off our kids, and I’m going to change that,” West vowed to the photographer.

The paparazzo didn’t disagree. He did, however, say that celebrities needed the paparazzi— without them, the stars’ histories would be all but forgotten.

There is an element of truth to this considering that gossip tabloids shape and cement the lives of celebrities in the public eye, keeping them relevant and wealthy— but it’s also not all it’s chalked up to be. For every celebrity’s career the paparazzi’s press might forge, a dozen more lie in ruins, from ousting celebrities still in the closet to scrutinizing marriages till they crumble—and in the case of Princess Diana, ending lives. All of

Kanye West, Ariana Grande, and Gigi Hadid are but a few of the many celebrities fuming over the grip the paparazzi seem to hold over their image. Lawsuits are just the beginning of what’s to come in this fight for ‘fair use’ and copyright. (businessinsider.com)

this, in pursuit of the almighty dollar.

Kanye isn’t alone in his outrage over the use of his image, with more and more celebrities voicing their frustration in recent years.

Take Ariana Grande, who posted a paparazzi photo of herself repping her merch on a night out, only to get sued by the paparazzo not once, but twice for copyright infringement.

50 Cent, Jessica Simpson, Liam Hemsworth—the list of celebrity lawsuits goes on and on, each for posting paparazzi photos of themselves on Instagram. Lisa Rinna, best known for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, is currently fighting back against a $1.2-million lawsuit after posting paparazzi photos of her and her daughters—but she is the exception rather than the rule. Most of these cases end in settlements, since it’s often cheaper to settle than wrack up legal fees.

Model Gigi Hadid’s case is especially interesting, as her lawyers have argued that her photo was “fair use” due to her pose and choice of outfit, making her a contributor to the piece. Still, the case never set legal precedence as it was dismissed before going to trial, the paparazzi agency having only filed

their copyright after the lawsuit.

Despite holding an appeal only rivaled by pharmaceutical executives, the paparazzi seem to have the law on their side. The press can publish photos of public figures without their permission; this right is a benchmark of journalism that allows us to stay informed. Yet I fail to understand where celebrities, as public figures, fit into this, especially when it concerns tabloids. Why is the entertainment of the public a necessity when it means treating stars’ private lives like public commodities? This lack of restriction, in tandem with copyright laws, places paparazzi under the same jurisdiction as wildlife photographers.

It is only right that a studio photographer profits when others use their photo, but their models are consenting and compensated.

Celebrities, on the other hand, are neither. When it comes to “entertainment”-based press, photographed subjects should have some level of control over the use and profit of their image, because as celebrities, they are their own brand. The tabloids need to realize the difference between celebrities and the action figures that they inspire.

‘Just Semantics’ is a trip you take with your eyes

An exhibit for those with an appetite for a dynamic, disorienting, and home-y experience Allegra Mammoli Contributor

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ust Semantics, a group exhibit hosted by the Galerie Robertson Arès, brings together notions of both the familiar and the unknown, guiding viewers through an experience of visual and emotional thrill. Curated by Alysia Yip-Hoi Martin, Just Semantics comprises the work of 14 different artists. Claiming to both intrigue and boggle the mind, Just Semantics delivers on its promise, presenting a multitude of works across a span of mediums: Photography, oil paint, and paper sculptures, to name a few.

When one enters the gallery’s main room, Just Semantics floods the eye with cathartic stimulation. From Troy Emery’s pink rope poodle to Gibbs Rounsavall’s psychedelic paintings melting into the floor, it is clear that Martin intends to challenge the viewer’s perception of colour and texture. Each individual piece is carefully separated from the next and although some are scattered far apart, the entire collection emanates a cooperative atmosphere.

Photographer Allan Bailey’s piece Girl Dad conveys a perfect balance of love and discomfort. The piece portrays two young hands applying makeup to a masculine figure, his expression playfully afraid. The overall neutral colours of this photograph highlight the brighter notes of the makeup and copious amounts of glitter being applied. Gallery staff

explained that the photograph is a self-portrait of Bailey receiving a make-up tutorial from his two daughters.

Two pieces by painter and printmaker Ryan Crotty hang in close proximity to Girl Dad, yet belong to a completely opposite artistic bracket. Glossy, layered, and extremely pigmented in parts while subtly opaque in others, The subtle influence of you and Boundaries Be Damned achieve an impressive level of three-dimensionality through opposing levels of defintion. The subtle influence of you depicts the same colours as a fluorescent sunset or northern lights—the edges of the canvas

are so saturated they seem to be beading off the frame. Crotty’s other piece, Boundaries Be Damned, has a more sharply contrasting colour palette: Aquamarine blues and greens interrupted by a jarring Christmas red. This painting is more angular: Two rectangles take the centre stage, their bottommost sides lined in red Four paper sculptures by Sebastien Gaudette sit at the back of the hall. Each one is made from a sheet of crumpled paper: Lined, graph, plain, the kind that is carelessly ripped out of a spiral notebook. Gaudette transforms the banality of this medium into a world of doubt

Alysia Yip-Hoi Martin also runs a jewelry line, Maison Alysia. (artsy.net)

and reflection. One piece, Je ne suis pas qu’un poète perdu au milieu des pages blanches (I am nothing but a poet lost in the middle of blank pages), features a wrinkled paper with that exact sentence written neatly and repeatedly from top to bottom. The phrase alone communicates a loss of self, and the repetition tells a story of self-punishment. Gaudette’s other pieces, namely Bleu Froissé (Crumpled Blue), Gribouillis sur Papier (Scribbles on paper), and Jaune Fluorescent (Fluorescent Yellow) succeed in channeling the familiar yet strange aura of Just Semantics.

If there is one piece to spend hours staring at in Just Semantics, it is Untitled 311.

Regardless of how long one attempts to interpret this work of art by Derrick Velasquez, their mind will never stop marveling. Countless strips of coloured vinyl sit neatly atop a vertical piece of wood. While the colour palette is harmonious, the layering of the strips definitely breeds some rivalry: Large sections of deep turquoise are only separated by a few layers of white and pastel orange. The disproportionate distribution of this pattern makes for an unsettling viewing experience. Untitled 311 is ambiguous in every sense of the word, but this detail pushes the viewer to accept the piece, and come to terms with the fact that its meaning will stay out of their reach.

Open Tuesday-Saturday until Feb. 11, Just Semantics is a fun look at how a collection of pieces and artists can come together in their beautiful strangeness.

Carving fish in the sand

Swimming into McGill’s Christian Community Holly Wethey, Student Life Editor

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very time I’m in the lecture hall analyzing a poem, I’m of two minds.

On the one hand, as an English student, I am thinking of the poem as a critic would—sifting and weighing the words. But on the other hand, I am reading as a Christian, conscious of every gesture to God, every biblical allusion. When my English class on John Milton read Paradise Lost, I might have thought immediately of Milton’s use of blank verse, but instead I was struck by how the speaker articulates a love for God: “Because we freely love, as in our will / To love or not; in this we stand or fall.”

In moments like this, I start to look around me for signs, searching for others like me. A shared affinity for gospel rap or a “Jesus is King” laptop sticker could reveal a fellow believer and provide comfort in an environment that can sometimes feel secular in the most isolating of ways. These little allusions have become the modern day equivalent of carving fish in the sand. In what is often a cold academic environment, finding other Christians can be difficult, and talking about one’s faith even harder.

A tough crowd?

According to a survey conducted by Jesus Film, a Christian film project, 22 per cent of Christians say fear prevents them from sharing their faith. As for myself, I wish discussing my faith didn’t make me nervous. Being Christian, I believe my purpose is to love God and extend His love to others; while other aspects of my life are certainly of value to me, at my very core, I am Christian. Consequently, I often ask myself, how can so many people know me without being acquainted with the most important part of me?

After a year of online classes and activities, as well as a desire to find a Christian community at McGill, I became involved with Power to Change (P2C), a Christian organization on campus dedicated to sharing Jesus with students at McGill. The space of worship, care, and love P2C fostered has been indispensable to me. It’s no surprise that research attests to the positive impact faith can have on one’s health, including coping with physical and

mental illness.

At one event where Christian professors discussed their experiences at McGill, we spent time reflecting on barriers that prevent Christians from sharing their faith. Though some felt confident discussing their faith with others, many of us expressed feelings of fear or unease.

Anka Johow, a staff member at P2C, is well aware of the challenges of sharing one’s faith and being rejected by peers.

“Because of the highly scientific and logicfilled environment of university, it is a huge challenge for Christian students to profess their faith in Jesus, something that they can’t simply prove or explain since it is faith,” Johow explained. “They often feel intimidated and not free to share about it.”

JP Ponce, U2 Science, mentioned that while he finds people are normally either neutral or intrigued when he shares his faith, it can still be a difficult conversation to have.

“I do sometimes fear they may place me in a box of what they think a Christian is,” Ponce said. “It’s something that comes with tons of misconceptions. I’m not concerned with them disliking me for being Christian, but I’ll really be sad if they think I’m something that I’m not because they’ve had terrible experiences [with Christians] in the past.”

Despite these fears, Ponce emphasized that most people respond better to talking about faith than you imagine they will.

YesHEis, an initiative of Christian Vision (CV), a global Christian charity, shares helpful tools for starting conversations about Jesus with others. One of the most important tips is meeting people where they are at—that is, understanding where people are coming from and being honest and transparent.

Unfortunately, Christians have a reputation for being dogmatic or preachy when evangelizing, but this is the exact opposite of evangelism.

This is why it is so important to approach conversations about Jesus in a loving, nonjudgmental manner.

Of course, while these fears of sharing

my faith are partially personal, they aren’t that irrational considering the wider cultural context of Quebec. The province has a complicated relationship with religion. Before the Quiet Revolution, Quebec was heavily religious—in fact, the province was one of the most Catholic societies in the world, home to thousands of priests and closely tied to Rome.

In many ways, the province’s heavily Catholic society fuelled a backlash and initiated a turn toward secularism as political leaders called for the diminishment of the Catholic Church’s role in society. The victory of the Liberal Party in Quebec in 1960 triggered the Quiet Revolution, where the party pushed for the secularization of the state. The government took control of health care and education, which had previously been under the purview of the Church.

More recently, in order to strengthen the province’s commitment to secularism, the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) introduced Bill 21, which prevents public officials from wearing religious symbols while exercising their public duties. Instead of ensuring the separation of the church and state, the bill discriminates against minorities, including Muslim women who wear hijabs, Jews who wear kippahs, and Sikhs who wear turbans. At the same time, the law doesn’t affect all religions equally. While those of other religious minorities might not be able to conceal symbols of their faith, I can tuck a cross under my shirt.

Secularism isn’t necessarily only a political ethos. Although relatively independent from the goings-on of the government, McGill and other university institutions often start with a secular outlook when it comes to the pursuit of knowledge. In an academic context, classes often begin with the assumption that God does not exist and that Christianity is some sort of antique worldview. However, this view itself involves a value judgment, though it is often portrayed as a neutral starting point for academic studies. While the secular standpoint certainly has its uses, it can sometimes also crowd out other perspectives.

There is also an insistence on a teleological progression of knowledge within the humanities, where the secular society of today is portrayed as more in-the-know than that of our ancestors. While this is certainly true for some subjects, our academic advancements still fail to explain some of life’s biggest questions. Indeed, in Science as a Vocation, the German sociologist Max Weber argues that the social sciences fall short of answering the essential questions like, “Who are we?” and “What is this life?” Weber reasons that science can never answer certain fundamental questions of life, like what it means to live a good life, and what one should value.

Manuel Cárdenas, a PhD candidate at McGill, noted that the diminishing role of Christianity in Western society has led to a radically different study of literature.

“There’s a certain generation of scholars for whom Christianity is merely irrelevant and kind of a curious artifact that we have to consider in our exploration of culture, history, [and] politics,” Cárdenas said.

Yet faith continues to be relevant to many students’ lives, functioning as a guide and source of hope for students during difficult times.

“There have been times when I’ve been really moved by the prayers of students on campus, who I guess feel the weight of the darkness of the secularism and the coldness that can come with an institution that values itself and treats itself so seriously as McGill,” Cárdenas explained.

Amidst McGill’s cutthroat environment, I’ve found that Christian groups create a community not based on CV-boosting, but rather on a shared commitment to worshiping God and spreading His love. It’s refreshing to get together with a group of people to not only discuss matters beyond academics, but also to connect to God through worship—a necessary way for me to let go of the stress of day-to-day life and focus on praising God. “Everyone who comes [to McGill] is deserving and really, really quite talented,” Cárdenas said. “But that kind of striving [...] absent the kind of community and assurance of self-worth that Christianity requires and promises, can be very fraying in a way.”

Powerful conversations I’ve found that most Christians have a quiet yet powerful presence at McGill. We’re in your French class trying not to get called on, and praying for you when you don’t know it. We’re singing worship music in the SSMU building after class, leaving events early for prayer meetings, and wanting others to know that we’re different from the caricatures that are often made of us.

I spend too much time trying to figure out what other people will think of me when they find out I’m Christian. I wonder what assumptions they will make after that; what boxes will they put me in? However, one important lesson I’ve learned recently is that, more often than not, people surprise us. The friends and peers with whom I’ve spoken about my faith have been deeply intrigued by my story and curious to hear more. I am often surprised by this, but it makes sense; people are itching to talk about questions such as the meaning of life and existence of God. When they do take an interest, I feel gratified to be able to share what God has done in my life, and warmed that they are willing to listen.

A diverse university environment allows us to challenge our assumptions about those with different views than our own. For Johow, some of the most meaningful experiences have been interactions between Christians and non-Christians.

“It is always so meaningful to invite

people to step out of their regular daily routine and take time to share about what they believe, fear, hope, and desire,” Johow said. “It is so refreshing to talk to people about purpose in life and [see] that ‘There are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’”

These interactions can also take place in the classroom. Cárdenas himself has experienced these profound moments during his time as a lecturer.

“I’ve had conversations with students who are not themselves Christian, who, in encountering the boldness of Christianity in these literary texts and in hearing a certain kind of compassion and grace reflected to them by me as an instructor [...] have been moved,” Cárdenas said.

One former student who wasn’t Christian came up to Cárdenas after class and explained that he had been reading a lot of Christian devotional literature. He eventually ended up reading a modern Christian poet.

“He said, ‘You know, I think I spent Christmas with Jesus,’” Cárdenas said.

A living, breathing word Studying literature as a Christian makes it all the more meaningful for me. The more I get to know Jesus through the Bible, the more I see His story in other texts. As writer Sally LloydJones said, “Every story whispers His name.”

But beyond the fact that Jesus’ story is present across so many works of literature, according to the Christian canon, He Himself is the Word made flesh. The centrality of language to Christianity inherently connects my faith to my chosen area of study and reaffirms the undeniable power of language—after all, Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “the tongue has the power of life and death.”

Or, as John 1:1 puts it, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Indeed, Genesis describes the creation of the world as the result of God speaking it into existence. This connection between God and language is undeniable, and for Cárdenas, God’s creative power is what instills art with meaning.

“My appreciation for the creative power of God validates the arts for me as something that is intrinsically worthwhile,” Cárdenas said.

Rebecca Mallett, U3 Education, who is specializing in Secondary English and is the evangelism coordinator at P2C, finds the connection between Christianity and literature has greatly impacted her course selection.

She’s also relied on God for help interpreting texts.

“There’s a verse in Daniel that talks about how God gave insight into the minds of Daniel and his friends into understanding the literature of the people they were with,” Mallet said. “I was like, wow, I need to understand Russian literature right now, and God helped me understand and gave me insight into this.”

She recalled Psalm 38:9, which she read out to me: “All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.”

In my own poetry, I find I am always searching for this beauty, and it is in God that I find it. For a long time, I had been walking that fine line between worship and poetry, but now I can say that poetry is how I worship. Tucking scripture quietly and boldly into my poetry is something I see as the central project of my art.

The connection between literature and God can also go the other way. Since the Bible has so many literary elements, including sections filled with poetry and areas enhanced by historical

understanding, examining it academically is not incompatible with examining it spiritually.

“I think more about conditions like social conditions in which text is being written,” Cárdenas said. “If you read Paul’s various claims, or statements on the role of women in the church, imagining that he’s speaking [as if] coming from the clouds, then giving a statement that men should do this and women should do this—it sounds like he’s trying to delimit the scope of women’s activities.”

Yet learning more about the context in which Paul spoke changed Cárdenas’ understanding.

“If you read it in the context of GrecoRoman ideals for what the family should be, it’s obvious he’s trying to carve out additional space for women.”

That’s what God is Being Christian has dramatically changed what I see as my project in life. Beyond studying literature because I see value in it— and I do see an immeasurable value in it—I think literature is a powerful way to share God’s love with the world. Within a Christian worldview, although you can and should use your work to glorify God, at the end of the day, you are so much more than your profession.

“The objective of what I’m doing in the end is bringing glory to God,” Ponce said.

“Hopefully as a future doctor. I not only want to be in the profession because of the passion that I have for the care of people and the passion I have for medicine or for science, but also to display God’s love through that.”

To him, displaying God’s love means showing people that they are dearly loved.

“Most people don’t know how much they’re loved by God,” Ponce said. “I think this changes everyone, when they realize there’s a God who loves them unconditionally.”

When the fear of judgment gets in the way of sharing this love, it’s time to put that fear aside. For me, art is charged with potential; it provides a way to move past this fear by acting as a gateway to meaningful conversations with others about God, a way to carve a fish in the sand.

As I walk to campus carrying a book filled with biblical allusions, a car passes by playing “Jesus Lord.” For a moment the air is filled with possibility as God’s name drifts up into the air.

Design by Jinny Moon, Design Editor

10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

arts@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 2022

Concept albums and the problem with defining subjective terms Defining a concept album can undermine the music’s personal nature Henry Olsen Contributor

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lbums come in a multitude of shapes and sizes, with each crafted with different aims in mind. In 1973, Pink Floyd released their monumental album The Dark Side of the Moon, a progressive rock masterpiece and one of the most acclaimed albums of the decade. But Dark Side was more than just a collection of tracks; overtime, it has become known as a quintessen-

The Weeknd’s new album Dawn FM is considered by some to be a well-made modern concept album. (Brian Schatteman / The McGill Tribune)

tial concept album.

A concept album is commonly understood as an album with tracks whose meanings are oriented around specific themes and ideas. In The Dark Side of the Moon, for example, each song represents a different aspect of an unfulfilled life; the track “Time” highlights people’s wasted years, while the track “Brain Damage” focusses on insanity.

The Dark Side of the Moon may appear to be a fairly clear example of a concept album, as its tracks are interwoven with the theme of the “dark side” of life. However, the definition of these types of albums is actually quite tentative, loosely applied, and relatively subjective. Attempting to define exactly what a concept album is with one concrete paradigm is rather counterintuitive.

Take, for instance, Metallica’s Master of Puppets: Each track represents various destructive activities, ranging from drug abuse to war. The binding theme that ties each track together is the lack of control one feels over their life when caught in a cycle of despair.

Yet popular music magazines, such as Classic Rock, do not list the album among other great concept albums, with no definitive reason as to why. If Master of Puppets is not a concept album, then the criteria for calling an album one must be more restrictive than the broad definition of unified themes and coordinated, meaningful songs.

One way to narrow the definition is to

(Brian Schatteman / The McGill Tribune) specify that the songs have to form a narrative, and that the album’s meaning is best understood when all of the songs are considered together. Similar to the last definition, this framework adds a storyline element, which would explain why Master of Puppets, a meaningful album that lacks a “plot,” is not generally considered to be a concept album.

However, this definition may be too constraining. While it can accurately describe some examples, such as Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, it would exclude what some people consider the first concept album: The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. With Sgt. Pepper’s, there is little thematic connection and overall narrative between the songs to satisfy this definition. And though this has led some to deny

it the status of a concept album, many still attribute the label to it.

These conceptual problems beg an important Euthyphropic question: Is an album called a concept album because it is one, or is it a concept album because it is called one?

This question, though clarifying the debate, is not easy to answer. There ought to be a reason to call something a concept album, but what should that reason be? In Platonic terms, what is the “form” of the concept album? When analyzing specific albums, such as Master of Puppets and Sgt. Pepper’s, it seems that there is no objective answer and no definite solution.

Perhaps the debate itself is misleading.

Does it really matter if someone thinks that Master of Puppets is not a concept album while The Dark Side of the Moon is? Nailing down the definition of a concept album is the wrong approach. Otherwise, albums would lose their subjective meaning in the face of a futile search for objectivity in music. To continue down this path may lead us to have to declare, in Nietzschean style,that the concept album is dead, and we have killed it. In other words, trying to force an inherent meaning upon a concept album goes against the personal nature of listening to music.

The history of music is a wonderful and distinctly personal one; being stringent about labels should not be the way forward.

Electropop meets celestial beings on Aurora’s new album ‘The Gods We Can Touch’ A playful mix of electro and Nordic folk that rethinks the definition of pop music Louis Lussier-Piette Staff Writer

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fter her 2015 single Runaway went viral on TikTok in 2020, Norwegian artist Aurora has become one of the most streamed artists on Spotify sitting comfortably in the top 1000. Her third studio album, The Gods We Can Touch, is her newest release.

Just like her two previous albums, The God We Can Touch diverges from mainstream pop music with its innovative and cinematic qualities. The album is almost conceptual in the thematic unity between its tracks, with each song dedicated to humanizing a different god or spiritual deity, from Greek mythological characters to Christian figures.

Aurora opens the album with “The Forbidden Fruits of Eden,” a short song that sounds like mantras layered over a catchy beat, setting the album’s overall mystical ambiance. The second track, “Everything Matters,” continues in a similar tone, as Aurora’s reverbed high-pitched voice harmonizes with gentle piano and electronic beats. The song also features Montreal-based singer Pomme, whose French verses complement the song’s celestial tone.

In the album, Aurora boldly navigates her way through an extensive sonic palette, combining her onbrand Nordic electro-pop sound with soft folkloric elements. While “Cure for Me” and “A Temporary High” have an energetic quality that makes the listener long for the reopening of clubs, “Heathers” and “Artemis” are

more enigmatic and folkish, with ethereal harmonies and delicate synths.

Although the drastic variation of genres throughout the album may seem incongruous, the songs are carefully arranged so that even the most intense songs blend into slower ballads. Creating an album with such radically different sonic elements was certainly risky, but The Gods We Can Touch overcomes the challenge, proving that Aurora has the talent to conquer the pop scene.

Art Hive @ Home Initiative

Join the McGill Art Hive in a weekly hour of art from the comfort of your home.

Wednesday Feb. 2, 11 a.m.–12 p.m.

Online Free, Registration required

Lunar New Year Go Tournament

Celebrate the Lunar New Year with MCSS and Hub Peer Supporters by learning and participating in a virtual Go board game tournament.

Thursday Feb. 3, 6 p.m.–7 p.m.

Online Free, Registration required

The Point of Perspective: Exploring Subjectivity in Journalism

Choose from a variety of journalist and scholar-led panels and workshops discussing subjectivity in journalism during The McGill Tribune’s 8th annual conference.

Friday Feb. 4, 2 p.m.–Saturday Feb. 5, 8 p.m.

Online Free

Luminothérapie

Experience several colourful outdoor art installations around Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles to brighten up the winter months.

Aurora explores the similarities between humans and gods, with each song dedicated to a mythological figure from Atlas to Persephone. (spotify.com)

Dec. 2–Feb. 27, M–Th 12 p.m.–6 p.m.; F–Su 10 a.m.–11 p.m.

Quartier Des Spectacles Free

scitech@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, FEBURARY 1 2022

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

11

Hot girl summer eclipsed by Hot Exo-Jupiter

PhD student Lisa Dang characterizes exoplanet XO-b3’s ability to generate heat Adam Matthews-Kott Staff Writer

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oughly equal to the mass of 12 Jupiters, exoplanet XO-3b was the subject of a recent study led by Lisa Dang, a PhD student studying short-period exoplanets and their atmospheres at McGill. Exoplanet XO-3b is classified as a “Hot Jupiter,” a planet with physical properties similar to Jupiter that has an orbital period of less than four earth days. XO-3b is within the range of Jupiter’s mass but closer to its host star than Mercury is to the sun.

Dang originally focussed on XO-3b because of its unusual elliptical orbit. Although elliptical orbits are not rare in and of themselves, they are not often associated with Hot Jupiters due to the high mass of these planets and their proximity to the sun. As part of her research, Dang studied XO-3b for a full year. But this turned out to be easier than anticipated, as the planet completes its orbit in the span of only three days.

“The reason why [these orbits] are interesting is because oftentimes these hot Jupiters have a lot of gravitational interactions with the host star, and so the orbit of the planet will become circular,” Dang said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “The fact that we’re observing this planet in an elliptical orbit tells us that this planet is actually migrating.”

This migration process is poorly understood; gathering data on XO-3b would go a long way in elucidating not only the process itself, but also the environment in which the planet formed. The study also discovered another interesting characteristic of XO-3b: Tentative evidence showed that the planet was producing its own heat.

“It’s easy to think that if you have something more massive that it’s going to be larger [in radius] but that’s actually the contrary,” Dang said, in reference to hot Jupiters. “[For XO-3b], we saw that the radius was larger than what was expected for a planet this massive.”

In addition to the planet’s abnormally large radius, Spitzer telescope data indicated that the temperature of the planet was also above average across all of its seasons. Putting these two observations together, researchers predicted that some of this heightened temperature was due to internal heating.

The researchers proposed two possible explanations: The first was that the planet was experiencing a type of oscillation caused by tidal heating due to the eccentricity of its orbit. These oscillations could also explain why this planet was generating some of its

A Hot Jupiter with an unusually elliptical orbit was the focus of a study led by PhD student Lisa Dang.

(Lucia Linaje-Ferrel / The McGill Triibune) own heat. The other explanation is that the planet may actually be a failed star, lending it enough mass to generate the pressures necessary for nuclear fusion—allowing the planet to maintain its higher temperature.

Dang believes that a combination of these factors is causing the heating. She hopes to continue studying XO-3b further to get a better understanding of both the internal heating of the planet and any other interesting characteristics that the planet may present.

“If we measure how much heat is needed to be this size, it turns out to be quite a substantial amount, and that’s why we need the two of them in combination to explain what we see,” Dang said.

Learning more about the nature of XO-3b will allow us to further characterize Hot Jupiter-type planets as a whole. While this type of planet is among the most studied currently, there is still a lot to learn about their behaviour and unique quirks.

The glowing DNA that acts as a protein motion sensor

DNA nano-antenna enables scientists to detect protein structures in months, not years Madhura Lotlikar Contributor

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n the methodical world of scientific research, there is irony to be found in serendipitous stories of discovery.

More often than expected, a scientist’s day in the lab is filled with more head-scratching than “eureka” moments. It is in these moments that a curious scientist would dig deeper, even in the negative data. Alexis ValléeBélisle, an associate chemistry professor at Université de Montréal, did just that, eventually coming to invent a fluorescent DNA nano-antenna that glows to indicate a change in the structure of proteins.

The story begins in 2016, when Valleé-Bélisle developed the world’s smallest thermometer. This technology acts as a flambeau torch, where the stick is DNA and the flame is a dye attached to it, glowing bright when the temperature around proteins changes.

However, Vallée-Bélisle told the The McGill Tribune that the team soon realized that the dye was not glowing due to the change in temperature, but due to a change in protein structure.

This occurs when the protein performs its function or interacts with other molecules in the cell.

The dye is sensitive to the environment around it and thus detects the nanoscale twists in the protein structures.

“It was unexpected,” Vallée-Bélisle said. “But we knew we were on[to] something big.”

“Structure equals function” is a well-known axiom in biochemistry. The proteins in the nails and skin and the proteins in our gut and brain are both made

from amino acids, but they work differently because they fold into a variety of 3D structures.

Once the structure of proteins is known, it is easy to predict their function. This knowledge, combined with synthetic biology, can be used to develop drugs that bind specific pockets of the 3D structure to inactivate the viral proteins, in order to fix the misfolded proteins observed in diseases, or to design novel proteins.

Although the field of struc-

It took 11 years until 1957 to solve the first protein structure.

(Drea Garcia / The McGill Tribune)

tural biology took a huge leap forward in 2020 with DeepMind’s AlphaFold2 algorithm— which could computationally predict the 3D structure of proteins from their amino acid composition—research still depends heavily on experimental studies.

X-ray crystallography and CryoEM are the current gold-standard methods of determining protein structures. But these experiments are complex enough to consume one’s entire PhD, and require expertise in structural biology, limiting their broader use.

“People are struggling to have a simple assay [method] to monitor their favourite protein’s activity,” Vallée-Bélisle said.

“We need[ed] to come up with an antenna that probes small changes in the conformation of protein.”

To determine the structural changes of these biological nanomachines, Vallée-Bélisle turned to his favourite molecule—DNA—for nano solutions.

“DNA’s language is simple, its chemistry is much simpler and programmable,” ValléeBélisle said. “We have a DNA synthesizer and we can have a [DNA] antenna by the end of the day.”

Researchers repurposed their serendipitous discovery of the DNA antenna to detect the changes in the structure of proteins occurring at the time scales of micro to milliseconds. One of the most important parts of this antenna is the glowing dye attached to the DNA. Since different dyes interact differently depending on a given protein structure, the researchers were able to detect five different types of structural changes in a single protein within months of using the same DNA antenna.

Vallée-Bélisle plans to scale up this technology from detecting one protein structure at a time to detecting 96 possible structures of proteins with different antennas at the same time, all combined on a single palmsized plate.

“The goal of any scientist is to have your technology out there,” Vallée-Bélisle said. “If we could build those 96 well plate readers then we probably can make [this technology] available to everybody.”

Discoveries like this one will enable scientists to put more time into thinking of solutions and less time mixing solutions in the lab.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

scitech@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, FEBURARY 1 2022

Scientists discover first millipede to have at least one thousand legs Millipedes defy expectations in the world of entomology Atticus O’Rourke Rusin Contributor Continued from page 1.

Many creatures, from spiders to snakes—and even some species of butterfly—evoke fear due to their numerous defence mechanisms, such as poison, claws, or fangs. Though these features are often perceived as a threat, they are rarely targeted at humans; they are typically used by animals to defend themselves or attack their prey.

Though millipedes are feared by many, like most other arthropod species, they are little more than many-legged composters. Millipedes are actually arthropods—invertebrates with jointed legs—not insects. Why, then, do we fear millipedes? And more broadly, why do we fear insects in general when most pose no danger?

Morgan Jackson is a postgraduate entomologist working in the field of taxonomy at McGill’s Macdonald Campus. Jackson says that most people don’t fear bacteria in the same way they do insects

or arthropods, despite bacteria being arguably more dangerous.

Insects and species that resemble them are a visible unknown in our own space, and they present themselves as a surprise.

“The way that [their presence] is violating our space, the way that [it] is violating our bodies, [is] in a way that very few other instances of wildlife do,” Jackson said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

Millipedes provide us with a fascinating look into the world of entomology—the study of insects—and are a prime example of the potential that arthropods have to captivate curious individuals.

Even though they may not technically be insects, their study is often lumped in with entomology.

“All the terrestrial arthropods people stick together,” Jackson said. “Even the arachnologists go to the entomology conferences.”

Millipedes belong to the class Diplopoda and are more closely related to crabs and shrimp than to insects. They vary from their close relatives, the centipedes, because their legs usually attach to their

A millipede hatchling is born with only three pairs of legs. (animals.howstuffworks.com) undersides, whereas centipedes’ legs splay out from their sides.

They also differ in that they have two sets of legs per body segment, whereas centipedes only have one.

The many-legged critters are generally harmless: They do not have pincers or stingers, and they pose no threat to building integrity. Given that they rely on plant matter as their main source of nutrients, millipedes did not evolve any adaptations for hunting prey.

Rather, they have a number of defence mechanisms to keep predators from eating them. Some species roll into tight coils to better defend themselves with their hard exoskeletons, while other species have pointy protrusions that would make them quite an unpleasant meal—and then there are millipedes that secrete the poisonous gas hydrogen cyanide.

The word millipede means “thousand feet”—however, no

previously known millipede species was found to have that many.

The previous record holder had fewer than 800. Recently, Bruno Buzatto, an entomologist and arachnologist at Macquarie University, discovered a new millipede that had 1,306 legs—the first to exceed the thousand-leg mark.

Found in Australia, this new species of millipede, named E. Persephone, lives tens to hundreds of meters underground.

With this single discovery, two assumptions were challenged: One, that most millipedes live in moist environments, and two, that no millipede species has over 1000 legs.

Even though it may not seem groundbreaking, there is a certain satisfaction to making discoveries and learning what was before unknown, or thought to be impossible—a satisfaction that can’t be shared with those who let their fear conquer their curiosity.

As Jackson puts it, “Just the fact that it is so long, and actually hits that thousand-foot name mark again—it’s just all cool, it’s just really, really neat.”

Researchers pinpoint a gene variant that could provide increased protection against severe COVID-19 Follow-up study emphasizes importance of diverse research cohorts Kimaya Tekade Contributor

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t is well known that a person’s genome can predispose them to certain diseases—but can also provide increased protection against other diseases. Geneticists have recently observed that a particular haplotype, a chunk of DNA that encodes several genes, is protective in nature against COVID-19 and results in a reduced risk of becoming critically ill upon infection with the virus.

This haplotype, which encodes genes involved in immune regulation, was inherited from Neanderthals by almost half of

people currently living outside Africa, according to a study published in the first year of the pandemic. This meant that people of African ancestry potentially did not share the same protection as those with the inherited gene variant.

The study identifying the protective haplotype was conducted mainly on individuals of European ancestry, so its implications could not be extended to the world population. Finding out which exact gene variant is responsible for the conferred protection is very important for prevention and treatment. Researchers, including those from McGill, zoomed in on this objective, focussing on smaller DNA regions within

OAS proteins are part of the innate immune response against RNA viruses. (theinformant.co.nz)

the haplotype. They analyzed the DNA from individuals of a larger swath of ancestries and observed that the pattern of inheritance of this haplotype was unique in African ancestry, and decided to find more African participants.

Since the gene variant inheritance occurred only after Neanderthals migrated out of Africa, the researchers studied the DNA of individuals with African ancestry who only share a small segment of this Neanderthal-derived haplotype. The researchers found that individuals of African ancestry had the same protection against COVID-19 as those with European ancestry, indicating that the genes present in this shared piece of DNA might be the ones responsible. The analysis included a total of 2,787 hospitalized COVID-19 patients of African ancestry and 130,997 people in a control group from six different cohort studies. Eighty per cent of individuals of African ancestry carried the protective variant.

Narrowing in on the smaller DNA segment, researchers pinpointed a causal genetic variant in individuals of African ancestry.

A variant of the gene OAS1 determines the length of the encoded OAS1 protein, an enzyme that plays a crucial role in anti-viral mechanisms. Previous studies have shown that in individuals with increased levels of circulating OAS1, there is reduced risk of COVID-19 susceptibility and severity.

“We now need to look for compounds which can increase the levels of this particular OAS1 isoform, so that the severity risks involved in COVID-19 infections are

reduced,” Dr. Guillaume Butler-Laporte, one of the co-authors on this paper and a clinician scientist in the Richards Lab at McGill, said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

Butler-Laporte also emphasized the importance of studying cohorts of individuals from different ancestries, as most studies usually focus on individuals of European ancestry due to the white supremacist roots of institutional science. In fact, COVID-19 research is especially important for supporting BIPOC communities as they have faced higher rates of hospitalization and mortality since the beginning of the pandemic.

Research looking into the genetic underpinnings of variations in immunity is therefore crucial to understanding how to best protect different populations. Figuring out how to apply this new knowledge as a potential preventative tool represents an important research frontier.

“At this point, we have discovered this specific isoform of OAS1 and we know that it is better at killing the virus SARS-CoV2,” Butler-Laporte said. “So, the question now is that can we make a chemical drug that can specifically raise the level of this particular isoform of OAS1.”

Some compounds, such as PD12 inhibitors, are able to increase the level of this gene variant, but this has yet to be tested in live organisms. Using this information as a guide, other researchers in the field could gain a better understanding of the OAS1 variant’s role in mediating the immune system’s response to viral attacks.

STUDENT LIFE

studentlife@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 2022

13

Word on the Y: First-years’ experiences on campus

Student Life’s first-year writers reflect on a tumultuous beginning to their undergrad Isabella González Staff Writer

Rosie Kaissar Contributor

Coming from an international school where I knew everybody, I was overwhelmed when I stepped into overcrowded lecture halls with 100 different students during my first week of in-person class.

As I walked into a bustling lecture hall lit up by blinding lights, I decided to take a seat next to a stranger. The anxieties teeming in my head discouraged me from saying hello, but I pushed those feelings aside and started a conversation. After all, I’m a stranger to them too; we both have the same irrational fear of being the first one to break the dense silence between us. While 100 students in one lecture hall can seem like 100 individual things to worry about, those are also 100 exciting opportunities for meaningful conversations, valuable friendships, careless laughter, brunch outings, and late-night study dates at the library. I’ve decided to embrace these opportunities in my first year, and live boldly outside of my comfort zone. While I won’t get to know everyone in my overcrowded lectures, as long as I make one or two friends with whom I can pick up a warm and comforting chai latte after class, I’m set.

After a long break filled with isolation and quarantine, I couldn’t be happier to be back on the beautiful downtown campus with lots of commotion all around. While going back to McGill brings back the stress of finals week and 3 a.m. crying sessions in McLenny, the beautiful sight of white, powdery snow and feeling of the refreshing, though extremely cold, air have made it difficult to stay away from campus— even on the days when I don’t have any in person classes. I love how I can just go for a small walk and run into friends who I haven’t seen since early December. Even with the hybrid model of school this year, campus feels like a home, and I am excited to be back.

Sabrina Nelson Contributor

Abby McCormick Staff Writer As I take a seat in my first in-person class of my second semester at McGill, the aura around me is one of comfortable silence. While I initially thought that being in a sea of people once again would fill my stomach with butterflies, instead, it reminds me that I’m not the only one struggling to find a sense of normalcy amid the chaos of the pandemic. I smile at the girl next to me through my black mask. She smiles back. It reminds me how much I missed the simple gestures of human contact during these weeks of isolation. With the return to the classroom, I am hopeful for more opportunities to connect with other students and make my first year one for the books. Even though I’ve missed out on many quintessential freshman year McGill experiences, like lectures in Leacock 132 and nights at Cafe Campus, I am confident that the uncertainty of the pandemic has made me more adaptable and will—hopefully—make my upper years at McGill feel all the more worthwhile.

Some students in their second year of studies at McGill had never attended an in-person class before Jan. 26.

(Brian Schatteman / The McGill Tribune)

As I enter the room of my first in-person lecture, I feel out of place amid a sea of unfamiliar faces. After two years of seeing black squares on my laptop, I had forgotten what it felt like to be in a room filled with strangers. Yet, as I take my seat, the person next to me smiles and says hello. Suddenly the butterflies are gone, and I am at ease. I quickly realized how much I had missed the small pleasures of human contact—the exchange of glances, smiles, and laughter. I had forgotten the excitement that came with meeting someone in a classroom for the first time and sharing a meaningful conversation. I have missed out on so many high school and first-year experiences because of the pandemic, yet even if things will never go back to how they used to, I hope that the return to in-person will make up for everything that I have yet to experience—like Montreal’s nightlife and art scene—and that I will still get to have the college experience that I have dreamt of having. Looking forward, I will grasp every opportunity that I get to form valuable friendships and push myself out of my comfort zone to make unforgettable memories. I won’t take anything for granted, even the seemingly mundane things.

Women in law panel highlights versatility and resiliency in law Panel offered a candid discussion of gender bias in the legal field Erika MacKenzie Contributor

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cGill Women In Leadership (MWIL) and the McGill Pre-Law Students’ Society (MPLSS) joined forces on Jan. 26 to host a panel about women in law featuring prominent lawyers and legal scholars from across Canada. During the event, panellists discussed the proudest moments of their careers, the challenges of being a woman in law, and the advice they would offer to future lawyers in the audience.

MWIL’s vice-president (VP) Events, Lis Riveros, U1 Arts, sat down with the Tribune to discuss the motivation behind this event and the importance of connecting future lawyers with other women in the field.

“Between me and the VP Events for McGill Pre-Law, we agreed that in order for women to advocate for themselves and move their careers forward, they can’t succeed by doing it alone,” Riveros said. “The idea of being able to succeed in law and having the ability, competence, and eventual affluence of being a lawyer are usually tied to those who are not women.”

The panel featured a diverse range of women in law, including a business owner and practicing criminal defense lawyer, a corporate lawyer, an entertainment lawyer, and a legal

scholar. Riveros explained that holding the panel remotely actually enhanced the event because it allowed for more diversity in the speakers they brought in.

“If we did the law panel in person, we could only do Montreal lawyers,” Riveros said. “Zoom and online events give endless opportunities and creativity.”

Riveros highlighted that the goal of this year’s event was to emphasise versatility in law.

When planning, it was important for MWIL and MPLSS to include women who were extending the boundaries of their law degree.

For instance, panellist Jordana Goldlist, criminal lawyer and owner of JHG Criminal Law, studied civil litigation before switching to criminal law and eventually starting her own company.

“My biggest accomplishment is my business overall,” Goldlist said. “After five years [at a criminal law firm], I wanted to do things differently. I left on a leap of faith and started my own practice in 2015. I’ve grown a fantastic practice, a great reputation, and it’s nothing but hard work and dedication.”

The speakers were also candid about

MWIL and MPLSS came together to inspire future lawyers through this enlightening event. (BBC)

the ugly side of law and the gender bias that follows many women in the legal field.

Sarit Batner, a corporate lawyer at McCarthy Tétrault in Toronto highlighted how challenging it is for women in law to get their foot in the door.

“The list of challenges that women have to face in law […] is great and long, and if you’re a racialized woman you can add layers to that. What I was most surprised by were lines of referral. You come into law expecting that there’s no gender difference. However, the client sources are still men, the networks are still men, and being excellent is super helpful, [...] but [it’s] often not enough.”

Despite the obstacles they have had to overcome throughout their careers, the panel emphasized to the audience that there is great potential to make positive institutional change with a law degree.

Professor Priya S. Gupta at the McGill Faculty of Law explained that the law gave her the knowledge and leverage to address the issues she is most passionate about.

“One of the things I loved [about law school] was how it could teach you to engage in the world, through all these different fields and all these different modes. When you have the things you’re interested in [...] the law gives you the profession that allows you to make those changes in the world.”

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STUDENT LIFE

studentlife@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 2022

A peace of home

International students reflect on the meaning of home Sabrina Nelson Contributor

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or most McGill students who hail from outside Montreal, starting university means leaving the place that we have come to call home. When packing for college, we carefully select items that remind us of home and that we can turn to whenever we feel homesick. Arriving in a new city amidst a sea of strangers can make you feel overwhelmed and alienated, but having these items can bring us feelings of peace and comforting memories.

Yet, what is home? Is it a place, a person, a scent, a feeling?

Everyone has a different meaning of home; it is usually not tied to a single place or experience, but rather a collection of memories linked to different places and people.

Lebanon Tracy Berbari (U1 Management) Laughter, family, calm, excitement, peace, fresh air, and love are all things that Berbari associates with the word “home.”

Lebanon had always previously brought her these feelings. Its breathtaking views and nature brought her peace amidst the country’s hectic financial crisis. Because of the

For Berbari, knowing that she can walk up the hill whenever she feels homesick is a great source of comfort. According to her, it’s the “second-most beautiful place in the world,” after Lebanon. (Tracy Berbari / The McGill Tribune) October Revolution, she and her family were forced to pack up the essentials and leave at the end of 2020. Though she does not have a specific item that reminds her of home, there is a place in Montreal that transports her back to Lebanon.

“On a summer day, a kind man, who was my first friend in Canada, suggested that we take a tour of Montreal,” Berbari said.

“Our first stop was the //Bèlvédere d’Outremont//. After a long walk up the hill, we finally arrived at the top, and when I saw the view I was mesmerized. We were surrounded by all the lovely elements that mother nature had to offer: the birds were chirping, the flowers were blooming, and at that moment in time, I reminisced [about] all of my childhood memories in

Lebanon. Suddenly, the move to Canada wasn’t so scary, it felt like home, my home.”

Belgium Charlotte Mineret (U1 Arts) Having moved multiple times during her time in Belgium, and now recently to Montreal, Mineret understands that a place isn’t the most important thing when it comes to feeling at home, but rather the connections formed with the people around her.

While she has brought numerous objects from home— including delectable Belgian cheese—the one item Mineret could not have left behind is her horse-shaped glass statue, gifted by her grandparents. Every time

Charlotte explained that her twin sister is also in Montreal, and being with her is home. (Charlotte Mineret / The McGill Tribune) she looks at it, she is reminded of her childhood and of her time in Brussels with her family.

“We went to this place where they made these glass statues and I saw them make it from scratch,” Mineret said. “It has always been on my desk in Brussels and it’s on my desk here in Montreal. It makes my dorm feel more personal and like a home.

Tokyo/Belgium Manon Fillon Ashida (U1 Arts) Before coming to Montreal, Manon used to think that home was associated with one’s citizenship. Being both French and Japanese, she previously never considered Belgium as her home.

Manon is not the type of person who possesses many objects that remind her of home, but this picture has always been part of her life. (Manon Fillon Ashida / The McGill Tribune) However, moving to Montreal made her realize that Belgium is where she has created some of her most cherished memories.

While she did not bring many items back from home—besides tons of clothes—she did bring the picture that her best friend gave her for her fifth birthday.

“I had just moved from Tokyo to Belgium and she was both my neighbour and my first friend,” Ashida said. “She gave me this picture for my fifth birthday and I have always had it on my desk. It’s an item of great significance to me because I have known and spent so much time with her. It reminds [me of] my time in Belgium and reminds me of home.”

From study mates to study dates

Platform helps McGillians find study partners—and love Isabella González Contributor McGill is notorious for its work-hard mindset. If you walk into Redpath or McLennan on any given day, including the weekend, you’re bound to see students studying, catching up on work, or desperately completing assignments that are due at midnight.

Although many students flood the library to study in groups, there are many stragglers who make the trek to the library to cram all by themselves. For some, this might be by choice, but for others, the pandemic and COVID-19

restrictions have made it increasingly difficult to find study partners or connect with peers in Zoom classes.

Sanghoo Oh, U3 Arts & Science and creator of StudyDate, noticed the isolating effect the pandemic was having on students, whether that was struggling with coursework, job applications, or networking. Oh himself said he experienced difficulties networking in his field of interest, UX design. These factors inspired him to create StudyDate, a student networking website designed to help students find study dates or mates.

The platform has a dating app layout,

StudyDate allows students to match with other students taking the same courses as them.

(Profile Helper)

where you can customize your profile to include what classes you’re taking, random facts about yourself, what skills you have and what skills you want to build upon. Depending on your wants, needs, and interests, the website will match you with someone compatible, and you can set up a study date from there.

Although students can connect on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, or dating apps such as Tinder or Bumble, Oh feels that these platforms aren’t as conducive to fostering healthy and productive relationships.

“I don’t think any of them really have a generally positive notion to them, nor do they really act to connect people, per se, physically,” Oh said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

“It’s more for entertainment browsing nowadays, and maybe very shallow digital connection.”

Oh also believes using studying as a channel to create friendships or even find romantic interests is a much more compelling idea for students and a more effective way of creating conversation. Many of his friends, for example, had awkward encounters when meeting people from dating apps, seeing as there’s not much common ground from which to spur conversation.

“Studying can solve that issue in a way,” Oh said. “If I’m meeting someone from my same class, for example, and I’m meeting them for a date, there’s already a great icebreaker of

sorts.”

Many McGillians have already begun to enjoy StudyDate. Jennifer Shi, U1 Management, found out about the website on the Facebook page Spotted: McGill and immediately signed up, looking to find more people to build friendships given the uncertainty of the pandemic.

“I think [StudyDate] is fun cause it’s in the style of a dating app,” Shi said. “You get to see people’s profiles that you wouldn’t necessarily see just through their Facebook or Instagram profile or in a group chat because you can write things you want other people to know [about you].”

After the final testing period of the platform ends in May 2022, Oh is considering extending StudyDate to the public. But for Shi, its studentcommunity focus has been extremely valuable.

“When you sign up, you have to use your McGill email, and it makes sure it’s all university students, which I think is just safer and also something I’m more comfortable with,” Shi said.

As StudyDate’s popularity grows on campus, its creators hope that it will be able to bring together students on campus who would have never connected otherwise.

“It’s something I never knew that I wanted or needed,” Shi said. “It’s literally the perfect platform where you can make friends during a pandemic and not be stressed out that it’s a dating app.”

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 2022

sports@mcgilltribune.com

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Ben Roethlisberger is retiring from an NFL different from the one he started in NFL sees mixed reactions over its modern playstyle Henry Olsen Contributor

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ittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played the final game of his career on Jan. 16, losing 42-21 to the Kansas City Chiefs. While he put up a respectable statline of 215 yards, scored two touchdowns, and had no interceptions on a 66 per cent completion rate, Roethlisberger had a measly 4.8 yards per attempt, and his touchdowns only came after the Chiefs were already well in the lead. Just as it was throughout the season, Pittsburgh’s offence was lacklustre and outdated, relying on screen passes and high-end defensive talent to score points. In the end, Roethlisberger ranked just 31st out of the 32 starting quarterbacks this season.

It seems that as Roethlisberger retires, other NFL quarterbacks of old are contemplating their own fates. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, though playing well, are 44 and 37 years old respectively, and when they leave, the NFL will have few of the old guard left to connect it to the previous generation. Where will the NFL go from here?

Football fan Théo Chambon, U1 Arts, has noticed the modern NFL progressing toward a pass-heavy, athletic offensive scheme.

“The NFL is going through a phase where the level of [athleticism] in the league is much more homogenous than what it used to be,” Chambon said. “Since you know it’s harder to be above others in terms of athleticism and individual play, the teams are forced to rely more on, and develop, a more concrete and deep passing game.”

Chambon’s perception is not just a trick of the eye— the modern NFL is vastly different from the NFL of Roethlisberger’s prime. More points are scored, more passing touchdowns are completed, and young quarterbacks like Joe Burrow are expected to be agile and routinely make explosive

Steelers backup QB Mason Rudolph has experience after temporarily replacing Roethlisberger in 2019. (post-gazette.com) plays.

Roethlisberger and the Steelers, however, have been lacking this modern style of play in recent years. Lindsey Kamienik, U0 Arts & Science and a Pittsburgh native, feels that the lack of a passing threat has been endemic for the struggling Steelers offence.

“My personal opinion and the majority of the consensus in Pittsburgh is that Ben played pretty badly this season, but that was expected with his age and attrition after 18 years with us,” Kamienik said. “I think we all knew back in 2019 after [his] shoulder injury that Ben was at the end of his time in the NFL.” The Steelers’ offensive problems have also been exacerbated by Roethlisberger’s deteriorating mobility. Some

fans, such as Chambon, note that this contrasts with the modern ideal of an agile quarterback.

“QBs like Lamar [Jackson], and [Michael] Vick in his time, have [shown] that a running and rushing QB is a possibility,” Chambon remarked. “[Another] great example of this is [Patrick] Mahomes. He is known for his crazy passing ability and vision but the guy can also rush when necessary.”

Nonetheless, Pittsburgh’s problems are not the reason why Steelers fans like Kamienik have felt discontent with recent NFL seasons. Among other things, many fans find that unfair overtime rules take away from the excitement of the game.

“I would say based on the way this season has gone, overtime rules need to be revised,” Kamienik said. “The team who wins the coin toss gets the ball first and that means if they score a [touchdown], it’s game over. Overall, I feel that the modern NFL has been on the decline over the last couple of years.”

The controversial overtime rules are especially prominent in light of last week’s Bills-Chiefs game, where the Bills lost the coin toss and were not allowed to respond after the Chiefs scored on the first overtime drive. Despite the questionable rules, the deep-ball focus of today’s league has garnered support from fans.

“I’m always more in awe when I see someone catch a 60yard hail mary than a 10-yard pass,” Chambon remarked.

Though opinions diverge on the modern NFL’s increased reliance on passing and dubious rules, one thing is for certain: Roethlisberger’s final year has not been enough to discredit what he has accomplished, and the legacy of the era he represents will not disappear after his retirement.

“While it was [a] frustrating season for [Steelers fans], Ben is a Pittsburgh icon and is treated in that respect,” Kamienik said.

Hockey culture is missing the mark on anti-racism From college leagues to the NHL, the system does not support racialized players Tillie Burlock Staff Writer

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ust days before the jersey retirement of Willie O’Ree on Jan. 18, the first Black player in the NHL, the professional hockey world was confronted with two appalling acts of racism. On Jan. 12, Montreal-born Boko Imama, a forward for the Tucson Roadrunners in the American Hockey League, was harassed by San Jose Barracudas forward Krystof Hrabik with a racist taunt. Shortly after, on Jan. 22, videos from an East Coast Hockey League game began circulating the internet, showing Jacksonville Icemen’s Jacob Panetta making “monkey gestures” toward South Carolina Stingrays defenceman Jordan Subban, while

fans chanted racial slurs.

The next day, the NHL released a brief statement in response, calling the incidents “abhorrent.” But at what point do the NHL’s words lose their meaning? The league’s championing of the “Hockey is For Everyone” initiative has been heavily scrutinized by members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA), and for good reason: The NHL is failing to support its racialized players and actively campaign for anti-racism.

In their most recent initiative, the HDA launched the #TapeOutHate campaign to shed light the racism that permeates hockey culture. Current players like Matt Dumba, Nazem Kadri, Wayne Simmonds, and Anthony Duclair, along with former Calgary

The Seaside House League program is located in Scarborough, one of the most diverse areas of income and ethnicity in Ontario. (nhl.com)

Flame Akim Aliu, shared their encounters with racism within the sport. The commercial aired on Jan. 8, but the NHL and NHLPA’s decision not to take part in the campaign left the players unable to wear any NHL-licensed gear in the promotional material, leading many to question the NHL’s true priorities.

In a statement on Twitter, Boko Imama joined others in their criticisms, writing: “My hope is that people learn from this and that some day hockey will truly be for everyone.”

In a conversation with The McGill Tribune, Nathaniel Brooks, associate coach of the Ryerson Rams men’s hockey team, head coach of the Minor Bantam Don Mills Flyers, and founder of Direction Hockey, discussed his disappointment with the hockey community’s collective response to last week’s incidents.

“Everybody just needs to put their plans and their words into action,” Brooks said.

“I feel like we’re in a time now where we go on social media, and we tweet something with the hashtag, and we feel like our work is done. But when you really, really look deeply, there’s not much action being taken.”

Following the incident with Subban, many news outlets took it upon themselves to write redemption narratives, often citing Panetta’s “lack of intent” in his defence.

Debates over Panetta’s suspension from the rest of season in the comment sections of related posts have fostered animosity toward the targeted players. This media circus has, in turn, drawn attention away from Subban’s

unequivocal account of Saturday’s events.

In contrast to the lack of action taken by the NHL and the HDA at the community level, Brooks is working to create more dynamic and inclusive hockey programming in the Greater Toronto Area.

Seaside Hockey, founded by Brooks, his father Kirk Brooks, and former NHL member Anthony Stewart, is a program based out of Scarborough that works to make the sport more accessible. “[Seaside is] the next step for us,” Brooks said. “I think everyone now is aware of the situations that certain individuals of colour get into playing the game. It’s time to take those experiences, take the resources that we’re gaining at the top level, and put it into the grassroots level to create that kind of safe zone for the kids coming in. We’re past the point of words, and it’s time to take action.”

The trickle-up effect of grassroots organizing is just as vital to diversifying hockey as the trickle-down initiatives at the university level. At McGill, across both the men’s and women’s hockey teams, there is only one Black player. Moreover, the Athletics and Recreation ran Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Focus Groups throughout 2021, but there has been a complete lack of action and transparency regarding their findings. McGill Athletics must do more to foster a more diverse hockey environment both at the university and within the Montreal community.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 2022

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Making sense of the Montreal Canadiens’ front office shakeup Where the Habs go from here is completely up to the new administration Dante Ventulieri Contributor

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n Nov. 29, the Montreal Canadiens announced that after nearly 10 years as general manager (GM), Marc Bergevin had been relieved of his duties.

Coming into the season off of a hot streak, such a drastic turn of events seemed unlikely. Last season, the Canadiens reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993, and rumours swirled that a three-year contract extension was in the works. The indefinite loss of Carey Price, Shea Weber, and Joel Edmundson seemed to hamper the team’s playoff chances before the season had even started.

By November, the team was off to their worst start in decades, bringing down morale among their loyal fans. Mikaela Piccirelli, U3 Science and longtime Habs fan, told The McGill Tribune that she believes the issues with Bergevin’s tenure run deeper than this year’s rocky start.

“Apart from last year, […] the Habs were just going through waves of mediocrity and a new face was needed to turn it around,” Piccirelli said. “Especially after making it to the Stanley Cup Finals, […] a new flame was ignited and the fanbase

now wants and expects more.”

Changes to management did not stop with Bergevin: Paul Wilson, the vice-president (VP) of communications and public affairs, was let go, and assistant general managers Scott Mellanby and Trevor Timmins resigned and were fired, respectively. Finally, Geoff Molson, the president of the Canadiens, hired Jeff Gorton, the former GM of the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers, to serve as president of hockey operations.

In early January, Gorton and Molson then hired Chantal Machabée to replace Wilson. A Laval native, Machabée has gained notoriety during her 32 years with Réseau des sports (RDS). In an interview

with the Tribune, Michel Lacroix, a former colleague of Machabée at RDS and the Canadiens’ in-game announcer, shared his thoughts on the hiring decision.

“I’ve known Chantal personally, she will indeed be a great VP,” Lacroix said. “She has the necessary knowledge and experience and she’ll bring some fresh air to the organization.”

According to Jared Brook, the deputy managing editor of Habs Eyes on the Prize, Machabée’s positive influence is already being felt within the organization.

“I think some of the major changes have already started to be seen in terms of how the team communicates health updates on players,” Brook said in an interview with the Tribune. “[Machabée] has the immense respect of everyone who covers the team. I don’t think she would take the job if the organization wasn’t willing to listen to her ideas or implement them.”

On Jan. 18, two weeks after Machabée’s hiring, the organization announced that Kent Hughes had signed a five-year contract as GM of the Habs. The Beaconsfield native had been a player agent for more than 30 years before assuming the position. Hughes is not the first agent to make the leap

Machabée’s hiring comes after Geoff Molson, reeling from the backlash of drafting a player convicted of distributing a sexual photo without consent, pledged to have a more diverse front office. (Anoushka Oke / The McGill Tribune) to GM; an agent’s skillset, which includes intimate knowledge of the collective bargaining agreement and an ability to understand player demands, means they have become increasingly coveted by hockey organizations.

“I think as a former agent he might have a better idea of what appeals to players,” Brook noted.

“Kent Hughes seems set on making the Canadiens into a more modern organization, and that is a very positive step.”

The next era of the Montreal Canadiens is just getting started and will be judged by the team’s on-

ice success. The question remains whether management will take their time with a roster rebuild or feel pressured to try and speed up the process. Piccirelli is one fan who would not mind the former.

“If a full rebuild is the most logical way to get there consistently, then I wouldn’t be opposed,” Piccirelli said. “The hardest part would be seeing some players that we have come to love, leave. I don’t know how patient the Habs fan base would be with such a process, but […] I would be willing to deal with a couple more seasons like this one to get there.”

Looking back on a high-octane Formula One season The memorable moments that captured casual F1 fans and fanatics alike The Verstappen and Hamilton rivalry

Zoé Mineret Staff Writer

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he 2021 Formula One season will go down in history as one of the most memorable seasons the sport has ever seen, featuring a riveting rivalry, thrilling races, and surprising podium results. Formula One fans around the world held their breath watching a season where the only certainty was that anything could happen.

George Russell’s front row qualification and first podium On Aug. 28, 2021 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix, Williams driver George Russell completed a fantastic Q3 lap that earned him a front-row start in P2. His spectacular qualification came as a result of calculated decisions made by the team and his excellent knowledge of his car’s abilities.

On Aug. 29, terrible weather conditions made the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix the shortest race ever in the history of Formula One. The drivers drove two laps under the safety car and a final lap that ended with a red flag, marking the end of the race. The results were taken from lap one, earning Russell a second-place finish and his first podium in Formula One. This result highlighted Russell’s potential for success in a stronger car than the Williams, which falls short in comparison to cars developed by Mercedes or Redbull Racing. Not even two weeks later, Mercedes announced that Russell was set to drive alongside Lewis Hamilton as part of the team. This sparked excitement amongst Formula One fans, such as Samuel Nidelli, U1 Engineering, who is looking forward to the start of a new Mercedes driver pairing, noting Hamilton’s long history with the team.

After winning the Italian Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo participated in a “shoey” celebration, where the racer drank champagne out of his shoe.

(Saumya Gogte / The McGill Tribune) “I’m really happy to see George Russell in a Mercedes seat,” Nidelli said. “I feel like [he] and Hamilton will have some great battles and Hamilton will be able to mentor Russell and make him into the driver he was always meant to be.”

Kimi Raikkonen’s retirement The 2021 season also saw the departure of Formula One legend Kimi Raikkonen, who chose to retire after his 349th Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. The former world champion, known across the grid for his level-headed and cool approach to racing, which earned him the nickname “Iceman,” will be dearly missed by fans. Samuel Jachir, U2 Arts, had hoped to see Raikkonen win some races in his final season.

“I’m very fond of Kimi Raikkonen and the child in me was kind of hoping that he would surprise me,” Jachir said. “But with an Alfa Romeo, it is not surprising that he only managed to score 10 points.”

The most memorable motif of the 2021 season was undeniably the rivalry between Mercedes racer Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull racer Max Verstappen. Throughout the season, the two made exciting and sometimes dangerous decisions in the hopes of gaining a championship lead. This rivalry had some fans, like U2 Arts student Maya Sorguc, on the edge of their seats.

“Compared to the seasons before, it was much more exciting because of the intense competition between Hamilton and Verstappen,” Sorguc said. “The viewers were divided into two groups, which made it more fun to watch or talk about it with friends.”

Throughout the season, risky maneuvers led to both drivers colliding or being penalized during certain races, with Hamilton denouncing Verstappen’s driving as dangerous. Nevertheless, both drivers arrived at the last race in Abu Dhabi tied for points, meaning that the championship winner would be decided by whoever passed the checkered flag first. Verstappen overtook Hamilton in the final lap after a safety car procedure change, which allowed racing to resume for the very last lap instead of finishing under a speed limit. The FIA’s additional decision to allow Verstappen to start immediately behind Hamilton, despite originally having to lap several other drivers, presented the Dutch racer a final chance at victory, which he then seized.

After seven seasons in the sport, Dutchman Max Verstappen became one of the youngest world champions ever, at only 24 years old. This win was highly controversial, as Hamilton had an advantage over Verstappen the entire race. Commentators and fans alike criticized the FIA’s sudden rule change for not accounting for Hamilton’s lengthy advantage. As of today, Hamilton has not commented or discussed the situation, but Mercedes’ boss Toto Wolff described Hamilton’s loss as a robbery. It will certainly be interesting to see the impact of this defeat on Hamilton’s racing in 2022.