The Tribune Vol. 43, Issue 3

The CPC’s fear and hate cannot dictate federal policy

PG. 5

Shifting perspective and starting again A

PG. 8-9

PG. 13

(Mason Bramadat / The Tribune)

Mohawk Mothers return to court as McGill begins drilling on New Vic site

A symphony of sneezes and a chorus of coughs

How to avoid the Frosh flu and other campus diseases

Agatha Ryan

Contributor

As summer comes to a close and courses, syllabi, and three-hour lectures slap us all in the face, Mc -

Gill first years are hit with yet another challenge: The “Frosh flu.” Frosh, four days of constant socializing, drinking, and partying, often leaves students mentally and physically burnt out. The Frosh flu presents the same symptoms as the common cold—coughs, sneezes,

PG. 2

and congestion—coupled with a general aura of hangover. Here are some tips on how to navigate the pesky and hard-to-shake Frosh flu in your first year on campus.

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The Tribune has cut off Scooter Braun as Social Media

Manager

Manager Scooter Braun mysteriously lost multiple A-List clients in Aug. 2023.

Sophia Micomonaco Contributor

Music Manager

Scott “Scooter” Braun is notorious for buying his ex-client Taylor Swift’s master recordings in 2019, preventing her legal access to the licensing and royalty rights for music

she wrote. When this news went public, Braun’s other famous clients, namely Demi Lovato and Justin Bieber, defended him on social media. Now, it seems that Braun’s reputation is on the line— Lovato and Bieber, as well as Ariana Grande, Idina Menzel, and Carly Rae

Redbirds rugby suffers loss against ÉTS Piranhas in home opener

Jepsen, have cut ties with Braun. These departures all occurred in August, sparking speculation: Is this a case of established musicians deciding to go solo? Or are these the consequences of Braun’s rumoured mistreatment of his clients?

Eliza Lee Staff Writer

After a dominating 77-3 victory over the Carleton Ravens in their RSEQ season opener, the McGill Redbirds rugby (1–1) faced off against the École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS)’s Piranhas (2–0) on Sept. 16 at Percival

Molson Stadium. In a hardfought match, the reigning RSEQ champions were unable to repeat the offensive prowess of their first game, falling to the Piranhas with a final score of 20-3.

The midday sun burned hot and bright as the teams took to the field for the game in front of a rowdy crowd of

925 attendees. The game started on a rough note for the Redbirds as the Piranhas scored their first try and secured their conversion for a five-point lead just three minutes into the game. However, soon after, McGill outside centre Martin Laval successfully converted a penalty kick to make the score 5-3.

The 20-3 loss puts an end to a four-game win streak against ÉTS

Mohawk Mothers return to court as McGill begins drilling on New Vic site

McGill declares no evidence of unmarked graves found during initial stage of investigation

Jasjot Grewal News Editor

Content Warning: Mentions of assault and death

The Kanien’kehá:ka Kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers) called an emergency three-hour hearing on Sept. 14 over the ongoing archaeological investigation into McGill’s New Vic Project site, where they believe there may be unmarked graves of Indigenous children.

Prompted by McGill’s decision to commence drilling on the site on Sept. 12, the Mothers appeared before Justice Gregory Moore to request a Declaratory Relief and Safeguard Motion, which would effectively halt drilling and excavation on the site. As of Sept. 18, Justice Moore had not yet reached a decision.

As set out in the settlement agreement reached between the Mothers and the defendants—McGill, the Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI), the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH), the City of Montreal, and the Attorney General of Canada— in April, archaeologists have used Historical Human Remains Detection Dogs (HHRDD) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to search the former RVH grounds. On Aug. 3, McGill Provost and Vice Principal Christopher Manfredi announced that nine anomalies containing grave-type features were located. But the Mothers disputed this, alleging that McGill underreported findings on the site and omitted several more ambiguous anomalies.

McGill announced, to the Mother’s dissatisfaction, that the initial phase of the investigation had been completed in a Sept. 11 press release. On Sept. 12, McGill reported that the subsequent step of the investigation was beginning, which would involve infrastructural drilling and direct archaeological excavation in order to “render various buildings operationally autonomous.”

Drilling has started in Zone 10 of the site, in which no anomalies were found. However, Zone 10 borders on Zone 11, which contains potential anomalies. Since an anomaly is investigated by starting at the flagged spot and slowly excavating outward until it is found to be devoid of any grave-type features, the Mothers fear that drilling in Zone 10 could disturb the radius

of Zone 11, in which evidence may lie.

On the day of the hearing, held at the Montreal Courthouse, Mohawk Mother Kwetiio was the first to speak. She asserted that McGill’s press releases, as well as Executive Director of the New Vic Project Pierre Major’s recent affidavit, inaccurately quoted a study that curtailed the reliability of HHRDD findings and did not acknowledge the advancements the technique has made in the twelve years since the study was released. While the study claimed that up to 70 per cent of HHRDD detections could potentially be false positives, Kwetiio shared that this number was exponentially reduced when more than one dog detected the same areas to be of concern.

Kwetiio also said that dismissing the HHRDD findings as an “absence of evidence” should be equated to denialism. She listed several other artifacts that should have been considered evidence but have not been further examined, including a woman’s dress and a ball of hair.

The Mothers claimed a breach of the settlement agreement had occured due to what they believe to be a lack of collaboration from the defendants, Kwetiio shared. Along with a refusal to share findings with the Canadian Archaeological Association (CAA) Working Group on Unmarked Graves for a peer review, Kwetiio alleged that the defendants did not accept many of the recommendations from the courtappointed archaeological panel, which disbanded on Aug. 3.

Kwetiio also insisted that Sections 2, 3, and 4 of the agreement—which grant the Mothers expedited access to the archives of McGill, McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), and Library and Archives Canada—have been breached, as the Mothers have not received access to the archives.

According to Kwetiio, the breaches of the agreement are setting a dangerous precedent for future relationships between Indigenous peoples and Canadian institutions. She ended her statement by calling McGill’s argument against halting work due to the financial burden of inflation “absurd” and asked Justice Moore to grant an urgent Declaratory Relief and Safeguard Motion.

“What happens there is when they excavate, where they put the piles, everything could be cross-contaminating,” Kwetiio said in a press conference after the hearing. “It’s important that certain places aren’t dug up, and that was our primary goal back in October [2022]: To stop the excavation before we find remains in the wrong manner.”

Next, Mohawk Mother Kahentinetha shared a statement before the court, explaining that on the New Vic site—where the Mothers are present daily alongside cultural

monitors to oversee all excavation and ensure it is in accordance with Indigenous protocols—the Mohawk Mothers have been assigned dirty toilets to use in an area with flying debris. Additionally, Kahentinetha claimed that the security guard who verbally assaulted the Mothers and cultural monitors on July 25 had been present on the site once again.

McGill’s lawyer, Doug Mitchell, was the next to present to the court. He asserted that the mandate of the panel of archaeologists only went as far as Section 11 of the current settlement agreement, which states that the panel is limited to mapping and determining techniques. As dictated by Section 16, Mitchell explained that McGill and the SQI decide the executions of such techniques as soon as mapping is complete.

In an interview with The Tribune , Associate Provost Angela Campbell shared that work has been progressing in alignment with the panel’s mandate.

“The agreement that was reached among the parties recommended the establishment of a panel and the panel mapped the area of the site and mapped it according to different zones,” Campbell said. “Any work that’s been carried out on the site is being carried out in accordance with the techniques recommended by the panel.”

Since the panel has carried out Section 11, Mitchell told the court that the panel could reconvene if “there is some unexpected discovery,” at which point all parties would seek the guidance of the panel for next steps, as stipulated by the current settlement agreement.

When Justice Moore asked Mitchell what mapping constitutes, Mitchell explained it consists of creating an initial map of priority zones where anomalies could potentially exist. Kwetiio shared that since mapping is an ongoing process, however, and that the panel’s duties did not cease once they created the initial diagram.

Justice Moore also asked Mitchell about how the defendants can be sure that taking the soil out and putting it back into the ground in Zone 10 is an appropriate archaeological technique, as the panel

has been disbanded and can not offer guidance. Mitchell stated that GeoScan— an archaeological firm specializing in GPR—is an expert firm and should be trusted with this task.

Finally, Julian Falconer— representing the third-party Office of the Special Interlocutor (OSI), Kimberly Murray—gave a statement. Falconer, who appeared before the court virtually, spoke to the immense distrust between parties—a distrust that has now fueled the perception that Murray is a biased party.

Falconer read aloud a passage from Murray’s June 2023 Interim Report, in which she states that her role is “not to be neutral or objective,” but rather “a fierce and fearless advocate to ensure that the bodies and Spirits of the missing children are treated with the care, respect, and dignity that they deserve.”

Falconer also frowned upon Mitchell’s earlier definition of the term mapping, which made disbanding of the panel permissible. He pointed out the panel’s numerous recommendations that were discarded by McGill and the SQI, indicating that the defendants seem to have a different definition of what “being bound by the panel” means in comparison to the Mothers.

Justice Moore asked Falconer what the OSI’s position is regarding the contention around Zones 10 and 11. Falconer emphasized that the panel is the heart of the agreement and that it should be restored prior to any discussions about the zones.

Justice Moore adjourned court without a ruling, explaining that he would need a few days to make a decision.

In a press conference after the hearing, Kahentinetha expressed that the Mothers will keep fighting, despite the legal obstacles they may face.

“We’re going after our children, and there’s no way we can just stop because the other party says, [...] ‘You didn’t do this, or you didn’t do that,’” Kahentinetha said. “The children are here [....] We will do everything we can to find them.”

SQI was not available for comment before the publication deadline.

The initial stage of the investigation began on Apr. 6 after the settlement agreement was signed. (Jasjot Grewal /The Tribune )

The next hearing is set to take place on Oct. 25. (Mason Bramadat /The Tribune )

Media Relations Office hosts press event with Associate Provost for Indigenous Initiatives

Associate Provost Celeste Pedri-Spade oversees the implementation of McGill’s 52 Calls

Lily Cason Managing Editor

On Sept. 13, McGill’s Media Relations Office hosted a roundtable interview for student media with Celeste PedriSpade, the university’s first Associate Provost for Indigenous Initiatives and an Associate Professor of Anthropology.

Pedri-Spade, who began her fiveyear appointment in September 2022, is an Anishinaabekwe (Ojibwe) and a member of the Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation in northwestern Ontario. During the roundtable, she spoke about the university’s progress in carrying out the 52 calls to action outlined in the 2017 final report of the Provost’s Taskforce

on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education, the implementation of which she is responsible for supervising through the Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII).

The OII serves as a “central administrative site” to oversee Indigenous initiatives at the university. The office’s role is to help aid in rendering the university community safe, welcoming, and inclusive for Indigenous people. She stressed that, despite the existence of the OII, all sectors of the university must actively work toward outreach and collaboration with Indigenous communities.

“I think everybody should be doing Indigenous community engagement, right? It’s not just the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. We can help, and we do [provide] support,” Pedri-Spade said.

As of the Fall 2022 census, 257 students—1.1 per cent of the total student population— self-identified as Indigenous. As of February 2022, there were 31 Indigenous faculty and staff members.

Pedri-Spade emphasized the importance of hiring Indigenous people at the university and pointed to the success the OII has had in recruiting more Indigenous staff and faculty over the past few years.

“I think one of the things that is really key [...] is recruiting First

Nations, Inuit, and Métis scholars, who then bring those perspectives,” Pedri-Spade said. “They not only speak from their nationhood, but they speak from their lived experience and positionality.”

She stated that 15 Indigenous faculty and staff joined McGill last year and that another 10 will be welcomed at a ceremony in October—all of whom are teaching Indigenous courses.

When asked about McGill’s work on Indigenous issues, Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) vice-president of University Affairs Lalia Katchelewa expressed that progress on the 52 calls to action has sometimes felt slow. Despite this, she showed optimism about the OII’s future.

“I am looking forward to seeing the university’s progress on the 52 calls to action under this new administration,” Katchelewa wrote to The Tribune. “It seems there was a lack of momentum in the past few years on a few of these initiatives.”

Pedri-Spade also spoke to the financial and community support that the OII provides to decrease barriers to access and encourage more Indigenous individuals to come to the university. She touched on the importance of working closely with the Indigenous community at McGill to determine what needs exist and how they can be met.

“One of the things that we’re really excited about is that we’ve been working for a year doing a needs assessment with our Indigenous students,” Pedri-Spade said. “That has now culminated into a position that is

to Action

about to be posted, where we have an actual dedicated, Indigenous students’ mental health counselor within the First Peoples’ House.”

Thomasina Phillips, current Associate Director of Indigenous Student Success and former First Peoples’ House manager, wrote about the importance of First Peoples’ House as a resource for McGill’s Indigenous community in a statement for The Tribune

“Some of the initiatives coordinated by [First Peoples’ House] include orientation workshops and information sessions, cultural and arts-based group activities such as beading, moccasin-making and drumming,” Phillips wrote by email. “Through [First Peoples’ House], students have access to personal support with Elders on a bi-weekly basis and academic and practical supports like subsidized tutoring, writing support, free printing, study space, and free snacks.”

Leah Louttit-Bunker, who is co-chair of the Indigenous Student Alliance, stressed the key role that First Peoples’ House has played throughout her university experience in a statement to The Tribune

“The First Peoples’ House was and still is my home away from home after studying at McGill for three years now, it is an incredibly supportive space where Indigenous students can make friends and connect with our cultures,” Louttit-Bunker wrote.

Pedri-Spade and Louttit-Bunker both encouraged students to attend McGill’s 2023 Indigenous Awareness Weeks, which are put on by First Peoples’ House and the OII and take place from Sept. 18 to Sept. 30.

OSVRSE hosts ninth annual #ConsentMcGill campaign

The office aims to re-establish its presence on campus after closure last fall

Shani Laskin News Editor

Content Warning: Mentions of sexual violence

McGill’s Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education (OSVRSE) hosted the ninth annual #ConsentMcGill campaign—a week devoted to educating the McGill community about consent, healthy relationships, and sexual violence through various events and workshops—from Sept. 11 to Sept. 15. Created in 2016, OSVRSE works to provide resources to McGill community members, including crisis intervention, short-term counseling, group therapy, and informational workshops.

After a temporary closure last fall, OSVRSE re-opened in January of this year and hired additional staff throughout the spring. Since June, the office has been operating with five permanent staff members—the largest staff size since its establishment. Associate Director of OSVRSE Émilie Marcotte explained in an interview with The Tribune that the office is currently focused on increasing visibility within the McGill community.

“Because we were closed last fall, and before that, there were all the COVID measures in place, there’s a big chunk of the student population who’ve never really gotten to participate in inperson events,” Marcotte said. “The main goal this year is to re-solidify our presence on campus, make sure people are aware of services and feel comfortable reaching out if [...] they need.”

OSVRSE’s events centred on self-care for survivors, such as trauma-informed yoga. OSVRSE also led workshops including one titled “Becoming an Active Bystander” and another called “Peer Support and Self-Care Journaling.” The week ended with a comedy night, partnered with They Go Low, We Go Laugh—a variety show that showcases women of colour and queer comedians.

The comedy show featured seven comedians whose sets focused on varying topics, including sexual awakenings, womanhood, and queer identity. Sara Meleika, the producer of the troupe, told The Tribune that she hoped that the diverse lineup would help audience members feel less alone in their sexual identity.

“I tried to curate a lineup of people that I know who are both sexually free and also people who are like me when I was young, who were very sexually scared,” Meleika said. “So I hope that everybody in the audience finds one person that they feel seen by in their stories of trying to understand themselves and the experiences they’ve had.”

Aside from educational initiatives, one of OSVRSE’s central services is allowing community members to seek support for incidents of sexual violence without having to file a formal report. In an email to The Tribune, Arts Senator Sophia Garofalo explained how that can eliminate certain barriers to accessing support.

“I wish students knew that disclosing does not mean reporting,” Garofalo wrote. “Reporting can be a major barrier for survivors; after having a sense of control taken from you, the last thing

you want to do is be forced to report or do anything outside of what feels comfortable to you.”

During the office’s closure last fall, there was a reported lack of communication with students on the part of the administration. Garofalo said that she hopes to foster a stronger relationship between the administration and the student body to minimize confusion and ensure that survivors can access the support they need.

“I really would like to see an increased relationship with the student government,” Garofalo wrote. “OSVRSE is a great resource for us to be able to send students to, and to

continue that relationship I’d like to see increased communication, especially from administration. When issues similar to what we experienced last fall unfold, it is crucial to allow the student body the chance to plan ahead of time, instead of constantly [...] erring [on] the side of damage control.”

Those in need of support for sexual violence can book a session with an OSVRSE staff member or email the office at osvrse@mcgill.ca. Students can also reach out to the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society by calling 438.943.4855 or the Office of the Dean of Students by emailing deanofstudents@mcgill.ca.

The administration created OSVRSE with the adoption of McGill’s Policy Against Sexual Violence. (Maïa Salhofer /The Tribune )

The 52 calls to action fall into five categories: Student recruitment, physical representation, academic programs, research and academics, and building capacity. (mcgill.ca)

Along Party Lines: Language education rights being debated as Bill 40 returns to court

CAQ announces appeal of Superior Court’s English-language school ruling

Galia Pakman Arrojo Contributor

Following the Quebec Superior Court’s ruling that portions of Bill 40—an education reform meant to transform the governance of English school boards— were unconstitutional, Premier François Legault publicly announced on Sept. 8 that his administration intended to send the case back to court. As of Sept. 15, their request for appeal has officially been filed.

What is Bill 40?

Bill 40 is one piece of the mounting legislation and public debate regarding what place English will continue to have in Quebec. The province adopted Bill 96, which built upon Quebec’s previous language legislation established in Bill 101, in May of last year. Portions of the bill came into effect this summer, notably, education reforms that cap the number of students permitted to enroll in English-language CEGEPs and set requirements for the number of courses instructed in French that students are required to take in order to graduate.

Bill 40, adopted in February 2020, planned to convert English-language school boards into “service centres.” The Ministry of Education described this reform as a way to provide Quebec schools with “a modern, efficient governance, closer to the needs of students.” The Quebec English School Board Association (QESBA) disagreed and brought it to court on behalf of nine of Quebec’s anglophone school boards, claiming that it is unconstitutional.

Why

is QESBA opposed to Bill 40?

In an interview with The Tribune , QESBA Executive Director Russell Copeman explained the organization’s rationale for challenging the bill and why he considers the case paramount for English-language education rights in Quebec.

“We are convinced [the bill] is a significant shift, that it dilutes the responsibilities of the school service center governance model and transfers that responsibility to the government of Quebec,” Copeman said. “It would be [...] practically an elimination of the autonomy or independence of democratically-elected school boards.”

According to QESBA, this transfer of control violates Article 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees provincial minority language groups the right to education in their language.

Copeman also appealed to the francophone minority experience in the rest of Canada, highlighting what he sees as the comparable position of Quebec’s anglophone population as protected under Article 23. According to the Canadian government, over 160,000 francophones study at community-run French-language primary and secondary institutions outside of Quebec. As of 2016, New Brunswick was 31.8 per cent francophone, the Yukon was 4.6 per cent francophone, and Prince Edward Island was 3.3 per cent francophone.

“Francophones outside of Quebec [...] have been fighting for decades to establish French language schools, to establish a governance structure that they are in control of,” Copeman said. “The link between education and the vitality of a minority community is very, very clear—and that’s why it’s so important in our view to maintain school boards under the control and management of the community.”

What is the current status of Bill 40?

The Quebec Superior Court ruled in favour of QESBA on Aug. 2, affirming that portions of Bill 40 indeed violated the rights of Quebec’s anglophone minority. Just over a month later, the governing party Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) filed an appeal of that ruling.

QESBA has publicly criticized the CAQ’s decision in their most recent press release, expressing their disappointment on behalf of the province’s English-

speaking population—particularly the 100,000 anglophone students their organization represents. Quebec’s liberal and conservative opposition parties echoed the sentiment, calling for the CAQ to drop their plans to appeal and encouraging unity in the face of pressing educational concerns plaguing Quebec—most notably, staff shortages that have left thousands of vacant teaching positions across the province.

The Quebec Ministry of Education did not respond to The Tribune’s request for a comment.

As part of their August ruling on Bill 40, the Superior Court held that the Quebec government should have consulted their community’s anglophone minority before taking steps to enact their legislation. (Drea Garcia Avila / The Tribune)

In the Headlines: Week of Sept. 18, 2023

National: UN report published on Sept. 6 says Canada’s foreign worker situation is a form of contemporary slavery

International: Flooding in Libya kills over 11,000

McGill announced that the Redpath Museum on the downtown campus will be closed to the public as of January 2024 for a two-year renovation project. The renovations—which are funded by grants from the Ministry of Education— will make the building more accessible, with additions such as another entrance to the building, an elevator for the three floors, and gender- and mobility-inclusive bathrooms. If approved, the museum, which was originally built in 1882, will consider using the renovation period to install a more modern heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. Throughout renovations, items, including the infamous Gorgosaurus and the zoology collection, will be stored elsewhere, meaning that access to most of them will be minimal. Certain items, however, will be available upon request for use by the Faculty of Science and researchers.

The National Assembly of Quebec is currently studying Bill 31: A potential housing policy that would restrict tenants from transferring their leases, along with other changes. Lease transfers, also known as assignments of lease, entail a tenant giving another tenant their lease. Currently, the landlord cannot refuse a lease transfer unless they have a good reason to, such as the new tenant’s past behavior. Quebec’s Housing Minister France-Élaine Duranceau introduced this bill earlier this year. Since then, this policy has received backlash from housing organizations such as Regroupement des comités logement et associations de locataires du Québec . Last Saturday, Sept. 16, the organization led protests in different cities across Quebec, including Montreal. According to protestors, lease transfers are a way to find affordable housing by preventing landlords from hiking rents, and banning them without offering social housing pushes some tenants into an even more precarious situation.

On Sept. 6, Tomoya Obokata, a Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery for the United Nations (UN), released a statement regarding the situation of foreign workers in Canada following his visit to Canada from Aug. 23 to Sept. 6. In the statement, he said that temporary workers are employed to fill a permanent need in the Canadian labour market, which demonstrates the value of their work. Obokata recommended that the government impose clearer regulations on employers concerning workers’ rights to prevent further exploitation and abuse. Current work permit regimes force foreign workers—who largely consist of marginalized communities, such as Indigenous people and people of African descent—into precarious situations where they avoid reporting abuse committed by employers for fear of being deported. Obokata urged the Canadian government to protect foreign migrant workers by offering them permanent residency at the end of their work term.

Content Warning: Mentions of mass casualties

Hurricane Daniel ravaged Derna, a city in the North of Libya, on Sept. 10, resulting in the city flooding, two dams bursting, and infrastructure and houses destroyed. Over the weekend, the number of casualties rose to over 11,000 people, with approximately 10,100 individuals still missing. Libya has struggled to carry out its rescue efforts because it lacks a centralized government, due to an ongoing rivalry between an internationally-recognized government in the west and a competing authority in the east. However, the rival governments have collaborated to respond to the emergency situation. Nations from around the globe and the International Committee of the Red Cross have joined in the efforts to provide shelter, medical supplies, food, and other necessities to victims. They are also working with rescue groups to find signs of life as a horrid smell of human decomposition has cast itself over the city.

McGill: Redpath Museum closing as of January 2024

Local: National Assembly of Quebec studying Bill 31—a new housing policy forbidding lease transfers

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The CPC’s fear and hate cannot dictate federal policy

The Tribune Editorial Board

On Sept. 9, members of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) voted to approve a handful of new socially conservative policies, meant to levy an attack against so-called “woke ideology.” Though in recent years the right have co-opted the term to refer to anything they dislike, the term “woke” initially signified the need for Black Americans to stay aware of police brutality, racially motivated violence, and the dangers of white supremacist North America. Focusing on transgender health care, vaccine mandates, and “race-based” hiring, the CPC’s policies call back to the age-old rhetoric of “protecting our kids.” This thinly-veiled attack on some of Canada’s most vulnerable communities only shows that the Conservative Party has no qualms with promoting fear and hate.

One of the party’s biggest proposals is limiting access to transgender health care for minors, citing a lack of maturity and a false narrative about detransitioning. This fear mongering inherits the hate of older right wing movements, where adults have used children in opposition to human rights, as racist, classist, and homophobic symbols of innocence. To protect themselves from the freedom of others, conservatives have consistently silenced children and exploited their image to support their agenda. The ‘Save Our Children’ movement, for example, launched in Florida in the 1970s as a counter to the gay rights movement, and

OFF THE BOARD

Tillie Burlock Managing Editor

attempted to conflate the queer community with sex offenders and pedophiles.

We must recognize the long-established history of transphobia and its underlying misogyny to understand the new policies CPC delegates agreed upon. Oftentimes, transphobia centres around questions of who is allowed to be a woman. Policies that target trans women, such as bathroom bills or testosterone limits in sports play into the broader conservative agenda of controlling women’s bodies.

In their attempt to do away with all vaccine mandates, the Conservatives argued that Canadians should have bodily autonomy––an idea that contradicts their other attacks on individual choice. Ironically, vaccine mandates are inherently about group immunity, public health, and protecting the immunocompromised, while gender-affirming care does not directly affect anyone except for the individual receiving it. In fact, it can be extremely dangerous to deny people gender-affirming care, putting an alreadyvulnerable group at even greater risk.

In pursuing a political agenda that puts an end to race-based hiring policies in federally funded jobs––agreed upon by 95 per cent of the caucus––the Conservatives purposefully ignored Canada’s history of settler colonialism and racism, and provided companies a legal way to continue in their bigotry. People of colour in Canada have been historically excluded from many of these spaces, and taking away policies made to restore justice will only reinforce inequalities of the past. A federal government that

is truly representative of the diversity the country holds cannot and will not be achieved unless past harms are not only acknowledged but redressed to create an equitable society. Skipping this step will exacerbate the systemic discriminations that comprise all of our institutions, including prisons, schools, and the workforce.

However, conservatives are not the only ones to blame. The incumbent Liberal Party, along with the rest of the political apparatus, is not innocent. Staying silent in the face of injustice allows the CPC to build and solidify their harmful agenda. The Liberal Party must look back at the last eight years, which have seen both progress and regression, and recognize that they must continue to fight for rights for all Canadians.

Canadians must re-imagine their current conceptualization of inclusion into the state, and make their voice heard through the countless ways democracy affords them. Individual action cannot be underestimated any longer when human rights are threatened: Individuals must take to the streets, write to their Members of Parliament, and use their vote to defend their values.

Forgetting the power students hold is easy, but change can be made anywhere they are ready to make it. Within the McGill community, supporting and participating with queer and trans groups on campus is an important first step toward working alongside marginalized people. It is time we take up, protest, and speak out—in order to move toward liberation for everyone.

Filling the massive hole in my life left by 15 years of competitive sports

in university.

In my younger years, I thought I would play Division I hockey in the States, just like my dad did at Dartmouth. When I stopped taking hockey as seriously and began to focus on baseball in 10th grade, I transitioned to thinking about small Division III liberal arts schools in New York. In grade 11, I became more realistic and began considering my options to play at Canadian schools. But I was met with an unanticipated twist: Playing a male-dominated sport had become more of a chore than a pleasure. I no longer wanted to play baseball in university.

out, with no team sport to ground myself in. I emailed the coach of the University of Toronto softball team, and explained how well I thought my baseball history and natural athleticism would transfer. He told me I had a spot on the team––provided I actually switched schools. Obviously, I didn’t.

There are many different ways to cope with anxiety. Some go for runs, others meditate––I tryout for sports teams.

Until the fall of 2020, I was never an anxious person. Between the baseball diamond, the hockey rink, the gym, and the classroom, my day provided no break to dwell on my lack of social life or post-undergrad plans. Even in the odd moment where I mulled over my future, there was always one certainty I could look to for comfort––that I would play a sport

Grade 12 was dedicated to making friends, playing on every sports team my school offered, and anticipating the day I would move into my dorm at McGill. But that day never came. Instead, I spent a year living at home, watching burnt-out professors through a screen and debating what school I would transfer to so I could play softball.

No part of me wanted to play softball until the slowness of late 2020 settled in. The rise of COVID-19 cases and the inability to connect in person left me fearing what was to come when I moved

Shortly thereafter, I reached out to the McGill rowing coach, who happily told me they would be restarting their novice team once COVID-19 restrictions relaxed. I had only rowed for a few weeks when my dad thought that rowing crew was the solution to my post-quitting-the-sport-youlove anxiety. I never ended up trying out for the rowing team, but the comfort of knowing I had the option soothed me.

In the weeks leading up to moving to Montreal for my second year, I had never been more anxious. My roommate went to Concordia and I had no idea how to find my place in a new city. So, naturally, I tried out for the women’s hockey team. I didn’t make it––an unsurprising result given I hadn’t played competitive hockey in three years––but it reminded me that the solution to my lack of belonging

in my early months at McGill was to find a team. So, I joined the intramural free-agents Facebook group and made myself a hockey team filled with players who were much better than me. We won two mugs in the three seasons we played together. I also joined an intramural ultimate frisbee team organized by my cousin––we went on to win a mug in our first season together.

It turned out winning wasn’t enough, and I found myself trying out for McGill’s golf team at the start of my third year and the ultimate frisbee team at the start of my fourth––both successful endeavours (what can I say). Clearly, there is something in trying out for a varsity sports team that calms my pre-fall-semester anxiety. If filling the void left by playing competitive sports for 15 years is something I’m forced to do for the rest of my life, trying out for a new varsity sports team every year really isn’t so bad. And now that I have realized how much I enjoy it, there is a world of opportunity for the impending varsity tryout leading into my final year at McGill––the real puzzle will be coming up with a new coping mechanism for when I graduate.

COMMENTARY

Sophie Naasz Contributor

Tension over the use of French and English is nothing new for the city of Montreal. Decades of disputes between self-appointed defendants of French and those who recognize language laws’ discriminatory nature have brewed a debate so polarized that middle ground seems like a fantasy. Plowing straight through this precarious political territory is French

New French language funding cannot be a tool of linguistic domination

Language Minister Jean-Francois Roberge, who announced on Sept. 1 that Quebec will grant the City of Montreal 1.5 million CAD to improve various programs to promote the language amongst the city’s business community, new arrivals, and young people over the next three years. Balancing calls from the Mouvement Québec français for stricter legislation protecting the French language and human rights concerns from Quebec liberals, this funding, if allocated correctly, could be

exactly what the city needs to pacify both sides of the debate.

Quebec is famous for its distinct character from the rest of Canada. Quebecois culture has allowed Montreal to blossom into the hub for Frenchlanguage companies and arts including theatre, radio, film, and multimedia. However, more and more anglophones have migrated to the city resulting in it having the highest English-language concentration in Quebec. Due to this, many believe that the French language is at risk of disappearance. With 80 per cent of Quebec’s population speaking French, it is unsurprising that non-French speakers would be attracted to the city where there is the most diversity in languages and the most access to opportunities and services. This makes the targeting of Montreal particularly controversial as some fear that promoting the French language will result in further marginalization of the non-French-speaking population who already face tough restrictions due to the recent passing of Bill 96. Such legislation erases Indigenous peoples and migrants by institutionalizing the

COMMENTARY

Julian Tabbitt Contributor

assimilation of non-Francophone minority groups. Bill 96 does not offer a helping hand in learning French—it imposes language onto people and walks the fine line of prioritizing language rights over human rights by obstructing access to necessary services for anglophones and allophones.

However, unlike previous French-language laws that have diminished opportunities for nonFrancophones, this initiative is unimposing to English speakers. Instead, the investment aims to provide resources that will smooth the transition to Bill 96 for businesses and provide language programs for immigrants to decrease barriers surrounding employment and education. Speaking French opens up opportunities for higher-level jobs as well as increased chances for placement in French school systems. Having these kinds of support resources for refugees and immigrants could make entering a new city with such a distinct environment less daunting. This funding, though, must also support Indigenous anglophones, by working in tandem with Indigenous language funding initiatives.

Despite the promise of this new investment, the real question lies in whether the programs will allocate the funding according to plan or push for French language domination and further exclusion of non-Francophones. It is one thing to be proud of a culture and hope that people will continue to celebrate it, but it is another to let the desire to uphold tradition restrict individuals from opportunities through a difficult language barrier.

Even if all does not go as designed, this new funding will at least serve as a way to avoid more aggressive methods of promoting the French language. With the most recent census showing a slight decrease in the percentage of Canadians who speak French at home, the Mouvement Québec français is advocating more than ever for stricter legislation, claiming the new funding is not a strong enough action. If this funding can curb the intense demands for legislation and offer a more peaceful solution to promoting the French language without increasing monolinguistic oppression, it may just be what Quebec needs.

Walkable cities are not a culture war, but a necessity

When you think of a street, what do you visualize? You might imagine an arterial road like Sherbrooke or René-Lévesque, with two lanes for cars in both directions while pedestrians are relegated to small sidewalks. Or, you might think of something more like Mont-Royal and PrinceArthur, streets with a balance between cars, cyclists, and pedestrians. Streets like these represent a legacy of what cities looked like for the first half of the 20th century––something

many major cities are trying to recreate with 15-minute cities, an urban planning concept in which all of your daily needs can be met within 15 minutes by walking, cycling, or public transportation. However, these changes have opened a broader discussion about urbanism. For example, this has sparked two new satirical anti-15-minute city clubs : McGill Students Against 15 Min Cities and McGill Suburbanism Club. Online, rightwing internet phenoms have purposefully spread disinformation about 15-minute cities to undermine the potential of this future for urban planning when in reality, 15-minute

cities are vital to a sustainable and equitable future.

The term was first popularized by Carlos Moreno, an urbanist and chief advisor to Paris’ Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has radically embraced the 15-minute city in anticipation for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Paris has added hundreds of kilometres of bike lanes and pedestrianized large swathes of the city in recent years, and aims to plant 170,000 trees by 2026. After initial hesitation to Hidalgo’s urbanism, Parisians liked the changes enough to re-elect her for another six year term in 2020.

Montreal has undergone similar widespread change under Valérie Plante’s leadership, aiming to de-incentivize driving and encourage cycling, walking and taking public transportation. Despite being healthier, cheaper and more sustainable, these modes of transportation have come under attack from local residents’ associations in Montreal. Despite cars continuing to dominate public space and the limited area allocated to pedestrians and cyclists in the city centre, drivers are still dissatisfied. To them, these changes to make Montreal more accessible have only added delays, taken away parking spots, and created inconsistent commute times.

What opponents of the 15-minute city fail to understand is that driving is only discouraged for short trips within the neighbourhood. Jordan Peterson, an infamous professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, has called the 15-minute city a World Economic Forum conspiracy that is led by “idiot tyrannical bureaucrats” who want to

track everywhere you go and dictate where you are allowed to drive. Clearly, Peterson has never been in the suburbs without a car––a reality where you are actually trapped. Unfortunately for Peterson, he is unable to experience such a luxury as he lives in Seaton Village, a neighbourhood in Toronto that embodies the principles of the 15-minute city.

The 15-minute city goes beyond promoting more sustainable modes of transportation. They encourage healthy and active lifestyles for all ages. Streets without cars are much safer for children, and ultimately promote a greater sense of freedom for all. Lower-income people are much less likely to own a car and walkable cities help create more equitable living circumstances by offering more universally accessible services and opportunities.

Walkable cities are a win-win proposition. By ditching cars, people are more likely to spend money on local establishments— making pedestrianized areas consistently more financially productive than non-pedestrianized areas, which in turn provides significantly more tax income for cities. It is undeniable that being able to walk in your own neighborhood fosters a greater sense of community and improves mental well-being. Prioritizing this approach over gentrification creates a kind of health, community and individual, that supplements the democracy of our cities.

It’s time we stop framing the 15-minute city as a war on the car, but rather as a way to rebalance the many modes of transportation we have to create healthier, sustainable and more equitable cities for all.

The details of the plan were announced by French Minister Jean-Francois Rouge at city hall alongside Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante. (Mason Bramadat / The Tribune)

Milton Park’s walk score––a measure of the amount of errands you can complete by foot––of 98/100 makes it a 15-minute-city. (citiesforum.org)

The Tribune Has Cut Off Scooter Braun as Their Social Media Manager

Manager Scooter Braun mysteriously lost multiple A-List clients in the span of a couple days

Sophia Micomonaco Contributor

Continued from page 1.

Music Manager Scott “Scooter” Braun is notorious for buying his ex-client Taylor Swift’s master recordings in 2019, preventing her legal access to the licensing and royalty rights for music she wrote. When this news went public, Braun’s other famous clients, namely Demi Lovato and Justin Bieber, defended him on social media. Now, it seems that Braun’s reputation is on the line—Lovato and Bieber, as well as Ariana Grande, Idina Menzel, and Carly Rae Jepsen, have cut ties with Braun. These departures all occurred in August, sparking speculation: Is this a case of established musicians deciding to go solo? Or are these the consequences of Braun’s rumoured mistreatment of his clients?

Despite his public image as the manager of the 21st century’s biggest stars, Braun is believed to be a controversial character in private. Former clients such as Todrick Hall have stated that Braun behaves in a hostile manner to colleagues and clients alike and prioritizes himself and his legacy. He also neglects his clients, not putting in effort to the point where their careers dwindle—such as when Carly Rae Jepsen’s album Emotion was commercially unsuccessful.

His feud with Swift has only further ignited these rumours. In her song “Vigilante Shit,” Swift sings, “While he was doin’ lines and crossin’ all of mine/Someone told his white-collar crimes to the FBI.” These lyrics are supposedly about Braun, as he faced a $200 million dollar fraud lawsuit in 2021. Although the case was resolved privately, it has not stopped the widely popular and derisive narrative of Braun’s nature from spreading. In the wake of these

Celebrities have joined in on the jokes surrounding the Scooter Braun situation, including Jack Antonoff, one of Taylor Swift’s frequent musical collaborators. (Vecteezy.com)

separations, Braun’s persona reveals his risky misunderstanding of the manager as a role in a star’s life. When should a manager overtake a star? How far could Braun climb before he fell?

Braun was also Ariana Grande’s manager for a decade, but sources have since revealed that Grande fired Braun for a sixmonth period following her split from Pete Davidson in 2018. The reason? Braun was intruding in her personal relationships—which

How “girl dinner” could fight the patriarchy

seems far out of his job description. A source from Business Insider said that even Davidson was surprised at how much management was involved, because it prevented their relationship from truly getting a chance to develop. Although Grande cited their final separation as “friendly,” Braun’s involvement in his clients’ lives could be what put pressure on other departures. Braun was a “quasi-parental figure” to Bieber, for example, involved in all aspects of Bieber’s personal life, including his relationship with Selena Gomez.

In 2021, Braun sold his media investment company Ithaca Holdings to HYBE Entertainment, known for creating the K-pop group BTS. According to the corporate filing, Braun received 462,380 shares totaling US$86.2 million. In Jan. 2023, Braun was conveniently named CEO of HYBE America—so he doesn’t need to worry about his clients leaving him because of his wealth. He’s even joking about it on X. Braun still has his departed clients on his website though, stating that they are “past and present clients,” which only adds to his ongoing tragedy.

After Braun denied Taylor Swift the opportunity to repurchase her masters from him, she took matters into her own hands. Swift re-recorded the tracks that Braun bought, and her versions outsold the originals. Coincidentally, after firing Braun, Grande and Lovato are also releasing re-recordings. Grande released a 10th-anniversary edition of her debut album Yours Truly, while Lovato released Revamped, which includes re-recorded rock versions of her songs. Whether these are a nod to the Braun-Swift feud or not, it is exciting to see artists standing on their own, because it appears that a career under Scooter Braun exceeds the boundaries of a typical manager-artist relationship. All cases considered, the nature of Scooter Braun’s celebrity has influenced this decision’s reception and circulation. Most importantly, and luckily for us, The Tribune has separated from him.

The humorous new internet trend brings to light alternative ways of thinking

Ella Buckingham Staff Writer

Content Warning: Discussion of disordered eating

“Girl dinner,” a recent TikTok sensation, reveals what’s lurking in the backs of refrigerators and cupboards at dinnertime when you have procrastinated your grocery shopping. An experience resonant to people of all genders, it shows creators poking fun at makeshift meals. While “girl dinner” started as a simple internet trend, it has led to spin-offs such as “girl math” and, intriguingly, “girl hammers.” It also raises questions about the immediate popularity of a simple label that offers a reflection of food insecurity and disordered eating in today’s culture, especially now that people are starting to move away from a reliance on gender-based speech.

“Girl dinner” originated from a TikTok posted by user Olivia Maher on May 12, 2023. In her simple meal of bread, cheese, pickles, and grapes, she coined the phrase in relation to a “medieval peasant” dinner. Fast-forward four months, and it now denotes a meal consisting of assorted foods requiring little cook time and no advanced planning. For example, my personal “girl dinner”

might include hard-boiled eggs, Cheetos, fruit roll-ups, and an apple. Videos of people showing off their “girl dinners” started popping up everywhere. For many, this trend was a way to poke fun at a surprising commonality: Eating whatever is available after a long day of working, studying, or just living. People rejoiced in the realization that others too took off-nights from planning meals and ate whatever fulfilled their immediate needs. For others, “girl dinner” was not just a convenient snack, but a necessary response to food insecurity as creators showed how to stretch their limited resources to create a meal.

However, the trend has also met some backlash, as some consider it an encouragement of eating disorders. Cultural plaintiffs have criticized the unhealthy eating styles being depicted, pointing out they could be used to promote counting calories or limiting nutrition. These are valid points. The key to approaching this with a healthy mindset is to make sure one’s “girl dinner” is nutritionally satisfying, while also recognizing that the trend promotes occasional scenarios rather than a lifestyle.

Let’s get into semantics, though. What do people mean when they pair “girl” with a noun or verb? It can be empowering, such as “hot girl walk,”

or reductive like the age-old phrase, “You play like a girl.” While it may appear nit-picky or overly sensitive to critique a phrase made in jest that women around the world use, the meanings behind and consequences of gender-specific language should always be analyzed and critiqued to avoid misogyny.

Another example is the nowviral “girl math,” which originated from a New Zealand radio show, “Fletch, Vaughan, & Hayley.” “Girl math” entails justifying the purchase of exorbitantly priced items by estimating how many times it may be used or how a person may be saving in other ways. “Girl math” has no real rules, but rather rationalizes purchases otherwise considered frivolous.

The modifier “girl” is reminiscent of roles historically considered “women’s work” – essential tasks deemed mentally trivial but which required ingenuity and resourcefulness. Some people view these nonacademic reasonings about how humans actually function as ‘less than.’

This also ties back to women when one considers the traditional roles women inhabited in the domestic sphere.

These alternative “girl” ways of operating push against traditional, often male-dominated, ways of conceptualizing common-day occur-

rences. Dinner is supposed to be the main meal of the day and requires effort, planning, money, and time to create. “Girl dinner” is more realistic to the lifestyles of time-crunched individuals living busy lives; a “snack dinner” or more tapas-style meal is nutritionally satisfying for the individual and saves time and money. “Girl math” is also practical; if you use an expensive hair dryer every day, then it’s worth the cost.

These trends aren’t invalid or frivolous. They make use of what people have on hand and represent it in a humorous and self-reflective

way. They show the power of alternative ways of thinking. By using “girl” as an identifier, it represents a break from the “normal” approach to an idea.

While using gendered terms might not be ideal, as some may consider it reductive, it also moves us toward recognizing unconventional approaches to work. So the next time one references “girl dinner” or “girl math,” think of it as a small act of rebellion, toward normalizing resourcefulness in search of social transformation for eating, living, and being.

“Girl dinner” has made news headlines in publications such as The Guardian, The New York Times, CNN, and Food Network. (Joshua Coleman / Unsplash)

My journey with art began at the age of eight in a small, local studio in Toronto. Colourful surrealist and impressionist artwork coated the walls, wooden easels bordered the fringes, and fluorescent lights shone softly across the quaint, narrow room. After watching me draw with printer paper and crayons at home, my parents decided to enroll me in art classes, and I was beyond thrilled to try my hand at formally learning fundamental art techniques. After months of practice, I discovered my niche in both a talent and a passion for realism. Replicating the intricacies of the delicate human eye and the more structured forms of hand sketches was enthralling. I would practice drawing delicate wisps and bold brush strokes, their motor movements integrating themselves into my subconscious. However, despite my enthusiasm, I always feared that while I was artistic, maybe I wasn’t creative like everyone else in class seemed to be. I could envision known objects, but when it came to creating original concepts, I struggled. And as I got older, any previous creativity continued to diminish, forgotten and unattended.

But with every complex calculus equation and convoluted signalling pathway I encountered as my journey in science progressed at McGill, I found my original passion for learning life science had dissipated. A subject that once left me enthralled, now left me uninspired. With every class that followed, I felt that the art in science had been reduced to just a premeditated formula.

As I advanced through my post-secondary science education, I began to realize that these formulas demanded rigidity from their creation, leaving no room for imagination or creativity apart from the minds who created them, with us only to input the calculations. I encountered a dilemma: Should I have just pursued art from the beginning?

Upon identifying my feelings, a resentment for science surfaced. I thought my choices were limited: It was either art or science—always shown to be innately disconnected. But why did I feel an obligation towards a single, linear path? Perhaps I felt too drawn to the appeal of an academic career, with all its rigour and praise. But more importantly, what was stopping me from trying again?

Shifting perspective starting

Bridging my uncertainty the arts of

Written, designed, and illustrated

Time: The feeling it passed me by Time: Another aspect that plagued me. I worried that changing my path would make all the time, money, and energy spent on science ultimately futile. Was I wrong about myself and my capabilities? But then, I remember my father’s story, of how he wanted to study computer science but didn’t win the raffle for his study permit. Instead, he redirected his efforts to becoming an industrial engineer. But with his dreams ever-present, he continued studying independently; now, he has been in IT for the past fifteen years. His circular journey took him on different, unexpected paths that led him back to where he always wanted to be. Only now, he arrived at the start again with a different experience, a new perspective, and the knowledge that his drive and determination are the few aspects of life he can control. His story made me consider, if we leave, can we ever come back? I think yes: We return in distinctly different ways.

I considered my strengths: An aptitude for spatial reasoning, which I gained through learning to draw and think about my subjects; surprising memorization skills, which I found after I realized I had unknowingly committed numerous books to memory upon a single read-through, including a 300-page illustrated animal encyclopedia; and a deep interest in visuals and diagrams. So, I found myself drawn to life sciences such as anatomy and chemistry, fascinated by the patterns in life and the interconnection of seemingly different topics and beings. I loved seeing how nature could perpetuate patterns and designs in virtually everything: Waves and spirals, branching and symmetry, dispersion and diffraction. I adored seeing innate art and beauty in science.

Approval: The illustrious idea of standardized intelligence

The craving for approval did not make an explicit appearance. It crept up slowly, manifesting itself during high school with the growing pressure to get into a university, and has lingered since. Parasitically leeching off of the praise that came with the rigorous path of science, I found myself unwillingly wishing for some unknown being to see my work and deem it, and by extension, myself worthy. Perhaps the fear was less about being undistinguished or “ordinary”, but more so about not mattering enough to be remembered. The thought of insignificance in both my artistic and scientific efforts haunted me, along with the worry that I was bound to be forgotten.

How often can we start again?

As often as time allows us.

Fear: The Ubiquity of Failure

In high school, it took me some time to

perspective and starting again uncertainty through of science.

illustrated by Drea Garcia Avila

settle on what I then considered to be my path. But after extensive deliberation between my two passions, the lustre of science and research ultimately won me over. I feared not being able to decide on one specific discipline, forever teetering on the border of two fields, halfhearted on both. But, I have found that an interdisciplinary path would have been more rewarding for me. I was not satisfied with science alone as a stoic, unimaginative discipline, and I wanted my art to be critiqued on its ability to communicate an informative purpose rather than my personal creativity or style. I wanted to dedicate myself fully to both. By merging art and science, so many options were open to me: Scientific illustration, graphic design in the medical field, 3D prosthetics, conservation photography. And no matter my apprehension about being too ordinary in my art, or too uninspired in my research, all I can do for myself is be willing to fail as often as I am willing to try again.

Mathematics can uncover incredible patterns, beautiful laws, and phenomena when we visualize numbers and formulas: Colliding blocks encode pi; prime numbers create spirals; material forms unravel, extending their reach like the branching of trees, river beds, our capillaries and bronchi, all working together to create something the other requires. The spirals in Nautilus shells, unfurling ferns, galaxies, and fingerprints. These elements demonstrate an intrinsic link between the bounded realms of logic and numbers and the free field of subjective creativity—where we bend the rules. There are infinite ways these dimensions can—and should—be intertwined. Why do we think we can only be limited to one discipline, when the world itself shows us how reliant these fields are on one another?

I decided I might be unsure of my decisions. Dissatisfied with my path. I may even be unhappy. How can we go back to something we were? Something we always wanted to be? For myself, I know that I’ve let fear hold me back for too long: The longing for approval from something I believed to be “greater” than myself, that time could never allow me to return to something I used to love. But having been trapped with this sentiment for so long does not make it binding. Like meanders in nature, which transform their linear paths into sinusoidal curves, taking longer routes to accommodate their sheer force and power, we are not always meant to have an unchanging path.

Now, I make space for art: On my walls, in my books, and within my heart. And I decided to approach science with optimism and excitement, knowing these fields have an integral reliance on each other. My journey with art and science might not look like what is typical or expected, but I know now that I can approach it in a multidisciplinary fashion, with all its exhilarating surprises, monotonous moments, and vastly unexpected circumstances. Both are fine by me. I know I can try again as many times as time allows me, and I’m excited to see how my path changes along with me.

My time in university has allowed me to find others who share these conflicted feelings; I have met so many others who struggle with the same: Painters, potterers, and poets—all with a wonder for STEM, but a longing for the return of art in our lives. I wondered, when did I fall under the false guise that these two fields were so vast, that there was nothing connecting them? I have come to realize otherwise.

Interconnecting these Forces: Creating art can require many skills. Any piece requiring precision and accuracy, or even work that strays from the realm of the feasible, demands the comprehension of the subject’s anatomy, reasonable physics of motion, and logic in perspective. These components are imperative in the realms of physics, life sciences, thinking, and reasoning.

Roll out the ‘Rouge’ carpet: Mona Awad’s newest gothic fairytale is here

Awad’s latest novel builds on the bestselling success of her previous novel, ‘Bunny’

Shreya Anand Contributor

Conversations buzzing, drinks flowing, and books in hand, eager readers livened the Mile End’s beloved bar and venue La Sotterranea on Wednesday, Sept. 12. Here to celebrate the launch of her new novel Rouge, Mona Awad stepped out onto the stage alongside interviewer Heather O’ Neill. Awad’s sparkling, Dorothy-esque red heels tapped away on the stage as she walked, and I knew from that instant that Awad’s creativity and ingenuity go far beyond her writing; her storytelling extends to the reality in which she lives.

Mona Awad, author of 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, All’s Well, and her most wellknown piece of work, Bunny, has distinguished herself by her sharp, witty commentary in the midst of intricate and thrilling storylines. Her conversational partner for the night, O’ Neill (BA ‘94), is an award-winning Canadian author known for her short stories, essays, and her recent release, When We Lost Our Heads

Bunny quickly rose to fame after its publication in 2019, receiving praise from Vogue, the ScotiaBank Giller Prize, and TIME magazine. Earlier this year, it was optioned by J.J. Abrams’

production company, Bad Robot. And production company Fremantle and Sinestra is currently optioning her newest book, Rouge, prior to the release of the novel.

As she introduced Awad, O’Neill described her writing as loud and full of risks. In Rouge, Awad uses the fairy tale structure as a stylistic device to explore desire and give voice to powerlessness. Drawing inspiration from Snow White, Awad explores themes of colourism, existentialism, and soul exploration in her clever and fascinating modernization. The book begins with the lead character Belle, a dressmaker, moving from Montreal to Los Angeles following her mother’s mysterious death. On a search to find answers, Belle finds herself entranced by a cult-like spa, prom-

ising unique solutions to achieve an eternal glow. The story analyzes a culture that is hypnotized by youthfulness and external beauty while keeping the readers invested in the characters’ fates.

When Awad began writing this piece, she immediately knew that it would be called Rouge. In fairytales, the colour red represents warning, Awad noted. She further stated that the colour red, or “Rouge”, informs the tone of the story. In the novel, she touches on Disney’s literalization of Snow White’s purity by associating it with her pale skin. In a culture that is built on eurocentric beauty standards, Awad writes on the struggle of young women of colour in seeing beauty when looking in the mirror. Dichotomous themes of enchantment versus envy, and hopefulness in contrast

Could be Good

to powerlessness are embodied in this work.

The voice of reason within this bizarre yet fascinating modern twist of a tale is Awad’s commitment to honesty within each piece she writes. When asked about her relationship with the main character Belle, Awad notes that no piece of her work could be written without a part of herself attached to it. In this novel, the main character “Belle” shares Awad’s halfEgyptian heritage, suggesting an autobiographical reinterpretation of her own struggles in her gothic yet playful fairytale. In All’s Well, the main character suffers with chronic pain, something that the author has spoken about in her real life as well.

At the end of the night, I lined up to meet Awad and have her sign my copy of Rouge. Next to the signing, the artist No Joy played on stage, performing a psychedelic, shoegaze, dreamy mirage of a set. In a trance-like state after giving Mona Awad my pen when hers dried out and experiencing an extremely intimate conversation about beauty and colour, I walked out of the room feeling slightly more seen and slightly more hopeful. In a reality which is sometimes difficult to navigate, Mona Awad and her novel provide a brilliant and honest escape to a world that strangely mirrors our own.

Trivia Night at Gerts

MSCC Comedy Show

A general trivia night presented by P[h]assion with a secret prize for the winning team of five. RSVP and buy tickets online.

Join the McGill Student Comedy Club for their first show of the semester, featuring 5-minute sets from first-timers to experienced McGillian comedians! Gerts Bar (3480 rue McTavish)

Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m.

Tuesday Nov. 30, 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Gerts Bar (3480 Rue McTavish)

Free

$10 per person

Parallel Vol. 4

McGill Jazz Orchestra I Old, New, Borrowed, Blues

An assortment of blues and jazz music performed by McGill musicians. Tickets online or by phone (514-398-4547)

Parallel is a space to celebrate Montreal based artists who play and listen to music from the Arab, Southeast Asian, and Northern African regions. Come for the music, and stay for the vibes. Event is 18+.

Wednesday Dec. 1 7:30 p.m.

The Diving Bell Social Club (3956 boul. St Laurent 3rd floor)

Friday, Sept. 22 at 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. $17 on Eventbrite

Pollack Hall (555 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest) $17 for students/seniors, $22 otherwise

Violet Hour (2LGBTQIA+ Book Fair)

Drawn & Quarterly Double Book

Launch

A series of readings from various 2LGBTQIA+ authors. Part of a series of bilingual events organized by Fierté Littéraire. In-person and on YouTube.

Celebrate the dual book launch of Eva Crocker’s Back in the Land of the Living and Heather Nolan’s How to be Alone. The event will feature a reading, Q&A, and signing. Books are available to purchase at the event.

Sunday Dec. 5, 4 p.m.

Théâtre La Comédie de Montréal (1113 Boul de Maisonneuve E) Free

La Petite Librairie Drawn & Quarterly (176 rue Bernard O)

Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. Free

NERD OUT! (Open mic)

McGill 22nd Annual Pow Wow

Otaku Comedy Show and Nerdstock present a nerd-themed open mic show featuring nerdy comedians. Tickets first-come-first-served. (18+)

Monday Dec. 6, seating starts at 7:30 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.

The First Peoples’ House will be hosting its annual day of traditional dancing, drumming, and singing. Make sure to also check out surrounding Artisan vendors and student group organizations.

McGill Lower West Field

Meltdown Bar (2035 Rue St. Denis) Free

Friday, Sept. 22 at 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free

Spilling

my GUTS on Olivia Rodrigo’s new album

Sophie Naasz Contributor

Sept. 8th marked the release of GUTS, Olivia Rodrigo’s highly anticipated sophomore album. Her first album, Sour, broke records for the longest-reigning debut album in the Billboard 200 Top 10 and hit the world with a wickedly ensnaring set of songs. Following such a powerful and evocative debut album, many fans were apprehensive to hear her new work. Now, more than two years later, GUTS has finally hit streaming platforms, shooting to the top of the charts.

While I don’t personally gravitate towards pop music, and I must admit that I was unwillingly introduced to her new album through my roommate, this album stands out. Her lyrics resonate with any young woman growing up in today’s world. Rodrigo dives into a poignant critique of society’s patriarchal expectations of her as someone who broke into the music industry at a young age. In ‘Making the Bed,’ she sings “They love me like I’m some tourist attraction,” reminding listeners that under the shroud of fame, she is simply a young woman trying to figure out life like the rest of us. Aside from these fiery attacks, Rodrigo lets us reminisce about old romances and bad relationship choices in tracks like ‘Bad Idea, Right?’ and ‘Get Him

Back!’ Conversely, if you want to feel pulled back to those awkward moments of growing up that we all sheepishly laugh about, queue up ‘Ballad of a Homeschool Girl.’

From heartfelt, to defiant, to comedic, the album’s got a song for every listener, and the streams reflect it: The album has been killing the Top 10 and garnered the most streams in the UK for the past week. In releasing the singles ‘Vampire’ and ‘Bad Idea, Right?’ over the summer, GUTS hooked its listeners, and gained frenzied traction for the album’s release. So let loose your previous music preferences and take time to listen to this new album. Or, if you only have time for one song, I recommend “All-American Bitch.” Perhaps it’s just the New Jersey in me talking, but it’s a personal favourite.

Keep a look out for tickets—Olivia Rodrigo comes to Montreal on March 26, 2024, for her world tour. (teenvogue.com)

Bewitched

: The soundtrack where you’re the main character

Caroline Sun News Editor

On Sept. 8 2023, just as autumn’s touch began to grace the air, Laufey released her second album, Bewitched. Across the album’s fourteen tracks, the Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter focuses on themes of romance, unrequited love, and, through it all, coming of age.

What differentiates Laufey (pronounced Lay-vay) from other popular artists is her roots in classical music and jazz. Growing up, Laufey’s family greatly influenced her varied music taste. She learned the piano after developing an interest in jazz, inherited from her father. On the other hand, her classical talents came from her maternal grandfather, who was a retired violin professor from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and her mother and twin sister who were both violinists. Laufey chose the cello instead.

The album’s opener, ‘Dreamer,’ starts off with an almost stubborn optimism about finding someone to love. The beginning vocals evoke a swing-era tune, while the lyrics send a kind of warning to listeners that the journey ahead isn’t an easy one. In ‘Promise,’ the chorus “It hurts to be something, it’s worse to be nothing with you” encapsulates the agony of falling for someone who, though unsuitable, holds an irreplaceable place in one’s heart. The album’s most listened-to song is a catchy, lighthearted, bossa nova track, ‘From the Start.’ The album interlude, ‘Nocturne,’

In upcoming months, Laufey will be touring cities in North America, Asia, and Europe. (facebook.com)

reminiscent of Frédéric Chopin who was famous for his 21 Nocturnes, brings her classical training to the forefront. In ‘Letter to My 13 Year Old Self,’ Laufey consoles her teenage self over anxieties such as having her first kiss later than other classmates, her foreign-sounding name, and being loved. In this ballad, the theme of love is redirected toward oneself, showing a young girl with high hopes and big dreams growing into an self-assured woman. Finally, the last song in the album, ‘Bewitched,’ portrays the strange sensation of falling for someone as flutes and harps sing arabesques, the mysterious and magical melody leaving the listener spellbound.

As the weather cools down and sweaters and scarves slowly make their way back into our wardrobes, Bewitched offers an enchanting soundtrack for anyone who has found someone to share their time. Or, it can be a way to spend their time by themselves and ponder on that dream, if desired, coming true.

Bewitched is available to listen on all streaming platforms.

Mona Awad, author of Rouge, was born right here in Montreal. (Suzanna Graham / The Tribune)

Summer fashion flings to spice up your wardrobe

How to recreate some of the hottest trends of the summer without breaking the bank

Sophie Naasz Contributor

If you’ve ever seen Confessions of a Shopaholic , you’ll know it’s the essential movie for anyone down-bad for fashion. I have always related to main character Rebecca, who has stashes of clothes littered around her room. This habit is not suitable for apartment life, but the ravenous trends of city style demand

what they will. This summer was no different: I found myself immersed in the ballet core sheer material trend which wrapped the city in tulle—a fine form of netting—and bows. Celebrities were overwhelmingly attending red-carpet events in lush, sheer dresses and wrapped in swathes of light fabric. Women like Gigi Hadid and Rita Ora both gorgeously exemplified the dark tulle look at the 2023 Met Gala.

Directly contrasting the popular trend of long, baggy jean shorts and graphic tees, this sway toward ballet offers a beautiful variety to your closet and answers that itch to change it up a little. Attending McGill means that you are only blocks away from a maze of malls and shining storefronts that beckon you to walk in and shop. Urban Outfitters on Sainte-Catherine currently decorates a quarter of a block with its floor-to-ceiling windows, boasting mannequins in tulle of every shade and length and laced-up pastel dresses. But in reality, if you don’t want to be running from your bank representatives like Rebecca in the movie, all that Sainte-Catherine offers students is a session of window shopping that will leave you empty-handed. Luckily, the ballet core look is relatively easy to achieve affordably and sustainably.

visit Eva B’s second floor. Next, you’re going to need to go to Dollarama and grab as many rolls of ribbon as your heart desires, and before you head out, swing by the bead section and grab a bag of pearls or other cute charms.

Much of the new wave of tulle and sheer material was inspired by British designer, Molly Goddard. (Mason

So, open your closets and get to work. Grab materials in pastel colours or any colour of tulle, light cotton, or sheer fabric. If you have any long skirts, throw them into the mix and start layering. If you can’t find these components in your closet, fear not! Plan a visit to one of the many thrift stores on Saint-Laurent, which are conveniently close to campus and are home to some real finds if you’re willing to dig around. If you don’t want to stray too far but need something on the cheaper side,

A symphony of sneezes and a chorus of coughs

How to avoid the Frosh flu and other campus diseases

Agatha Ryan

Contributor

Continued from Page 1.

Lean into the illness

Sit in your lecture hall and let the sounds of phlegm-filled coughing engulf you. Become one with the undercurrent of illness that lingers in the air. Let your body be transported into a state of feverish exhaustion and let the mysterious illness run its course.

Did you know that COVID19 is no longer a public health emergency? So, whenever someone coughs near you, you can actually sit a little closer to them. If you still haven’t gotten sick, shame on you; you clearly didn’t spend the first night of classes getting trampled at Muzique. If you still haven’t gotten sick, you clearly value your health over the everpresent FOMO... If you’re not hacking up a storm, are you even having a good time? If you aren’t fighting off a headache every day, can you even call yourself a McGill student? Like all good things, colds do come to an end at some point.

In interviews with The Tribune, joyful and triumphant froshies shared their experiences overcoming the illness.

“I loved feeling like I was on the precipice of death,” Rachel Mattingly, U0 Arts, said.

“Personally I think other people should have thanked me for being so open and vulnerable about my cold.”

Mia Urban, U0 Arts, similarly expressed her thoughts on recent campus ailments.

“Nothing warms my heart more than the sweet sounds of nose blowing,” Urban said. Go back in time and do Outdoor Frosh

What better way to avoid getting sick is there than spending three days in the woods with an eclectic group of stoners, Europeans, and overly-intense backpackers? Take it from me— my Outdoor Frosh experience was everything I had hoped and dreamed of. Outdoor Frosh gives you the opportunity to get to know people on a more intimate level— and you do really get to know a group of people when you spend two nights sleeping like sardines, sharing campfire stories, telling jokes, and smelling each other’s

farts. It may not be some people’s cup of tea, but to me and many other students, Outdoor Frosh presents a great opportunity for those less interested in a four-day bender.

On the hike, we filed along the trail one after another, conversing with those in front and behind us. Be strategic about who you decide to walk behind on the hour-long hikes because you could get stuck talking about the prerequisites for mechanical engineering for three kilometres. Luckily, I navigated my way out of those conversations with my

Now, imagine the scene from Cinderella where the birds and forest animals are adding bows and materials until she is dolled up and ready for the ball; that’s essentially your job! Add the ribbon as a belt to pants or tie bows on the loops of your jeans. Wrap ribbon around your ankles and pair it with frilly socks or change out the laces of your shoes for a sheer ribbon. Throw them in your hair or tie one around your neck. Layer these ribbons with charms and beads. Add pearls to your hair or string a few as a belt or bracelet. The outfit is just the base—this look is all about the accessories. Besides, a few bows never hurt anyone.

If you prefer darker colours, try layering a sheer shirt over a dark dress, or be bold and find some black or navy tulle to wrap around yourself. And for the beach lovers out there, find a knit or sheer shrug, layer with a soft blue, cream, or lavender shirt, and add some shells to your look with a necklace or earrings

And voilà! You’re ready to go and take the McGill Y-intersection catwalk by storm.

typical grace and charm. I eventually found my way to the front and had an invigorating conversation with two Vermonters about skiing and mountain biking.

Outdoor Frosh was a breath of fresh air compared to the hustle and bustle of Montreal life. Even though we all got close during nights huddled by the fire, we thoroughly avoided the infamous Frosh flu. Unfortunately, we missed out on the opportunity to walk around the city drunk at 8 a.m. wearing matching t-shirts, but you win some, you lose some.

Do everything you can to recover

In all seriousness, getting sick is no fun, dampens the mood of pretty much everything, and can set you behind in school. Make sure to eat all of the dining hall oranges you can and stay hydrated. In your free time, maybe pick up a calming hobby like yoga or poetry. Stay sane and power through; you can do it! I am a credible source because I’m taking a class on the archaeology of health and disease next semester. I wish all froshies a speedy recovery and I will see you all in class.

Bramadat / The Tribune)

Maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world to find yourself a little under the weather. At least you’ll be in on the trends! (Alex Zhou / The Tribune)

Bored on campus? Try going to a random lecture

The joys of sitting in on classes you’re not taking.

Maria Gheorghiu Contributor

Have you ever felt like you wanted to try out every class McGill has to offer?

If you’re a keener like me, you just spent the first two weeks of school trying out random classes, switching up your schedule so much that you have burnt the Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) page into your screen. You’re desperately scoping out courses that vaguely relate to your program with the hopes that you can get them to count toward your major. The broad nature of Urban Studies is both a blessing and a curse.

Even outside of add/drop, I love learning, so it only seemed natural for me to accompany my friend to her philosophy class, both out of a curiosity for a topic I haven’t studied since high school and for a lack of anything better to do. This is something I’ve been doing since I was a kid. I sat in on my first random class when I was five years old, accompanying my mother to her dietetics lectures on days I didn’t have school. I still remember learning about the chemical composition of food colouring, curiously watching a blue M&M dissolve into water in a Mac campus auditorium.

Try stepping out of your comfort zone.

I decided to sit in on PHIL 375: Existentialism. As I make my way toward the elongated Strathcona lecture room where it’s taught, I find myself discovering a part of campus that is unfamiliar to me. A small anatomy museum neighbours the lecture room, displaying crosssections of diseased livers and ectopic kidneys. Why

doesn’t Burnside, the building I spend the better parts of my day in, have something this interesting?

Class begins, and I am but a lone geographer in a crowd of philosophers. The TA, in lieu of the professor, starts speaking into a microphone that muffles and buzzes with every word she pronounces. She reaches

Ranking Montreal’s neighbourhood bookstores

toward the class for interpretations of the assigned text, and with every hand that shoots up, the overachiever in me sheds a silent tear, desperately wanting to participate; unfortunately, I had not done the readings, nor do I know enough about The Death of Ivan Ilyich to say something out loud.

I resolve to sit quietly and listen. On the screen, the assigned reading was projected big enough to allow me to read excerpts of Tolstoy out of context, like little windows into existentialist literature. I grasped at what I did not understand, wishing I had more knowledge on the topic, trying to make connections with the absurdist literature I loved so much as a teenager.

If you don’t understand what’s going on, try to see if others do.

If anything, going to a random lecture can be an opportunity to people-watch. On the last day of add-drop, some students scroll through Minerva, double- and triple-checking their schedules. One person moves classes around on the VSB; another browses the syllabus of a different course. I couldn’t help but wonder if they, like me, would not be back for another lecture.

Amidst the insightful comments, it felt nice to sit back and reflect, without having to take any notes, simply listening to the content and enjoying the opportunity to learn. Would I say it’s good background noise for doing work or catching up on readings? No, not really. If you can separate yourself from the discussions going on around you, maybe. But I always like to listen. I’ll probably keep going to random classes this semester, even if I don’t have to write a piece on them. What can I say? I’m a keener.

Where to go to find your favourite novels, short stories, and more.

Agatha Ryan

Contributor

Where does one go to find the perfect book? A book to read while waiting in line for ice cream at Frostbite, or maybe an anthology of poems to complement your English class. Either way, you can find any of these books at the following local shops. Here is a list of English-language bookstores near campus— listed from least to most cute and charming.

4. Paragraphe

Distance from campus: 2 minutes by foot

In terms of convenience, Paragraphe is the place to go. Paragraphe’s selection ranges from romance to cookbooks. There are also McGill course books and a large nonfiction section to complement your studies. However, it is not technically an independent bookstore—it is owned by the Renaud-Bray Group—so if you are looking to support local businesses, you might consider the listings below.

3. Argo Bookstore

Distance from campus: 21 minutes by foot, 13 minutes by metro, and 9 minutes by bike

Located in the heart of downtown, Argo is a respite from the noise and crowds of the street. The shop is small and quaint, matching the vibe one expects when walking into a bookstore. The walls are lined with books, some with index cards describing the text and giving recommendations from

the staff. Argo is also queer-owned and has a large selection of queer literature. They house a Japanese book club and specialize in speculative fiction.

2. L’Eugélionne

Distance from campus: 36 minutes by foot, 12 minutes by metro, and 10 minutes by bike

When you first walk into L’Eugélionne, you are met with mainly queer and feminist literature along with miscellaneous yonis.

L’Eugélionne prides itself on being a feminist bookstore, with an equal number of books in both French and English. There is a large collection of nonfiction books

on feminist theory, social movements, gender and sexuality, and colonialism.

L’Eugélionne has a large zine collection, offering the buyer a wide variety of different forms of reading besides the typical novel. It is also a non-profit co-op so you can become a member and receive discounts.

1. The Word

Distance from campus: 5 minutes by foot,3 minute by bike

The Word is a family-run independent usedThe Word is a family-run independent used bookstore that has been around for nearly 49 years. When you walk around the

store—which started as an underground book dealership run out of Adrian King-Edwards’s living room—you are met by the friendly and knowledgeable staff who are willing to help you search for any book you need. Their focus on second-hand books allows them to maintain a varied collection, from local Montreal poetry to used course textbooks. The turnover rate at The Word is fast, so you’re sure to see different books every time you enter. The location is ideal for McGill students, and the small store crammed with books piled high and in every corner gives the energy of an old-timey store kept alive through the magic of writing.

The local touch

There’s something very special about buying a new book—perusing a bookstore and then getting home and cracking open the spine of your newest read. It belongs to you, a slice of the story becomes your own, a world you can dive into, a silent retreat from your outside life. Hopefully, one of these picturesque bookstores will offer you this feeling and maybe even become part of your routine. It’s important to support these local shops; they bring the literary arts to the neighbourhood, organize events for and interact with the community, and act as safe spaces for different groups. If you leave without buying anything, you’ll still come out with a good experience, whether that be having a friendly conversation with the clerk, taking note of an interesting author, or discovering a place of like-minded readers.

With over 300 undergraduate programs, McGill boasts tons of opportunities to learn something new—whether you’re actually registered for the class or not. (Irina Zhang / The Tribune)

Local bookstores offer welcoming spaces to readers of every genre and style. (Mia Helfrich / The Tribune)

“A Disease of the Past”: Our lacklustre response to Tuberculosis How care cascades can improve people-centered care to help combat infectious diseases

Nicole Fitzgerald Contributor

Lena Faust, a Ph.D. student in epidemiology at McGill, first became interested in tuberculosis (TB) while learning about another disease: COVID-19. What caught her attention, however, were not the diseases themselves, but the difference in global response to each.

“With COVID-19, we quickly developed lots of different vaccines that are highly effective,” Faust said in an interview with The Tribune. “[In contrast,] we have had one vaccine [for TB] that was rolled out one hundred years ago, and it’s not widely used or effective. COVID-19 has shown us that if we want to develop vaccines within a couple years, we can.”

So what accounts for this stark difference in global response? In their study in The Lancet, “Improving measurement of tuberculosis care cascades to enhance people-centred care”, Faust and her team hypothesized that one factor is the insufficient use of care cascades. These measure the number of patients reaching different milestones in care, such as getting tested and completing the first round of treatment for a disease.

As Faust puts it, TB is often dismissed as a ‘disease of the past,’ even though it is currently the world’s deadliest infectious disease. In contrast, the emergence of the pandemic in 2020 highlighted COVID-19 as a new and frightening disease, leading to the development and approval of three different types of mRNA vaccines in less than a year. However, COVID-19 is not the only disease that has historically garnered a comparatively prompt response.

“The HIV movement has been really exemplary in the way that it’s been able to galvanize support for a cause and resources. Advocacy in the TB world has not been quite as loud,” Faust explained.

She hypothesizes that HIV’s novel appearance in the ‘70s and ‘80s and the ensuing epidemic created a sense of urgency, similar to COVID-19—an urgency that is absent with TB. However, all three diseases call attention to disproportionate medical treatment—affecting, most notably, queer and trans people and Black, Indigenous, and Latinx people in the Americas.

Analysis of care cascades has been a key factor in the global response against HIV. As advocacy tools, care cascades have greatly impacted public health be-

yond simply modelling data. Faust and her peers argue that the framework is also useful for TB treatment, primarily for identifying barriers in public health services. For instance, some patients live too far from the nearest treatment centres, while others cannot afford to take time off work or pay for childcare while seeking treatment.

“TB treatment is a time-consuming and costly process,” Faust said.

Care cascades, however, can provide guidance to mitigate some of these barriers. For instance, by examining the distribution of a population’s infected regions using care cascades, more funding can be allocated to the construction of health centres in underserved areas. However, while they are an extremely useful diagnostic tool, care cascades are only part of the solution.

“One of the limitations of the cascades is even if you do identify [healthcare] gaps, you also need to understand from the patient perspective what is leading to those gaps,” Faust said. “Care cascades [therefore] need to be used to enhance people-centred care, […] that takes into account the challenges that people face when trying to access [health services].”

While tuberculosis is the world’s deadliest infectious disease, little progress has been made to combat it compared to other diseases and viruses such as COVID-19 or HIV/AIDS. Care cascades can change that. (statistica.com)

As with the global response to COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS, the treatment of TB is marked by drastic inequalities across countries and healthcare systems in terms of which patients receive care and which treatment methods are prioritized. While this is an ever-present issue in global health, Faust proposes that care cascades are one key tool to rectify treatment disparities.

Is vitamin B12 supplementation always good for you?

Recent research reveals that excessive levels of B12 may disrupt gut function.

K. Coco Zhang

Contributor

The global vitamin B12 supplement market is poised for significant growth in the upcoming years. Although daily oral vitamin B12 supplements typically contain doses far exceeding the recommended amount, the impact of such high levels of vitamin B12 on gut health remains unclear.

In a recent paper, Samantha Gruenheid, Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at McGill, and a team of scientists from across Canada unraveled the fascinating connections between vitamin B12 and the gut microbiome, illuminating the potential health consequences of over-supplementation. Over-supplementation, they proved, can perturb gut health.

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is crucial to the function of nerve cells and the formation of red blood cells and DNA. We most often consume it via supplements, animal food products, fortified plant-based foods, and fermented foods.

In the digestive system, the small intestine absorbs most of the B12 that you eat. The liver stores any excess after it has been excreted via bile. The remaining B12, unabsorbed by the liver, then enters the gut microbiota—a system of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, in one’s gastrointestinal system.

The recommended daily vitamin B12 intake for those ages 14 and older is 2.4 micrograms. Although a high vitamin B12 intake is generally considered safe, Gruenheid’s findings suggest that it may disrupt the gut microbiota’s activities.

The researchers evaluated the effect of vitamin B12 on the gut microbiota of mice by providing a vitamin B12 supplementation proportionate to 25 milligrams in humans.

“The reason we selected this amount was based on a mislabelled commercially available mouse diet,” Gruenheid said in an interview with The Tribune. “Fortunately, the dose was also a good estimation of the dose in some human supplements. Some supplements are approximately 1000 times the recommended daily intake, which is approximately what we achieved in this study.”

“TB elimination is really a health equity issue. One of the ways to get investment and political support, and also to guide that investment, is to emphasize the role of care cascades in identifying gaps in the care for TB,” Faust said. Above all, Faust wants the general population to realize that TB is not a ‘disease of the past,’ a way of thinking that can lead to even the deadliest of diseases being overlooked.

The researchers found that vitamin B12 supplementation increased susceptibility to infection with Citrobacter rodentium—a mouse-specific pathogen.

“There are two things that are contributing to this. One factor is this inflammatory environment created by vitamin B12 over-supplementation,” Ben Willing, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta, said in an interview with The Tribune. “Another factor is the Citrobacter bacteria itself, which competes for vitamin B12. With large amounts of vitamin B12 available in the gut, it is easier for Citrobacter bacteria to get vitamin B12, meaning that they are better able to colonize and induce an infection.”

Increased levels of inflammatory biomarkers, such as interleukin-12 and interleukin-17, indicate the inflammation caused by vitamin B12 over-supplementation.

“We believe that, even in the absence of the pathogen, vitamin B12 over-supplementation disrupts the ecosystem of the microbes because we have changed one of the things that microbes compete for and share,” Willing said.

In other words, excessive amounts of vitamin B12 can disrupt the microbial community in the gut.

“There is a potential for vitamin B12 supplements to change and even disrupt the competition dynamics in the gut microbiome,” Willing said. “On a larger scale, this study shows us an example of a health consequence when we add something to the diet.”

Vitamin B12 does play an essential role in ensuring health, and it may be a good idea for older individuals and those who do not eat animal products to take a vitamin B12 supplement of approximately 2.4 micrograms to ward off vitamin B12 deficiency. However, as Gruenheid’s study has demonstrated, it is crucial to pay more attention to the amount of vitamin B12 in each supplement since an extremely high dose of vitamin B12 can engender unintended health consequences.

McGill nutritionist shares sports nutrition tips at Trottier Symposium

Elizabeth Mansfield addresses debunks myths and clarifies research on nutrition in sports

K. Coco Zhang

Contributor

McGill hosted the 2023 Trottier Public Science Symposium, “Ready, Set, Go! Use and Abuse of Science in Sport,” on Sept. 13-14 in Moyse Hall. The symposium featured talks by renowned experts who offered their perspectives on nutrition and the broader role of science in sports.

One of the talks was “Food for Thought: Tackling Nutrition Science for Sport Performance” by Elizabeth Mansfield, an adjunct professor of McGill’s School of Human Nutrition who specializes in sports nutrition.

Are dietary nitrate supplements your friend?

Mansfield began the presentation by discussing a popular claim about the role of dietary nitrates in athletics. These compounds are often found in foods like beets, rhubarb, and spinach.

“[Experts say that] dietary nitrates make muscles more efficient and improve sprint performance and reaction time,” Mansfield said.

Although Mansfield agreed with this finding, she expressed concern about the subsequent development of nitrate supplements, such as beet shots, which in turn affected people’s food choices. Instead of opting for minimally processed nitraterich foods, which generally contain a wide range of other beneficial nutrients, Mansfield argued that the sports nutrition industry has pushed athletes to choose supplements containing only nitrates.

“As a food-first nutritionist, I would say you are probably going to be better off trying to eat it, chew it, and make it part of your regular plan,” Mansfield said. “Certainly, it’s not just beets; it’s probably a lot of different types of vegetables that you can benefit from eating.”

The importance of staying hydrated Mansfield then highlighted the importance of adequate hydration in sports performance. This was what she described

as “the first thing” she looks at in terms of overall health and performance.

“For most of us, if we are working out decently hard for one to two hours, we would want to have two cups of water with a dash of salt and a bit of maple syrup before each workout,” Mansfield explained. “After the workout, we want to have some water, foods that contain salt, and some wet foods.”

Despite water being the beverage of choice, coffee and tea count as well. Mansfield deconstructed ideas and misinformation about fluid balance, which ensures that the amount of fluids that someone intakes and excretes are the same. Coffee and tea, she explained, are not dehydrating fluids, contrary to popular belief.

Refuelling the body after a work-out Mansfield also elaborated on the eating schedule that could optimize energy levels during a training session. She suggested eating and drinking three to four hours before training for best results.

“You might need to have a snack up to two hours before training. And you might even need a top-up 30 minutes before training, particularly if it’s going to be a long and hard training session,” Mansfield said.

Refuelling the body after the workout is as important as fueling it before the work-

out. She outlined a schedule for ensuring the body has the nutrients it needs to perform well, including eating carbohydrates within half an hour of finishing a workout if you are planning to complete multiple workouts in a single day.

The role of protein in staying energized

Protein also plays a key role in athletes’ diets, but Mansfield explained that it’s important to be strategic about protein intake. One important component of protein intake is leucine, an amino acid that stimulates muscle protein synthesis post-workout.

“It’s like a light switch that turns the muscles on,” Mansfield explained.

Mansfield recommended aiming for 30 grams of protein per meal and distributing protein-rich foods throughout the day. She also discussed caution around relying on protein shakes.

“Protein shakes do not have a lot of carbohydrates in them,” Mansfield said. “You need three times the amount of carbohydrate-rich foods compared to protein-rich foods to actually get the refuelling process going.”

Overall, Mansfield’s talk dispelled common misconceptions and deepened the audience’s understanding of sports nutrition, helping to ensure health and performance for athletes and the public alike.

on radiology: Insights from the Feindel Brain and Mind Lecture

transformative

Athina Sitou Science & Technology Editor

Artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the world of healthcare by storm, revolutionizing the way physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. The Feindel Brain and Mind Seminars featured radiology—an area that AI has impacted substantially—during its Sept. 13 event hosted at The Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital. Saurabh Jha, an Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania, discussed the use of AI in the detection of abnormalities in head Computed Tomography (CT) scans.

Radiology uses medical imaging, which takes pictures of bodily organs, to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. AI algorithms can learn how to spot irregularities in these images, potentially automating tasks that have been traditionally carried out by radiologists.

In a paper that Jha reviewed, researchers trained an AI algorithm to identify abnormalities in head CT scans, such as hemorrhages, with remarkable accuracy. The scientists trained the algorithm on nearly 40,000 patient scans and then tested on another 10,000. A metric called the ‘area under the curve’ measured its performance, gauging whether it tended to overcall or undercall abnormalities.

“So what this algorithm did was reprioritize. There were studies that you thought weren’t important, but were brought to the top of the list [and that reprioritizing] translated [into] the time to diagnose [being] substantially reduced,” Jha said. “What stroke[s] [have] made us understand is there’s no point [in] waiting for the patient to get to you, you must try and get to the patient.”

The innovative nature of AI extends beyond the confines of the hospital, as imaging equipment and AI can be embedded in ambulances that can reach the patient swiftly, improving patient outcomes significantly.

“There is much greater effectiveness, effectiveness that comes from promptness of diagnosis and promptness of treatment. You can’t give treatment promptly, unless you’ve diagnosed promptly,” Jha said.

Although the question of whether AI will replace radiologists lingers, the answer, according to Jha, is coexistence. Radiologists and AI can work synergistically, with AI handling routine tasks while radiologists focus on complex cases.

“So there is of course what I would call the replacement fallacy [with physicians in North America being] worried about AI replacing radiologists, [while] in most of the rest of the world, there aren’t any radiologists to replace,” Jha said.

For countries with a shortage of radiologists, AI could present a remarkable opportunity to improve healthcare without the concern of displacing existing human jobs. Jha expanded on this potential advantage by referring to a region in Northern India known for its high incidence of stroke and lack of physicians.

“There is no AI replacement, there is nothing else there. It’s AI or nothing. And often, AI does a very good job of giving something pretty good,” Jha explained.

Jha then acknowledged that the acceptance of AI in radiology varies between nurses, doctors, and administrators. AI vendors and hospital management may view it as a way to enhance efficiency and revenue, whereas neurologists may be more cautious and concerned about the effects of false positives or missed cases.

The trade-off between sensitivity and specificity is a crucial consideration in AI adoption. Vendors claim that a few false positives are worth the benefits of true positives. However, false positives can disrupt workflow and potentially impact other diagnoses, as well as deeply affect the lives of misdiagnosed patients. Indication drift in healthcare also poses an issue because the use of AI in certain diseases’ imaging may increase its usage in other conditions for which AI has not necessarily been validated.

“When you make something easier, you get more of it, that’s obvious, but what’s sometimes counterintuitive is that the net gain

from that is a little lower than what it would have been had you maintained some barriers,” Jha said.

In Jha’s view, a hybrid model where AI accompanies radiologists would be ideal. This approach would maximize the strengths of both, ensuring high-quality patient care while optimizing efficiency and reducing human error.

McGill researchers take microbes from plants to the production line

AI’s

impact

Henri Braconnot, a French chemist, discovered and named the amino acid ‘leucine’ in 1820. (canva.com)

Despite ongoing advancements in radiology training, Geoffrey Hinton’s 2016 prediction that AI would replace radiologists within five years has not yet become a reality. (Sami Sabouni / The Tribune)

Separating facts from fiction: Unmasking pseudoscience in the world of sports

Nicholas B. Tiller discusses the dangers of pseudoscience in sports

Julie Ferreyra Sports Editor

On Sept. 13, as part of the annual Trottier Public Science Symposium hosted by the McGill Office for Science and Society (OSS), Nicholas B. Tiller, a researcher at the Harbour-UCLA Medical Center, spoke about the prevalence of pseudoscience in sports.

Joe Schwarcz, the director of the OSS, opened the conference by highlighting the presence of non-scientific beliefs throughout history, especially concerning human performance.

“[The Ancient Greeks] were already interested in enhancing their performances,” Schwarz explained. “They knew about opium [...], magic mushrooms, [...] they ate the hearts of animals thinking that this would give them strength, and they also dosed themselves with the testicles of bulls. This was the original testosterone therapy.”

Is sports a breeding ground for pseudoscience ?

Tiller began his talk by spotlighting a number of athletes that have publicly engaged in pseudoscientific practices, with some athletes going as far as to endorse these techniques.

Tiller highlighted Michael Phelps’ influential use of cupping in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Novak Djokovic’s ritual pilgrimage to a pyramid in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Tom

Brady’s promotion of a “cure-all” drink to individuals across the sporting community. He further expressed that many of the benefits seen by athletes who follow methods like these are brought on by a placebo effect rather than the practice itself.

Tiller emphasized the often-dangerous outcome of following pseudoscience. While the idea of placebo practices might seem harmless, the promotion of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) often undermines the credibility of scientifically proven practices.

“When it comes to spreading the message of critical thinking, scientific scepticism, reason, rationality, scientists have brought a knife to a gunfight,” Tiller explained. “This isn’t just a case of a few high-profile athletes, a few bad eggs in the bunch that are disseminating bad advice. This seems to be a systemic problem.”

The talk also tackled the question of why athletes specifically seem to be more at risk of following pseudoscience practices.

“The first thing to consider is this idea of marginal gains: The principle that no performance advantage is too small,” Tiller said. “The idea that small improvements in various aspects of life are all cumulative to have a meaningful impact on the athlete’s performance.”

Tiller also thinks this is a byproduct of the competitive nature of elite sport.

“You’ve got to think that the difference between gold and silver is sometimes infinitesimally small––it could be a fraction of a second in a short distance sprint,” Tiller

furthered. “It’s all justified on the notion that every percentage point counts. It makes athletes and coaches much more experimental than they would otherwise be.”

This quest for anything that would give that competitive edge often renders athletes and coaches more vulnerable to pseudoscientific products.

“In that respect, anybody who competes in sports [...] is a walking prey to the 21st century snake-oil salesman,” Tiller summarized.

Tiller focused much of his talk on the risks associated with the widespread promotion of pseudoscience. One major risk of consuming pseudoscientific products is the consumption of unregulated substances as over-the-counter dietary supplements can sometimes be contaminated with performance-enhancing drugs.

“Whether it’s inadvertent doping by the athlete because they’ve taken something that’s contaminated or whether it’s deliberate doping, the outcome is the same, it’s a two-year competitive ban [in most sports],” Tiller warned.

Based on his experience working with Olympians, Tiller emphasized that most athletes are offered limited resources and are often required to take on a job outside of training to support the financial cost. As such, devoting the limited monetary resources on practices that are not proven nor effective creates a financial risk for athletes who are inclined to do so.

For amateur athletes, falling into the trap of pseudoscience is a danger that all must be wary of when deciding to partake in a new recovery practice or take a new supplement. Tiller stresses the importance of teaching scientific, legitimate, and proven practices and fostering critical thinking.

Tiller states that most high profile athletes have endorsed dietary supplements at some point during their career. (McGill Office for Science and Society)

The 20-3 loss puts an end to a four-game win streak against ÉTS Redbirds rugby suffers loss against ÉTS Piranhas in home opener

Eliza Lee Staff Writer

Continued from page 1.

The Redbirds’ efforts were not enough to keep ÉTS from advancing their lead—the opposing team’s successful penalty kick put the score at 8-3 by the end of the first half.

At the start of the second half, both teams hit the field with renewed energy.

As the sun began its descent toward Mont-Royal, the Piranhas extended their lead with a pair of tries and a successful conversion. Though McGill’s forwards took valiant attempts to break into the ÉTS try zone until the final moments of the game, ÉTS displayed solid defense and prevented the Redbirds from scoring a single try.

The atmosphere at the stadium grew tense as several physical altercations between McGill and ÉTS outside of play sparked cries of protest from the crowd. In

a post-game interview with The Tribune , head coach Ian Baillie explained that the aggression displayed during the game was nothing unusual, but that ÉTS used it strategically to slow the pace of play.

“We play a hard sport,” Baillie said. “Very, very physical. There might be a push or shove here or there just guys trying to take advantage or exert a little authority [....] To [ÉTS’s] credit they were able to slow the game down a good bit when they were in the bin, so good on them for that.”

In McGill back row Ian McDowell’s opinion, the loss will not stop the team from achieving their goals of winning the provincial RSEQ championship and qualifying for the national championships, just as they did in the 2022-23 season.

“Obviously we’re driving for an undefeated season, but we didn’t do it last season, and we just got better and we finished really high, right?” McDowell said. “It’s a blip in the season, it just means we need to get back to practice, work hard, and work from here.”

McGill flanker Dakota Stevenson also spoke of the loss to ÉTS in reference to their 2022-23 season to highlight that the team can still succeed through hard work and practice.

“We had a historic year last year and we lost a game we should’ve won early on in our season,” Stevenson explained. “All

we got to do is take this on the chin and improve. Sometimes the best teams need to lose together to achieve their goals.”

McGill will next play University of Ottawa (1–1) on Sept. 24 at Matt Anthony Field.

MOMENT OF THE GAME

Midway through the first half, Laval captured the ball from an ÉTS kick and ran it up the sideline, swiftly dodging several of the opponent’s defense to emphatic oohs from the crowd.

QUOTABLE

“I don’t think this changes anything. Our goal is always, finish [on] top [....] This may affect our standing, this may affect how we place at the end, but it doesn’t change our end goal which is winning RSEQ again and going to nationals.”

–– Ian McDowell, on how the results of the game impact the team’s goals.

STAT CORNER

Three yellow cards were issued throughout the game, all of which went to ÉTS.

Fight Band re-energized the crowd at halftime by playing “Sweet Caroline” (Maïa Salhofer / The Tribune)

Redbirds lacrosse edges out Carleton Ravens in a thrilling battle of the birds

McGill takes a 9-8 overtime victory in home opener

Tillie Burlock Managing Editor

On the heels of a massive 9-2 win over the Bishop’s Gaiters (0–2), the Redbirds (2–1) faced off against the Carleton Ravens (1–1) for their first home game of the season on Sept. 16. After taking a 5-10 loss in their Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) regularseason opener against the Ravens, the win over Bishop’s––McGill’s only CUFLA opponent within Quebec––gave the Redbirds a much-needed boost ahead of their re-match.

“We had a little bit of an effort issue and I thought yesterday [against Bishop’s], we really brought the effort,” head coach

Nicolas Soubry told The Tribune. “We had a lot of alumni reach out and tell us stories about when they played versus Bishop’s. [They’re] our ingrained rival and I thought that really changed the motivation for the team.”

However, the game did not start out the way McGill had hoped. An early goal from Carleton set the tone for a dominant first quarter where the Ravens would go up 3-0 just six minutes into the game. After the third straight Carleton goal, the Redbirds called a timeout, attempting to reset the tone. In the dying minutes of the opening quarter, midfielder Dylan James got McGill on the scoreboard, swaying the momentum back in the Redbirds’ favour.

Three minutes into the second quarter, midfielder Joshua Jewell buried McGill’s second goal of the night and with just under four minutes remaining, James found the back of the net again to tie it 3-3.

“This is a game of runs. It’s a game of big ups and big downs, and it’s less about the individual performance and more about just getting the team going,” James said in a postgame interview. “Tying it up with that goal, it was an honour.”

Varsity Round Up: Sept. 11 to 17

The third quarter opened with back-to-back goals for the Ravens, giving them a 5-3 lead. But this lead would not last for long as attacker Mark Symon and midfielder Rowan Birrell brought the score back to even and midfielder John Miraglia gave the Redbirds their first lead. With the score 6-5, the Ravens came roaring back to tie the game and reclaim their lead with 14 seconds remaining in the quarter.

Entering the fourth quarter 7-6 in Carleton’s favour, the game was far from over. Jewell scored to tie the game 7-7 and with just over seven minutes remaining, Miraglia netted his second of the night to give McGill a 8-7 lead. As McGill fans anxiously cheered on their team, a turnover allowed Carleton to tie it up with just one second on the clock.

The opening minute of overtime looked bad for the Redbirds as Cartleton quickly gained control of the ball, rushing on a two-on-one towards McGill’s net. However, an errant pass allowed McGill to break back into Carleton’s zone and for his third assist of the night, James connected with midfielder Owen Howard who buried the game-winner on a masterful behind-theback shot.

Despite his personal excitement, Howard accredited the win to McGill’s improvement from their first game against Carleton.

“Today we were moving it around, the whole team was getting involved and we had the crowd to pump us up,” Howard said. “It just kind of felt

Everything you may have missed in McGill sports this week

Tillie Burlock, & Julie Ferreyra

Managing Editor & Sports

Editor

Martlets Soccer (3-2-1)

L 5-1 at Laval Rouge et Or on Sept.15

T 0-0 vs UQÀM Citadins on Sept.17

The Martlets went on the road to face Université Laval’s Rouge et Or, currently ranked first in RSEQ standings. As Laval opened the score in the early second half, McGill forward Liliane Lefebvre quickly equalized the game at 1-1. However, Laval netted four goals past goaltender Sophie Guilmette, leading to a 5-1 Martlet loss.

On Sept. 16, the Martlets squad, undeterred by their loss earlier this week, hosted the Citadins. Despites UQÀM’s best attempts, Guillmette managed to shut out the eight shots against her, resulting in a 0-0 tie and the Martlets first draw of the season.

Redbirds Soccer (1-3-1)

T 0-0 at Laval Rouge et Or on Sept. 15

L 3-2 vs UQÀM Citadins on Sept. 17

The Redbirds took home their first draw of the season against Université Laval, as goaltender

Ludovyck Ciociola successfully shut out all six attempts from Laval’s Rouge et Or. The Redbirds led the match with ten shots.

Sunday’s match against the Citadins marked the Redbirds’ third loss of the season as they were ultimately unsuccessful in their attempts to take back an early lead from the Citadins.

Martlets Rugby (0–3)

L 84-0 vs Laval Rouge et Or on Sept. 16

McGill’s rugby squad suffered another big loss in their second home match, facing Laval’s Rouge et Or. In better news, the Martlets’ backrow Lauren Minns took home the RSEQ female athlete of the week award.

Martlets Field Hockey (0–2)

L 3-1 at McMaster Marauders on Sept. 16

L 5-0 at Western Mustangs on Sept. 17

This weekend saw Martlets’ field hockey lose both games during their road trip to Ontario. The season opened on a 3-1 loss against the Marauders, with Zoe Laxton scoring the team’s only goal. The Martlets were met with a similar fate against

the Mustangs, losing 5-1, despite forward Hillary Wright’s attempt to strike back.

Redbirds Baseball (4–2)

W 16-0 vs Université de Montréal Carabins on Sept. 12

W 10-9 at Concordia Stingers on Sept. 13

L 7-3 and L 6-4 vs UQTR Patriotes on Sept. 16

W 15-6 (9 Innings) at University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sept. 17

The Redbirds stayed busy this week with five games in six days and managed to maintain their winning record despite dropping both games of their double-header against UQTR. While the Redbirds dazzled with their offensive prowess against Concordia and the Université de Montréal, their bats were much quieter against a strong UQTR pitching staff. However, all concerns regarding the Redbirds offense were put to rest when the team arrived in Ottawa to face off against the GeeGees. McGill put up 12 runs on 18 hits and eight walks to cap off an exhausting 3–2 week.

Martlets and Redbirds CrossCountry Redbirds Finish: First Place Martlets Finish: Fourth Place

electric, [the game had] a whole different vibe going into it than the last game.”

The Redbirds hope to carry this momentum into their game against the undefeated Trent Excalibur (3–0) on Sept. 23.

MOMENT OF THE GAME

After turning the ball over in a play that allowed Carleton to tie the game, Howard was not supposed to be on the field to start overtime. However, unbeknownst to his coaches, Howard snuck onto the field in a move that allowed him to score the game-winner for his team.

QUOTABLE

“We’re a team that rides the highs and rides [the] lows. We’re a team with character and pride now. That’s something that I think we lacked in the past and now that we have it, this team can go places.”

The Redbirds and Martlets crosThe Redbirds and Martlets crosscountry teams both took part in the McGill Invitational cross-country meet on Sept. 16 in Mont Royal Park. The meet marked the start of the RSEQ season and neither team disappointed. The Martlets’ Sophie Courville took home a bronze medal while Sophie Rashid-Cocker finished sixth and Sienna Matheson, Marianne Lanctot, and Noémie Chenail finished 16th, 26th, and 27th respectively.

The Redbirds, however, finished first in an 11-team competition. Noah El Rimawi-Fine and Jerome Jacques finished on the podium in second and third place, respectively, while Jack Stanley and Devin Chapple took the fourth and

fifth place spots. Thomas Windisch finished close behind in seventh place, contributing to a well-rounded meet.

Redbirds Football (1–3)

L 42-24 at Concordia Stingers on Sept. 16

In the Montreal Shrine Bowl game, the Redbirds lost 42-24 to the Stingers for their second straight loss. Despite only being behind 24-17 heading into the fourth quarter, the Stingers put up 17 points, taking the game out of reach for the Redbirds and handing them the loss.

Sports Editor and field hockey goalkeeper Anoushka Oke did not contribute to this piece.

Not including cross country, McGill sports teams went 3–8–2 this week. (Matt Garies / McGill Athletics)

James led the team in points with two goals and three assists. (Maïa Salhofer / The Tribune)

–– Midfielder Dylan James

STAT CORNER

McGill Goaltender Joseph Boehm made nine saves on 17 shots.