The McGill Tribune Vol. 36 Issue 3

SCI TECH “Fighting to end AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria” pg. 13

FEATURE “Under the Skin: Examining Canada’s slow rate for organ donations” pg. 08-09

The McGill Tribune

EDITORIAL ON MCGILL SEXUAL VIOLENCE POLICY DRAFT pg. 05

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

VOL. 36 ISSUE 3

PUBLISHED BY THE SPT, A STUDENT SOCIETY OF MCGILL UNIVERSITY

McGILLTRIBUNE.COM

pop rhetoric: Music streaming party could #savenelly Morgan Davis Contributor

Participants in McGill’s 15th annual Pow Wow on Lower Field on Saturday, September 16. (Laurie-Ann Benoit / The McGill Tribune)

McGill hosts 15th Annual Pow Wow

Event showcases indigenous cultures on campus Julia Metraux Contributor On Sept. 16, members of the McGill community and public gathered to watch the 15th Annual Pow Wow, an event on Lower Field celebrating indigenous traditions and cultures.

According to Paige Isaac, Coordinator of the McGill First People’s

House (FPH), the purpose of the Pow Wow is to engage members of the McGill community with various indigenous communities. Events like these have also started to increase the visibility of indigenous peoples on campus.

“It’s [a] welcoming event,” Isaac said. “These Pow Wows also serve as an introduction to those who do not

know a lot about indigenous culture.”

Isaac noted that the FPH, which has funded the Pow Wow since its inception in 2002, organized this event by inviting community members to perform and artisans to sell their ware.

“Ellen Gabriel [former coordinator of the FPH] invited members of the Mohawk nation to perform to

raise awareness. It wasn’t a full Pow Wow that year,” Isaac said. “[Today] we are happy to have representation of Inuit, Métis, and First Nation performers.”

U1 Arts student Kevin Telford Jutrus, who attended the Pow Wow, said events like these make him feel more in touch with his own heritage.

PG. 02

Tragedy has struck one of the most prominent musicians featured on middle-school dance playlists. Nelly—proud wearer of Air Force Ones and Band-Aids—reportedly owes the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over $2.4 million USD in unpaid taxes since 2013 and an additional $150,000 to the state of Missouri, according to a leak from TMZ. Brian Josephs, writer for Spin, calculated that to help clear Nelly’s debt, fans would have to collectively stream “Hot in Herre” a total of 287,176,547 times. Through social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, the #HotinHerreStreamingParty had thousands of loyal fans express their concern for Nelly by streaming the song.

It’s important to support the arts and up-and-coming artists in the music industry; however, it’s also vital for artists to prepare themselves for the changing methods of music sharing.

Over the past few years, streaming websites such as Spotify have been criticized for the payout received by artists.

For each song played, the musician earns only a fraction of a cent, specifically between $0.006 and $0.0084.

PG. 10

2

NEWS

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

McGill hosts 15th Annual Pow Wow

Event introduces indigenous cultures on campus Julia Metraux Contributor Continued from page 1.

“My favourite part of the Pow Wow [was] the dances,” Jutrus said. “I love seeing people dance tribal style. It brings back the side of my family who’s Abenaki. And it’s always cool to feel cool about part of your ancestry.”

Jessie Bellanger, a political science major from Bishop’s University, said that it was her first time at a Pow Wow. “I came to Montreal because this event looked very interesting [....] I am taking a class on First Nations culture at my school, so I wanted to see a First Nations cultural event,” said Bellanger.

Allan Vicaire, the Indigenous Education Advisor for the Social Equity and Diversity Education (SEDE) Office, who is a member of the Mi’gmaq nation, said this event provided an educational opportunity for students who attended.

“There [was] a moment when they invited the spectators [to] join the performance and dance,” Vicaire said. “The most important aspect of going to a Pow Wow is respecting and learning.”

Artisans and organizations supporting indigenous causes also set up booths around the event.

When asked about cultural appropriation of non-indigenous people buying traditional clothing, Vicaire said that this is an important issue that he discusses in presentations.

“We talk about when it is okay to wear a motif, like moccasins,” Vicaire said. “If you like the fashion, go to indigenous artisans and buy it from them. Buying from indigenous artisans supports First Nation communities, going to H&M doesn’t.”

One of the organizations present was the Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project from Kahnawake, an indigenous community located across the St Lawrence river just outside of

Young Pow Wow performer waits to participate in traditional dance. (Margaux Delalex / McGill Tribune) Montreal. Dr. Alex McComber, a member of the Mohawk nation who works for the project, said the organization aims to promote healthy lifestyles for children.

“We work to fight diabetes, so we also promote exercise and

healthy living. We’ve helped create paths for walking,” McComber said. “Our organization also works with schools to create a strong health curriculum.”

Vicaire said that in his 15 years attending the event, he hasn’t

seen any negative interactions between students and dancers.

“The students who go to these events want to engage in the indigenous culture,” Vicaire said.

“They are spectating, soaking up, and seeing all the culture.”

3

NEWS

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

SSMU Council creates ad hoc committee on equity

Council adopts standing rules and suspends accountable leadership policy Ozanay Bozkaya Contributor On Sept. 15, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council held its first meeting of the semester, with several speeches, extensive debate, and confusing points. Council passed five motions, including the Motion of the Adoption of the Standing Rules, the creation of an Ad Hoc Equitable Governance Committee, the repeal of the Accountable Leadership Policy, the creation of an Ad-Hoc Provincial Representation Committee, as well as a motion to amend the Committee Terms of Reference.

Motion of the adoption of standing rules The Standing Rules underwent debate regarding matters of phrasing. Amendments were made to the motion by Joshua Chin, one of the Senate Caucus Representatives.

“I realize that starting this year, the Board of Directors has a somewhat expanded or more significant role in the passing [and] execution of motions, [and I was] wondering if it was possible to add something

to the effect of ‘If any motions we pass eventually get repealed or significantly amended at the Board of Directors, that [action] be communicated to us at a later meeting,’” Chin said.

Igor Sadikov, Arts Councillor, argued for the use of microphones during the council session whenever possible.

“Outside of in camera or confidential sessions, the members must use the microphone to speak whenever possible, to motivate this for reasons of accessibility for Councillors and members of the gallery,” Sadikov said.

When a motion to vote on the amendment was introduced, Sadikov questioned how voting could happen without the adoption of the Standing Rules, leading to some confusion in the Council. The Standing Rules were adopted unanimously at the end of the debate.

Motion regarding the creation of an ad-hoc committee on equitable governance Leslie Anne St. Amour, the 2015-2016 SSMU Indigenous Affairs Coordinator, presented a report for more equitable representation on the Council. Two

recommendations proposed in the report were the reservation of equity seats for groups such as the Indigenous Student Alliance (ISA) on the Council, as well as the creation of equity seats on the SSMU Board of Directors. St. Amour spoke to Council on the importance of the suggestions made in the report.

“SSMU has made a commitment to social justice and equity and that it is important to have that reflected in our government structures, taking into account the historical and systemic barriers that were put into place to be part of governing structures like the SSMU,” St. Amour said.

The motion proposed the creation of an /ad hoc/ committee to investigate the benefits of such suggestions, and was accepted.

Motion regarding the Accountable Leadership Policy The SSMU Vice-President of University Affairs, Erin Sobat, presented the Motion Regarding the Accountable Leadership Policy. The Accountable Leadership Policy had created an Accountability Committee tasked with holding executive members to their obligations as stated in the

SSMU Council members vote on motions. (Lauren Benson-Armer / McGill Tribune) SSMU constitution. Referencing past examples of the ineffectiveness of the Accountable Leadership Policy, Sobat argued that the scope and authority of the Accountability Committee was either too vague or too specific.

“All the important provisions in this policy are or will be contained elsewhere [....]

Historically, the Accountability Committee has not been

the most effective committee,” Sobat said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by members of the Council.

“I believe this is a step in the right direction,” said Clubs and Services Councillor Adam Templer.

After debate on the motion, the Accountable Leadership Policy was repealed.

Run, Hide, Fight

McGill University releases active shooter training video Holly Cabrera Contributor On Sept. 8, McGill University’s Campus Public Safety Department notified faculty members of the official release of a new training video intended to inform members of the McGill community of safety procedures in the event of a campus shooting. According to Pierre Barbarie, director of Campus Public Safety, the short was made to replace the US Department of Homeland Security video previously featured on McGill University’s website, which ran over an hour in length. The 12-minute film has been adapted from footage produced by the University of Alberta. The goal is to present a more condensed film, containing the same information that would also resonate with a Canadian audience.

“It’s a safety message,” Barbarie said. “The more people see it, the better. Our goal is to give tools for dealing with this kind of crisis. We’re creatures of habit.

We’ll leave from the same door or escalator, so knowing your surroundings is key.”

While screening the video in class is not mandatory, professors were urged to promote the film to students and stress the importance of knowing emergency protocol. The recording was initially uploaded to McGill’s YouTube channel in July, but has yet to be uploaded to the McGill website.

The video emphasizes knowing one’s environment, staying out of the shooter’s line of fire, and attacking as a last resort.

“The ideal situation isn’t to fight,” Barbarie said. “If you can’t hide out and the shooter, unfortunately, confronts you […] it might come to that. Now, do you accept that he’s in front of you? Do you react? That’s really your decision to make. We just want people to realize their options.”

Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens acknowledged that the video’s realistic portrayal of a school shooting may disturb viewers. Dyens explains that although informing the McGill community of security measures is a priority, students are often swamped with messages at the beginning of the school year and

are therefore less attentive to the content of emails.

“It’s a difficult thing to watch and we take it seriously,” Dyens said. “We can’t send out too many emails on that subject.

Once the students were back on campus, we sent it to the Deans, who then forwarded it to the chairs to ensure that faculty members would actually read it.

If something happens, we believe students will turn to [them] to know what to do.”

In an email to The Tribune, Erin Sobat, Vice-President University Affairs for the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), explains that it was not involved with the creation or circulation of the video.

“SSMU doesn’t have a formal position on the video and we were not consulted on the creation or communications plan,” Sobat wrote.

Regarding the resources and time devoted to the new film, Sobat voiced concern over the way that university funds are distributed.

“We do wonder if this is really the biggest priority in terms of resource allocation,” Sobat

The new training video is available on the McGill University YouTube channel.

(McGill University / YouTube.com) Alexandre Beaubien, U1 wrote. “Statistically, more stuScience, was unaware of the sesdents will have to deal with anxisions, but expressed that it is in ety issues or depression at McGill students’ best interest to attend, than an active shooter situation, even after watching the training yet we have not seen the same video. level of communications on how “I did not know such workstudents and professors can adshops existed!” Beaubien said. dress those pressing concerns.”

“I think it would be important Currently, McGill offers free for people to participate in those 30-minute active shooter trainactivities mainly because the ing workshops, where students knowledge you gain from the and staff members get answers to security team isn’t only about case-by-case questions. Despite what to do in an active shooter the fact that presentations have scenario, but how to react in any taken place since 2009, the turnemergency scenario [in real life]. out has been underwhelming.

Knowing how to react could not “It’s always difficult to get only help you, but also help othpeople to the workshops,” Barbaers in certain circumstances.” rie said.

4

NEWS

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

SSMU adjusting to budget constraints Executives working to stabilize finances Calvin Trottier-Chi Contributor The current Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) executives have been forced to adjust operations to fit the new budget constraints caused by a failed Winter 2016 referendum motion. The motion proposed a $5.50 increase to the SSMU base fee but failed by 0.3 per cent. The current SSMU executives have adjusted operations to fit the new budget constraints caused by the failed referendum motion. SSMU President Ben Ger assured that the majority of these adjustments consist of reorganizing services and expanding avenues of revenue.

“Sacha, the new Vice-President (VP) Operations, is working [...] on the Student Run Cafeteria (SRC) to make sure this coming year we see major reductions to its costs, improvements and alterations to its menu, and additions to its structure and space,” Ger said. “Niall, our VP Finance, is working on a number of budget scenarios that we will be further exploring in the months to come.”

Temporary student club restrictions SSMU is currently not accepting applications for new student clubs, although Ger emphasized that clubs currently holding interim status can still apply for full status and that full status clubs have nothing to fear.

“There are no plans for these temporary restrictions on the ability to receive interim club status to become permanent,” said Ger. “As of now, the entire executive is committed to making sure that this isn’t the situation for very long.”

SSMU VP Finance Niall Carolan explained that without the approval of the SSMU fee increase, the creation of new clubs is difficult to accommodate due to a lack of available resources and funds.

“When you create a new club, they need a new bank account [and] they need to have their signing offices approved by the accounting department and myself,” Carolan said. “Not only does it put a strain on our internal resource process, but we also have a great deal of technology that we use in conjunction with club administration.”

Gerts and Student Run Cafeteria operations SSMU’s largest operations are the SRC and Gerts Bar. Both suffered from a lack of profits last year, and a drop in revenue is expected due to the McTavish Street construction. SSMU VP Operations Sacha Magder hopes that restructuring will improve the profitability of SSMU businesses.

“We realized that staff need to have more training, and most importantly they need to be able to train each other,” Magder said. “Moving forward, we’ll be tracking the sales of all meal options to make sure we cut anything that isn’t selling; this results in reduced waste and allows us to replace stock with more popular options.”

Magder said that a key issue was a lack of consistent branding, noting that ‘The Nest,’ ‘Grill,’ and simply ‘Second Floor Cafeteria’ have all been used to refer to the SRC. “I’ve been working with our marketing team over the summer to define our brand identity and to develop a marketing plan,” Magder said.

“We’ve proposed some new ideas–which are

confidential for now, but will be released soon– that were validated by working groups in the last week of August.”

Magder hopes to run Gerts activities that will appeal to students. He listed themes, trivia, and open mic nights as potential regular events.

B-week was one such an event, providing discounts on various drinks at Gerts from Sept. 12 to 16.

“We’ve already [completed] B-week […] to keep the momentum rolling from Frosh, and we’ll be having many more fun events throughout the year to make Gerts more than just another bar,” Magder said. “Most importantly, we’re looking to work much more closely with the faculties. We’d like to collaborate for more events and to use Gerts as a basecamp for various events across campus.”

Monetizing the Shatner Building Carolan pointed to the member base fee, Gerts, the SRC, special operations (such as SSMU Minicourses), and rental space as the primary sources of income for the Society. He stressed that SSMU is mandated to not repeatedly run on deficits, and believes that student operations alone cannot generate the necessary profits.

“We’ll never be able to rely solely on operational revenues to sustain the Society because it’s a multi-million dollar non-for-profit, and those aren’t the kind of profits you can expect from that scale of student-run initiatives,” Carolan said. “So with that in mind and the failed base fee of last year, there are only so many different avenues of funding that we can pursue.”

Carolan explained that renting space to cor-

porate sponsors is a reliable source of income, and saves costs for the student body as well.

“Before utilizing corporate sponsors, I wanted to make sure that our internal operations were running as effectively as possible so that I would have an idea of our shortfall,” Carolan said.

“The only time we’d use corporate sponsors is to save passing that cost to students.”

Rather than charge students or clubs for running events–such as Activities Night–corporate sponsors carry the costs in order to advertise on campus. Carolan believes that this is an effective way to cover costs, provided that the focus remains on students.

“I do agree that we need [to] keep an eye on [sponsors’] impact on the events and make sure it doesn’t detract from the entire experience,” Carolan said. “That’s really the point of it, if we have to use sponsors, we want to use sponsors who are relevant to students and hopefully provide a benefit to students at the same time.”

Yearbook mementos After several years of running a deficit, McGill’s yearbook has been discontinued. The SSMU executive team has expressed a desire to see it continue in some form, but details remain unspecified.

“It was just an unfortunate cost-benefit analysis where we thought, if there are these hundred students who are actually buying it, is it worth incurring this many thousands in deficit to make that happens,” Carolan said. “I’m not sure […] whether it will be discontinued indefinitely. I hope not, and I think that we’ll be doing everything we can to bring it back.”

Indoor and secure bike parking on campus Proposed biking facility to replace SSMU parking lot

Julie Guichard Contributor With construction currently taking place on the downtown McGill campus, there has been an increase in competition for bike parking. According to Paul Guenther, senior campus planner, internal surveys conducted by the Campus and Space Planning Department have shown that cyclists are not only discontented with the lack of bike parking spaces, but are also fearful of theft and the obligation to dismount their bicycles on campus. With these issues in mind, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) passed a motion on the creation of an oncampus bicycle facility.

“The proposed bike centre would house secure bike parking facilities, shower and locker facilities, and The Flat, the community-run bike collective,” Guenther said.

The project aims to increase ridership to campus, as well as to reallocate a space that is currently underused. Space under the SSMU Building currently only accommodates car parking.

“This garage was made inaccessible to cars when McTavish was made pedestrianized,” Guenther said.

At an estimated cost of $1.2 million, the project will be funded by multiple sources.

“We envision this project being funded jointly through SSMU, [McGill University, and through private sponsorship,” Guenther said.

The remaining costs will be covered by a per-semester membership fee.

The creation of a new bike facility demands funding and a paid membership, which has angered some students. Ines Wittke, U2 Arts, who often bikes to and from campus, she voiced concern over a biking facility that requires a paid membership.

“The [current] bike parking [situation] is definitely an issue [but with] a little bit of creativity, there is always a way you can attach your bike to something,” Wittke said. “I will probably not use [the new bicycle parking] accommodation [due to the cost].”

According to Guenther, the creation of a new bike parking facility does not mean the re-

moval of existing outdoor bike spots.

“This proposed bike centre is intended to provide additional bike parking options in the community and won’t result in any reduction of existing spaces,” Guenther explained. “The intention is to increase the number of riders on-campus.”

Kevin Manaugh, assistant professor in the Department of Urban Planning, has also played an important role in creating this space. He has spoken out about the proximity of McTavish to other buildings.

“Yes, [the location of McTavish in relation to other buildings] is a real concern, though it’s worth pointing out that cyclists will be able to ride directly into the facility using the access ramp,” Manaugh said. “Students will have to decide if any additional walking distances to their final destination [are] worth the added safety and convenience of secured parking and shower facilities.”

Manaugh commented on additional positive externalities that could arise from this project.

The proposed bicycle facility will occupy space under the SSMU building.

(EKM Architecture) “[The bike parking facility] is a welcome addition to increase efforts to reduce vehicle use on and to campus,” Manaugh said.

“It represents a growing trend towards prioritizing cyclists and pedestrians [....] I think that the fact that the space was previously used as a [car] parking garage and will take on the role of providing for cyclists is also a positive sign.”

Students, however, should

not expect for the new bicycle parking facility to be completed for at least a few years.

“This project, if funded, would likely not proceed before 2018, at which point the construction along McTavish will be over,” Manaugh said. “Furthermore, as the space is not being used aside from storage, there should be minimal disruption to the lives of students during its construction.”

5

Opinion

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

e d i to r i a l Editor-in-Chief Julia Dick editor@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Natalie Vineberg nvineberg@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors April Barrett abarrett@mcgilltribune.com Nicholas Jasinski njasinski@mcgilltribune.com News Editors Jenna Stanwood, Sara Cullen, William Pang news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Emma Avery & David Watson opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Lydia Kaprelian scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Living Editor Audrey Carleton studentliving@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Albert Park features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Selin Altuntur & Evelyn Goessling arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Zikomo Smith & Aaron Rose sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Domitille Biehlmann & Daniel Freed design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor L-A Benoit photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editor Noah Sutton multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Clare Lyle webdev@mcgilltribune.com Daniel Lutes online@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Areni Nicoghosian copy@mcgilltribune.com

In creation of McGill’s Sexual Violence Policy, transparent communication is paramount On Sept. 12, McGill released a longawaited Draft Policy for Sexual Violence, a final version of which will be shown to Senate next month. The Draft comes after a student working group’s Sexual Assault Policy Proposal (SAPP) was rejected in March.

The administration’s draft is its compromise on the issue, but the draft has been criticized for being vague, lacklustre, and unclear as to what concrete actions the administration plans to take. Such conflict would in part be resolved if the amending of the draft was more transparent, and if the University made it clear to students what exactly it can and cannot do in response to cases of sexual violence. Transparent communication and clear, actionable statements from McGill are essential to finalizing a sexual violence policy that is accessible to students, and that holds McGill accountable to supporting and protecting its members.

Presently, the draft formalizes existing precedents on how McGill handles reported sexual assaults. For example, it offers to enact immediate separation measures between the survivor and the alleged perpetrator. In Winter 2015, this occurred when one alleged perpetrator was banned from certain study spaces during the exam period. McGill cannot be expected to offer immediate expulsion of any alleged perpetrator without a police report; however, it should state on what grounds the administration can expel

off the board

Business Manager Mingye Chen business@mcgilltribune.com Advertising Executives Richard Blaser, Alexander Beaumont, Zain Hussain ads@mcgilltribune.com Publisher Chad Ronalds

TPS Board of Directors Mingye Chen, Julia Dick

Contributors

Ainsley, Ariella Garmaise, Arman Bery, Calvin Trottier-Chi, Ella Benedetti, Ellie Solloway, Erin O’Neill, Holly Cabrera, Izze Siemann, Julia Briand, Julia Metraux, Julie Guichard, Kate Lord, Lauren Benson-Armer, Margaux Delalex, Miguel Principe, Morgan Davis, Natasha Michaeloff, Neha Rahman, Ozanay Bozkaya, Patrick Beacham, Rebecca Zhuang, Riddhi Sukhi, Saif Cheval, Selwynne Hawkins, Wendy Tran

Tribune Office Shatner University Centre Suite 110, 3480 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 0E7 T: 514.398.6789 The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Société de Publication de la Tribune, a student society of McGill University. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of The McGill Tribune and the Société de Publication de la Tribune, and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University.

Letters to the editor may be sent to editor@mcgilltribune.com and must include the contributor’s name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted only to the Tribune. Submissions judged by the Tribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or solely promotional in nature will not be published. The Tribune reserves the right to edit all contributions. Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff. Please recycle this newspaper.

April Barrett Managing Editor “Where are you from?” is a loaded question. At McGill, depending on who is asking and who is being asked, the meaning of ‘where are you from?’ can range from an ambivalent, ‘where did you grow up?’ to a watered down, ‘why aren’t you white?’ As a person of colour myself, ‘where are you from?’ is at best confusing and at worst a red flag.

or discipline a perpetrator, details that are glaringly absent from the draft.

However, punitive measures alone will not necessarily improve the low rate of reporting sexual violence on university campuses. Because sexual assault is severely underreported—one Global News study found that fewer than one in five Canadian women who had experienced sexual assault actually reported it—proactive educational measures are crucial in combatting sexual violence.

While general education initiatives are included under clause 8 of the draft, these must be further clarified in the form of actionable statements that hold McGill accountable to a timeline. As a task force commissioned by the University of Ottawa to address sexual violence on Canadian university campuses concluded, administrations “must invest in strong public education that focuses on engaging the campus community in ending sexual violence.”

McGill must explicitly state how it plans on proactively educating all members of its community: There needs to be a greater acknowledgement of intersectionality— in both education and support—when the University’s policy is finalized. Although the draft acknowledges in its introduction that sexual violence disproportionately affects various “equity-seeking groups who experience intersecting forms of disadvantage,” a specific clause about intersectional-

ity should be included under the “Education and Awareness” section. An acknowledgement of the intersectionality of race, ethnic-

“

Ultimately, McGill needs to be transparent with its students about what measures it can and cannot include in its policy, and why.

”

ity, sex, gender, age, socioeconomic status, ability, and faith cannot have a meaningful impact unless it is woven into actionable statements about education and support.

These support services must be able to direct survivors to the appropriate resources if the survivor feels that an instance of sexual violence was linked to specific identity factors.

McGill’s policy must explain exactly what resources—in terms of funds, staff, and substantive support infrastructure—it will devote to supporting survivors. Ryerson University’s Sexual Violence Policy demonstrates that there is precedent for such a policy in the Canadian post-secondary context, as it lists the specific roles and responsibilities of individual administrators. It also

agrees to maintain statistics regarding sexual violence on campus “for the purposes of community education.” While clause 7 indicates that McGill will establish a centralized office on campus for support services, the policy must elaborate on what specific resources this will entail.

Ultimately, McGill needs to be transparent with its students about what measures it can and cannot include in its policy, and why. McGill is currently asking for feedback on the draft from students. Additionally, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and the Post Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) are hosting focus groups with trained volunteers from the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS) to gather more in-depth feedback from students. Before the draft is submitted to Senate, McGill must acknowledge the feedback that it does include, and explain what major student feedback it received that it could not.

Finally, avenues for feedback should remain open even after the policy reaches Senate and is officially implemented in order to ensure that the issue of sexual violence on campus remains a dialogue. If the final policy becomes another decision made behind closed doors, McGill will undoubtedly face even greater criticism for failing to follow through on its calls for student input.

Where are you from? In defence of seeing race The question, even in its amended form—where are you from originally?—has the potential to alienate and undermine a person’s place in Canada. Many people of colour, secondgeneration immigrants in particular, retort quickly with an indignant “I’m from Toronto! Where are you from?” causing both asker and asked to leave the interaction with a sour feeling.

This is a misunderstanding that can be avoided.

Cultural and ethnic origins don’t have to be sensitive or private information. While racial identity— especially that which is visibly apparent—can be difficult to navigate in a majority white environment like McGill, the question ‘where are you from?’ has the potential to encourage understanding rather than deepening divides. By recognizing difference and talking about it, instead of striving to melt identities down in a pot, belonging becomes a very real possibility.

A university is an international meeting ground; it’s an exciting and

constant reminder of the diversity in the world. Approaching the question, ‘where are you from?’ from the understanding that everybody has a complex and multifaceted background—or, in other words, nobody really belongs—is a good way to start. Once this is acknowledged, no one fits into a diverse social setting like McGill more than anyone else.

Highlighting differences rather than only similarities is a reminder that there is no mold in which to fit.

There is often an affinity between people who know what it is to walk into a classroom and scan it for anyone else who sticks out as much as they do. When two people of colour ask each other the question, ‘where are you from originally?’ they mean to explore: Where are you from that isn’t here, and how did we both get here? This isn’t to say that people of colour can only be comfortable discussing their background with other non-white people—a conversation about origins between two people of colour can become defensive as well.

It is to say that the reception of the question depends a lot on the intention of the asker: ‘Where are you from?’ must not be asked because the asker is fixated on the difference.

The asker must approach with the intention of comparing and contrasting the answer to their own culture with a genuine interest in getting to know how the person’s background affects their experience.

It is better to see colour and it is okay to ask someone where they’re from. But the question has to be employed with sensitivity, and it must not be the first or only question asked. In my experience, being open about my religious, ethnic, and cultural background has always added dimension to the way others view me and helped me to have open conversations about race and identity; it doesn’t necessarily lead to immediate pigeonholing or stereotyping. While one identifying label can never fully encompass a person, it can add nuance to a personality made up of many intersecting identities.

Erratum 1. An article in the Sept.13 issue (SSMU Meet the Execs 2016) misattributed a quote to VP Student Life Elaine Patterson. In fact, it should not have included the quote beginning “[...] but we’ve had” and concluding “it might happen in October.”

2. An article in the Sept. 13 issue (The history of OAP: The backstory of the “best place on earth”) incorrectly stated that Open Air Pub (OAP) receives annual donations of burgers from Provigo and Sleeman. It also incorrectly stated that OAP sold 620 cases of beer in Fall 2016, when in fact they sold 627. Finally, it also incorrectly stated that OAP made a profit of 72 thousand dollars in Fall 2015, when in fact, they made a profit of 90 thousand dollars. The Tribune regrets these errors.

6

OPINION

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

CAMPUS C O N V ER S A T I O N How effective is Frosh as an introduction to life at McGill?

The following answers are based on each contributor’s own personal experiences with the particular Frosh each participated in. Our writers took part in Arts, Rad, Outdoor, and Fish Frosh. Each explores the value of Frosh in terms of building relationships, foundations for life at McGill, and discovering the broader Montreal community.

Read more responses at www.mcgilltribune.com/opinion.

(Laurie-Anne Benoit / The McGill Tribune)

FISH FROSH Riddhi Sukhia Contributor

I had no idea what a Frosh was until I saw it on the McGill orientation website.

As an exchange student from Hong Kong, I’d never been to a Frosh in my first year, and did not want to miss out

RAD FROSH Neha Rahman Contributor

Senses of community, identity, and belonging are crucial in a big school like McGill. The central idea of Frosh is to bring new students together under events that help them to get to know one another. Ideally, it should introduce terrified first-years to a community they need and can identify with. I

NO FROSH Erin O’Neill Contributor

Every entering McGill student has heard that frosh is the greatest week of university.

With this, there comes a lot of pressure to fulfill such high expectations: Frosh can seem like an essential way to make friends in first-year and to explore the

on this traditional welcoming event at McGill. After considerable deliberation over the many options, I went with Fish Frosh, a dry Frosh hosted by four McGill Christian groups.

The reason I chose Fish Frosh was not only because I wanted to make new friends, but because I wanted to explore the city of Montreal and not be exhausted after five days of partying. As an added bonus, it was also the cheapest Frosh.

It didn’t bother me too much

that I wasn’t Christian myself, as Fish Frosh is open to all beliefs. Now that Frosh Week is done with, it’s safe to say that I enjoyed every bit of it, and have no regrets regarding my decision.

Through Frosh, I was able to visit several iconic parts of Montreal with a bunch of friends, guided by our leaders. The Biodome, Mont-Royal lookout, Old Port, and SaintJoseph’s Oratory were some of the many locations we spent

time at. We also had some amazing food throughout— some traditional Quebecois dishes, and some homemade— all of which eased me into the amazing cultural and culinary diversity of the city. Fish Frosh was also a great opportunity for Christian freshmen at McGill to get to know what the McGill Christian community had to offer. That being said, I was openly welcomed and respected as a non-Christian, and never felt out of place.

Spending five days with my Fish Frosh group and leaders meant one thing: I met new friends, regardless of cultural backgrounds, beliefs, or interests. Breaking into the social life of a university as big as McGill—especially as an exchange student—can be challenging. Through Frosh, I made friendships and memories that will not be soon forgotten. I wouldn’t have started my time here at McGill any other way.

came into Orientation Week knowing that I was not prepared for the amount of drinking that appeared to be the Faculty Frosh prerogative. Indeed, many of my friends in residence complained that being drunk all the time actually hindered the process of making friends. Thus, Rad Frosh, organized and funded through McGill’s Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG)—whose aim is to provide a ‘radical’ alternative to regular orientation activities by means of social-justice based programming—was a great alter-

native.

For me, Rad Frosh was an extremely effective start to life at McGill because it introduced me to precisely the parts of McGill where I would like to belong. Be it a persons of colour (POC)-only space, or an Anarchist bookstore, Rad Frosh gave me access to resources that suit my needs. The parts of McGill and Montreal I saw through Rad Frosh were parts that the school doesn’t necessarily advertise: We visited the workers’ unions, and learned about both the Divest McGill and Demilitarize

McGill groups. In addition We learned about guerilla gardening and gentrification in the MiltonParc and St Henri communities.

There were both drinking and non-drinking events, but the latter were especially effective because they were carefully organized and engaging. They were primarily workshops in which participants sat with fellow sociallyconscious students and discussed politically charged topics. In this way, we got to know each other on deeper levels, which helps in fostering lasting friendships. At

events like the Open Mic, we were given a platform to share our creative talents and personal stories through music and poetry, and thus connect with others. Finally, we went to our fair share of bars and had amazing dance parties to boot.

On top of being an introduction to McGill and its surroundings, Rad Frosh introduced me to like-minded individuals who I believe will become lasting friends. It was never about the Anarchist bookstore—which I will definitely be revisiting—but the people I’ll visit it with.

city. Feeling this pressure myself, I signed up for Fish Frosh and gave it a shot; however, I quickly realized that participating in Frosh wasn’t something I could force myself into. I only attended frosh for one day—at no fault of the Frosh itself—and instead decided to spend the rest of the week exploring Montreal with a few friends who felt similarly ambivalent towards the lack of freedom that Frosh offers.

The next day, some friends

and I took the Metro to the end of the Green line, stopping at restaurants and shops along the way. During Faculty Froshes, a lot of time is spent going on pub crawls and partying at clubs which while fun for many is not the most effective way to discover the city of Montreal. With no set events, we had the freedom to hike to the top of Mount Royal, and then went on to buy poutine and ice cream in the Old Port. We still stayed out until 3 a.m., but it was on our own

terms. As a result, we saw parts of the city and had experiences we otherwise would have yet to discover.

In terms of making friends, not doing Frosh acted as its own bond. I met people who shared the similar interests to mine; in a large Frosh group, there is no such guarantee. My friends and I recognized the value of venturing into the city without a plan, as opposed to following the structure and organization of mainstream Frosh. Doing so

with such a small group made all of our adventures much more intimate: Instead of spending little time with many people we got to know each other on a deeper level.

It may seem intimidating to take on Orientation Week alone, but Frosh isn’t necessarily for everyone. Deviating from the typical Frosh experience can still offer opportunities for those seeking freedom, meaningful friendships, and personalized adventures.

7

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Comedians stand up for feminism

Concordia’s Centre for Gender Advocacy hosts Feminist Stand-Up Comedy Night Ariella Garmaise Contributor Successful comedy comes from a place of heartbreak, and from the ability to make what seems devoid of humour funny.

The stereotype is that feminists aren’t funny, but by that token, feminism should be a breeding ground for good comedy. Comedy greats like Louis C.K. and Chris Rock base their routines around obstacle, heartache, and depression—but where are these themes more apparent than in a woman’s struggle to exist amongst her male counterparts? At the Concordia Centre for Gender Advocacy’s “Feminist Stand-Up Comedy Night,” headliner Ify Chiwetelu proved that nothing is funnier than a poignant and witty take on systemic oppression.

The event was hosted in Concordia’s student bar, Reggie’s.

With its open floor plan, dimmed orange lighting, and geometric wire seating, both the space and its inhabitants were uniformly trendy.

While atypical for a comedy show, the location was actually fitting for the evening. Despite the help from

talented performers and a unique venue, the Centre for Gender Advocacy was ill-prepared for a comedy show. The event featured five amateur performers for its open mic portion, followed by an experienced stand-up comedian to conclude the show. The Centre’s Action Coordinator, Stacey Gomez, acted as MC, and was proficient in carrying out her duties as an equality advocate and in creating a safe space for both performers and audience alike. However, she was not a comedian. Often overlooked, a host plays a crucial role in interacting with the audience in between acts, and the absence of a comedian as host set an uneasy tone for the evening. Similar structural flaws followed; one comedian even showed up late and performed after the headliner. The show was a learning experience for the five amateur comics performing, and the Centre for Gender Advocacy.

Headliner Ify Chiwetelu, who Bad Dog Theatre named their Breakout Performer in 2015, expertly navigated the show back into more comfortable comedic territory. Chiwetelu, who described growing up black

in a predominantly white Calgary neighborhood, recalling the microaggressions that crowded her childhood in a way that was both heartbreaking and hysterical.

“My friends always asked me to bring them to black events,” she remembered. “I wanted to call them and bring them to the bank to talk about RSPs. Every event I do is a black event!”

She explored more personal

was populated with random dayto-day observations, ranging from what it is like to have large breasts (“I’m talking mid alphabet”), to being single (“PDA feels like a personal attack”). Many of her colleagues spent their time on stage describing the hardships women face. Yet unlike her counterparts, Chiwetelu did not need to explain to her audience why ‘women aren’t funny’ is a ridiculously outdated sentiment—her routine was proof in and of itself.

Even if the show was logistically somewhat amateur, it was still successful. As Chiwetelu explained after her performance, Open mic performers gave variety to the show. “I feel like some comedy (Wendy Chan / McGill Tribune) audiences self-select themselves out of comedy clubs and things terrain, explaining her reluctance like that because they think they to reveal her sexual orientation might be made fun of or attacked. with self—deprecating wit: “I still By saying this is a feminist show, haven’t figured out where on the you’re speaking to those audiences and bringing them a comedy that spectrum being dead inside is.”

Chiwetelu’s retelling of aligns with their politics and their her experience with blackness, viewpoint.” The Centre for Gender womanhood, and sexuality fit the Advocacy will only improve evening’s activist tone without by continuing to host similar pandering to the audience. She did events, showcasing performances not limit herself to being a token that are so important to fans of “black woman comedian.” Her act alternative comedy.

Marketing overshadows innovation at New York Fashion Week Saif Cheval Contributor New York Fashion Week (NYFW) came to a close last night, relieving its captive audience of Snapchat users from the endless onslaught of coverage. NYFW features mostly American designers and is considered one of the Big 4 Fashion Weeks—the others being held in London, Paris, and Milan.

Though there was much buzz about the week-long event, the actual fashion on display was disappointing. The added confusion of the experimental ‘see-now-buynow’ system, wherein spectators could purchase a look they saw via cellphone app, had some designers displaying Fall/Winter clothing during what should be a Spring/Summer event (typically NYFW showcases Spring/ Summer collections, named for the season in which clothes will come to retail).

There were some achievements for diversity in fashion, as well as surprisingly humouros moments.

Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen of Portlandia hosted retailer Opening Ceremony’s “Pageant of the People” show, turning it into a running commentary on a variety of current issues: Feminism, immigration, and the upcoming American presidential election. An Indonesian designer, Anniesa Hasibuan, presented the first collection in Western fashion to

feature a hijab in every outfit. Rapper Young Thug/Jeffery, appointed style mentor at the V-FILES show, stopped a model in the middle of the runway to fix up his outfit, causing a social media firestorm. Opening Ceremony and the non-traditional fashion collective V-FILES showcased some of the better looks of NYFW, despite not being fully recognized as labels. DKNY, with their ode to New York fashion, managed to have the best show of the

big American names.

Kanye West’s now infamous fashion line, YEEZY, was one of the first shows of the week. YEEZY’s first season served as a blatant love letter to West’s influences—(Lang, Margiela, Nakamura, Ackermann)—and could be played off as a first-time designer finding their place in the industry.

However, now in its fourth season, with very little commercial success to show for itself, YEEZY is more of a

spectacle than an innovative clothing line. Besides a slight tweaking in fabric colour, the line has not evolved past being a reflection of high fashion, and hasn’t earned the seriousness that West believes it should be treated with.

Controversy bookended the week: West’s show called for “Multiracial Women Only,” which sparked social media debate surrounding the scrutiny of black features in fashion. Despite that, he managed to once again display

Brands used NYFW as a marketing campaign. (Daria Kiseleva / McGill Tribune)

the most diverse set of models in the week. Marc Jacobs came under fire for creating dreadlock wigs for his models to wear. He defended (and later apologized for) this choice by asking why no one complains about black women straightening their hair—an incredibly weak defense for the highly controversial gimmick.

Raf Simons’ buzzed-about appointment as chief creative officer at Calvin Klein unfortunately had no effect on this NYFW, with the brand choosing to wait until next season to show Simons’ first collection. Tom Ford displayed his clothes in New York for the first time in six years to a bunch of celebrities that were probably dressed more interestingly than the models. Tommy Hilfiger unveiled a wholly uninspired collaboration with Gigi Hadid, Alexander Wang combined lingerie with beachwear, and Ralph Lauren presented clothes on the sidewalk.

NYFW was, on the whole, disappointing, and the changing purchasing system might have something to do with that. Instead of showcasing future looks, brands are attempting to use the week as an instantaneous marketing campaign.

Unfortunately, that makes for a dull series of shows. With Berlin Fashion Week on the rise as a force in the industry, and a growing interest in fashion beyond household American names, NYFW is due for a makeover.

UNDER

Skin

YOUR Albert Park Feature Editor

Exploring the facts and myths behind organ donations

A registered organ donor can save up to eight lives and drastically improve the lives of over 75 people. This statistic—while impressive—does not tell the entire story. It does not reveal the number of hours that a kidney recipient would be able to spend at home with their family instead of on a hospital bed. It cannot measure the amount of happiness that a parent might feel in seeing their child, who has just received new lungs, run for the first time. It cannot illuminate the sense of hope and gratitude that one might experience in holding their partner’s hand after undergoing a successful heart transplant operation. Indeed, it is overwhelming to consider the full implications behind these numbers.

I remember the day when I first heard this statistic; I was in grade ten. I had excitedly stepped into my favourite class in high school—science. Immediately, I noticed the serious expression on my teacher’s face, a countenance that was hard to spot on someone with the reputation of being the most laid back teacher in my school. I recall word for word what he said to the class before his lesson that day.

“We learn a lot of important things in this class: Optics, cells, chemical reactions, the periodic table. These are all very important topics, yes,” he said. “But, I can guarantee that no other piece of information you receive from this class will have a greater impact on your life and society than what you are about to learn in the next few days.”

What followed was a series of lessons about organ donation. It was the first time I was formally educated on the topic. Naturally, we covered some of the science behind it, but my teacher made great effort to emphasize the need for awareness about organ donations. He showed us documentaries, wrote down statistics, and engaged us in conversation about the lives of the people on the waiting list for organs in Canada.

Since then, I’ve tried my best to stay up to date on news about organ donations. Some facts are reassuring; for example, organ transplantation rates have risen by 23 per cent over the last decade in Canada. Yet, this figure cannot change the reality that in 2014, there were 4,573 Canadians on the waiting list for an organ donation. Out of that group, 300 people died while waiting for an organ that year.

The struggle to meet transplant demands in Canada can be accounted for by the insufficient rate of successful organ donations in the country. Quebec is relatively successful when it comes to facilitating organ donation. The province had the highest deceased organ donor conversion rate in Canada in 2014, with 21 per cent of eligible deceased patients donating their organs However, according to Transplant Quebec, barely one per cent of all patients that pass away in the hospital end up donating organs. In 2013, about 15 people out of a million Canadians ultimately became organ donors, which was significantly lower than countries such as the United States, where approximately 26 people out of a million became donors.

Experts in medicine and the humanities has expended significant effort to identify the factors behind Canada’s low organ donation rate. According to Matthew Dankner, an MDPhD student at McGill, and a member of the McGill Students for Organ Donation Awareness (MSODA) group, there are two primary contributing factors to the issue.

“Our group has identified two main reasons [for the low number of organ donations in Canada],” he explained. “Most people aren’t [registered] organ donors, they don’t know about it, [or] they don’t sign the card [....] But what we’ve come to realize over our three years [running MSODA], is that what is arguably even a bigger issue is that health professionals are not adequately trained in [organ transplantation].”

Dankner’s first point about the lack of awareness and preparedness regarding organ donation is an issue that everyday Canadians can do more to alleviate. For Dankner, the decision to become a donor came naturally. Therefore, he believes that awareness is the most effective way to increase organ donation rates.

“To me [organ donation] is sort of a common sense thing [....] Once you are gone you don’t need your [organs] anymore, and there are people that desperately need them to live,” he said. “Peo-

ple with families and their own lives.”

Alissa Rutman, a graduate student in the Department of Experimental Surgery at McGill, and the founder of MSODA, echoes similar sentiments regarding the reasons behind why people choose to become organ donors.

“If you can save a life after death, then why wouldn’t you?” she asked.

“In my head [it’s like] saving eight lives by signing a [sticker.]”

In an email to the McGill Tribune, Jeremy Rutman, a second year student in accounting at Concordia’s John Molson School of Business, lent his perspective about organ donations, as an individual who has received an organ. In 2012, Rutman received a liver transplant after being diagnosed with Primary Schlerosing Cholangitis.

“Before my transplant, I took a lot for granted,” he wrote. “I think now that I’ve been given a second chance, I know how important it is to cherish the little things in life and make the most of them. [Organ donors] have no idea how many lives [they] can and will be impacting in the longrun. I’ve been [gifted] with a second chance at life because of one person. Think about how much of a difference [an organ donor] can have on not only one person’s life, but so many.”

The desire to help others is a great factor behind why people register to become organ donors. According to the Canadian Transplant Society, 90 per cent of Canadians support organ and

tissue donation; however, less than 20 per cent have actually made plans to donate. Cementing one’s decision to donate one’s organ requires more than simply registering with the organ donor registry or signing the donor sticker.

Dankner stressed the importance of talking about your wishes with family members, recalling the conversations he had with his parents following his decision.

“I talked about it with my family, and that’s very important, because technically, signing the sticker [on the back of your provincial Health Insurance Card] is not enough,” he said. “If something were to happen to me, and the doctors [were to] ask my parents if [I wanted to be an organ donor], they would need to say yes. You don’t even need to technically sign your [sticker], you just need your next of kin to know your views. Whoever is your surrogate to make decisions can consent for you [....My parents were] supportive of my decisions.

Neither of them were organ donors at the time, but over the years, my mom, my dad, and my brother have all signed on to be donors.”

This conversation is not so simple for everyone. Following my education about organ donation in high school, I made up my mind to become a donor.

Donning a green ribbon, I marched home and announced my intentions to my mother, Meekyung Choi. To my surprise, she shut down the conversation almost immediately, claiming that I was too young to start thinking about such things.

Recently, I approached the topic with her again, and she finally elaborated on her reluctance to discuss it with me six years ago.

“I just felt you were too young to start thinking something about what comes after death,” she said. “I don’t think you should start planning for such negative events ahead of time. No parent wants to talk about their child’s mortality.”

In spite of this, I was surprised to find that she fully supported the concept of donating one’s organs.

“Of course I believe [organ donation] is a good thing,” she said. “If

about donations is that registered organ donors will not be given the the best possible care by doctors, or will even be declared dead prematurely due to the high demand for organs. Dankner claims that these fears are only myths.

“As a medical student, I know that doctors are not [going to prematurely declare your death] just because you are an organ donor,” he said. ”Some people think that if you are an organ donor, [doctors] will not treat you as well.

But the thing is that those conversations [about donating organs] are only had [after your death] and no one even knows if you signed your card or not prior to that. It all comes down to a lack of education about the [organ donation and allocation] process.”

Steps are being taken to address the shortfall of education on the clinical side as well. This year, Alexandra Fletcher and Bing Yu, two second year students in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill and members of the International Federation of Medical Student Associations-Quebec, worked to introduce a course on organ donation into the undergraduate medical curriculum across Quebec and Canada. MSODA supported the initiative by attending the group’s meetings, as well as providing feedback on their proposals and plans.

Ultimately, the challenge of increasing the organ donor rate boils down to finding the most effective ways to not only raise awareness on the matter, but to also educate everday people about the system. Rutman explained that this is one of goals of the MSODA, which is a Students’ Society of McGill University group affiliated with Transplant Quebec.

“We’ve had some educational seminars about organ donations in general, and we’ve set up booths around campus which facilitated distribution of medicare stickers,” she said. “Handing [the stickers] out is very important. A lot of people never end up making plans to donate their organs because it’s hard for them to get access to [medicare stickers].”

In particular, MSODA has made great efforts to support Chaîne de vie, a Quebec-wide program which educates high school students about organ donations through second-language English classes. The organization came to life when Kristopher Knowles, a secondary school student from Ontario who was on the waiting list for a liver transplant, visited an English class in Quebec to give a testimony about the shortage of organs and being on the waiting list. Dankner spoke about Défi Chaîne de vie, an event ran by Chaîne de vie, in which MSODA plays a large part in organizing. “[This event] is a walk up [Mount Royal] with both organ donors and organ recipients attending,” he explained. “The point [of the climb] is that it symbolizes the hardship that waiting for an organ and ultimately undergoing a transplant operation entails.”

This year, Défi Chaîne de vie will be held on Oct. 15, 2016. The purpose of the event is to spread awareness about organ donations. James Rutman indicated that he believes thorough education is the best way to encourage more people to register to become organ donors.

“Nowadays, people are scared of the unknown, and rightfully so,” he wrote. “With so much information accessible, why should it be such a question mark?

Everyone should be provided with the answers to the hard questions, which could influence them into becoming organ donors.”

While education is one thing, Alissa Rutman believes that having an honest conversation about the subject with others is the most conducive way for everyday people to help support the mandate of groups like MSODA and increase the rate of organ donations in Canada. “[I would] encourage talking about organ donation with friends and fam(Justine Touchon / The McGill Tribune) ily,” she said. “You don’t have to push anyone to register. Just an open converyou can give someone else hope, and serve a purpose even after death, I think sation about the topic is helpful to everyone [....] Whether you agree with the that is a very positive thing. I fully intend to donate my organs.” idea [of organ donations] or not.”

According to Alissa Rutman, my mother’s reason for avoiding the In his email, James Rutman also mentioned a similar belief. topic—hesitance to talk about mortality—is a common barrier to creating open “If you’re not willing to become an organ donor, whether it be perdialogue about organ donations. sonal reasons, or any other reasons, I think it’s important to talk about “Honestly, people are sometimes just scared to talk about death,” she said. it,” he wrote. “Talk with someone you know who has received an organ “They don’t want to think about what comes after [death].” donation or with someone whose loved one has received a donation. UnAnother significant reason for people’s reluctance to register as organ do- derstand how they cherish it and understand how much it can impact a nors is because of their mistrust of doctors and the system. A common concern group of people.”

“If you can give someone else hope, and serve a purpose even after death, I think that is a very positive thing. I fully intend to donate my organs.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

10 P o p R h et o ri c

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

M u S I C S treamin g p art y c o u l d # S ave N e l l y

Morgan Davis Contributor Comtinued from page 1.

Comparing inexpensive monthly subscriptions to individually purchasing a song for $1.29, the choice seems obvious for many music-listeners. Thus, a majority of millennials choose to subscribe to a streaming service.

The #HotinHerreStreamingParty is an interesting byproduct of the battle between musicians and music streaming platforms. Some artists insist that streaming services can damage their careers, yet others insist that adapting to changing methods of music sharing is vital to achieve success.

For instance, Chance the Rapper, an American musician taking the industry by storm, is climbing higher and higher up the charts despite not charging for his music. The artist behind Coloring Book releases his mix tapes for free on social media platforms, preferring to make his money through touring

instead of album sales. Chance the Rapper recognizes that his audience is a part of the generation raised on torrenting their music from sites such as LimeWire or Video-toMP3. In a Rolling Stone interview, he described signing to a label as “a dead industry.” Rather than desperately holding on to that old system, he looks to the future.

On the other side of the controversy stands ten-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift. She has publicly taken a stance against Spotify, arguing that she doesn’t agree with their method, as the model threatens struggling artists that depend on music purchases for a living wage. While some artists, including herself, have had enough success to not be significantly impacted by this sharing system, many musicians barely receive payout for their work played on streaming services.

This debate brings us back to the #HotinHerreStreamingParty movement. As the aging artist struggles to pay off his debts, one can’t help but notice the prodigious

amount of song plays needed to reach the fundraising goal. For someone like Nelly, who has been producing and releasing music for almost two decades, it seems almost unfair that consumers get unlimited streaming of his songs while he receives such a miniscule payout.

As a budgeting college student, however, the idea of paying for each song individually rather than paying only $10 a month for limitless music is less than ideal.

Until the debate over streaming sites is resolved, all that can be done for the cause is to jump on board with Nelly’s streaming party.

Streaming rather than purchasing individual songs has become the dominant form of music sharing.

Understanding this, an individual playing Nelly’s biggest hits may have little effect, but if enough fans band together, streaming may actually be an avenue for salvation.

So, get out your speakers, log on to Spotify, and get ready to listen to “Hot in Herre,” one of the most musically advanced songs of the century. It’s time to #SaveNelly.

Nelly’s fans attempt to erase his debt. (Madeline Kinnney / McGill Tribune)

F r o m t h e V ie w p o int T I F F Natasha Michaeloff Contributor After months of waiting, it’s finally here—the holiest of weeks for Canadian film buffs—the Toronto International Film Festival (or TIFF, as it’s colloquially known). From September 8th to the 18th, Toronto is transformed into a mecca for moviegoers and celebrity sightings.

Out of the many films premiering, here is a breakdown of the four that have generated the most buzz this festival season.

Free Fire is a wild ride throughout.(Collider.com) (Express.com)

Free Fire

Director: Ben Wheatley Cast: Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Sharlto Copley, Jack Reynor, and Sam Riley A loud, rollicking ride from start to finish, Free Fire opens with a seemingly uneventful business transaction between two criminal groups and quickly devolves into chaos when two members from the opposing parties have a violent disagreement. Brie Larson’s role is effectively reduced to the token “hot girl” in the boys’ club—her sex appeal leads to squabbles between some of the male characters. However, Armie Hammer’s understated comedic ability shines through, alongside other more clownish standouts Sharlto Copley (District 9) and Sam Riley (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). The rapid-fire dialogue, pop culture references (hello, John Denver), and scenes of bloody mayhem echo Quentin Tarantino and will surely be a treat for anyone who’s a fan of his works.

Before the Flood

Director: Fisher Stevens Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio

From producers Martin Scorcese and Leonardo DiCaprio, the latter of whom acts as narrator, this documentary on climate change is 2006s An Inconvenient Truth, and offers virtually no new information for those who have seen its predecessor. Taking on the role of eagerto-learn student, DiCaprio interviews Pope Francis, US Secretary of State John Kerry, and US President Barack Obama, as well as figures in the scientific community and oil industry. He travels as far as China, Indonesia, and the North Pole to see firsthand how human activity has affected different ecosystems across the globe. It’s hard not to laugh when he solemnly compares the appearance of the Alberta oil sands to Mordor from Lord of the Rings and as he continually asks his guests dumbed-down questions. However, if DiCaprio’s star power can draw in larger audiences of those who are uninformed or unconvinced about the existence of global warming, that can only be a good thing.

American Pastoral

Snowden

Director: Ewan McGregor Cast: Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Connelly, Dakota Fanning, Rupert Evans, and Uzo Aduba

Director: Oliver Stone Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Rhys Ifans, and Nicolas Cage

The most disappointing of the four films reviewed here, American Pastoral is an adaptation of Philip Roth’s 1997 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about Seymour “Swede” Levov and the destructive impact of sociopolitical movements on his idyllic upper middle-class, suburban family life. In his directorial debut, Ewan McGregor tries too hard to touch on everything the book had more time to explore. In doing so, the film leaves the viewer with more questions than answers. As an actor, he does an adequate job of physically embodying Swede, but demonstrates no real depth of character.

Both Jennifer Connelly (Reqiuem for a Dream) and Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) are underused as the Swede’s beauty queen wife and one of his top employees, respectively. Although Dakota Fanning delivers a promising performance as Swede’s troubled daughter Merry, the movie’s shaky tone and uneven, uninspired storytelling prove to be its downfall.

As the title suggests, Snowden is a biographical account of the events surrounding the June 2013 leak of classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA), courtesy of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is excellent as the socially withdrawn Snowden—though his accent is a bit overkill. Director Oliver Stone adeptly provides ample reasoning for why Snowden willfully committed what the US Government determined was an act of treason. Shailene Woodley plays Snowden’s girlfriend Lindsay in an unremarkable turn for the actress.

Rounding out the supporting cast are Rhys Ifans and Nicolas Cage, both in great form as two government officials on opposite ends of the moral spectrum. A riveting piece of political commentary that is ever more relevant in light of the upcoming American presidential election. Keep an eye out for this one at the Oscars.

Student Living

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

11

Crew Collective & Cafe makes space for brews and brainstorming

Old Port cafe and meeting space moves into former bank Ellie Solloway Contributor One would think the expansive, ornate lobby of what was formerly the Royal Bank of Canada headquarters lobby would not make a great place for an experiment.

Its church-like echo lends itself to hushed exchanges rather than bold and uninhibited conversation.

Its dark corners and maze-like passageways are better imagined collecting dust than housing a small team of start-up innovators.

And yet, it’s the perfect setting for Crew Collective & Cafe, which is proving to be quite the experimental undertaking.

Founded as a start-up in 2012, Crew Collective & Cafe matches interested businesses and agencies with freelance creative professionals, of which they’ve established a vast network. In 2014, CEO Mikael Cho decided to reify their successful online business by bringing it into a physical space that acts doubly as a cafe. As the happy brainchild of Crew Co., the company has positioned itself on the front line of the “greatest economic movement since the Industrial Revolution,” or

so boasts their website.

“The idea was to make a space as multipurpose as possible while celebrating its history,” Sophie Silkes, head of Partnerships and Events for Crew, said. “The idea behind using this space was to create an adaptive reuse project and to help open it up to the public so that they are able to celebrate the space, which is really such an architectural marvel.”

Crew’s versatile space consists of two areas for work: The cafe space, which is set up for individuals to walk in and work, and the collective space, which is only for members. The latter houses rows of large desks with giant MacBooks, clear and sleek meeting rooms, and long grey couches. Members of the collective pay a fee for unlimited monthly access to the space, marked off by only a transparent glass divider. The collective space creates a unique yet productive environment in which freelancers and small businesses meet and operate. “[Crew’s space] is really accessible to people that don’t see themselves fitting into the traditional office environment,” Silkes said.

“We get a lot of people that work

in tech space, a lot of independent artists [….] I think a totally diverse set of industries represent themselves really nicely here.”

The Crew business model may be a reactive adaptation to the changing workforce, but Silkes would be the first to tell you that it’s still very much an experiment. A necessary side effect of innovative projects like this is that they involve substantial trial and error; they must gather data on what works and what doesn’t. Silkes says Montreal is the perfect laboratory in which to experiment.

“The cost of living [in Montreal] is pretty low. It’s the

kind of city that is driven by the creative people that live here,” Silkes explained. “Because the city can be easier to live in, I think it’s easier to try something out that would potentially be impossible in any other North American city.”

Nearly five months after its inauguration this past May, the experiment could certainly be considered a rousing success.

According to Silke, the Montreal community has been very receptive to both the collective and the coffee at Crew. The cafe attracts students from nearby universities, professionals looking for a place to host a meeting, and tourists from

Crew Collective & Cafe serves coffee and meals for solo studiers and budding start-up founders.

(Lauren Benson-Armer / The McGill Tribune)

nearby Place d’Armes metro station looking for a quick stopover.

Crew is beautifully architectured, and the space flows effortlessly. The details added to the former bank backdrop were included to accentuate what already existed. Relics of old deposit boxes are left on the walls, and darkening bronze contrasts with sturdy marble.

Silkes clarifies that the contrasts present in the space are intentional, a product of the company’s vigorous architectural process.

No venture is complete without a mission—a definitive reason behind the hours and labour put into the project. Yet, Silkes was coy when asked if Crew had a mission statement in mind.

“I think we are kind of antimission statement here,” Silkes laughed. “We are more of a walkthe-walk, talk-the-talk type of company.”

It looks like the company is looking to let their successes speak for themselves, which is no easy feat. However, with Crew’s unique business model, impressively tasty food, and Instagram-worthy space, this innovative venture is set to last.

Ask Ainsley: How do I network with my professors?

Ainsley addresses anxieties about securing letters of recommendation Dear Ainsley, I’m going into my third-year in September, and even though it’s far away, the thought of graduate school is already weighing heavily on my mind. I’m fairly certain my GPA will be good enough to get into the schools I want to apply to, but I feel like I don’t have good relationships with my teachers. I’ve been told so many times that to get into grad school you need at least a couple good recommendation letters from your professors, but so far I have none.

How do I go about developing a strong relationship with a professor so I can land a good recommendation letter?

Sincerely, Restless about Rec Letters (RARL)

Dear RARL, Good for you for already thinking about life post-undergrad. It’s easy to get caught up in life at McGill, and to forget that once we’re finished with these four short years— or in some cases, three—we’re left to fend for ourselves. Connections are crucial to getting ahead in the job market and in the race to graduate school; scoring a good recommendation letter will undoubtedly give you a leg up in both. The first step to doing so is to make connections with your

your best to make an impression.

If you’re in the Faculty of Arts, consider looking for classes or seminars that are smaller, or try doing a one-onone independent study with a professor.

Once you get to your upper years, classes typically have a better professor to student ratio, allowing most of the networking to get done on its own. If taking smaller classes isn’t possible for your program, do your best to speak up in class. By continuing to do this, your professor may start to recognize you and immediately look to you for any discussion questions they may have. This is also made easier if you sit in the front of the lecture hall. Also, in my opinion, it’s a lot less daunting to answer or ask a question in class if you can’t see the other students sitting in front of you.

Meeting professors can be hard when class sizes are in Another way to stand out in the eyes of the hundreds. (Alissa Zilber / The McGill Tribune) your professors for large lectures is to stay after class to ask questions, taking the time professors.

On the one hand, we are privileged to to introduce yourself to the professor, and attend a large research university. McGill has showing interest in the course material will hundreds of school clubs, some of the best really set you apart from other students. If professors in North America, and endless you can’t think of anything to ask teachers opportunities to explore different career after class, or are in a rush to get to your paths. On the other hand, many of us face next class, office hours are another great the ‘small fish in a big ocean’ problem. It’s opportunity to get to know your professor. hard to set yourself apart from others when Taking the time to show up can really show there are thousands of other hardworking, your professor how much the class means intelligent students potentially vying for the to you. Try coming up with some questions same spot and attention as you. It doesn’t from your readings beforehand so you have help that in many programs, classes can have something to talk to them about—the more up to 600 students enrolled. You’re easily specific the question, the better, as it shows forgotten in a lecture hall if you don’t do the depth at which you have been studying

the material.

If you have some extra time on your hands, consider running for your faculty or departmental student association. Student association members often work closely with professors to organize research panels and networking events, which is a great way to get on a first-name basis with a professor.

If you’re already tied up with extracurricular activities, do your best to attend as many events as possible, and consider staying afterwards to talk to professors about their research. In any given week, there should normally be at least a couple relating to your field of study.

Even though we have a seemingly long time at McGill, the years go by quickly.

Balancing class workload, extracurricular activities, and social life often takes precedence over planning for the future.

Do your best to get your foot in the door with your professors early, and you’ll thank yourself come graduation.

Best of luck, Ainsley

Have a question for Ainsley? Submit a question anonymously at mcgilltribune.com/ask-ainsley.

Student Living

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Tuesday, September 20, 2016

McGill goes green at the weekly student farmer’s market

Student and community farmers help McGill eat organically and ethically Ella Benedetti Contributor It is 9 a.m. on Thursday, Sept.

15, and the walkway at the Roddick Gates is crammed with fresh fruit and vegetables. Monica Allaby, U3 Geography, is busy stacking boxes of squash, tomatoes, kale, eggplant, and other seasonal produce. Allaby isn’t worried about the early hour, however, because she loves working at McGill’s Farmer’s Market as a coordinator.

“I really fell in love with it as a place—a place for people to meet and discuss food,” Allaby said.

The farmer’s market team— accompanied by approximately a dozen other vendors—line McGill’s Y-intersection, illuminating the usually mundane path with the abundance of fresh produce. For the volunteers at the market, selling food is a way to mingle with community members and build important connections in the network of local food advocates.

The farmer’s market is a studentfounded and student-run effort that began in 2008. Every Thursday between Sept. 8 and Oct. 27, from 12 to 5 p.m., the market brings fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, homemade preservatives, fair trade coffees and teas, honeys, maple syrups, and some of the best baked goods in the city to campus.

Allaby became a part of the market team two years ago,

The weekly student farmer’s market sells organic teas and honeys from local vendors.

(Margaux Delalex / The McGill Tribune) joining other coordinators who are all passionate about making local food more accessible.

One integral member of this team is Amelia Peres, U4 Geography. Peres believes that farmer’s markets like McGill’s are a good first step toward making sustainable community-based food affordable for everyone, not just those in high-income brackets.

“My ideal future for the food industry would be a system that would be able to marry sustainably community-based food with food that is affordable and productive for a community, and not just relegated to the upper echelons of society,” Peres said.

The market works to make that dream a reality through their affordable weekly produce Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) baskets.

CSA is a food partnership created to support local farmers and to provide seasonal, organic, and local produce to the McGill student body in weekly produce baskets. Over the course of eight weeks, the CSA provides baskets of three different sizes sourced from three local farms in the greater Montreal area: Les Jardins Carya, MacDonald Student-run Ecological Gardens (MSEG), and Les Jardins de la Résistance. These baskets, which cost between $15 and $30 per week, give students the chance to eat organic and ecologically friendly food, fairly inexpensively.

However, for the market organizers, it isn’t just about providing sustainable produce; it’s about sharing that produce and cultivating a sense of community.

“I realized all the different

Buying locally helps students reduce their food miles with organic produce.

(Margaux Delalex / The McGill Tribune) facets that food has,” Peres said. “How many different ways it manifests and how many different ways it matters to people—in terms of either community, or sustainability, or social justice, all those different things.”

Erlend Bjorklund, U4 International Development Studies student and manager at MSEG— which is the MacDonald campus garden—echoed Peres’ sentiments.

After a year-long, full-time apprenticeship with MSEG, growing and selling local produce across the city, Bjorklund believes that initiatives like the student market are a great first step in the process of reuniting people with their food.

“I think [buying local produce] is important to everybody. The whole notion of a food system is that with modernity, we have become more and more disassociated with that,” Bjorklund said. “We don’t know where our produce comes from, we have no relationship to the people who grow it, and we also don’t pay the people who grow it very well [....

Buying locally] is way more intimate because you get to see the people who made this happen.”

Despite all of its clear benefits, running the student market and other local food initiatives does not come without challenges. Establishing a consumer network is difficult for small farms like MSEG when the agriculture industry is dominated by large companies.

“With mega-producing agricultural systems—formally known as mono-cropping— massive corporations have virtually monopolized the industry,” Bjorklund explained. “This makes affordable and accessible local planting, growing, and selling extremely difficult to sustain.”

Despite the unfortunate reality of mega-agribusiness, many grassroots initiatives are working to bring attention back to local farming.

International movements such as Seed Sovereignty, and communityrun initiatives like McGill’s MSEG and Organic Campus are helping local communities reclaim their food.

For Bjorklund, efforts such as MSEG are both more ethical and more community-oriented. Having access to food that is grown in an ecologically sound way, and charged for a fair price, is a privilege. Because many members of McGill’s student body have been given this privilege, Bjorklund notes that they have an even greater role to play.

“Food used to be seen as a bare necessity,” Bjorklund said. “Yes, it is a bare necessity, but it is something that we should treat with respect. It’s a privilege, not a right. We do have a right to food, but we also are privileged to have good food [....] Being a very largely privileged student body, we have this small responsibility to support our local food systems.”

Small efforts like the farmers market contribute to an even larger fight against the corporate aspect of food systems. Where large agricultural corporations may have 100 acres of one crop, MSEG has over 60 crops stretched across two and a half acres of land.

By Thursday afternoon, the McGill Farmer’s Market is crowded with students buying locally-grown produce. The market as a whole has sold a plethora of goods and distributed over 120 food baskets.

For Bjorkland, initiatives like the McGill Farmer’s Market and MSEG help to both diversify the farming industry and put farming back into the community’s backyard.

“With the right policies to help this small movement, we can level the playing field so that those big corporations aren’t so dominating and oppressive and depressive,” Bjorklund said. “You can’t colour your food with monoculture, but you can with diversity.”

To read more about the McGill Farmer’s Market, visit mcgillfarmersmarket.blogspot.ca.

To learn more about MacDonald Student-run Ecological Gardens, visit mseg. weebly.com

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Science & technology

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Girls rule, boys sleep more soundly

Hormonal differences between the sexes affect sleep quality Izze Siemann Contributor Men and women are constantly compared—whether in sports, academics, or income levels. A new study by Diane Boivin, McGill Medicine and Assistant Professor in Psychiatry, highlights how sex can also impact quality of sleep.

Many scientists have researched the discrepancy of sleep disorders between men and women. An article

by CBS News stated that while twice as many women experience insomnia than men, women are less likely than men to have sleeping disorders that involve breathing, such as sleep apnea.

Anatomical and hormonal differences between the two sexes are responsible for this disparity. As a result of higher estrogen levels, women can often experience restless sleep during certain intervals of menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. These intervals are known to shift women’s internal clocks, causing them to wake up and feel tired earlier than men. On the other hand, men are more prone to experience shortness or lack of break during sleep as a result of sex-specific fat deposits surrounding the neck. However, does

someone’s sex impact his or her quality of sleep if they do not have a sleeping disorder?

Dr. Boivin, Director of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute’s Centre for Study and Treatment of Circadian Rhythms, has delved more deeply into this issue.

In a recent study, published in the Proceedings in the National Academy of Science, Dr. Boivin highlights a clear connection between biological sex and the biological sleep clock. The study consisted of 26 participants—15 men and 11 women with natural menstrual cycles. Due to the drastic impact of menstruation on biological rhythms of body temperature and sleep, women in two different stages of their cycle were studied. Core body temperature, saliva hormones, alertness, and polysomnographically recorded sleep—a type of sleep test that records biophysiological changes—were measured throughout the experiment.

The variation of these measures throughout experimentation suggests that a woman’s vulnerability to sleep disturbances is greater than a man’s.

Core body temperature and melatonin levels are both relative to regular sleep patterns, which fluctuated during

experimentation. Higher levels of estrogen causes women to have earlier waking and sleeping times than men.

A study using the Horne and Östberg Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire showed that women who have gone through menopause cease to have a different biological clock than men. Estrogen levels increase when women go through menopause causing sleep disturbances; but once menopause ends, hormone levels drop, making women’s body clocks more similar to men’s. This research reaffirms that hormones have a powerful impact on sleep patterns and quality of sleep.

“The observed difference between the sexes is essential for understanding why women are more prone to disturbed sleep than men,” Boivin said in a McGill press release.

This difference has significant repercussions, as men and women usually go to bed and wake up fairly simultaneously—even though men’s biological clocks are better suited to fit this schedule.

Waking up and still feeling tired after a long night’s sleep? Thank your inner body clock, ladies, because it wants you to establish a rhythm of going to bed early and getting up

Women are more likely to suffer from disturbed sleep than men.

(Alissa Zilber / The McGill Tribune) early—until menopause, of course.

This research suggests that women are perhaps not as suited for late night jobs and might fair better at the early-bird specials. Furthermore, Dr. Boivin’s study may allow for more in-depth research of serious sleeping disorders.

In the future, doctors may be able to prescribe sex-specific medications in response to sleeping disorders.

Although common

mentalities towards sleep in college include “YOLO,” “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” or “Let’s go out tonight,” it is important to remember how significantly sleep impacts mental health, learning ability, heart and blood vessel health, and obesity. No matter when your biological clock activates, a recommended seven to nine hours of sleep is required to stay healthy and bright.

Fighting to end AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria: A discussion of global health professionals

Expert panel considers the future of epidemics and how Canada can help combat them Kate Lord Contributor A third of the world is currently infected with tuberculosis (TB). Last year, over a million people died as a result of AIDS-related illnesses and half a million from malaria. Mortalities from these epidemics are staggering, despite improved knowledge of effective prevention and treatment methods.

The solutions for eradicating the world’s most devastating epidemics are by no means neat or clearly defined. This was made clear on Sept. 15th, when McGill hosted a panel of global health professionals, including Canada’s Minister of Health Dr. Jane Philpott, who addressed Canada’s role in ending AIDS, TB, and malaria. On the eve of The Global Fund’s Fifth Replenishment Conference to fight AIDS, TB, and malaria, the panel of speakers discussed the pervasive and devastating effect that these diseases continue to have in both the developing and developed worlds. “[What] we haven’t quite figured out how to do [is how]

to make Canadians, to make our neighbors, to make people around the world realize that the pandemics of AIDS, the reality of malaria […], and tuberculosis in our world [are] outrageous; but, more than outrageous, [they are] solvable,” Philpott said.

The panel emphasized the need for Canada to focus its efforts on targeting populations disproportionately affected by these diseases: Indigenous peoples, homosexual men, sex workers, prisoners, and drug users. In Canada, TB rates for indigenous peoples are 35 times higher, while in Inuit communities they are 375 times higher than the rest of the Canadian population.

“We need to become better human beings, and […] face the fact that until each and every person is treated with dignity and respect we won’t be able to treat the diseases,” Philpott said. “[We] have to become a more inclusive human family,” said Mark Dybul, Executive Director of The Global Fund.

A key question at the conference was posed by Philippe Gros, Vice-Dean of Life Sciences in McGill’s Faculty of Medicine.

“How do you take […] this enormous amount of scientific data and actually translate it into outcomes for the populations that are affected?” asked Gros. “[The answer is] to stop looking at things as global or even national, and […] actually to go community by community, use the data that we have, use [it] to drive decision-making,” said Dybul.

Throughout the panel discussion, focus was on the importance of keeping a human perspective.

“People are not numbers, infections are not simply statistics, [and] death is much more than just data,” said Philpott.

This candid lens particularly struck Sophie Huddart, a McGill PhD candidate in the Department of Epidemiology.

“Even [these] people, who are at the highest levels of organizing global health, still have a focus on the individuals who are affected,” Huddart said.

For a more individualistic approach to find effective solutions for these epidemics, Peter Singer, Chief Executive Officer for Grand Challenges

Global health experts present innovative strategies to combat epidemics in Redpath Hall.

(Margaux Delalex / The McGill Tribune) Canada, stressed the importance of further innovation. Singer went on to give examples of innovations in patient selfmanagement including the use of text messaging to increase the frequency of HIV testing among Kenyan school-girls. In addition, HIVSmart, a mobile-based app developed at McGill and the McGill University Health Centre, aims to improve rates of testing and treatment for HIV. Perhaps the strongest and most frequently repeated

messages from the speakers were their expressions of excitement towards the large number of students they saw sitting in the audience, surrounded by other members of the academic community.

“Current students are the generation that will or will not end these epidemics,” Dybul said.

“It will be [up to] you to make the difference,” Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director for the Stop TB Partnership said.

14

Science & technology

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

McGill’s 22nd Edition of Soup and Science

Event presents soup and research opportunities for undergraduates

McGill’s 22nd edition of Soup & Science hosted a variety of professors offering short presentations on their research. (Laurie-Anne Benoit / The McGill Tribune)

At the 22nd edition of Soup and Science, hosted by the Office for Undergraduate Research, professors took the stage to explain their research. The event, held last week at the Redpath Museum, offered students a chance to hear about professors’ research and meet with them to find out how to get involved—all while enjoying free lunch.

The final two days of Soup and Science covered disciplines ranging from psychiatry to pharmacology to bioinformatics. Though professors’ short presentations do not offer enough time to fully explain their complex research, Soup and Science is designed to give undergraduates a taste of science research at McGill. To find out more about each professor’s area of interests and opportunities to get involved, check out the Tribune’s coverage below.

Sept. 15’s first presentation was given by Assistant Professor Kim Berlo from the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences. She discussed her research on the various processes involved in magma degassing—gases that escape from volcanic rock during eruptions—and the samples that quench below the surface. The bubbles and fractures that form from degassing act as evidence in Berlo’s crystallized volcanic samples. By studying the chemical makeup of these gases, she is able to link the gases to an impending volcanic eruption. In addition, the emitted gasses can be used to determine whether the magma below the surface is degassing efficiently.

Assistant Professor Yajing Liu, also from the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, spoke about her work on earthquake mechanics and seismicity. Using about 400 seismometers to detect waves created during earthquakes, her group was able to determine the speed of these waves. This wave data provides amplitude, polarity, and travel time differences, which can be used to find the point of origin of the earthquake and the underlying geological structures located there. Liu’s work also demonstrates that increased stress caused by fracking is correlated with an increase in seismic activity.

“We must consider the amplitude or magnitude of the earthquake triggered; the larger the injection rate [during fracking] the larger the potential earthquake,” Liu said. “In British Columbia, the Traffic Light Protocol may be implemented. A yellow light would be called for a 3.5 [magnitude] earthquake and a red light would be called for a 4.0. The US doesn’t really have such regulations, whereas Canada holds a more collaborative relationship between the fracking industry, the government, and academia.”

Associate Chemistry Professor Anthony Mittermaier began his presentation on the biological activity of proteins with a comparison between steam and molecular turbines: Both obey the laws of thermodynamics. To study proteins and their thermodynamic properties, Mittermaier uses several different methods. For example, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, which measures the magnetic interactions between nuclei, is used to obtain information on the structure and dynamics of these organic molecules. Other methods measure absorbed heat and stability of the molecules. His research can be applied to drug design and the development of new enzymes for use in industrial processing.

Assistant Professor Yi Yang from the Department of Mathematics & Statistics spoke about software he designed.The software predicts expected claim laws based on client data, such as aige and income, which is usually collected by insurance companies. “[Premiums are] one of the most important problems in the insurance business,” Yang said.

Inaccuracies in these predictions could result in loss of clientele for these companies. He was able to develop a statistical model for insurance businesses to more accurately predict insurance premiums.

-Julia Briand

Hungry for more? Find the rest of our Soup and Science coverage online at mcgilltribune.com.

The final day of Soup and Science presentations started with McGill’s Bioinformatics Director and Human Genetics Associate Professor Guillaume Bourque, who delved deep into the world of the human genome.

“The human genome [...] is this very long string of 3.2 billion bases of information and a key component of the human genome are really the genes [...which] get copied to RNA and to proteins and to molecules that are active in your cell,” Bourque said. “If you look, the human genome is very, very big [but] these genes turn out to be [...] this very small component.”

Bourque and his team are focusing on what the rest of the human genome does. They found that eight per cent of the human genome is made up of viruses. Although the DNA of viruses is still present in the human genome, the viruses are inactive and so cannot make a person sick. Bourque is examining whether or not this DNA has an underlying function. He mentioned that they have learned that both the human placenta and the regulation of stem cells come from parts of virus DNA. From human genetics to human psychiatry, Associate Professor Cecilia Flores researches the neurological effects of drug abuse in early adolescence. Flores is especially interested in the prefrontal cortex of the brain and how this region interacts with drugs of abuse. Her research focuses on a protein called Netrin-1, which acts as a guidance cue to neurons as to how their connections will form.

“We [took] adolescent mice and we [treated] them with drugs of abuse or a controlled solution,” Professor Flores said. “Then, when these rodents grew into adulthood, we looked at the prefrontal cortex and we have actually found that the mice that received drugs during adolescence show many changes in connectivity. In fact, they show [fewer] connections.”

With fewer connections, these drugs interfere with neural connectivity, slowing down key messages within the brain.

Assistant Professor of Pharmacology Jean-François Trempe researches Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating neurological disorder. He and his team have found two genes called PARKIN and PINK1 that, when mutated, cause early-onset Parkinson’s disease. He explained their importance in mitochondrial quality control and PARKIN’s dependence on PINK1. Trempe explained how a better understanding of these genes’ function and relationship could help find possible drugs to treat Parkinson’s disease.

Soup and Science concluded with Assistant Biology Professor Stephanie Weber, a recent arrival at McGill. She studies how cells are organized and how they function. She explained that certain cells have their organelles in membranes, which function as physical barriers to allow them to have their own unique chemical composition. However, Weber and her team were surprised with the cells that do not have these membranes.

“In the absence of membranes, molecules are free to just diffuse around and mix [...] but advances in fluorescence microscopy have revealed a variety of membrane-less organelles such as germ granules and stress granules,” Weber added. “These granules lack a barrier [to] separate them from the surrounding cytoplasm or nucleoplasm. Instead, they are just local concentrations of protein and nucleic acid.”

Currently, Weber is researching how cells function in such an interesting organization. Her findings could help to discover the cause of many neurodegenerative diseases, as some believe the same soluble molecules could condense to become protein aggregates.

Soup and Science returns to curious minds this January.

- Miguel Principe & Rebecca Zhuang

15

Sports

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

In conversation with former Redmen point-guard Simon Bibeau

A journey from the hard court to Goldman Sachs Arman Bery Contributor In his sophomore year at McGill, everything changed for Simon Bibeau.

“I tore my ACL in a practice and so I redshirted my second year at McGill,” Bibeau, 2015 McGill commerce graduate and four-year point guard on the McGill Redmen basketball team, said. “That was a complete shock because I had been playing basketball from age six to age twenty basically non-stop [....]

That kind of shifted my mindset and I started to think, “Listen okay, basketball will only take me so far. I want to develop in more than one way [....] What should I do, what could I do?”

He has certainly figured it out. Bibeau now holds a position as an investment banking analyst with Goldman Sachs; however, he was not initially drawn to the world of finance.

“I knew nothing about finance before university,” Bibeau said. “I was all ball, that’s all I thought about. I thought McGill offered the best balance of athletics and academics, but I’d say, [...] I was really focused

on the basketball part of it.”

His path to Wall Street was neither easy nor straightforward.

It took hard work and some luck as well as leveraging his connections. After working as a teller at the Bank of Montreal (BMO) during the summer between his freshman and sophomore season, Bibeau landed consecutive internships at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto and Montreal, respectively.

“After these internships and getting some work under my belt and some traction, I realized working in a big metropolis like New York was not out of reach,” Bibeau explained.

Through the McGill alumni network, he secured an internship at Goldman Sachs.

“It was a bit of a luck in all of that but it required a lot of hard work,” Bibeau said. “I got a tenweek internship–it was basically a ten-week interview at the bank– and was fortunate enough to put myself into a position which led to my full time job here.”

Bibeau knows what it’s like to perform under pressure.

He was the captain of Redmen Basketball, a two-time RSEQ

Champion, and an All-Star.

His current analyst job requires the same strong interpersonal skills, problem solving skills and flexibility that characterized his role as a successful point guard.

“Essentially, each analyst is assigned a set of clients, and you handle that specific group,” Bibeau explained. “However, if you are really close to a transaction with a certain [client], then sometimes your other teams will know that you are busy, and that they might have to accommodate [you]. So there’s a lot of live management going on. Also, some clients are more demanding in their requirements in terms of time-commitment, and so we may be more active with some clients.”

Sometimes the parallels between the pressures of shooting a basketball and his current employment are starker.

“As analysts we are there to execute and expectations are binary, you either get it right or you get it wrong,” Bibeau said.

“It’s very similar to making a jump shot—it either goes in or not. You can set your form and your arc to how you want it to

be, but the ball either goes in the hoop or it doesn’t.”

For Bibeau, coming up big when the odds are against him has always been part of life. After tearing his ACL the season prior, he returned in 2013 to help lead the Redmen to their first RSEQ title in over two decades. Even when the championship game looked out of hand, Bibeau came off the bench to sink twelve points on four of six shots to clinch the title over the Bishop’s Gaiters.

“We were losing by 20 and ended up winning by 18,” Bibeau said. “We really just reversed our own fate [....] It was even more special because men’s basketball at McGill hadn’t won anything in Quebec for the last 25 years.”

The following year, Redmen Head Coach David DeAveiro named Bibeau the team’s captain.

The skills he learned as a leader that season, both on and off the court, have helped him immensely in his daily activities.

“I feel that learning about leadership through sports is very transferable to any walk of life,” Bibeau said. “Being able to communicate [...] and motivate people becomes natural for good

leaders.”

Aside from leadership, McGill taught Bibeau how to balance his life–a tough task for those breaking into the investment banking world, who have to deal with long and fluctuating hours.

“I usually arrive at work between 9 and 10 a.m., and on a good day I leave between 6 and 9 p.m.,” Bibeau said. “On a bad day it’s between midnight and 3 a.m., and on a really bad day, which has happened a few times, it’s [between] 3 and 6 a.m. [...]

So, it’s usually 12 [to] 15 hours a day.”

Although Bibeau only occasionally plays basketball in New York playgrounds nowadays, basketball has been a constant throughout his life. His father, a former CIS basketball player, was the one who first introduced him to the sport. In typical fashion, his father put up a Fisher-Price basketball net at the top of his door and told him to try to get the ball in the hoop. The simplicity of the game coupled with the difficulty of the task drew him in.

From that moment on, he’s never been one to shy away from the toughest challenges.

Bibeau driving the lane against Laval to help McGill clinch a spot in 2013-14 RSEQ Finals. (Laurie-Anne Benoit / The McGill Tribune) Favorite Montreal Club: “It might just be Tokyo. Tokyo is where it happens! I mean after our championship, the whole team went to Tokyo.”

Favorite Professor: “Ken Lester, who was a professor of finance. I mean he was not a typical professor by any means. He brought a very liberal arts approach to investment [....] He was truly a really good mentor.”

Favorite NBA Player: “Steph Curry. He is one of a kind, new form of player. I think he’s so popular because looking at him, he’s so much easier to relate to for the average person than a physical talent like Lebron.”

Raptors or Knicks: “Spurs. I was able to see them once against the Nets and once against the Knicks. It was awesome”

Montreal or New York Deli: “Montreal. When thinking about really good food, [I] still think back to Montreal. Montreal is very special in terms of food culture. Schwartz’s over Katz’s!”

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Sports

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Redmen crush Bishop’s to earn winning record

Running back Anthony Deschamps scores two touchdowns Patrick Beacham Contributor A packed Molson Stadium roared as the McGill Redmen (2-1) took the field against the Bishop’s Gaiters (0-3) on Friday Sept 16. The fervour of the spectators was matched only by the intensity of the gameplay, which ended in a decisive 43-to-9 victory for the Redmen.

The victory comes unexpectedly in the new season given McGill’s lack

of early-season success over the past few years. The Redmen have now defined the start to this season with a winning 2-1 record.

“It’s a big win, we’re really happy as a team,” running back Anthony Deschamps said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do [still], but we improve every week and it’s game by game, so we’re ready.”

The stands were covered in McGill colours Friday night as the “McGill RezWarz RezFest II Football

Game” event brought many first year students to the stadium.

“Having a big crowd is a very big advantage for us,” Head Coach Ronald Hilaire said. “It’s good for us to have that, but we’ve gotta keep it growing, and winning is gonna help that.”

A strong defensive game was cited as a crucial factor in Friday’s win, with the Gaiters only getting one touchdown by McGill’s defensive line.

Redmen lining up pre-snap in Friday’s victory over the Gaiters. (Santiago Bessai/McGill Athletics)

“We’ve got to clean up some things on our alignment, but we’re pretty good [defensively],” Hilaire explained. “We’re aggressive, we tackle well, we’ve got a young group there, but a very hungry group.”

Strong defensive tactics, including multiple sacks and interceptions by the Redmen, kept Bishop’s yardage to a minimum.

Mistakes on offense, however, led to multiple turnovers throughout the game. Despite the turnovers, the Redmen held a solid 19-2 lead at halftime.

“It was tough to run the ball because they were giving us a lot of different fronts,” Wide Receiver Coach Ryne Bondy said. “Our passing game was there early, but then we were kind of missing some throws, overthrowing our receivers and missing some reads on the quarterback position.”

With both quarterbacks only in their first and second years of eligibility, the Redmen are still relatively young and inexperienced.

In fact, this year’s team currently consists of 44 freshmen, accounting for about half of the entire roster.

“We had 10 to 18 [freshmen] on the roster [for Friday’s game],” Hilaire said. “Everyone got a chance to play, so it was a good night for everyone.”

The next game will be at home

against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 2:00 p.m. A close game is to be expected, as the last matchup between McGill and Sherbrooke ended in a narrow 1918 victory for the Redmen. McGill is focused on reducing turnover frequency in this game.

“I think we turned the ball over eight or nine times [last time against Sherbrooke],” Bondy said. “I mean, we had about 250 more total yards of offense that game, so as long as we don’t turn the ball over, we’ll be in good shape.”

Quotable

“We invited our residences out to the game, but we’d like to see a few more of those first-years [...] to show them that McGill football’s back on the map.”—Wide Receiver Coach Ryne Bondy on the game’s high RezFest attendance.

Stat Corner

Redmen Football is 2-1 to start the season for the first time in a decade.

Moment of the Game

A third down punt by the Gaiters was blocked by a Redmen player’s helmet, sent the kick towards the sideline, which was then picked up by receiver Louis Brouillette, who ran it in 17 yards for the final touchdown.

Redmen soccer refreshed by rookies

Freshman Medhi Ibn-Brahim scores brace in victory over Sherbrooke Selwynne Hawkins Contributor The McGill Redmen (2-0-0) soccer team is off to a roaring start, defeating the Sherbrooke Vert et Or 4-0 on Thursday Sept. 15 at Percival Molson stadium. With two wins in their first two games of the season, they are the only undefeated team in the RSEQ conference. Last season, the Redmen finished fifth with a 3-8-1 record. Their performances in the first two games this year, however, have made it clear that this is a very different group.

“We have a great recruiting class,” Head Coach Marc Mounicot said. “Since day one, it’s [been] working well.”

With 13 rookies joining the Redmen for the 2016 season, half of the team is new to the McGill program. The athletes echoed Mounicot’s comments, speaking positively about the newest additions to the squad. “[The rookies] brought in a great energy,” goalkeeper Bladen Allan remarked. “All of them fit in extremely well [.…There is a] great feeling all around.”

Many first year players have already made an impact in their short

time with the team. This season, four of the team’s nine goals have come from players who are wearing McGill’s colours for the first time.

Freshman striker Mehdi IbnBrahim has scored two goals for the Redmen so far. Most recently, he beat the Sherbrooke goalkeeper in the 13th minute with a cheeky back-heel touch from just past the front post. McGill rounded out the scoreline with two goals from master’s student Valentin Radevich and one from first-year forward Raphael Tepe.

“It’s always a pleasure to win,” Ibn-Brahim said. “We [had] some great passes [and] good possession.”

The Redmen were equally impressive on defence. Veteran defenders Davide Salvoni and Justin Dragan were joined by first-year players Ramdane Tafer and Alexis Solis in Thursday’s starting lineup.

They worked as a cohesive unit, and denied Sherbrooke any dangerous opportunities.

As the Redmen continue to fight for a playoff berth, it will be interesting to see how the young group handles the more experienced teams in the league. The Redmen hit the road next week, playing away games against first-ranked UQTR Patriotes

and third-ranked Laval Rouge et Or. They will then return to home turf on Sept. 30 for a matchup against the reigning RSEQ champions, the UQÀM Citadins.

all of the teams. [Everyone] has to be careful when they come to McGill.” – Redmen Midfielder Valentin Radevich.

Quotable

Senior goalkeeper Bladen Allan made seven saves to give McGill

“We have [the quality] to beat

Stat Corner

its first clean sheet of the season.

Moment of the Game For his second goal Valentin Radevich Sherbrooke goalie with a shot from 35

of the game, caught the off his line yards out.

Valentin Radevich netted a pair in Thursday night’s win over the Vert et Or. (Lauren Benson-Armer/McGill Tribune)