McGill Tribune Volume 35 Issue No. 8

The McGill Tribune TUesday, October 27, 2015 curiosity delivers

Volume No. 35 Issue No. 08

Editorial: Student innovation key to montreal’s future

feature: superman’s evolution in the fog of war

pg. 5

pg. 8 - 9

PG. 7

m c gilltribune.com @m c gilltribune

CAM P U S S P OTLI G HT

Formerly known as magazine audrey carleton Staff Writer

Redmen quarterback Nicolas English looks for the open man (Natalie Vineberg / McGill Tribune)

McGill heartbroken in last minute homecoming loss to Concordia Redmen knocked out of RSEQ playoff hunt in Shaugnessy Cup Zikomo smith

I

Sports Editor

t was almost so perfect. Instead, McGill (3-4-0) endured a gut-wrenching 43-41 loss against Concordia (4-3-0) on the final play of the Homecoming Game last Saturday at Molson Stadium.

Redmen quarterback Nicolas English drove down the field on the McGill’s final offensive pos-

session, responding to a seemingly unwarranted late game penalty by hitting senior receiver Yannick Langelier-Vanasse for a 14yard touchdown. That gave McGill a 41-40 lead with one minute and 20 seconds left on the clock.

English has owned the starting job since the fourth week and had a career day against Concordia, throwing for four touchdowns and 393 yards. “[English] grew every week

[this season],” Head Coach Ronald Hilaire explained. “He is poised in the pocket, and he led us to the lead with a minute left in the game.”

Unfortunately it was not enough, as the Stingers’ explosive offence marched down the field to set up the game-winning field goal as time expired. Concordia quarterback Trenton Miller and running back Jean GuyRimpel combined for 522 yards

and had great success in the intermediate passing game. McGill missed injured linebacker Karl Forgues, who had been the RSEQ in tackles prior to the game. “[Forgues] is a great player for us […] but we rely on more than just one player,” Hilaire said. “Of course ,his talent cannot be reproduced, but we have a lot of players who fight hard and play the right way.”

Continued on pg. 15

Montreal, commonly referred to as the cultural capital of Canada, has a thriving art scene. However, the community can feel inaccessible to anyone without an art background. In the fall of 2013, Natalie Della Valle, Julian Trompeter, and Emma Gaudio, a group of McGill students, came together to address their mutual feeling that discussion of art in Montreal was often too serious to be enjoyable for the wider public. What came about as a result was the creation of their own art magazine, Formerly Known As (FKA), which seeks to free the conversation around art, and invite more people into the art world.

“There are a lot of art magazines that approach very serious work, but they approach it very formally,” Della Valle, U3 Anthropology, explained. “We’re trying to have […] enjoyable conversations about serious work, and not take ourselves too seriously while doing it.”

Trompeter, Della Valle, and Gaudio, who were friends before they were co-founders, discussed the idea in passing for a long time before finally taking action.

Continued on pg. 14

Arts Building renovations delayed by two months McGill investing $400 million into deferred maintenance projects MAYAZ ALAM Editor-in-Chief Students walking past the Arts Building will continue to see the familiar face of construction, as the portico stabilization project has been delayed by two months.

When the project began in late June, the McGill Reporter wrote that it would cost around $500,000. According to Michael

Mannella, project manager for the stabilization, however, the total project budget is $1.047 million.

“The project is still well under budget,” Mannella said. “In every construction project we undertake at the university, we always build in a 10 per cent construction contingency to deal with unknown site conditions. As it looks now, the construction contingency will be more than enough to deal with

the [unforeseen circumstances] needed throughout the duration of the project.”

According to Mannella, the construction was meant to be completed this month, but has faced multiple setbacks. These include delays in masonry stone procurement and the need to find a stone supplier after the original supplier backed out of the project.

“Optimistically, we wanted

to finish the project in October 2015,” he said. “With a building structure of [around] 100 years of age you are almost certain to come across site conditions and unknowns that need to be dealt with during the construction phase [....] With that said, we are now scheduled to be completed in early December, 2015.”

This project is one component of McGill’s efforts to tackle its

massive infrastructure and maintenance deficit. Hudson Meadwell, interim dean for the Faculty of Arts, who has been at McGill for 25 years, attributed the lack of maintenance in the past to budgetary constraints.

“If the budget envelope [had been] bigger, we could accommodate more attention to deferred maintenance,” he said.

Continued on pg. 2

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NEWS

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Arts Building renovations delayed by two months McGill investing $400 million into deferred maintenance projects Mayaz alam Editor-in-Chief Continued from page 1 To address this issue, the university included a near $400 million commitment to maintenance in its budget for financial year 2015.

Structural problems were first identified in 2011 during a project to update the windows and facade of the Arts Building.

“The structural engineer installed a monitor on the cracks [then] in order to check for movement in the future,” Mannella said. “There was a small movement noticed on the monitors by the structural engineer in July 2014, which forced McGill Facilities to [...] address the portico’s structural issues.”

Following further observations, consultants noticed that the portico entrance was beginning to pull away from the main building.

“This basically became a health and safety issue that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible,” Mannella said. “Also, the existing masonry elements were in advanced state of deterioration and needed to be either replaced or stabilized [....] Worst case scenario, if we would have ignored this problem [...] the portico entrance would have simply detached completely from the main building structure.”

The Arts Building, one of the

Arts Building construction scheduled to finish by Fall exam period . (Natalie Vinberg / McGill Tribune) most iconic symbols of McGill, is defined as a ‘historically protected’ building, a status which affects restoration and renovation procedures.

“These are standards that are cityimposed or provincially-imposed with regards to particular buildings that are designated as heritage buildings,” explained Meadwell. “Because we as a campus have such a special connection to the city and to the mountain, there

are lots of ways in which how we build is affected by distinctive kinds of restrictions.”

Mannella noted that this designation made the project more difficult and costly to complete.

“Our intention in this project was always to restore and stabilize the existing masonry elements rather than to replace them,” Mannella said. “It would have been easier and probably

cheaper to just replace every masonry stone, but we definitely would not get the same quality of stone or colour match that it is needed [....] It is more expensive to maintain the authenticity, but you cannot put a dollar amount on the value we are adding to preserve the existing masonry elements.”

According to Associate Dean of Arts (Academic Administration and Oversight) Gillian Lane-Mercier, the

increased emphasis on addressing deferred maintenance is due to evolving standards.

“Norms have changed over time,” she said. “What was fine in the 1960s is no longer fine with regards to ventilation and fire protections, and I think this has all added up on the part of the university that this deferred maintenance can’t be deferred [any longer].”

AMUSE addresses floor fellow negotiations in open letter to Fortier Floor fellows to work towards a collective agreement with McGill SARA CULLEN Staff Writer On Oct. 15, an open letter directed to McGill Principal Suzanne Fortier was published by the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE). The letter addressed grievances that arose during floor fellow unionization, and the way in which McGill University is interacting with floor fellows during collective agreement bargaining processes, which began in October 2014 and are still ongoing. The letter states that the university refuses to respect the floor fellows’ values, namely anti-oppression and harm-reduction, and is violating Quebec labour law by refusing to pay floor fellows a wage.

“Roughly 100 floor fellows who have worked in the past two years have filed cases for backpay with the Commission des Normes du Travail (CNT), requesting that they be paid for the hours they performed while on the job,” AMUSE wrote. “Cases filed in 2013 have already been reviewed by the CNT, which ruled in floor fellows’ favour, yet McGill refuses to pay floor fel-

lows and has appealed the ruling.”

Sadie McInnes, Vice-President (VP) Floor Fellow at AMUSE, noted that McGill continues to be unwilling in remuneration negotiations despite the cases filed with the CNT. “We […] have repeatedly come to the bargaining table with extensive calculations and testimonies to back up our requests, and it doesn’t seem to be significant to McGill that the CNT has ruled in favour of floor fellows being paid [for] a certain number of hours, or that our [wage] calculations are rooted in averages pulled from people on the ground doing the job,” said McInnes “It’s really hard to know where the figures [McGill presents] to us are coming from.”

Another portion of the open letter addressed changes that have been made to the Residence Life Manager (RLM) role. These changes include non-compensation for overtime hours and a shift in responsibilities from floor fellows to RLMs. Tasks such as taking a student to the hospital, which was the responsibility of floor fellows in the past, are now the responsibility of

the RLM. AMUSE stated in their letter that such changes negatively impact both floor fellows and students.

“McGill has unilaterally made major changes to the working conditions of RLMs that have directly and negatively impacted floor fellows’ capacity to rely on them at all,” AMUSE wrote in the open letter. “RLMs have been told that they will not be compensated for overtime hours performed this year, when last year hundreds of these hours were required per RLM in order to adequately perform the job.”

Mathieu Laperle, senior director of Student Housing and Hospitality Services, said that McGill sees nothing wrong with the current RLM model.

“Our students are getting more support and more appropriate support in their transition to university life, especially during periods of crisis,” Laperle said.

“This does not take away from the important work floor fellows do, but is an overall improvement in our delivery of services to students in residence.”

McInnes stressed the importance of incorporating floor fellows’ values into the agreement, but noted that McGill has not demonstrated willingness to include the values system in the collective agreement.

“Our biggest difficulty has of course been getting our values entrenched in a meaningful way in the agreement, which McGill has proven really resistant to,” McInnes said. “Pretty much the only thing that has gone off without a hitch has been agreeing over really basic definitions, which is the first step in the process in order to be clear about the language being used throughout the agreement. Other than that, I would say we have faced a lot of difficulty with McGill and most of the process has been really challenging and draining.”

Bargaining will resume in early November. McInnes stated that she hopes to see a change in the general attitude of the administration.

“I hope that McGill will stop disrespecting us with the suggestions they make at the bargaining table and will come forward with suggestions that demonstrate to

floor fellows that they recognize the amount of work we do and that our work is valued,” McInnes said.

“I would like to see McGill pay its employees fairly, not to mention within the law. I would also like to see McGill stop paying lip service to our values while refusing to institutionalize them.”

In a reply to AMUSE’s open letter, McGill Vice-Principal (Administration and Finance), Michael Di Grappa, addressed the complexity of bargaining procedures and said that an agreement would not be reached in the near future.

“Collective bargaining and the establishment of a first collective agreement are complex and lengthy processes,” Di Grappa wrote in his reply. “Normally, a first collective agreement for an employee group in a commonly understood role can take a year or two. As [...] noted in [AMUSE’s] letters and through other channels, the floor fellow role at McGill is a special one. There are not too many other roles at the university to which we could compare it. Therefore, it will take time and extra effort to structure and define an agreement.”

NEWS High voter turnout drives Liberals to electoral victory

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

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Strategic voting ousts Harper and Tories after 10 years Kyle Dolph Contributor Justin Trudeau took the stage with a smile last Monday night at downtown’s Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel as his Liberal Party swept into power. This ended almost 10 years of Conservative government under prime minister Stephen Harper. The son of the late prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Justin led his father’s former party to capture 39.5 per cent of the popular vote, and 184 of 338 seats in the House of Commons, according to Elections Canada.

James McGill Professor of Political Science at McGill, and an expert on the Canadian political system, Richard Schultz, expressed surprise at the results.

“I was assuming a Conservative minority government until the last three or four weeks [of the campaign], when I started assuming a Liberal minority government,” Schultz said. “At no point did I as-

sume a [Liberal] majority.”

Trudeau accomplished a first in Canadian history, elevating his Liberals from third-party status to a majority government, four years after their worst electoral defeat in history. He did so by courting an enthused electorate that, according to Elections Canada, voted in greater numbers than any other time in the past 20 years, with voter turnout at 68 per cent. Political Science Students’ Association (PSSA) President Richad Hirani, U3 Arts, observed a similar sentiment on campus.

“We had great turnouts for both our panel session and debate, as well as our election night party at Gerts,” he remarked. “There was a line at the door just to get in and watch.”

Many have suggested that strategic voting, fuelled by widespread dissatisfaction with the incumbent Conservatives, was on the mind of many Canadians on Election Day. “There were a lot of people here that [asked] ‘Which party will defeat the Conservatives?’” said Schultz.

“Once it became clear that the Liberals were the alternative to the Conservatives, I think people flocked, and that’s strategic.”

Nanos Polls dated from Sept. 16 and Oct. 18 appear to agree with this assessment, as Tory support remained constant amidst the dramatic collapse of Thomas Mulcair’s New Democratic Party (NDP) and the equally dramatic rise of the Trudeau’s Liberals.

Vice-President (VP) Social for NDP McGill, Casarina Hocevar, described voters in such a context.

“People were thinking ‘I just really want to get rid of Harper,’” Hocevar said. “They were thinking at the federal level. There was a focus on the party leaders rather than any of the local candidates.”

Whether or not McGill students were unaware of local candidates, however, those running remained engaged, as Hélène Laverdière and Allison Turner of the NDP, as well as Christine Poirier and Marc Miller of the Liberals each made appearances at campus

events organized by the PSSA and their respective student political clubs. Their presence came amidst the launch of a new Elections Canada programme that permitted students to vote in advance polls on campus for either their home riding, or the riding in which they live during their time at university.

“I think students were definitely more engaged because they had that option,” Hirani said. “And I think local candidates realized that [students] would be more likely to vote overall.”

“If [voters] have a voluntary choice between the two ridings, they’ll probably examine candidates in either riding more closely,” Hocevar echoed.

She explained how NDP McGill encouraged students to vote strategically using the system.

“At the beginning of the election, when it was a tight race, we told people that their vote would really matter in [the race in Ville-Marie-Le Sud-OuestÎle des Soeurs],” Hocevar said. “But we advised them to take a look at their local ridings as well.”

Infographic by Cassie Lee. Information from Elections Canada.

Roxanne Gay discusses identity, criticism, and feminism Talk highlights importance of media literacy in public education Catherine wang Contributor Roxanne Gay, professor, editor, and author of Bad Feminist, spoke this Thursday in a public conversation with McGill PhD candidate Rachel Zellars. The two engaged in dialogue on subjects such as Gay’s Haitian-American identity, her responses to criticism, and how they have impacted her experience and viewpoints as a feminist writer.

Zellars began by referencing a recent op-ed piece that Gay had written for the New York Times.

The piece was a response to the death of Samuel Dubose, an unarmed African-American man shot dead by police this past summer, and Gay shared her thought process for the article.

“I feel these compulsions when these horrific crimes happen, and before I know it, I’m at my computer,” Gay said. “At the same time that Samuel Dubose was murdered, especially in the United States, everyone was talking about Cecil the Lion­ —who was murdered in Zimbabwe I believe—and he was killed by a dentist. And everyone was mourning the lion, and saying ‘oh, what a tragedy,’ [...] and that’s true [...] but we had more cultural empathy for a lion than we did for a man.”

Gay continued to discuss the importance of nuance in many of the issues she writes about in her

essays, and how she believes her multi-ethnic identity allows her to better understand these grey areas.

“I think that one of the biggest challenges that we face in contemporary discourse is that no one’s interested in nuance,” Gay said. “I really do believe in looking at both sides of an issue, and trying to understand both sides [...] and we don’t do that enough.

We don’t acknowledge that people who disagree with us might, once in awhile, have merits to their arguments. I’m a Haitian-American, black woman who grew up in Nebraska. My whole life is a grey area [...] I have this string of all these identities at once, and so that allowed me to see multiple sides of an issue.”

Citing Bad Feminist, Zellars asked Gay how women can nurture critical ,but not cruel relationships with other women. Gay explained the importance of taking criticism, and spoke to her own experience learning to do so as a female writer.

“I wouldn’t even limit it to women,” Gay said. “I think human beings have a really difficult time being critical without being cruel.

We have to overcome this lesser part of our nature in order to really be able to give criticism, and more importantly to be able to receive it [....] I’m getting better at it, but I think it’s hard, because when you’re a woman who dares to write and publish opinions, you get told that you’re trash all day long.

I have to counteract that nonsense

Roxanne Gay and Rachel Zellars discuss the importance of media literacy. (Courtesy of Eva Blue / Flickr) with an overinflated sense of self, just to balance [that out....] So I’m working on learning to be wrong sometimes.”

Gay concluded by stressing the importance of media literacy, another subject she claimed is not properly addressed in modern society. For Gay, enjoying problematic media is fine when redears remain critical and informed about its implications, but that the effect of its uninformed consumption is detrimental.

“That’s why I think we need to teach media literacy,” Gay said.

“We don’t talk about that enough [....] I think we need to start teaching media literacy as early as kindergarten [...] I don’t think they need to know the lyrics to ‘Salt Shaker’ at five years old, but I do think one of the keys right now, one of the stop-gap measures, is media literacy.”

The James McGill Chair in Culture and Technology, Dr. Jonathan Sterne, presented Thursday’s event, in junction with Concordia Writer’s Read, and the Montrealbased bookstore and publishing company, Drawn & Quarterly.

“I agreed to co-sponsor [the event] because Gay is an important and inspiring black feminist voice,” Sterne said. “And Bad Feminist is a great book.”

Zoe Koch, an artist living in Montreal, praised the event. “[Gay] has complicated viewpoints, which I really respect and admire, and I really wanted to hear what she had to say,” Koch said.

“I loved it. She [...] really bridged that gap between what is really deep and dark and scary for us all to talk and think about [... with] what is funny and light.”

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NEWS

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Gaps in international student health insurance plan a strain on students Students express frustration with limited coverage Cassandra Rogers Contributor Of the 10,000 international undergraduate and graduate students at McGill, some 7,000 are insured by a mandatory health insurance plan. This plan, privately contracted out to Medavie Blue Cross by McGill, has a premium of $906 per year for single person coverage. The Régie de l’Assurance Maladie du Québec (RAMQ), which provides medical insurance for Quebec residents, states that students from countries other than those with which Quebec has concluded a social security agreement providing for student coverage are ineligible for coverage.

This makes it impossible for most international students to be covered by RAMQ.

$10,000, and already have an alternative health insurance plan, so they don’t mind the clause,” Koutouzov said.

L’Ecuyer further explained that students with pre-existing conditions are not able to buy supplemental insurance in Canada, a practice which is supposed to serve the best interest of the insurance agency.

“If you put yourself in the shoes of the insurer, you are not going to sell a contract to somebody when it is known that they’re going to claim $10,000,” she said.

Tellier, who treats both Canadian and international students at the McGill Clinic, continued to outline the benefits of the Blue Cross plan for international students.

“One of the nice things about

(PGSS) exist among administration.

Through SSMU, international students have the option of purchasing a supplementary dental insurance plan.

However, a SSMU supplementary vision care plan is only available to Canadians. L’Ecuyer acknowledges that the reasoning behind this is unclear.

“I don’t know,” L’Ecuyer said.

“We tried to copy as much as possible [from] the RAMQ plan, but I don’t think we’ve ever been asked to look into this.”

The Blue Cross mandatory insurance plan for international students was re-evaluated and approved last year by the Advisory Committee on International Students (ACIS), a Canada-wide organizarion, following extensive lobbying by the PGSS. L’Ecuyer, explained the rationale be-

dependents is $2,781, and for a family with more than one dependent the sum comes up to $5,289. However, according to Tellier, the McGill Clinic does not offer services for dependents.

“We used to,” he explained. “But we were finally told by [the] administration [a few years ago] that we needed to cut that service.”

Tellier explained that funding cuts within the university have led to staff shortages at the McGill Clinic.

“Our service […] is limited,” Tellier said. “The administration decided they weren’t going to fund [nurse practitioner] positions […] which would have increased availability.”

For students with dependent or family plans, the up-front cost of private clinics can become prohibitive.

Koutouzov noted that private clinics are an expensive alternative for dependents who cannot seek care at the McGill Clinic.

“Downtown, [costs] range up to $150 for an adult and […] $220 for pediatric appointments,” she explained.

The Blue Cross plan in perspective

Infographic by Cassie Lee. Infomation from McGill International Student Services.

Coverage through Blue Cross According to the 2015-2016 Blue Cross documentation, charges arising from self-destruction or self-inflicted injuries, while “sane or insane,” are not covered for international students.

Director of International Student Services, Pauline L’Ecuyer explained that this policy is consistent throughout many insurance companies.

“This is a clause that is quite standard in the industry,” L’Ecuyer said. “[For example], somebody who attempts suicide will not be paid life insurance.”

Director of McGill Student Health and Family Physician PierrePaul Tellier noted, however, that this clause does not match RAMQ coverage.

“Any of the [provincial] medical care plans will cover those things,” he said. “They cover medical problems, period.”

Blue Cross documentation additionally outlines that charges relating to a pre-existing medical condition in excess of $10,000 are not covered.

International Student Advisor and Health Insurance Administrator Anastasia Koutouzov noted, however, this is a non-issue for such students. “[Students] with pre-existing conditions understand the limit of the

McGill Health Clinic tries to compensate for gaps in international health plan .

(Cassandra Rogers / McGill Tribune) Blue Cross [is that] it’s such a broad insurance plan that it made some services available to [international students] that were not available to Canadian or Quebec students,” he said.

For example, physiotherapy, which is covered under the Blue Cross plan up for to $750 per year, was not previously covered for Canadian and Quebec students, who can instead purchase supplemental insurance from their student unions to cover such care.

Uncertainties about the reasoning behind some Blue Cross coverage policies and the policies of supplementary plans offered by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and the Post-Graduate Students’ Society

hind having a mandatory plan.

“First of all, it was voted as a Senate regulation in 1967 that all McGill students and their dependents must subscribe to a plan [administered by] the university,”L’Ecuyer said. “[Secondly], about 20 years ago, it became immigration policy in Quebec.”

Limitations to family and dependent coverage The Senate policy instituted by McGill in 1967 does not allow international students or their dependents—a spouse or a child—to choose their own insurance policies.

The premium for students with

In comparison to McGill, other Canadian universities offer vastly different options to their international students. At the University of British Columbia, for example, all students, whether international or not, are covered under the same policies. International students pay to register with the British Columbia provincial Medical Services Plan (MSP), and are required to register with an extended policy that provides prescription, vision, dental, and travel coverage. Such a policy is offered through the student unions; however, if students are already enrolled in an extended policy, they can request an exemption.

With the exception of McGill, Concordia University, and Bishop’s University, all universities in Quebec have adopted a consortium plan for international student health care through Desjardins. L’Ecuyer explained McGill is not partaking in the Quebec consortium plan because of rigid standards and a higher cost.

“Their premium is higher than ours,” L’Ecuyer said. “They have policies we don’t necessarily want to abide by. It does not offer any coverage to students with dependents and families, and our Senate regulations [do not allow] that.”

The limitations of the Blue Cross plan, according to Tellier, are countered by efforts on the part of the McGill Clinic to help international students struggling with financial limitations.

“Students who come into [the clinic] are not sent away,” Tellier said.

“They can see a triage nurse, who advises them [on what they should do].”

Furthermore, L’Ecuyer explained

that students who are in need can seek financial assistance from McGill.

“When students find themselves in a difficult situation, they can qualify for aid [to pay for the premium,” L’Ecuyer said. “I know they could go apply for assistance if [health care fees] didn’t fit in their budget.”

Student experience with the policy While the Blue Cross plan and plans similar to it are common for international students in Quebec and Canada, many students have experienced complications and inconsistencies when dealing with their coverage.

Céline Garandeau, a U2 Biology student from the United States, explained that during one visit to the Montreal General Hospital, she was unable to complete a procedure due to insurance complications and was charged $50.

“I went to Montreal General Hospital [for a procedure and…] the woman at the desk said that if I wanted the visit [to be] covered by Blue Cross, I would need to go to [McGill] and ask,” Garandeau said. “At Service Point, I was directed to call a number [but] things were hectic at the time and I didn’t call them or have [the procedure.…] I’m reluctant to deal with the system [....] I was expecting a simpler experience, where the hospital would contact Blue Cross.”

In addition to difficulty submitting claims, other students cite inconsistencies in the advice they are given about their coverage as a drawback of the plan’s administration. Jake Zhu, a Canadian U1 Computer Engineering student, was informed that he was required to pay for the Blue Cross plan because he didn’t live in Canada immediately prior to his matriculation at McGill.

“I had every right to get [RAMQ] health care coverage,” Zhu said. “At the beginning of [my first] year, McGill told me […] that even though I am a Canadian citizen, I did not qualify because I was just a student. [But] when I went to the RAMQ office in January, they told me that I qualified.”

McGill’s documentation also explains that clinics are permitted to charge different rates for out-of-province and international patients; the portion of these fees that exceeds the RAMQ rate is the liability of the student. According to Koutouzov, if international students seek care at a clinic outside of McGill as an alternative, they are billed upfront for their visit.

“Because it’s not a regulated industry, [off-campus clinics] don’t have patient accounts like a hospital or the McGill Clinic,” Koutouzov said.

According to McGill and Blue Cross’s documentation, students are required to pay private clinic fees out of pocket and submit claims to Blue Cross after which can take two-three weeks to be repaid.

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OPINION

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

editorial Editor-in-Chief Mayaz Alam editor@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Sam Pinto spinto@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Hayley Lim hlim@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Shrinkhala Dawadi sdawadi@mcgilltribune.com Morgan Alexander malexander@mcgilltribune.com Julie Vanderperre jvanderperre@mcgilltribune.com News Editors Jenna Stanwood, Laura Hanrahan, Aislinn Kalob news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editor Julia Dick opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Chloe Nevitt scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Living Editor Hailey MacKinnon studentliving@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Natalie Wong features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Jack Neal and Christopher Lutes arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Elie Waitzer and Zikomo Smith sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editor Cassie Lee design@mcgilltribune.com

Student innovation key to Montreal’s future McGill is often portrayed as an institution that operates alongside Montreal rather than within it. While its quota system requires approximately 50 per cent of the student body to be made up of students from Quebec, most of the international and out-of-province student body decide to leave upon graduation.

Given recent economic reports that detail the numbers of lost jobs and shrunken industries in Montreal, the decision to leave is not unreasonable; however, allowing a large number of students to slip through its fingers upon graduation is not in the best interest of the city.

Creativity has the opportunity to thrive at McGill. Universities in Montreal have numerous opportunities for student entrepreneurship and innovation. Initiatives such as the Quartier de l’Innovation (QI), the Dobson Cup, and Seeds of Change are opportunities for students across faculties to experiment and expand their professional horizons.

But these incubators for creativity and innovation on campus have not yet been translated into opportunities in the Montreal community on a large scale.

Resources such as the Career Planning Service (CaPS) are essential to assisting students in professional development. Yet, even through services such as their mentorship program, there more of

Photo Editors Natalie Vineberg and Hayley Mortin photo@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers William Burgess webdev@mcgilltribune.com Matt Smith online@mcgilltribune.com

Publisher Chad Ronalds

TPS Board of Directors

Sam Pinto, Mayaz Alam, Maryse Thomas, Nicolas Tuech, Luka Ciklovan, Adrien Hu, Chloe Nevitt, Mingye Chen

Staff Writers

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albert park Columnist Between Facebook posts, online publications, and Reddit threads, it is overwhelming to begin to imagine the amount of different opinions, ideas, and information a regular internetuser processes in a single day. Consequently, the digital age is heralded for supposedly allowing people to become educated on a broad assortment of topics and form unique opinions.

However, some publications such as the CBC and The Guardian have argued that the sharing and gathering of information online, particularly

E R R ATA :

Contributors

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Incubators for creativity and innovation on campus have not yet been translated into opportunities in the Montreal community

worst large city in Canada to develop a business. Progress in these barriers is a long-term commitment, but perhaps the impetus need not come from above.

A cohesive effort to develop programs within McGill would empower students to contribute to innovation in Montreal.

Nevertheless, McGill students have not been absent from the scene of

entrepreneurship. Dispatch Coffee, the caffeine dispensary operating in the McConnell Engineering building was started by McGill alumni, as well as Heart City Apparel, a charitable organization that promotes the work of small artists in Montreal. Were McGill students given further tools to enter the Montreal private sector, it could pave the way to lowering the existing barriers and transplanting these initiatives into Montreal as long-term businesses. Improvements in corruption, infrastructure, and interest in Montreal as a hub for innovation do not need to be the first step; instead, bottom-up development from the grassroots level could assist Montreal in prioritizing such improvements.

A McGill education can be applied to our immediate environment—arguably, most who start a project while at university would prefer to not relocate. It is a matter of adjusting the taboo held by international and out-of-province students, as well as providing the tools to all students. As McGill works on cultivating student interest in preparing for the realworld and exploring various avenues, it ought to focus on how students can contribute to innovation within the Montreal community.

Confirmation bias on social media limiting conversation

Advertising Executives Mingye Chen and L-A Benoit ads@mcgilltribune.com

Emma Avery, Genevieve Citron, Kyle Dolph, Stephanie Feheroi, Danielle Galef, Ariella Garmaise, Evelyn Goessling, Emma Hameau, Daria Kiseleva, Natasha Michaeloff, Stephanie Ngo, Cassandra Rogers, Maxime Scraire, Wanlin Song, Elli Slavitch, Catherine Wang, Alissa Zilberchteine, Ava Zwolinski

Montreal pales next to economic hubs such as Toronto, New York City, and London in terms of innovation. While it is strong in film and technology—especially as the city’s concerted effort to attract digital companies beginning in the 1990s—Montreal is still considered the

COMMENTARY

Copy Editor Adrien Hu copy@mcgilltribune.com

Audrey Carleton, Zachary Carson, Sara Cullen, Nick Jasinski, Clare Lyle, Albert Park, Aaron Rose, Elizabeth Willcock

an individual focus than a community one. Those who are intensely interested in a certain field will seek out the appropriate assistance, and so there is a certain amount of required individual agency; but even with interest, there is an information mismatch. The potential for a student community of innovation is there, but it has yet to be tapped into.

Opportunities abound, but awareness of those opportunities is limited by the fragmented dissemination of information. Streamlining student access to information pertaining to opportunities for entrepreneurship would solidify a culture of innovation within campus.

There are the obvious barriers to students remaining in Montreal postgraduation—corruption, the language barrier for many students, and a lack of business infrastructure since the 1970s are just a few. But a significant portion of the McGill community is from Quebec or Montreal, and will stay after graduation. The expansion of opportunities for innovation and entrepreneruship in Montreal post graduation will compel more students to remain in the city while improving the opportunities available to locals.

Innovation and entrepreneurship are not easy anywhere, but succeeding in Montreal is particularly difficult.

through social media, is largely flawed because it leaves users susceptible to the effects of confirmation bias.

While social media has made it more effective for people to access different ideas and information, the current way in which many people use these websites makes them prey to confirmation bias and actually limits the variety of perspectives that they encounter due to the personalized and insular networks that are created.

Essentially, because of the way information-sharing works on social media—such as the Facebook news feed which mainly shows stories shared or liked by the user’s friends— people end up only finding and absorbing information which validates their own points of view or prior knowledge.

The issue of confirmation bias has become increasingly critical due to the way social media is fundamentally designed. It encourages people to create their own network of friends and peers whom they already have a common link with. Users of social media can actively decide the people,

publications, or threads they want to follow on the internet, which in turn determine what kind of posts and information they read on a day to day basis. The natural outcome is that people end up following sources that will provide them with information that confirms their beliefs rather than question them.

This concept actually expands past individuals’ selection of information. Through the like and up-vote systems that exist on Facebook and Reddit, people sharing an opinion can collectively try to bring attention to comments or posts that back-up their own ideas. This system often perpetuates a cycle of linear thinking and selfvalidation. People naturally associate highly liked comments (which are algorithmically set to appear first) as credible. Even though these comments might provide narrow-minded or even inaccurate perspectives, many readers will take the information that they find on social media as unequivocal, and not feel the need to research further or critically debate the issue.

Consider the unofficial McGill

subReddit, for example. Almost every thread containing a controversial issue posesses a very uniform collection of opinions. This issue was perhaps most evident during the women’s-only gym hours controversy last year. While it is understood that for any argument, there will be less-expressed minority perspectives, there was a clear lack of actual discussion or productive information presented in the threads.

Instead, it seemed abundantly clear that the main purpose of these threads was for people to validate one another’s collective opinions and pile on ideas and evidence that support their beliefs. Any contradicting ideas are either absent or down-voted to near invisibility.

Social media systems perpetuate bias by making it more difficult for people to share their opinions on controversial issues. In practice, likes and up-votes essentially denote a value on people’s opinions. As a result, people feel more reluctant to share and cultivate their own thoughts in the fear of being dismissed or even harassed by the masses.

An article in issue 6, Vol 35 incorrectly stated that the Library Improvement Fund (LIF) Committee was part of a group that completed the master plan feasibiligy study and drafted the master lan itself, and that the committee oversees smaller projects and renovations in McGill’s libraries. In fact, the committee was not involved in drafting the master plan and does not oversee smaller projects and renovations.

An article in issue 7, Vol 35 incorrectly stated that Richard Zereik served as interim director of Student Services from November 2013 to May 2015. In fact, Zereik served from May 2015 to October 2015.

6

Opinion

O f f t h e b oar d

Hailey m ac kinnon Student Living Editor Topics dealing with race, sex, and gender are inherently politically and personally charged issues. Critiques based on these issues are bound to one’s own experience and identity; when these issues are raised, the discussion can quickly become emotionally-charged.

These conversations are crucial in order to highlight and dismantle oppressive structures and ideas within an academic setting, such as in course conferences.

At the same time, the way the conversations are being conducted may be more harmful than helpful due to the creation of an “us versus them mentality” which reduces the willingness to engage in constructive conversations.

When students begin to explore these topics, there is a tendency for those who are more informed to respond with criticism rather than feedback. According to Psychology Today, criticism focuses on one’s personality, implies blame, devalues an opinion, and assumes the worst. Feedback focuses on the future, respects autonomy, encourages, and focuses on behaviour rather than personality. It is a confusion between these two forms of communication that fuels negativity and resentment regarding politicized conversations on campus. For example, responding to a

COMMENTARY

emma avery Contributor Last week, McGill students might have pretended not to notice the one lonely person standing at the Y-intersection flaunting a poster for McGill homecoming in front of disinterested passing faces. Unsurprisingly, having a one-man promo team accosting students didn’t work. His words fell on deaf ears; nothing he could have said in his 30-second pitch would have convinced any passerby of his cause. To conclude that McGill suffers from a lack of school pride, however, would be

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Political critique without personal criticism comment that one may deem offensive, often follows with, “You are inconsiderate,” or “You are racist,” rather than, “That sentence is insensitive because....

It would be better to use this terminology instead” or, “This terminology is racist due to [...]”

An example of this is the frequent use and accompanying tone of the expression “check your privilege.” What once began as an insightful way for people to reconsider their point of views based on the privileges they hold and the ones that other people may not have, has been ironically transformed into one that drips condescension and denotes “your views are invalid.” “Check your privilege” has become enveloped in patronization, targeting others for their seemingly intentional inconsideration; this either shuts down conversation, or makes one conclusion acceptable— any other perspective is a product of privileged bias and should be deplored.

The tone and overuse of the phrase has been subject to backlash, and has generally been reduced to a joke: It is used to mock what should be an important and genuine way to highlight and dismantle oppressive structures.

Using criticism rather than feedback engenders a hostile atmosphere. A misuse of terminology deems the user one of ‘them’—the misogynists, the racists, the homophobes. Calling out mistakes by means of shaming and ridicule is especially common in introductorylevel classes where new terminology is only being introduced and mistakes are common. These tactics only deter students—who may not have been trying to be offensive in the first place—from participating in and contributing to the discussion. People will be more likely to discard inappropriate terminology if they are brought to understand why it is

deemed so, which cannot occur through condescension and attack.

As stated by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, two writers who have extensively covered anti-oppressive measures on campus for Atlantic Magazine, “When the ideas, values, and speech of the other side are seen not just as wrong but as wilfully aggressive toward innocent victims, it is hard to imagine the kind of mutual respect, negotiation, and compromise that are needed to make politics a positive-sum game.” Using feedback rather than attack is more likely to lead to productive discussions, rather than the polarization of views and feelings.

While it is true that not all opinions are equally deserving of respect or attention, an effective way to strip the power of views deemed offensive is to dismantle them through rational discussion and understanding—which means they must be allowed to be discussed in the first place. Progress and education are achieved through the free flow of diverse opinions and ideas in a constructive manner.

In order for this to happen, students must feel comfortable to share their thoughts without fear of personal attack. Students who find themselves on the receiving end of critiques must also do more to acknowledge the bias they may hold in order to understand where a peer is coming from. It is not the content of conversation that generally needs to be altered. It is the way the conversation is being conducted on campus that may be driving students to reject and resent the anti-oppressive discussion that takes place on campus. A middleground must be struck where all students can consciously, respectfully, and productively debate such conversations.

Interested in grammar, punctuation, and spelling?

The McGill Tribune is looking for copy editing contributors! Email editor@mcgilltribune.com and help proofread the paper.

Less than loco for hoco unjustified. At McGill, a different kind of school culture develops that doesn’t depend on gathering with the rest of the school to support a common cause. It’s not better or worse—just different.

McGill pride, in a reflection of the impersonal institutional structure of the school, is based on finding individual niches. It is not a mass-movement; instead, it is individualized. The scene at the Y-intersection was a sad metaphor for the general lack of student interest in sport-related fanfare. It’s telling that the first line of the description in the Facebook event for McGill’s Homecoming read, “OAP IS BACK!!!!!!” in a not-so-subtle nod to the fact that cheap beers, burgers, and nostalgia for summer hold significant sway on the decisions of McGill student.

Despite ongoing attempts to expand school spirit to sports by McGill Athletics and Recreation, the administration, and student groups such as Red Thunder (which plans various events on game days

and allows members to attend varsity games for free), students out-

At McGill, a different kind of school culture develops [...] It’s not better of worse— just different.

side of the athletics community just aren’t interested. The general sense of McGill pride simply has very little to do with school sports and the

accompanying culture of tailgates, homecomings and school-wide displays of spirit.

Attendance at McGill varsity games is notoriously low. For students, this is not an issue of cost, nor is it that sports culture doesn’t exist at Canadian schools; at some schools homecoming is arguably the biggest event all year. Many McGill students will actually bus to Ontario for homecoming at Western or Queen’s. Apparently, paying to parade around small-town Ontario sporting colours for a school one doesn’t even go to is more fun than cheering on McGill’s own varsity teams right at home.

Yet the problem does not reside in the structure of athletics. McGill pride simply manifests itself in a different form. By virtue of living in Montreal, it is inherently tied to being a part of the wider city and everything it has to offer, even if for some this only consists of the comforts of the “McGill bubble.”

At McGill, students benefit

from living in the heart of Montreal.

They have their choice of concerts, clubs, bars, restaurants and other events all year long, so they don’t need the school to create entertainment. Of course, sometimes they will indulge their curiosities and travel to Ontario to see what all the hype is about, to see what life is really like on the other side—but we still wouldn’t be caught dead being mistaken for anything other than a McGill student.

At other universities, schoolwide events such as homecoming might create an important and unique sense of kinship and make students feel tied to the larger community. Any student would attest to the fact that McGill students have just as much pride as any Western or Queen’s student does, but it’s a pride tied more to the ways in which McGill exists uniquely within the city of Montreal. It is the misfortune of McGill Athletics to be the casualty of this unique school culture and pride.

7

Science & technology

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Evaluating postpartum depression in men McGill researchers investigate depressive symptoms among first-time fathers wanlin song Contributor The birth of a child is typically considered to be a joyful experience; however, it can also be a stressful and difficult time in parents’ lives.

Sometimes this stress can lead to conditions like antenatal depression or postpartum depression (PPD), which occur during and after pregnancy, respectively. In the past decade, research on antenatal depression and PPD has mainly focused on women.

Recently, scientists from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) closely tracked the depression symptoms of expectant fathers during their partner’s pregnancy and found strong correlation between the men’s depression, sleep quality, social support, their relationships with their partners, and financial strain.

Although earlier studies have shown evidence of PPD in men, its association with antenatal depression had not been examined closely. In the present study, lead researcher, Dr. Deborah Da Costa, focused on the prevalence of depressive symptoms among first-time fathers in late pregnancy, as they are strong predictors of PPD. To conduct the research, online questionnaires were distributed to

Men’s mental health can suffer from pregnancy. (Daria Kiseleva / McGill Tribune) couples, in which they were asked to report their mood, sleep quality, and distress in partner relationship. Their mental states and the stress factors were carefully measured by specific and well-validated assessments, such as the Edinburgh Depression Scale, which screens for symptoms of depression and anxiety.

The data collected from the research shows that older age,

unemployment, and the lack of sleep accounted significantly for antenatal depression in men. Psychosocial variables such as lower social support and financial stress, also played a key role in causing depressed moods.

Additionally, elevated depressive symptoms experienced by women during third trimester of their pregnancy negatively affected the mental states of their partners.

Based on these findings, Da Costa emphasized the need to give expectant fathers more emotional support.

“Men tend to close themselves off […] while women are much more expressive, which is why people are unaware of the depression in men,” she explained. “[But] men and women share the same symptoms—sadness, loss of hope, not enjoying life—they

just express [that] differently.”

Da Costa also recommended prenatal classes and online resources as a recourse of information for men who need help with managing their stress.

“Unlike women, who tend to express their emotions, men are less likely to go to consultations of mental health because they feel the stigma associated with it,” she said. “In this case, internet might be a useful tool to offer help.”

Other ways to help first-time fathers include screening for sleep problems, addressing sleeping problems during transition to parenthood, more social support, and shifting marital strategies to reduce stress in a couple’s relationship.

A new baby puts stress on both partners—not just new moms. As traditional gender roles change and evolve, issues like men’s mental health are getting the attention they need and deserve. “[Studies on men] are necessary because good mental health is important to [everyone’s] life,” explained Da Costa. “When men feel depressed, they tend to engage in unhealthy behaviour such as drinking, [and], it can also bring negative effects [to] the relationship between the couples […] and affect the development of the child.”

Where is artificial intelligence headed?

“Freaky Friday” presentation outlines the risks of artificial intelligence NATASHa michaeloff Contributor In Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, the protagonist, astronaut Dr. David Bowman, has a standoff with his spacecraft’s artificial intelligence (AI) system, HAL. After discussing plans with a fellow astronaut onboard to deactivate HAL, Bowman attempts to re-enter the spacecraft from an external rescue mission. However, he is prevented from doing so by HAL, who calmly tells him that it will not allow him back inside because if he were to turn off the system, it would jeopardize their mission.

This act of defiance by a computer makes it only fitting that a screening of this particular movie would follow a presentation on AI given by Dr. Jeremy Cooperstock, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Cooperstock’s presentation, titled “Is humanity smart enough for AI?” took place last Friday in Redpath Museum as part of the “Freaky Friday” lecture series. He addressed contemporary concerns about the nature of AI—concerns that are, according to him, not exactly irrational.

“The bottom line, I think, is that

we need to be afraid,” Cooperstock said. “We need to consider the consequences [of AI].”

Cooperstock quoted Eliezer Yudkowsky, co-founder of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI), to underscore his point: “By far, the greatest danger of AI is that people conclude too early that they understand it.”

Indeed, one would think that those in charge of designing and developing the technology in question would have to, at the very least, understand how it operates. Incredibly, this is not always the case. Cooperstock recalled a story told by Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, a professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto, involving the U.S. army, which had hired a group of researchers to pioneer a detection system capable of identifying camouflaged enemy tanks.

The researchers set out to take hundreds of photographs of camouflaged tanks, hidden in the trees at the forest line, as well as photographs of the forest line in its natural state.

This data was used to develop a ‘neural network’ for the recognition system; however, the researchers had failed to account for the weather on the days when the photographs were done; the

Dr. Jeremy Cooperstock’s “Freaky Friday” presentation warned the audience about the dangers of AI. (Natalie Vineberg / McGill Tribune) photographs of the camouflaged tanks were taken on sunny days whereas the photographs of the forest line were taken on overcast days. This seemingly insignificant variation led to the system being a better gauge of the weather than of the presence of camouflaged enemy tanks.

Though this error proved to be relatively benign, other more disastrous cases of AI gone wrong have been documented. In 1985, China Airlines Flight 006 almost crashed because the

autopilot system had blocked the pilots from regaining control of the aircraft— until well after the plane had gone into a steep dive.

Worse still, claimed Cooperstock, is the idea of automated military weapons, which have been ‘perfected’ to the point of not requiring physical human operation. In the past, computer hackers have been able to bring down military drones because the software is accessible and easy to replicate, and has no human checkpoint.

Ultimately, Cooperstock noted that society’s greatest defence against what some might jokingly refer to as the robot uprising is spreading the word about the drawbacks of AI. “We need to ask very careful questions and have this discussion as a society about the potential implications of these tools that we’re building,” Cooperstock explained.

“Most importantly, “ […] We have to be cautious and aware of the potential for things running amok.”

uperheroes may be a fixture in all things Halloween, but their importance extends beyond their costumes and comic strip panels.

In the face of constant turmoil in the world, superheroes enter the scene to encourage an attitude of hope amidst plaguing issues.

Superheroes created throughout history generally embody values of the culture that produced them. The character fights against everything that threatens such values. The archetype superhero comes in the form of Superman, in terms of both appearance and the pursuit of “good,” or, the dominant moral values of the current society.

The era between the late ’30s and late ’40s became known as the Golden Age of comic books, and Superman was the embodiment of the period. At this time, comic books became an accepted form of art, and superheroes began to play a central role in American culture—

S

one marked by hope.

“Superman stands for everything good the human race can become,” said Edvard Nicolas, comic book aficionado. “[He has a] good moral, [a] deep sense of justice, [and] use of power only to help those in need and never kill another human being.”

Superman’s creation set the tone for all superheroes to come, and his story is one that is still relevant today.

His character provided the base for the superhero formula of a hidden identity, and the powers and vibrant costumes that went along with it.

Captain America, who followed shortly after, had a similar structure. He also has a secret human alter ego as Steve Rogers, gained powers through a serum invented by the military, and wore a colourful uniform— even in the same colours as Superman.

According to long time editor of spider-man books at Marvel Comics, Danny Fingeroth’s Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us about Ourselves and Our Society, at the basis of a superhero is a protagonistic leading character. There are three levels of heroes: Real life heroes, fictional heroes, and superheroes. A hero, such as a firefighter or a doctor, is essentially the

ordinary realizing the extraordinary, like individuals who fight the odds, and sometimes, even beat them. The next step is a fictional hero, a character who is human, like Sherlock Holmes or Indiana Jones.

Finally, moving from labels of fictional hero to superhero, is the possession of supernatural powers, or at least the use of gadgets to reach superhuman ability.

Superheroes were made to give children ideals with which to battle a cruel adult world, which was on the verge of social, political, and military upheaval. They were tough and would rise above the law in the pursuit of good. The superheroes were determined figures with a simplistic ideology: To protect the world from evil. The reader didn’t have to do anything other than sit back, suspend reality, and be entertained by their exciting adventures.

The superhero comic books of the Golden Age were largely inspired by fantasy, such as Superman’s origin from another planet or Aquaman’s ability to breathe under water.

Jerry Siegel, co-creator of Superman, wrote that the basis for Superman was the notion of mythology. “[Superman is a] character like Samson, Hercules, and all the strong men I have ever heard [told about] rolled into one,” he said. “Only more so.”

Although Superman’s strength and powers were paramount, he couldn’t be so unearthly that readers wouldn’t find him relatable.

Sarah Nafisa Shahid, U3 Arts and a member of the (unofficial) comic book club at McGill, noted that it can be hard to see Superman as relatable as as other superheroes, like the X-Men. “Most of the characters were heavily flawed,” she said. “That [was] relatable to me as an ordinary person.”

Superman’s humanity was crucial, and although having a real world identity as Clark Kent helped, it wasn’t enough to just have a journalist alter-ego. Clark Kent had human feelings and the ability to empathize, with sincere sorrow for his parents’ natural deaths and his inability to prevent them. Sympathy played a key role in the depiction of his humanity.

“Superman is not relatable, he is a dream,” said Nicholas. “He’s super strong, but he is reluctant to use his force.

He can rule over the world, but instead, helps every person he can. Clark Kent is relatable. He’s from a small town, he loves his job, his wife and his parents.

Everyone can be Clark Kent, [and] everyone wishes to be Superman.”

While Superman may be invincible on Earth, he does have a critical weakness: Kryptonite. Thus, creators managed to find a balance in making Superman invincible to earthly

dangers, while providing kryptonite as his mythical downfall. In this way, Superman becomes more mortal, and therefore, is not so alien to readers.

Given that superheroes embody societal values, society reinvents such ideals over time. There’s been a Superman for every decade since the character was born, maintaining similar powers and ideals while fighting different evils.

While Superman fought primarily against fictional villains throughout the evolution of his character, he has fought against real villains too. For example, The Adventures of Superman radio show in mid ’40s featured Superman fighting the Ku Klux Klan when legal action was lacking. The ’50s Cold War era version brought his villains into a more science fiction-related realm, representing the growing concerns over improper scientific development and nuclear power.

A uniting factor among most major superhero comics is that they were written by Jewish individuals towards the start of World War II. With peaking anti-Semitism both in the U.S. and abroad in the interwar period, many Jews could not get university degrees, and often were not allowed to work in advertising agencies. Since careers in publishing were not an option, aspiring Jewish writers and artists found jobs in comics.

Superman, Batman, Spiderman,

the X-Men, Green Lantern, and The Avengers were all written in this context between 1930 and 1960. In the ’70s, while Jews made up three per cent of the general population, they were also 80 per cent of the best-paid writers and illustrators of comic books in the United States.

By the end of the 1930s, the world desperately needed a superhero. Hitler and Stalin had gained full force and the American economy was in a poor state.

Superheroes were created as a form of escape from the increase in conflict in the world and as a release from its accompanying stress.

“It is often suggested that Superman was originally created as a fantasy of social justice as a means of alleviating economic worries about effects of the Great Depression in the U.S.A.,” writes Cultural Studies Professor Sean Carney.

Coming from immigrant families who had small tailoring shops, Siegel and Shuster were undeniably affected by deteriorating economic conditions.

Perfectly timed with this era’s desperation was the release of Action Comics no. 1, the first Superman comic book, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938, three years before the U.S.A. officially entered the war. The target of this comic was to set free the imaginations of U.S. citizens, providing a distraction from the war that seemed ever-approaching, through Superman.

Such a character was reminiscent of cultural values of the time; morals were embodied through Superman’s actions and convictions, and served to remind citizens of their purpose in patriotism. “[Superman] was handsome, intelligent, invincible, patriotic, almost flawless with an astounding morale,” said Shahid. “I always felt that his character portrayed a sense of superiority that America as a country was opting for [....] It was instrumental to the American propaganda that promoted consumerism and individualism and most importantly, the American patriotism.”

Siegel was strongly influenced by the anti-Semitism he experienced. He wrote about a hero who could battle the bullies, a protagonist who could surely beat the antagonists. In addition to Superman’s behaviour once an adult, the story of his arrival to Earth was one all too familiar at the time. As a refugee escaping to the United States from a world about to explode, Superman mirrored the lives of his creators, the Shusters and Siegels, and many other Jewish families fleed Europe before the Holocaust. Superman’s parents sent him to Earth in the hope that he would find a new beginning, which is essentially what Jewish families were doing at the time to try and save their children.

While Superman seemed to hold an endless stream of powers, there were limits that had to be imposed on him, particularly as American engagement

in the war grew. During the war, the mythical world of Superman had to cross-cut issues of reality, which was not simple. Superman’s ability to easily win any war that didn’t involve kryptonite became an issue of morale when the United States officially joined the war in December of 1941. While adults were arguing about strategy and tactics and were worrying about their sons being drafted, adolescents had a simpler question: Where was Superman?

Readers were accustomed to Superman being able to fight off any fictional evil that came his way. When America was still neutral, Superman could effortlessly fight villains like Karl Wolff, the Dukalian leader, who bore significant resemblance to the Nazis.

Once the United States joined the war, however, it became their responsibility to fight the real Nazis. As cultural contexts translated into comics, this responsibility to fight Nazis theoretically became Superman’s as well. Other heroes, like Captain America, were fighting in the war, so many wondered why Superman, the archetypal American hero, was sitting out.

Explicitly incorporating Superman in the context of the war was complicated, because expectations were greater with Superman. Superman, in the context before the States entered the war, was fighting fictional villains to create a general ‘good vs. evil’ storyline where ‘good’ prevailed. As the war

started for the States, the tragic reality of the war and the comic story line were brought together in a manner that hit too close to home. There was the risk that Superman, the once encouraging figure for soldiers, would become a disheartening one.

Based on Superman’s track record, he should be able to fix everything right away, and creators could not give people those kinds of expectations, yet they couldn’t disappoint millions by having Superman fail to do his part.

Writers had to craft a solution that would give Superman an out, and that’s exactly what they did. A February 1942 instalment of the “Superman” newspaper strip showed that Clark Kent tried to enlist in the army, but during his physical test, he accidentally read the eye chart in the next room with his X-ray vision. The examiner conceded that Kent was physically superb, but thought he was completely blind. Thus, the army did not want him, absolving him of his duty to fight.

While writers could not explicitly place Superman in the context of World War II, they found a way to implicitly use Superman as a vehicle for hope amidst the war. In the summer of 1942 the intro to Superman on the radio was changed. The intro now described him as fighting a “Never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way!”

Superman had always fought for patriotic values, but it was only with the

nation at war, and Americans thinking more than ever about why their country was worth fighting and dying for, that the idea of an “American way” of believing and acting took hold in the mind of the public, and in the myth of Superman.

Superman and the incessant hope he provides may be the foundation for humans looking to superheroes to fight for them, but he also gifts us with the possibility of something to have faith in that isn’t controversial. In a society where all too often, cynicism is equated with realism, and positivity with ignorance, having faith in a figure with irrevocable insistence on fighting the bad in service of the good seems as vital as ever. As long as there’s evil in the world, superheroes will continue to fight it.

Despite an evolution across time and space for more than 70 years, Superman still manages to encapsulate popular morales today.

“Superman is an interesting metaphor of our society,” said Julie Savaria, recent MBA graduate of McGill and comic book devotee.

“He is struggling to reconcile who he is and who he can become [....]

We live in a society where we are expected to be productive and just plain perfect at all times; but, like Superman and Clark Kent, we are vulnerable. It is this vulnerability that makes us human.”

10

Science & technology

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

McGill researchers examine global increase in placebo effectiveness Americans are the most affected, data suggests stephanie fehertoi Contributor Placebo, latin for “I will please,” refers to the psychological effect in which a fake treatment, such as an inactive sugar pill, receives positive results from patients simply because they believe it is helping them. In order for a drug to be first approved for the market, it must pass a clinical trial in which its often tested against a placebo to observe its effectiveness.

A recent study from McGill University has confirmed what many researchers have been speculating—that the placebo response in clinical trials has been increasing over the years, but the effectiveness of the drugs has remained relatively stable; however, this seems to be a rather American phenomenon, as the trend was only observed in the U.S. This “massive interaction with geography” was something no one had looked into before, according to Dr. Jeffrey Mogil, professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill, and one of the authors of the study.

“It wasn’t a surprise that the placebo response was increasing— everyone thinks it’s increasing,” Mogil said. “The surprise was that this was only happening in the U.S.” The study, published in the Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain, was the first to analyze

FACT OR FICTION

all of the data from previous studies that had looked into placebo response for neuropathic pain treatment. The team of researchers studied 84 individual clinical trials in neuropathic pain patients, in which 92 different drugs were compared to a placebo. They analyzed data only from randomized double-blind controlled trials, published from 1990 to 2013. While drug responses have remained stable, the placebo responses increased steadily, making the drug appear less effective than it actually might be.

Placebo response ends up being the most significant factor affecting trial

Americans are likelier to be influenced by the placebo effect. (http://themindunleashed.org) such as age or sex. Essentially, the larger and longer the trial, the larger the placebo response. Indeed, U.S. clinical trials have increased in size and length over the years, significantly more than their Asian and European counterparts.

Longer trials may feature more “nonspecific therapeutic effects,” such as social support, education, and friendlier behaviour and attention from the staff, which can impact patients’ expectations about the drug treatment. Larger trials may also have relaxed eligibility criteria, so the type of people available or able to get into trials in the U.S. may differ from those

outcome, and many of these clinical drug trials fail as a result. Indeed, the study showed that by 2013, drugs produced only 8.9 per cent more analgesia (the loss of the ability to feel pain) than the placebo, compared to 27.3 per cent in 1996. Considering that pharmaceutical companies can spend up to $1 billion dollars in research and development, failing a clinical trial simply due to increased placebo response is troubling.

Researchers also found that sample size and study length are positively correlated with placebo responses in the U.S., more so than personal characteristics of participants,

elsewhere, resulting in different patient characteristics and interactions. This includes potential bias from patients paid or chosen to participate in the study, which can also result in higher expectations about the effect of the drug treatment.

U.S. pharmaceutical companies may be more likely to use for-profit companies to run and oversee their clinical trials. Despite disagreement from his co-workers, Mogil believes that because contract-research organizations (CROs) want more business from pharmaceutical companies for future studies, it is in their best interest to have the patients be as content as possible during the trials.

“I personally believe it’s about non-specific factors,” Mogil argued. “[That] there’s something different about the patient experience in a clinical trial run at a CRO than the patient experience in a clinical trial run the way they used to be done, in hospitals and academic labs.”

If this is the case, then perhaps stricter eligibility criteria, patient regulation, or different trial methods altogether should be considered in order to reduce the effect of placebo response.

“I think the simple thing is that, if this is true, then we need to have a little conversation about whether the trial process is still working or whether it might be broken,” Mogil said.

Are monsters real?

Not all ghost stories are works of fiction Science has a reputation for refutation. But this is not always the case, and some researchers have found that monsters and ghosts might actually exist; however, maybe not in the way that people expect.

Zombies

The concept of zombies originates from Haitian folklore, in which Vodou priests called bokors were reportedly able to turn normal people into the undead using a magical powder introduced to the bloodstream. In 1982, Wade Davis, Harvard anthropologist and ethnobotanist, travelled to a number of Haitian villages in search of genuine bokor priests. In The Serpent and the Rainbow, a book Davis wrote about his experiences in Haiti, Davis described his encounter with Clairvius Narcisse, a Haitian man who was widely believed to have been dead for 18 years before being ‘cured.’ While undead, Narcisse reportedly had no personal identity and existed in a permanent trance-like state.

Davis’s controversial explanation for these symptoms was based in chemistry and pharmacology.

According to Davis, priests would imbue individuals with tetrodotoxin—a powerful neurotoxin found in pufferfish—as well as various deliriant

drugs. However, these effects remain unproven, and are not entirely consistent with other instances of tetrodotoxin poisoning.

Many scientists, including Pace University neurologist Terence Hines and Tavistock Institute psychologist R. D. Laing, dismiss these claims. Instead, they push a social or behavioral model similar to the nocebo (reverse placebo) effect. This effect is seen in several culture-specific ‘folk illnesses’ such as First Nations wendigo psychosis—a type of canabilism—or Aboriginal Australian bone-pointing—an omen of death—where the staunch belief in a ritual or ailment psychosomatically produces symptoms. The study of these purported medical conditions remains on the fringe of anthropology, and even the idea that they exist as medical as opposed to social issues is controversial.

Vampires

Vampires have experienced a massive resurgence in popularity over the last few decades, and with this, an influx of rationalizations for a scientific cause behind vampirism. The most common modern suggestions are diseases such as rabies and porphyria, which are both highly communicable.

Their symptoms include aggression,

sleep pattern disruption, sensitivity to light and the taste of garlic, as well as psychosis.

Today’s modern pop culture conception of vampirism is very far removed from the original lore, which, for example, gave the creatures a ‘purplish’ skin tone, due to blood consumption, and an obsession with counting, today called arithmomania.

Ghosts

Ghosts have historically been harder to pin down. It seems intuitively unlikely that any sort of disease could turn a living human being into an incorporeal and semitransparent spectre.

What’s more, the underlying folklore is vague and found in some shape or form in every world culture, as opposed to the more regional and specific legends of vampires or zombies. However, scientists have been using infrasound, especially subsonic frequencies of around 19 hertz—just below the range of human hearing—to offer a more rational explanation to ghost stories.

A 2003 study conducted byNational Physics Laboratory acoustical scientist Richard Lord and University of Hertfordshire psychologist Richard Wiseman showed that infrasound caused feelings of

Ghost stories have integrated themselves into popular culture. (Elli Slavitch / McGill Tribune) dissociation, unease, and paranoia. At certain ranges of frequencies, which have since been conclusively detected in several houses reported to be haunted, infrasound can establish sympathetic vibrations in the vitreous humour of the eye, leading to ghost-like hallucinations and fleeting, darting motion indistinctly seen in peripheral vision, as shown in a NASA study.

The theorized evolutionary purpose of the visceral human reaction

to certain frequencies of infrasound is that it is produced by volcanoes, earthquakes, growling tigers, and other natural sources of danger that understandably became hardwired into humans’ innate fear reactions. In the modern world, however, it’s more likely to encounter infrasound as the result of a noisy fan or faulty plumbing than a hungry tiger—and these can often lead to reports of hauntings in houses that really just need a good renovation.

11

Arts & Entertainment

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

From Super 8 to the Silver Screen

film REVIEW

Rolling Stones documentary drowns in sex and drugs—hold the rock ‘n’ roll Evelyn goessling Contributor It’s rare for a band like The Rolling Stones to be embarrassed or even scandalized by anything, but the footage in Robert Frank’s documentary Cocksucker Blues was evidently too much for the band to reveal to their public.

Despite the liberal atmosphere of the early ‘70s, which saw the explosion of classic rock— and the hedonism that came with it— Cocksucker Blues was deemed inappropriate for public audiences. The issue was taken to court, and it was finally decided in 1977 that the film could not legally be shown until 1979, and then only four times per year, and only with director Robert Frank present at each showing.

Cocksucker Blues was exhibited in Montreal’s Festival du Nouveau Cinéma on October 16, the first official screening of the film since the Museum of Modern Art screened it at The

Rolling Stones: 50 Years of Film exhibition in 2012. Montreal was one of the places Frank first illegally showed the film.

It’s safe to assume that the majority of those attending the screening arrived with a basic background on the Rolling Stones as a seminal cultural phenomenon and a wild caricature of the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. Whether most of the audience was there to bask in the heyday of classic rock hedonism, or scoff at the very same thing, it required real grit to sit through the raw, oftenhumourless footage of their 1972 Exile on Main St tour.

The film was shot in a cinéma vérité style, which contributed to its disjointed nature. Cinéma vérité is a rather broad genre of documentary film, conducted in this case by providing several cameras for band members, groupies, and sound engineers alike to record what they saw on tour. The result—compiled in the editing room by Frank to lend some semblance of story—is a

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards take a hedonistic tour across America in Cocksucker Blues. (cleveland.com) shaky, often random, and even cringe-inducing record of The Rolling Stones’ lifestyle. The film failed to reveal the glamour of life on the road with the Stones and the excitement of cultural revolution that comes with many rock documentaries (see The Last Waltz or Monterey Pop ). Instead, the film’s unflinching lens casts a pall over the orgies, injections, lines, and parties. While some interviewees are gregarious and giddy from drug use, their words

have little more consequence than the stoned musings of the average person.

There are moments of joy that break through the dizzying close-ups of naked girls and heroin users. The longer concert scenes showcase the band at their best: In a haze of glitter, velvet, smoke machines, and screaming riffs to go along with Keith Richards’ mad guitar solos.

Other innocent scenes remind the audience of the Stones’ humanity,

such as when Mick Jagger goes through a painstaking process to order a bowl of strawberries and blueberries to his room in a middle-of-nowhere hotel.

Ultimately, Cocksucker Blues succeeds in that it is not a glamourization of debauchery but an honest look at it. The film exhibits an unedited view of the Stones in all their hedonist glory, and that includes many moments of vulnerability and some of dazzling invincibility.

Pop Rhetoric

Embracing Feminism in Hollywood Morgan alexander Managing Editor When Jennifer Lawrence wrote her open letter against the wage gap, she added in one particular clarification about her position as a “working women” in the hollywood paygrade. “I can safely say my problems aren’t exactly relatable [....] I didn’t want to keep fighting over millions of dollars that, frankly, due to two franchises, I don’t need.

(I told you it wasn’t relatable, don’t hate me).” Laurence immediately worked to dissuade any claims that she was trying to usurp the feminist movement from ‘normal’ people. It was a necessary line; when Patricia Arquette dedicated her Supporting Actress Oscar speech to decrying the sexism in the Hollywood pay grade, Meryl Streep gave it a standing ovation, but columnists and internet commenters rolled their eyes as yet another multi-millionaire tried to make their problems seem meaningful. How dare they complain about unequal wages— workingclass American would never complain about that type of salary— they should shut up and be grateful.

The above line of thinking is facetious of course, but it exposes a flawed frame of thinking that conflates the person with the cause, and in doing so, unfairly dismisses the overarching goal: Wage equality.

It’s a noble cause, and one that supporters of gender equality have been fighting for since the movement began in the ’20s. There are a myriad of smaller issues behind the big picture: Pre-conceived notions of a woman’s worth, minority disenfranchisement, the repercussions of tone policing, and gender dynamics in the workplace, just to name a few. Inequalities are experienced by blue-collar workers and celebrities alike, so why, when Jennifer Lawrence speaks out about these issues, does she feel that she needs to to qualify her experience as ‘other,’ or else risk getting insulted for her arrogance?

Hollywood stars have been agents of change for a long time.

When they aren’t running for office and winning the presidency, they’re speaking at the United Nations and organizing fundraisers for candidacies and federal causes.

The Oscar stage has been used as

a platform for social action on a multitude of occasions, and stars have played active and visible roles in campaigns for political reform, most recently for the legalization of gay marriage.

Any time a celebrity speaks out on popular issues, they will face direct criticisms from all walks of life— something that is a given when one is in a continuous spotlight—but it seems that Hollywood feminism has become particularly difficult to accept.

There are issues of inherent sexism that plague society as a whole. A person who denies feminist issues in their personal life will of course be appalled if the notion arises in the Hollywood sphere, and misogynists are typically permitted to be harsher in their criticism of celebrities. The refusal of A-listers to use the term ‘feminist’ to define themselves could also be perceived

Why is Jennifer Lawrence making less money than her male co-stars? (vanityfair.com) as an issue, but demanding that women label themselves in certain ways ultimately counters the overall goal of independence and personal agency. Ultimately, it seems that people just can’t distance themselves from the idea of celebrity privilege and therefore disconnect these women from the rest of society.

However, establishing female celebrities as ‘others’ demeans the feminist cause, and as a result, ultimately prohibits progress.

Preventing female celebrities from speaking candidly on sexism and racism in the workplace erases a global platform where these issues can be discussed. Hollywood actresses have millions of followers

on social media, and speak at events that are broadcasted all over the world. Whenever they speak multiple newspapers reprint their stories to be read by young children who are often more influenced by their words than those of their parents. By virtue of the job, female celebrties exist as global microphones. Claiming that their words on feminist issues don’t matter strips away their intellectual agency and stifles meaningful discussion.

Acknowledging sexism in Hollywood and enabling celebrities to speak on feminist issues should be encouraged by the populace, because misogyny—no matter who it affects—should be fought against.

12

ARTS & Entertainment

Tuesday October 27, 2015

The colours of Cuba Galerie Aura’s latest exposition, Art Cuba showcases the country’s top artists Luka ciklovan Contributor Cuba has received a lot of international attention recently due to the improvement in its relationship with the United States. Though prospects seem better now, the Cuban population has had to endure much hardship after Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution. The economic sanctions imposed by the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1962, coupled with the communist regime’s own economic impotence, resulted in poor living conditions during the ’70s that still haunt the country today.

Cuban artists in particular— alongside homosexuals, counterrevolutionary political activists, and other state-branded deviants— suffered immensely at the hands of the regime, facing brutal imprisonment and oftentimes compulsory military service within the ‘Military Units to Aid Production.’ Art Cuba, the latest group exhibition at Galerie Aura, stands as the first exhibition of Cuban art in Canada since the recent rapprochement, and brings the unique historic-cultural struggles inherent to the country to the forefront.

The gallery provides a glimpse into some of the complex dualities that pervade the Cuban psyche: The ocean is at once a symbol of limitless freedom and a body of entrapment.

The communist regime promises progress yet delivers backwardness.

The very distinctively Cuban identity fused with Afro-Cuban culture are all concepts explored by various artists hailing from Cuba’s artistic elite.

Immediately upon entering the gallery, the colourful chaos of Carlos Quintana’s “Intriga en el solar” sets the tone of the exhibition.

Described as an artist whose work stems from “phantasmagoric hallucination” and seem to reflect a stream of consciousness art style, Quintana’s work explores a vision of the supernatural rooted in AfroCuban culture. He accomplishes this through an intricate blending of bright red floral patterns into human figures, the zoomorphism exhibited on said human figures, and finally their colour contrasted with a jet black spiritual figure in the foreground. Manuel Mendive’s untitled acrylic on canvas taps into this same Afro-Cuban culture, focusing on the Yoruba religion in particular. In an attempt to map the Yoruba concept that there is one universal soul from which all life stems from, Mendive depicts various human figures literally fused with animal and plant life and engaged in a process of perpetual rebirth.

In contrast to these often bright, supernatural depictions, Alexis Leyva Machado, known as Kcho, portrays the grim reality facing illegal Cuban emigration. His simple, yet powerful, image of an oar, symbolizing the perilous journey awaiting illegal immigrants, that gradually melds into

T h e V i ewpo i n t

maxime scraire Contributor There is definitely something strange about showing up alone to a tour titled “Family Matters.” Not that everyone had brought their grandparents to the Olympia—as I was secretly hoping they would— but the title of the show insisted on celebrating the purest and most

a human femur is quite a succinct snapshot of the grave decision made by thousands of Cubans.

Liudmila Velasco and Nelson Ramirez’s collaborative work “El Viaje” further sheds light on the ocean’s place in the Cuban psyche. By depicting a woman cramped within a suitcase in the fetal position upon the high seas, Velasco and Ramirez situate the ocean as both a place of birth, offering new lives to successful escapees, and of extreme confinement, as potential emigrants remain totally eclipsed by water on all sides.

The piece that Art Cuba is a lively representation of a country’s dynamic history. (Emma Hameau/ McGill Tribune) stood out most was Alfredo Sarabia’s “Entramado,” improvisation in order to meet basic nature, as each outlet is actually which in Spanish means both standards of living. Consequently, functional and thus mirrors the ‘a confining framework,’ but such an impromptu arrangement transformers depicted.

Ultimately, Galerie Aura’s Art also a ‘schematic’ or means of wires and transformers is one for structuring and operating that is simultaneously limiting Cuba exhibition powerfully sheds something. “Entramado” depicts and empowering by necessity. The light on the Cuban story, and projects a common scene in Cuba: That of union between the Cuban and USSR high hopes for the future of Cuban art an open ended, sprawling mass of flags in the background, surrounded in the wake of rapprochement. power cables connected to publicly by wires, furthers this sense of accessible transformers. As a result imposed limitation. The piece Art Cuba is located at Galerie of the harsh economic conditions itself, riddled with functioning Aura (2050 Rue Crescent) and is that define Cuban reality, society power outlets, invites viewers to running from from Oct. 14 to Dec. is one that is constantly drawn to participate in this improvisatory 15. Admission is free.

F A MILY M A TT E RS T O U R

the yet-to-be-halffull floor seemed to imply, the prospect of no less than three opening acts had delayed the arrival of the more casual Chance listeners.

The first in line was Towkio, whose recently released first mixtape, .WAV Theory, boasts a pleasant, funky vibe. For 25 minutes, he ran and jumped around the stage nonstop, accomplishing the Chance the Rapper takes the stage. (amazonaws.com) spectacular feat of never skipping a complete type of love that, and as beat while simultaneously sounding such the idea of buying a single ticket like he was about to collapse. He was almost unacceptable behaviour. closed the set with his sole hit—the Still, as a long-time fan of Chancelor John Legend sampling “Heaven Bennett, a.k.a. Chance the Rapper, Only Knows”—and had the crowd I was not going to miss the lyrical sing loudly for the first time of the genius’ first headlining performance night.

Second up was D.R.A.M., an in Montreal simply because my friends were broke and it felt weird extremely charismatic R&B singer who could have easily handled going by myself.

The doors had been open for an opening the show by himself. hour when I got to the venue, but as He emerged on stage confidently

showcasing dance moves that would make your dad jealous, while sporting long dreads and a smile as contageous as Drake’s. In between irresistible jams such as “$” and “Caretaker”—which he performed twice for good measure—D.R.A.M. had us repeatedly scream “spread love,” up until the point the silly slogan actually started to sound like a legitimate mantra. He ended his performance with “Cha Cha,” the sleeper-hit that greatly inspired “Hotline Bling.” It was so good that I was still dancing after he had left the stage.

Frankly, the less said about final opener Metro Boomin’s set, the better. He might be today’s most indemand trap music producer—he was the executive producer on Future and Drake’s collaborative mixtape “What a Time to Be Alive”—but it does not excuse his lack of doing anything behind his pads. No stage presence, no DJ-ing, no nothing. If I had only wanted to listen to a playlist of his best songs, I would have stayed home and found one on Apple Music. Also, 9:20 is way too early to be fist-pumping to Future’s “Fuck Up Some Commas.”

Finally, at exactly 10:04 P.M., Chance the Rapper and his band The

Social Experiment hit the Olympia’s stage. For almost an hour and a half, the 22-year-old Chi-town representative dexterously rapped his unique brand of syllable-heavy, dialogue-like raps above jazzy reworks of his most celebrated work in front of a packed venue. His rendition of “Miracle,” with its tongue-twisting, seemingly improvised flow, was particularly impressive. Charismatic, funny and deeply likable, Chance gave such a riveting performance, I only realised the morning after that he did not even play “Juice,” one of his biggest singles to date. Judging by the way the people around me were losing their mind at the first notes of each song, I wouldn’t be surprised if many still haven’t noticed.

To me, the show’s highlight happened at the end of the performance of “Interlude (That’s Love).” After some heartfelt thankyous to the crowd for coming out to see him, Chance started strolling around at the edge of the stage, pointing at one person after the other while playfully repeating “I love you” in various rhythmic patterns. Chance connected to us all, and for a moment, the thousand strangers surrounding me were my family.

13

Student Living

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Indian cauliflower sweet potato soup SERVES 4

Ingredients

Indian cauliflower sweet potato soup

1 tbs of olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbs of ginger, minced 1 1/2 tbs of curry powder 1 tbs of ground coriander 1 tbs of cumin 6 cups of vegetable broth 1 cup of dry red lentils (rinsed) 1 medium cauliflower chopped into thumb-sized florets 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed 2 cups of spinach Salt and pepper to taste

(Liz Willcock / McGill Tribune)

Midterm season comfort food for cold nights in the library

By Liz Willcock If there’s anything to be learned at McGill, it’s that once midterm season hits, the last thing students want to do is cook for themselves. When faced with a full day of studying, even the prospect of making a sandwich to take to the library sounds taxing; it’s easy to rack up quite a bill at Subway, Quesada, and SNAX, trying to keep lunches as quick and as close to the library as possible. This recipe may look daunting, but give it a shot and it might actually save you time, and money.

This soup-verging-on-curry is stocked with cauliflower and sweet potato, and will fill you with enough energy to power through a long day of studying. It is hearty enough to sustain you—but more importantly, it keeps very well in the

fridge, so you can whip up this soup on a Sunday night and eat it throughout the week. If you’re planning on bringing this soup to the library during weekdays, all you need to do is omit the spinach, then add it to each serving as you go— this prevents it from from getting soggy in the fridge. As you heat up the soup in the microwaves, the spinach should wilt perfectly. Better yet, this recipe is not only healthy, but it’s also vegan—a positive-sum game for both you, and the environment. Your mind and body will definitely thank you come November when you’ve swapped out burritos for this healthy, veggie-filled lunch.

Inspired by Oh She Glows

Directions 1. In a large saucepan, heat oil on medium. Add onions and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Add ginger, curry powder, cumin, and coriander, and stir for two minutes until fragrant.

3. Add the broth and lentils, and boil at medium heat until simmering.

4. Once simmering, add cauliflower and sweet potato. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Add spinach and stir until wilted 6. Serve, or seal in BPA-free containers.

Midterm stress from both sides of the cafeteria counter McGill food staff are an overlooked resource for stressed out students ariella garmaise Contributor With midterm season taking McGill campus in full force, student stress is reaching peak levels. Stress manifests in a variety of ways: Physical symptoms can include low energy, headaches, and insomnia, while mental symptoms can include irritation, feeling overwhelmed or depressed, and exhibiting withdrawn behaviour. One place where these symptoms become most apparent are in McGill’s cafeterias.

With five dining halls and 18 retail locations—almost all of which serve coffee—McGill Food and Dining Services is at the centre of every student’s midterm season. From early morning cappuccino fixes to late night pastry cravings, sugar and caffeine fuel the long hours spent studying. Staff are integral to the smooth operating of these student spaces; however, the people that work there are often overlooked.

Conversation between students and staff are often limited at food kiosks and checkout counters due to time constraints and long lineups. Unfortunately, some McGill staff have grown accustomed to students rushing by as exams approach and stress-levels run high.

“When [students’ exams] come, they’re so preoccupied with [them],” Bishop Mountain Hall (BMH) cook, Angelo Calamita, explained. “So when [students] come to the cash, they’ve ei-

ther got something in their ear, they’re talking to someone, looking for cash [... and are] not organized at all.”

The tone of these interactions are most likely fuelled by the stressful period of the year.

“When I’m in the middle of studying for midterms, it’s easy to forget to say hi to the service staff,” said Declan Embury, U0 Arts. “I feel bad about it sometimes, but there’s just so much else on my mind.”

One of the most effective ways to counteract stress, however, is to open up and talk with peers about what one is going through. While there are services to deal with stress at McGill, university food staff are an under-appreciated and friendly resource for students.

Kelsey Davis is a Royal Victoria College cafeteria staff and an archeology major. One of the most interesting parts of her job is that some students have in fact relied on her for solace.

“I’ve had a few students break down to me because I’m not in their [friend] group,” Davis explained. “All their friends have scholarships or are good students, so they don’t feel they can talk to them.”

Davis is an example of someone who understands the competition and stress that comes along with midterms and finals, and is able to offer insight.

“There’s an air at McGill that you’re supposed to do well with the least amount of effort,” she said.

“When that doesn’t work out for you,

Première Moisson is campus’s most bustling spot during midterm season. (Natalie Vineberg / McGill Tribune) it can feel isolating.”

Davis is not the only McGill food staff with valuable advice for students.

“Some students come in here excited about passing,” Rachel Durand, a cashier at the Carrefour Sherbrooke cafeteria, said. “I like to see them doing well [....] It is so much better to see them happy than depressed, and it motivates me to work harder. It makes me happy to see them happy.”

Tyrone Durand, a dish room employee at Bishop Mountain Hall (BMH) added that simply lending a sympathetic ear can offer much-needed support to

stressed-out students.

“I know around midterms and final exams, everyone gets nervous,” he added. “But realize you’re smart and everything is going to be okay.”

Some students have already acknowledged the benefit of stepping out of a study mindset when grabbing a snack or a drink.

“Everyday I look forward to seeing certain employees,” Liam O’Callaghan, U0 Engineering, said. “Besides food, they serve entertaining 30-second conversations that brighten my day.”

U0 Science student Tristan Sparks

also remembered a time when McGill staff helped alleviate her anxiety.

“A worker at BMH comforted me last week because I was having a panic attack over physics, and he’s a physics major,” she recalled.

While it takes time out of students’ busy study schedules to engage in conversations during these stressful times of year, both students and staff stand to benefit. Even just a short interaction can reduce stress levels among students and make staff feel appreciated and respected—a win-win situation for both parties.

14

Student Living

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

C AM P US S P O T LIG H T

Formerly Known As Magazine Student-led art magazine brings artists across North America together audrey carleton Staff Writer Continued from page 1 “People didn’t believe we were actually going to do this,” Gaudio, U3 History, recalled.

“We spent so long trying to figure out a name, and then we had to change that name, and it became this thing that went on for so long that when we finally had an issue people were like ‘Wait, this is actually a legitimate publication.’”

With regards to magazine content, the founders stated they want to keep their limits as broad as possible.

“One of the great things about FKA is that it’s very diverse,” Della Valle said. “We feature writing, industrial design, fashion design, film photography, painting, sculpture, performance art, stills from pieces. It’s really anything.”

“As long as it can be printed and communicated clearly what it is, it could end up in the magazine,” Trompeter, U3 Cultural Studies, said. “The more [diversity] the better [...]”

FKA also aims to make their magazine accessible to artists and readers beyond the McGill bubble. When FKA first came together, the founders took an alternate route from most student-led groups, and decided against confining their readership and contributor network to McGill students.

“Half the artists we feature aren’t students anymore,” Della Valle added. “We have a lot of [contributors] who graduated a few years ago, who are already starting to make names for themselves.”

Since its first issue in 2014, FKA has grown immensely, and is currently in the process of working on their fourth issue.

“The publication has gotten bigger, [and] not only in terms of the number of artists we fea-

sual, in this case it’s 72 of them in a row, and you want to maximize how striking and engaging each page will be for the reader.”

The trio also aims to do justice to the artists’ work when laying out the pieces.

“The design for each spread is very responsive to the piece of art and the person’s work that we’re featuring,” Della Valle said. “It’s a balance between structuring the page just for that person’s work, versus the magazine as a whole.”

Once layout is done, the magazine is sold in print, and uploaded online for free. This is done to ensure that a wider audience is able to enjoy and engage with FKA. Then, the team gets started on planning a launch party to celebrate the release of the magazine, and bring together local artists with the magazine’s readers.

FKA’s parties are a key source of funding for the magazine; however, in keeping with their goal of inclusivity, the team tries to make their parties welcoming to all, regardless of financial constraint.

“The money we use for (Gloria Yu / Photo courtesy of FKA Magazine) the parties goes toward printing for the most part,” Gaudio explained. “We do a ‘pay what you can at the door’ type of thing, so we can [release the magazine in] print.”

Though FKA’s three founders are all in their final years of university, they have no concern about keeping the magazine alive beyond McGill, even if (Maxwell Deter / Photo courtesy of FKA Magazine) (Paul Koneazny / Photo courtesy of FKA Magazine) their respective futures separate them geographically.

“Wherever we are, FKA unique past experiences with art art, which was what drew her to they should or shouldn’t be in the is,” Trompeter said. “We can all be that led them to starting the mag- the magazine in the first place. in three different places, and ulti“In first year, when we talk- magazine.” azine together. Trompeter, whose The magazine typically re- mately FKA is in those three places, parents are both artists, grew up ed about it, I was always like ‘Art’s stupid, I hate art,’” Gaudio views contributions at the end not anywhere else.” exposed to art.

What’s more, the team is op“I always wanted to do said. “When I [said] art, I really of a three-month submission pesomething artistic,” Trompeter [meant] this stiff, stuffy, male- riod. During this time, the entire timistic that their plans for their said. “I used to really want to be dominated, prestigious thing. 14-person FKA team joins forces upcoming issue will take the magaa graphic designer—that’s where And that’s why I wanted to be in- to reach out to artists and request zine to new levels, hopefully enI got my skillset for Adobe Cre- volved with [FKA]—to make art art work. After reviewing the suring their success as a magazine ativeSuite, since I had been doing accessible for people like myself pieces and making final content beyond graduation. Their last issue it from a very young age. I’m who wouldn’t normally say they decisions, the team begins laying was shipped to Japan, the United very lucky to have been taught are into art [….] It cultivated an out the magazine using Adobe Kingdom, and all over the United that [….] When I heard Natalie interest in art that I didn’t know InDesign software. All three States, and they hope to keep exfounders agree that this is the panding in the coming months with and Levi and Emma were getting that I had.” the release of issue four.

The founders’ different back- most stressful step. involved in an art magazine, I “We’re growing up a lot right “No matter how prepared knew it was a situation where my grounds give each one a unique perspective on the magazine as you are, the deadlines are crazy, now,” Della Valle said. “A lot of skills could be put to the task.”

Della Valle was also raised a whole, and on the pieces they even the ones that you set for things are hopefully on the horiin an environment where she was publish. Since each team mem- yourself,” Trompeter said. “It zon. This is going to be an excitber approaches every submission takes a long time […] because ing year for FKA [....] Keep your immersed in art.

“I grew up in this weird from a slightly different angle, it’s not one page of something vi- eyes open.” ture,” Gaudio said. “We have a lot more people involved. Before it was just the [initial] four of us, then the three of us [that are founders now]. Now there are 14 [members], so we have people who help us […] it’s really awesome that people want to get involved because they see that we’re doing something different.”

The three founders each have

small town in New Hampshire that was really strangely connected to the art world,” Della Valle said. “The oldest art colony in the [United States] is right down the road from my house [….The artist colony] started sending all of these really famous artists and journalists to give lectures at my public high school.”

Gaudio, on the other hand, didn’t always have an interest in

disagreements occur; however, these moments are key in addressing strengths and weaknesses that the others may not have seen otherwise, and solidifying what the magazine should represent and stand for.

“We have a very similar vision, but it’s not exactly the same,” Della Valle said. “Which is good, because then we end up debating some pieces and why

15

Sports

Tuesday, October 27, 2015 Behind the Bench

Why the NFL won’t let you have your pink and wear it too Genevieve Citron Contributor Every October, the NFL engages in a variety of activities to promote breast cancer awareness—also known as Pink October. While at face value, the league’s efforts may appear altruistic, further inquiry casts a shadow of doubt upon its intentions.

It’s no secret that the NFL has undergone significant media scrutiny in recent years. The news that 87 deceased NFL players have tested positive for concussion-induced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a terrible backdrop to Ray Rice and Greg Hardy’s domestic violence incidents, as well as Adrian Peterson’s recent child abuse scandal. In contrast to these horrific events, Breast Cancer Awareness Month offers a more family-friendly cause that everyone can get behind and support. It’s a chance for the NFL to gain praise for their philanthropic and altruistic efforts to support people who struggle against cancer every day.

Over the past few years, commentators have questioned the distribution of proceeds raised during Pink October. From last year’s total, a mere 12.5 per cent of profit went towards breast cancer research. The remaining profits were split between the NFL and merchandise wholesalers— many of which are also owned by the NFL.

RE d m e n F O O T B A L L

While the NFL’s profit distribution leaves a stale taste in the mouths of many fans, it seems as if the league can at least be given credit for raising awareness for the cause. One of the ways it does this is through supporting the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which encourages many people to get tested for breast cancer and lends a vital hand in ending the stigma around the disease through positivity and support to cancer patients and survivors. This may prove to be particularly important for people in lower socioeconomic strata who, lacking resources and support, may not have considered getting tested before.

This season, however, the NFL has made a series of insensitive decisions that suggests the motives behind Pink October are not entirely selfless.

Players who have attempted to put in their own work to fight cancer have been discouraged, and in some cases, even fined by the NFL. The NFL’s behaviour, when put under scrutiny, seems to be more focused on gaining positive recognition for the league than offering support to those afflicted with cancer.

For example, Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward was recently fined $5,787 for wearing customized eye black honouring his late father Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, who passed away from a brain tumour. Heyward’s eye black prints “iron” on one strip and “head” on the other. He plans to sell the

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Cam Heyward honours his late father with customized eye black. (www.si.com) eye black to benefit cancer research at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation.

Additionally, the NFL denied Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams’ request to wear pink accessories all season long in an attempt to pay tribute to his mother and aunts who died of breast cancer because it conflicted with the league’s uniform policy. When the NFL refused this request, Williams opted to cover mammogram costs for 53 women.

With regards to Williams’ previous team, the Carolina Panthers,

the NFL’s position against Williams is particularly poignant. In previous years, the league had Williams’ now deceased mother, Sandra Hill, appear in pregame ceremonies to advocate for breast cancer awareness. As a breast cancer patient, Hill’s contribution to Pink October was vital as it added a necessary element of legitimacy to the NFL’s campaign.

The NFL’s refusal to support cancer victims outside of Pink October demonstrates an exploitative side to the month. It appears as if the league is cashing in on its players’ negative experiences with cancer in order to position the NFL in a positive light.

It communicates to the public that the NFL’s business in breast cancer awareness is not to offer positivity to cancer fighters or to help the healing process of its survivors, but rather a tactic to manage its image as tightly as possible.

Fans are now left with the question: Are the NFL’s breast cancer awareness policies morally permissible? It may seem callous to criticize the league for its work, but it’s hard not to question the NFL’s motives. Breast cancer doesn’t stop after the month of October, and Williams’ and Heywards’ efforts shouldn’t have to either.

co n co r d i a

McGill heartbroken in last minute Homecoming loss against Concordia Redmen knocked out of RSEQ playoff hunt in Shaugnessy Cup

The Redmen kick off in front of a lively homecoming crowd. (Natalie Vineberg / McGill Tribune)

Zikomo smith Sports Editor Continued from page 1 Nonetheless, McGill fought hard and made some outstanding plays on both sides of the ball—the best of which was when veteran wideout Louis Brouillette hit junior receiver Jonathan Mack for a 52-yard touchdown on a trick play in the second quarter.

Indeed, the McGill receivers had

an excellent all-around performance.

They blocked effectively, springing Langelier-Vanasse for several big gains in the second half. Langelier-Vanasse had two touchdowns, and 154 yards on seven receptions; Brouillette reeled in nine catches and two touchdowns; and Mack, sophomore receiver Remi Bertelin and freshman receiver Kevin Etienne all made huge plays to keep the Redmen in the game.

“They played well; they are a great group,” Hilaire said. “We have a veteran

group and they did what we expected of them.”

McGill needed to outscore Concordia by 13 points to make the RSEQ playoffs coming into the game. That victory became increasingly less likely as the clock wore down, and McGill was just looking for a win that would affirm the huge improvements they made this year. It was heartbreaking to see them fall short at the final hurdle.

The Redmen, however, have more than proved their worth this season, and can

go into their final game against the no.1 ranked RSEQ team Laval next week with their heads held high.

Sound Bites “[I told the team] I love them, we are a family [and] we are going to fight together. We’ll learn from this experience and we will never let it happen again.”—Hilaire on an emotional loss.

Play of the game

Seven minutes into the second quarter, English passed backwards to Brouillette on what looked to be a bubble screen. The Concordia defence fell for the trick play, allowing Brouillette to drop back and hit an open Mack for a stunning 52 yard touchdown.

Stat of the game The two teams combined for 1108 yards of offence.

16

Sports

Tuesday, Ocobter 27, 2015

Raptors defeat Wizards 92-82 in final NBA pre-season game at the Bell Centre Toronto overcomes poor shooting, Washingtown slowed by turnovers sides. It’s reasonable to expect, however, many future matchups between the two teams as they compete for high playoff seeds in a wide open Eastern Conference.

“I mean, I guess because we played them last year in the first round, if you want to call it [a rivalry], the guys play hard,” Humphries said. “Anytime you have a point guard like [Kyle] Lowry who sets screens, plays tough basketball it adds to [the competition].

I don’t know, I don’t really believe in rivalries, it’s whoever you have to play you gotta play.”

Mayaz Alam & Zikomo smith Editor-in-Chief & Sports Editor “I’m tired of [the] pre-season,” Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan said after the Raptors 92-82 victory over the Washington Wizards at the Bell Centre last Friday. “I think we train so hard in the summer to be ready for opening night.”

Thus is the life of an NBA player.

There is little time to rest with hectic, jet-setting schedules. Washington Wizards guard John Wall was more excited about coming to Montreal for the annual NBA’s Canada Series.

“I think [Montreal] is a beautiful city,” Wall said. “I definitely want to come back and visit when I have more opportunity to freelance and do whatever.”

Tired or not, the Raptors and Wizards put on a show for the 20,000 fans in attendance, including the Montreal Impact’s Didier Drogba, tennis ace Eugenie Bouchard, and UFC star Georges St-Pierre, who all sat courtside.

On the court, Washington started off with a stronger shooting performance, making 50 per cent of their first quarter shots compared to Toronto’s 36 per cent. Toronto screened effectively and DeRozan looked dangerous slashing to the basket. But the team was inefficient, missing seven of eight threepoint attempts.

“You gotta give credit to [the Wizards], they pushed the tempo [at the start],” DeRozan said.

Wizards Head Coach Randy Wit-

DeMar DeRozan is ready for the regular season. (Photo courtesy of Graham Hughes / The Canadian Press) tman, who has been widely criticized for a lack of offensive creativity, urged his players to push the ball in the first quarter. Washington shared the ball effectively and their wings came off screens regularly—a far cry from the pick and roll sets that characterized their 19th-ranked offence last year. Additionally, the Wizards’ big men were active from three point range, opening up driving lanes for guards. Kris Humphries, who has converted only two regular season three-pointers in his 13 years in the NBA, and Drew Gooden, who has averaged 0.4 attempts per game for his career, have averaged 8.7 three-point attempts per game in the pre-season.

“I think that’s the way we want to play,” Humphries said. “It’s kind of like

Redmen baseball repeats as CCBA champions elie waitzer Sports Editor McGill Redmen Baseball (236-1) defeated the Holland College Hurricanes 4-1 on Sunday to clinch their second consecutive Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association (CCBA) Championship.

The victory marked McGill’s fifth overall national baseball title, having won three championships in the old Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association (CIBA). This victory, however, was the first time the Redmen have defended their title. McGill entered the tournament as the team to beat—they won five straight games to close out the regular season—and lived up to their billing, capturing the banner without dropping a single game.

After breezing through the first three games of the tournament, the Redmen dismantled the Carleton Ravens 11-1 in the semifinal to advance to the finals.

Sophomore Rob Sedin, who was named tournament MVP and

CCBA Northern Conference Pitcher-of-the-Year, led the way with a dazzling seven strikeout performance. Every Redmen batter recorded a hit in an offensive blowout that featured a seven-run third inning. In the championship game against Holland College, junior starter Adriano Petrangelo held the Hurricanes to just one run.

It was all the Redmen would need as senior third baseman Zachary Aaron would deliver the go-ahead knock in the first on a two-run single.

McGill outscored its opponents 35-8 over the five games, with only one game being decided by less than three runs. Senior shortstop Tyler Welence went two-for-four and scored twice. Sedin, Welence, rookie catcher Sam Groleau, and sophomore left fielder James Pavelick were all named to the all-tournament team.

It’s easy to throw around the ‘dynasty’ label, especially in college sports, where key players are lost to graduation every season, but this team has all the hallmarks of a true powerhouse.

adapt or die, so we got to start shooting threes and play that open-style basketball we’ve been working on. [I’ve been] working with the basketball development guys […] and they’ve been like, ‘Hey, we think you can do it.’”

Overall, it looked like a haphazard pre-season game when Toronto went into the break up 46-45. The Raptors shot a poor 18 of 49 from the field while the Wizards committed eight turnovers.

Toronto’s Patrick Patterson missed all of his first half three pointers, continuing his poor pre-season.

“One thing I have always been told is that shooters never forget how to shoot, like riding a bike,” Raptors Head Coach Dwayne Casey said of Patterson’s struggles. “It’s just a stretch he is

going through.”

Toronto responded with an electric 29-point third quarter, capped by a stunning reverse layup from DeRozan. The lead proved too much for the Wizards despite a strong defensive fourth quarter performance and rookie Kelly Oubre Jr’s impressive play. The 19-year-old wing recorded three steals and a block.

“I think [Oubre] has improved,” Wall said, “There will be ups and downs. Adjusting to the NBA is totally different [than] college: You’re seeing the lane and trying to guard screens […] all he has to do is keep listening every day.”

It’s presumptive to say the Wizards and the Raptors are rivals, even after last year’s crazy matchup between the two