McGill Tribune Vol. 38 Issue 14 by The Tribune

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2019 | VOL. 38 | ISSUE 14

McGILLTRIBUNE.COM | @McGILLTRIBUNE

Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

SPORTS

Endless working groups with weak mandates delay progress

Don’t shoot the bike messenger

In conversation with: Lynn Hill

PG. 5

PGs. 8-9

PG. 15

(Dan Aponte / The McGill Tribune)

Redpath Première Moisson lease up for renewal

PG. 2

Uncovering the molecule behind synaptic plasticity Farida Rahman Contributor Our brains function according to the “use it or lose it” phenomenon: If a skill or piece of information is underused, it becomes harder, if not impossible, to recall it. Conversely, reviewing new knowledge or practicing an action is one of the best ways to strengthen the memory and

prevent it from easily degrading. Learning and memory is made possible by synaptic plasticity, the brain’s malleable ability to form, alter, or lose physical connections, known as synapses, in response to environmental input. In the past, scientists believed that synapses were only able to undergo structural changes in the developing brains of children and infants, but they now know that the adult brain is also capable

New year, new you

Whether they promise to make it to those 8:30 a.m. lectures, spend less money on Starbucks cappuccinos, or visit the gym more often, students make New Year’s resolutions like everyone else. However, as they settle back into classes, it can be difficult to prioritize their new goals. Understanding the best methods of breaking or making a habit may be the key to

successfully completing a New Year’s resolution. The most common New Year’s resolutions, such as cutting down on screen time or saving money, often entail replacing negative behaviours with new, positive ones. Despite this yearly commitment to personal improvement, the majority of those who make these resolutions are unsuccessful: Research suggests that only eight per cent of people actually achieve their set goals. In practice, many get

McGill’s Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “If you use the synapse, that then makes it stronger. It is like you’re enhancing a pathway. And if you believe changes in neural circuits are what underlie memories, which there is pretty good evidence for, then what we’re doing is we’re changing the function of that neural circuit, and we’re changing the memory.” PG. 10

Schulich library to close for two years

Setting goals for the new year Alaana Kumar Contributor

of similarly flexible changes. Researchers are still investigating the mechanisms underlying these changes. A recent study from McGill researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute suggests that netrin proteins may be the key. “We’ve identified a key molecular mechanism of the synapse that underlies [the memory’s] ‘use it or lose’ it phenomenon,” Timothy Kennedy, associate professor in

frustrated, forget, or simply lose interest throughout the year.Due to this low success rate, many disregard the effectiveness of setting resolutions. Meredith Charney, U1 Arts, has found that her New Year’s resolutions tend to fail when she attempts to alter a habit for personal growth without considering practical constraints. In her experience, shortly after the beginning of January, the novelty of a resolution wears off, and her motivation fades. PG. 14

Resources from Schulich to be available at McLennan-Redpath complex Helen Wu Staff Writer The Schulich Library of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Engineering will be temporarily closed for two years to undergo renovations. According to Diane Koen, senior

director of Planning and Resources of the McGill Library services, the closure will tentatively come into effect on May 15, 2019. Renovations to the Schulich library will address the serious structural issues which were discovered during the Macdonald-Stewart Library Building roof

renovation in 2010. “For about the last four years, we have these temporary internal walls put up, and windows are covered because they had to do this intervention [. . .] to make sure both inside and outside the walls were stabilized.” Koen said. PG. 3

news

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2019

Redpath PremiÈre Moisson lease up for renewal

Students raise concerns over Première Moisson’s pricing McEan Taylor Contributor

In 2014, McGill decided to replace the Tim Hortons in the Redpath-McLennan library with Première Moisson, a Quebec–based café chain. Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS),made this decision without consulting the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU). In a Sept. 25 address the same year, Vice-President University Affairs Joey Shea discussed meeting with the director of SHHS about students’ concerns with Première Moisson. Shea stressed students’ worries about Première Moisson’s high prices and lack of communication from the school. McGill now faces a similar situation once again. At the end of the 2018-19 school year, Première Moisson’s lease in the Redpath library will be up for renewal. Première Moisson was asked for a statement but declined, saying that they had no information to report. While the decision is made solely by SHHS and other administrators, students can still make their voices heard. According to Marketing and Nutrition Advisor Monique Lauzon, 74 per cent of students liked Première Moisson and gave it a ‘good’ rating. “[SHHS] conducts a campus-wide Food and Dining Survey every two years,” Lauzon said. “Our most recent survey dates back to February 2018. In that survey, Première Moisson received an overall positive rating of 74 per cent [285 students responded that they visit Première Moisson.]” In a survey* conducted by The McGill Tribune, only 29 of 314

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respondents said they wanted Première Moisson’s lease to be renewed. Most respondents were not regular customers, visiting zero to two times per week. Despite SHHS’s positive survey, a large majority of respondents to the Tribune’s survey indicated that they were very disappointed with Première Moisson’s food and beverages. Of the 282 students that made further comments about Première Moisson, over 80 of them mentioned affordability as a major concern. “Première Moisson is inexplicably overpriced and relies on academically-stressed students needing nourishment at convenience,” one respondent said, who goes to Première Moisson over six times per week. “A decently-priced café would be so much better and would alleviate already high stress levels from the library.” In over 140 replies, students mentioned that they would like to see Tim Hortons replace Première Moisson after their lease is over. However, future construction projects complicate negotiations for the space. According to SSMU President Tre Mansdoerfer, the upcoming Fiat Lux project—a massive renovation of McGill’s libraries—means that the Redpath location could be closed for some time. “No major company will enter that building knowing that they won’t be able to have business for three or four years,” Mansdoerfer said. Mansdoerfer mentioned another alternative that may satisfy students’ strong desire for an on-campus Tim Hortons. “I am trying to see if we could get [Tim Hortons] in the SSMU building itself,” Mansdoerfer said. “McGill may not be able to commit to it, but maybe we could. I can’t make any promises, but there is an effort to see that explored.”

How often do you visit premiÈre moisson at redpath library in a week?

0-2 times per week 3-4 times per week

100

75 50

9.6%

150

5-6 times per week

1 12.2%

31.2%

15%

22.8%

14.5%

9.6%

how would you rate the value for money of beverages atyou premiere moisson a scale How would rate the valueonfor moneyofof0 to 5? beverages at premiÈre moisson on a scale of 0 to 5?

0 100

37.3% 50

1 25.7%

3 9.6%

19.6% 0

More than 6 times per week

79.6%

4 6.1%

5 1.6%

How would you rateTHE theVALUE valueFOR forMONEY money OF of HOW WOULD YOU RATE food at premiere moisson on a scale of 0 to 5? FOOD AT PREMIÈRE MOISSON ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 5? Number of participants

Number of participants

*The survey referenced in this article does not meet scientific standards. It was conducted through Google Forms and distributed to various online McGill community groups, receiving 314 responses. It included multiple choice and open-ended questions.

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How would you rate the customer service at PremiÈre Moisson on a scale of 0 to 5?

Number of participants

Mansdoerfer was not the only one to mention the Fiat Lux project as a potential problem in negotiations over what will stand in Première Moisson’s place. “[SHHS] is very conscious of the upcoming library renovation project, which is slated to begin in early 2022,” Lauzon said. “Given this, we will need to evaluate the practicality of investing in changing out [or] renovating Première Moisson at this particular time.” Nonetheless, administrators are aware of students’ discontent with Première Moisson and concerns about its pricing. “I’m pretty confident that [Première Moisson] won’t be there next semester,” Mansdoerfer said. “I’m not on the committee for [deciding the Redpath’s outcome], but I’ve had multiple conversations with Marisa Albanese [senior director of SHHS] and the Executive Chef of Dining Services Oliver De Volpi. They are fully aware that Première Moisson is not liked. It’s pricey and not what students want.”

150

100

0 41.3%

1 25.6%

2 18.3%

7.1% 0

5.4%

2.2%

news

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2019

Schulich library to close for two years Resources from Schulich will become available at the McLennan-Redpath complex

McGill Book Fair opens a new chapter Annual event to find a new space in 2019 Kyle Dewsnap Staff Writer

Student input about the library design will be taken into account once options are available from the architects. (Sabrina Girard Lamas / The McGill Tribune)

Helen Wu Staff Writer Continued from page 1. In addition to repairing and stabilizing the masonry of the building, McGill will also take the opportunity to install new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, add more group-study rooms for reserve by students, and increase the number of washrooms on every floor. Currently, McGill is working with EVOQ Architecture to finalize the design plans. “This is a 19th-century building, let’s make it into a 21st-century library, [and] within the budget that is available to us,” Koen said. McGill Library Services Communications Officer Merika Ramundo referred to feedback gathered through LibQual surveys, conducted to assess library users’ satisfaction, as one of the reasons motivating the additional renovations. “In a lot of the comments we received [...], we have gotten ‘it is too hot in Schulich,’” Ramundo said. “That’s a bit of a red flag in terms of the HVAC issues, so that is for sure one of the things being addressed.” Out of the project’s total budget of $38 million, $26 million comes from a Quebec government grant, and McGill’s deferred maintenance budget will supplement the remaining $12 million. The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Library Improvement Fund Committee (LIFC) also made a contribution of $75,000 to support the improvement of the washrooms and inclusion of gender-neutral options. “The LIF decided to partially fund the project because it fulfilled an urgent and well-known student need within the McGill community: More washrooms of better quality in Schulich,” Library Improvement Fund Commissioner Marie Lemieux wrote

in an email to The McGill Tribune. The resources at Schulich, which, according to a census conducted by McGill Library Services on Nov. 19, sees roughly 3,500 visitors a day, will have to be relocated for the duration of the renovations. The library’s 20 staff members, 160,000 print volumes, and at least 675 of its 850 seats will be moved to the McLennanRedpath Library complex where they will remain available for staff and students. In order to provide more seating at McLennan-Redpath, McGill Library Services will relocate 75 staff members on the second floor of Redpath to 550 Sherbrooke. “We feel we can get 675 to 700 seats in [Redpath] and the only way we can do this is to move our Collection Services staff and Digital Initiative staff off-site,” Koen said. “The floor that they are on has 20 offices which will become group study rooms.” Furthermore, 250,000 low-use print volumes, most of them available online, will be moved from the Redpath basement to a storage facility off-site. “By moving these low use materials to storage off-site, we are freeing up space to house active collections such as the Schulich Collection and other low-use collections from various areas of the McLennanRedpath Complex,” Koen said. The selection of material moving to the Redpath basement is not yet final, but will likely come from the Blackader-Lauterman and McLennan collections. Material moved to the Redpath basement will continue to remain available. “We are moving heaven and earth so that [users] can have access to their collections, quality space, librarians, and support staff that served them for years in Schulich,” Koen said. “I know it is an imposition, but we are doing everything we can do to make sure their experience is a good one.”

In a sudden resurgence, the McGill Alumni Association’s annual book fair will return in Oct. 2019. The 2018 fair was originally planned to be the final iteration due to future renovations planned for the book fair’s space in Redpath Hall. However, organizers of the event have since made new arrangements. Anne Johnston Williams, co-book fair coordinator, is optimistic about the event’s future. “The day after the sale finished, we began to get feedback from people in various positions at McGill,” Williams said. “After a number of meetings and consultations, we received confirmation in November that the work on Redpath Hall would be finished in September. Although we may not always have access to the lower level where we work, there seems to be a spirit of cooperation between the departments involved.” This is not the book fair’s first near-death experience. In 2011, organizers unanimously voted to cancel the event for 2012 after low volunteer turnout. However, it soon regained momentum after two graduate students stepped in as coordinators. The fair was cancelled again in 2013 due to renovations to the Redpath terrace. After the repeated cancellations, low interest plagued the event’s new launch in 2014—both students and book retailers failed to show up. All proceeds from the fair go toward the McGill Book Fair Bursary. Last year, the book fair raised over $50,000 for three different funds for students in financial need: The McGill Book Fair Bursary for all undergraduate students, the McGill Book Fair Bursary in Music for students in the Schulich School of Music, and the Jane B. Hood Bursary in English Literature, named after the fair’s longestserving coordinator. Gabrielle Korn, managing director for Alumni Relations, estimates that the book fair has raised over $1.8 million over the past four decades. “The Book Fair was initially started by the McGill Women’s Alumnae Association and the Women’s Associates of McGill (Wives of Professors) over 45 years ago,” Korn said. “From the beginning, proceeds from sales were divided between the two groups and returned to the University. The Alumnae Association supported scholarships and bursaries, and the Associates funded a lecture series [....] When the Women’s Associates disbanded, the Alumnae Association carried on solo and all proceeds from the fair went toward supporting their scholarships and bursaries.” The McGill community can donate books, vinyl records, CDs, DVDs,

and sheet music. Books are sold at an average price of three dollars, and unused material is donated to Renaissance, a Quebec non-profit dedicated to providing training to people experiencing difficulty entering the workforce. “It’s great news that they’re reopening [in 2019],” Owen Lewis, U2 Arts, said. “There were a lot of people there when I went. I was able to find stuff that you wouldn’t be able to get from a normal book store, and at a bargain. It was nice to give to a good cause as well.” The book fair’s continued success depends on donations from the McGill community; starting on April 9, McGill community members can donate material in good condition every Tuesday and Thursday to Redpath Hall. Williams also said that there is an everpresent need for drop-off supervisors. “One of the areas where we need assistance is in finding new depots, places where people who can’t otherwise get to McGill can drop off their donations,” Williams said. “The depot people then bring the books to us at their convenience. Students can always drop by on Tuesdays and Thursdays to say hello, check out the free boxes, and ask if any help is needed. Once October comes, we need all the word-of-mouth advertising possible.” The 2019 book fair will take place Oct. 22-24. Students interested in volunteering are encouraged to contact one of the coordinators.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2019

Senate divided over ban on student-staff relationships Protesters interrupt senate meeting Kyle Dewsnap Staff Writer Having missed the Jan. 1 deadline set by the Quebec government to revise its sexual violence policy, McGill’s revisions, which are scheduled to be introduced to the Senate on Feb. 20, have become a point of contention between students and staff since last month’s meeting. When the Ad-Hoc Senate Committee on Teaching Staff-Student Intimate Relationships presented their findings at the Dec. 5 Senate meeting, around 25 students attended to protest the report for not suggesting that the Senate enact a full ban on consensual sexual relationships between students and their instructors. After the report’s presentation and a heated question period between student senators and Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) Angela Campbell, students began chanting “We want a ban!” The Senate’s chairwoman, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier, asked the students to stop. “I think we’ve all heard you,” Fortier said. “You don’t have to repeat that twenty times. At this time, I will ask you to respect our work and the need for us to con-

tinue in our proceedings.” Teaching staff-student relationships constitute any consensual romantic or sexual relationship between a student and a staff member with teaching, supervisory, or grading authority over any student. Convened last semester, the committee was made up of three students and three academic staff members, or two alternate student members if others were not present. The committee’s report recommends that staff-student relationships be prohibited between members of the same academic unit. However, staff may ask for an exemption if they would have no supervisory authority over the student, and the student is not perceived as having any advantage over their peers. The three student members of the committee wrote a commentary in The McGill Tribune in December 2018, stating that the report ignored student demands for a ban on all staff-student relationships. Bee Khaleeli, a committee member who also contributed to SSMU’s Gendered and Sexual Violence Policy, said that the report is yet another example of McGill ignoring its students. “In the conversations [the committee] had, both in private

and during public forums, it was clear that students wanted a ban,” Khaleeli said. “I personally don’t feel that this was something that was addressed in good faith. I think that [the proceedings] pointed not only to McGill’s failure to [address] this specific issue, but also to a wider pattern of students’ needs not being taken seriously.” The committee was tasked with holding its meetings on a consensus basis, meaning that the recommendations within the report had to be agreed upon by all committee members. After the report was presented to the Senate, Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) senators questioned why students’ request for a ban was omitted. Arts Senator Madeline Wilson denied the existence of a consensus, sparking a debate between herself and Campbell. “The three students on that committee clearly stated that they were in favour of a ban on staffstudent relationships, and that wasn’t represented anywhere in the report,” Wilson said. “[The claim] that the goal of consensus-based decision making is compromise is not [realistic]. [Compromise] is not something that should be considered with regards to an issue of this sensitivity or with an issue that

relates to student safety.” Campbell cited the findings of Concordia’s Sexual Assault Policy Review Working Group, which found that banning any relationship between consenting adults would be illegal. Campbell also adamantly stated that McGill’s administration is trying its best to incorporate student opinions into the discussion about sexual violence at McGill. “Having the outcome that you would like to see not appear in the

result of a report doesn’t mean that you weren’t heard,” Campbell said. “I think there’s a difference between being consulted and having your opinion carry the day [...], otherwise, [the report] would be a single-person show [….] I think there’s a disconnect between the perception of how much interest the university has taken toward this issue versus how many resources are actually being poured into both addressing these issues as well as preventing them.”

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The Tribune Explains: The McGill Budget Where does the money come from? Where does it go? Nina Russell Staff Writer As McGill continues to cut important services, such as the Eating Disorder Program, while financing seemingly-endless construction projects, it is easy for students to wonder how the university prioritizes funding for its projects. With a total revenue amounting to around $1.33 billion, creating the budget is a year-long process and usually begins immediately after the previous budget has been passed. The process by which McGill drafts its annual budget involves a careful analysis of previous financial statements, three budget presentations, and ratification by the McGill Senate and Board of Governors (BoG). McGill’s budget is comprised of four funds: A restricted fund, an unrestricted fund, an endowment fund, and a plant fund. The first two are dedicated to helping the university fulfill its academic mandate. The endowment fund is composed of donations and is thus spent according to the donors’ wishes. Finally, the plant fund consists of government grants and is mostly dedicated to maintenance and renovations. Where does McGill get its funding? McGill receives funding from four main sources. The largest funding stream is comprised of grants from the Quebec government. Provincial grants are given in the form of the

Quebec Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEES) operating grant and revenues from regulated tuition fees, which are set by the MEES and adjusted annually according to average household income. In 2018, this totalled $431 million, with Quebec wanting to increase funding by an additional $173 million. Quebec has historically lagged behind other provinces when it comes to the proportion of funding per student. For comparison, in 2017, Quebec spent $11,049 per student, while Ontario spent $13,276, and British Columbia spent $11,216. Meanwhile, the federal government provides $205 million in grants per year, most of which fund research. Another source is McGill fees, which totalled $319 million in 2018. Increases in tuition occur every year and are based on those of other universities of similar sizes and reputation. In the 2018-19 academic year, there was a 2.7 per cent tuition increase for Quebec students and 3.1 per cent increase for out-ofprovince and international students. A percentage of the tuition increases for the latter group of students is given to the government, but, in order to offset recruitment costs, McGill is allowed to charge up to 10 per cent more than this increase. Earlier in 2018, the Quebec government deregulated tuition fees for international students, allowing McGill to set their tuition rates without government intervention. A significant portion of McGill’s funding comes from revenue generated by the provi-

sion of goods and services, amounting to $151.4 million. This includes residences, food services, immunizations, and revenue from Le James Bookstore. In addition, McGill receives about 10 per cent of its revenue from endowments. This leaves McGill with the third highest endowment fund in Canada, after the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto, as of 2017. How is it allocated? McGill’s expenses are classified between salary payments, which totalled $894 million in 2018, and non-salary payments, amounting to $454 million. The second category of expenditures includes publications, contract services, energy, maintenance, and travel. The University Strategic Academic Plan 2017-22 is the set of core principles which guide general direction for the annual budgets. The 2018-19 budget claims to be built around five priorities set by Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier based on consultation with students. These include improving McGill’s educational experience, focus on research, enhancing community partnerships, support for administrative staff, and construc-

McGill’s budget is built on the pillars of educational experience, research, community partnerships, support for administrative staff, and construction. (May Lim / The McGill Tribune) tion.

One objective of this year’s budget is the Student Mental Health Action Plan, which has dedicated $8.7 million over the course of seven years toward the creation of a Student Wellness Hub and a new website to provide more accessible mental health services for students. Another initiative in the budget is a pledge to allocate at least 30 per cent of new net tuition to student aid and support. Macleans Magazine ranked McGill first for scholarships in the medical doctorate category, as it devotes 14 per cent of its operating budget to student aid. Other priorities include dedicating $1.4 million annually to the Indigenous Studies department and Education Initiatives and $4.2 million to academic renewal.

opinion

TUESDAY, January 15, 2019

editorial board Editor-in-Chief Marie Labrosse editor@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Elli Slavitch eslavitch@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Ariella Garmaise agarmaise@mcgilltribune.com Stephen Gill sgill@mcgilltribune.com Calvin Trottier-Chi ctrottier-chi@mcgilltribune.com

News Editors Andras Nemeth, Caitlin Kindig & Laura Oprescu news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Keating K. Reid & Abeer Almahdi opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Katherine Lord scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Living Editor Emma Carr studentliving@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Dylan Adamson features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Katia Innes & Sophie Brzozowski arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Gabe Nisker & Miya Keilin sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Arshaaq Jiffry & Erica Stefano design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor Gabriel Helfant photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editor Tristan Surman multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Luya Ding webdev@mcgilltribune.com Tristan Sparks online@mcgilltribune.com

Endless working groups with weak mandates delay progress For McGill men’s varsity teams, a new year might mean a new name. The Working Group on Commemoration and Renaming released its final report on Dec. 7, closing out a year-long series of consultations with campus stakeholders including students, alumni, community leaders, and indigenous groups. Created in Dec. 2017 at the recommendation of the Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education— before the #ChangeTheName campaign began—the Working Group was mandated to create a set of broad principles to guide McGill’s decision-making about naming and renaming buildings, sports teams, and monuments, among other things. While many of the report’s recommendations are sound, none of them are groundbreaking. However, the greatest weakness of the report, and the Working Group as a whole, comes from its paltry mandate. Principles, while necessary, are not a substitute for measurable, concrete policy recommendations in holding decision-makers accountable, and the Working Group is an extension of an already-lengthy process to rename McGill’s varsity teams. If McGill wants to consult students in good faith, it needs to stop relying on distracting, drawnout, bureaucratic measures that only delay necessary change. The report stands in stark contrast with the Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous

OFF THE BOARD

Copy Editor Melissa Langley copy@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Falah Rajput business@mcgilltribune.com Advertising Executives Declan Embury, Maharshee Karia, Sara Al Sharif ads@mcgilltribune.com Publisher Chad Ronalds

TPS Board of Directors Abeer Almahdi, Becca Hoff, Jeeventh Kaur, Marie Labrosse, Katherine Milazzo, Daniel Minuk, Falah Rajput. Nina Russel, Kevin Vogel

staff Hannibal de Pencier, Taja De Silva, Kyle Dewsnap, Owen Gibbs, Emma Gillies, Sabrina Girard-Lamas, Mary Keith, Sunny Kim, Sydney King, Winne Lin, Ronny, LitvackKatzman, Ender McDuff, Gabriela McGuinty, Sofia Mikton, Nicholas Raffoul,, Nina Russell, Julia Spicer, Leo Stillinger, Bilal Virji, Kevin Vogel, Tony Wang, Helen Wu, Jacqueline Yao, Leanne Young

Contributors Lucas Bird, Amanda Fiore, Solomon Friedman, Keli Geers, Jonathan Giammaria, Sabrina Girard-Lamas, Daria Kiselva, Athena Ko, Deana Korsunsky, Alaana Kumar, Kellyane Levac, Winnie Lin, Charlie Mascia, Meagan Quigley, Farida Rahman, Amrita Sandhu, McEan Taylor, Chiso Ufondu, Margaret Wdowiak, Tali Zuckerman

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

Melissa Langley Copy Editor Born in Queens, my mom was raised in Westchester county, New York, a predominantly-Jewish area surrounded by fellow first and second-generation Ashkenazi relatives. Meanwhile, my Arkansasborn father was growing up with Methodist parents who have deep southern roots and distant Scottish ancestry. So, when they married in 1992, a strange mixture of culture, custom, and religion was born. Part of my identity today is this jumbled—sometimes confusing— combination of that heritage. Every September, my parents packed my brother and me, clad in cotton pyjamas, into the station

Education’s findings, released in 2017. In addition to recommending the creation of the Working Group in question, the provost’s Task Force issued 52 actionable recommendations as to how McGill could actively pursue and commit to reconciliation. Examples include increased funding for indigenous students and outreach into indigenous communities. The Working Group’s report, on the other hand, is largely limited to elementary observations expressed in pallid, public relations-style language. It is easy to measure an institution’s compliance with concrete policy prescriptions; the same is not true of abstract principles. An indisputable example is that McGill failed to fulfill Call to Action 26 from the Provost’s Task Force’s report, which recommended the installation of indigenous art in the newly-renovated Leacock terrace. In the absence of even the most basic objective benchmarks, holding McGill’s decision-makers, such as its Board of Governors, accountable is far more challenging. The report is limited by the weak mandate that Provost and VicePrincipal (Academic) Christopher Manfredi provided them with in Dec. 2017. The Working Group’s problems began before its composition was even finalized: While the Provost’s Task Force recommended that consultations begin with the goal of changing men’s

varsity team names, the Working Group was not given the mandate to comment on, much less decide the fate of, any specific commemoration practices at McGill. Furthermore, none of the Working Group’s 14 members were indigenous, and only two were students—one undergraduate and one graduate. Still, the Working Group’s report amplifies students’ frustration with this deliberately slow process. The report even calls upon McGill to be open, transparent, and timely in its decisions about naming and commemoration practices and quotes several students who expressed their disappointments in the lack of change so far. “[The] constant creation of committees that continue to re-create the work of other committees directly contradicts the University’s mission statement,” writes a McGill student who authored a written submission to the Working Group, “[and creates an] overarching culture of mistrust.” Another student voiced their concern that many of their colleagues see McGill’s administration as trying to simply outlast community leaders, rather than engage them in genuine dialogue. There is little evidence to suggest otherwise. Open discussions and concrete commitments come with the responsibility of taking action—which is something that, as evidenced by the Working Group’s mandate, McGill fails

EDITORIAL to do with regard to indigenous issues. The report also does well acknowledging that, with an issue as fraught and symbolic as naming and commemoration, experiences matter as much as historical record. Although there is debate over the original meaning of the men’s varsity sports team name, that does not alter the fact that many indigenous students find it deeply offensive. Initiatives like the recent increase in funding for bursaries, scholarships, and awards for indigenous students show that McGill is capable of meaningfully supporting reconciliation. However, student consultation efforts remain little more than a pantomime. Groups and campaigns like SSMU Indigenous Affairs, #ChangeTheName, and the First Peoples’ House that support indigenous students in the absence of high-level administrative response deserve full recognition. Real dialogue involves not just the ability to express one’s views, as was the case with the Working Group, but the possibility of real action coming out of the process. This will not end with renaming buildings, monuments, or even the men’s varsity teams; McGill needs to adopt a more streamlined and concise approach to decision-making. Endless bureaucracy, weak mandates, and vague recommendations only give the appearance of progress.

Pork before synagogue: Growing up at a cultural crossroads wagon along with our stuffed animals. We would arrive at my maternal grandparents’ house late on Friday night and drive along the Long Island Expressway on Sunday morning to arrive at the family reunion. There, we were greeted by relatives with heavy New York accents offering bagels shmeared with cream cheese and topped with lox, capers, and red onion. My brother and I failed to escape the suffocating embraces of vaguelyfamiliar relatives, and, inevitably, we were forced to endure several stories that began with the phrase “Before we left Europe…” We drank sparkling apple cider and, sometimes, a sip or two of cloyinglysweet red wine. Family reunions in Arkansas, however, unfolded quite differently. Upon landing in Little Rock, we were met with the thick August air and the scent of dogwood blossoms. From there, we travelled to my paternal grandparents’ home in Pine Bluff and then to Hot Springs, known for its geothermal springs and tourist appeal. Much of my dad’s family does not drink alcohol for religious reasons, so we guzzled Dr. Pepper, an iconically-Southern soda. I sat at

the kids’ table, occupied by many small blonde children with names like ‘Carter’ and ‘Tobin,’ and ate ham and my grandfather’s famous cornbread—which, importantly, is far less sweet than the abomination that is ‘Yankee’ cornbread—made in the whisk-scarred bowl passed down from his grandmother. Back home in the suburbs of Boston, we lit the Shabbat candles in the dining room on Friday nights, decorated the Christmas tree, attended Hebrew school, and dropped neon-coloured tablets into vinegar and water to prepare for Easter egg-dyeing. Mezuzahs hung on door frames throughout the house, and I helped my mom grate onions and potatoes for latkes only a few weeks before attending Christmas Eve Mass and preparing a traditionally-southern New Year’s meal of collard greens and blackeyed peas. When friends asked about my religion, I used to say that I was Jewish and Christian. Sometimes, they told me that wasn’t possible, or that I “wasn’t really Jewish.” I never knew how to respond. Judgments of my Jewishness come largely from Jews who consider themselves

to be more observant than I am; however, non-Jews, too, have told me that I’m not Jewish because I no longer regularly attend synagogue. I’ve rarely seen or been a part of a community that reflects the interfaith niche in which I grew up. In my mind, celebrating Chanukah and Christmas made me ‘both.’ While I now identify much more strongly with cultural Judaism, my experiences have always lied somewhere in the middle. I have no knowledge of the New Testament, and I can’t read Hebrew fast enough to keep up with prayers that I don’t already know. But, I also crave the crispy fried okra of the south and the tender brisket that I eat on Passover. On the morning of my brother’s Bar Mitzvah, my dad prepared a plate full of BLT sandwiches for breakfast so that we could grab something to eat as we got ready. While I wish that those around me would refrain from making their own assessments of my upbringing, and though I often feel stranded between two cultures, religions, locations, and ways of being, I have come to accept that it is okay to be both. It’s okay to eat pork before going to synagogue.

opinion

commentary

Amrita Sandhu Contributor On Jan. 30, many McGill students’ social media feeds will overflow with posts tagged with #BellLetsTalk. An initiative started by the telecommunications company to increase awareness about mental health, Bell’s “Let’s Talk” event is a day when people can use their social media platforms to raise money for mental health awareness by using the designated hashtag. This campaign may resonate—positively or not— with the increasing number of McGillians turning to counselling services for support with mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Accessing care can be even more difficult for students of colour at McGill, who encounter unique obstacles when seeking care. Language barriers, therapistpatient disconnects, and lack

commentary

Lucas Bird Contributor “I’m just going to use it to get through finals, but during Christmas break I’m going to quit.” This is how I explained my foolproof plan to abandon my Juul to my housemate at the end of last year. I do this with almost all the promises I make to myself; reaffirming a plan by relaying it to someone else feels like adding a layer of accountability. Pledges made in isolation feel worthless, and I end up motivating myself by setting iPhone alarms with labels that are both aggressive

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2019

Prioritizing culture and colour in mental health services of access to ethnically-diverse counsellors all hinder students’ access to necessary care. Students of colour living in predominately-white cities often experience difficulties finding counsellors who understand their experiences, and seeking help outside of the university’s healthcare system is not always a viable option. International students, for example, may have to pay out-of-pocket for a counsellor of the same demographic, even incurring travel costs if the counsellor is located beyond the downtown Montreal area. It is imperative that McGill offers students the option to be counselled by someone of the same background, as the patient may find it easier to discuss cultural issues if they feel that their therapist can relate to them or at least understand them. As a South Asian woman, depression and anxiety were not words I heard often while growing up. The negative stigma surrounding mental health issues in many Asian cultures stands in stark contrast with the emphasis that the Western world places on mental well-being. Crosscultural counselling skills are crucial considering the growing diversity not only of McGill, but of Canada as a whole. The importance of therapists’ crosscultural knowledge for the quality of patients’ care is increasingly

well-recognized: For example, the Canadian Psychological Association has established a list of resources for therapists treating recentlyarrived Syrian refugees. Language barriers may also arise between patients of colour and therapists. Canada is a diverse country, with over 200 languages spoken nationwide. Students whose first language is not English or French may struggle to communicate their precise feelings to their therapist, affecting the counselling and treatment they receive as a result. The option to receive psychotherapy in one’s native language can encourage students to actively seek mental health care, allowing for greater and more effective communication between a counsellor and their patient. Ensuring that every student is properly accommodated and cared for requires looking beyond treatment methods alone. Making sure that students of colour on campus feel comfortable

Cultural understanding can be the key to trusting patient-therapist relationships. (Winnie Lin / The McGill Tribune)

seeking assistance in a way that also adheres to their cultural perspective can improve mental health care at McGill. Altering the approach to mental health care is at McGill’s discretion. The equitable solution to the relative

inaccessibility of mental health services is to incorporate crossculture counselling methods and a higher diversity of counsellors to abolish the unique barriers students of colour can face when seeking mental health care.

How to quit smoking like an existentialist and self-deprecating. These are rarely effective, and most often I succeed only in wallowing in guilt and debauchery. The new year feels like a clean slate: An opportunity to commit oneself to reaching success with a flaring but fleeting determination. As we find ourselves at the beginning of the semester, it’s worth asking why resolutions are so difficult to maintain. Simply put, most of us struggle because we have have trouble understanding our own identity. This explanation requires a brief interlude into the existential philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre— bear with me—who began crafting his 683 page magnum opus Being and Nothingness after agonizing over how to motivate himself to go to the gym more. According to Sartre, consciousness is not something ‘in itself’; in other words, it is not a tangible thing that has definite characteristics. Human minds are constantly changing. There are infinite possibilities and choices that could shape your life, and we have an absolute freedom in commanding them. This alone is evidence of the indefinable character of consciousness. If we understand

When making New Year’s resolutions, remember that we are not what we do. (Amanda Fiore / The McGill Tribune)

this, we understand that absolutism is incompatible with identity: Our conscious is too fluid for this kind of determination. Mistakenly equating identity with the sum of our behaviours might explain why so many of us struggle in maintaining our resolutions. In behaving differently, we aspire to become someone else. As a result, we tend to recognize anything short of absolute success as failure. I struggle with this often. When I muff an attempt to improve

my habits or my behaviour, it’s hard for me not to feel like I’ve been a bad person or failed myself. This is a common problem in resolution adherence. Sartre reminds us that these failures do not define us. While this notion should be comforting, accepting failure can be an assuaging prospect. Definitive failure is both disheartening and oddly relieving. When I accept my missteps as failures, I let myself forget some of the guilt and self-imposed pressure of a resolution. It’s easier to let our

present actions define ourselves than to reaffirm our determination and remain on a path to betterment. Inevitably, in my pursuit of an existence free of nicotine dependency, I have faltered and taken solace in a drunk cigarette or a piece of Nicorette. However, these errors remind me that my decision to try to quit does not determine my worth. I must decide to quit again and again to make it my reality. Many people who make resolutions view themselves as taking a stride across a spectrum from vice to virtue when what we should really be trying to do is achieve balance. This year, one of my resolutions is about resolutions themselves. I’m trying to think about my attempts at self-betterment as long-term, progressive projects that will, no doubt, include mistakes made along the way. Hopefully, letting go of the guilt and pressure associated with these endeavours will let me be more successful and content. So in 2019, be kinder to yourself. Recognize your missteps as obstacles to overcome, not immovable failures. Remain firm, resolute, and remember: The human consciousness is forever a work in progress.

science & technology

tuesday, JANUARY 15, 2019

Eyes on the skies: Upcoming innovations in 2019 Six events in space and science set to take place in the New Year

Ronny Litvack-Katzman Staff Writer 2018 proved to be breakthrough year for the scientific community. From finding the first traces of liquid water on Mars to unearthing the largest land animal to have ever lived, humanity continued on its quest to better understand the universe around us. Now, as scientists turn their attention to 2019, their plans are only becoming more awe-inspiring. Here are some of the many upcoming events and projects of the next year.

SCoPEx

In a new approach to solving Earth’s increasingly dire climate dilemma, a Harvard University geoengineering team led by scientists Frank Keutsch and David Keith will begin the first of their experiments to curb the effects of Earth’s polluted atmosphere. The Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx) is a weather balloonlike apparatus that will rise approximately 20 km over the Arizona desert and disperse aerosols—chiefly calcium carbonate—in an attempt to predict the large-scale effects of chemical particles releasing into the atmosphere. The technology will capture the initial interactions between the particles and surrounding atmospheric gases such as ozone. Pending the results, the team plans to look further into solar geoengineering, large-scale projects which attempt to reflect solar rays and offset global warming. SCoPEx estimates an initial launch date sometime early in 2019

MOSAiC

This coming September, a team of over 600 researchers will board the Polarstern, a massive icebreaker ship that will take them to the Arctic Circle. The expedition, led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, is called MOSAiC: Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate. Seeing how recent increases in global temperature have greatly affected the Arctic climate system, the climate scientists, hailing from 17 nations, hope to improve climate models worldwide by finding a better way to simulate the changing environment. To do so, they plan to set up a large network of research stations with the Polarstern acting as a hub for compiling data over the long Arctic winter, a period of time in the Arctic when study has rarely taken place. Over the course of a year, MOSAiC plans to amass a significant amount of information pertaining to climate change and changes in sea ice distribution which will serve to enhance climate models for years to come.

Drones for Climate Change

Tropical rainforests are essential to the world’s carbon cycle stability. Acting as ‘carbon sinks,’ rainforests across the globe account for 40 per cent of trees, working as a

final natural barrier between humanity and a carbon disaster by accumulating and removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Unexpectedly, a significant threat to the carbon-sequestering ability of rainforests are plants, in particular liana vines, which are abundant in rainforest canopies but whose populations have doubled in recent decades. These vines tend to shade and choke larger trees, threatening the forest productivity by limiting intake of carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, the process of studying liana infestations is tedious, labourintensive work. Liana are difficult to spot from below the tree canopy and it is impossible to manually catalogue the distribution of the plant due to the sheer number of trees. To overcome these obstacles, drones present an unparalleled opportunity in this area of forestry research. The unmanned aerial vehicles can snap pictures of the forest high above the canopy, allowing researchers to see the extent of the liana cover in a reasonable amount of time. Not only is the number of drones used in scientific research increasing, so is the variety of methods in which they are employed.

NASA’s TESS

Just last week NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) discovered three new exoplanets, adding to a growing list of newly-discovered planets that is estimated to reach a peak of 20,000. An exoplanet is any planet that, similarly to Earth, orbits around a central star. At the time of launch in April 2018, only 3,800 identified exoplanets had been catalogued. As of 2019, TESS has already identified more than 250 exoplanets as it hurtles through space in the last year of its two-year journey. The novelty of the satellite c from its many field cameras which are able to study the mass, size, density, and orbit of a large cohort of small planets. TESS’s most interesting discoveries to date are planets which lie within the habitable zone of sun-like stars. These have surface conditions similar to that of Earth and are likely to possess liquid water and have oxygen-rich atmospheres. The identification and exploration of exoplanets could provide humanity with a first glimpse into extraterrestrial life. NASA keeps a running tally of all of TESS’s discoveries, which are sure to increase in 2019.

The Eta Aquariids and The Orionids

1986 was the last time Halley’s Comet came close enough to Earth to be seen with the naked eye, and, while it will be another 42 years before the comet itself lights up the night’s sky, two of its annual meteor showers will continue to amaze onlookers worldwide. Meteor showers come about in a multitude of ways, but The Eta Aquariids and The Orionids showers are a direct result of Halley’s Comet’s passage by Earth over 30 years ago. As a comet passes through space, the sun slowly breaks down it’s thick

In Sept., a group of 600 researchers will spend a year on the Polarstern exploring the Arctic Circle. (apecs.is) outer layers of ice, releasing the rock trapped underneath. The resulting meteors can be seen on Earth today, rushing toward our planet at 238,000 kph in a spectacle of light and colour. The Eta Aquariids begin on Apr. 19 and last until May 28, followed by their successor, The Orionids, which will occur from Oct. 2 to early November.

CAESAR VS. Dragonfly This July, NASA will expand its New Frontiers program by picking a winning project to send into space. In 2017, NASA announced two finalists from a group of 12 proposals: CAESAR, a sample-

return mission to search the comet 67P for organic life, and Dragonfly, which proposes sending robotic landing crafts to Saturn’s largest moon Titan. In the months following their selection, both projects received $4 million dollars to expand their proposal to NASA. If chosen, CAESAR will follow two earlier spacecrafts which have visited the comet for data collection. Meanwhile, Dragonfly seeks to uncover the origin of life in the galaxy, further exploring Titan after another spacecraft, NASA’s Cassini, initially discovered liquid hydrocarbons, the building blocks of life, on the planet’s surface in 2016. Whichever project is chosen this year will be funded in full by NASA, providing researchers with $150 million to get their spacecraft ready for take-off in 2025.

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DON'T SHOOT THE BIKE MESSENGER Katia Innes A&E Editor

The precarious existence of bike messengers in the gig economy

The streets of Montreal are notoriously difficult to navigate. What might begin as a simple walk down a few blocks can spiral into an Odyssey through a dystopic landscape of potholes, puddles, and decades-old construction sites. One-way streets abruptly end at public parks, only to reappear ten blocks north. The steep slopes that crawl up the craggly face of Mont-Royal are made all the more treacherous by ice, proving to be a headache for pedestrians and drivers. From an outsider's perspective, donning ski goggles and long johns to bike 25 km per hour up these unplowed boulevards seems like the last thing anyone would ever want to do. For the bike messengers who operate in Montreal, every shift involves another jostle through traffic, rain, snow, or shine. Yet, couriers have formed a warm kinship, founded upon mutual desires for improved working conditions and the world of alleycats—non-sanctioned courier races—that foster a sense of community. Though the average Montrealer may only interact with bike messengers when shamefully receiving a late-night Uber Eats delivery from McDonald’s, their cargo is not restricted to the food service industry; they transport everything from legal documents to Amazon packages. Within a metropolitan city such as Montreal, bikes allow for quicker delivery times than cars or foot couriers, largely due to a cyclist’s ability to weave through obstacles and traffic jams that would impede a motorized vehicle. The job itself is tough, requiring physical stamina and determination, but getting hired is as easy as riding a bike. “I basically had a huge life change, and wound up in a position where I was trying to finish my studies and had no money,” David DelaCrevaison, an independent courier, said. “And one of my friends was a messenger and he was like, ‘Look, you just show up.' The interview is basically like, ‘Do you have a bike? Do you have a phone?'” Bike messengers generally belong to one of two fields: Food or paper delivery, the latter of which primarily consists of ferrying legal documents between businesses. Traditionally, paper couriers operate for delivery companies, such as Quality Assurance Courier (QA), and Chasseurs Courrier, that service a specific area, and their shifts are scheduled during working business hours. These jobs predominated the courier world until the rise of online food delivery services such as Foodora, Uber Eats, and SkipTheDishes in the last decade. For those looking for part-time employment, those app-based companies offer low-commitment scheduling. Adam Burton, U1 History, had previously worked in the summer as a full-time paper courier but found himself in need of part-time employment come fall. “My reasoning for choosing Uber Eats was that my scheduling could be flexible,” Burton said. “You just pick up a three-hour shift whenever you want, that way you can choose at 2 a.m. or at peak hours and get boosts.” Although bike messenger jobs are becoming more commonplace, job security in the field remains precarious. The majority of bike messengers are considered independent contractors by the province of Quebec, instead of dependent employees, leaving them vulnerable to the wills of their employer. As contractors, messengers are not subjected to work weeks dictated by their employer, nor can the employer determine how a contractor will execute their work. A full-time employee, on the other hand, has their work schedule dictated by their employer and is obligated to follow the working rules laid out by the employer but also receives benefits such as guaranteed hours, sick leave, vacation pay, and employment insurance. While bike messengers may not be recognized as employees of a specific delivery company, they usually have to sign a contract that dictates the terms of their payment to start working. The majority of these contracts are commission-based, which means that couriers are compensated a certain percentage of each delivery they make, rather than by the hour. If one is lucky, some companies will offer a guarantee, meaning that if the courier fails to meet a certain profit margin, they will match that amount to ensure that all couriers are receiving the same pay. They are allowed to keep any extra commission they make if it surpasses the guarantee. On contracts that don’t have guarantees, such commission-based agreements lead to great discrepancies in pay: A heavier delivery at a longer distance during rush hour will pay more than a standard delivery. “Some couriers can make $40-60 a day because of the commission,” Felix-Antoine Tessier, a courier for QA, said. “Some days you'll make $150, but some days you'll make way below minimum wage. It's such a variable.” This puts many potential couriers in a bind: In order to get shifts, they must agree to the stipulations in a contract that may or may not function to provide a liveable wage. The autonomous nature of the work complements the freedoms the independent contractor status allows, yet by keeping the same couriers working for one company, which is frequently the case, the definition becomes murky. While a company may not consider a courier to be a dependent employee, for many couriers, this job is their primary source of income, albeit without the benefits an employee is traditionally ascribed. “If you've had the same client for over X number of hours a year, it's hard to be labelled as truly independent,” Tessier said. Although couriers may technically be considered independent contractors, there have been many cases in which they are essentially treated as full-time employees, minus the benefits. Simon Petley, currently employed at the co-op-based Chasseurs Couriers, began working as a contract courier four years ago with FreshMint, a Montreal-based delivery startup. “They were giving us $13/hour, but we had no vacation pay, [and] they didn't have to pay us for three hours at a time, so their whole thing was that we'd work the lunch rush,” Petley said. “We'd be scheduled for three-hour shifts, but they'd cut us off after 1.5 hours and tell us we had to clock out.” The situation escalated as a ‘no-tipping’ policy was implemented, as well as a dress and hygiene policy that was difficult for couriers to follow considering the physically demanding nature of their work. These policies contradicted the very definition of an independent contractor. Frustrated by the situation, Petley eventually left. Petley’s situation is not unique; since companies hold so much control, it has become the industry standard to hire couriers simply as contractors, while simultaneously demanding a full-time commitment so that couriers can receive a livable wage. Though couriers generally still work as independent contractors, they have continued fighting to achieve full employment status within their companies. Often, companies will find loopholes to

keep couriers on as contractors, as opposed to full-time employees. In one case, Quick Messenger Service (QMS) had their couriers working on the payroll of seven different companies, all registered to the owners of QMS. All seven companies were registered to the same office space, and provided the same delivery service. Couriers were paid as contractors for these pseudo-delivery companies via cheques instead of direct deposit. This created the illusion of couriers who were picking up shortterm contract work at different delivery companies, when, in reality, the couriers were reliant on QMS as a source of income. With the help of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, the couriers at QMS applied for employment status. The Canada Industrial Relations Board eventually ruled that the couriers were, in fact, working for a single employer, and their application for employment certification was approved. The bike messenger community in Montreal demonstrates the necessity of worker organization in securing better working conditions. Exploitation has become the norm in their field, and couriers have taken it upon themselves to advocate for their co-workers. Tessier, with support from l’Association des messagers et messagères à vélo de Montréal and the Industrial Workers of the World, helped develop a working conditions committee to encourage messengers in the city to achieve this status. Through direct-action tactics, such as negotiations with supervisors and the organization of a strike fund, Tessier helped oversee the transition of couriers at QA from contractors to employees. The labour rights that couriers have achieved are largely a consequence of community-driven initiatives. Though many couriers cannot receive employment insurance, they can apply for financial aid through the Bicycle Messenger Emergency Fund (BMEF), a registered charity established in 2000, which allocates $500 to an injured courier. Since a devastating injury can put a courier out of commission and render them unable to earn an income, this fund has been well-received in the messenger community and lauded for its accessibility. “I crashed two years ago and broke my collarbone, and I was unable to go to work for a month and a half,” Petley said. “There [are] specific companies recognized by the BMEF, and a delegate from one of those companies and Chasseurs [Couriers] came to say, like, 'Yes, they are an employee or a contractor of ours and they were working when this happened.' It was a pretty simple process.” On a local level, smaller initiatives have also assisted bike messengers. When a co-worker fell ill at QA, Tessier explained, their guarantee was cut. Tessier and other couriers rallied, all sending messages to the administration at QA to reinstate their co-worker’s guarantee. The bike messenger community’s solidarity extends well beyond organizing for labour rights. Locally and internationally, the popularity of unsanctioned bicycle races between couriers, known as alleycats, helps to foster a sense of community in what can be an isolating job. Alleycats follow roughly the same outline: Participants gather at a predetermined meeting point where organizers distribute ‘manifests’ which, essentially, mimic a delivery schedule, outlining a list of locations, or checkpoints, that participants must reach in order to finish. Participants have not seen the manifest prior to the race. Most races begin Le Mans style, where participants begin at a start line on foot, and must run to embark on their bikes once they receive their manifests. Alleycats stress participation rather than competition. “Alleycats are often presented as these really dangerous, illegal things, but everyone's choosing what they want to do, and we're all out there to have fun,” DelaCrevaison, who is also an alleycat organizer, said. “I don't know of any messenger who would purposefully choose to do something that they were uncomfortable with or put themselves unnecessarily in danger just to win an alleycat.” DelaCrevaison has organized larger-scale alleycats such as La Cours des Morts, which drew roughly 300 participants, as well as smaller tournaments such as Coupe IceCat Cup, which drew smaller crowds. An alleycat is designed to test not only a courier’s speed, but their wit and intelligence. A manifest may be as simple as biking to locations and taking a selfie, and more complicated alleycats may even have multiple manifestos or ‘rush deliveries’ that can run parallel to the original manifest. “It's not speed that counts for everything. It's important, but if you think things through, and plan out your route really well, you can easily overcome people who are just racing through,” DelaCrevaison said. Alleycats also serve to strengthen the international community of bike messengers. Just two years ago, Montreal hosted the 25th Annual Cycle Messenger World Championships (CMWC), an event organized by the International Federation of Bike Messenger Associations (IFBMA) to celebrate couriers worldwide. Kelly Pennington, co-founder and co-owner of Chasseurs Courrier, was one of the main organizers for the 2017 CMWC. The process of securing Montreal as host city was similar to securing a bid for the Olympics: Organizers had to pitch event ideas and explain what their city would offer as hosts. Over 400 couriers participated in a week of events, including smaller alleycat tournaments, pub crawls, and conferences, culminating in a final race at the Olympic Stadium. Recently, couriers like Pennington have been working toward creating a more inclusive environment within the messenger community, using alleycats as a visible platform to achieve this. Most alleycats have two categories: One that is open to all genders and another which encompasses anyone without cis male privilege. The Star Bike Messenger Association (*BMA), which exists to support women/trans/non-binary messengers, has used the CMWC as an opportunity to strengthen the visibility of non-cis male cyclists. The *BMA has also created guidelines on how to run inclusive events, offering recommendations on how to show representation on social media, and even how to give out prizes in a conscientious manner. The success of such events demonstrates the strange and sweet kinship that has emerged in the field of bike messengers. It can be lonely on the streets of this subarctic wasteland. In any job, anxieties surrounding isolation and security are almost inevitable. Yet, the bike messenger community has used informal channels to achieve better working conditions. Something as simple as procuring a cargo bike to make heavier deliveries, to something more complex like securing a wage guarantee, goes a long way in making the day-to-day lives of couriers easier.“Alleycats are I think, the reason why so many people end up being a bike messenger for so long, like there are a lot of reasons, but the community that I have found, especially internationally,” Pennington said.

science & technology

tuesday, JANUARY 15, 2019

Uncovering the molecule behind synaptic plasticity Researchers discover a protein crucial to learning Farida Rahman Contributor Continued from page 1. When our brains learn new information, it is relayed across synapses using chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters. This process can be improved by releasing more neurotransmitters or by increasing the number of receptors in receiving synapses. Kennedy identified netrins, a class of

proteins, as aiding the latter. Although netrin’s role in neuron cell guidance and brain circuitry in infants is well documented, studies show that netrin plays an important role in the adult brain as well. When a signal is ready for transmission, the synapse releases netrin, increasing the number of receptors on the receiving neuron and allowing for a greater intake of the relayed chemical signal. “The relatively subtle changes that happen in your brain when you’re learning things and [...] having everyday experiences

[...] are changing how netrin is presented to neurons,” Kennedy said.“Neurons are secreting netrin and changing the strength of connections between cells and neural networks.” Many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s, have been linked to impairments in the synaptic plasticity mechanism. Specifically, an understanding of netrin shows that dysfunctional synapses can result from reduced levels of netrin, similarly to the way in which muscles would

atrophy if the mechanisms involved in muscle formation are damaged. The Kennedy Lab is examining aging as one such factor, since most neurodegenerative diseases have onsets in later life. Determining the details of the netrin mechanism may open new doors for treatment. “You can flip [reduced levels of netrin] on its head,” Kennedy said. “If you promote the netrin mechanism, you might actually rescue some of those deficits [in neurodegenerative disease]. We’re trying to understand that.”

Understanding the netrin protein mechanism may present new options for treating neurodegenerative diseases. (Daria Kiseleva / The McGill Tribune)

Starting the year with the right appetite Healthy energy-boosting foods to help you hit the ground running Margaret Wdowiak Contributor Many New Year’s resolutions are set with the assumption that healthy habits and better grades are somehow distinct. However, there are many healthy energy boosting foods like nuts, salmon, eggs, mushrooms, and spinach that can help students lead healthier lives and achieve greater academic success.

Nuts

Nuts require no preparation and can increase one’s energy. Filled with nutrients like protein and carbohydrates, raw nuts can be made into an even more powerful snack by soaking them in a simple warm water-and-salt solution overnight. Soaking nuts activates their germination process, making them easier for the body to digest and process their nutrients and increasing their value as a brain food. Studies have linked a regular intake of walnuts, in particular, to higher cognitive functioning, due to their high concentration of antioxidants.

Salmon

Salmon is often touted for its many health benefits. It contains omega-3 fatty acids which have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease. However, its main benefit for tired and stressed university students is its energy-enhancing properties. This pink fish is high in protein, vitamin B6, niacin, and riboflavin, all of which help transform food into energy. Salmon is also filled with docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, which boosts neuronal function in the brain and can be useful to students looking for a cognitive boost.

Eggs

Eggs also have immense potential to help students power through postbreak inertia. Eggs are an inexpensive source of high-quality protein and, if eaten regularly, can contribute greatly to daily protein requirements. Protein has many roles including hormone regulation, muscle building, and maintaining immune system health. In combination with protein, the B vitamins, like B6 and riboflavin, found in eggs, are a crucial source of sustained energy.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a healthy option with a substantial capacity for boosting energy. Just one cup of mushrooms can provide up to 50 per cent of a person’s daily serving of iron, which plays a key role in the transportation of oxygen through the bloodstream. The effective and efficient transport of oxygen is extremely important for the human body because, without an adequate supply of oxygen

Only one cup of mushrooms provides up to half of a person’s daily requirement of iron. (Amanda Fiore / The McGill Tribune) to the major organs, they won’t function at their optimal level, resulting in intense fatigue along with other health impairments like diminished cognitive functioning.

SPINACH

Spinach contains many essential minerals, making it a great concentration-enhancing food. In particular, it contains extremely high amounts of iron, magnesium, and potassium. Alongside the oxygen-carrying and energy boosting properties of iron, magnesium is also crucial to the body’s production of energy. Additionally, when paired with magnesium, potassium plays a role in digestion as well as in nerve and muscle regulation. It also helps to improve brain function by sending more oxygen to the brain and reduces stress by lowering blood pressure and relaxing muscles. Finally, spinach is easy to incorporate into a variety of recipes, boosting the healthiness of whatever you happen to be munching on. All of these foods are healthy and good for your brain. Yet, while they can help you keep your strength up, they are not a substitute for adequate rest and sleep, which are vital for retaining information as it moves from short-term memory to long-term memory during the deep sleep stage of sleep. Therefore, the keys to succeeding in the new year are a diet of healthy foods, sleep, and studying.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Tuesday, JANUARY 15, 2019

Oh, What a Show

Kacey Musgraves radiates at Mtelus Solomon Friedman Contributor

“Born in a hurry, always late, haven’t been early since ’88,” is one of the best and most endearing opening lines for an album. It is infinitely more compelling when sung by a shimmering silhouette emerging from a shroud of fog. From those opening words to the last glimmering chords of “High Horse,” Kacey Musgraves’ show at Mtelus on Jan. 12 was a radiant celebration of music, love, and the power of ‘yeehaw.’ The Grammy-nominated country singer’s first-ever Montreal show drew an eager and enthusiastic crowd—an audience so excited that, at one point, they cheered for three-straight minutes for no apparent reason, prompting Musgraves to muse that they were just proud she didn’t trip in her mile-high gold heels. Occasionally, she would pull the microphone away from her face and let the crowd carry the song for a few seconds, or, in one instance, for the full chorus of “Merry Go ‘Round.” Over the course of the show, Musgraves and her band played the entirety of her latest album, 2018’s Golden Hour. The vocoder-centred “Oh, What a World” tour received the full country-acoustic treatment, complete with a banjo, cello, steel-pedal guitar, and double bass, while “Velvet Elvis” and “Wonder Woman” glittered with pop-sensibility. Musgraves sang “Space Cowboy” amidst deep blue lights, giving her the appearance of standing alone in a limitless, cobalt void. The show also featured tracks from Musgraves’ previous two records, including “High Time” and “Die Fun” from Pageant Material, and “Follow Your Arrow” from Same Trailer Different Park. A multi-talented and dedicated band, dressed in powder blue suits and sporting impressive facial hair, supported Musgraves’ vocals. The band members rotated instruments, while Musgraves spent most of the night playing the guitar. Toward the end of the night, Musgraves donned a blue faux-fur coat over her shimmering, rainbow jumpsuit and was joined on stage by tour opener Natalie Prass for a country cover of Gloria Gaynor’s disco classic “I Will Survive.” As one of the most prominent female voices in a typically male-dominated genre, Musgraves’ rendition of the female-empowerment anthem felt particularly relevant. The two performers hopped around the stage, trading verses and dancing as if they were alone in the theatre. In her own set, Prass danced through the funk-leaning tracks off her latest album, The Future and The Past. Her light, honey-coated voice floated over the yacht-rock instrumentation of “Never Too Late” and captivated the audience with the heartbreaking “My Baby Don’t Understand Me.” The message of her Women’s March anthem “Sisters” was all the more powerful when she joined Musgraves on stage and the two of them came together to celebrate each other’s

Igloofest

Montreal’s infamous winter outdoor music festival returns to Quai Jacques-Cartier featuring performances by Polo & Pan, Diplo, and Four Tet. Jan. 17 - Feb. 2; $20.50-25 general admission.

Les Nocturnes du MAC

The Contemporary Art Museum opens its doors for a special late-night viewing of the Julian Rosefeldt: Manifesto, Scores, and Françoise Sullivan exhibitions featuring musical programming performed by local DJs. Jan. 18, 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.; $17 for non-MAC members. Musgraves brings some much needed ‘Yeehaw’ to Mtelus. (Solomon Friedman / The McGill Tribune) talents. In addition to a performance that managed to sound even better than the recordings, Musgraves indulged the audience in Kacey-isms including a Mean Girls reference, “Your mom’s a sexy bitch,” “making it rain some memes,” and many a “yaaaassss queen.” If an appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars didn’t cement Musgraves’ status as a gay country icon, her ability to lead a crowd full of hip, Montreal gays in a ‘yee haw’ call and response certainly did. Musgraves’ demonstration of allyship wasn’t just limited to funny banter, however. At the end of the show, she dedicated Golden Hour’s closing track, the optimistic “Rainbow,” to a man who told her during the meet-and-greet that he had just come out to his parents and had not been met with a great deal of support. While she was talking directly to him, it felt as though she was speaking to everyone who had ever faced hardship and self-doubt. As she sang the final chorus, rainbow lights flooded the stage, and even though, as Musgraves pointed out, “the world is fucking crazy,” if only for that night, “it’ll all be alright.”

Société des arts technologiques fest 2019

The Society for Arts and Technology presents a festival of interactive short films which pay homage to biology, mathematics, and the origins of 3D computer graphics. Tuesdays to Fridays until Feb. 8, starting at 7:00 p.m.; $17.25 for students.

The Plumber’s Faucet Comedy Night The Pit Improv presents a night of impromptu comedy skits in the basement of the McConnell Engineering building. Jan. 17, 7:00 p.m.; $5 or PWYC.

What we watched this winter break

Alternatives to a syllabus reading list Deana Korsunsky, Leo Stillinger, Jonathan Giammaria Arriving home for winter break in the typical post-exam fugue tends to make the inevitable holiday burnout all the more severe. Everyone knows that those few weeks between semesters are best spent binge-watching movies in sweatpants and resisting the urge to hit refresh on MyCourses— at least that’s how we in the Arts & Entertainment section like to refuel. Here’s what we watched this winter break:

Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour

Deana Korsunsky On Dec. 31, Netflix released Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour, a two-hour concert film of Swift’s last performance of the tour. I’m not really a fan of Swift, and, like many, chose to start watching the film ironically. However, I was immediately

enthralled by the sheer spectacle of her performance. Everything was captivating: The smoke machines, the projected lyrics and images on the screens behind her, the suspenseful pauses in between familiar chords. Despite help from her talented dancers, instrumentalists, and backup singers, Swift herself dominated the stage. Her sharp, deliberate dance moves, her playful glances, and her majestic bows reminded me of something many of us likely forgot: Underneath all the drama and pettiness that have overwhelmed Swift’s media presence over the past few years, she truly is an excellent performer.

Bandersnatch

Jonathan Giammaria The acclaimed show Black Mirror offers stories that explore the potential to misuse technology’s seemingly-neutral innovations. With Bandersnatch, which was released as a surprise this holiday break, the creators

of Black Mirror transpose these cultural concerns into a chooseyour-own-adventure format, placing the power of technological misuse in the viewer’s hands. While there is nothing new about this format, the episode’s execution is pioneering in how it tests the ethics of this power. At least, that’s what it explores in one of its branching paths. Bandersnatch, partly at the mercy of the viewer and at the expense of narrative coherence, never has to focus on a singular, overarching theme. It can veer into an absurd fight sequence between a therapist and a patient or meander into the nature of reality during a psychedelic trip, and that’s what makes it brilliant.

Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse

Leo Stillinger In Spiderman: Into the SpiderVerse, directors Peter Ramsay, Robert Persichetti Jr. and Rodney Rothman accomplished something

Add-drop means there’s still plenty of time to catch up on new releases. (Winnie Lin / The McGill Tribune) ingeniously simple: They made a superhero movie feel like a comic book. The result is a breath of fresh air in the over-saturated superhero genre and a work that is at once touching and entertaining. Through the lens of Miles Morales, a teenager from Queens, we discover an interdimensional ring of Spidermen—and Spiderwomen. As Hollywood begins to take diversity in representation seriously, this clever plot device allows the filmmakers to introduce a multitude of spidery protagonists. Yet, these characters

are not just cardboard cut-outs, and Miles’ story is particularly well-written. Animated with a sense of individual craftsmanship that belies its hundred-strong animation team, Into the SpiderVerse is a joy to behold, sparkling with retro comic effects and visual jokes which disappear just as you begin to understand them. The scenes of Miles’ daily life feel realistic, yet the last scene delivers a dimension-bending fight scene which threatens to dissolve into pure anarchy.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Tuesday, JANUARY 15, 2019

‘10 Years of Gaga’ gets its rah-rah on

Drag show celebrates a decade of Lady Gaga’s LGBTQ+ activism

Kevin Vogel Staff Writer On Jan. 12, the Diving Bell Social Club and drag queen collective BabyDrag celebrated a decade of Lady Gaga’s career in 10 Years of Gaga, a show featuring a host of queens as talented and visually provocative as Gaga herself. Each performer took to the stage lip-syncing along to Gaga’s songs, emphasizing those from her debut album The Fame and performing intricate dance sets replete with flourishes, death drops, and creative costume reveals. Given Gaga’s love of theatrics and her renown as a queer icon, celebrating the idol through drag makes perfect sense. Gaga has dedicated her career to queer causes; in her early years of stardom, Gaga famously came out as bisexual. Her queer anthem “Born This Way” is a staple at pride events and gay clubs alike, and she has since made a guest appearance on season nine of RuPaul’s Drag Race. In 2010, Gaga called on former president Barack Obama to end the American military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy regarding homosexuality in the armed forces. Her career is marked by her activism for the LGBTQ+ community, and she

The Divng Bell Social Club celebrated a decade of diva-hood. (ABCnews.com) has participated in international pride rallies, campaigned for politicians who champion gay rights, and donated to not-for-profit organizations. “[She’s] the lady who made us all gay,” the emcee for 10 Years of Gaga said. The highlight of 10 Years of Gaga was the wide diversity of drag the show featured. While many of the queens’ more strictly-feminine aesthetics would be appropriate on

mainstream shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, other queens did not hesitate to twist their appearances with their gender-bending outfits. Miss Paige, starting one of her dances with a large fluffy skirt, long hair, and Gene Simmonslike makeup, threw her wig and pads off to end her performance in nothing but a thong and six-inch stiletto boots. Matante Alex’s first dance featured a towel hat and dress covered in pearls and giant golden

dollar signs, which she discarded in later acts to reveal a slim-fitting bodysuit and chest-length ponytails. Some queens even incorporated clever nods to Lady Gaga’s lyrics into their acts. Lip-syncing to “Boys Boys Boys” in her first dance, McGill student Colette Poussée brought three scantily-clad muscle men on stage as backup dancers for a high-energy choreographed dance sequence that got the crowd up on their feet. Later, Matante Alex and

Kiara danced to “Do What U Want” in golden dresses and hair done up to mimic Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera’s joint performance of the song in 2013. Although the venue was completely packed, the tight quarters didn’t hinder the crowd’s experience. The queens took ample opportunities to strut off the stage and interact with the audience, and some spectators found space to get up from their seats and dance along to the music. At the end of the show, concert-goers helped one another get their jackets back from the Diving Bell’s crowded do-it-yourself coat check closet, emphasizing the venue’s community spirit. At the end of the show, the queens came out on stage for one last round of applause. After two hours of non-stop, raucous entertainment, both the crowd and the performers did not hesitate to express their enthusiasm for one other. The queens descended from the stage, hugging friends in the audience and posing for fans eager for photos. The Diving Bell Social Club, a multimedia performance venue in the Plateau, frequently hosts drag shows and will host Coven on Jan. 25.

The comedy of ‘Vice’ lies in its absurd truth

Christian Bale embodies the role of demonic neocon Dick Cheney

Charlie Mascia Contributor In a moment when Trump’s presidency is often perceived as a low point in American democracy, Adam McKay’s Vice shows how Trump is simply following in the footsteps of older, more tactful Republicans predecessors. Christian Bale depicts Dick Cheney with undisguised bias as a man of pure evil, even thanking Satan at the Golden Globes for his help in mastering the part. Vice employs the same style as McKay’s last success, The Big Short (2015), an absurd and comic depiction of the decidedly unfunny 2008 financial crisis. Vice covers similarly dark subject matter, following former vice president Dick Cheney’s ascent as the man responsible for fomenting mass hysteria, the invasion of Iraq, and a dystopian surveillance state under the Bush administration. To be sure, Vice is less comedic when compared to The Big Short, perhaps because of its focus on Cheney as a singular evil, in contrast to the faceless financial system. In any case, Bale mastered Cheney’s threatening inhalations, hard stares, and pained grimaces to produce a protagonist who disgusts viewers. In Vice, McKay defends his prowess in explaining a complex issue’s ongoing significance. McKay employs intentionally fast-paced and humorous editing as well as clever metaphorical devices. McKay has honed a particular manner of storytelling which relies on absurdity to make otherwise difficult and boring subjects intelligible and entertaining. In The Big Short, for instance, Selena Gomez aids Richard Thaler in explaining collateralized debt obligations

with blackjack. In Vice, this satire abounds to a degree which some may find grotesque or trivializing. In one scene, Cheney and other policy-makers of the Bush administration sit down in an opulent restaurant as a waiter lists legally-dubious specials: Employing the concept of the unitary executive, the invasion of Iraq, and bypassing the Geneva Convention. As the men grin, McKay splices in footage of illegal torture and visceral combat in Iraq. This could be read as trivializing, but it highlights how America’s most powerful so flippantly killed more than half a million Iraqis. McKay, who is famous for funny films like Anchorman, uses comedy to expose the stunning stupidity he believes guides global politics. Bale’s Cheney is a power-obsessed neoconservative determined to cement an American empire and affirm the near-absolutist power of the executive. McKay argues that the decay of government transparency materialized under George W. Bush and was guided by Cheney and his cohorts, including then-counselor and chief-of-staff David Addington. McKay is, perhaps, warning us that the unruly and immoral executive figurehead is less worrying than the invisible actors who work behind him. McKay caps the film with a simplistic but startling contemporization of Cheney’s rule. He traces the rise of ISIS, the power of conservative television, and even the average American’s confusion about who the enemy is back to Cheney. Vice has stunted pacing and is not quite as fun as The Big Short, which develops likeable though conflicted characters. Still, it is timely and sizzles with the same heat as the current political climate; it is both a history of a pattern and a prophecy of an approaching boiling point.

A political drama from the people who brought you ‘Anchorman.’ (imdb.com)

student living

TUESDAY. JANUARY 15, 2019

MHAUS connects students with mental health resources

AUS mental health commissioners on the importance of mental well-being Tali Zuckerman Contributor With the winter semester underway and deadlines looming on the not-so-distant horizon, students may find themselves needing to access the mental health resources available on campus. Despite the existing counselling services, peer support networks, and medical mental health services available at McGill, many undergraduates don’t take advantage of all the resources available to them. Mental Health at the Arts Undergraduate Society (MHAUS) is working to address the under utilization of resources through community outreach. Led by mental health commissioners Melody Gao and Olivia Frank, U1 and U3 psychology, respectively, and their team of four other undergraduate students, the committee falls under the portfolio of AUS Vice-President External Rebecca Scarra and meets with the mental health committees of other faculties. Gao and Frank coordinate

MHAUS strives to make mental health support more accesible. ( MHAUS)

outreach programs that strive to better connect students in need of additional support with already existing campus services. Through this work, the commissioners hope to establish an environment in which all students, including those not suffering from mental illness, view mental well-being as a priority. “[Mental health] is

something that needs to be worked on constantly,” Frank said. “It’s not just something that is acknowledged in times of difficulty, but something that is always important and should always be recognized on campus.” Though other McGill faculties and student organizations have similar mental health committees, such

as the SSMU Mental Health Committee, MHAUS is the first to service McGill’s largest undergraduate faculty. Still, both commissioners stressed the importance of collaborating with student-run mental health committees from other faculties to pool their resources and expand overall reach within the McGill community. Through collaboration, MHAUS hopes to bring more attention to the overall importance of mental health. According to Frank, the committee aims to integrate the successes of other mental health groups on campus to foster acceptance of mental health struggles on campus. “It’s not about competing with their success, but rather creating awareness in any way possible,” Frank said. “I think everybody on campus is beginning to see that change toward how crucial mental health and overall wellness is. The decrease in stigma [surrounding mental illness has] been a massive change, and I think [that having] more people at the table is just going to create a more diverse

and more accepting environment and a better conversation.” For members of MHAUS, success means meeting student needs. Hosting tabling events and publishing surveys on its Facebook page are a few of the ways the committee hopes to gather student feedback and provide information on services that students need. Ultimately, MHAUS is an organization for all students; both Frank and Gao believe that mental well-being is crucial to every student’s success— both inside and outside of the classroom. In executing this goal, both commissioners stressed the need for making mental health support more available. “It’s not about creating accessibility for those who need it, because everyone needs it,” Frank said. “Everyone needs to address their mental health just as much as they address their physical health. An image of health that doesn’t include [mental health] is ignoring a massive component of what health looks like for students and for everybody.”

Montreal by metro: Orange line edition Explore the city with the start of the new semester

The sun has set on finals season and students are free from the stifling shackles of stress. It’s time to bundle up, gather some friends, and venture outside the McGill bubble this weekend. With the bitter cold of the January snow, there is no better way to explore new neighbourhoods of Montreal than via the convenientlyunderground and warm metro system. Grab an STM day pass and enjoy a day filled with delicious food and incredible sights, and discover all that the orange line has to offer.

head south toward Mont-Royal Station. Mont-Royal Avenue is an eclectic street buzzing with energy and creativity, making it the perfect spot to grab brunch along the journey. Head to L’Avenue, a crowd-pleasing restaurant that serves up generous portions and scrumptious twists on breakfast classics. Try the famous eggs benedict with duck confit or a stack of French toast that comes with toppings such as caramelized bananas, Nutella, coconut, and Captain Morgan’s rum. Wash the meal down with a milkshake, a mimosa, or one of L’Avenue’s signature boozy coffees.

Jean-Talon

Places D’Armes

Meagan Quigley Contributor

Start the day in the heart of Little Italy: Jean-Talon market, a local mainstay, features a rich array of local produce and artisanal products. Once there, grab a coffee from Café Saint-Henri for a locally-roasted blend to keep warm while strolling the aisles and exploring all that the vendors have to offer. Students can stock up on all their local grocery needs: Find an array of charcuterie at Les Cochons Tout Ronds, mouthwatering confections at Kingsley Desserts, or regional Quebec cheese at La Fromagerie Hamel.

Mont-Royal

Hop back onto the metro and

With your belly full, ride the orange line to Places D’Armes station to explore Old Montreal. Begin walking down Saint-Sulpice Street towards the Saint-Lawrence River. Don’t forget to stop in front of NotreDame Basilica to admire its majestic gothic architecture. The destination is Pointe-à-Callière, the Montreal Museum of Archeology and History, a unique museum that takes visitors on a journey through the history of Quebec. Start off the visit with an immersive multimedia show of lights, visuals, and audio, all featured in the remains of the original cobble stone buildings of Montreal. Next, travel back in time, as the museum

takes its guests through an original underground tunnel to explore a real-life archeological excavation. This museum offers an unparalleled experience in Old Montreal through its innovative use of the architectural skeletons reminiscent of a different time.

Lionel-Groulx

After a few hours travelling to the past in Old Port, head to the LionelGroulx station to relax for a bit. Once a working-class industrial area, in recent years, Little Burgundy has quickly become one of the trendiest up-and-coming neighborhoods in Montreal with some of the best restaurants in the city. Among them is the Burgundy Lion, a classic British pub with a modern Montreal flair. Diners can enjoy one of their many draft beer selections while they watch a game of English football on the television. Burgundy Lion also offers the largest whiskey collection in all of Quebec and offers over 600 choices.

Villa-Maria

The last stop on this day long metro expedition is the Villa-Maria station located in the Notre-Damede-Grâce (NDG) region of Montreal. Filled with diversity, culture, and local businesses, NDG is a unique suburb that combines family-friendly small town charm with the amenities

Grab an OPUS card and discover all the orange line has to offer. (City by Train)

of big city life. Complete a day-wellspent by traveling back a few decades at Café Mariposa, a cozy boutique designed to feel like an extension of the living room with a 60’s feel. On the weekends, Montrealers can enjoy the live local music while they delve into homestyle meal, and on Thursday nights, the hangout

features an open mic night, where guests have the chance to discover some of Montreal’s hidden talent. Mariposa effortlessly achieves a hospitable feel by way of its comfort food, intimate decor and vivacious entertainment; before long you will have the cozy impression of being home among family and friends.

student living

TUESDAY, january 15, 2019

New year, new you Setting goals for the new year Alaana Kumar Contributor Continued from page 1. “New Year’s approaches and people think about what they can change, instead of just independently deciding to change,” Charney said. “It’s a temporary motivator.” According to experts, the frustration Charney and many other goal-setters experience is driven by the unrealistic expectations that they set for themselves. Richard Koestner, a psychology professor at McGill, specializes in goal-setting, self regulation, and internalization processes and has found that resolutions are most effective when broken down into measurable goals. Koestner’s research suggests that goals must be connected to one’s own interests and values. Many students have found that, in their own practice, Koestner’s research holds merit. In her experience, Lily Zhang, U1 Arts, has discovered that setting realistic goals lays the foundation for making sustainable lifestyle changes. Zhang found that she was more successful when she focused on smaller, more manageable objectives—a tactic she is using

to keep her 2019 resolution. “I decided not to be too focused on concrete numbers,” Zhang said. “For example, [instead of resolving to] hit the gym five times a week [... this year] I choose to focus on making smaller changes in my life, like buying more vegetables and fruits [....] I’ll be able to keep these resolutions throughout the year and then look back and be proud of what I have accomplished by making little changes over time.” To improve their chances of success, psychologists suggest that goal-setters focus their attention on establishing an achievable regimen. Studies show that daily repetition to the point that behaviour becomes second nature has proven to be a successful strategy for achieving lifestyle changes. This could mean performing the task in question at least once a day or at the same time every day for consistency. Urvashi Singh, U1 Science, has found that two weeks of repetition can make a habit become an acquired behaviour. “I think making a habit takes 14 days for me,” Singh said. “If I do something for 14 days, I start liking it [....] I think I like the idea of determination and self-control.”

Keeping New Year’s resolutions can be frustating. (Kellyane Levac / The McGill Tribune)

Yet, others do not experience such immediate success—an obstacle which can feel frustrating and disheartening. Depending on the difficulty of the habit one is trying to form, research suggests that it takes anywhere from two

to eight months for a habit to become second nature. Though this delayed satisfaction is often discouraging, with continued support from friends and family and by visualizing success, it can be easier to persist through challenging periods and change

habits. For some, the new year is the optimal time to make these changes. For others, it is an ongoing process. Regardless, it is important to understand that no change is immediate or impossible.

Ask Ainsley: How can I make friends in my lectures? Dear Ainsley, I don’t have any of my friends this semester in my classes, and I am wondering how to go about making friends in class. I am a bit shy and don’t want to sit alone for the entire semester. Do you have any suggestions? Sincerely, Scared of Loneliness (SL) Dear SL, This is a common concern among both incoming and seasoned McGill students, but there are numerous ways to make friends and connections quickly. Making friends can be convenient when you are in need of academic support: You can study together, swap notes, and master course material together. Oftentimes, the relationships you develop within your major’s core courses will carry over to your future classes, making it easy to maintain them. While making friends may seem daunting in big lecture halls, meeting new people doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Being active in group activities and developing a close group of studymates can make your

Making friends in the classroom can pay off in the long run. (Athena Ko / The McGill Tribune)

lectures feel smaller. Further, while it might seem negligible, choosing to sit nearby other students who are sitting alone can aid your search for friends. Likely, they also will be in search of people to speak with and might be more open to engaging in small talk. Once you find your preferred seat, don’t feel pressure to chat with your neighbours on the first day if you feel uncomfortable— many students will continue to sit in the same vicinity as the class progresses. As you become more familiar with your surroundings,

feel free to reach out to the people around you with an icebreaker. An easy way to start is to ask your neighbors questions about the lecture material, or how useful they have found the textbook to be. Over time, it will be easier to engage in small talk before the class, and eventually exchange contact information to study course content together. You can also connect with your classmates via Facebook groups. Most large lectures have pages dedicated to discussing course content and creating study groups.

It’s easy and advisable to visit the class page and suggest a gathering to review, especially if you are more comfortable making the first move behind the screen than in-person. As the course continues, study groups will solidify and allow for better opportunities to get to know each other individually. Over time, study buddies can easily become close friends. Chatting about the subject outside of class gives more leeway to detour into personal interest topics and to get to know each other. Plus, you can fill awkward silences by going back to studying the course content. Once the course ends it can be easy to lose touch with your newfound class friends. Do your best to maintain those friendships by getting together regularly. Perhaps you can try to synchronize your class schedules for the next semester, so that your study group members can stay together. Undoubtedly, it can be hard to make friends in class, but remember that many students share your worries and are just as nervous as you. Good luck in the new semester and with your new friendships! With love, Ainsley

sports

TUESDAY, January 15, 2019

In conversation with Lynn Hill

Selwynne Hawkins Contributor

Fall

2018 marked the 25th anniversary of Lynn Hill’s historic first all-free ascent of the ‘Nose,’ an iconic climb in the Yosemite Valley. Since then, much has changed in the climbing world, but her massive achievement still stands tall. The Nose is the route that snakes up between the two main faces of the monolithic El Capitan. The total elevation gain is 880 metres—twice the height of the Empire State Building. Yosemite was a hotbed for American climbing culture in the mid-20th century, so athletes had already climbed El Capitan, one of the valley’s crown jewels, before Hill arrived on the scene. On the first ascent of the Nose in 1958, Warren Harding used climbing aids, allowing him to fix anchors to the rock and pull himself upward. In contrast, Hill climbed free: Although she used rope for protection, Hill relied only on her hands, feet, and the natural features of

the rock to drive herself toward the summit. The route is composed of 31 sections— or pitches, and each presents a unique set of challenges to climbers of differing sizes, styles, and strengths. Still, some pitches, including the Great Roof, Changing Corners, and the Bolt Ladder, are universally demanding, making the Nose a formidable foe even for elite climbers. When Hill began her first free attempt, previous climbers had already conquered most pitches. A few others, like the Great Roof and Changing Corners, were still unconquered when Hill and her climbing partner, Simon Nadin, set off in 1993. After a routine ascent of the first 21 pitches, Hill and Nadin arrived at the Great Roof. “My foot slipped at one key point underneath the Great Roof,” Hill said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “[But] my head was so close to the roof that it stabilized me, so I didn’t fall [….] I was able to continue and make that first free ascent of the Great Roof.” Despite successfully completing one of the most challenging sections of the climb, Hill could not finish it that day. “Of course, later on, on that same ascent, we ran out of food, and we were really tired, and we didn’t find a way to climb up the Changing Corners pitch,” Hill said. Though she had free-climbed the majority of the route and performed the first free-ascent of the Great Roof, the Bolt Ladder and Changing Corners remained elusive. Together, they comprised the most difficult section, or the ‘crux’, of the route. Hill left the Yosemite Valley unsuccessful, but the Nose stayed in the back of her mind. “I wasn’t sure that [Changing Corners] was possible to even climb,” Hill said. “Because when you look at that section of rock, it looks completely blank. And it’s not obvious how to get up something so smooth. But I […] started thinking [that] maybe it [was] possible because it’s a corner. And if it’s a corner, there’s a way to get opposition. So I just thought, theoretically, there should be a way.” Hill returned to El Capitan with Brooke Sandahl, who had spent years figuring out the most difficult sections of the Nose. Between the two of them, they had climbed most of the difficult sections: Sandahl had mastered the Bolt Ladder, and Hill had unlocked the Great Roof—leaving only the crux to conquer. “The real difficulty was the Changing Corners pitch, and that involved a unique blend of backstepping and arm barring and a weird move […we called] the ‘Houdini move,’” Hill said. “It’s basically one arm bar with my right arm and then another arm bar right on top with my left so that I can […] spin 180 degrees around in the corner.” And, with that, Hill had freed the Nose.

A look at the past, present, and future of free climbing Hill’s historic free ascent has only been repeated a handful of times since, evidence of the sheer magnitude of her accomplishment. For most non-climbers, if a climb has never been done before, then it is impossible. But for Hill, it means the next logical step. “It was a natural evolution of my upbringing in a sport that was hardly known,” Hill said. “I was already somebody who was doing things that other people didn’t even understand [….] And once you’re involved in a sport like that and you’re on the cutting edge, you’re doing that stuff all the time. You know that nobody’s done it before. But nobody [had] come to the climb with the experience and the [mindset] that I had.” The Nose is just one of many first ascents attributed to Hill. For her, the motivation was never competitive—instead, it came from a desire to push the limits of possibility. “I think it comes from just the curiosity of exploring and finding out what you can do,” Hill said. “It’s very open-minded to me. Just, ‘let’s see what we can do, and put our skills together [to] find a solution.’” Hill is always pushing people to reevaluate what’s possible. She stands just 5’2”—and she is a woman. In the 70s, when Hill was first introduced to the sport, there were only a handful of female role models for her to look up to. “I knew that it was unusual [for women to climb at a high level], and yet I still felt very strongly about promoting the idea of equality when prize money was different or when people would say things like, ‘Gee, I can’t even do that,’” Hill said. “Because they’re a man, they figure they should be better than me. And it was really important to me to remind people of the truth. We’re able to do amazing things as women. We can do far more than […] previous generations believed.” Hill has inspired an entire generation of female climbers, but the benefits reach far beyond the climbing success of athletes like Margo Hayes or Ashima Shiraishi. Indeed, large-scale wall climbing can generate off-

Lynn Hill and climbing parter Brooke Sandahl were the first to free climb the Great Roof. (climbing.com)

wall inspiration as well—small people armed with the pluck and determination to take on a massive sheet of granite make people feel as though their day-to-day objectives are within reach. “I think that climbing is very positive for people,” Hill said. “I think it’s very empowering. I’ve seen how kids have gotten into climbing, and […] I think it helps them in their lives in so many other ways.” Hill hopes that climbing’s positive influence will encourage people to be better, especially in the way that we treat the precious, colossal planet that invites curious climbers into its peaks. “I like the idea that people, they get exposed to climbing, and […] they end up exploring places in the world that are beautiful,” Hill said. “And if we love nature, we have a better chance of saving it from destruction […] that is changing these places in ways that are irreversible.” After all, wall climbing is a partnership. The public eye is ensnared by audacious climbers, but cliffs, crags, and boulders play an essential role, too. The rock acts as an incubator for the sport, driving innovation and creativity—and providing boundaries that are meant to be crossed.

sports

TUESDAY, January 15, 2019

2018-19 NBA midseason awards

The league’s biggest surprises and disappointments so far Chiso Ufondu Contributor With the 2018-19 NBA season at its halfway point, The McGill Tribune presents its midseason awards, recognizing individual players and overall team performance. Biggest Individual Surprise: Derrick Rose (Minnesota Timberwolves) The 30-year-old guard has suffered multiple serious injuries throughout his career, including a torn ACL in 2012 and a torn meniscus in 2013. Rose’s performance since then has declined, but, this season, he has bounced back, playing like he did in his prime. His numbers across the board have improved immensely: He’s coming off the bench to average 18.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. Rose has played well enough to enter the conversation for the Sixth Man of the Year award. Biggest Individual Disappointment: Gordon Hayward (Boston Celtics) Raking in $31 million this season, the 28-year-old forward Gordon Hayward ranks as the sixth highest-paid player in the NBA. Hayward suffered a dislocated ankle and fractured tibia five minutes into his debut with the Boston Celtics last season, and the team was expected to be even more successful with his return this year. Playing alongside five-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, Hayward has yet to meet these expectations. He is averaging just 11.1 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per

game, and the Celtics will need more offensive output from him if they plan to be championship contenders. Biggest Team Surprise: Denver Nuggets With a 29-13 record, the Nuggets currently sit atop the Western Conference, an incredible feat given the conference’s strength and their history of unsuccessful playoff runs. This season, however, could be their first playoff appearance since the 2012-13 season. Nuggets centre Nikola Jokić has played a key role in his team’s success, leading the team in points (19.7), rebounds (10.2), and assists (7.5) per game. Other key players, such as guard Jamal Murray and shooting guard Will Barton, have made similar contributions, averaging 18.5 and 11.5 points per game, respectively. The Nuggets have established themselves as a dominant team in the league and as clear competitors for the 2018-19 finals. Biggest Team Disappointment: Washington Wizards With two straight playoff appearances and the acquisition of Dwight Howard, the Washington Wizards were easy picks to qualify for the playoffs this year. However, the Wizards have struggled throughout the first half of the season with an 18-26 record—11th in the Eastern Conference— due to poor defence and tension among players and the coaching staff. Wizards stars John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Otto Porter have also shown little-to-no improvement since the past season. With Wall undergoing surgery on his heel this past

Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has led the Milwaukee Bucks to a strong start. (Brad Mills / USA Today) Tuesday, thus putting an early end to his season, the Wizards’ chance at clawing their way back to qualify for the 2018-19 playoffs is slim. MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) Nicknamed the ‘Greek Freak’ for his incredible size and athleticism, Giannis Antetokounmpo has cemented his status as a dominating force in the league. His aggressive

style of play and ability to manoeuvre gracefully on the court has lifted the Milwaukee Bucks to second place in the Eastern Conference with a 30-12 record. The 6’11” power forward bullies his way into the paint, scoring at will and creating opportunities for his teammates. He leads his team in points (26.7), rebounds (12.6), and assists (5.9) per game and has established himself as a superstar with the potential to carry his team to the finals.

McGill men’s hockey falls to Concordia in overtime Sold-out Carnival crowd goes home disappointed Ender McDuff Staff Writer On Jan. 11, an overtime thriller ended in dismay for the McGill faithful and their men’s hockey team (12-5-4). The Carnival hockey showcase against the cross-town rival Concordia Stingers (12-7-1) ended in a 5-4 loss after a wrap-around shot cemented the Stingers’ three-goal comeback. This year’s Carnival game was the first in McGill history to sell out before the opening face-off. With 1,029 people in attendance, there was only standing room available for many of the boisterous fans. Concordia struck first just one minute and 20 seconds into the game, but McGill was quick to respond: Second-year forward Keanu Yamamoto sniped a slap shot just 20 seconds later to tie the game at 1-1. McGill excelled in transition all night, as their next goal also came on a two-on-one. Fourth-year centre Jerome Verrier’s attempted cross found the back of the net when the Concordia goalie accidentally redirected the puck on goal. McGill ended the period up 3-1 after third-year left wing Guillaume Gauthier came off the bench and immediately collected the puck to snipe a goal over the outstretched body of a Concordia defender. McGill started the second period well; they controlled the puck and managed to limit much of the play to Concordia’s end of the rink. A sudden lapse in defence, however, allowed Concordia to tip in a goal off of a rebound to bring the game within one goal, 3-2. Concordia seized the momentum, forcing third-year goaltender Louis-Philip Guindon

to make a consecutive series of spectacular saves—38 in total—to maintain McGill’s narrow lead. With four minutes left in the period, fourth-year centre Frederic Gamelin scored McGill’s final goal of the night despite being short-handed. However, a second penalty left McGill playing three-on-five, and Concordia took advantage to end the second period down 4-3. The third period started with several shots on net for both teams, but neither goaltender would give way. With six minutes left to play, a skirmish at the Concordia net left the Stingers goalie winded and helmetless and the puck across the goal line—but the referees waved off the would-be McGill score. Only 10 seconds later, a rebounded slapshot by Concordia tied the game 4-4 and sent the match to a 3-on-3 overtime. McGill started sudden-death play with two electrifying, breakaway opportunities, but neither shot succeeded. Controlling the puck, Concordia finished the game in heartbreaking fashion with a wrap-around effort, winning 5-4. “I thought we played a pretty good game, but just a couple bad bounces and they got us at the end,” fourth-year defender Redgie Bois said. “It’s really painful to lose that one, especially in front of that crowd.” Bois was very appreciative of the raucous fans, noting the encouragement that they provided. “I was really fortunate to play that game,” he said. Looking ahead, second-year forward Alex Renaud spoke to what it will take for McGill to win close matches.

Defenseman Dominic Talbot-Tassi takes a shot on goal. (Hana Shiraishi / The McGill Tribune) “It’s hard to say what we need to do differently, but we just have to stick to our game [… because] we know what it takes to win,” Renaud said. “Every game is different and we’ve just got to put it all out there.”

McGill travelled to Ottawa on Jan. 12 to play the Carleton Ravens (12-5-4) and returned home with a decisive 6-2 victory. The team’s next home game is on Jan. 18, when they will host the Laurentian Voyageurs.

MOMENT OF THE game

With McGill holding onto a one-goal lead, fourth-year centre Frederic Gamelin managed to break past all five of Concordia’s skaters and beat the goalkeeper to put McGill on top 4-2 despite being short-handed by a player.

QUOTABLE

“You know, a couple bounces go differently and we are the ones cheering and having a parade at the end of the game.” – Alex Renaud on McGill’s narrow loss

STAT CORNER

Third-year goaltender Louis-Philip Guindon played the entire 62 minutes and 30 seconds of action without rest, tallying a game-high 38 saves.