McGill Tribune Vol. 38 Issue 22

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2019 | VOL. 38 | ISSUE 22

Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

McGILLTRIBUNE.COM | @McGILLTRIBUNE

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

ELECTION COVERAGE

Unfair admissions practices go beyond Hollywood scandals

Dirtbags and rockwalls

PGSS and LICM endorsements

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PGs. 8-9

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(Nishat Prova / The McGill Tribune)

The 2019 Winter Creative Supplement

VOTE YES FOR

The McGill Tribune In the SSMU Referendum Voting period March 16 22

For more information, Please message us on Facebook or email editor@ mcgilltribune.com

See Insert

Resources for Muslim students mourning Christchurch Abeer Almahdi Opinion Editor For many students, Mar. 15 was a day of mourning: At least 50 people were killed in a terrorist attack targeting two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Although New Zealand may seem distant, for Muslim students, the fear of Islamophobic violence hits close, and it still permeates campus life. Grieving after inter-

national or even local tragedies is an incredibly isolating experience; however, it is still a part of many students’ lived realities, especially Muslim, racialized, or international students.

For Muslim students still learning how to cope with this tragedy, ///The McGill Tribune/// has compiled a list of resources that may provide help, support, or a safe space to mourn.

McGill Racialized Student

Support / Students of Colour at McGill McGill Racialized Student Support is a Facebook group with over 450 members. This group serves as a virtual resource for racialized students, offering them a safe space for discussion, posts, and questions. Students can come to this forum to exchange advice, share relevant events, or just to vent.

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Women role models hope to inspire students in STEM Zoe Doran Contributor The McGill Students Chapter for Scientista and McGill Women in Leadership Students’ Association hosted their third annual Women in STEM Panel and Roundtable event on March 12, welcoming a set of eight accomplished scientists, engineers,

and entrepreneurs. The panellists proved as adept at inviting discussion as they are at conducting research. The event encouraged an open dialogue in which students and experts shared their professional and personal struggles as women in the fields of science and technology.

The event provided an opportunity for women, people of

colour, and other marginalized students’ identities on campus to network with established professionals in science and technology fields. They were able to express sentiments of solidarity and community, and seek advice for addressing the multitude of obstacles that disadvantaged students in STEM fields face.

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news

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2019

Students worldwide march for

climate justice

Laura Oprescu News Editor Over 150,000 protesters, including university, CEGEP, and primary school students, joined the Montreal march for climate justice on March 15. The march, organized by the student movement La planète s’invite à l’Université, was one of more than 2,000 of its kind in 125 countries. Around 1,500 McGill students attended the McGill Walkout for Climate Justice demonstration held in front of the Arts Building, later joining a coalition of delegations from other universities and CEGEPs for the main demonstration at JeanneMance Park.

The McGill Walkout’s organizers made three demands of McGill University: That it publicly acknowledge that fossil fuel companies cause grave injurious impacts on humans and the natural environment, that it immediately divest from fossil fuel companies, and that it urge the federal and provincial governments to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which states that Indigenous peo-

Over 1,500 McGill students joined the peaceful protest

ples have the right to conserve and protect the environment. Further, the organizers called on the provincial and federal governments to implement an emergency climate action plan.

Jacqueline Lee-Tam, U1 Environment and Economics and one of the organizers of the McGill walkout, sees no excuse for McGill to postpone divestment. “[Divestment] is a first step, and it is not radical,” Lee-Tam said. “Entire cities, states, and countries have divested. It is more than possible, and higher returns are being seen in fossil-free investments.”

Lee-Tam believes that declaring a climate emergency is the only way to prevent further irreversible climate destruction and that youth voices are essential to bringing about policy change at the international level.

“What would be radical would be to be complacent on this issue, to not act,” Lee-Tam said. “It’s our future, that’s the whole point of the youth [movement]. We’re taking the power back to have a say in what our future will look like.”

Alex Allard-Gray, member of the Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation and outreach administrator for the Indigenous Health Profes-

An estimated 1.4 million people marched worldwide across 125 countries. (Leanne Young / The McGill Tribune) sional Program at McGill, explained that students need to collectively mobilize to amplify their voices.

“Students are very future-minded,” Allard-Gray said. “They’re not only learning about [climate change], but they’re experiencing a lot of these changes first-hand. A lot of us are not in decision-making roles, and it feels out of our hands. That can feel like a very hopeless environment, but, by coming together in these large groups and showing solidarity for [wanting] to change how we are [treating] the environment, it makes our voices heard.”

Allard-Gray pointed out that Indigenous communities often shoulder the most serious consequences of climate destruction.

“There have been constant promises of things to come, and it feels like lip service,” Allard-Gray said. “When [Trudeau’s government is] working with Indigenous peoples, we want to feel included. We want to feel as if we have a say when it comes to what is being done in our territories [....] Governments are going to have to start respecting Indigenous access to land. Consultation should not be a chore.”

Mostafa Henaway, a community worker at the Immigrant Workers’ Centre, explained that climate change disproportionately harms the global south, driving mass displacement and migration.

“This is the natural outcome of a system where profit exceeds everything else,” Henaway said. “[Of a system where] where profit exceeds our democracy, our humanity, Indigenous peoples’ rights [...] to self-determine, the right for people to have decent and living jobs, [...and] for people to not be displaced on their lands. It’s a crisis for all of us, but we’re going to make it a crisis for them.”

Many elementary and high school students were present at the Montreal March.

Zoe Desharbes, a student at Villa-Maria elementary school, explained that it is important for children to make their voices heard because climate change will impact their futures the most.

“We’re here today because [the] climate is changing [and] the planet is dying,” Desharbes said. “It was really nice to see how many people came today. It’s a shame that they didn’t cancel school so that we could all come out.”

news

TUESDAY, march 19, 2019

YES

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PGSS Elections 2019 and Legal Information Clinic (LICM) existence referendum

LICM Existence Referendum The Legal Information Clinic at McGill (LICM) provides essential services for McGill students. It serves as a convenient, free resource for those seeking information on legal matters such as housing laws, defamation, and more. Staffed by current students in the Faculty of Law, the LICM gives McGill law students handson experience. In addition to hosting educational workshops, the LICM’s outreach work includes providing information on a variety of topics including legal name changes, immigration issues, and child custody concerns. Information on legal name changes is particularly essential for many transgender students who are transitioning. The LICM’s existence is also crucial for marginalized students and students struggling with housing and landlord problems, which is a particularly important role as landlords may take advantage of students who are unfamiliar with Quebec housing law. The McGill Tribune endorses a ‘yes’ vote in the LICM Existence Referendum to allow the organization to continue to help the McGill community.

YES

YES

YES

Financial Affairs Officer

Maria Tippler

Academic Affairs Officer

Dakota Rogers

First year master’s student in Microbiology and Immunology Connie Shen’s experience sitting on the Committee of Monetary Affairs and her commitment to putting unused funding in the hands of graduate students merits an endorsement from The McGill Tribune. Shen’s platform focuses on better communicating funding opportunities to undergraduate students by building structured and transparent relationships with departmental associations which can, in turn, communicate these opportunities to their constituents. As the FAO she would like to optimize PGSS investments and explore the possibility of establishing a sponsorship commissioner. Shen also wants to establish and share clear funding criteria with students to ensure more equitable evaluations. Her experience working with her departmental association and on the Committee of Monetary Affairs gives the Tribune confidence that she will be able to tackle these projects along with the governance restructuring that PGSS will undergo in the next academic year.

With two years of experience as a PGSS executive, Tippler has demonstrated her commitment to improving communication, transparency, and institutional memory at PGSS. During the 2017-18 academic year, Tippler served as Secretary General and extensively documented procedures and practices to improve institutional knowledge within the society. In her tenure as Academic Affairs Officer (AAO) this year, Tippler has worked to improve communication between executives and the graduate student body by creating an online forum where graduate students can voice their concerns.

Tippler has also efficiently supervised the Library Improvement Fund’s implementation after McGill’s Library Services mishap in Nov. 2018. Tippler has campaigned on a commitment to accountability and student engagement, To address graduate students’ limited engagement with PGSS committees, she has proposed opening up the groups to short-term volunteers. Given her experience with the PGSS and her record of open communication with students, the Tribune is confident that Tippler will continue to effectively represent students if she is re-elected as AAO.

Dakota Rogers is an experienced and innovative candidate for the position of Secretary-General of PGSS. Rogers, a PhD candidate in the Department of Physiology, has been involved in PGSS for the past year as Vice-President External for the Physiology Graduate Students’ Association and a Councillor at the PGSS Council. He has also served on the society’s Judicial Board and its Academic Affairs as well as the Equity, Diversity, and McGill’s Academic Policy Committees.

His volume of experience with PGSS’s activities supports his goal of creating up-to-date governing documents and an inclusive Council space.

Rogers intends to further conversations within PGSS about the accountability and sustainability of representatives’ responsibilities. His platform encourages engaging graduate students by illustrating the advantages and minimal time commitment that committee membership entails.

Rogers’ goals promote an informed long-term vision for PGSS and stress the importance of healthy ties to the McGill community while also working to diminish the graduate student body’s varied barriers to success.

Connie Shen

Secretary General

McGill receives $1.8 million to reduce its carbon footprint

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna visits McGill to announce funding program Helen Wu Staff Writer McGill has received $1.8 million in funding from the Canadian federal government’s Low Carbon Economy Fund (LCEF) for three projects aimed at lowering the university’s carbon footprint. Catherine McKenna, Canada’s minister of Environment and Climate Change, visited McGill on Feb. 22 to announce the decision.

“The federal government is partnering with McGill University, where McGill will receive up to $1.8 million under our Low Carbon Economy Challenge,” McKenna said. “We challenge businesses, universities, hospitals, and schools around Canada to come up [with] solutions that will reduce emissions, and McGill came up with a very practical solution.”

According to Interim Director of Utilities and Energy Management Jerome Conraud, McGill’s greenhouse gas emissions totalled 56,004 tonnes in 2017. With the LCEF funding the decarbonization of McGill’s energy systems, that number is expected to be reduced by 18 per cent. The first project, which will take place during summer 2019 at the Gault Nature Reserve, will convert all remaining oil heating boilers on the site to electric ones. Once the conversion is complete, Gault’s only source of greenhouse gas emissions will be its fleet of vehicles.

The second project, set to take place during summer 2020, consists of replacing one of the four natural gas boilers in the downtown campus powerhouse with an electric one. The space freed up through this change will accommodate the third project, the installation of a heat recovery system, during summer 2021.

Conraud explained that carbon dioxide and methane, by-

McGill students have a relatively high carbon footprint due to the school’s size and research intensity. (reporter.mcgill.ca) products from burning natural gases, contribute to global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Since electricity in Quebec is not generated by burning natural gases, converting McGill’s energy systems to electric will significantly reduce the institution’s carbon emissions.

“In the United States and Alberta, for instance, the electricity they consume comes mainly from coal or natural gas,” Conraud said. “Instead of using dams, as they do in Quebec and [British Columbia], or instead of using windmills, they burn coal or oil or natural gas, and that generates a lot of carbon dioxide.”

McGill’s high energy consumption is a product of its research capacity. Conraud pointed out that most of the power is dedicated to ventilating the university’s labs.

“What consumes [the] most energy at McGill is research

labs,” Conraud said. “We do have a lot of research labs. We have fume hoods, and because we need to constantly evacuate contaminants in the air so that people can work safely in labs, we have high ventilation rates.”

McGill Climate Officer Ali Rivers believes that the LCEF will play a key role in helping McGill realize its Vision 2020 sustainability strategy, particularly its long-term goal of carbon neutrality by 2040.

“We would’ve converted one of those boilers at some point down the line, but it would have been more on the long-term goals,” Rivers said. “This is so great because the sooner we do these conversions, the sooner we are reducing our legacy footprint. Once that electric boiler is installed, 8,600 tons of CO2 will be reduced every year.”

Rivers referred to McGill’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2017, which includes comparisons between McGill and other Quebec and American universities. McGill’s level of 1.02 tons of carbon dioxide emitted per student in 2017 might appear modest compared to Harvard University’s 9.20 tons per student; however, the University of Montreal proves to be even more carbon friendly with carbon dioxide emitted per student at only 0.59 tons.

“Generally speaking, McGill has a higher relative footprint per student and per square foot than other Quebec universities mainly due to size and research intensity,” Rivers said. “But, we have a lower footprint than all of our American peers, and that is a result of our electricity grid, which is renewable.”

Rivers suggested that McGill staff and students can make choices everyday such as carpooling, taking public transit, and turning off electronics that are not in use to help reduce their personal carbon footprint.

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news

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2019

Annual Montreal anti-police brutality demonstration ends in riot Montreal police made two arrests for mischief and uttering threats Helen Wu Staff Writer Protestors took to the streets in downtown Montreal on March 15 for the 23rd annual antipolice brutality demonstration organized by It’s Going Down, an organization that describes itself as a digital anarchist community centre. The event was initially peaceful, beginning in the evening with a gathering at Norman Bethune Square. Food Against Fascists provided meals to the crowd, and community members took turns delivering speeches highlighting the history of police brutality continuing in Montreal.

Jeremy Thomas, Welding and Fitting student at Laurier Macdonald Vocational Centre, described how intense police surveillance has affected his career. Although he does not believe his situation will change, he came out in support of his fellow residents.

“The police have actually completely destroyed my life,” Thomas said. “I started in Calgary.

I was involved with gangs and crime, [and] when that was going on, I had lots of run-ins with the police and justice system. The police became very emotionally attached to me due to the fact that they can’t get me through the justice system. They got me fired from my jobs and constantly bombarded my house with drones, airplanes [and] helicopters.”

From May 2016 to April 2017, the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) launched a pilot project to evaluate the feasibility of deploying body cameras. 78 patrol members wore the cameras during the project, but the decision to deploy

Four people were injured and three people were arrested at last year’s protest. (Helen Wu / The McGill Tribune) them was rejected by Montreal’s public security committee due to their cost and ineffectiveness.

Member of Mouvement Action Justice Robin Edgar claimed that the police’s abusive power extends beyond physical brutality and includes misconduct like false arrests and repression of speech.

Edgar believes that body cameras promote better behaviour by police and suggested that officers of the SPVM begin to employ them.

“I think the SPVM has too much influence over politics,” Edgar said. “They have too much power making excuses like, ‘it’s too expensive.’ I do a lot of videoing of police myself and they be-

have better when they know they are being filmed.”

Event organizer and member of the Industrial Workers of the World Tessa Mascia denounced the SPVM for the shooting of Nicholas Gibbs, an unarmed 23-year-old father from Montreal’s NotreDame-de-Grâce neighbourhood, in August 2018.

Mascia went on to provide more vivid accusations of how he believes the SPVM have abused their power.

“We have the displeasure today of being surrounded by Montreal’s supposed finest, the SPVM,” Masica said. “Whereas as firefighters have a specific mandate to save people, the state

agents of the SPVM do nothing but further tax the already burdened working class with more state fines. They’re the goons of the condo developers when they push out homeless people, and their hands are dirty with the neocolonial genocide of natives in precarious social conditions here on the island [of Montreal] itself.”

Mascia believes that police brutality is a serious problem in Montreal, rife with both physical violence and discriminatory behaviours. She claims that the SPVM targets marginalized groups to reach their ticket quota and she does not believe that policing has any place in today’s society.

“We need to make policing obsolete, not just by talking about this [issue], but by gathering together and building those better communities [and] those better services,” Mascia said. “There’s absolutely nothing [the police] can do to better train or protect its citizens. The only [solution] is if we as a people dismantle the institution of policing.”

Immediately after the speeches, the group of a few hundred protestors stormed north. They marched down Sherbrooke, setting off fireworks, throwing flares, and chanting ‘No justice, no peace, f*ck the police.” Some individuals began to smash the windows of stores and parked cars, uttering threats and breaking out into fights. The demonstration quickly began to resemble a riot and police were on standby in riot gear.

As a smoke bomb was set off, the SPVM ordered the protestors to disperse due to illegal behaviour that was ‘endangering safety and public order.’

The SPVM has reported on Twitter that two arrests were made for mischief and uttering threats.

SSMU sanctions over 100 clubs

Several clubs allege sanctions were implemented unfairly Jacqueline Yao Staff Writer Since the start of Winter 2019, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) has been enforcing stricter regulations on its member clubs, sanctioning around 100 according to SSMU VP Finance Jun Wang. Although SSMU sent an email to member clubs on Feb. 18 with a reminder of regulations governing student groups, several clubs and services allege that they were not given sufficient warning or were sanctioned before the email was sent.

To remain in good standing, SSMU clubs must fulfill criteria by submitting audited financial reports, attending training workshops, adhering to SSMU and McGill policies, and informing SSMU of off-campus events 20 days prior to their start date. Clubs and services must list SSMU as the legal entity when signing contracts with parties external to McGill and must request insurance for any events held outside the SSMU building. Since the SSMU building is currently closed for renovations, all events are held elsewhere and, therefore, require insurance through SSMU. Around 100 clubs have reportedly failed to abide by SSMU policies and were denied access to their bank accounts, barred from booking venues, and subjected to status revision. Wang contends that SSMU did not have the capacity to enforce many of these regulations before transitioning to a centralized bank account in fall 2018, which has allowed it to view clubs’ financial statements and keep track of all their activities.

“Over the summer, the Club Auditor [Richie Youm] and the Comptroller [Desmond Rodrigues] created a comprehensive auditing process to make sure that [clubs

undergo] a real audit rather than just [SSMU] checking [clubs’] number of receipts,” Wang said. “Prior to [the bank centralization], we did not have the information or structure to say if clubs did something wrong [....] This year, because we have the resources, we found a lot of [club financial] activities to be very much sanctionable.”

The McGill Polish Students’ Association (MPSA) is one of several SSMU clubs whose members hold that they were unfairly sanctioned. In August 2018, MPSA signed for a food permit from the Montreal government to sell food at Polski Piknik Montréal, a Polish festival. After receiving a payment demand from Régie des marchés agricoles et alimentaires du Québec, SSMU froze the club’s bank account until the end of the semester for signing the contract. MPSA President Ryszard Kubinski expressed frustration over MPSA being sanctioned without warning SSMU VP Finance Jun Wang cites staff shortage for the lack of workshops and believes that, due to high turnover among club execu- outlining SSMU internal regulations. (Amanda Fiore / The McGill Tribune) tives, SSMU should devote more resources toward making “It’s [...] not fair because a lot of clubs that were planenforceable regulations clear.

“When I was handed down the club, I knew that we ning events at the same time and didn’t launch yet were had to attend finance workshops, but there was no mention able to get SSMU to sign the contracts,” one of the club’s of [regulations about entering into] contracts,” Kubinski co-presidents said. “But, for us, since we had already pubsaid. “We are not running around trying to break all these licized our event, SSMU said that we got sanctioned. It regulations, we are just trying to have a small Polish com- is really not advantageous to us if every single event we munity at McGill. If you are going to have a sustainability do, and we have events every month, requires one to two workshop, you should have a workshop for the rules that months in advance of notifying SSMU.” Wang maintains that SSMU’s inability to enforce you are going to enforce.”

Another SSMU club, which wishes to remain anony- regulations in the past does not excuse clubs who have mous, was sanctioned for signing a contract and not sub- recently violated SSMU policies.

“When I sit down with [club executives] and explain mitting insurance information for its event in February.

The co-presidents of the club believe that the regulations the situation, I feel that most understand why [I can’t were applied inconsistently and that SSMU’s tightened waive their sanctions],” Wang said. “I have yet to waive a controls will present logistical obstacles for the club’s op- sanction I deemed was appropriate because I don’t want to set a dangerous precedent.” erations.

opinion

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2019

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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

Unfair admissions practices go beyond Hollywood scandals Every spring, prospective McGill students begin to receive their offers of admission. These students will have among the highest grades of their graduating class: The mean grade 12 academic average for an accepted non-Quebec Canadian student was 93.7 per cent in fall 2017. However, McGill’s extremely competitive admissions cutoffs make the university susceptible to certain problems: For example, grade inflation is pervasive, particularly in private schools accessible only to the upper class. McGill must ensure that its admissions process does not give the children of affluent families an unfair advantage.

Grade inflation, by its nature, worsens over time: Schools that market their students’ sky-high postsecondary acceptance rates have to boost their students’ grades each year to keep up with competitors.

Some students even go outside of their regular high-schools in search of a better GPA, opting to ‘buy grades’ by taking more difficult classes at ‘credit mills’ outside of their schools. In 2011, a Toronto Star investigation found that the Toronto Collegiate Institute, one such credit

mill, was giving its students final grades that were mathematically impossible given their test results.

These courses provide an unfair advantage to students who can afford to access these outside classes: A representative from TCI told the Tribune in a phone call that they charge $450 for a grade 12 biology course.

The admissions process for the University of Waterloo’s (UoW) Faculty of Engineering provides a template for how McGill and other universities can address this problem.

Beginning in the 1990s, the UoW faculty began to measure grade inflation across Ontario high schools and adjust for it in their admissions process. After determining the average difference between students’ grade 12 and first-year university marks, UoW determined the overall average for each school: If students from a particular high school have significantly lower grades when they arrive at university, Waterloo infers that their high school was padding their grades. Future applicants’ marks are adjusted accordingly during the admissions process. McGill should follow UoW’s lead and launch their

own internal investigation on grade inflation statistics.

Still, Canadian admissions processes are fairer than their American counterparts: For example, admissions essays and extracurricular activities, common considerations in the US, are typically reserved for the most competitive programs in Canada. Including these nonacademic factors stacks the deck in favour of students whose families have the means to support these often expensive pursuits. Legacy admissions, a concept relatively unseen in Canada, still gives US students an advantage if their family are alumni. Furthermore, the consideration of non-merit-based factors in university admissions has historically been used to bar entry to students from particular ethnic backgrounds: McGill maintained an unofficial cap on the number of Jewish students it would admit until after World War II, and Harvard University is currently being sued for allegedly discriminating against Asian-Americans in its admissions practices.

McGill’s grades-only approach offers a more level playing field. For

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EDITORIAL most undergraduate students, the only non-academic factor included in applications is an optional letter in which applicants can explain why their transcripts may not accurately reflect their potential. Exceptions at McGill are the Faculty of Education, whose prospective students are required to submit a letter of intent, and the Faculty of Music, which also requires an audition and music reference letter. However, this relatively equitable system is also more vulnerable to the effects of grade inflation: McGill’s mean acceptance average has climbed by approximately 0.45 per cent every year since 2006 with the exception of 2013.

Wealth will always provide advantages within a university and beyond. However, universities have a responsibility to minimize any unfair advantages. An equitable environment for students is not just an intrinsic good; fostering a meritocratic system, where any student’s talent can flourish, enhances McGill’s academic climate. McGill must take steps to address the threat that grade inflation poses to equity— for its applicants’ benefit and its own.

Multimedia Editor Tristan Surman multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Luya Ding webdev@mcgilltribune.com Tristan Sparks online@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Melissa Langley copy@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Falah Rajput business@mcgilltribune.com

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staff Peter Ball, Hannibal de Pencier, Taja De Silva, Kyle Dewsnap, Owen Gibbs, Emma Gillies, Sabrina GirardLamas, Mary Keith, Sunny Kim, Sydney King, Winne Lin, Ronny, Litvack-Katzman, 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 Grace Bahler, Adam Bur ton, Liam Chung, Stephanie Deng, Zoe Doran, Sabrina GirardLamas, Tomas Jirousek, Sunny Kim, Daria Kiseleva, Burcu Konuralp, Kennedy McKeeBraide, Catherine Morrison, Leyla Moy, Alec Regino, Chiso Ufondu, Margaret Wdowiak

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Calvin Trottier-Chi Managing Editor I feel awkward at parties.It’s not the drinking, the dancing, or the slurred attempts at small talk, all of which I am shamelessly bad at. It’s the fear that somewhere, sometime, I’ll be asked to put my music on shuffle.

There is an unwarranted anxiety that comes with showcasing your musical tastes to the general public. Even describing the music as ‘yours’ is a stretch. Spotify tells me that my tastes are so predictable

If I die, delete my iTunes history they can consolidate them into a simple algorithm. Still, I can’t help but feel like my taste in music represents me. As such, I perceive my musical taste as something special that needs to be preserved, even if some of my friends may make fun of me for liking the World of Warcraft soundtrack.

This discomfort is a result of music becoming increasingly personal over time. The founders of the historical roots of modern Western music are usually the people who had the time and money to invest in it: The aristocracy. A shift happened after the invention of the printing press, and, later, the radio, which made widespread creation and enjoyment of music possible for all social classes. This increased accessibility made it a tool for the marginalized rather than the establishment: The black community created soul music as a space for artistic expression, and Indigenous rap has become an increasingly popular form of empowerment.

Music is a special form of expression that connects multiple

disciplines. Music is often considered a way to connect with innermost emotions.

Scientifically, music can interact with dopamine levels, and people suffering from disorders like Alzheimer’s can still sometimes remember music, even if they can’t recall much else.

Meanwhile, as wandering around with headphones blaring at fullvolume becomes a normal part of daily life, music is a constant and almost intimate, companion.

On average, studies suggest that Canadians listen to music for 24 hours per week. Today, by virtue of having entire computers in our pockets, we have an entire orchestra in there, too.

People are especially insecure about their music tastes because it feels almost fundamental to their personality.

Just think about how fundamental music is to subcultures: An entire genre of Montreal life exists thanks to Mac DeMarco.The act of listening to music is an opportunity to find solace, and exposing one’s preferences is almost equivalent to baring one’s soul. This can be tough when

vulnerability is too often seen as synonymous with weakness.

If musical taste ever arrises as a source of insecurity, it is valuable to paraphrase the immortal words of the Incredibles: “If everything is personal preferences, nothing is.” Openly touting your musical preferences can even liberating in a perverse way; as every part of one’s identity is susceptible to scrutiny in the public sphere, it is futile to worry about the individual quirks that likely nobody will notice. Even if others do take note, it is a noble goal to encourage people to be accepting of others following the beat of their own drums, with regard to musical taste and otherwise. While the wider accessibility of music is something to be cherished, there is a need to remember its original purpose as a way to share across communities.

Musical taste should be a source of pride, not insecurity. If all else fails, the next time someone asks you if you want the aux chord just recite this article verbatim—you probably won’t be asked again.

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opinion

commentary

Tomas Jirousek SSMU Indigenous Affairs Commissioner The R*dmen name hangs like a shadow over McGill Athletics.

As the experiences of those who’ve campaigned to replace the name have shown, the name limits accessibility for Indigenous students and contributes to our sense of isolation on campus.

commentary

Kennedy McKee-Braide Contributor “Systemic change, not climate change” and “we need solutions, change the institutions,” were among the slogans chanted by McGill students at the Youth Climate Strike on Mar. 15.

One-hundred-twenty-five cities around the world participated in the protest, calling for governments and institutions to adopt environmentally-sustainable policies to help diminish the effects of climate change. Protests like the Youth Climate Strike demonstrate that individuals alone cannot counter climate change; governments and institutions must be held accountable.

Popular environmentalist movements often focus on the steps individuals should take to combat climate change. Elementary school students learn to turn off the lights when they leave a room, close the faucet when they brush their teeth, and recycle. The logic behind these actions lead to fad movements like banning straws and going vegan.

However, these solutions are unlikely to make a significant difference on their own, as they often assume that such lifestyle changes are accessible

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2019

Stand with Indigenous students and vote ‘No’ to the Athletics Facility Improvement Fee The #ChangeTheName campaign clearly articulates our reasons for a name change, and I am proud of the incredible allyship shown by the student body, professors, and individual athletes who stand with us. Sadly, McGill Athletics has failed to demonstrate this same courage by refusing to change the name or address the concerns of Indigenous students.

In light of the #ChangeTheName campaign, students should vote ‘no’ to the proposed Athletics Facility Improvement Fee levy in the upcoming Student’s Society of McGill University (SSMU) Winter Referendum from March 26–29.

The Athletics facility remains a hostile environment for Indigenous students, and the improvements to the facility that the fee would fund fail to support an inclusive approach to

addressing mental health issues for students on campus. It is nearly impossible for a student to enter the Athletics facility without confronting some manifestation of the name, whether its physical representation or its history and legacy. The Final Report of the Working Group on the Principles of Commemoration and Renaming includes quotes from an Indigenous student expressing that the name makes her feel as if she is a ‘ghost’ and an ‘erased pencil mark’ at McGill. Another Indigenous student described how the name makes him feel ‘sick.’

Given that we, as Indigenous students, feel so excluded by the name, its physical manifestation only isolates us further. While some Indigenous students have been able to reconcile the name’s history and continue to use the space offered by McGill Athletics,

we should not have to concede our identities to use a space that is supposed to be available to all students.

As a student athlete myself, I recognize how essential a safe exercise and practice environment is. Even throughout the #ChangeTheName campaign, being a part of the rowing team offered me a sense of stability, and my coaches and teammates have been sources of support. I would love to see improvements to the Athletics facility, but only if these changes benefit the entire McGill community. As it stands, access to the athletic opportunities is limited for Indigenous students at McGill, forcing us to find more expensive and inconvenient spaces for physical activity offcampus.

Our campaign to #ChangeTheName was successful

in rallying an impressive 79 per cent vote in support of changing the name during the Fall 2018 SSMU Referendum. This vote powerfully demonstrated that the non-Indigenous student body stands in solidarity with us, proving our collective commitment to the values of inclusivity, respect, and the recognition of Indigenous rights.

We must hold true to those same values that we pushed for in the Fall Referendum. Even though the men’s varsity team name is not on the ballot during this referendum period, there are still opportunities to fight for Indigenous inclusivity. By voting ‘No’ to the Athletics Facility Improvement Fee, we can demonstrate the same commitment to the values that we stood for during the #ChangeTheName campaign.

Students can’t stop climate change on their own to all and ignore economic, cultural, and physical barriers. Moreover, they place the blame on individuals, rather than on corporations causing massive damage. As the organizers of last week’s climate demonstration in front of the Arts Building highlighted in their speeches, governments and institutions like McGill should be using their power to fight against climate change.

Climate activism has been on the rise in recent years in response to the influx of data showing that, without large-scale changes to our treatment of the planet, both Earth and its inhabitants will suffer in the years to come. Outcomes include food shortages, poorer air quality, more natural disasters, and the destruction of public infrastructure. These negative consequences will disproportionately affect people of colour and workingclass communities; low-income groups are more likely to be forced to live in areas that experience climate change’s effects at a higher rate while lacking the means to protect themselves and their homes. This knowledge has ignited a widespread sense of panic that is particularly strong among young people, who fear for their chance to lead long, healthy lives.

Increasingly, research proving that climate change is the result of structural factors, notably unregulated capitalism that values profit over all else, often at the expense of the environment. The choice to blame the actions of the individual is no coincidence, as the rich and powerful refuse to admit their faults or give up some of their wealth to save the planet.

Young people, racialized groups, and the working class are expected to bear the consequences of mistakes that they did not make.

McGill has a role to play in the fight for climate justice. Banning plastic

water bottles is an important step, but the school should devote more time and energy to initiatives like reconsidering its investments and approaches its renovation projects. Divest McGill has been active on campus in recent years in an attempt to persuade the university to stop investing in the fossil fuel industry. While the initiative has experienced some success, with the Senate voting to support divestment, the Board of Governors (BoG) continues to refuse to vote on the issue. The Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR), which

cartoon

advises the BoG on the social impacts of its investments, is currently investigating the possibility of fossil fuel divestment.

It’s essential that CAMSR recognizes the social ills of fossil fuels, and that the BoG heed their recommendations.

Recently, McGill received $1.8 million from the federal government’s Low-Carbon Economy Fund for Climate Action. The money will go towards an upgrade to the university’s heating system to reduce its carbon footprint as a part of its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. While this is a worthy initiative, it is hypocritical

that McGill continues to dance around the subject of divestment while boasting about its other plans. McGill’s investments will not matter if the planet does not have a proper future. It is time to abandon the rhetoric that young people must single-handedly save our planet while those who created the problem sit back and watch, knowing that they may not even be alive to suffer the consequences. McGill is a powerful institution that has significantly contributed to the deterioration of the environment, and, therefore, it has a responsibility to lead efforts to restore it.

No more reading break? Have a Kit Kat. Kaitlin E. Wong Contributor

student living

TUESDAY, march 19, 2019

7

Resources for Muslim students mourning Christchurch Grieving after international tragedy Abeer Almahdi Opinion Editor

Continued from page 1.

For students of colour who may feel isolated on campus, this group can give Muslim students a place to comfortably share their feelings in a supportive environment.

The Muslim Students’ Association The Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) provides regular spaces for Muslim students to come together and find community, including weekly Jum’uah (Friday) prayers, discussion circles, social events, and workshops. In the past, they have also held events including an Islamic Geometry workshop, a Q&A with Muslim Law students, and Iftar dinners for Ramadan. On March 18, they co-hosted a vigil for the Christchurch victims at the Y-Intersection.

Naseeha Naseeha provides an judgemental,

Helpline is a hotline that “anonymous, nonconfidential and

toll-free peer-support helpline” centred around supporting Muslim youth across North America.

However, anyone can access their services regardless of religion.

For Muslim students, a hotline with the express purpose of listening to their lived experience is particularly helpful, especially regarding issues of discrimination, culture, and mental health.

Naseeha is available daily from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. (EST) at 1.866.

NASEEHA. Online mental health resources Dealing with the emotional stress of grieving can take a major toll on students’ mental health. For those who do not want to seek in-person help from counselling services, online resources can make seeking help more accessible. For example, Empower Me connects students with qualified counsellors, consultants, and life coaches. Under the Student’s Society of McGill University’s health plan, students have access to telephone counselling, video-counselling, and e-counselling services. Empower Me is available 24/7,

On Mar. 18, a vigil at the Y-Intersection honoured the victims of the Christchurch attack.. (Elli Slavitch / The McGill Tribune) year-round, and is confidential and faith-inclusive. Another option is 7 Cups, which also serves as an online chat service that connects individuals with volunteer counsellors. Additionally, 7 Cups has a ‘Young People of Color’ support network with over 5,020 members.

Student-run resources Besides online resources, McGill student volunteers run organizations on campus dedicated to mental health support.

McGill Students’ Nightline offers a “confidential, anonymous, and non-judgmental listening service” for students, including a chatline for online support. The

resource runs from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. every night. The Peer Support Centre which provides an in-person listening service for students. Student-run resources like Nightline and the Peer Support Centre provide free and accessible options for students to receive support without leaving campus.

Mapping McGill’s campus McGill’s Open Mapping Group collaboratively tracks accessible routes on campus Leyla Moy Contibutor On Feb. 20, McGill’s student-run Open Mapping Group (OMG) partnered with Right to Campus to enjoy some mapping and hot chocolate.

Participants at the event amassed data for what will become the Interactive Accessibility Network (IAN), a navigation service that serves students with disabilities on McGill’s Downtown and MacDonald campuses. Last month’s event marked OMG’s third gathering of the semester and caps off the group’s first year of collaborating with the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) to create the IAN. The club, which was founded by a group of geography students focuses on bringing people together to map in a relaxed environment.

“OMG, in general, is interested in promoting the use of open-source mapping software,” President Max Noiseaux said.

Currently, the group is making use of openmapping software by working on the IAN at the OSD’s request; however, last year, the group’s focus was on mapping in support of international humanitarian causes, which, Noiseaux called its ‘essence.’ An earlier mapathon event enlisted students to update the map of Khaipur, Pakistan in an effort to empower local students and community members to petition their government for infrastructure improvements. At the club’s launch on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day 2017, OMG emphasized the need for open mapping and its vital role in humanitarian work. Their aim of contributing to publicly sourced and avail-

able geographic information served to empower international political movements and has evolved to support local accessibility advocacy as well.

Early events also contributed to the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOTOSM), an international open mapping group that aggregates usergenerated data on OpenStreetMap, an editable public world map, that contributes to humanitarian response and economic development. “[HOTOSM focuses on] essentially mapping areas where data is going to be used for natural disaster aid or projects that […] governments have been working on to increase data availability in their countries,” Noiseaux said.

In the past year, OMG has stepped into a supporting role to Chris Liang, the project coordinator of the IAN who is tasked with mapping out accessibility points on campus. This year’s events have focused on mobilizing the student population to help acquire geographic data and raising awareness on campus about the existence of the IAN project. The focus on the IAN has put OMG’s international humanitarian roots on the back burner; however, their core drive to empower disadvantaged communities with free geographic knowledge has remained a constant throughout the group’s existence.

“We’re still committed to finding opportunities to promote open geospatial data in all spheres,” Noiseaux said.

The distinction of publically collected data is an important one. OMG contributes to OpenStreetMap (OSM), which resembles Google Maps but is open-sourced—similar to Wikipedia in that

OMG makes geographic data more widely available to students with accessibility concerns. (OMG McGill) anyone can contribute to the collaborative, editable world map. OSM can provide more detailed geographical information through the input of a wider range of contributors representing diverse interests, making it a richer resource for users to research an area’s accessibility. Additionally, it contributes to the democratization of map data: OSM is both available to the public and rooted in volunteer-generated information. While Google Maps provides information at the discretion of their parent company, OSM provides a platform for user-sourced data that benefits the community more broadly.

Enlisting McGill students to help develop routes on campus was a natural progression from a focus on open-source mapping. Now in its fourth semester of existence, OMG aims to diversify events, expand, and get the word out to students from departments and faculties outside of geography. This academic year, they have also held

a mapping party and a map crawl—a bar crawl where participants mapped features along the way.

“We try [to make mapping] a bit more fun [to] attract people who might not [usually] be interested in mapping but might want to see it in a more casual way,” Noiseaux said.

OMG McGill currently operates as a small group, but hopes to raise greater awareness about their various collaborative, open-source mapping projects through both typical and out-of-the-box events. Weekly meetings, usually held on Wednesdays from 4 to 5 p.m. in Burnside Hall 512, are open to anyone on campus interested in learning about mapping, and the group welcomes students from outside geography. Through its collaborative work, OMG’s ongoing project contributes more than geographic knowledge; it connects with issues of democracy and accessibility that resonate on campus and beyond.

Dirtbags and

rockwalls A look into the niche, diverse rock climbing community "On belay?"

"Belay on."

I learned this informal, yet necessary, exchange early on in life.

When my dad brought me to the gym with him as a child, I could either sit on the couches outside of the courts waiting for his match to be over or try my hand at climbing the gym’s sevenstory climbing wall. The transition from the squash area to the climbing area was always a remarkable one. At the squash courts, I was rarely allowed to enter, much less play. The climbing wall, on the other hand, was the special area of the gym for the people with tattoos, piercings, and dyed hair who taught me how to set up a harness and climb; they were people who believed in the physical capabilities of a seven-year-old. I was immediately romanced. I would scurry over to the wall, excited about choosing which colour chalk bag I would clip onto my harness.

I would repeat the mandatory phrases, coat chalk over my calloused little hands, and begin my ascent. After making it as far up as I could, I always looked down at the tiny people below me and thought that I could have done it without the rope. But, as always, I’d let go of the wall, allowing the belayer to gradually lower me back down to the ground.

Once a niche sport, the popularity of climbing has grown exponentially in the last few years. According to the Climbing Business Journal, there are currently 745 climbing gyms in North America, up from 495 in 2014.

Most mid-to-large sized cities have at least one indoor climbing facility, and climbing will be an official discipline at the Summer Olympics for the first

"Climbing?"

"Climb on."

time in Tokyo in 2020. This boom in interest and facilities is largely a result of the sport’s welcoming environment and the minimal requirements with regard to equipment.

Domenic Martel, a manager at Bloc Shop, a local bouldering gym, started climbing when he was 20-years-old. He was immediately drawn to bouldering, a type of climbing that does not require ropes or harnesses.

Boulderers ascend climbing walls, usually indoors, in short and intense sprints. Although many climbers hone their technique at indoor facilities, especially during the harsh Montreal winters, most prefer to climb outside.

“When I’m bouldering outside, I love the way [that] I need to inspect all [of] the small edges and wrinkles in the hard granite,” Martel said. “It’s so satisfying to feel [like] you are in control of the movements. I love the feeling of my shoes sticking on those small holds on the rock. Plus, I learn a lot [... from] climbing. It teaches me patience, balance, [and] discipline.”

Most climbers were introduced to the tight-knit community through their love of the outdoors. Wherever there are rocks to climb, there are climbers climbing, and, consequently, the network attracts a diverse array of people. Professional and widely-decorated climber Lynn Hill celebrated the 25th anniversary of her groundbreaking ascent of The Nose on El Capitan last year. In an interview with The McGill Tribune, she described what draws the community to the perilous sport.

“People who [climb] want more from life,” Hill said. “[They want] to be challenged. [They appreciate] diversity and travel [and] being in nature.

The sport happens on a natural feature, [which is] naturally soothing to us. Rock climbing is a lifestyle, a way of living, a community of healthy, engaged, and excited people.”

Hao Wang, U3 Architecture, expressed a similar kinship with nature as a drive behind her interest in climbing. She started climbing two-anda-half years ago when she participated in an indoor climbing certification course offered by the McGill Outdoors Club (MOC). The club hosts three outdoor climbing trips during the fall and a beginner ice climbing trip during the winter. While those afraid of heights might understandably find the sport daunting, Wang has found a diverse community willing to embrace outsiders within the MOC and the climbing world “The people I've met in the climbing community are very openminded, welcoming, and environmentally conscious,” Wang said. “They are also some of the nicest people I've ever known. When I just started climbing, I would show up at a crag without rope or any equipment. The more experienced climbers taught me a lot of things.”

In addition to the different personalities attracted to climbing, there is no specific body type required to succeed in the sport: Someone with upper body strength can pull themselves up onto a surface just as well as a smaller, slender climber who can swing onto the same surface. This variety in figure has furthered a sense of inclusivity within the rockclimbing community—everyone has a different, yet equally useful, skill

Creative Supplement

Winter 2019

People of Montreal / Sabrina Girard-Lamas

1

MEASURING INSTINCT Avleen Mokha on the phone the scientist in me wants to solve a problem — wants to make glitter rock into pebbles, measure the light something broken gives off. the statues of the living are very life-like. Whoever — however — made this must be better versed in the craft. give me four billion years, and then some, maybe I too could chisel some precise curves — say I woke up

Dissolution / David Diao

with the toolbox of an empty mind, could weigh rocks on my shoreline without skipping them away, my hands would curve like spines of new questions: little disbelief hatching

Light Holding / Jiwon You

JellO / Gemme Else

Untitled / Ylan Tran

2

Flowering / Jiwon You

Untitled / Yasmine Atallah

3 SEEN NOT HEARD / Isabella Greenwood

A Ride To The Unfamiliar

David Diao Thirty-five Bus to Griffintown.

Instinct of a boisterous night.

The sun grows ladled long.

Break apart morning radiosong.

South Wind. East Tide.

The sun from Never the other side.

As moon approaching, Clouding the Griffintown.

Yokes my text messages With the deleted phone books, Dearing on the other side.

Untitled / Claire Rawson-Dannenbaum

set. Climbers scale towering walls and cliffs with or without the safety of a harness, and the sport demands a tricky combination of athleticism and strategy.

“At a higher level, [climbing] requires a lot of fitness and [flexibility],” Martel said. “A climber’s body can resemble a dancer’s body.”

Walter Jothiraj, vice-president (VP) external of the MOC, has been climbing for several years and has noticed a changing trend in the type of person who climbs. With its low barriers to entry and generally accommodating members, the climbing community is not difficult to join.

Once indoctrinated into the community, it’s difficult to imagine life without it. For many, climbing is not a sport, but a lifestyle. Jothiraj mentioned the term ‘dirtbag’ in his interview, referring to a specific subset of climbers more prevalent in the early days of the sport. In rock climbing parlance, the term ‘dirtbag’ describes someone who dedicates every waking moment to climbing.

According to Urban Dictionary, the best examples of dirtbags are the communities of climbers who live in popular climbing areas and live off of what they have saved. “[A dirtbag is] a person who is committed to a given (usually extreme) lifestyle to the point of abandoning employment and other societal norms in order to pursue said lifestyle,” the site reads. “Dirtbags can be distinguished from hippies by the fact that dirtbags have a specific reason for their living communally and generally non-hygienically; dirtbags [seek] to spend all of their moments pursuing their lifestyle.”

Rock climbing, however, is generally perceived as a young person’s sport. The dirtbag demographic has shrunk as climbers get older, and the contemporary climbing community is diversifying. Belonging to a rock climbing gym is not cheap, with day passes averaging around $25 depending on the facility.

“A lot of different types of people climb,” Jothiraj said.

“The sport really blew up in the last five years or so. The climbing community used to be ‘dirtbags,’ living in cars [with] not a lot of money. Now, with indoor gyms, it has become a recreational sport. People are into the lifestyle of it [because of the] crossover of outdoor and indoor styles.

Climbing is one of the best ways to experience the outdoors because you can really interact with the environment. Now, it’s more athletic and is a main form of working out.”

Hill also spoke to the recent embrace of climbing by mainstream fitness communities and the resulting overloading of climbing facilities.

“The demographic has definitely changed, [and] a lot more people are climbing,” Hill said. “Climbing areas near urban places are very crowded, so you can’t be sure that you’ll be able to get space on a popular spot, especially on weekends or during holidays.”

Montreal climbing gyms, like Bloc Shop, draw a wide range of people: Hipsters sporting man buns and tattoos, fitness freaks, unapologetic shirtless sport climbers, pure dirtbags, and groups of friends who look more interested in socializing than climbing. The diversity of body types, socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, and experience levels furthers a sense of open community among climbers that is hard to find in other sports. Whether a seasoned dirtbag or a newcomer to the sport, it is not uncommon for strangers to encourage each other on the wall or for someone to guide others to the top when they don’t know the next step. “[Climber’s attitudes] are a very critical and important thing,” Jothiraj said. “If climbing wasn’t collaborative and friendly, it wouldn’t have taken off as it did. At indoor gyms, random people encourage each other and [guide others] when they’re struggling. A lot of the gyms in Montreal are

like that.”

Indoor or outdoor, harness or no harness, a climber is tasked with defying gravity and making it to the top. The lack of equipment forces freeclimbers to strategize, problem-solve, and focus on the challenge of the climb.

“The equipment is there to keep you from dying,” Jothiraj said. “[And bouldering] is a way to push yourself without having to use tools. When you’re climbing on a wall [with a harness] and haven’t fallen yet, you think that you could have gotten that far [on your own] without falling yet. Before [free climbing], the equipment was the

means and the point [was] to get up; it didn’t matter how you did it.”

For professionals such as Hill, strategizing and problem-solving while climbing have become second nature. Her body knows exactly what to do.

“It’s like a moving meditation,” Hill said “I might h a v e a few thoughts that are relevant, but now it’s more of a learned [skill]. It’s just happening, and I’m not always conscious [of it] now. Also, I’m not depending on my gear unless I fall, and I do want the safety if [that happens]. Because of that, I think the equipment is pretty necessary.”

For Wang, the struggles of training and the frustration that comes with failure all seem to fade into the background once she finally crests the top of the wall.

“When I'm climbing a route that is above my level, every clip feels like I'm on the edge of falling,” Wang said. “The feeling when I finally reach the top of a challenging route is indescribable.”

Dedicated dirtbags are becoming a rarity in the sport; nevertheless, the modern-day climber still demonstrates a deep commitment to the sport, even without living in a Yosemite commune.

“Climbing provides me with a challenge that I don't really get elsewhere,” Jothiraj said. “[It’s] very technical, [it’s] about finding new [techniques], problem-solving, and relaxing at the same time. [It’s my] go-to thing to destress.

Nowadays, a lot of my life is built around climbing [and] spending time with friends.”

Whether you opt to more fully commit yourself or choose to remain a casual climber, the growing sport is always open to new people.

10 student living

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2019

Viewpoint: Seeing Montreal from a fresh perspective Learning to better appreciate my city Burcu Konuralp Contributor

Montreal was where I always envisioned myself living during university; it has multicultural influences and its people are welcoming. Interestingly, it was not until a visit to New York that I fully understood why I enjoy my time here: Although it is one of Canada’s most densely-populated cities, I appreciate the calm and relaxed lifestyle the city still manages to offer its dwellers.

After surviving my first Montreal winter as an international student, I decided to use reading week as an escape to relax and travel. Spontaneously, I visited my cousin in New York, and spent six days wandering around the city, going to museums, and eating out. It was not my first time in New York; however, I feel like, each time I return, I rediscover the city and what it has to offer all over again. This time, as a new university student, I imagined what it would be like to study there instead of in Montreal.

On my second day in New York I woke up early, ready to conquer the streets. It was around eight a.m., rush hour, and the streets were filled with people commuting to work. Everyone

A trip across the border changed this student’s perception of Montreall. (Janice Jong / The McGill Tribune) was in a hurry, but it seemed like they were used to rushing, as nearly every passing individual ate their breakfast, drank their coffee, and speed-walked in formal business attire. It was, without a doubt, a normal morning routine for New Yorkers. As the day passed, I expected to see

fewer people, yet, surprisingly, the streets were always teeming with people running around.

Later that day, I found a highly-rated restaurant and brought along a book to read. I was surprised by how exhausted I felt, and when the food arrived, I finished it in seconds. I realized

that I had forgotten to enjoy my time sitting and eating; rather, I felt like I was rushing through all of the activities that I scheduled. I was confused, angry, and dissatisfied.

My remaining days in New York passed similarly, and, when I returned to Montreal, I was re-

lieved by the city’s comparatively slow pace. After only spending six days in New York, I was surprised that my perception of the city had shifted so dramatically.

I noticed that, in New York, people tend to live faster, without fully appreciating the present moment. A simple morning routine, such as leaving one’s apartment and walking to the metro, can make people appreciate their time, but New Yorkers were more focused on the next step of their daily agendas, instead of enjoying the present moment. They were prone to disregarding the simple pleasures in life. Although achieving goals can make people feel happy, experiencing life in real time is what I need in order to feel fulfilled.

When I returned to school, I was more appreciative of Montreal’s calm and easy-going atmosphere. Although students often feel pressured to do more and keep up with work in university environments, our city offers students the opportunity to live a slower, and from my experience a more satisfying, life. I am glad to be a student in this city because I feel alive, tranquil, and present. I am excited to explore what more the city has to offer in my remaining years at McGill.

Five most anxiety-inducing places on campus Surprisingly, none are classrooms Grace Bahler Contributor Although being a student at McGill is already horrifying enough, there are a few places on campus that really exacerbate the feeling of impending doom. For students seeking a thrill after university life has left them emotionally numb, here are some of the scariest spots on campus.

The doorway to the stairs from Redpath to Première Moisson Not only is this stairwell perpetually grimy, but it is also leads to Première Moisson. There is no way to know who is lurking behind this door or if they are carrying a full cup of hot coffee sans lid. The architect who designed this trap probably did so on purpose.

The stairs between Trottier and Rutherford at Prince Arthur and University They seem like the proper way to ascend to campus from afar, but, up close, these stairs are a death trap. Not only are they deceivingly short and uneven, as if they came straight from a 2003 video game, but students don’t even get the dignity of falling down these stairs—they fall during their ascent, and that may be the scariest part.

The door to the women’s locker room in the McGill gym Swinging doors might be cute in kitchens, but less so when they cause two sweaty people to collide and someone’s nose starts bleeding.

Props to McGill for putting a small window in the doors, though, so students at least know when they are about to get whacked.

The basement of the Arts building First, there’s a Subway—terrifying. Second, there are occasionally amateur improv comedians performing down there—petrifying.

Beyond those chilling sights, there are tunnels that go entirely unoccupied and unseen. That screams of a horror movie in the making. Finally, the ceilings are so inexplicably low that McGill must have constructed them as part of some sort of social experiment determined to uncover what it takes for students to cave into claustrophobia.

The doors in between the Arts building and Dawson Hall There is no rational reason to construct such a big, thick piece of wood with absolutely no way of knowing who’s behind it. Political science majors burst through these doors and out of Arts advising appointments like the ‘school is out’ scene in every high school movie.

Forget horror films.There are plenty of bone-chilling sights on campus. (Daria Kiseleva / The McGill Tribune)

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Tuesday, march 19, 2019

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Feminist bookstores and social change Author Kristen Hogan speaks to lesbian anti-racism and the shaping of histories Catherine Morrison Contributor On Mar. 15, Kristen Hogan, author of The Feminist Bookstore Movement: Lesbian Antiracism and Feminist Accountability, visited McGill to discuss her work as a writer and feminist activist. Part of the Feminist and Accessible Publishing / Communications Technologies Series, Hogan’s discussion focused on the importance of intersectionality, the history of feminist bookstores, and their role in creating space for social change.

Hogan’s talk revolved around three key themes: Power, memory, and strategies of feminist consciousness. These tenets, according to Hogan, are central to understanding the history of feminist bookstores, the ways in which we come to conceive of and respect these institutions, and how communities are shaped by such stores.

Hogan first discussed the theme of power, highlighting how feminist bookstores combat multiple forms of oppression, particularly that of large literary corporations including mainstream bookstores and publishing companies. Describing lesbian anti-racism as a practice, Hogan explained that as a community hub and organization, feminist bookstores strive to understand feminism as a coalition of people struggling under different forms of oppression.

Through an intersectional understanding of oppression as rooted in racism, feminist collectives strive to create a space of support and inclusivity. Hogan also described lesbian anti-racism’s ability to impact literature, as feminist bookstores bring attention to literary content that is too often neglected in mainstream and capitalist distribution of literature.

“Feminist bookstores [stock] their shelves with books

Kristen Hogan spoke about power, memory, and strategies of feminist consciousness. (dukeupress.edu)

Chai’s ‘PUNK’ is the much-needed antidote for the drudgery of our lives Katia Innes A&E Editor There is a tragically narrow vision of what contemporary East Asian music should sound like. Often lumped into vague, generalized categories such as ‘J-Pop’ or ‘K-Pop,’ Western critics have a tendency to consider the ethnic groupings of Asian musical production first and foremost, often obscuring the lyrical and technical aspects that make up the specificities of genre. Thankfully, Chai has emerged, the self-proclaimed “new-exciting onna band,” also known as “new exciting women band” or NEO, for short. Chai has taken it upon themselves to helm a new style dubbed ‘neo-kawaii’ that boldly proclaims that everything and everybody can be cute. On Chai’s second album, the wonderfully joyous PUNK, the band proudly embraces Japanese music, and the album’s musical diversity and merit resist tokenization by Western audiences and critics.

PUNK stands apart from this year’s releases, largely due to its blending of diverse inspirations into a brand new concoction. Chai’s sound borrows from British electronica, Japanese pop, and American rap, making for a unique hybrid that results in an energized, retro-futurist aesthetic best heard on the album’s opener

“CHOOSE GO!” Lyrics, written in both Japanese and English, are punctuated with exclamation points, and sound as though they were written in all caps, creating a singular listening experience.

These bubble-gum sweet affirmations of self-worth match Chai’s eclectic musical sensibilities and proudly redefine normative conceptions of Japanese kawaii culture and femininity.

“Curly Adventure” humorously addresses Japanese beauty standards, and features twin sisters and lead vocalists Mana and Kana embracing their frizzy hair and proclaiming “CURLY HAIR / It is GREAT.” By rejecting the expectations propagated by a massively influential national beauty industry, Chai boldly reassures listeners that no matter how they choose to present, there is room for them in neo-kawaii culture. Chai just wants to dance with their friends, have fun, and tell each other that they look cute. Is that too much to ask?

“We have dreams! / We have a lot of friends!” the four-piece band chants on “Future,” which, given a less enthusiastic delivery, could easily sound insincere, but Chai’s relentless positivity cracks even the most reluctant of smiles. Perhaps PUNK is exactly what pop music needs right now: Pure, unashamed enthusiasm and positivity.

that are vital to social justice,” Hogan said. “We all need feminist bookstores’ support for the future of feminist authors, specifically women of colour.”

With regard to memory, Hogan suggested that remembering feminist acts improves one’s ability to understand and participate in social justice initiatives in the future. Most importantly, Hogan explained that the pervasiveness of a feminism that ignores intersectionality affects which stories are shared and which are excluded, resulting in the misremembering of history.

“When people are searching [on search engines] to find out about feminism and to look for resources in their communities, our histories are misremembered by algorithms,” Hogan said. “So, when we think about feminist history, I want us to re-imagine and ask ‘What’s not in this search?’ and really think about who is practicing feminism in our communities.”

Hogan articulated that although we often only think about bookstores as retail spaces, we should instead understand them as spaces that can shape the feminist memory of a community. In describing her concept of “the feminist shelf,” Hogan described how feminist bookstores as the centre of social change.

“The feminist shelf […] is about relationships,” Hogan said. “The idea that the way we gather feminist books together [...] changes how we understand each of those books individually, and that changes how we relate to each other. Then, that shapes how we relate with and change the world, change our institutions, change our communities.”

Hogan’s powerful discussion reminded attendees of the importance of feminist bookstores in shaping our environment and our actions. These establishments help engage us with feminism. Hogan’s words allowed for a motivating discussion of the importance of anti-racist feminist action.

Album Review

Chai’s latest release is replete with feel-good tunes. (dukeupress.edu)

4/5

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Tuesday, march 19, 2019

‘Queer Eye’ is in desperate need of a makeover Season three is far from fabulous PRISM - Nuit Blanche by the Fine Arts Council

Kevin Vogel Staff Writer On March 15, Netflix released a third season of its feel-good makeover series Queer Eye. Based in Kansas City, the eight new episodes retread familiar ground: Five well-dressed gay men storm into the lives of some beleaguered individual and, through the power of a haircut, group hugs, and pep talks about self-love, all of the person’s problems are solved. While this format compels viewers to laugh along with the Fab Five’s shenanigans and enjoy warm-and-fuzzy moments, the show’s predictably neat endings circumvent frank realities of class and sexuality.

Viewers never see any real acknowledgement of why a makeover recipient eats exclusively instant ramen or only wears a broken pair of shoes, nor do they get to see what happens in a person’s life after their Queer Eye episode. The show’s sappiness can be just as infuriating as it is lifeaffirming.

These shortcomings are made all the more aggravating by the show’s wasted potential.

The subjects of each episode all have incredible stories, from dads struggling to get by to a pair of sisters running a barbecue joint. Yet, despite the variety of personal narratives explored, Queer Eye prescribes the same glib solution for everything: Love and take time for yourself. Though this sentiment is not inherently problematic, in relying so heavily on this mantra, the show sweeps larger issues under the rug.

In their makeover for Joey, a divorced father and recovering alcoholic, the Fab Five buys him a whole new wardrobe and refurbishes his home to make him look more like a ‘cool’ dad. For Deborah and Mary Jones, owners of a barbecue restaurant, they pay for Deborah’s dental surgery and set up a deal with a bottling company to mass-produce the Jones’ signature sauce. In both of these episodes, Queer Eye presents the cause

McGill’s premier fine arts event is back for another year of dance, theatre, and visual art.

Mar. 28, 7 pm.-12 a.m.; Thomson House (3650 Rue McTavish St.); Free.

Her: An Art Gallery Fundraiser for Oxfam

The latest season of Queer Eye leaves much to be desired. (Sabrina Girard-Lamas / The McGill Tribune) of their subjects’ problems as an internal issue, suggesting that they simply needed to look within themselves to find room for personal growth. In the Queer Eye universe, Joey doesn’t wear ragged clothing or live in a rundown RV because of class or financial issues; he simply lacks the self-love needed to improve his life. The Jones sisters failed to bottle their own sauce not because operating a restaurant already demands so much of their time, but because they lacked the confidence to get their product out there.

While it is admirable that Queer Eye promotes self-care and self-love, it refuses to look beyond these platitudes. The show indulges in the fantasy that a visit to the salon and a whole new wardrobe are the only obstacles to happiness.

Moreover, most people can’t afford to completely refurbish their homes and businesses. When Tan France, the show’s fashion expert, gives new outfits to Jess, a young lesbian living off of a waitress’ salary, she is visibly ecstatic about her new look. Tan gives her a leather biker vest to try on, asking if she would buy it: “Absolutely. If it

was in my price range.” Queer Eye quickly ignores the statement, cutting immediately to a different scene.

And what about the ‘queer’ part of Queer Eye? Despite having an entirely gay main cast, discussion of sexuality, with the notable exception of Jess’ episode, remains limited. The show offers plenty of valuable discussion about bodypositivity and resisting gendered beauty norms, but still feels like just another reality TV show, marketed more for straight people in the middle and upper class than actual LGBTQ+ people.

Instead of showcasing the diversity of queer identities and experiences, Queer Eye is rife with corporate sponsorships and product placements and hardly gives any camera time for expressions of queerness outside of Jonathan’s flamboyance.

If viewers can move beyond Queer Eye’s surface-level solutions, the show provides a pleasant form of entertainment. You can still laugh at its cheesy jokes, but just know that a French tuck and a new haircut won’t help people living below the poverty line.

Oxfam Quebec and McGill International Development Studies Students Association host “Her,” a gallery space celebrating women, equality, and inclusivity.

Mar. 21, 7:30-10:30 p.m.; Cafe Mezcal (166 Rue Prince Arthur Est); $15.

SynesthASIA presents: SYN TECH

For their 11th annual charity fashion show, SynesthASIA will be showcasing local brands and donating proceeds to OneDrop, an NGO that promotes sustainable access for clean water.

Mar. 29, 7 p.m.-2 a..m; Montreal Science Centre (2 rue de la Commune Ouest); $35 VIP, $25 general.

McGill University Photography Students’ Society (MUPSS) 2019 Annual Exhibit Join MUPSS for a exhibition of original work by its members (featuring a jazz trio!).

Mar. 21, 6 p.m.; Gallery Parfois (4064 Blvd. St. Laurent); Free.

Anderson .Paak’s masterful balancing act In anticipation of the musician’s upcoming album, ‘Ventura’ Liam Chung Contributor It feels like just yesterday that Anderson .Paak released his long-anticipated Oxnard, a decidedly summery album for the middle of November. The album received mostly positive reviews, although some critics bemoaned its eclectic and aimless nature.

Still, .Paak has always had a gift for straddling the line between hip hop and R&B. His breakout album Malibu properly fits the R&B genre, though the work featured verses from prominent rappers like ScHoolboy Q and Rapsody, and .Paak’s hip-hop sensibilities were apparent throughout. Oxnard’s tracks are unmistakably rap songs.

In his sophomore album, .Paak returned to the tightly-orchestrated ballads that had previously earned him acclaim, adding more Apr. 12 can’t come soon enough for Anderson .Paak fans. (dangerousastroheavily-produced bangers to his repertoire. The artist is adept at naut.com) both styles, but their juxtaposition in the album is jarring to say the Jackson’s presence on Drake’s 2018 “Don’t Matter to Me,” for least. Oxnard’s lack of direction is the reason that Malibu, while instance, was poorly received to say the least—so fans and critics less commercially successful, received more critical acclaim and is are on edge to see if .Paak can do something worthwhile with what he’s pulled from Dr. Dre’s vault. still touted as the definitive Anderson .Paak experience.

The album cover features a black and white photo of .Paak The wait for a new .Paak album is almost over. On March 14, he tweeted, “Three years between Malibu and Oxnard… you and a child laying on a bed. Compared to the album covers of know I couldn’t do that to y’all again.” Attached was an album Malibu and Oxnard, both cluttered, abstract artworks, Ventura cover, and the album’s Apr. 12 release date. .Paak also included is simpler and much more personal. The album cover hints that a handwritten tracklist, which features André 3000, Jazmine Ventura will provide a more intimate listening experience than its Sullivan, and Nate Dogg, the late King of G-Funk. Postmortem predecessors.

In the same tweet, .Paak announced the single “King James.” features haven’t been well executed by other artists—Michael

The song is dedicated to Lebron James, paying respect to the basketball player for his social activism. In the song, he addresses notable social and political issues, such as gun violence. “We couldn’t stand to see our children shot dead in the streets,” he sings.

However, he is insistently optimistic, later singing, “Everything they tried to hide, we’re taking back, for yours and mine.”

Though .Paak is no stranger to exploring heavy subject matter with his lyrics, his songs have always maintained a joyful quality.

In Malibu/’s “The Season / Carry Me” .Paak recalls his childhood spent in poverty and the difficulty he faced in young adulthood trying to make it as a musician while keeping his wife from getting deported. Despite its serious themes, the song is upbeat and accessible. No matter how tragic his words become, the steady beat provides stable support while he gently weaves hope out of sorrow.

With Malibu, .Paak showcased his undeniable charisma in a dreamy album, dedicated to pleasure and love. When Malibu comes on, an hour seems to slide away. Oxnard achieved a different effect entirely: It still oozes charisma, but in a more hedonistic and gaudy way. Despite being weaker than its predecessor, Oxnard remains an accomplished album and melds a variety of influences from hiphop to R&B to funk. Likewise, in Malibu, .Paak combines lyrical skill and slick beats. Ventura will hopefully meet the high bar set by .Paak’s previous work. Ventura has the potential to be one of the best albums of 2019 now that .Paak has already solidified himself as one of the standout artists of this decade.

science & technology

tuesday, march 19, 2019

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Real phones have curves Foldable and graphene phones could revolutionize the tech industry Margaret Wdowiak Contributor Imagine never having to worry about small pockets again, instead you can just fold your phone over and over until it is a quarter of its original size. New technological advances and insights into graphene could make that future a reality.

Recently, tech giant Samsung unveiled its new foldable phone, the Samsung Galaxy Fold. It features two modes: A folded phone mode with a 4.6-inch screen and an unfolded mode where the device is laid out into a larger 7.3-inch tablet screen. This innovative design will cost consumers $1,980 USD ($2,607 CAD). Meanwhile, the Chinese tech leviathan Huawei, following Samsung’s lead, recently unveiled the Huawei Mate X, which features a 6.6inch screen on the front as well as a 6.38inch screen on the back; when unfolded, the two screens form an eight-inch tablet display. This phone has an even more exorbitant price of $2,600 USD ($3,469 CAD).

These new devices have many advantages; most significantly, their flexibility enables customers to double their screen size on a whim and makes the phones less prone to breaking because they are able to bend. The fact that these cellphones double as tablets also increases multitasking and productivity. Unfortunately, there are also many potential limitations associated

with this new generation of cellphones.

“Longevity and reliability are among the biggest challenges: how many times can a phone be folded before it begins to fail?” Thomas Szkopek, a professor in McGill’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “It is a difficult engineering challenge to create a reliable device.”

As a standard rule, first generation devices and foldable devices are particularly unreliable because they incorporate new, untested software and hardware. Manufacturing is another issue with these products, as mass productions of bendable phones requires new supply chains and manufacturing techniques.

However, if these associated challenges can be overcome, bendable screens have the potential to transform the entire tech industry. A whole new breed of products will be available thanks to this flexible technology, like foldable TVs. Another new innovation with the same revolutionary potential as bendable phones are graphene phones. Discovered in 2004, graphene is a carbon material constructed by laying out graphite, the same compound used in pencils, into sheets with a thickness of one atom.

Graphene has several advantages over any metal currently used in the phone industry: It conducts electricity better than copper, it is stronger than steel, and it is

Graphene could make cell phones unbreakable. (ddnews.org.in) incredibly elastic. Graphene touch screens printed on plastic could replace screens made of indium tin oxide, making cell phones extremely thin and foldable. Graphene could also make the lithium-ion batteries currently in use longer-lasting, faster-charging, and more bendable. Furthermore, graphene could serve to create cheaper and more sensitive photo sensors.

Unfortunately, despite the incredible potential of the material, graphene also has several important defects, such as susceptibility to oxidative environments. Also, it exhibits some toxic qualities and its electrical conductivity cannot be switched off.

Nonetheless, various fields continue

to conduct a great amount of research on this versatile material.

“This invention is now being applied in headphones and mobile electronics’ micro speakers [since] they are more energy efficient and give improved acoustic fidelity,” Szkopek wrote. “Beyond providing us with better acoustics, graphene could also deliver us faster internet, smaller as well as faster transistors, new types of solar panels, and even thinner and stronger condoms.”

Both foldable and graphene phones, despite their great potential, remain relatively untested technologies with an uncertain market base.

Blunting your mental resilience Study links cannabis use to increased risk of suicide and depression in young adults Andras Nemeth News Editor Legalized in October 2018, cannabis is becoming an accepted part of mainstream society.

However, researchers from McGill and the University of Oxford suggest that its effects may not be as well-understood as commonly believed.

Their analysis has garnered international attention for linking cannabis use to depression and suicide risk in adolescents and young adults. According to Gabriella Gobbi, an associate professor in McGill’s Department of Psychiatry and

lead author of the paper, the study’s widespread reception is partially out of concern for how marijuana usage is affecting the young demographic.

“Cannabis is mostly a drug used by adolescents and young people,” Gobbi said. “In each country we have this same trend. Everybody is very curious about Canada. A lot of countries are looking at Canada as it moves [toward legalization to see] its consequences.”

A team of 11 researchers worked on the study, which consisted of a meta-analysis of other studies looking at the effects of canna-

In Canada, individuals over the age of 18 can purchase 30 grams of marijuana a day, whereas countries like the Netherlands only allow eight. (mayoclinichealthsystem.org)

bis on depression in youth. They hand-picked 3,000 papers on the topic, covering a total of over 23,000 human subjects. The investigation, which controlled for individuals suffering from depression before having used cannabis, concluded that young adults between the ages of 18 and 32 who had smoked cannabis regularly before the age of 18 had a 40 per cent increase in risk for depression, a 50 per cent increase in risk for suicidal ideation, and a 300 per cent increase in risk for attempting suicide.

Gobbi’s lab previously researched the specific neurological effects of cannabis on developing brains in rats in 2010. Even so, Gobbi was particularly surprised at the new results showing a link between cannabis use and suicidality.

“The [link with] depression didn’t surprise me [...since] some studies had already found this association,” Gobbi said. “What surprised me was the suicidality because [the link between] suicidality and cannabis was not so known. Actually, we found that, even in people not at risk of suicide before consuming cannabis, there was an increased risk.”

Following the publication of the study, Gobbi was invited to testify as an expert before the Quebec National Assembly in connection to the current Quebec government’s proposed Bill 2, which would raise the legal age to purchase and consume cannabis from 18 to 21. While not particularly in support of resorting to raising the legal age, Gobbi hopes the dangers of cannabis will be taken seriously.

“The problem is that right now, a guy who is 18 can, in one day, buy 30 grams at 30 per cent

[tetrahydrocannabinol],” Gobbi said. “That is enormous. So if at least we can limit the quantity of cannabis available at this age, that would [be] substantial [....] People ask me whether I am for prohibition or legalization, but this is a bad question because, between prohibition and legalization, there are a lot of steps.”

Rather than raising the legal age, a recent proposal from the Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec (INSPQ) recommends a policy of ‘gradual access’ in which increasing amounts and different products would be made available incrementally after the age of 18.

“The omnipresence of underground marijuana sales networks and already high levels of cannabis consumption among those aged 18 and over prompt one to ask themselves if other options permit us to send a clear message without the risk of punishing or criminalizing young adults,” the report reads, translated from the original French. “The examples of Quebec’s Programme d’accès graduel à la conduite (PAGC) and certain Scandinavian countries’ graduated access to alcohol offer promising possibilities.”

According to Gobbi, misinformation about the nature and effects of cannabis continues to be widespread.

“There is a lot of ignorance about cannabis,” Gobbi said. “Cannabis stays in your brain for one week or more, so [some] people believe they are not addicted [because] they can stay away for one week [....However] the withdrawal symptoms start one week or ten days later, and sometimes people don’t perceive them [or] link them to cannabis.”

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science & technology

tuesday, march 19, 2019

Women role models hope to inspire students in STEM Networking opportunities for students of colour and women in STEM fields are crucial

Zoe Doran

Only 31 per cent of undergraduate engineering students identify as female.

(Sunny Kim / The McGill Tribune)

Contributor

Continued from page 1.

In an email to The McGill Tribune, Danielle Nadin, the co-director of Scientista McGill, vouched for the importance of creating inclusive

spaces where STEM students can share stories and connect over similar experiences.

“One thing we really want to do with Scientista is reduce isolation and help students who feel marginalized find their allies,” Nadin said.

“We didn’t want a glossy, formal, inaccessible panel. We wanted to create a space where people felt comfortable sharing their experiences.”

Ensuring representation and advocacy for students of colour and women becomes more complex in PhD and master’s programs, as the increasingly independent work may intensify feelings of isolation. Even at the undergraduate level, the experience of being a visible minority is not an uncommon one, especially for engineering students. During the Fall 2018 semester, only 31 per cent of undergraduate engineering students identified as female. This is a particularly significant minority when considering the almost 60 per cent female-identifying students collectively enrolled at McGill.

A recurring sentiment among the panellists was that of imposter syndrome, or unwarranted feelings of self-doubt in positions of leadership.

The speakers explained how ordinary workplace challenges are heightened when a person finds themself to be one of few women, non-binary, or people of colour in the lab or classroom.

For many students, this challenge manifests as a constant struggle for representation in their respective fields. To Meryem Benslimane, an equity education advisor at the Office for Social Equity and Diversity (SEDE), representation and connections with mentors can make all the difference for marginalized students in STEM. “[It’s important that everyone] sees real people and role models,” Benslimane said. “ Es-

pecially for women, [...] this representation is so important”.

For Elena Lin, a co-director of Scientista McGill, while the event’s success showed progress, it also illuminated the potential for future advancement for women and other marginalized groups in science and technology.

“The evening also revealed just how direly women and minorities in STEM fields need a voice of their own,” Lin said. “There is so much for all of us out there, and we hope that safe spaces can be continually created for everyone in STEM so that everyone can reach their full potential in their respective fields.”

Looking beyond McGill, many of the panellists emphasized the importance of creating opportunities for youth, especially girls in STEM. Without introductory programs in primary and secondary schools, careers in science and technology may seem out of reach for young women.

One panellist, Vanessa Cherenfant, a Montreal-based entrepreneur, industrial engineer, and self-proclaimed ‘STEMinist’, spoke about current initiatives to increase intersectionality in predominantly male and white disciplines.

Cherenfant praised Technovation, a Montreal non-profit organization which connects scientists, engineers, and technology professionals with children from underrepresented groups to expose underprivileged youth to the possibility of careers in STEM fields.

From primary school classrooms to universities, it is clear that there is room for the greater involvement of women in STEM. Events such as this one are one means of creating an inclusive space.

Rare Disease Day at McGill is a rare celebration RareDIG McGill holds their second annual conference to raise awareness for rare diseases Stephanie Deng Contributor Diseases or disorders are considered rare if they affect fewer than one in 2,000 individuals in Europe or fewer than 200,000 individuals at a given time in the USA. One of the challenges healthcare professionals face when diagnosing rare diseases is the fact that different diseases can display similar symptoms. Healthcare professionals start by treating the disease the patient is most likely to have, but that can lead to misdiagnosis and a delay in treatment. As such, Rare Disease Day serves as an intersection between health and social care and promotes the common goal of developing new diagnostic procedures.

“Rare diseases are not spoken about that much in [the McGill Medicine] curriculum,” Cyril Boulila, second-year medical student and cofounder of the rare disease interest group rareDIG, said. “I think it’s a shame because [we need to take the rare disease community] into consideration [….] I have a rare disease. I have severe hemophilia and it really saddened me that we didn’t talk about it during our circulation block in medicine, so it really pushed me even more to being a patient advocate as well as a medical student who has a voice for [the rare disease com-

munity].”

In recognition of Rare Disease Day, rareDIG McGill hosted a gathering for rare disease patients as well as those advocating for and treating them. Guest speakers included individuals with uniquely different perspectives and experiences in the realm of rare diseases. Among them were Ian Stedman, a rare disease patient and advocate, and Nada Jabado, a professor in McGill’s Department of Pediatrics and a pediatric hemato-oncologist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

“There’s just this massive gap that [rare disease patients] fall into and then they just fall out of the system,” Stedman said.

Diagnosed at age 32 with Muckle-Wells Syndrome, Stedman described his first-hand experience with the difficulties of obtaining a diagnosis. He critiqued the healthcare system for failing to integrate patient data between provinces, which would make it easier to identify rare diseases. Focusing on the importance of data in rare disease diagnostics, Stedman highlighted the promise for machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to be used for online healthcare, as both have the ability to aid scientists in identifying diseases and tracking trends in hospital reports.

Large data sets can then be cross-referenced with individual patient symptoms, showcasing the promising role of AI in the future of personal medicine.

Rare diseases can be difficult to diagnose because they may share symptoms with more common diseases. (nih.gov) Jabado, known for her work on pediatric brain tumours, presented a physician’s point of view. Her research concentrates on epigenomes—the chemical compounds that turn genes on and off—and led to the discovery of a mutation that is associated with brain development and tumour growth. Her talk illustrated targeted therapies for patients as well as the considerable financial challenges

involved.

“It’s true that, oftentimes, we are taught about the most common diseases and we get very little teaching about rare illnesses,” Amanda Try, third-year medical student, said. “I like how [rareDIG is] trying to reach [out to the] community and [recognize how rare disease patients’] experiences can be affected by the way we treat them.”

sports

TUESDAY, March 19, 2019

15

The All-Canadian March Madness team

A look at the best Canadian players in the NCAA’s biggest tournament fundamentals, he can guard almost anyone on the floor.

SG Nickeil AlexanderWalker (Sophomore); Virginia Tech

Alexander-Walker’s all-star play has been key to his Virginia Tech Hokies’ outstanding season. The Toronto native will likely join his cousin Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a 2018 Los Angeles Clippers lottery pick, in the NBA next season. A talented athlete capable of playing multiple positions, Alexander-Walker will shine thanks to his steady ball-handling and versatility.

SF RJ Barrett (Freshman); Duke

Canadian R.J. Barrett and his Duke Blue Devils are the tournament’s top overall seed. (Nathan Drezner / The McGill Tribune)

Gabe Nisker Sports Editor For years, Canadian basketball fans have hoped that U Sports teams will get a chance to participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament. For now, however, they will have to settle for watching the best local talent lead American schools to victory. Ahead of this week’s Round of 64, The McGill Tribune has

compiled a list of the top Canadian athletes to keep an eye on.

PG Luguentz Dort (Freshman); Arizona State

The Montreal-born guard drives hard to the basket, and he is driving up NBA teams’ draft boards, too. As a dynamic scorer for the 11thseed Arizona State Sun Devils, Dort averaged 16.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists this season. He is a strong athlete with a six-foot-nine wingspan, and, because of his excellent defensive

Barrett has had a stellar first campaign in the NCAA. The Duke freshman, who is a consensus top three pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is averaging 22.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists thus far and was named to the Associated Press All-ACC team. The 18-year-old from Mississauga, Ontario, and his star-studded Blue Devils squad hope to take home the title in April, but they will have to escape a tough East region first.

PF Ignas Brazdeikis (Freshman); Michigan

Brazdeikis is one of college basketball’s most entertaining characters. The secondseeded Michigan Wolverines have silenced their opponents’ crowds all season with big wins

during road games. The six-foot-seven forward from Oakville, Ontario has played a key role in the team’s success. The Lithuanian-Canadian puts his personality on full display: He blows kisses to opposing fans and flexes after big shots. With him, Wolverines games are must-see television this March.

C Kyle Alexander (Senior); Tennessee

Alexander hopes that he and his secondseeded Tennessee Volunteers will head to Minneapolis in early April for the tournament’s Final Four. Their path in the South region will be tough, and it will take a team effort to advance: The six-foot-eleven athlete from Milton, Ontario plays an important role under the basket for Tennessee. He averages 7.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and is often tasked with guarding the toughest players that the Volunteers’ opponents have to offer.

Sixth Man: PF Mfiondu Kabengele (Sophomore); Florida State

Kabengele, NBA Hall-of-Famer Dikembe Mutombo’s nephew, earned the 2019 All-ACC Sixth Man of the Year award and for good reason: The six-foot-ten forward from Burlington, Ontario came off the bench and averaged 12.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Kabengele has astonishing defensive instincts, and fourth-seed Florida State will rely on his shot-blocking ability as they look to advance out of the West region.

How the NHL playoff system fails its top teams It’s time for the NHL to repair the postseason format

Owen Gibbs Staff Writer Temperatures are rising, and the snow is finally melting, which means two things: Spring is coming, and it is time for the NHL playoffs. Starting in mid-April, the hockey world will direct its attention to North American ice for the next month and a half as 16 teams vie for the Stanley Cup. As always, and perhaps this year more than ever, much of the NHL fan base will complain about how the champion earns its crown.

The NHL playoff structure has been a point of contention for years. The league

introduced the current format in 2014 following an over-complicated divisional realignment. Under the current system, the top three teams in each of the NHL’s four divisions make the playoffs along with two wild card teams per division, which are awarded to the two next-best teams in the conference. The top team in each division plays one of its conference’s wildcards while each division’s second and third-seeded teams face each other in the opening round. Barring an upset by one of the wildcards, the top team in each division plays the winner of the twoversus-three series in the second round.

As it stands, the flaw with this

P.K. Subban and his Nashville Predators were eliminated in the second round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Mark Humphrey / AP)

system is that it does not account for the strength of the teams within each conference in any given season. As a result, matchups between top teams can take place earlier than they reasonably should, sending strong contenders home before less-deserving teams. The object of a championship should be for the two best teams in a league to meet in the final battle of the season and prove that the winner, alone, constitutes the best team. If one of the top teams is eliminated before the final round because of the current playoff format, the championship series does not truly feature the NHL’s best teams.

The flaw in the playoff format was evident as recently as last year, when the top two teams in the NHL, the Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets, met in the second round. After the Jets won a lopsided two-versus-three matchup against the Minnesota Wild, Winnipeg defeated division rival Nashville in a highly entertaining seven-game series. However, they lost to the expansion franchise Vegas Golden Knights in the Conference Finals due, in part, to exhaustion from the second round. Both the Predators and the Jets were knocked out before the Stanley Cup Final even took place. As of Mar. 15, three of the league’s top six teams are in a position to be eliminated by the end of the second round due to their divisional placement.

Out of fear of history repeating itself, fans, journalists, and players alike have called louder than ever this year to change the format. The most sensible

option would be to return to the previous one-versus-eight system. In this scenario, the top team from each conference plays the eighth seed, the second-best plays the seventh, and so on. After each round, the teams matched up anew in their conference based on the same top-versusbottom principle. Gradually, teams were eliminated until only the best in each conference remained. The NHL used this system with great success from 1993 until 2014, and they would be wise to bring it back.

Unfortunately, the league remains unfazed by widespread calls for change.

The NHL introduced the current system to force divisional rivals to face each other early on, year after year. This setup increases the tension among teams and among their fan bases as well, supposedly translating into more profits from ticket sales and television ratings. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly echoed this vision when asked about the absence of the playoff structure from the General Managers’ Meeting agenda.

“The current system has done what it was intended to do,” Daly told TSN’s Frank Seravalli. “[It has] emphasized and featured rivalries in early round matchups, and that has generated interest and better ratings.”

There is no sign that anything will change in the short term. However, if the NHL decides otherwise, a better system that has already received widespread support is available.

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sports

TUESDAY, March 19, 2019

McGill basketball 2018-19 season recap Eight McGill players earn RSEQ awards Miya Keilin Sports Editor On Feb. 27, the 2018-19 McGill basketball season drew to a close. The men (9-7) lost at home to the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins (8-8) 79-69 in the RSEQ semifinals, and, in their semifinal game, the Martlets (10-6), who travelled across town to Concordia’s (10-6) home court, were defeated 62-55. Despite the first-round exits for both teams, McGill basketball had plenty to be proud of this season.

Martlets

Fourth-year transfer centre Sirah Diarra and fourth-year guard Gladys Hakizimana led Martlet basketball to a respectable thirdplace finish in the RSEQ. Six-foot-one Diarra averaged 10.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, while Hakizimana put up 11.2 points and 2.7 assists per game, and both were named RSEQ second-team all-stars for their efforts. Other RSEQ award winners include first-year forward Shayann Laguerre and first-year guard Trishia Villedrouin, who both received all-rookie honours.

In the last game of the regular season, the Martlets took down a talented and, at the time, undefeated Laval side for their 12th victory of the season. With a few lopsided

losses against the Rouge et Or throughout the season, the Martlets’ momentous win was an exciting way to end the regular season.

Unfortunately, the momentum did not carry them past Concordia in the opening round of the RSEQ playoffs and they did not qualify to return to the U Sports National Championships.

In addition to strong campaigns from their veterans this season, Martlet Head Coach Ryan Thorne saw plenty of promising play from many of the team’s younger players: Second-year guard Charlotte Clayton made a team-best 42 three-pointers in her 25 games; fellow second-year forward Kamsi Ogbudibe trailed only Diarra in rebounds and blocks per game; and second-year transfer guard Delphine Robitaille put up strong offensive numbers as well. Along with award-winners Laguerre and Villedrouin, the young Martlet players gave fans good reason to be optimistic for the next season.

opener against UQAM and went on to split the season series with the Citadins 2-2.

Unfortunately, they lost fifth-year point guard Alex Paquin and fourth-year point guard Isaiah Cummins, two consistently dominant offensive threats, to injuries for most of the season. However, McGill still managed a 9-7 conference record, which earned them second place in the RSEQ standings behind Concordia (11-5) and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs against UQAM. In their fifth matchup of the season, the Citadins came out victorious and McGill failed to return to the U Sports National Championships.

Four McGill players earned RSEQ honours. Fifth-year guard Avery Cadogan, who averaged 9.8 points per game, was

named a first-team all-star, while fifth-year forward Noah Daoust, a strong two-way presence for McGill all season, was selected as a second team all-star. Fourth-year transfer forward Levi Londole averaged a team-high 5.2 rebounds per game and 19 total blocks en route to the Defensive Player of the Year award. First-year guard Anthony Fisiru was named to the all-rookie team.

Without veteran players Paquin and Cummins, Head Coach David DeAveiro had the opportunity to develop some of his team’s younger talent. Second-year guard Sam Jenkins and second-year transfer point guard J.J. Hamel-Carey, as well as Fisiru, showed potential for the years to come. Though the early playoff exit was disappointing, McGill has a bright future ahead.

Men’s Varsity

The men’s season kicked off in early August with a series of games against American schools, including Duke University. McGill did not come away with any wins in these opening matches, but they scored the most points of any opponent on Duke’s Canada tour. It looked like an encouraging sign for the season to come.

McGill won their regular season home-

Second-year forward Kamsi Ogbudibe (left) and first-year guard Anthony Fisiru had standout seasons for McGill basketball. (Can Unal / McGill Athletics)

Playground pickup with NBA stars

The most exciting players to watch play themselves one-on-one Adam Burton, Alec Regino, Chiso Ufondu, and Ender McDuff Contributors and Staff Writer

basketball history.

Basketball can take on many forms: Professional play, at the playground, five-on-five, two-ontwo, and even one-on-one. But one thing basketball players cannot do is play themselves. The McGill Tribune sportswriters wondered, if it were possible, which NBA players would be the most fun to watch challenge themselves in a one-on-one matchup.

Kobe Bryant is one of the most renowned two-way players of of all time. Touting that he has never lost a game of one-on-one, Bryant would finally meet his match when facing himself. His trademark ‘mamba mentality’ would give way to the most competitive game of one-on-one ever, packed with contested fadeaways, anklebreaking crossovers, and maybe even some morale-destroying dunks. Considering Bryant’s tenacity on the defensive end, he might not ever get a shot off on himself. NBA fans everywhere would be keen to find out.

Larry Bird Adam Burton Contributor Watching Larry Bird play himself would be riveting, not only for his all-around dominance on the offensive end of the floor, but also because of his unrivaled trash-talk. ‘Larry Legend’ once told Seattle Supersonics forward Xavier McDaniel exactly how and where he would shoot over him and followed it up by hitting the game-winning shot. Larry Bird versus Larry Bird would be a supreme battle with incredible shots, fierce defence, and brash trash talk. In a physical matchup, fans might get to watch one of the most entertaining games in

Kobe Bryant Adam Burton

Kevin Durant Ender McDuff Staff Writer In today’s NBA, there is one player that should be on fans’ minds for a one vs. one: 2013-2014 MVP Kevin Durant.

Listed at six-foot-nine with a seven-foot-four wingspan, Durant is a force of nature. The small forward possesses the speed and ball-handling of a guard, one of the league’s best jumpers, and incredible footwork, all while

being an elite defender and shot blocker. Basketball fans have seen hints of Durant’s one-on-one prowess before: In 2018, Durant beat the rest of the world’s best ballers during Team USA training camp. No other player has the physical tools necessary to stop Durant, so it would be interesting to see the star meet his match in himself.

Russell Westbrook Chiso Ufondu Contributor Russell Westbrook, the 201617 league MVP, is known in the NBA for his relentless playing style and is widely regarded as one of the top point guards in the league. With an explosive first step, Westbrook blows by his defenders, and, as an aggressive offensive player, he would not hesitate to use such power against himself to get to the rim off the dribble. His aggressiveness on offence could be his downfall, however, as, when matched with a good defender, such as himself, he can commit offensive fouls.

Considering his poor shooting abilities, the defensive Westbrook would be able to back off while defending and prevent drives to the basket. However, he tends to gamble on defence, going for

steals which could lead to his opponent speeding right by him for an easy bucket.

Tony Allen Alec Regino Contributor Some may not remember ‘The Grindfather,’ better known as Memphis Grizzlies legend Tony Allen. There are few who could match his grit on the defensive end; his ability to bully

opposing players is so renowned that Kobe Bryant considers Allen the best defender he has ever faced. However, it is Allen’s offence that makes this matchup so entertaining. With a solid, but not standout, average of 8.1 points per game for his career coupled with an atrocious 28 per cent career three-point shooting, this defensive slugfest is not for the faint of heart. It would be a grind—and that is just the way that Allen likes it.