The McGill Tribune Vol. 39 Issue 4

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 2019 | VOL. 39 | ISSUE 4

Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

McGILLTRIBUNE.COM | @McGILLTRIBUNE

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

TRIBUNE EXPLAINS

“It Takes All of Us” needs more

Across the generations

Student voting

PG. 5

PGs. 8-9

PG. 7

(Leanne Young / The McGill Tribune)

500,000 people march for climate justice in Montreal

PG. 2

Jane Goodall returns to McGill

Forty years after her first Beatty Lecture, famed primatologist shares her story Ronny Litvack- Katzman Staff Writer Jane Goodall began her second Beatty Lecture as she did her first: By saying hello to the audience in “chimpanzee.” Goodall, best known for her work in studying Afri-

can chimpanzees and her later humanitarian and environmental activism, spoke on Sept. 26 at the 65th anniversary of McGill’s Beatty Lecture series.

It had been forty years since Goodall visited McGill in 1979 to give her first Beatty Lecture. Then, still an upand-coming researcher, Goodall was invited to present a

portion of her ground-breaking work on the complex behavioural dynamics of wild chimpanzees. At the time, the event’s organizers feared that she would not draw a large enough crowd to fill a lecture hall. They ended up needing an extra room for the overflow of people waiting to hear her speak.

PG. 13

McGill men’s soccer survives late scare against UQAM McGill picks up second win at annual Homecoming game Jack Armstrong Contributor McGill men’s soccer (2–3–3) returned to action with a victory against the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins (2–3–2) on Sept. 27, ending a three-game winless streak.

McGill remained composed in an intense game that featured over 30 fouls and six yellow cards. Thirdyear forward Dalen Saheb led the way with a goal and an assist in the critical 2–1 Homecoming win for McGill.

“It was pretty important

Art POP installation is a creative oasis Theatre Rialto came alive for the festival’s main exhibit Patrick Gilroy Contributor

to get the win,” fourthyear forward Mehdi IbnBrahim said after the game.

“We’re definitely desperate for points to get into the playoffs, and for sure the crowd helped us win. We are definitely pushing closer to the playoffs now, and we are in contention.”

PG. 15

Viewers would be forgiven, upon entering Art POP’s main exhibition Tout ce qui arrive, arrive dans les verbes, for thinking that they had come to the wrong room. A set of lockers that line the left wall and a ‘douches/ showers’ sign are among

the first things to notice in the venue. This exhibition, which ran from Sept. 25 to 29 at Studio Rialto, is part of the visual-arts strand of POP Montreal International Music Festival.

Aside from the unique infrastructure of the space, which was originally a dance studio, the cloths that dominate the west side

of the installation are the most eye-catching part of the exhibit. These cloths, like many pieces in the room, evoke natural forms: One appears to display the figure of a pig, the other a face shrouded by butterflies and leaves. Neither work displays the artist’s name, which is true of many pieces in the room.

PG. 12

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NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 2019

500,000 people march for climate justice in Montreal Around 3,000 students participated in the McGill Climate Strike

Laura Oprescu Contributor ontreal held its second M march for climate justice on Sept. 27: The march was part of a series of worldwide climate marches taking place this month, with millions protesting across the globe.

McGill’s Senate failed to pass a motion to cancel classes for the strike on Sept. 18, although Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier asked professors to be accommodating of students that wanted to attend the strike. Several Montreal universities and CEGEPs cancelled classes, including Concordia University, Dawson College, and John Abbott College.

The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS), the Macdonald Campus Students’ Society (MCSS), the Medical Students’ Association, the McGill School of Environment, and the faculties of law and nursing voted to strike.

McGill’s protest was organised by Climate Justice Action McGill (C-JAM) in coordination with strikes at other Montreal universities and the larger Montreal climate march.

Students and faculty members presented three demands to McGill: Publicly acknowledge that fossil fuel companies cause “grave injurious impact” that disproportionately affects marginalised populations, divest from the fossil fuel industry, and pressure the provincial and federal governments to recognise the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

Tomas Jirousek, a member of the Kainai First Nation and Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU)’s Indigenous Affairs Commissioner, wants McGill to publicly recognise that Indigneous communities are among the most affected by the climate crisis, despite contributing to its effects the least.

“Indigenous people have been fighting[for] climate justice, long before nonIndigenous people joined us in this fight,” Jirousek said. “We have always been fighting to protect this land, and as Indigenous nations, we always will.”

English Professor Darek Nystrom resigned from the Board of Governors (BoG) in April, alongside fellow Board member Darin Barney, over concerns that McGill would once again fail to divest from fossil fuels. “[Barney and I] spent our time on the Board of Governors explaining that investing in fossil fuels is as if your house is on fire, and you decide to give some money to the guy that’s going to pour more gasoline on that fire,” Nystrom said.

Nystrom was inspired to join the climate justice movement after being impressed by a presentation that Divest McGill gave to the BoG. “We kept trying to persuade the other Board members of the need to divest, but for three years they kept finding one reason after another not to do so, and I fear that they are heading for another such decision,” Nystrom said. “Because they had stopped listening to us, Darin and I felt that we had no other choice but to resign.”

Nystrom expressed his frustration with Board members and politicians for passing the responsibility to solve the climate crisis over to younger generations.

“The next time someone my age looks at you and they think they’re giving you a compliment by saying ‘you give me hope,’ look them in the eye and say, ‘and what are you going to do with that hope?’” Nystrom said.

16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addressed a crowd of at least 500,000 people at the Montreal rally. Thunberg has garnered worldwide attention for starting the #FridaysForFuture movement; by skipping school every Friday to protest outside of the Swedish parliament for climate action.

On Sept. 23 Thunberg gave an emotional speech at the United Nations (UN) Climate Action Summit, criticising world leaders for their failure to prevent irreversible climate damage.

“This week world leaders [...] gathered in New York for the UN Climate Action Summit,” Thunberg said. “They disappointed us again, with their empty words and insufficient plans. We told them to unite behind the science, but they didn’t listen [....] It should not be up to us, but somebody needs to do it.”

Thunberg also met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before the march, telling him that he was not doing enough to prevent climate change. “[Canada is] very similar to Sweden, where I’m from,” Thunberg said at the march.

“You are a nation that is allegedly a climate leader, and Sweden is also a nation that is allegedly a climate leader. In both cases, it means absolutely nothing.

Thunberg notes that throughout history, big changes tend to follow massive grassroots movements. She believes that skipping school and work to protest is necessary to enact change at the global level.

“Some say that we are wasting lesson time, but we are changing the world,” Thunberg said. “So that when we are older, we will be able to look our children in the eyes and say that we did everything we could back then.”

McGill’s Climate Strike contingent was organized by C-JAM. (Leanne Young / The McGill Tribune)

NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 2019

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McGill’s second annual Queer History Month holds its opening ceremonies The event aims to inform the greater McGill community about 2SLGBTQIA+ issues.

Chloe Merritt Contributor Sept. 27 marked the beginning of McGill’s second annual Queer History Month and the 17th annual queer homecoming ‘Return of the Rainbow.’ Meryem Benslimane, equity education advisor to the provost and Vice Principal, as well as chair of the Planning Committee of Queer History Month, spoke on the importance of recognizing the difficulties that 2SLGBTQIA+ people may face within their own families and communities.

“This [month] will be to celebrate [Queer] histories, so the focus is really on learning, on the educational purpose, [and] on raising awareness,” Benslimane said.

The opening ceremony included presentations from those in the McGill 2SLGBTQIA+ community, who shared their personal experiences as well as queer history from McGill, Montreal, and beyond. Afterward, hors d’oeuvres and drinks were served and McGill students, staff and alumni had the opportunity to socialize.

Organized by student and staff organizations at McGill, Queer History Month is intended to reach out to McGill and Montreal communities with 17 events celebrating various aspects of 2SLGBTQIA+ lives. Coming up this week is a lecture by Sara Ahmed, “Complaint as a Queer Method” on Oct. 4 that sold out within minutes: Staff relocated the event to a larger room in the McIntyre Medical

The month-long event will include 17 events celebrating 2SLGBTQIA+ students.

(Sunny Kim / The McGill Tribune) Building to accommodate the large demand. ing hatreds and despair [...] One also encounThe event concludes with a closing ceremony ters beautiful examples of solidarity and love.” on Halloween featuring various speakers, artMcGill has a rich history of queer activists, and an open mic opportunity. ism, which includes students and staff who Shawn McCutcheon, a PhD candidate have fought for rights, safety, acknowledgestudying queer history, described his expe- ment, and the establishment of the Subcorience as a student in his speech during the mittee on Queer People in 2002 that now opening ceremony. plans McGill’s Queer History Month. Juanita “Reading, seeing, [and] hearing testimo- Marchand Knight, a Research Assistant and nies from individuals of the past is akin to an Performer at the Schulich School of Music, emotional rollercoaster,” McCutcheon said. described her vision for the month at the cer“Past voices can be almost unbearable, echo- emony.

“We can see that the Queer community has accomplished splendid things and those things are celebrated at Mcgill,” Marchand Knight said. “We can see that people remember the times when our rights were limited and acknowledge how wrong it is, and that, moving forward, we are going to keep fighting for those who are still marginalized, together [...]

It means that, hopefully, others will not waste 20 years wearing a skin that isn’t theirs and is so heavy that they cannot reach those goals and dreams.”

McGill’s first Queer History Month last year was the first of its kind at any Canadian university. The month has grown in scope since its inauguration, and the title has been changed from 2SLGBTQIA+ to Queer History Month to draw on the community’s reclamation and empowerment of a word once used as an insult and slur.

“Now the acronym that we’re using is 2SLGBTQIA+,” Benslimane said. “To acknowledge that Indigenous people were here on this land first before us and to show solidarity.”

Though McGill is currently Canada’s only university with a Queer History Month, Benslimane expressed her hope for Queer History Month to continue to grow in popularity.

“It would be really [nice] to see [a Queer History Month] in every institution, and not just universities, but in high school, because you see the impact on folks,” Benslimane said.

“That would be my dream, to see it happening everywhere and keep happening forever.”

McGill OSD replaces note-takers’ pay with volunteer hours

McGill to join institutions across Canada in switching to a volunteer-based system Magdalena Nitchi Contributor Each semester, McGill’s Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) recruits approximately 300 students to take notes for McGill courses and share them on MyCourses as a service to 600 other students with disabilities that hinder their ability to take notes for themselves. In Winter 2019, peer note-takers were paid $50 per class per semester. However, as of fall 2019, the OSD that will no longer continue to be paying any note-takers.

Instead, students who participate in the program will now be compensated through the addition of 10 community service hours to their co-curricular records, as well as an entry in a draw to win one of several gift cards at the end of the semester.

Some note-takers who felt taken advantage of by the sudden switch to unpaid work decided to drop out of the program in protest. A Reddit thread posted by a student about the issue encouraged students to email the OSD to express their frustrations, and encouraged anyone who needed the notes to email the student note-takers directly, since they did not want to cause problems for students with disabilities who rely on the service.

Director of Communications for Student Services Richard Hink explained that the OSD changed their policy to follow in the footsteps of other schools in Canada. “[The OSD has] seen, from our peer institutions, that a nonfinancially driven volunteer model works,” Hink wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “[P]eer note-taking is often a volunteer service at many other institutions, including the University of Toronto, Concordia University, Queen’s University, University of Alberta, and others.”

While some students are frustrated by this change, Hink believes it is for the greater good. The money previously used to compensate note-takers is now being put toward funding more services for students with disabilities.

“Part of this reinvestment includes a collaboration with Teaching and Learning Services to add features to the lecture-recording system with complementary notetaking applications,” Hink wrote. “Not only do these features specifically address some of the barriers related to attention and focus, they will also be made available to all students. This project should be completed in the near future, with a targeted launch for the Winter 2020 semester.”

Hink claims that although a small number of students have quit, complaints about the new policy are few and might actually help recruit more note takers.

“The new model makes it possible to recruit additional volunteers [in one class] to share notes,” Hink wrote. “This would not have been possible in previous The new volunteers are to be compensated with several gift-card draws during the semester. years given the prohibitive costs.”

(May Lim / The McGill Tribune) The OSD’s note-taker recruitment begins after the add/drop period. Despite the lack of monetary I would otherwise and then formatting it in a way that was accescompensation, according to Hink, 200 volunteers have already sible. For example, my handwriting is questionable, so if it was been recruited. The OSD is currently on track to recruit about the a math class I’d then type it all up afterwards, which sometimes same number of note-takers as last year. takes a little time.”

Victoria Pittard, a U3 computer science and biology student, Pittard believes that including some incentives is important has been a note-taker for two years. She raised concerns that un- to keep note-takers motivated throughout the semester. compensated note-takers might be less motivated to submit high“Some people really would just upload [their notes] right bequality notes. fore the exam or even after the exam and almost get lazy with it,” “I, personally, if it was going to be [a] volunteer [service], Pittard said. “I think that an incentive is really important. When would appreciate more hours being recognized, and at the very you cut pay and don’t tell people before they sign up, that really least [having known] before the semester that it was now a vol- reduces [the incentive to do well]. Even just better enforcement unteer position.” Pittard said. “For most classes [that I took notes [of quality notes being uploaded on time would benefit the profor], it involved making sure I was taking more detailed notes than gram].”

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NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 2019

McGill student creates #NoFutureNoChildren movement

Campaign hopes to pressure Canadian government to address climate crisis Delphine Polidori Contributor

Lim officially launched her campaign on Sept. 16 on Parliament Hill. (cbc.com) The #NoFutureNoChildren movement, a pledge to not have children until the Canadian government takes effective action toward addressing climate change, was started by a McGill student. Since creating the pledge, Emma Lim, U0 Science, has gathered over 4,000 signatures.

While Lim has only been engaged with climate activism for about a year, she has already made a global impact. On Sept. 23, she participated in the first United Nations (UN) Youth Climate Summit, and marched alongside Greta Thunberg on Sept. 27 during Montreal’s global climate march. While her pledge is not the first of its kind, Lim’s movement specifically targets the Canadian government, denouncing its failure to recognize the urgency of the current ecological crisis.

Sophie Arseneault, U1 Arts and official spokesperson of the movement, spoke with The McGill Tribune about the reasoning behind the pledge. “[It is] surfacing from a place of fear, as well as frustration,” Arseneault said. “It’s our generation’s way of saying that, if the government doesn’t act on the promises that they’ve already established, we don’t feel safe establishing our own families [....] So this is the closest that we can get to politicians’ hearts [....It’s a way] to alarm politicians to [realize] that the children of today are at risk, but the children of tomorrow are facing even greater risks.”

The pledge is not intended to replace or compete with other forms of climate activism, such as fossil fuel divestment, veganism, and school strikes. Arseneault clarified that it is an urgent cry for help to the leaders of Canada. “[We] aren’t looking at one specific policy, we’re only asking that the promises and the policies that have already been established be answered, realized, [and] put into effect,” Arseneault said. “[Major] companies shutting down pipelines and ending their practices that increase carbon dioxide emissions, that’s what we’re looking for.”

McGill students striking on Sept. 27 for the Global Climate March expressed their doubts regarding the #NoFutureNoChildren.

“I’m really glad that people are taking a stand but I don’t know if this exact pledge is the best means of doing that,” Julia Elson, U4 Chemical Engineering, said. “I don’t know if just pledging to not have kids is enough for the Canadian government to provide a substantial action plan for climate justice.”

Others, including Meagan MacKenzie, U3 Arts and Science, are concerned about the potentially discriminatory socio-economic implications and repercussions of the movement.

“I think it’s a really cool, radical, political action [but] I’m doubtful of the impact,” MacKenzie said. “I do think that there is a potentially slippery slope with regards to shaming people for having children. Traditionally, marginalized folks or people from [developing

countries] tend to have a lot of children, yet they aren’t the ones who are really creating much of the global [climate] impact. So I think that it’s great but should be used with a bit of caution.”

Arseneault believes that people’s reluctance to sign the pledge stems from a misinterpretation of its intent, sparking controversy on social media. Outrage about this pledge has caused certain detractors to harass Lin online.

“This isn’t a campaign to reduce population growth,” Arsenault said. “It’s not even a campaign to try to invite youth of our generation to stop all ambitions of growing a family. It’s a pledge that we hope [that we] will be able to step back from [....] It’s a pledge [that aims] to push the government to act on the promises already made, to stop creating more promises.”

The Tribune spoke with anthropology PhD student and professor Adam Fleischmann, who also took to the streets on Friday, about the #NoFutureNoChildren movement. With a research focus on nonstate climate actors, Fleischmann views the pledge as a compelling political strategy.

“I think one of the reasons why this action is so powerful is [because it is] a symbolic force trying to cause [a] social echo,” Fleischmann said. “Saying you’re not going to have [kids] for a specific cause, [....] really hits people in the chest [....] And if we’re going to uphold any sort of shred of our ideal of representative democracy, then we have to think that the leaders will eventually respond if there are enough of us, right?”

Fleischmann does not see this environmental movement as clashing with other efforts ranging from individual-to systemic-level climate action.

“Often, I think [....] that this person is pledging to not have children is like, this is their action,” Fleischmann said. “I haven’t eaten meat in 10 years and part of it is to make a little bit of a difference on climate change, but more of it is to signal to those around [me] that there’s an emergency.”

Foreign policy talk warns attendees about Canada’s future

University of Ottawa professor delivers talk at Max Bell School of Public Policy Maya Abuali Contributor On Sept. 24, the Max Bell School of Public Policy hosted a lecture titled “Canadian Foreign Policy at a Crossroads” as a part of their Fall 2019 Policy Lecture Series. Roland Paris, a professor of international affairs at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, spoke about the mounting challenges facing Canada’s next government. Paris is a non-resident fellow with Chatham House in the UK and a former senior foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In his talk, Paris spoke to the changing dynamics of international politics that he believes will force Canada to rethink its policies. As an example, Paris’ recounted America’s political situation, saying that it has made it significantly less reliable as a partner than it has been in the past. Meanwhile, populist nationalism has resurged in Europe, while China has begun to assert itself on the world stage, targeting Canada and others by applying political. According to Paris, the structure of institutions, alliances, and policies that have supported a relatively open and stable international order for decades is quickly degenerating, and Canada is transitioning from this American-led international order into something different.

“Maybe by the time [students] reach middle age, the contours of this new international order will be clear,” Paris said. “But for now, what is clear is that the existing order is foundering. To paraphrase the Italian Marxist phi-

Roland’s award-winning book “At War’s End” discusses the conclusion of war and the challenges of rebuilding. (ctvnews.ca) losopher Antonio Gramsci: ‘The old is dying, but the new is not yet born.”

Paris emphasized that this transition is not just of academic interest, but also has immediate and severe implications for Canadians. As a country with few security threats and privileged access to the US, the world’s largest and wealthiest market, Canada is accustomed to occupying a relatively comfortable position in international affairs.

However, Paris believes that these conditions are being called into doubt. Canada’s liberal identity which is dependent on a generally reliable US, is now being threatened by the angry populism and America-first chauvinism that is bubbling to the surface under Trump’s

presidency.

“We are an independent country, and we don’t want to be subservient to the United States,” Paris said.

A colossal 75 per cent of Canada’s merchandise exports go to the United States, accounting for approximately 20 per cent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Few countries are as dependent on a single trading relationship as Canada is on the US. Paris highlights that this vulnerability is one way in which the fraying of international order poses a direct challenge to some of Canada’s core interests.

“China and the United States […] have been weaponized in trade, using their own markets as an instrument to extract concessions

in other areas or to coerce states for political ends,” Paris said. “Canada has been on the receiving end of this.”

Aria Yousefi, a graduate student of public policy, commented on Paris’ talk.

“I think he provided a really good perspective on how we need to reaffirm our values [as Canadians] whilst expanding our relationship,” Yousefi said.

After the lecture, professors, graduate students, and foreign policy enthusiasts lingered to exchange their views on the issues Paris brought to the table.

Jennifer Welsh, a professor of global governance and international security in the Department of Political Science at McGill, spoke to Paris’ analysis of Canada’s current condition.

“I think what Roland demonstrates […] is the importance of clarity […] in this complexity. How do we actually diagnose what we are?” Welsh said. “We’ve got to diagnose our situation. And then we have to speak without jargon […] about what some of our choices are that we need to make.”

To conclude, Paris emphasized that public policy experts need to make sense of how the world is changing and how those changes will affect Canada. “[Current political leaders] will need all of [students’] brainpower in the years to come,” Paris said. “We will need your help in figuring out how to position Canada for success in this brave new world. So study hard, because it’s no exaggeration to say that your country will need you in this moment of uncertainty and of opportunity.”

OPINION

TUESDAY,OCTOBER 1 2019

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EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Caitlin Kindig editor@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Nicholas Raffoul nraffoul@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Abeer Almahdi aalmahdi@mcgilltribune.com Miya Keilin mkeilin@mcgilltribune.com Sophie Brzozowski sbrzozowski@mcgilltribune.com

News Editors Kyle Dewsnap, Helen Wu & Nina Russell news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Lucas Bird & Johanna Cline opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Emma Gilles scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Life Editor Leyla Moy studentlife@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Gabe Nisker features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editor Kevin Vogel & Katia Innes arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Ender McDuff & Kaja Surbourg sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Erin Sass & Erica Stefano design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor Leanne Young photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editors Sarah Ford & Aidan Martin multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Jad Hamdan & Jonathan Colaco Carr webdev@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Keating Reid copy@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Heela Achakzai business@mcgilltribune.com Publisher Chad Ronalds

“It Takes All of Us” needs more On Sept. 23, McGill released “It Takes All of Us,” its new mandatory sexual violence prevention training program. Those who do not complete the program—which features modules on sexual violence, consent, bystander intervention, and survivor support—will be unable to register for academic courses in the Winter 2020 semester. “It Takes All of Us” follows from the Quebec Act to Prevent and Fight Sexual Violence in Higher Education Institutions which requires universities to provide mandatory training for students and staff. While the program heeds McGill students’ call to action for improved sexual violence infrastructure, it misses the mark on crucial issues such as power dynamics and leaves gaps in terms of survivor support. Moreover, despite the titular implication that the McGill community is in it together, different completion deadlines for students and staff undermines the sense of equal responsibility.

While the new training program falls short in some ways, it is not irredeemable. “It Takes All of Us”’s thoughtful structure and content demonstrate the care that the developers took when designing it. The program’s use of gender-neutral names and specific statistics on the experiences of women of colour represent small but meaningful steps toward campus awareness of minority issues.

For programs on serious topics like sexual violence, attentitiveness is paramount. In this respect, the software design of “It Takes All of Us,” especially McGill succeeds in ensuring participants focus on the content. While users can skip over videos, pop-up questions act as a deterrent: If a student tries to bypass a video, the program will launch a content-related question on their screen and bar them from accessing the skipped video to find the

OFF THE BOARD

TPS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Heela Achakzai, Isabelle Côté, Solomon Friedman, Katia Innes, Caitlin Kindig, Marie Labrosse, Katerine Milazzo, Falah Rajput, Keating Reid, McEan Taylor, Ahmad El-Zammar

STAFF

ublication is the sole responsibility ofThe McGilTri Kate Addison, Makena Anderson, Dan Aponte, Zoe Babad-Palmer,Adam Burton, Jonathan Giammaria, Sabrina Girard-Lamas,Alexander Hinton, Benjmain Joppke, Deana Korsunsky, Alaana Kumar, Ronny Litvack-Katzman, Kennedy McKee-Braide,Taja De Silva, McEanTaylor, SophiaWhite, Amir HotterYishay, Iman Zarrinkoub

CONTRIBUTORS Maya Abuali, Jack Armstrong, Adam Bell,Vivien Bian, Asha Bittenbender Joey Caplan Tasmin Chu, Naomi Duggan, Jonah Fried, Patrick Gilroy, Jackie Lee, Gregorio Lentini, Chloe Merritt, Magdalena Nitch, Laura Oprescu, Mackenzie Pereira, Delphine Polidori, Miguel Principe,Trishala Roy, Gwenyth Wren, JessieYe

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Please recycle this newspaper.

Sophie Brzozowski Managing Editor Being a naturally private person, I have never felt that social media came easily to me. I’ve often found myself sympathizing with those who criticize my generation for our tendency to overshare online, not because I see it as symptomatic of narcissism, but simply because I don’t share the same impulse. As a result, my presence online has always felt phony and contrived. My resentment for the practice is only

answer. Users are also unable to mute the program or switch tabs, which help ensure they remain tuned in, although it is still possible they could simply mute their computer’s volume.

Despite taking certain steps in the right direction, the program’s omission of content addressing power dynamics is both disappointing and unsettling.

While the staff version of the course stresses the prohibition of romantic and sexual relations between staff and students under their authority, the student course does not educate on the risks of power dynamics. Given McGill’s recent protests against faculty sexual misconduct in 2018, failing to mention these issues in the student program hinders its potential to protect students. Predatory staff have been an appalling yet very real part of student experiences at McGill. To evade all mention of these scenarios in the student program disrespects those who struggled with such experiences and fought for the development of a mandated sexual violence program that addresses power dynamics.

On top of the omission of power dynamics, the later program completion deadline for staff shows that faculty and students are being held to a different standard. Following years of sexual misconduct being swept under the rug, McGill needs to hold staff in positions of power more accountable, and by showing that the program is less timely for them, McGill sends the opposite message.

The program should also be updated to be more considerate of its audience. The scenario-based units use fraternity-centric storylines that may not be relatable for much of the McGill population. Selecting situations that more students can relate to—in residence or office hours, perhaps— would increase the program’s effectiveness.

Moreover, “It Takes All of Us” needs more recognition of experiences of Indigenous and people of colour in the program. While the program provides statistics on who reports and experiences sexual violence, it overlooks the socio-cultural factors that underlie these numbers. For example, it cites fear of not being believed as one reason why survivors do not report their assault to the police; however, it fails to recognize that for many people— especially people of colour—this fear is grounded in repeated instances of police mishandling victim reports. The program needs to do more to recognize the equity issues that lead to sexual violence and keep survivors quiet.

The logistics of designing a program that will fit all student experiences are immensely complicated. With that said, a third of women will experience sexual violence in their lifetime, and most survivors develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or experience symptoms of it, including panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, and dissociation. For survivors, content even partially related to their experience can be triggering, let alone an entire mandated workshop on sexual violence.“It Takes All of Us” strives to accommodate survivors and even features a “feeling overwhelmed” button that allows users to skip over one entire section. However, skipping one section is not likely to ease all symptoms of PTSD and this single feature must be supplemented with a more survivor-conscious framework including more methods for survivors to opt-out of the program entirely.

One way McGill could do this is by exempting survivors with psychologist or therapist notes from the course.

The program also notes that survivors can go to McGill’s Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education (OSVRSE) to find

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EDITORIAL support for completing the program.

The OSVRSE staff are trained in active listening and create a safe environment for survivors. However, the office is also understaffed and is realistically unable to accomodate all of the students who might want help with “It Takes All of Us”. With the reality of such high rates of sexual violence, McGill has a responsibility to provide more accomodations for survivors completing this program.

Increasing funding and resources for a small office like OSVRSE and developing alternative venues for support would help more students feel safe. Moreover, McGill must an effort beyond “It Takes All of Us”. In order to fully show solidarity with survivors, McGill must continue to improve and enforce its new sexual violence policy.

Despite having room for improvement, The McGill Tribune urges students and staff to complete the “It Takes All of Us” program with care. The course gives people an opportunity to reflect on their actions or inactions and consider how they can improve. Even students with previous training who feel confident in their knowledge should be attentive when completing the program. Sexual violence is preventable and every step towards awareness matters; students must not overlook the importance of taking “It Takes All of Us” seriously.

Resources and suggestions for survivors: Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society main@ sacomms.org or 514-398-8500 Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education osvrse@mcgill.ca or 514-3983954 Complete the course with trusted friends or attend OSVRSE completion workshops.

Social media: The scrapbook of our time emphasized by the fact that I, like many, feel compelled to stay active on social media, for no other reason than my inability to remember life without it.

None of this would be so strange if I weren’t such a sentimental person. I’ve always liked taking photos, keeping diaries, and collecting souvenirs, and I’ve always hated throwing things away.

In this way, self-documentation has always been important to me, and it’s a practice that runs in my family.

In August, I visited my grandfather, who more so than anyone I know my own age, is an ardent oversharer. Having always been a prolific writer, my grandfather made a hobby of chronicling family history after retirement. During our most recent visit this summer, he presented me with a manila envelope containing about a dozen printed pages. He explained that it was a condensed history of all the sailors in our family, dating back to the 1850s.

The pages contain sophisticated descriptions of boats that our family has sailed, significant voyages they

have taken, and even a brief excerpt from a diary entry written by my great grandfather.

Having spent many years as a commercial fisherman in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, my grandfather included some of his own stories as well. He compiled all this information a couple years back, but said that he was reminded of the document when he learned that I had spent the past summer bartending on a commercial cruise ship. He was pleased to learn that I was carrying on the family tradition.

There’s one section in the document where he describes the cast of characters one might have encountered in a ship’s crew in the 1930s.

“By occupation alone they were hard men, working at a difficult, dangerous job. Individuals might be either gentlemen or the scum of the earth,” my grandfather wrote.

Reading this made me equally as pleased to have joined their ranks.

A couple years ago, my now 91-year-old grandfather joined Facebook. Like me, he posts

infrequently and seems relatively uninterested in the platform, which is a shame; because it would make staying in touch easier and I think he would be great at it. Instead, his preferred method of communication are phone calls—long ones. Unlike me, his reticence to communicate online stems more from a lack of familiarity with the platform than any feelings of self-consciousness. Were he more tech-savvy, there’s no doubt in my mind that he would come up with some excellent content, being such a natural storyteller.

Whether or not I’ll ever successfully get over my own internet shyness, I’ve come to appreciate social media as not only a communication tool, but also a means of cataloguing and recording personal history. Those quick to criticize my generation for oversharing or for being selfinvolved misunderstand that it’s human nature to want to record one’s experiences. From our grandest adventures to life’s minutiae, stories and storytelling remain an invaluable part of the human experience.

6

OPINION

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 2019

Everyone deserves a fair share of clean air Jonah Fried Contributor Montreal residents generally live for a long time, but environmental injustice threatens to change that for many. According to a study released by the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, the east end’s regional health board, people living in the east end of Montreal live, on average, nine years less than people who live elsewhere in the city.

The east end, which has the highest concentration of industrial centers in all of Montreal, is also one of the lowest-income districts in the city. There may not be a visible cloud of pollutants hovering on Avenue Bourbonniere, but according to several studies, a microscopic swarm of sulfur dioxide, ozone, and hydrogen sulfide particles infest the area. No one should have to live in such conditions, and this example of environmental injustice is representative of a trend across Canada that should be morally unacceptable to every Montreal resident.

Aside from contributing to climate change by releasing noxious fumes into the atmosphere, corporations such as PetroCan also diminish the quality of life of those who live in the east end by exposing them to frustrating levels of noise pollution. Excessive noise comes in addition to the other pollutants local factories put out that may harm the area’s residents’ health. All citizens, including those living in the east end, contribute to public works and services and should benefit from the system they help maintain. Regulations on local corporate excesses are in order, not only to curb climate change, but also in light of these significant equity concerns.

Residents of the east end of Montreal live an average nine years less than residents elsewere.

(Nicholas Raffoul / The McGill Tribune) Even though McGill is not located in the east end, it is imperative that students, as residents of the city, educate themselves on local issues.

McGill students breathe air free from industrial contaminants, but this should be the case in all of Montreal. As a higher education institution, McGill absolutely has a role in improving the conditions of the city around it. However, McGill invests in various corporations involved with fossil fuels, some of which have operations in Montreal that are instigating the local air crisis. By failing to divest, McGill becomes culpable in both the global climate crisis at large and the injustice of

pollution in local lower-income areas. One way to combat this malpractice is by supporting groups like Divest McGill or Climate Justice Action McGill (C-JAM). Currently, C-JAM has two email templates available which include their three primary demands regarding the sustainability of McGill’s policies. They are asking students to send these emails to the McGill Board of Governors and Principal Suzanne Fortier so that these demands, including divestment, can be met.

Environmental injustice plagues many parts of Canada. In Toronto, a city densely populated largely by minorities and immigrants, environmental

injustice in the form of unequal distribution of environmental pollutants is particularly prolific.

The concentration of Indigenous communities near industrial centers across Canada is another example. According to United Nations research, such Indigenous communities are already disproportionately affected by climate change in other ways, such as through the loss of their land and resources to the crisis. Indigenous communities are entitled to breathe the same clean air as those who reside on the land that they were violently expelled from centuries ago.

Cities are socioeconomically stratified by their nature, but people shouldn’t have to sacrifice their right to healthy living standards when they pay less for housing. McGill students often contribute to social stratification through gentrification or pollution in Montreal, so it is our duty to work towards being better residents. As the youngest voting generation, current McGill students have the most to lose in the future to the effects of climate change. However, by protesting environmental injustice at large and by holding our elected officials accountable to their environmental promises, we also have the power to change things for the better.

We have a responsibility to do so in the upcoming federal election.

No one wants to go to a school in a city rife with environmental racism and injustice, just as none of us want to live in a world slowly suffering from wounds incurred by corporate transgression. Inaction on this issue by city officials now would demonstrate an immense disregard for their constituents. It would also perpetuate socioeconomic inequality, even infringing on one’s right to breathe air that isn’t going to kill them someday.

No such thing as ‘girls get in for free’ Jessie Ye Contributor Content warning: Mentions acts of sexual violence McGill is a school where students love to enjoy themselves and for many students this includes frequenting the nightclubs which pepper Boulevard Saint-Laurent and other Montreal streets.

Going out to Saint-Laurent can be a fun experience for all kinds of Montrealers, yet men often complain about not being let into clubs, being charged more cover, or having to deal with rude bouncers.

These narratives assume that women have it easier when it comes to clubbing. While it may be true that many women spend less money and wait less time, they end up paying in more sinister ways through the objectification and commodification of their bodies.

Through objectification, a woman’s body becomes separated from her person and she becomes a physical object of men’s desire. There is always an intense pressure for women to look a certain way and for a night out, the expectation is to be sexy. Meanwhile, it is perfectly acceptable for men to wear normal and comfortable clothes which don’t expose their bodies, since men are often valued for more than just that. For many women, revealing clothes are empowering, however, at the end of the day skin tight or exposing clothes can still unintentionally

serve the male gaze. In fact, the men report being less empathetic to women in revealing clothes, meaning that especially in nightclubs, this toxic attitude of slutshaming and sexism on the part of men leads to sexual violence.

For many women, being groped or grabbed is an inescapable part of going out. Some men will see clubs as the place to act out this vicious behavior, even when they know that it is wrong. For them, the drunker a woman is, the easier a target she becomes and the less likely he is to be punished for his actions. In a study of 1,000 incidents recorded at nightclubs, over 25 per cent involved unwanted sexual behavior, 90 per cent were men harassing women and only in 10 out of the 258 cases recorded did a bouncer intervene. This demonstrates just how little clubs actually care about their female clientele. For many women, being harassed is just the price to pay for clubbing; there seems to be nothing that can be done about it.

For nightclubs, the oppressive cycle of objectification and violation of women’s bodies becomes a business model. Female guests aren’t so much customers as they are an attraction for men. Women at clubs are valued because they can be sexualized, and having more women at clubs means more bodies for men to lust over, seize, and attempt to take home. Sex sells, and men often do end up spending a lot more money on

For nightclubs, the commodification of women’s bodies is a business model.

(L-A Benoit / McGill Tribune) a night out. If clubs can get ‘hot girls’ inside they can charge desperate and disrespectful men more money for cover or even bottle service. Women at clubs aren’t treated as human beings; they are products, something a club can advertise to encourage men to spend more time, and most importantly, more money.

While it may seem like girls have it easy when it comes to getting preferential treatment at nightclubs, the unsettling reality becomes clear very quickly.

Women are seen as, treated, and sold as sexual objects, something that nightclubs acknowledge and continue to take advantage of. Men may be shelling out more money but it is women who truly shoulder the higher cost of clubbing.

McGill students don’t need to stop going out, but they do need to combat this toxic culture by respecting each others boundaries, reporting aggressive behaviour, and most importantly, supporting victims of sexual violence.

STUDENT LIFE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 2019

7

Tribune Explains: Student voting Everything you need to know this election season Miguel Principe Contributor Election season in Canada is underway once again. For many McGill students, it may be the first time they are eligible to vote; however, many still do not get to the polls. Lisa Drouillard, Director of Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement at Elections Canada, broke down student voter eligibility into simple terms while emphasizing the need for young people to vote.

Am I eligible to vote?

“There are only three questions [to determine who can vote],” Drouillard said. “Are you going to be over 18 on Election Day? Are you a Canadian citizen? Do you have enough ID to prove your identity and where you live?”

Since ID can be a barrier for many youth voters, Elections Canada currently accepts a variety of documents, including your driver’s licence and your McGill ID, as valid forms of ID at the polls. Even if you don’t have any acceptable documents, a friend with appropriate ID living in the same electoral district can vouch for you as long as you declare your identity and address in writing.

Where can I go to vote?

With your valid ID in hand, knowing where to go is the next important step. The location of your polling place depends on which constituency you choose to vote in. Like many McGill students living away from home, you may have two addresses: A Montreal address

and the address of a family home.

In federal elections, you are allowed to vote for whichever district you identify more closely with, as long as you have sufficient ID to prove it. This means that even if Quebec may consider you as someone from out-of-province, you are allowed to vote for your riding in Montreal.

If you wish to vote for candidates from your Montreal address, you must go to your riding’s designated poll either on election day, Monday, Oct. 21. or on advanced polling days, from Oct. 11–14. To determine where to vote, simply go to the Voter Information Service and search using your Montreal postal code.

If you decide to vote in your home riding’s election and cannot make it to the designated polls on election day or advanced polling days, you can go to any Vote on Campus location from Oct. 5–9. In the McGill area, the Vote on Campus locations are La Citadelle, New Residence Hall, and Our Lady of Salette Church. If you cannot make it to any of the Vote on Campus locations but still wish to vote for your home riding, you can go to any Elections Canada office before Oct. 15. The offices nearest McGill are 4019 Notre-Dame Street West by Place Saint-Henri metro station and 2120 Rue Sherbrooke East at the corner of Sherbrooke and De Lorimier.

How do I vote exactly?

Once you enter the booth, you will be given a list of candidates that are running for your specific riding, rather than the party lead-

Students are eligible to vote provided they are over 18, are citizens of Canada, and have appropriate ID. (Sabrina Girard-Lamas / McGill Tribune) ers you may have familiarized yourself with. It is imperative to know your candidates beforehand, especially if you are voting at a Vote on Campus location or at an Elections Canada office, since you will fill out a special ballot and will have to write in the specific candidate you choose to vote for. Furthermore, you need to ensure that you spell the candidates’ names correctly. Learning about who is running in your riding is very easy: You can find the names of each candidate and their party affiliation by

searching the district you plan to vote for in the Voter Information Service portal.

Interested students can also help others in the community vote by applying to work at any of the polling stations near McGill through Elections Canada.

“Demand for [working at] Vote on Campus and advanced polling stations is still pretty high,” Brouilland said. “It’s nice short term work [...], and a nice opportunity to get service and administrative experience.”

Finsta culture creates space for more personable social media Private accounts offer relief from pressure for perfection Trishala Roy Contibutor Finstas, or “fake Instagrams,” is a trend among young people who create a secondary Instagram account for the purpose of expressing themselves more freely. The content posted on these accounts often differs greatly from what is posted to a finsta user’s main account, a real Insta, and is often less polished. While this trend is increasingly popular with students, those who are unfamiliar may wonder about the purpose of having two diametrically opposite Instagram accounts, and why one account does not suffice.

Despite the variations and differing styles of the accounts, finsta users tend to agree that secret accounts are beneficial for dealing with social media pressure, and they value having a private space online. Finstas typically create a setting where users allow their personality to take centre stage without worrying about what others might think. Delina Efrem, U0 Science, shares her experience with finstas, detailing the unspoken pressure that surrounds a lot of social media.

“There are too many lurking eyes on your main account,” Efrem said. “It just feels uncomfortable. When I’m posting on my main [account], it has to be in tip top shape because I want people to like it. When I post on my finsta, it’s because I like it, and I want people to enjoy it.”

The desire to appear perfect on social media affects many people who share their lives online, especially young people. This pressure to present a perfect version of oneself is reinforced by the growing industry of Instagram influencers who make a living off of promoting brands on their personal accounts. Apprehension about posting on main accounts is a fear many Instagram users relate to. Zoe Karkossa, U3 Science, explained the difference between primary Instagram accounts and finstas intended for friends.

“In the context of a finsta [...], you have the privacy to express yourself in a way that isn’t public, in a way that you won’t be judged for,” Karkossa said.

A traditional Instagram account comes with an unspoken set of standards that a majority of users follow. It creates a platform where people are held accountable for their actions by the public. By alleviating the stress of a public platform, finstas offer their users more freedom to broadcast their authentic selves. However, this freedom can also encourage a space that enables unhealthy behavior under the guise of being candid and relatable. “[Finstas can] allow for enabling, since you can take your night out and spin it as something funny or no big deal, [and] a good time,” Karkossa said. “A lot of people will do that in their finsta, talk about how much they go out. It’s nice to have a safe space to talk about that but a lot of [it is] also enabling [....] It’s easy to hide if you

have actual problems.”

To the people that use them, finstas represent an overall positive progression of social media.

“There’s more of a sense of authenticity, [which allows] for more actual social connection,” Karkossa said. “Not necessarily deep conversations, but relating [to people] on a deeper level than sending hearts in Instagram com-

ments].”

The rise of finstas is a subculture creation wherin individuals no longer feel the pressure to uphold a perfect image online. It represents a new wave of social media culture led by young people, which allows them to feel more free and connect with one another in a more meaningful way.

Finstas can create more meaningful connection on an otherwise impersonal platform. (pixabay.com)

McEan Taylor Staff Writer When I first met Denyse Robertson, she was peering out from behind the barely-open front door to her home with a quizzical look on her face. I could not help but worry that, even with the best of intentions, my volunteering endeavours would meet a dead end if the woman I was matched with did not like me. My fears dissipated as soon as she opened the door wide and greeted me with the loudest “Bonjour!” I have ever heard.

It was as if Denyse and I were old friends reunited after decades apart. A year later, I look forward to her “Bonjour!” every week.

Melissa Dalva is the Generations program coordinator at Yellow Door, a community centre and event space on Aylmer between Pine and Prince-Arthur. The organization originally focussed on serving affordable meals to students, the elderly, and the homeless while putting on concerts and local art exhibits.

Added in 1972, the Generations program connects elderly members of the Milton-Parc community with volunteers who help them run errands, take them to medical appointments, or visit on a weekly basis. As the only staff member of the program, Dalva collects applications for both new volunteers and seniors, connects matches, and coordinates meetings across the city.

She believes that the program’s positive impact is invaluable.

“It’s a time for different generations to bond over common interests, different interests, sharing life experiences, and exchanging values or traditions,” Dalva said. “From a senior’s perspective, it can also [feel like] leaving [behind] a legacy. In what [seniors] are sharing, it can make an impact on a younger person’s life [.…] Both older and younger people can feel valued and connected. Some of our members can feel forgotten, so when a volunteer comes even once a week, it can transform their daily lives.”

Denyse learned of Yellow Door through the Centre local de services communautaires (CLSC) after she moved back to Montreal from Paris four years ago. When she first returned to the city, she felt isolated and lonely. In Paris, she could meet with associates and friends constantly, and she received many visitors from all over the world. In recent years, her lack of mobility has made it difficult to engage with her peers.

“I feel bad [making] my friends push me in a wheelchair,” Denyse said. “They [view] me as slow and a fall-risk, [and] not someone who is fun.”

Yet, Denyse does not let her older friends determine her mindset about aging. Her television is always on, playing worldwide news. She emails her friends from around the world, maintaining connections while practicing her technological skills. Denyse leads a lifestyle that some might consider unusual for a woman of her age.

A study in the Journal of Age Studies notes that seniors who form intergenerational friendships often feel disconnected from their same-age peers. Not every senior wishes to participate in leisure

activities commonly associated with aging, and because they feel their peers subscribing to social norms for their age, many actively choose to socially distance themselves from their age-group.

“What the participants [of the study] rejected was the ubiquity of behaviours and characteristics ascribed to older people through social norms, age norms and expectations,” the article reads.

Some studies show that seniors that engage more with younger people have healthier cognitive function. While Denyse would always appreciate more visitors, she is content with her weekly visits from multiple volunteers.

Although I originally signed up for Yellow Door as a way to earn volunteer hours and break out of the McGill bubble, being paired with Denyse helped me realize the wealth of opportunities that volunteering offered me. After a year of seeing her each week, I can say that Denyse is one of my closest friends in Montreal.

While we shop for groceries or play with her two lovely cats, Myoko and DeeJay, Denyse often talks about her life experiences.

Born in Montreal, she grew up at the height of the tensions between Anglophones and Francophones. Kids would often bully her for her English last name. In her early 20s, Denyse moved to Paris where she worked as CBC’s France correspondent. She covered the 1968 riots in France, where thousands of students and workers occupied universities and factories in protest of capitalism and consumerism. She was the first reporter to ever interview the North Vietnamese consulate in France at the height of the Vietnam war. After years of reporting, Denyse started her own PR company, managing events for Chanel and other brands around the world.

My friendship with Denyse gives me a chance to connect with someone with a broader outlook on life and perspective. Our interactions help put university stress into perspective as I listen to her memorable life stories.

Anna Nuechterlein, U1 Arts and Science, started volunteering at Yellow Door in her first year at McGill.

As a way to offset the challenge of meeting people in residence, she began visiting two seniors in the program. She could relate to the isolation the older community members experienced and felt that her visits helped alleviate that feeling.

“We can all benefit [...] from those [who are] at different stages of life,” Nuechterlein said. “I have learned so much from older community members, and they are just keen to share their life lessons, experiences, and personal anecdotes. In turn, I think that, as young people, we have a lot of perspectives to offer as well. Most importantly, having these intergenerational friendships reduces feelings of isolation and loneliness for both parties, and works to reduce feelings of depression, anxiety and premature institutionalization in older people.”

Caught up in the university hustle, it can be easy to go

four years without getting to know the surrounding community. Yet, the opportunity for meaningful and impactful friendships with the elderly is often overlooked while students speed through their degrees.

According to Intergenerational Theory in Society, a paper

by Professor Karen VanderVen at the University of Virginia, intergenerational relationships are similar to the mentorships that form when a person is lacking in parental guidance.

“Where relationships have not been successful and development disrupted, interventions such as mentoring [...] have been designed to compensate for a relationship lack and promote resilience in the mentee,” the study reads.

“Intergenerational programs, like mentoring, have been designed to enhance and extend the relationships of people of different ages in a way that is developmentally enhancing.”

Not all volunteers start at Yellow Door with the intention to make friends or meet mentors. Stephanie Butchart, 31, began 10 years ago following advice from her late grandmother. “[During] one of our last times together, she said that I should be there for others as I had been for her,” Butchart said.

After dozens of one-time matches with seniors doing errands, accompanying them to medical appointments, and facilitating Yellow Door’s various workshops, Butchart was matched with a member for friendly visits that have continued weekly for over eight years. Through Yellow Door, Butchart did an internship, which led her to discover the possibility of turning her passion into a career.

“Friendly visiting led [me] to going back to college, [and] then university, and now I am a frontline professional directly involved in fulfilling the human experience,” Butchart said.

Now, Butchart works as a community support worker at a social service organization for individuals who are over 50-years-old.

She also provides experiential support services for all ages and continues to volunteer for Yellow Door in her own time. “[Volunteering] has allowed me to create connections with a variety of people whom I would have never met otherwise,” Butchart said. “What I find so special is that not only has it given me and members the space to grow closer over time, but is often a way I can relate to other people while working in the community.”

At Yellow Door, the process of matching a volunteer with a senior community member takes into account both participants’ interests and life experiences such as careers and family matters, among a host of other factors. As a result, there is a waiting list of seniors who may not match with any currently available volunteers.

“There [are] never enough [volunteers] because there’s always a waiting list,” Dalva said. “I want to give a meaningful experience [for] both the volunteer and the senior, so it’s not just making a match because they are available.”

As life expectancy increases, more people form intergenerational relationships and volunteer. In recent years, Yellow Door has grown to around 250 volunteers serving 300 adults, with more volunteers signing up every week.

When she has the opportunity to sit down with the seniors benefiting from her hard work, Dalva enjoys hearing about the impact the Generations program makes on seniors’ lives. “[I really love] hearing those simple statements of ‘I consider this volunteer my grandson, or granddaughter, or family I never had,’” Dalva said. “Sometimes people send cards just to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet someone I otherwise would never have met. Those little thank-yous mean the world.”

My experience at Yellow Door has helped me realize that pursuing friendships with seniors is something I will always continue to do. Friendships made through the Generations program are essential to the MiltonParc community and create impactful memories.

For Denyse, visits are the highlights of her week. “[Having volunteers visit] means looking forward to seeing people I like,” Denyse said. “[On] days I see volunteers, I am very happy when I wake up.”

10 STUDENT LIFE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 2019

Bike and scooter-shares are changing the way Montrealers commute

Pros and cons of BIXI, JUMP, Lime, Bird

sidewalk or discarded at the bottom of the Lachine Canal. The fact that Lime scooters are dockless paired with riders’ tendency to leave scooters everywhere led Montrealer Pascal Robichaud to post a collection of Lime parking infractions to Flickr. Despite controversy over the haphazardly parked scooters, Lime attracts many riders curious about how e-scooters operate. After the first push, e-scooters require little effort to move. Riders simply press down on the throttle on the right handle bar to accelerate and squeeze the hand brake on the left to stop. The scooters cost $1 to unlock in the Lime app by scanning a QR code on the scooter and, like JUMP e-bikes, cost 30 cents per minute of use.

Alaana Kumar & Leyla Moy Staff Writer & Student Life Editor With concern for climate change at an all-time high, autumn in Montreal is a great time for students to explore new eco-friendly ways to get around the city.

BIXI and JUMP bikes and Lime and Bird e-scooters offer fun, cost-effective options that do not contribute to the pollution problem exacerbated by carbon-emitting cars, buses, and trains. With these small but mighty vehicles more accessible than ever, The McGill Tribune investigated Montreal’s four bike and scooter-shares.

BIXI bikes The first public bike-sharing system of its kind in Montreal, BIXI bikes became a part of the city in 2009 with 3,000 bicycles available across at 400 stations. Today, there are over 7,250 bikes in 600 stations. Unlike other providers, Bixi bikes are only docked at designated stations, meaning they are more easily located for riders in a pinch. The availability and sheer volume of bikes makes for a particularly fast and accessible ride, often faster than waiting for a bus or metro. Additionally, using Bixi can be much cheaper than relying on public transport or Ubers.

A 30-minute trip would cost only $2.95; unlimited 30-minute trips throughout the day cost $5.25 for one day, $15 for three, $34 for 30, and $94 for a year. In addition to the standard BIXI, 100 blue motorized e-BIXIs are also available throughout the

BIXI, JUMP, Lime, and Bird offer cost-effective commuting options with a smaller carbon footprint. (Dan Aponte / McGill Tribune) city.

JUMP e-bikes The bright red bicycles with the spacious baskets are slowly becoming a feature of the city. JUMP e-bikes, which are owned and operated by Uber, can ease a tough commute up Montreal hills. These bikes can be unlocked for free through the Uber app but cost 30 cents per minute of use, making them significantly more expensive than BIXI. Furthermore, since Jump bicycles can be picked up and dropped off at any public bike rack, they

are more difficult to find than regular BIXI bikes but easier to find than the rarer e-BIXIs. And while JUMP bikes allow for a quicker commute, for safety purposes, they have a speed limit of 32km per hour.

Due to their speed, JUMP requires that users wear helmets while riding.

Lime e-scooters Lime scooters, the ubiquitous neon green electric scooters from an electric bike startup formerly known as LimeBike, have become a familiar sight across Montreal, whether in the center of the

Bird e-scooters Sleek, matte black Bird e-scooters are new to Montreal’s scooter-share scene, appearing for the first time in early September as part of a pilot project that will run until Nov. 15. Only 250 dockless Bird e-scooters have hit the streets, joining Lime’s fleet of 430. Operation is comparable to Lime, with a right-hand throttle and a left-hand brake. However, Bird’s cleaner aesthetic comes at a price: Scooters cost $1.15 to start and an additional 35 cents per minute. Unlike Lime, Bird will soon adopt a monthly rental plan that would allow riders to pay a flat fee for unlimited use of a scooter for a month or more.

Gardens of Light: A multi-sensory gateway within the heart of Montreal Light show at the Jardin Botanique highlights diverse cultures Naomi Duggan Contibutor Every autumn, the Jardin Botanique of Montréal presents themed outdoor gardens that showcase diverse cultures. This year’s Gardens of Light guides visitors around the globe through its illuminated Chinese, First Nations, and Japanese Gardens.

Chinese Gardens The Chinese Gardens were first featured in the Montreal Botanical Gardens in 1991.

Beautifully crafted by the Shanghai Institute of Landscape Design and Architecture, the scene is the result of a collaboration between the Parks Department of the City of Shanghai and the Jardin Botanique de Montréal.

The landscape strives for a perfect balance of water, stone, plant, and architecture. An

Gardens of Light offers its visitors an illuminating walk through cultures across the globe.

(Miya Kellin / McGill Tribune)

arrangement of plants and minerals are embellished with luminescent lanterns that recount Chinese tales and traditions.

Chinese lanterns date back to the Han Dynasty, when monks traditionally used them on the 15th day of the lunar year to honour Buddha. For the Gardens of Light exhibition, lanterns were handcrafted by artisans in the Shanghai region and imported to Montreal.

The stone sculptures by the water, which incorporate grey rocks imported from Lake Tai in China and yellow rocks from Saint Hélène Island in Montreal, represent an alliance between Montreal and China.

First Nations Gardens The First Nations garden spans 25,000 square metres and is the largest garden in North America dedicated to people of First Nations and Inuit descent. The First Nations portion was first included in the Gardens of Light exhibition in 2015. With over 300 different plant species and 5,000 trees and shrubs, this garden mimics a peat bog, a tundra, and coniferous forest. The Sacred Tree recounts stories of the Circle of Life and the forces of nature. In the evening, multicoloured lights illuminate the Tree, illustrating the four seasons. Florent Vollant, an Innu Singer and spokesman for the First Nations Garden, explained the garden’s message of

tolerance. “[The garden acts] to break down the barriers of ignorance and intolerance between Native and non-Native people,” Vollant said.

Japanese Gardens The Japanese Garden, carefully crafted by architect Ken Nakajima, offers scenes of serenity that contrast with our fast-paced way of life. Funded by subsidies from the governments of Japan, Canada, and Quebec, the exhibit includes a walk through the Japanese Pavilion, which provides a glimpse into Japanese history and culture. The Japanese garden is minimalistic and pays special attention to spatial arrangement. The stones lining the garden are a unique variety of peridotite specially imported from the asbestos mines in Thetford Mines, Quebec. At night, the selected Japanese plants and flowers are lit, exposing their radiant beauty.

Gardens of Light offers its visitors a tranquil and fascinating walk through different cultures around the globe. The exposition ends on Oct. 31. Doors are open until 9:00 p.m. on weeknights and until 10:00 p.m. on weekends. Tickets, which include admission to the garden during the day and fixed-time entry to the Gardens of Light, are available online.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 2019

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Man’s best friend and musical inspiration Documentary screening explores the mysterious origins of a song’s conception Deana Korsunsky Contributor I was six years old when I first heard the terse, yet bluntly delivered question: Who let the dogs out? It was the audition song of choice for the Big Bad Wolf on Shrek Idol, a post-credit interactive game on the Shrek 2 DVD. “Who Let The Dogs Out” by The Baha Men is a song that has permeated mass cultural consciousness, whether in a film soundtrack, a karaoke bar, or in a bonus feature to an animated cinematic masterpiece.

However, this song is more than just an aural novelty. It is a cultural enigma, a song with no one proven author, and the subject of a near-decade-long investigation.

On Sept. 25, Cinéma Moderne hosted the first day of Montreal’s Film POP, part of the POP Montreal International Music Festival beginning with the comedy documentary by Brent Hodge Who Let The Dogs Out. The film follows Ben Sisto, an unemployed music enthusiast on a boredom and curiosity-fueled quest to determine who really wrote the famous song.

The documentary opens on a bird’s eye view of a Caribbean beach. We hear a phone conversation between Sisto and music industry lawyer Lita Rosario.

Sisto questions Rosario about the rights of “Who Let The Dogs Out,” and the docu-plot is revealed.

Over the course of 70 minutes, Sisto takes the audience on an intricate journey, a whodunnit filled with twists and turns. “I am the world’s foremost expert on ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’,” Sisto announces before correcting himself and joking: “undisputed expert.”

He then begins his story of how he spent eight years

tracking down all the individuals who claimed to have come up with the catchy hit’s hook, all prompted by the observation of an incomplete Wikipedia entry in the song’s authorship section. Sisto goes to the Baha Men, who freely admit that the song is a cover that they got from their producer, who concedes that he heard it from a hairdresser in London, who heard it from his friend who brought the song on a tape recorded at a festival in Trinidad and Tobago.

Sisto traces the origins of the lyrics back decades before the Baha Men song became a hit. He takes the audience from the Caribbean, to the UK, to the US, each interview adding to the web of mystery surrounding the song. Every producer, singer, rapper, and pop group interviewed offers legitimate evidence of having written the chorus, making the mystery all the more exciting.

The tone of the film is comic, yet honest. Sisto is aware that his quest is incredibly random and specific, yet his investigative process is utterly captivating.

From start to finish, one is both bewildered and in awe at how enthralling this very niche story is. Every player’s evidence-backed claim to the “Who Let The Dogs Out” chorus sheds light on the rough waters of copyright attainment in the music industry. Yet it also sheds light on the nature of creativity and originality.

There is something eerily beautiful about the Bermuda triangle that is the origin of “Who Let the Dogs Out”; it shows that such creation is a shared part of the human artistic experience. Ultimately, the question of authorship becomes less important than the resulting legacy of the track. The mere privilege to have been submerged—albeit, by accident—into this subculture

An incomplete Wikipedia citation prompted Sisto’s quest to discover the song’s true owner (Amanda Fiore / The McGill Tribune) of “Who Let The Dogs Out” fanaticism may just be enough. The dogs were never let out by one single person, as Hodge’s film suggests, but rather by all of us, ready to be released when the right moment of inspiration hits.

Festival de films féministes de Montréal triumphs in 2019, hopes to return 2020 Montreal film festival showcases new and alternative voices Asha Bittenbender Contributor On Sept. 22, the last evening of the third annual Festival de films féministes de Montréal (FFFM), a crowd filled the sidewalk outside the small second-floor venue shared by Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec (ARRQ).

Patrons waited anxiously for the evening screening to begin.

Word was that the evening was sold out, and the wait list was already long. In pairs and solo, hopeful viewers buzzed with anticipation as they waited for the door to be opened.

FFFM was founded in 2016 to provide a platform for feminist films and filmmakers of all kinds. Emphasizing cultural diversity, the festival prioritizes intersectionality and seeks to represent multiple feminist perspectives. Yet the festival, though obviously embraced by the public and a unique boon to participating filmmakers, is donation-based and volunteer-driven.

Volunteers like Magenta Baribeau, a founder and organizer of the festival, take on huge responsibilities. Baribeau does the jobs of three people at once in hopes that the festival will return bigger than ever in 2020.

Narratives that are often marginalized are included within the wide range of films and types of feminism. Though all feminist, some films focused on queer perspectives; a genre night included horror submissions. The feminist messages, however, allowed many to connect with the films in a deeply personal way.

The Sunday evening screening featured a number of shorts themed around the interaction of racial identity and feminism.

The Tigresse Masque—Gowri Neelavar (India) Based on a poem, this lyrical short is set at a Hindu festival which takes place in the state of Karnakata. Young men in dramatic costume perform as tigers, a religiously significant

Me Time—Eléonore Coyette (USA) A crowd favourite, this American comedic soliloquy’s protagonist has a conversation with multiple versions of herself about masturbation. Written by and starring Eléonore Coyette, a Black woman, the film is unapologetic, self-reflective and true to life. The conversations featured in the short speak to the many voices informing every woman’s idea of how she should act. But it is also about embracing every one of them, and thereby coming to an empowering conclusion.

Skies Are Not Just Blue—Lysandre Cosse-Tremblay (Haiti) Third-year UQÀM student Lysandre Cosse-Tremblay submitted this short documentary. It introduces us to four queer The FFFM has showcased feminist films for the past three years. (fffmon- Muslims: Yara, a Toronto-based artist and activist; brothers treal.com) Monib and Tariq, who make Youtube videos together; and the anonymous A., who, filmed only from the back, describes the animal in India that was hunted by British colonizers. Playing challenges to and subsequent rejection of his faith when he on the religious context and youthful nostalgia, The Tigress first arrived in Montreal. In an interview after the screening, Masque presents this childhood fairytale as larger-than-life, Lysandre described coming to their subjects with a camera in but dreamed of by a little girl watching in the crowd. When hand but no preconceptions, refusing to put words in people’s she dons the mask, it’s a rebellion against both the patriarchy mouths. holding her back and the history of colonization restricting her country.

On the final night of the festival, Baribeau was a tornado of efficiency, selling tickets, conferring with volunteers to keep Brother, Move On—Antshi von Moos (India, Switzer- the screening on track, dashing into the hall to find–always sucland) cessfully–one more seat for the last eager stragglers in. Then, as Moos’ documentary looks at the life of a female taxi driver the lights dimmed for the last time on the 2019 edition of FFFM, in New Delhi. By casting her sister as her main interviewee, she welcomed viewers to the space in English and French and Moos presents the audience with an intimate and complex por- thanked the community for showing its support. trait of a remarkable woman. Her livelihood depends on her assuming a culturally masculine role every time she gets behind Festival de films féministes de Montréal 2019 ran from the wheel of her taxi.

Sept. 18-22.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 2019

Art POP installation is a creative oasis

Theatre Rialto came alive for the festival’s main exhibit Patrick Gilroy Contributor

Celine Dion DANCE PARTY

Continued from page 1.

The event description reads: “We want to construct an art viewing context that makes viewers feel as though they are entering an othered space. Within this, we chose work that humanizes, mystifies […] and divulges and/or withholds elements of these physical spaces.”

The dearth of information and the surprising difficulty of pairing the exhibit’s map with its physical layout spark curiosity as new pieces are discovered and the exhibit is slowly revealed. Behind one curtain is a changing room; although part of the building’s design, this feature of the studio is incorporated subtly into the exhibit, with no clear additions beyond a creaking blue light and a thin layer of condensation present on the floor. Stepping into it feels like walking into a room where you don’t belong.

The event description also reads: “Studio Rialto [is] a former dance studio with its own history of bodies in movement, queerness, and temporality.” This history is apparent in the space’s decor, with antique and found items cluttering the space with little-to-no context provided. Their history as objects may be understood from shared, broader cultural knowledge, but their origins are unknown. Many installations—most of which are strung from the ceiling—appear to have

All hail queen Celine!

Oct. 4, 11:00 p.m.–3:00 a.m., Bar le “Ritz” P.D.B; $10

Molly Drag

Art POP’s 2019 main exhibit was housed in Studio Rialto, formerly a dance studio. (popmontreal.com) been collected on distant beaches, and include seashells and metal rings.

This natural motif does not clash with the industrial quality of the space itself, but rather heightens it. The presence of seashells, leaves, and other natural objects within the confines of a worn and lived-in industrial space links their histories as objects “of nature” with the studio’s history of being occupied by living bodies. This connection suggests the shared temporality of natural environments and urban constructions.

Both capture, contain, and carry their histories within them. This theme is addressed by bioartist Jacqueline Beaumont’s for luca. Her display features bioplastic breasts hung in glass cases, one containing a lobster.

This odd combination of materials feels strangely natural in the context of the large hall.

The crustacean and the plastic are as real as the walls of the studio or the seashells. But it is still unclear how the lobster ended up there, or why. In the same way, the space allows the art to speak for itself, without over-contextualizing or providing rich details of the Studio’s history.

But as the exhibition appears and disappears, the space of Studio Rialto itself will persist.

Tout ce qui arrive, arrive dans les verbes ran from Sept. 25–29, at Studio Rialto (5723 Park Avenue) and featured works from Zoe Koke, Sara Maston, Robert Anthony O’halleran, Tommy Ting, Jamie Ross, flora fauna, Julia Autumn, Jacqui Beaumont, Aloë Vrzal, Lucas Regazzi, Sarah Mihara Creagen, Mara Korkola, and XX Files Radio.

New record, touchstone, from Montreal based solo project.

Oct. 4, 9:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m., Casa del Popolo; $10 in advance, $13 at the door

Pop-Up Vernissage: Referencing the Digital

Exhibition by Sarah Hodgson and Atticus Gordon.

Oct. 4, 7:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m., 2471 Rue du Centre; Free

Witty Wednesdays 7!

Montreal stand-up comedy hosted

by Elisabeth Wright.

Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m., The Diving Bell Social Club; $6.50 in advance, $10 at the door.

Weyes Blood gives a Titanic performance at Theatre Rialto

Weyes Blood and Helena Deland prove themselves the paragon of indie music Joey Caplan Contributor On Sept. 27, a fantastic night at the Rialto Theatre began with a series of sounds more akin to jet engines than music, but very quickly evolved into a formidable series of performances.

Natalie Laura Mering, better known by her moniker Weyes Blood, performed some of her finest work to date and amazed the audience that came to see her.

Markus Floats, one of two openers for the main act, began his set seated in front of a MacBook and proceeded to set the tone in the strangest way possible: By playing a cacophony of shrill, dull, and at times excruciating sounds providing an unusual contrast to the smooth crooning voices of the next two performers.

Floats’ act was immediately followed by Helena Deland, a brilliant up-and-coming Quebec City native, steadily making waves in the music industry. Deland is featured on JPEGMAFIA’s chaotic new album All My Heroes Are Cornballs, providing short but striking finale to the song “Free the Frail.” Her performance of “Body Language” and “Baby” prove her musical prowess. Deland’s smooth vocals and fervent guitar make her the indie artist to watch in Montreal at the

moment.

Weyes Blood started off with “A Lot’s Gonna Change,” the introductory song on her latest album Titanic Rising. Despite the openers’ engaging performances, Weyes Blood made it clear that she was the star of the night.

The song is one of the highlights of the album, and was certainly one of the evening’s more memorable moments.

The track immediately demonstrated that her vocals are even more arresting live, with one of her more musically complicated songs. While a dreamy, 1970s pop influence was at the forefront of “A Lot’s Gonna Change,” “Movies” was infused with booming, modern electronic beats, shaking the Rialto. This is contrasted with the melancholic, borderline country sound of “Picture Me Better,” a song Weyes Blood dedicated to a dear friend of hers who took her own life during the production of Titanic Rising.

In between a wonderfully upbeat performance of “Everyday” and a suitably more sorrowful one of “Something to Believe,” she posed a question to the audience: Was the moon landing faked? Surprisingly, only about five hands went up, indicating their belief. Weyes Blood proceeded to explain that when she asked the same question, almost

Mering’s moniker is inspired by Wise Blood, a 1952 novel by Flannery O’Connor (Kathryn Vetter Miller) everyone in her Vancouver audience had their hands up. She also joked that the Rialto itself was likely haunted, an observation that seems plausible given the venue’s maudlin, neo-baroque architecture.

While the four other band members wore t-shirts and jeans they could likely be seen wearing on any given day, Weyes Blood herself

donned a crisp white suit, embroidered with her name on the back. The other band members’ attire may have drawn attention away from them, but their abilities compelled you to watch them just as intently as Weyes Blood herself. The essence of Titanic Rising was not only captured, but the band’s performance stood on its own merit.

The drummer, in particular, appeared

to be having the time of his life.

Both Weyes Blood and Helena Deland are two of the most gifted and inventive voices in the indie scene right now, and having them perform back to back seems too good to be true. The concert was a spectacular experience, a celebration of musical styles nearly half a century old that were made wonderfully new again.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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Jane Goodall returns to McGill

Forty years after her first Beatty Lecture, famed primatologist shares her story Ronny Litvack-Katzman Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

This year, speaking to a sold-out crowd of 1,200 people, Goodall recounted the beginnings of her scientific career—a journey that took her from the shores of England, to Kenya, and finally to Tanzania, the now famous site of her chimpanzee research.

Goodall knew from the start of her investigation that chimps held the key to understanding human evolution; they were a vital link between ape and man.

“The thing that was so striking [to me] was how alike the chimps are to us,” Goodall said. “[Their] postures and gestures of communication, they are the same as ours [...] kissing, embracing, sometimes holding hands, begging for food, using tools in many situations.”

Before Goodall, the world knew very little about chimps, their highly diverse social networks, and their close evolutionary proximity to humans. But with Goodall’s research, the scientific conception of evolution was forever changed.

“I could spend hours out in the rainforest,” Goodall said. “Sometimes with the chimps, sometimes, just out there in

the forest [....That] is where I learned about the interconnectedness of all living things, and how each species, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem, has a role to play in this wonderful tapestry of life that we call biodiversity.”

Goodall recalled that it was during that period that she began her lifelong mission of protecting chimpanzees from the dangers of human interference. All around her, she began to see the adverse effects that deforestation, population growth, and destructive agriculture had on chimps.

After attending a 1986 conference about chimpanzee evolution, Goodall was struck by the conditions in developing countries, seeing parallels between the plight of chimps and that of local communities in Africa.

“It hit me then [....] How can we even try and save the chimps when people are living and struggling to survive?”

Goodall said.

Goodall’s speech quickly turned from saving the chimps to tackling issues at the heart of worldwide humanitarian and environmental crises, work that has defined the latter half of her life so far.

“Most people understand the problems of the planet, but don’t do anything because they don’t know what to do,” Goodall said. “And that’s why the most

Goodall first spoke at McGill in 1979. (Beatty Lecture) important message is that each one of us can make an impact every single day. We can make a choice as to what we buy, where it comes from, and if it harms the environment.”

Though Goodall admitted that we live in a time that poses exceptional challenges, she offered the audience an

optimistic perspective.

“I’ve seen so much suffering and destruction,” Goodall said. “But my main reason for hope remains with our young people, because when we listen to their voices and empower them to take action, as you know, they can and are changing the world.”

Open Future Essay Competition winner covers climate change and law McGill law student argues for legal rights to be extended to future generations Gwenyth Wren Contributor McGill law student Larissa Parker recently won the highly competitive Open Future Essay Competition. In her winning essay published in The Economist, she wrote about extending legal rights to future generations to fight climate change. Parker addressed one of the most disheartening realities of climate change: Though we are already facing the effects, future generations will have to deal with more frequent droughts, stronger storms, rising sea levels, and species extinctions if temperatures continue to rise.

Parker, who was invited to attend the United Nations (UN) Youth Summit in New York City this past week, has been a long-time campaigner for climate justice. She believes that climate litigation offers a host of opportunities to fight climate change, especially if rights are extended to future generations.

Currently, there are multiple cases against governments and corporations over the effects of climate change. However, the current production of carbon dioxide will cause much more harm to future generations than to current ones; at the moment, no mechanism exists to protect these future generations.

“There are so many aspects of climate change that hit at ways to sue governments and corporations for breaches of duty of care, but they hit temporal boundaries when extended to future generations,” Parker said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

If temperatures continue to rise, future generations will have to deal with more frequent droughts, stronger storms, rising sea levels, and species extinctions.

(Athena Ko / The McGill Tribune) Parker argues that current generations should have the power to sue on behalf of future generations. Just as we currently suffer from past emissions, future generations will continue to be affected by today’s emissions.

As Frédéric Fabry, a professor in the Faculty of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at McGill, explained, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases linger in the atmosphere for many years.

“The gradual accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a slow process,” Fabry said to the Tribune. “It takes several generations to remove it from the atmosphere.

If you burn fossil fuels, the carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for 100 to 200 years.”

To put this in perspective, the carbon dioxide that we are emitting now will still be around in 2150.

Parker argues that since we already

know about this delay, we have a duty to protect future generations from these emissions.

“Future people are going to unquestionably experience climate change in the worst ways, especially marginalized populations,” Parker said. “These are the first people to be hit by climate change. In the future, it will still be marginalized groups who are first to be disadvantaged by climate change. In 50 years, when the [full] effects are being felt, it will be too late to sue. It’s time to get the preventative ball rolling.”

Parker also addressed how decisions from climate litigation cases can play out for future generations.

“We constantly see innovative ways [that] judges award remedies, such as putting money in environment programs, trusts for future generations [and] injunctions to stop activities,” Parker said.

In her essay, Parker articulates the sentiments of ‘the-not-in-my-lifetime’ phenomenon that have continued to grow with rising youth activism over the past few years.

“There are difficulties with suing on behalf of future generations,” Parker said.

“Causation, for example, will be a big one [...] but we owe it to them to at least include them in our legal arguments.

To protect those who are not yet able to protect themselves, the rights of future generations must be considered. As Parker explains, overlooking their rights ignores the behaviour of greenhouse gases, and the delayed and amplified effect of today’s actions on future populations.

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 2019

Microplastics: A ubiquitous problem

University of Toronto scientists find microplastics in drinking water Vivien Bian Contributor In 2017, Orb Media, a non-profit media group, sparked public concern after they published research showing that microplastics were present in global drinking water. Since then, research efforts have increased to examine the effect of microplastics on species and find ways to make the removal process more efficient.

At a lecture at McGill on Sept. 20, Robert Andrews, a lead scientist at the Drinking Water Research Group (DWRG) at the University of Toronto, explained that scientists have not yet determined a universal definition for ‘microplastics.’ However, they are widely agreed to be small pieces of plastic with a diameter ranging from one nanometre to five millimetres. If produced on purpose, these small plastic particles are called primary microplastics. Common primary microplastics include plastic pellets used in large-scale plastic production and microbeads found in cosmetics. Secondary microplastics, which include plastic film from labels and microfibres from laundry, are pieces that have degraded from larger plastic products.

The Drinking Water Research Group (DWRG) is one of the most prominent expert organizations in this relatively new field of study. In 2017, Andrews and his colleague Chelsea Rochman tested water samples from Lake Ontario and found microplastics in them. Ever since, DWRG’s main objective has been to quantify the

presence, size, and type of microplastics in the Great Lakes and evaluate and improve the efficiency of current water treatment.

Andrews explained that conventional water treatment processes often add microplastics to the water.

“If you go to a water treatment plant where everybody dresses in a blue uniform, guess what colour the primary fibres that we find [are]? Blue!” Andrews said.

The DWRC found that although microplastics ranging from 100 to 500 micrometres were effectively removed by treatment, the number of those ranging from 10 to 45 micrometres increased after filtration.

“Had [the smaller pieces] been broken down by filters [or] by oxygen?” Andrews asked. “We don’t know. But within the next year, we will find out.”

Among the samples collected from Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, they found that Lake Ontario had the highest count of microplastics per litre. One explanation is that since Lake Ontario is downstream from the other Great Lakes, plastic particles accumulate. This is concerning for Ontario residents, because Lake Ontario provides nearly half of the population’s water source.

Scientists are unsure whether microplastics cause harm to humans once ingested, which is particularly troubling given recent McGill research showing billions of microplastics in tea. Research shows that plastic pieces can act as contaminant vectors in transporting pollutants and pathogens. Furthermore, the tiny plastics can also

be translocated to the circulatory system in mussels and fish, leading to questions of whether the toxic chemicals released from these microplastics will go on to poison the organisms through their bloodstream.

According to Andrews, medical researchers have also expressed concerns regarding plastic use during medical procedures, specifically the breakdown of these plastics causing DNA damage and genetic mutations. However, a recent report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) assessed the risk associated with ingesting microplastics as low but acknowledged the insufficiency of available information and the need for further studies.

“Even though [microplastics] are small, there may not be a whole lot of them [in your body],” Andrews said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “If you accumulate them over a lifetime, perhaps there is an issue.”

Since the DWRG quantifies microplastics but does not study their effects on organisms, Andrews admitted that their research runs on the basis of the precautionary principle.

“That’s what we do in drinking water research,” Andrews said. “[We] try and say ‘what’s there?’ and then somebody else can say, ‘is it dangerous?’”

In the future, the DWRG aims to automate analysis and standardize testing water sampling methods. It also plans to continue examining the process of microplastics removal.

Microplastics are generally between one nanometre and five millimetres in diameter.

(Erin Sass / The McGill Tribune)

Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry inspires McGill students Martin Chalfie sheds light on his research and approach to science Mackenzie Pereira Contributor On Sept. 26, a sea of undergraduate and graduate students packed into the Pollack Hall auditorium. They were there to listen to Martin Chalfie, an acclaimed geneticist and winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, speak about his discovery of the green fluorescent protein (GFP).

GFP is a bioluminescent tracker derived from the crystal jelly, a species of jellyfish that glows bright green under UV light when activated by calcium ions in seawater. By attaching GFP to a protein, scientists can observe its pathway through the systems of living organisms. Chalfie found the protein particularly interesting because his research is primarily concerned nematodes, a type of roundworm with transparent skin which makes it easy for him to observe GFP’s flow. The biological marker allowed scientists to move away from dead specimens and instead work with live ones since GFP doesn’t hurt or damage the organism. “[Before], in order to do any of [our] experiments, we had to prepare the specimen, which meant killing it,” Chalfie said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “We were just getting

a step of what was going on; we had no idea of what was happening over time.”

GFP has a vast range of applications that go beyond its original intent.

From detecting the HIV-1 virus to locating explosive dynamite in active landmines, the versatility of bioluminescence is impressive.

Chalfie’s talk was not limited to the conclusions of his experiments. He also shared some valuable wisdom with the audience on the true nature of science. According to Chalfie, there are certain traits that society has attributed to scientific success that are blatantly untrue.

For one, few scientists are actually lone geniuses. This stereotype likely emerged from prodigious pioneers of the past, such as Galileo Galilei or Albert Einstein. Today, however, scientific research is done by teams of devoted individuals, whose passion and hard work negate any need for a photographic memory. Chalfie used his university transcript as an example of this.

“I showed my transcript at a college reunion after [winning] the Nobel,” Chalfie said. “Everyone came up to me and said, afterwards, ‘Thank you for showing that. I was embarrassed about my transcript.’”

Chalfie also proposed an amend-

ment to the scientific method based on his experience. The scientific method is a structured manner of conducting an experiment that has long been drilled into the heads of eager baking-sodaand-vinegar science fair students. The six steps begin with a question and end with a discovery. In the modern and professional context of research, Chalfie said, the discovery tends to come before the hypothesis. It is not uncommon for raw data to emerge in an unexpected way that will require scientists to completely rethink their approach.

According to Chalfie, science is chockfull of stumbling and failure, and falls short of the exceptionally precise reputation that precedes it. As a result, a great deal of discoveries actually happen by accident.

“I know people who have had very successful experiments by throwing their parts on the floor,” Chalfie said.

“It’s not exactly the scientific method, but it’s something!”

In fact, the cultivation of the bioluminescence from jellyfish was one such accident. Osamu Shimomura, an organic chemist and marine biologist who shared the 2008 Nobel Prize with Chalfie, noticed that certain elements in seawater activated the glow in the organism because he threw his species

Martin Chalfie won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with Osamu Shiomura, for his discovery of GFP. (mcgill.ca) into the sink one night before closing the lab.

Although Chalfie paints a generous picture that attempts to distribute much of the credit of his Nobel Prize to chance and luck, it is clear that his contribution to science lies not only in his team’s discoveries, but also in his unique scientific approach.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 2019

15

McGill men’s soccer survives late scare against UQAM McGill picks up second win at annual Homecoming game Jack Armstrong Contributor Continued from page 1.

McGill set the tone for the match early on, putting relentless pressure on the Citadins’ backline and keeping the ball almost exclusively in the opponent’s half. By the 10th minute, the Citadins keeper had already made four saves, and McGill continued to control the possession and create chances for the rest of the half. UQAM did give McGill the occasional scare, however, as the ball nearly found the back of the net in the 39th minute when a long-range effort hit the post before the follow up narrowly glanced wide and went out for a goal kick. This served as a wake up call for McGill: Less than a minute later, second-year forward Florian Bettelli latched onto a through pass from Saheb and calmly slotted the ball past the keeper, giving the home side a 1–0 lead. McGill continued to push forward, but found themselves up by only one at the break.

The second half proved to be a very different story, as

MOMENT OF THE GAME Third-year midfielder Cameron Butterfield was fouled after a counter-attack on the left wing, which led to third-year forward Dalen Saheb scoring the winning goal from the penalty spot.

Third-year forward Dalen Saheb scored the game-winning goal off of a penalty kick in the 74th minute. (Andrej Ivanov / McGill Athletics) it was the Citadins who came out firing and kept the ball in the McGill half for the first 20 minutes of play. UQAM found success attacking on the left wing, forcing McGill’s defence to deal with a multitude of crosses and shots. The Citadins looked likely to score, but, in the 74th minute, McGill struck back. A series of intricate passes down the left flank resulted in third-year midfielder Cameron Butterfield being brought down in the box. Saheb stepped up and

converted the penalty, extending the lead to 2–0. UQAM later scored on a penalty of their own, but it was not enough as McGill held on for the 2–1 victory.

With the win, McGill moved up to third place in the league, but only one point separates them from sixth place Concordia. Head Coach Marc Mounicot stressed the importance of every match heading into playoffs.

“I told them before the game that [for] every game we

play until the end of the season, a loss [means] we will stay in the bottom, and a win will give us a chance to go back in competition for playoffs,” Mounicot said. “Every game will be a war.”

McGill men’s soccer will look to carry their momentum through their last five games of the regular season as they continue to push for a playoff berth. They play next on Oct. 3 at Percival Molson Stadium against Concordia.

QUOTABLE “Some of them defended like lions today.” - Head Coach Marc Mounicot on his team’s stellar defensive performance.

STAT CORNER By the tenth minute, McGill had registered an impressive five shots, forcing UQAM’s keeper into four saves.

NHL Season Preview 2019-2020

The puck drops for first time on Oct. 2

With the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators set to kick off the 2019 NHL season on Oct. 2, The McGill Tribune previewed both conferences to predict the Stanley Cup winner.

be the favourites they were a few years ago; however, stars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin could still carry their respective teams into the playoffs.

The Panthers, Devils, Canadiens, Hurricanes, and Islanders will also likely be in the playoff hunt. Florida hired Stanley Cup-winning coach Joel Quenneville from the Chicago Blackhawks, while New Jersey made significant additions this offseason, acquiring P.K. Subban and drafting Jack Hughes, which should give them a competitive edge. Montreal plays an aggressive and pace-pushing game, which could be enough to make the playoffs if goaltender Carey Price can return to his pre-injury form and lead the team. Carolina has promising young talent throughout their roster and plays an efficient form of hockey. Finally, the New York Islanders, who relied on phenomenal goaltending last year, will need more of the same for a chance at a postseason berth.

At the bottom of the field, the Rangers, Flyers, Red Wings, and Senators will all be going through a transition phase that will make it difficult for them to keep up with the rest of the conference.

Playoff prediction: Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens.

Eastern Conference:

Western Conference:

Gregorio Lentini Contributor

The 2019 NHL season starts on Oct. 2 when the Leafs and Senators face off in Toronto.

(James Guillory / USA TODAY Sports)

Generally considered the tougher of the two conferences, the Eastern Conference features the Tampa Bay Lightning who are likely to be the best team in the league again this year given their roster loaded with talented and quick players. The Maple Leafs and Bruins will both be strong contenders too, with the former relying on skill and the latter on experienced veterans. Meanwhile, the Penguins and Capitals may not

While the Western Conference may not be as competitive as it once was, there are still a few teams boasting promising lineups. The Flames, Golden Knights, and Sharks will stand out. Calgary is an exciting team filled with quick, skilled, and young forwards; a formidable defence and exciting style of play will make them the team to beat. Las Vegas has two powerful forward lines alongside Stanley Cup-winning goalie

Marc-Andre Fleury, which should make them dominant once again this year. San Jose is an experienced team with a balance of younger scorers, solid veterans, and talent in every position.

The Predators, Blues, Avalanche, Jets, and Stars will likely make up the next tier. While Nashville may have traded away P.K Subban over the summer, they signed Matt Duchene, a great overall centre. They also still have a strong defensive core to make an impact. St. Louis is the reigning Stanley Cup champion and will enjoy a strong returning group of core players. Colorado boasts three of the best forwards in the NHL, while Winnipeg has a strong and talented forward group. However, Winnipeg’s defence might be in serious trouble if Dustin Byfuglien, who is pondering retirement, leaves. Dallas has talent up front and a great goalie. That said, being one of the oldest teams in the NHL may affect whether this team can keep up with younger, faster teams.

The Oilers, Canucks, and Blackhawks may have superstars in Connor McDavid, Elias Petterrson, and Patrick Kane respectively, but they lack enough depth to put them in the playoff discussion. The Coyotes and Wild are two middling teams lacking direction, and the modern NHL has gotten too fast for the slow Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings.

Playoff prediction: Calgary Flames, Vegas Golden Knights, San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars.

Stanley Cup prediction:

While Tampa was ousted in the first four games of the playoffs last year, they simply have too much talent to be denied again. Prepare for a Tampa-Vegas final, with Tampa ultimately hoisting the Cup.

16

SPORTS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 2019

McGill football beats Sherbrooke at Homecoming game Strong defence leads to 20-13 win against cross-town rivals

Adam Bell Contributor On Sept. 28, two weeks after suffering a heartbreaking defeat at Sherbrooke (1–4– 0), the McGill football team (2–3–0) took their revenge on home turf. With a lively Homecoming crowd in attendance, the home side fought their way to a 20–13 victory.

McGill’s offence was off to a quick start with third-year quarterback Dimitrios Sinodinos dissecting the Vert & Or’s defence on a 76-yard scoring drive. The sequence ended with a five-yard touchdown reception by fourth-year receiver Mathieu Soucy. This was, however, the only time that McGill would be able to reach the end zone for a touchdown during the game.

“We play against very good players in this league,” second-year tight-end Simon Crevier said after the game. “But if we keep on plugging, stacking, and executing, good plays will eventually come.”

While McGill’s offence struggled for the remainder of the game, the defence flourished. Fourth-year defensive back JeanPhilippe Hudon and third-year safety Tristan Fleury were defensive stalwarts on the field, punishing ball-carriers play after play, while McGill’s defensive backs covered receivers like blankets. In a post-game interview, third-

year cornerback Markens Valcourt praised coaches Joe Hagins and Ron Hilaire.

“We’ve got to give them props,” Valcourt said. “[The coaches] prepared us very well all week, and we were put in a position to win. All we had to do [was] execute, and that’s what we did. At the end of the day, [Sherbrooke] wasn’t able to move the ball on us.”

McGill went into half-time with a 10–3 lead. Coming back from the break, the home team looked grim. Sinodinos was strip-sacked, and Sherbrooke recovered the ball on the seven-yard line. On the next play, McGill’s defence caved and the game was back to even. In response, both sides tightened up their defence, leading to an uneventful third quarter.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, McGill gained a 14–10 advantage thanks to back-to-back safeties. With their lead restored, the home side focused on holding on to it: McGill’s defence swarmed the ball on every play, while the offence finally began to gain some momentum. Late in the game, McGill got into field goal range twice and fourth-year kicker Findlay Brown delivered both times. Brown completed his hat-trick with 1:18 left in the game to bring the score to 20-10. On the ensuing kickoff, Findlay “The Enforcer” Brown made a touchdown-saving

tackle to cap off his impressive afternoon.

First-year running-back Laurent Sansalone was a bright spot for McGill’s offence, collecting 63 yards in only nine touches of the ball. Sansalone hopes that his hard work will inspire other rookies on the team.

“I worked my butt off every practice, which gave the coaches confidence in me,” Sansalone said. “Early in the game, they got me the ball, so I ran vertical and got a few first downs.”

McGill will take on the undefeated Montreal Carabins (5-0) at Stade du CEPSUM on Oct. 4.

Fourth-year kicker Findlay Brown went a perfect three-for-three on field goals in McGill’s win.

(Can Unal / McGill Athletics)

MOMENT OF THE GAME With the fate of the game still in the balance, fourth-year kicker Findlay Brown hammered home a 44-yard field goal to seal McGill’s victory.

QUOTABLE When we play at our full potential, there is no doubt in my mind that we are the best defence in the league.” - Second-year defensive tackle Thomas Trépanier on the team’s homecoming performance.

STAT CORNER McGill’s defence only allowed 42 net passing yards: A McGill record under the tenure of Head Coach Ronald Hilaire.

10 Things: Unfortunate on-screen misrepresentations of sports Moments in TV and film that pushed sports fans’ suspension of disbelief too far

Adam Burton, Zoe Babad-Palmer, Ender McDuff, Kaja Surborg, & Miya Keilin Staff Writers, Sports Editors, & Managing Editor

Stranger Things | Basketball Indiana is renowned for its Hoosier basketball; however, the battle of Steve “the Hair” Harrington and Billy Hargrove wildly misses this mark. Rather than a 1980s callback to the likes of Larry Bird, this poorly executed game inexplicably features multiple beyond-the-three-point-line postups and a ridiculous through-the-legs layup that undercuts Billy as an antagonist for the rest of the season to come.

The Room | Football A spectacular disaster from start to finish, The Room features one of cinema’s worst sports scenes. While there are several moments of aimless football throwing, none is more bizarre than that when a tuxedo-clad group of friends take to an alleyway for an epic contest of underhand throws, near-fumbles, and iconic tripping—all to the sound of a faint tuba and one character saying “pshew” after his throws.

She’s the Man | Soccer

After removing her wig mid-game to reveal that she is, in fact, not her twin brother whom she had been impersonating, Viola Johnson plays the rest of the match with her hair down. Long-haired soccer players were left questioning why she did not simply take a moment to put it up, knowing how annoying it is to play with hair flying everywhere.

The Amazing Spiderman - Basketball The Amazing Spiderman’s basketball showdown was meant to be a “Revenge of the Nerds”-style redemption scene for Peter Parker, but it wound up being a poorly executed ball-bounce off of Flash’s face. Peter follows it up with a travel violation into an unconvincing backboard-shattering dunk, further undermined by Andrew Garfield’s impressively unathletic 140-pound build.

Blades of Glory | Figure skating

It’s clear that some filmmakers did not grow up playing sports as evidenced in these 10 terrible scenes. (Wiseau Films)

Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy’s final performance, set to Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”, has several elements that make real skaters cringe, as well as blatant violations of International Skating Union (ISU) rules. Male pairs are not allowed under ISU competition regulations, and the ISU did not allow competition music with lyrics until 2014. The film was released in 2007.

Rookie of the Year | Baseball

Twilight | Baseball

Catwoman | Basketball

As far as we know, there is no rule stating that baseball players must be alive, although it’s safe to say that the Cullens’s baseball game isn’t exactly kosher. Normally, outfielders don’t have to dash through the forest to catch a line drive, players wear baseball gloves, and pitchers do not have precognitive powers.

This scene answers the question, “What if a writer’s room filled with sexually frustrated and physically inactive filmmakers directed a basketball scene?” The ‘90s-themed girlfriend-versus-boyfriend game is riddled with strangely flirtatious eye contact, awkward buttshaking, defence that wouldn’t stop a cucumber, and a complete disregard for the rulebook, which makes for possibly the single worst basketball scene in the history of film.

Air Bud | Baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and volleyball

The Air Bud franchise stars a golden retriever who can miraculously play basketball, football, soccer, baseball, and volleyball. While the first movie makes sure to state that there is no rule prohibiting dogs from playing, a last-minute substitution of a player, dog or human, who wasn’t on the roster would never fly.

Buddy can drool, but he certainly can’t dribble.

Rookie of the Year’s premise, that a 12-year-old can pitch for the Chicago Cubs, is only believable if the pitches are comparable to those of actual professional baseball players. However, no audience could ever be expected to believe the film’s finale in which a professional baseball player strikes out on a tween’s underhanded lob.

Jimmy Kimmel Live | Basketball The self-dubbed “Blobfish Charity Classic” featured Senator Ted Cruz and Jimmy Kimmel in a sweaty battle to 11 points that would have been more skillfully played by two actual blobfish.

In nearly two hours of play, the closest thing to a highlight in this horrifically captivating affair was when the referee reduced the winning score from 20 to 11 for fear of a stroke or a heart-attack.