The McGill Tribune Vol. 39 Issue 5

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 2019 | VOL. 39 | ISSUE 5

Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

McGILLTRIBUNE.COM | @McGILLTRIBUNE

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

GAME REPORT

The Involuntary Leave Policy lacks foresight

For your eyes only

PG. 5

PGs. 8-9

Martlet Basketball falls to Queens in centennial preseason game PG. 16

(Nicholas Raffoul / The McGill Tribune)

Drawn & Quarterly welcomes up and coming Canadian authors

PG. 7

Dean of Students suspend plans for involuntary leave policy

Amid outcry from students, Buddle announced that more work is needed to improve the policy Kate Addison Staff Writer The Office of the Dean of Students announced on Sept. 22 that it would suspend the proposed involuntary leave policy released to the public the week before. The

policy, which received immediate opposition from student groups, would have allowed McGill to involuntarily remove students from the school if they were deemed a threat to themselves or others.

Although involuntary leave policies have been met with concerns that vulnerable students may be deprived

of essential mental health care services, other Canadian universities, such as Concordia University and the University of Toronto, have instituted similar policies. In response to these concerns, Dean of Students Christopher Buddle, decided to reconsider the implementation of the policy.

PG. 3

Small but mighty: Arctic bacteria are capable of cleaning up oil spills McGill microbiologists are exploring bacteria’s ability to degrade oil Laura Lyon Contributor Historically impassable, the ice cover of the Northwest Passage along Canada’s Arctic coast has thinned over the past few years, piquing the interest of the shipping and luxury cruise industries.

This thinning, along with Arctic drilling, makes the legendary frozen passage particularly susceptible to many human influences, notably oil and fuel spills.

To combat this, Professors Lyle Whyte and Charles Greer, microbiologists in McGill’s Department of Nat-

ural Resource Sciences, are examining Arctic bacteria’s ability to break down crude oil in the Canadian High Arctic. Their work is part of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Multipartner Oil Spill Research Initiative, a subunit of the national Oceans Protection Plan.

PG. 14

Wasteful printing instigates disparity between Arts and Science students Nixie Akella Contributor It is a well-known fact that, at McGill, students who are a part of the Faculty of Science, and the interfaculty programme of Arts and Science are provided with a ‘free’ printing service.

This service is available by

accessing any printer in the basement of the Burnside building.

Although the service is paid for as part of the Science students’ student society fees, a problem arises when realising that, once again, Faculty of Arts students are left with the inconvenience of paying per page for all printing.

Within the Arts faculty, professors are notorious for assigning lengthy readings and weekly assignments.

Although some students escape the hassle of printing their papers, it is likely that an Arts student has crossed paths with professors that implement a ‘hand-in’ assignment rule.

PG. 6

2

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 2019

NEWS

Updates made to ‘Our Shared Spaces’ to help promote equity on campus Increases in funding and revamped content attempts to reach more students Kate Addison Staff Writer McGill’s Rez Project workshop series, designed to educate students on issues of social justice and equity, was rebranded this fall to better reflect the message of the program. Created 16 years ago by a group of floor fellows, ‘Our Shared Spaces,’ formerly known as Rez Project, aims to promote a more inclusive atmosphere in residences and on campus.

The educational workshop, which serves as an opportunity for conversation on race and sexuality, was revamped to include a new name, website, and improvements to the content. There are now 20 facilitators, as well as a new name, logo, and website. Today, ‘Our Shared Spaces’ educates thousands of McGill students living in residence on issues of race and Indigenous issues, gender, and sexuality.

McGill’s Equity Education Manager Eve Finley explained the nature of the changes to the program’s image and delivery.

“We also, largely because of the new online consent module swapped the workshop order,” Finley said. “The workshop that [now] happens in the fall is the race and colonialism workshop, and the workshop in the winter is [about] gender, sexuality, and consent.”

Finley also hopes that the rebranding will help the workshop reach more stu-

dents outside of residences at McGill.

“We are also expanding to other spaces on campus,” Finley said. “We gave a bunch of workshops to incoming medical students and [....] students [living off campus].”

The renaming of Rez Project comes as part of a move away from the term ‘Rez,’ which is considered offensive by some Indigenous students for its connections to Canada’s history of reservations and residential schools. Determined by an online competition last year, the new name is more representative of the nature of the workshop, according to McGill’s Residence Life Project Coordinator Charlene Lewis-Sutherland.

“In the last few years, I think there’s been a larger conversation, on campus and off, about how we use our words, even words we inherit,” Lewis-Sutherland said.

“We asked [students] in a survey what would you name the [workshop] if you could name it something. [Our Shared Spaces] really stuck out to us because it hit that note of what we are trying to do. We are trying to talk to people about how they share space [and] about what it respectfully means to share space.”

The changes made this year are a continuation of a series of updates that began last year when the project received a budget increase to help facilitate its operations.

“Instead of having a hundred volun-

‘Our Shared Spaces’ has expanded this year to reach more students outside of residence. (mcgill.ca) teer students that were trained for ten hours we hired fifteen students [who] are now paid by the hour to give the workshop, and they go through […] 40 hours of training in August,” Finley said.

Adi Sneg, U2 Arts, works as an ‘Our Shared Spaces’ peer facilitator said that budget increases are important to improving the workshop’s accessibility.

“I’m just hoping our budget increases [further] so we can get more people, more diverse bodies in the room,” Sneg said.

“When you learn about this kind of stuff,

it’s important to feel as though you are learning it from someone who has some sort of commonality to you.”

Sneg explained that these updates are all part of the goal to facilitate more conversations about sensitive topics on campus.

“The goal is to have people walk away with having learned something new,” Sneg said. “[It’s] something they can critically consider every day when they live in residence and when they move and navigate through campus at McGill.”

SSMU hosts federal election candidate debate

Candidates discuss climate change, student debt, and reconciliation Nina Russell News Editor Candidates running in the Montreal riding of VilleMarie—Le-Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs clashed on Oct. 1 at the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) federal candidates’ debate, in anticipation of the Oct. 21 federal election. Marc Miller of the Liberal Party, Sophie Thiébaut of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Liana Canton Cusmano of the Green Party, and Michael Forian of the Conservative Party discussed issues related to the riding. There were three questions set by the debate organizers, focused on the environment, reproductive rights, and Senate reform, followed by an audience question period.

Forian and Cusmano condemned the current Liberal government on their waste disposal policies, specifically regarding the dumping of raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River. Forian claimed that a Conservative government would move to make the practice illegal, while Cusmano emphasizes that other issues, like air quality and freight train traffic, have also fallen under the radar on the Liberal’s environmental agenda.

“The fact of the matter is that in Montreal alone, nine billion litres of raw sewage were dumped under this Liberal government,” Forian said. “Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment, has to take responsibility for that. I would hope under Marc’s watch that he would have been able to stop it, [but] he did not.

So I think it’s very important for us to recognize that this is something that a Conservative government will make illegal come October 21.”

Miller responded by pointing to a $26 million green infrastructure fund created under the Liberal government to deal with those issues.

Miller cited the Liberal government’s report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and the Truth and Reconciliation report as evidence of the Trudeau government’s effort to increase dialogue with Indigenous communities, and pointed to a number of their investments that serve reconciliation.

“We’re still in the process of reviewing a very, very complex report coupled with the other report that came out,” Miller said. “I want to make clear, particularly with urban Indigenous issues and poverty, the failure at all governmental levels. But the Trudeau government made the largest investment in Indigenous people in Canadian history [and it has] yielded results.”

A question from the audience prompted discusAll four candidates affirmed that their parties would not introduce sion on student loans, given that the collective Cananew abortion laws. (ssmu.ca) dian student debt currently towers above $15 billion.

While Cusmano endorsed major institutional adaptive Candidates also discussed reconciliation with In- changes, Forian said that the Conservative Party’s cordigenous communities particularly in Montreal: De- porate welfare taxes will redirect savings to Canadians spite making up 0.6 per cent of the general population, more generally, benefiting students. Thiébaut proposed Indigenous people constitute 10 per cent of the home- gradual changes that will work towards the NDP’s goal less population. Cusmano called on Miller, the incum- of making post-secondary institutions part of the public bent, to take steps to alleviate some of the burdens that education system.

Inuit people in Quebec, in particular, disproportion“We want to make education more affordable,” ately face.

Thiébaut said. “We want to eliminate the interest of “I think that Marc has to speak to the staggering student loans to stop the fact that the bank can profit rates of Inuit homelessness,” Cusmano said. “The fact from student debt. And we want to move away from that since nothing has been done, a lot of them are going loans to bursaries.” to be freezing in the streets this winter. And that that’s Additionally, all four candidates affirmed that they unacceptable. I think truth and reconciliation comes in were pro-choice and that none of their respective parmany different forms. And in this riding, in particular ties would introduce new abortion laws. the local level, it comes down to being there for the The federal election will take place on Oct. 21. people who need it, because they have been systemi- Students are able to vote at at New Residence Hall or cally and systematically failed by forces that are larger La Citadelle from Oct. 5 to 8, or at polling stations in than them and that are still acting on them today.”

Montreal on the day of the election.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 2019

NEWS

3

Famed feminist scholar delivers lecture to McGill students Sara Ahmed lectures on how to pave the way for future generations Magdalena Nitchi Contributor Over 600 people gathered in the 6th floor auditorium at the McIntyre Medical Building on Oct. 4 to attend “Complaint as a Queer Method: Dismantling Institutions” featuring Sarah Ahmed as a keynote speaker. Ahmed is a world renowned scholar who has authored books in feminist, racial, and queer studies.

The talk opened with brief speeches from organizers Charlene Lewis-Sutherland, Meryem Benslimane, and Alanna Thain.

Thain gave a short biography of Ahmed and highlighted her work concerning discrimination against minority groups and how power is enforced or challenged in everyday life and institutions. She described a morning seminar with Ahmed, and the joy she felt when reading Ahmed’s book, Living a Feminist Life.

“When I read Ahmed’s works, […] I so often feel like I am dancing with the text the way you do as a child, standing on the toes of someone who is showing you the moves,” Thain said.

Ahmed then took the stage by explaining that the purpose of her work is to dismantle the discrimination found in everyday life. Her goal is to change university policies that are ineffective at protecting people from injustice.

Filing complaints is presented by institutions as an effective way to make changes; however, Ahmed pointed out a significant gap

between how organizations represent the process of making a formal complaint and how it is experienced by those who are making the complaint. “[To file a complaint] involves becoming an ‘institutional mechanic’, figuring out how to actually get the complaint through the system,” Ahmed said. “Because of the difficulty [of] getting [them] through, complaints often end up being about the system. Something that looks linear on paper can actually be quite circular.”

According to Ahmed, another important part of complaining is the process of going through doors. These doors can be both literal, in the sense of going in for meetings, and metaphorical, in the case of minorities being shut out.

“Complaints [always] happen behind closed doors,” Ahmed said. “But you know that no matter how much you do [to be heard], there are doors that remain closed to you.

Something or someone [else] is pulling the strings, but you don’t know what or who. So this gap between what does happen and what is supposed to happen remains.”

Ahmed provided examples from 40 anonymous female students who were subjected to sexual harassment at the hands of professors and an Indigenous professor who was relentlessly bullied by her white colleagues.

The majority of the testimonials she collected came from universities in the United

Sara Ahmed shares more information on her blog about why people should complain. (guernicamag.com) Kingdom and were all dismissed by the institutions that were responsible for protecting their staff and students. Ahmed finished her talk by reminding the audience that forgotten complaints do not need to be a cause for despair.

“The filing cabinet can be seen as an institutional closet [that] preserves things,” Ahmed said. “We can leave something of ourselves behind by complaining. A complaint can let others [in the same position that you were in] receive something from you, even after you are gone. Complaints are writing on the [ walls of the institutions]: we are here, we

did not disappear.”

Julia Bugiel, audience member, shared her enthusiasm about the speech.

“It was an incredible talk,” Bugiel said.

“I think the lengthy applause [at the end of the talk] speaks for just how much everybody in this room enjoyed their time with someone who is so poetic and also such an insightful presenter who is so knowledgeable [about the institutional systems she discusses]. I think the things that are happening in Canadian media and politics are not divorced, they are very much linked to [the material discussed here tonight].”

Dean of Students suspends plans for involuntary leave policy

Amid outcry from students, Buddle announced that more work is needed to improve the policy Kate Addison Staff Writer

Continued from page 1.

“I decided that I need to pull back completely from a policy and actually have some brainstorming sessions [and have] more of a co-creation with students to try and see if there is an alternative model to the involuntary leave policy,” Buddle said. “I don’t want to rush it through, there’s no reason to if students are unhappy with its current form.”

Frustration with this policy comes largely from many McGill students who believe that the university does not provide its student body with sufficient psychiatric resources, and that support for those struggling with mental health is not prioritized. Madeline Wilson, Students’ Society of McGill University Vice-President University Affairs, expressed her concerns to The McGill Tribune.

“I think that there are exceptions to be made, but I think that by and large, [...] it was not clear that [the policy] was in the best interests of the community,” Wilson said. “It seemed like it was in the best interests of McGill.”

Rine Vieth, a Ph.D. student in anthropology and advocate for mental health care services at McGill, said that the policy should not be a replacement for adequate mental health services on campus.

“I would love for more clinical care to be available,” Vieth said. “I would love for [the Office of Students with Disabilities] to receive more funding so [that] they would be able to work with more students who need [help]. It might just be a little thing, but that little [help] might stop a crisis from happening down the line.”

According to the policy draft, which has since been removed from the Dean of Students’ website, students posing a severe threat to the security of others would be placed on

The policy was discussed at SSMU Legislative Council on Sept. 26th. (Erica Stefano / The McGill Tribune) leave from McGill at the discretion of a case management team of members of the McGill community, and the deputy provost on a case by case basis.

In addition to her concerns about the effects that this policy would have on the support available for students in crisis, Wilson noted the lack of student input in the creation of this draft.

“Policies that govern students should be created with students, not created for two years behind the scenes and

then brought to students for consultation the month before it’s supposed to be brought to the Senate,” Wilson said.

In a statement released by the Office of the Dean of Students, Buddle stated he plans to work on addressing the concerns surrounding the policy throughout the coming academic year. “[From] the feedback I’ve got, clearly it’s not the time, it’s not right,” said Buddle. “We’ll stop, rethink, regroup and take a longer view.”

4

NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 2019

Divest McGill builds on momentum from climate march

Divest 101 seminar draws crowd to discuss history of divestment at McGill Lauren Mayes Contributor Students filled Burnside Hall on Oct. 4 for Divest McGill’s ‘Divest 101’ seminar led by Jacqueline LeeTam, U2 Arts, and April Kowalchuk-Reid, U2 Science, hoping to capitalize on momentum from the previous week’s climate march. The event highlighted the history of the fossil fuel divestment campaign at McGilland ways that students can get involved.

One of Divest McGill’s earliest actions was submitting a divestment request to the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) in 2013, which was later denied because the committee didn’t see enough evidence of the community being harmed by this issue.

Since then, Divest McGill has submitted two more requests for fossil fuel divestment: One was also denied due to similar claims that climate change had not yet caused enough damage to the global community. The third request will be decided on later in the fall semester. Kowalchuk-Reid explained the group’s frustration with what they see as CAMSR inconsistently adhering to their mandate. “[The] McGill Board of Governors is the highest functioning board and they ultimately have the final decision on how much money we have invested in the fossil fuel industry or if we’re involved in it whatsoever,” Kowalchuk-Reid said. “They made a subcommittee called CAMSR, [whose] sole mandate is to just look at [if] this [is] causing harm to the community [and] the environment. They [...] made that committee mainly to

Divest McGill first submitted a divestment request in 2013.

(Jane Canuel / The McGill Tribune) discuss divestment and they are supposed to not be influenced by money, but that has not happened in the past.”

Lee-Tam emphasized that divestment campaigns have proven impactful in lobbying the fossil fuel industry to make changes. She further discussed the connection between money and divestment. “[Divestment is] the idea of taking your money out of a [harmful] industry and putting your money into an industry that isn’t harmful or doesn’t cause grave and injurious consequences like whatever industry you were invested in.” Lee-Tam said. “If we get all these institu-

tions to divest from fossil fuels, we’re removing the social license of the fossil fuel industry to operate …[and] insert[ing] awareness about the fossil fuel industry and its negative consequences into the public sphere.”

Despite other institutions, such as the University of California, divesting from fossil fuels, divestment at McGill has remained an elusive and opaque process.

This is often due to CAMSR’s mode of operations and differing ideas of what it means to be transparent and inclusive.

Laura Mackey, U3 Environment, expressed her frustration with the results of her attempts to encourage transparency in the CAMSR evaluation process.

“When we found out [that CAMSR was] going to be revisiting divestment, one of the things that we specifically asked for was to be included in the conversation,” Mackey said. “I think if they were asked that question, they would say [that they had] included [us] in the conversation, but for us it’s very much felt the same as always where we’re on the outside, watching these internal deliberations that we don’t really know what they’re talking about or what’s happening. We just hope they’re paying attention to the mood on campus and the things our campaign is doing.”

Julia Elson, U4 Engineering, attended to learn about more effective ways to be involved in environmental protection following the march.

“I think that taking the energy that we’ve gained from the march and channeling that into something like an advocacy campaign […] will give you a lot more value for your time than sitting and being frustrated about it,” Elson said.

Board of Governors convenes to discuss commitments to sustainability Meeting agenda neglects divestment from fossil fuels Manuela Scalici Tremblay Contributor The McGill Board of Governors held its first meeting of the year on Oct. 3 to discuss investments and climate initiatives for the coming school year. Although board members were satisfied with the recognition McGill has received for its environmental vision, students advocating for divestment felt that the initiatives the Board lauded were mostly superficial.

Joel Raby, Chair of the Board’s Investment Committee, presented a report on the performance of McGill’s investable assets in the last fiscal year. A motion to revise the Statement of Investment Policy (SIP), a plan for McGill’s assets managed through the McGill Investment Pool (MIP), was quickly approved. Raby then explained that McGill’s investments have not suffered from inflation and have ultimately preserved donors’ capital.

Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) President Bryan Buraga asked if Raby had any information about how the fossil fuels investments are performing compared to other investments.

Ruby affirmed that although he did not have such information available, the Investment Committee would inform the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) on the university’s risk-reward tradeoff for the divestment on fossil fuels.

As the board deferred a motion re-

Divestment will likely be voted on in December. (Erin Sass / The McGill Tribune) garding divestment from fossil fuels to the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) last year, that was not discussed at the meeting.

The committee has been investigating the matter and will officially recommend a course of action in December.

Maryse Bertrand, Vice-Chair of the board and member of CAMSR, gave a brief progress report.

“We started the work on the committee exactly a year ago [in] 2018,” Bertrand said. “The first [phase] was very much a fact-finding, evidence-receiving sort of phase. I think we’re in the stage where we’re going to try to now deliberate on the information that we’ve received [….]”

The committee is set to release its of-

ficial report by Dec. 5. The board’s next meeting on Dec. 12 will likely be the deciding vote on divestment.

The board also focused on their successful environmental initiatives on campus. François Miller, Sustainability Director and leader of the team behind the McGill Office of Sustainability, presented the report.

“I just want to highlight that we’ve been implementing quite a few successful student and staff involvement programs at McGill.” Miller said. “In fact, those programs were recognized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education [AASHE]. So both the staff garden programs that we have near the Burnside building and the Sustainable Workplace Certification were awarded

the Campus Sustainability Achievement award.”

Miller talked about numerous climate-related programs started in the past year. He mentioned the student-led Desautels Sustainability Network’s Business Conference on Sustainability and a measure setting aside $250,000 to cover the extra cost of purchasing an electric vehicle when a conventional vehicle needs replacement. He also cited Minister of Environment Catherine McKenna’s visit on campus to announce a $1.8 million investment from Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Fund to help McGill meet its carbon emissions goal. Miller also mentioned some of the external recognition McGill has received, such as the Sustainability Institution of the Year award for its Vision 2020 Sustainability Strategy given at an award ceremony supported by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

After the meeting, Laura Mackey, U3 Environment and a member of Divest McGill, spoke with The McGill Tribune about McGill’s failure to divest from fossil fuels.

“McGill cannot be carbon neutral while still invested in fossil fuels,” Mackey said. “It’s all very surface level commitments to sustainability. And it’s nice to see, it’s nice to hear. But without fossil fuel divestment it isn’t meaningful [.…]

It really feels like McGill is using greenwashing and wants an image of being a sustainable university while actually not meeting that goal whatsoever.”

TUESDAY,OCTOBER 8 2019

T

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

OPINION

The Involuntary Leave Policy lacks foresight Content warning: Mentions of mental health issues.

In September, the Office for the Dean of Students released an “Involuntary Leave Policy”, the process for which has now been suspended. An “Involuntary Leave Policy” sub-policy would allow the university to place a student who is “in crisis” on involuntary leave until the student has met the conditions for returning to the university and requests a return.

The proposal specifies that this action would be taken only in the most severe cases, such as if the administration deemed that a student is a danger to themselves or others.

Additionally, the proposal stresses that people should not interpret this policy as a disciplinary measure; instead, it is meant to exist in partnership with other support resources for students.

While these caveats show that the administration’s intentions were likely wellmeaning, the Office of the Dean of Students must have the foresight to understand how a policy like this will situate itself into the larger dialogue regarding mental health at McGill, and therefore understand the student opposition they met regarding this proposal. Messages like this proposal should also come with a content-warning, considering

OFF THE BOARD

Copy Editor Keating Reid copy@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Heela Achakzai business@mcgilltribune.com Publisher Chad Ronalds

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 Sepideh Afshar, Nixie Akella, Thomas Bahen, Adam Bell, Tasmin Chu,Angelina Giordano, Sophia Gorbounov, Scott Kennedy, Lilly Lecanu-Fayet, Jackie Lee, Laura Lyon, Lauren Mayes, Adam Menikefs, Magdalena Nitchi, Manuela Scalici Tremblay,

TRIBUNE OFFICE 680 rue Sherbrooke Ouest, suite 723 Montreal, QC H3A 0B8 - T: 773.680.8919

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

Please recycle this newspaper.

Katia Innes A&E Editor I have mixed feelings about the discourse that inevitably surrounds election seasons.

Though I enjoy a good Scheercentric takedown as much as the next person, I find myself unnerved by the surface level engagement on social media where stan culture intermingles with politics.

Stan is shorthand for ‘stalker fan’ and is named aptly after the Eminem song. To be a stan, or to stan someone, is to obsess over a celebrity and provide nearly unequivocal support, regardless of their behaviours or values. Stan culture is

the sensitive nature of mental health issues.

Following the proposal’s release, Buddle and the administration faced significant student backlash. In response, Buddle sent out a second public message saying that, in light of student opposition, he would be suspending this policy draft immediately to continue to work with the student body and find alternative solutions for aiding students in crisis.

While the Office of the Dean of Students made the right decision to withdraw this policy from consideration, the policy’s mere proposal evinces some of the ways in which the McGill administration has remained oblivious to student concerns about mental health, wilfully or not. While this policy is not necessarily meant to apply only to situations which pertain to mental health, it is crucial that the administration is meticulous and careful when they enter a consultation process for a policy of this sort.

This proposal fails most gravely in that it addresses only the most extreme situations.

Regardless of how beneficial an involuntary leave policy would be to students in crisis, the reality is that, in many instances, students can be helped before reaching that point. It seems absurd that the administration would propose an involuntary

leave policy when McGill lacks a voluntary leave policy to allow struggling students to take time off after the withdrawal period in the first month of school has ended. Additionally, over the last two years, there has been a consistent and clear message from the student body that the existing mental health resources at McGill are inadequate.

Specific instances include the administration’s decision to cut the eating disorder program without informing students who used it; the lack of accessible Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or long-term counselors through any McGill program; and massive wait times for many methods of counseling that are present throughout campus. Further, these resources often rely on unpaid, or at least underpaid labour. The administration’s continued apathy and failure to provide adequate voluntary resources to aid students’ mental health makes the introduction of an involuntary policy which pertains only to crisis situations seem all the more abrupt and shortsighted.

McGill’s administration should take preventative measures before addressing the most extreme scenarios.

In addition, the language used in this policy proposal creates an issue. The proposal also states that a student may be redirected to relevant resources,

Cancel political stan culture heightened on social media, where interactions between celebrities and their fans, as well as fan communities that arise, can create echo chambers of preoccupation.

While stan culture remains mostly harmless, involving real world actors into this lore becomes morally tricky: It is fine to write erotic fanfiction involving Gilmore Girls characters, but it is invasive, inappropriate, and above all, really weird to write about Donald Trump, Vladmir Putin, and Hillary Clinton having a threesome.

It is crucial to recognize that by treating politicians, and politics, as fictional characters and narratives, we remove the ability to see them as whole beings capable of failure.

In 2015, shortly after Justin Trudeau was elected as Prime Minister, there was no shortage of thirst articles. An unofficial calendar entitled “Justin Trudeau, My Canadian Boyfriend 2018 Wall Calendar” was sold on Amazon. In light of current criticisms against Trudeau for his lack of climate action and the resurfacing of multiple photos of him in blackface, these posts expressing

undying adoration have not aged well.

This hyper-sexualization of politicians taps into another weird aspect of this “stan” culture—the infamous horny tweet about Democratic Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke for instance, shows how lusting typically reserved for Bachelor in Paradise contestants emerges in this new political discourse. This vantage point positions politicians as objects of admiration to be fawned over, not elected officials with agendas.

Similarly, there is a concurrent trend where politicians are equated to protagonists from popular media: A uniquely bizarre tweet that photoshopped O’Rourke, along with other Democratic presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg as the main characters from Harry Potter circulated earlier this month. Framing politics within theses imaginary worlds, and placing politicians as protagonists fated to triumph over “evil” shows a stark disconnect with the realities of federal bureaucracies.

Conceptualizing politicians

5

EDITORIAL which could include those pertaining to mental health.

However, it is difficult to take a policy that purports to direct students in a crisis situation to the relevant resources seriously when many of those resources simply do not exist.

Additionally, the policy’s statements regarding a student who is “deemed to be a danger to themselves or others” sends an inappropriate message that those struggling with mental health issues may be dangerous. It is the explicit responsibility of the administration not to alienate or debase individuals who may be battling mental illness, but the language of this proposal has the potential to harm those who are already vulnerable.

In the future, the Office of the Dean of Students and other offices need to treat proposals of this sort with scrupulous care, both in terms of the language they use to discuss mental-health issues, and in their awareness of how a given piece of dialogue will be contextualized in the larger, ongoing conversation between the administration and the student body. Ideally, the administration will strive to be attentive to the concerns of McGill students, take very seriously issues of mental health, and exercise care when it comes to the language they use when speaking about sensitive experiences.

as virtuous saviours is also an unsound way of expressing admiration. Because of the incredibly high standard admirers hold them to, when these public figures inevitably misstep, their error is fundamentally incompatible with the conception of forgiveness, or growth.

People’s disengagement from the unglamorous, mundane realities of political systems is vapid, entirely self-serving, and irresponsible. Of course, popular culture offers useful vehicles for critiquing political structures: Satirization of Trudeau’s blackface scandal, Amazon’s mistreatment of workers, and the rise of the conservative right may prove to be insightful.

However, it is important to accept the fact that, not every aspect of our lives exists as an item of consumption, and instead we should meaningfully engage in political discourse and hold ourselves and others accountable for the real world effects of political actions. It seems redundant to say, but a politician is not an entertainer.

They are an elected official who is supposed to serve your interests.

6

OPINION

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 2019

OSD note-takers are another example of undervalued labour on campus Sepideh Afshar Contributor McGill’s Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) is responsible for facilitating wider access to learning and providing adequate resources for all students. To this end, one of the services offered by the OSD is providing notes for students who may be unable to take their own. Note-takers are tasked with taking, organizing, and uploading legible notes for students who are registered with the OSD. Compensation for the work done by notetakers has steadily decreased, and now, it is a volunteer position. By removing incentives for students to become notetakers, the OSD is extending a pattern of unpaid student labour at McGill and betraying their responsibility to those who need their services by potentially degrading the help they receive.

On Sept. 19, all students in classes in need of note-takers received an email which stated that note-taking is now a volunteer position that offers 10 volunteer hours on student’s co-curricular record and a chance to win a $50 gift card. Students know that they are doing work worthy of compensation, because previous note-takers received payment, and by removing this, the OSD is depreciating the work that students

dedicate. The main concern other than lack of participation is the quality of the notes: The same quality of notes cannot be expected for a position that is now unpaid. The OSD has maintained their screening process, but the quality anticipated should be very different now that there is no compensation.

If the overall quality of notes for students with disabilities decreases due to the lack of compensation, this falls directly on the shoulders of the OSD. The work done by note-takers has been overlooked for years. In the 20182019 academic year, the OSD paid students either $100 or $50 per class per semester, depending on the class and the term. To put that into perspective, most McGill classes take three hours per week, and in a semester, there are about 36 class hours. If note-takers were paid the Quebec minimum wage of $12.50 for those class hours, not including out-of-class time spent organizing notes, they would receive $450 in compensation.

Besides the already inadequate pay, Reddit users identifying as note-takers have complained of inconsistency as well as poor communication from the OSD. Reported incidents on Reddit include allegedly forgotten or incomplete payments. There have even been multiple accounts of people graduating, moving out of Montreal, but still not receiving payment. Despite all of these

OSD stopped paying note-takers as of this semester (Millie Valencia / The McGill Tribune) experiences, students be note-takers for a variety of reasons: It may have incentivized them to go to class or they wanted to help their fellow students.

McGill overlooking student labour is not new. In 2018, social work students participated in a strike against the required 800 hours of unpaid field placement work worth three credits per year. Other than having their protests called premature by Quebec Education Minister Jean Francois Roberge, social work students did not see any real action from McGill. Lack of funding has also been an issue for the OSD. In 2015, McGill became responsible for funding OSD as opposed to the Québec

government who had previously been doing so. OSD director, Teri Philips, stated in 2017 that some services were hampered due to new financial restrictions. This funding issue could easily be a belated effect of the switch between the government and McGill.

Students deserve compensation for the work they are doing, no matter the reason behind it By taking away any monetary incentive, the OSD is doing a disservice to those in need of note-takers by removing incentives for high-quality notes. Beyond the OSD itself, McGill needs to reallocate their resources and ensure that they are not disadvantaging students registered with the OSD.

Wasteful printing instigates disparity between Arts and Science students Nixie Akella Contributor Continued from page 1.

This can lead to a few hundred disgruntled students frantically printing their assignments the night or day before they are due. Small three or four page assignments can snowball into stacks of printed papers that eventually leave students owing hundreds of dollars. Although it may seem like an exaggeration, the school’s yearly hike in printing prices and ‘cheap’ alternatives have proven to be wastefully expensive for students.

In 2001, McGill adopted its environmental policy, signaling a commitment to ecologically-sound principles in its operations. To propagate this initiative, the university established Computer Taskforce (CTF), a volunteer-based organisation that provides technology-related services to students. With the service, students can access U-Print, a remote access printing service built to aide students and facilitate easy printing. However, rather than being a convenient and sustainable option for McGill students, it masquerades as an attempt by the university to monopolize the students’ printing services. As of today, campus selection of printers consists mainly of U-Print printers rather than local individual printing machines. The lack of diversified options limits students’ capacity to save printing money.

As of June 1, the price of one

page in colour increased from $0.20 to $0.22. At first glance, it seems like an insignificant increase in price, if Arts students were to print 500 of these pages a year, the same amount given to Science students in their free allowance, that $.02 becomes a sizeable amount. Even worse, the alternative for U-Print is a printing service called CopiEUS, located in the McConnell Engineering building. Included in the McGill ‘cheap sheet,’ CopiEUS charges $0.70 for a simple A4 page print, much more than U-Print. U-Print appears to be the smarter choice for students.

However, this raises the question of why Arts students cannot be included in the ‘free’ printing initiative. Granted that Science students pay the CTF fee as part of their student society fee, considering that the Faculty of Arts is the largest faculty in McGill, it seems illogical for the faculty to ignore the students’ essential needs.

Many professors still require students to print all assignments, rather than adopting a ‘sustainable’ mindset. Not only does this confuse students as to what is required on their part in creating a more ecologically friendly academic environment, but it also depicts the lack of initiative and disparity in mentalities between the administration and staff. Given the prevalence of reading-and-writingcentered courses for Arts students, students should be provided with the option to provide online assignments, effectively signaling a new wave of ecological advancement.

Arts students can end up paying large sums for printing throughout the year.

(Lauren Benson-Armer / The McGill Tribune)

CARTOON

McGill Constellations Erin Sass / Design Editor

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 2019

‘Les Antipodes’ is a triumph from Quebec’s beloved folk rockers

7

ALBUM REVIEW

Les Cowboys Fringants deliver new music with familiar themes in long anticipated album Lilly Lecanu-Fayet Contributor Beloved Quebec folk-rock band Les Cowboys Fringants dropped their long awaited album, Les Antipodes, on Oct. 4. The group had not released new music since 2015, and fans were eager to see if this classic band would stay true to their roots after such a long break. Les Cowboys Fringants have always been known for the political commentary they weave into their songs, and recurring topics include Quebec sovereignty, environmental justice, and voter apathy. As the political climate has only grown more tense since their last album was released, fans anticipated a commentary-heavy album, and Les Antipodes did not fall short.

On the evening of the launch, Les Cowboys held a party at La Tulipe, where they signed CDs and DJs entertained the crowd with techno versions of their previous albums. Members of the crowd ranged from children to the elderly, and businessmen dressed in suits stood next to college students wearing sweatshirts and sneakers. Despite the diverse backgrounds of the crowd, everyone shared a common excitement at the prospect of listening to the music Les Cowboys had worked on for the past four years.

The day before Les Antipodes was released for the public, the band uploaded its first single, “L’Amérique Pleure,” on YouTube. True to the band’s name, the music video features a line dancing instructor dressed as a cowboy leading a room full of people in a dance to the song.

“L’Amérique Pleure” remains subtly political. The lyrics highlight the inequalities that lay behind the veneer of North American consumerism, musing that “...behind the beautiful landscapes / there is so much inequality / and suffering on the faces”*. The song expresses the sadness and frustration towards the current state of affairs and the hypocrisy the band sees in controlling a complacent population.

No two songs on Les Antipodes feel or sound the same. There are long, somber ballads like “Sur Mon Épaule” sandwiched by folksy dance songs like “La Traversée (de l’Atlantique en 1774),” whose upbeat instrumentals contrast with the heavy subject matter it explores. The eclectic mix of songs make it easy for the band to reach a wider audience: There is truly something for everyone in the wide variety of genres they borrow from, making the album a delight to loyal fans and new listeners.

Les Cowboys Fringants blend political commentary with folksy tunes. (iHeartRadio)

*Quotation was translated from its original French.

Drawn & Quarterly welcomes up and coming Canadian authors Anansi Press hosts triple book launch Jonathan Giammaria Staff Writer Canada’s contemporary literary scene is on the brink of something special. On Oct. 4, La Petite Librairie Drawn & Quarterly converted its tight space into a stage, hosting three significant writers, Alix Ohlin, Megan Gail Coles, and Audrée Wilhelmy.

Ohlin and Coles’ novels have just been shortlisted for Canada’s prestigious Giller Prize—beating out previous winners like Margaret Atwood and André Alexis. As part of their book tours, the two joined Wilhelmy, a revered French Canadian author whose many distinctions include le prix Sade to speak about their new novels. Each gave readings of their newest works, and answered audience questions during a short Q&A period.

Sarah MacLachlan, president and publisher at House of Anansi Press, joined the three authors to celebrate the successes each have enjoyed this year.

“When we acquire books at the House, we do it from a great love of the things that we read, of the manuscripts that come in, and these three women have all written extraordinary books,” MacLachlan said.

“All three of them have associations and affiliations with the city of Montreal, and the great thing is that they’re writers that represent the country from coast to coast.”

Ohlin, raised in Montreal and living in Vancouver, read the prologue to her novel, Dual Citizens. The story charts the diverging trajectories of two sisters’ lives

“It’s a new discovery of the book for myself,” said Wilhelmy. “Seeing it put in other words [...] [the writing] was kind of more crude [...] because I [didn’t] really realize how it was crude in French.”

Last to speak was Coles, a Newfoundlander who is currently completing her PhD at Concordia, with her reading of Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club. Coles’ novel pits a group of characters against each other in an isolated diner during a Newfoundland blizzard.

The novel’s single setting, emphasizes the dynamics of its characters’ relationships instead of plot-centric action. The focus on dialogue and inner monologues likens Coles’ work to a theatre script.

While speaking about her writing process, Coles spoke about imagining the characters first and shaping a narrative around them second. The novel’s dramatic The launch featured readings in English and French from each of the authors. (Nicholas Raffoul / The influence might come from Coles’ own McGill Tribune) experience in theatre, having attended the Montreal-based National Theatre School in Montreal and later in New York City. ing of the English translation, The Body of of Canada. Fittingly, Cole’s reading beThe novel is a meditation on the complex- the Beasts. Her story uses the Arctic wil- came a full-blown performance. Standing ity of female relationships, told with a dis- derness as a central vehicle to convey her up, employing accents, and using differtinct Canadian bent. Its prologue, which protagonist Mie’s exploration of herself ent gestures and movements to reflect her introduces a contemptuous relationship and her sexuality. Using her main charac- character’s personas, Coles concluded the between sisters Robin and Lark as they ter’s ability to shapeshift into the animals evening with a raucous scene, in which walk through the woods, takes place dur- that surround her, Wilhelmy delves into her protagonist gets berated by one of the ing a wolf attack. With the books connec- spirituality and the supernatural in order diner’s occupants. tion to the wilderness of the North, Ohlin to show the multifaceted nature of iden“‘Are you stupid girl, are you? Are shares in a tradition that many Canadian tity. Wilhelmy spoke about the strange you stupid!’ She could talk back, but has authors have explored, also echoed that experience of having her words translated been socialized against it,” shouted Coles night by Willhelmy and Coles. into a language she could fully under- during her excerpt’s last lines. The audiWilhelmy read from her 2017 novel, stand, and of having an altered version of ence was silenced in awe, rapt by the force Le corps des bêtes, followed by a read- a text she could still identify with. of her words.

For your eyes only

The shifting sphere of digital sexual commerce Katia Innes Arts & Entertainment Editor

Admit it: You’ve watched porn. Most people past their early teen years—or who have used the internet for that matter—have consumed internet porn. According to a study by the National Centre on Sexual Exploitation, 64 per cent of young people aged 13–24, seek out pornography at least weekly. It is less routine, but still fairly common, to admit that you’ve watched a live cam show, or maybe purchased nude photos from someone’s premium Snapchat. It is even more peculiar, but increasingly common, to be the person selling used panties, or posing in front of the webcam. But many students have, in fact, found lucrative side hustles selling sexual services on the internet, leveraging the autonomous nature of online work and streaming from the comfort of their own homes. Jared*, a third-year McGill student, began working as a camboy during his first year at McGill. A cam boy or girl is loosely defined as a model performing any variety of sexualized acts to an audience in a chatroom. Jared used Chaturbate, a webcam site, to stream from his dorm room, initially by himself, and eventually with his then-boyfriend. Jared was drawn to camming as a means to make money and to explore their sexuality.

“I was a virgin at this point still, [and] the idea of just meeting up with someone, or just camming with someone and not actually having to have sex with them, was a huge deal for me,” Jared said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “I was like ‘How can I experience homosexual culture without having to take it in the ass?’ and that was literally where this came from.’”

Jared continued to cam for the next five months before quietly withdrawing from Chaturbate. There was no specific reason for his departure, Jared explained; rather, he simply no longer felt the desire to cam. Jared’s experiences aren’t unique: Many students have performed or distributed sexual services online to make money on the side. It is very easy to start earning profit from digital sexual services, and it is just as easy to delete your account, resulting in an industry that is constantly in flux.

Similarly to Jared, Naheed* began camming not out of a specific desire to engage in sex work, but out of curiosity. During her junior year of high school, Naheed began using Omegle, a free online chat website, as a platform for sexual exploration, eventually realizing that she could turn these online interactions into financial transactions. Though Naheed has stopped doing online sex work and divulged that she has since repressed the memories of most of her experiences, she still cites this period as a formative part of her adolescence.

“It actually really made me fulfilled in some ways, even past the more traumatic or negative experiences,” Naheed said. “I felt like I was in charge, I felt really empowered after some instances, and so in terms of my self-perception, I understood myself to be a whole being, one with sexual thoughts, feelings, [and] rights, and also one who had experienced trauma, not only under [the digital] sphere.”

The definition of digital sexual commerce is still nebulous, but can broadly be understood as a term that encompasses many forms of sexual labour that often overlap and intersect.

While some platforms allow sex workers to create accounts linked directly to their bank accounts, sex workers who use unregulated platforms, such as Omegle, often receive payments via e-transfer or PayPal. Distributing pornographic images or videos via digital platforms is another way to engage in virtual sexual commerce. Although premium Snapchat and OnlyFans are platforms that are not exclusively designed to support sex work, their framework, which allows a select

group of paying ‘fans’ access to content at a cost, has monetized this labour.

Similarly, digital sexual commerce extends to the sale of physical fetish materials: Used underwear, hoseries, and hygiene products have found sizeable markets. PantyDeal, a popular website for used underwear distribution, boasts over 500,000 buyers worldwide. These forms of digital sex work often complement camming, with workers using multiple platforms to increase engagement. Depending on platform, type, and frequency, digital sex work can range in its lucrativeness. This flexibility in work hours and income is compelling to many students. Jared believes that he made roughly $100 per week during the six-month period when he cammed.

“I didn't treat it as much [like a] business as some of the more established people, [who] treated it like a main source of income,” Jared said. “I definitely was more [of a] hobbyist with it [....] It basically came from me wanting to get things, like a new laptop.”

On Chaturbate, clients purchase tokens for $0.05 each, and use them to pay models during live-streams for specific requests. Popular cam stars can make anywhere from $5,000 to $14,000 per month. Students who are not tied to one specific platform generate a clientele and can therefore set their own prices per item or bill on an hourly basis, depending on the type of work. Naheed was not tied to one platform, and she would receive payments through PayPal after deciding on a price with the client.

It is very difficult to become entirely financially independent via online sex work: While popular models on a site like Chaturbate can amass followers in the tens of thousands, this requires almost daily performances. In a student’s hectic schedule, this is often unrealistic. Regardless, outlets such as camming can prove to be fruitful side hustles. Bella French is a webcam model and CEO of ManyVids, a Montreal-based webcam platform. She began camming after graduating from HEC Montreal, and recognizes that digital sexual commerce offers a flexibility that can be attractive to students.

“Students are uniquely positioned to understand [...] the benefits of being [their] own boss and freelancing, using mobile technology to carve out their business opportunities, and leverage their diverse skill set to take on anything they choose [....]” French wrote in an email to the Tribune. “You’re your own boss and you set your own schedule, working as little or as much as you want.”

Freelancing as a webcam model, though socially taboo, is perfectly legitimate. The selling or advertising of sexual services that occur in the physical realm is illegal in Canada under the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA). However, as long as the individuals presented are over 18-years-old, pornographic materials, including webcam streams, photographs, and videos are perfectly legal. Despite this, it remains difficult for students to talk about their experiences in online sex work: Preconceptions of this kind of labour, as well as a reluctance to address sexuality, bar many of these discourses from happening.

“I think the scariest thing for me [...] was that people were going to screenrecord it and put it on like a pornsite or circulate it in a group chat or something,” Jared said. “And then also, [I was worried about] people that I knew watching.”

The digital world allows for a degree of anonymity, but presents a unique set of risks. Regardless of the ostensible impermanence of such digital platforms, selling erotic videos, pictures, and items, such as used underwear, leaves digital and sometimes physical footprints that may be traced back to the content providers. Personal privacy may be jeopardized as well, leading to online harassment, and in some extreme cases, stalking and blackmail. Sex workers who use unregulated platforms, or multiple types of platforms, are more vulnerable to such breaches of information and safety.

After sharing her Skype contact information with regular clients, Naheed’s personal information was hacked and she stopped camming shortly thereafter.

The performative and permanent aspect of online sex work may also have lingering effects. Third-year McGill student Britney*, who began selling semi-pornographic photos of herself to rapper Lil B after he directmessaged her on Twitter, was unconcerned with her photos being distributed

on public digital forums. Although these photos have no link to any of her social media accounts or any personal information, her face is visible in every image. “[I feel] more comfortable selling photos online than I do sending photos to a partner,” Britney said. “With the intimate partner, there’s this whole issue of revenge porn in case you guys break up. They can hold onto it and use it against you, and it will be very much connected to you whereas sending photos out to random people without any kind of links back to you feels a lot safer, for me at least.”

The proliferation of pornographic images on the internet, devoid of context, leaves room for endless implications, allowing users and clients to imprint their own fantasies and desires onto the material. Conveniently, this barrier further creates a distance between the buyer and the seller, removing sex workers from scenarios in which they may be exposed to direct physical harm. For direct sales, such as physical materials, there is little interaction after the initial purchase.

However, for camwork and other services that involve rapport between sex workers and their clients, maintaining an online persona can be emotionally exhausting.

“Because I had that barrier of an online realm, I could embody somebody else to an extent where my personal ideas, what woman I wanted to be, and what person I wanted to be in the world, were put aside,” Naheed said. “They were limited in exchange for offering someone a fantasy of gendered existence and a sexuality that wasn’t my own.”

Conversely, digital platforms may also function as a space for mediation between sex workers and their customers. On media specifically designed to distribute erotic images and videos, discourse often occurs in the comments section between sex workers and their clients. On Chaturbate, for instance, users can comment suggestions and requests in chatrooms, but these are only fulfilled if tokens are purchased. For sex workers with returning clientele, informal relationships may arise: It is not unusual for clients to reach out to sex workers, in some cases buying gifts and establishing routines for services.

“I never felt an emotional connection to any one of these people I met online,” Jared said. “It’s hard to feel an emotional connection with someone, at least in my experience, across a screen.”

Beyond the impersonality of chatrooms, Jared and Naheed both noted that selling sex work online can feel isolating, as there is a general reluctance to address the topic in the real world. While a few of Jared’s friends, and even his mother, were vaguely aware of his escapades on Chaturbate, Naheed did not share her experiences on Omegle until later. To help alleviate the feelings of isolation, community organizations such as Stella, l'amie de Mamie, le Piamp, and Centre for Gender Advocacy offer resources to help students who do sex work. Digital sexual commerce, by its online nature, can feel distancing, helping to create an illusion for sex workers that their experience

is unusual when, in fact, this is a shared experience they can find solidarity in.

“I think the trajectory of how we, and by we I mean society, regard sex work has radically changed in the past couple of years, especially online sex work,” Naheed said.

“I had friends ‘come out’ to me with these experiences and feeling a sense of solidarity, but also a great sense of loss for my 16-year-old self. That could’ve been accessible.”

Current university students have grown up alongside the internet, so it seems fitting that it has become intrinsically linked to our formative experiences, including our sexualities. Tutorials and vlogs exist to document just about every part of the human experience, depicting heartbreak, college acceptances, and loss.

Sexual development has been pushed to the wayside, operating in relative taboo.

While, to the consumer, internet porn is often conceived as empty and vapid, it has taken up a position of undeniable importance in modern coming-of-age.

“I found the ability to [...] I wouldn’t say love myself, but see a connectedness between my existence and some sort of value, some sort of worth, whether it be from some peoples’ pleasure or [their] finances,” Naheed said. “I found the majority of my self-worth in there.”

With all of its innovations and conveniences, there is no doubt that online sex work will continue to grow as an industry. For consumers, it is cheap, accessible, widespread, and often helps bridge gaps between our curiosities and desires. For performers and workers, the range of participation in online sex work can fulfill financial and emotional needs equally. Yet, with all the benefits that come with this open discourse surrounding sex, the internet remains an unreliable platform. Finding balance between the sense of empowerment and the sense of exploitation is tricky: What may count as meaningful representation of non-normative sexualities can also be warped into unhealthy fetishization by outsiders. Despite such shortcomings, digital spaces are perhaps the best platforms to allow for sexual expression and exploration. They hold great potential in providing healthy outlets in a tumultuous and technology-filled coming of age.

“I guess I look back and wish that there were more avenues for me to access that kind of feeling, and that it didn’t necessarily have to come from this type of sex work,” Naheed said. “It could have maybe come from somewhere else, but I don’t know if that was politically or socially possible.” *Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the sources.

10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 2019

POP Montreal spotlights local talents

Showing some love to Montreal-based musicians Katia Innes, Kevin Vogel, Sophie Brzozowski Arts & Entertainment Editors and Managing Editor

Mashrou Leila Concert

Beirut four-piece takes on Montreal.

Club Soda, Oct. 9, doors 8:00 p.m. $38 tickets

This year, POP Montreal International Music Festival turned 18. Born in the Mile End, the festival had humble beginnings showcasing then-unknown acts Broken Social Scene and Stars. Now, the festival has grown to include over 300 acts, extending its commitment to championing independent arts across the seas: This year saw Congolese collective KOKOKO! and French experimental artist Felicia Atkinson gracing its stages. Yet, POP Montreal is still devoted to promoting local artists; The McGill Tribune reports on this year’s best findings.

Galerie Cartel Factory Opening

Ada Lea, Theatre Rialto

Accompanied only by an acoustic guitar and a sampler, Ada Lea’s performance style is enchanting in its sparseness. Opening for Tiny Ruins and Aldous Harding on Sept. 28 at the Rialto Theatre, Alexandra Levy performed songs from her debut album what we say in private, which she released under the moniker of Ada Lea on July 19. The album is intensely personal, such that it feels intrusive to sit amongst an audience of hundreds and watch Lea bare her soul onstage. With her silvery voice and delicate instrumentals, however, she effortlessly brought the packed auditorium to a hush.

Trapped in Elon’s Mansion, Cinema L’Amour

When Elon Musk got into a Twitter spat by insulting public transportation advocate Jarret Walker, Montreal writer Joe Bagel decided to clap back.

With the billionaire’s wealth of completely bonkers legal fiascos, Bagel had no shortage of source material for Trapped in Elon’s Mansion. Bagel’s new Shakespearean comedy dramatizes some of these celebrity feuds—in verse.

Written entirely in iambic pentameter, the surrealist play brings Azaelia Banks, Grimes, Jay-Z, Musk himself, and even the human incarnation of Siri together in an acid-fueled marathon of pop-culture lambastement. Despite its dated poetic style, Trapped in Elon’s Mansion gives a hilarious spin to Shakespearean tradition.

Hildegard, Theatre Rialto

It would be remiss not to mention the stage debut of Hildegard, an electronic music duo composed of two of Montreal’s most exciting artists, Ouri and Helena Deland. A joint project between the DJ-producer-multiinstrumentalist and singer-songwriter, respectively, Hildegard performed

2019 marks POP Montreal’s 18th anniversary. (Drowned in Sound) an informal medley of new mixes, and bandcamp favourites. On Sept. 26, the two found their respective places behind twin synths, launching into a mesmerizing performance shrouded in fog. Mixing their way through heavy bass and atmospheric dream pop, Hildegard kept things light, interspersing their set with goofier soundbites such as sirens and cartoony vocals.

Markus Floats, Theatre Rialto

By his own description, Markus Floats makes “very serious bleeps and bloops.” The ambient electronic artist delivered this material, as promised, to Theatre Rialto on Sept. 27, seated comfortably behind a MacBook Pro. In contrast to the testosterone filled, over-hyped bro DJs of Piknic Electronique-lore, Markus Floats was fittingly at-ease, focused and attentive, moving through otherworldly mixes. Shifting from calm and atmospheric to dissonant and industrial, it was a delight to bask in Markus Floats’ sonic landscape.

Yves Jarvis, Theatre Rialto

Playing Rialto Hall on Sept. 28, under the name Yves Jarvis, lo-fi singersongwriter Jean-Sebastian Audet delivered a fittingly relaxed set to a patient crowd of onlookers. Audet drew from his full-length solo debut, The Same but by Different Means, which dropped earlier this year, as well as unreleased material. Blending funk sensibilities with gauzy ballads, Audet moved through his set alone onstage.

Audet is about to embark on a European tour with fellow POP Montreal performer Aldous Harding, so seeing him in such an intimate setting was a delight.

Le Cartel Clothing will host street and tattoo artists to open up its Mile End gallery 160 St Viateur Est, #108, Oct. 11, 7:00 p.m.

Free

Hron, a Country of Ghosts film premiere

In an alternative sci-fi queer universe, non-binary journalist Dydo Horacki struggles on the frontlines of a warzone.

Bar Le Ritz PDB, Oct. 9, doors 7:00 p.m. $5 suggested, PWYC

L’OFF Jazz Festival

Music festival putting the spotlight on the local musicians and their innovations in the jazz scene Locations and prices vary, runs until Oct. 12

When hide and seek goes dangerously awry

‘Ready Or Not’ offers a triumphant genre blend of horror and comedy Deana Korsunsky Staff Writer Girl meets boy, girl marries boy, girl spends her honeymoon fleeing from boy’s murderous family. Such is the plot in Ready Or Not. The film follows Grace (Samara Weaving), the newly-wed bride to Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien) of the wealthy Le Domas game empire.

After the wedding ceremony, Alex sheepishly informs Grace that his family traditionally welcomes new members by playing a game at the stroke of midnight. An amused Grace agrees, and draws a random card to decide which game the family would play.

Little does she know, by choosing a card labelled “hide and seek,” she unwittingly agrees to a deadly game of cat and mouse. The audience quickly realizes the fatal stakes of the game before Grace does. She spends the rest of the film hiding and fighting for her life, as the weapon-wielding Le Domases

attempt to hunt her down before dawn, supposedly to give Satan his sacrifice and protect the family fortune.

Even though its heroine spends the film fleeing from her in-laws, Ready Or Not hesitates to identify itself as purely horror. Its scenes are interspersed with blood, gore, and the occasional jump-scare, but the film catches the viewer by surprise as it blends a dark sense of humour into its plot. One of the film’smemorable comic-horror moments arises when Fitch Bradley—Alex’s brother in law—is shown watching an instructional video on his phone entitled, “Getting to know your crossbow.” Bradley’s cluelessness challenges the idea that horror villains exist as well-oiled killing machines.

The movie humourously juxtaposes a terrified Grace battling murderers with a naive, inept villain.

Ready Or Not is devoted to the blend of horror and comedy. This union of genres makes for an engaging viewing experience; the audience is at the film’s mercy, waiting to laugh or

A seemingly innocent game of hide and seek gives the unsuspecting bride a honeymoon she will never forget. (Vox.com) jump, and equally prepared for either.

Samara Weaving’s portrayal of Grace wields this power flawlessly: Her hilarious and creative combinations of curse words provide comic relief even during a chase scene that teems with suspense.

The casting only heightens the effect created by the successful union of genres. Andie MacDowell

gives an arresting performance as Alex’s mother Becky Le Domas.

MacDowell, who is largely known for her roles in classic romantic comedies such as Groundhog Day or Four Weddings and a Funeral, continues the film’s tendency to privilege unlikely creative choices.

Equally as delightful is the comforting familiarity of aesthetic

and narrative tropes. The wealthy Le Domas family’s dysfunction is reminiscent of Schitt’s Creek’s hilarious Rose family, while the trope of an unsuspecting victim entering a villainous family harkens to Jordan Peele’s Get Out. Relying more on humour than horror, however, Ready Or Not similarly critiques elite society. The Le Domases’ bloodthirst is prompted by faithfulness to family tradition and preservation of their wealth.

Ready Or Not is a horror-comedy of manners, satirizing the wealthy class while aligning the audience with its “final girl,” a refreshingly sharp and relatable protagonist who strays away from the dumb blonde horror victim stereotype. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett craft an inter-genre thriller that combines seemingly incompatible themes, bloodshed and humour, to create an engrossing viewing experience. Moviegoers will find that there is but one thing they can say to Ready or Not: “Here I come!”

STUDENT LIFE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 2019

11

How memes became a form of protest art Understanding the digital generation’s approach to social justice Sophia White Staff Writer The Sept. 27 Global Climate Strike drew half a million protesters to the streets of Montreal in a worldwide series of demonstrations against climate change. Typical environmental slogans like ‘There is no planet B’ or ‘Don’t be a fossil fool’ appeared on many marchers’ signs, but some of the messages that stood out most in the crowd were far less conventional: With references to SpongeBob, Queer Eye, “Hot Girl Summer,” and other popular memes, tweets, and Vines, there was no shortage of creativity on display.

Protests are a medium for free expression, and appreciating the originality of others’ signs creates a unique sense of camaraderie among students. However, some onlookers question whether the use of humour serves to downplay the threat of climate change as an issue. They wonder whether older generations of policymakers, many of whom may not understand niche pop culture references, are likely to respond to these messages. To those who do, however, memes serve as both a fun way of coping with the looming threat of some of today’s biggest headlines, and as powerful new tools for collective demonstration.

Originally a term to describe the way that ideas and behaviours propagate through

generations, the modern form of the word meme was derived from a Greek term meaning “that which is imitated.” The meme has since become an integral medium for political dialogue and civic engagement. Thanks to the internet, it has become increasingly easy for memes to gain popularity and go viral overnight. Given that there is no real limit on what can be considered a meme, they are often used to relay political or social commentary through humour.

Montreal’s climate march was just one instance of the unique intersection of protesting and meme culture. Pop culture references have recently fuelled a variety of movements around the globe, including Hong Kong’s anti-government protests this summer as well as national school walkouts in the US to demand gun reform. Unlike other forms of communicative protest, memes cannot easily be shut down, so they are a powerful mobilizing tool. With the internet as an efficient medium for disseminating snapshots from around the world, protesters draw inspiration from other signs and build on the movement with their own contributions.

Regardless of the political statements they make, memes are an innovative form of expression. They help to break down and articulate complex issues, spread ideas, and make sense of emotions. While some joke signs may be criticized for oversimplifying

Though sometimes criticized for oversimplification, many joke signs balance comedy and poignant truth. (Leanne Young / The McGill Tribune) complex political matters, others can be comedic while still remaining poignant.

While memes may not directly bring about any tangible policy action or reform, they relay important issues and spread quickly enough to bring them to the forefront of discussion. They reflect what is happening in society at a given point and help justify feelings of rage and fear while allowing us all to feel a little less alone. Further, memes are simple to create and reproduce, and they evolve over time based on their reception.

As students marched through the streets

of Montreal and around the globe with posters inspired by memes, slogans, songs, and artwork, they proved that there is no one formula for demonstrating an issue as widespread as climate change. Our generation has the ability to band in solidarity over familiar images and slogans and seamlessly incorporate politics into our everyday selfexpression. Memes make us laugh while simultaneously uniting us around common feelings about real world issues. Sometimes a laugh is necessary in the midst of all the political chaos, and a meme offers just that.

Navigating Montreal’s by-laws How not to get ticketed in Montreal Scott Kennedy Contibutor As the school year wears on, students may be tempted to dart across busy streets on the way to class, grab an electric scooter to dash to an exam, or enjoy celebratory drinks in one of Montreal’s many parks. However, students should be aware of some rules specific to Montreal to avoid any unnecessary fines associated with such activities to enjoy the semester free of any legal trouble.

Drinking in public The legal drinking age in Quebec is 18-years-old, meaning that until you are of age, it is illegal to buy alcohol for yourself or another person, or have someone else buy alcohol for you.

Even for students who have reached the drinking age, Montreal does not permit the consumption of alcohol in public areas. However, there is an exception to that rule that allows people to drink alcohol in some of the city’s parks, as long as they are also consuming a meal. Quebec law defines a meal as “food sufficient to constitute a person’s lunch or dinner.” This means that a picnic in Jeanne Mance would have to be a full meal, while a bag of twobite brownies would not be enough to avoid a possible ticket. The law also states that the alcohol and accompanying meal must be in an area of the park where picnic tables are present.

signs in the city is considered a violation of traffic rules; this could include crossing a street against the signal, or beginning to cross once the light turns yellow. Even on streets without a nearby intersection or pedestrian crossing, pedestrians must yield to vehicles and cyclists and make sure there is no risk present when crossing. Additionally, people are not allowed to cross an intersection diagonally unless authorized by a police officer or if the intersection specifically allows it.

Lime, Bird, and JUMP scooters Many McGill students are familiar with electric scooters, the newest addition to Montreal’s streets. In recent months, the City of Montreal has enacted new bylaws in response to these e-scooters and e-bikes. Users are required to wear a helmet at all times and are prohibited from riding on the sidewalks. Across the city there are also 239 designated e-scooter parking spots where users are required to park their scooters, instead of leaving them on city sidewalks. As of Oct. 21, Montreal will begin fining riders $50 each for scooters found illegally parked outside these spots.

Noise complaints When it comes to noise complaints, each of Montreal’s boroughs have their own bylaws. However, police can issue tickets if they hear a noise prohibited under noise Failure to obey crosswalk rules can lead to a hefty fine. bylaws. A “prohibited noise” could be anything from (flickr.com) cries, singing, altercations, cursing, or “any other form Traffic rules of uproar,” as well as noise produced by sound equipment such as the Legal Information Clinic at McGill (LICM).

Traffic rules are very important for students walking according to Service de police de la Ville de Montréal The LICM is a non-profit information service staffed by to and from campus, especially approaching the Milton (SPVM).

McGill Law Students, with a mandate to provide free Gates. According to the Montreal police service, pedeslegal information, referrals, and community services to trians must use crosswalks when going through any of the To learn more about laws and regulations in Que- McGill and broader Montreal. Interested students can call city’s intersections. Not obeying the various crosswalk bec or Montreal, McGill has many resources available, or visit the LICM website.

12 STUDENT LIFE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 2019

Trottoir barré signs and fairy lights

What your university apartment decor reveals about you mentos as motivation to continuously work hard for their loved ones. These apartments house grounded, down-to-earth students and are great spaces to vent with friends. Though there may be books strewn around and cluttered desks, the best listeners and most loyal of friends reside in these apartments. These walls have heard the best late-night deep talks, making their tenants the optimal company for movie nights and de-stressing days.

Alaana Kumar Staff Writer For many university students, searching for off-campus housing can be difficult. Student housing can mean sharing a small, rundown space with holes in the walls and the occasional mouse sneaking around. Though most adults fear this, students today have embraced it as part of the university experience and cultivated creative ways to turn their temporary space into a cozy home. The McGill Tribune examined common styles of university decor and how they reflect their inhabitants.

Fairy lights and foliage Abundant lighting and plentiful plants can help ease the stresses of a long day. This style may suggest a laid-back persona. Fake plants or succulents can indicate that someone is working to get their life on track, taking small steps while giving off the perception of having it together. On the flip side, real plants may suggest someone who is settled, has a functioning routine, and is ready for commitment and responsibility. In addition to the lights and plants, these individuals will likely have calendars and chore charts on their walls, suggesting an organized and smoothly running household. Fairy light owners and plant par-

Through creative decor, students make run-down, temporary spaces into cozy homes.

(Sabrina Girard-Lamas / The McGill Tribune) ents are known for hosting the best studying and late night cram sessions.

Stolen street signs and posters A space full of street signs and dog-eared posters perfectly suits students who do not take themselves too seriously. These are generally adventurous students looking for a good time, who don’t shy away from small doses of risk taking. Anyone who spends time with this apartment’s inhabitants is inspired to jump outside their comfort zone. These tenants are social and free-spirited people who enjoy having company around. Therefore, this is gener-

ally the space where spontaneous ideas flourish. These apartments are always busy and double as the perfect location for house parties and gatherings. The constant flow of people and the calm, cool, and collected attitude of its residents might result in a cluttered space, but regardless of the mess, these apartments and their tenants are always adored by those passing though.

Photos and mementos A photo wall can indicate a nostalgic, yet optimistic personality. It is likely they are highly ambitious and use their photos and me-

DIY decor Finding alternative ways to decorate can indicate a creative and adaptable personality.

A study in Reader’s Digest found that DIY-ers are often more inspired and welcome change more easily than others. The residents of this apartment can take any mundane situation and turn it into a good time. These DIY projects can be simple, like taking an old bottle of wine and turning it into a vase, or more extravagant, like painting lamp shades or creating makeshift shelves. The ability to allocate time to DIY projects may indicate someone who can turn their procrastination into productivity. These apartments house the most versatile group of individuals, making these students the perfect company to study with during the week and to party with on the weekends. These imaginative apartments radiate a welcoming vibe, resulting in lots of impromptu visitors.

Heated terraces for cool days

Hotspots of Montreal’s thriving terrace culture Lilly Lecanu-Fayet Contibutor As the warmth of summer fades into the crisp chill of autumn, it becomes more and more difficult to justify sitting on the city’s lovely open air terraces. Students are drawn to the heat of the indoors and set up their Seasonal Affective Disorder lamps in preparation for another long winter. While most of the outdoor terraces will be closing soon, a select few will remain open and heated through the colder months so Montrealers can get their daily dose of Vitamin D without sacrificing warmth.

Café Olimpico 124 rue St-Viateur O Hours: 6 a.m.–12 a.m., every day Price: $ Café Olimpico, which opened in the Mile-End in 1970, has become a beloved neighbourhood staple. This café is open 18 hours every day, making it an ideal location for hours of uninterrupted work. There are a variety of work spaces, from window seating to a dimly lit quiet area in the back. People funnel in and out all day, and the baristas are friendly with every customer. The light music playing in the background is punctuated by the chatter of regulars and visitors. Olimpico’s coffee has been named among the best in Montreal numerous times, and the café was even ranked in the top 50 cafés in the world by The Telegraph. Everything from the coffee to the desserts is simple but made with care. Their terrace stays open all year round and, during the winter, it becomes a cozy annex separated from the bustling cafe where patrons can enjoy sanctuary on a cold day while bathing in the warmth of this aromatic coffee shop.

Brutopia 1219 rue Crescent Hours: 2 p.m.–3 a.m. Sunday–Wednesday, 12 p.m.–3 a.m. Thursday–Saturday Price: $

Heated terraces remain open year round for warmer outdoor dining.

(Erin Sass / The McGill Tribune)

Brutopia is a dark and cozy, slightly elevated dive bar with a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere. This brewpub in the heart of downtown boasts more than live music and specialty beers. During the winter months, their open air terrace is heated and becomes a haven to enjoy good times and fresh air in the safety of a toasty annex. The terrace is simple, just like most of the establishment, but not to be overlooked. There are lots of tables and the terrace itself is very spacious, so there is no need to worry about finding a seat. Brutopia has live entertainment every night of the week starting at 10 p.m., including an open-mic jam session every Sunday and trivia every Monday. As the name suggests, this pub is home to an active brewery, with a weekly rotating beer list.

It’s perfectly suited to a chill night out with friends.

Bar Suzanne 20 ave. Duluth E. Hours: 4 p.m.–12 a.m. Sunday–Wednesday, 4 p.m.–3 a.m. Thursday–Saturday Price: $$ To say that Bar Suzanne has plants would be an understatement. Plants cover the beam system that runs overhead, and the rest of the room has potted plants and leafy wallpaper. The plants on the beams are really an intermediary for your eyes; the true beauty lies just behind them. Looking beyond, it is clear that the reason all the greenery is able to thrive is because of the skylight that makes up the majority of the ceiling, bathing the entire bar in natural light to offer patrons a terrace feel while remaining fully covered. Students looking for a deal can head over for happy hour and watch the natural light fade, leaving the glow of the candles that stand on every table. Bar Suzanne serves dumplings and specialty cocktails, but they also offer an extensive beer and wine list.

As their website says, Bar Suzanne offers “enough to stay out late, but gently.”

Leméac 1045 ave. Laurier O. Hours: 11:45 a.m.-12 a.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-12 a.m. weekends Price: $$$

Leméac is a classic French bistro off of Avenue du Parc, close to Jeanne-Mance Park. Their covered patio remains open year-round and, in winter, has a direct view of the street.

The best way to take advantage of everything this bistro has to offer is to head over for brunch on the weekend, where their heated patio provides a protected place for peoplewatching while you enjoy one of their delicious breakfast plates. Another way to enjoy this renowned restaurant while saving your wallet is by ordering off of the late night menu, a fixed-price menu served after 10 p.m. As the day turns to night in Leméac, the lights bathe the restaurant in a warm glow, maintaining the same inviting ambiance for the late night guests as for the brunch patrons.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 2019

13

Moving beyond classical computers

Quantum computers are bringing us closer to a new age of cryptography Thomas Bahen Contributor A Google research paper describing one of the most powerful quantum computers in human history was leaked on NASA’s website on Sept. 20. In 200 seconds, the quantum computer executed tasks that would take the fastest of today’s computers 10,000 years to compute.

Google was referencing an experimental type of computer that exploits complicated subatomic physics to run certain programs differently than the ‘classical’ computers we use every day.

Unlike regular computers, which use bits to encode either a one or a zero, the primary unit of quantum computers is the qubit, a piece of information that can be zero, one, or both. With only 56 qubits, Google’s quantum computer achieved quantum supremacy, the point at which a quantum computer can complete a task faster than its classical counterpart.

While the paper was swiftly removed from NASA’s website, the idea of a quantum computer is not as shocking as it seems, since such machines are limited to algorithms that take advantage of quantum properties. An enormous amount of work went into the Google project, which modelled a quantum system, an impractical task that can be done in a classical computer very slowly.

Despite this, quantum computing

has the potential to change how we use computers in general. Claude Crépeau, a professor in the Department of Computer Science and a quantum computing pioneer, noted the importance of the leaked Google paper.

“It is a milestone,” Crépeau said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

“With limited technology [today], we can make things [that would have been] unbelievable 20 years ago.”

Today’s technology is the result of companies like Microsoft and Google shovelling millions of dollars into projects. Companies are investing in quantum computing at a large scale because they already know of applications to take advantage of its strengths. One such applications is in cryptography, the field concerned with protecting information through code. Quantum computing could be used to dismantle current cryptographic systems, but it could also create amazing ones.

The internet relies on cryptography for secure data transfer. Public key cryptography is the most common cryptographic system in use and is based on the idea that finding a large number’s prime factors computationally difficult, making it harder for hackers to access private information. Quantum computers could, however, pose a threat for cryptography and internet security, since they could potentially guess key combinations very

Unlike regular computers that encode bits as a one or a zero, quantum computers can encode a combination of the two. (cnet.com) efficiently.

While quantum computing might be the biggest problem that cryptography faces, it could also be its saviour. By using quantum computers, computer scientists will be able to develop quantum secrecy, a stronger way of protecting information.

“In 50 years, I cannot guarantee public key cryptography will work,” Crépeau said. “In 100, it will probably not work.

Quantum secrecy is perfectly valid, [...] unless we are completely wrong about quantum physics, which would be a revolution.”

Investigating quantum secrecy for cryptographic use could have profound implications. It may not affect all cryptographic communication, but it could still allow us to keep our most important

secrets safe. There are many other promising quantum applications, such as simulating chemical interactions and financial markets, in addition to breaking old and creating new cryptographic systems. Researchers still need to create the hardware to implement quantum computing, which may still take several decades. “[I can say with] 75 per cent certainty, something practical [will develop] in 20 years,” Crépeau said. “[But] I could be completely wrong about all that.”

According to Crépeau, we could soon be looking at a world where people use quantum computers to execute tasks impossible to do otherwise. With the right breakthroughs in hardware, the potential applications for quantum computers are as limitless as they seemed for classical computers in the mid-20th century.

The science of knee injuries

Knee injuries are on the rise as participation in sports increases

Sophia Gorbounov Contributor With today’s proliferation of high-intensity sports, the number of knee injuries in North America over the past decade has skyrocketed. Since knee injuries vary depending on a person’s sport, age, and sex, different people may experience different knee injuries in their lives.

Shawn Robbins, a professor in the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, explained that certain sports carry a higher risk of knee injuries, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears.

“For women, the sports that have the highest rates of ACL injury are soccer and basketball,” Robbins said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “For men, it is football, lacrosse, and soccer.”

The most common knee injuries today are sprains and strains, which are injuries to ligaments and muscles, respectively.

Nearly half of these occur from recreational or competitive sports activity. More severe knee injuries occur when a ligament is torn, or when there is a fracture at the joint’s surface. Certain symptoms usually indicate a sprain: A popping sound at the moment of injury, pain and swelling around the knee, and knee instability.

One of the most common serious knee injuries in sports is a rupture, or tear, of the ACL. As one of four primary ligaments in the knee, the ACL provides stability to the

joint and helps to keep the body properly orientated and stable. ACL injuries can range from a sprain to a complete tear and are classified as contact—the result of coming into contact with a person or object—or non-contact.

In general, women have more frequent non-contact ACL ruptures, likely due to factors including differences in strength, hormones, and anatomy. Many ACL tears require reconstructive surgery that uses the patient’s own tissue or donor tissue.

“If it is completely torn, the recovery time could be months,” Robbins said. “If you have surgery to reconstruct the ACL, typical recovery time is six to 12 months, depending on the sport you play.”

Though less researched, another common knee injury is disruption to the kneecap, or patella. Robbins explained that the biggest cause of patellar injuries are sports with lots of jumping and quick directional changes, such as volleyball, gymnastics, and soccer. Patellar injuries can be as simple as ‘pain behind the kneecap’ and tendinitis, or inflammation of the tendon. They can also be as severe as dislocation and subluxations, which is when the patella moves either partially or completely out of its normal position.

“Often, these injuries are overuse injuries, including tendinitis,” Robbins said.

“Patella subluxations and dislocations are most common in contact sports, like football or ice hockey.”

‘Runner’s knee’ is another umbrella

Recovery from an ACL reconstructive surgery is typically six to 12 months. (vectorstock. com) term for a different group of knee injuries, common among those who run frequently and in women, particularly those with knee arthritis. However, runner’s knee can also result from any sport that puts frequent and high pressure on the knee joint. The most common form of runner’s knee is chondromalacia patellae, a condition where the cartilage beneath the patella erodes or softens as a result of overexertion improper knee alignment. Symptoms of this condition include knee pain and grinding sensations, as the cartilage has thinned out.

For those who play contact sports such as hockey, football, and soccer, meniscal tears are common. The menisci are smooth

layers of cartilage that form a circle around the ACL and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Over time, they begin to wear thin, increasing the chance of injury. Damage to the meniscus can also result in damage to the articular cartilage, which lines the ends of the femur and tibia to prevent them from rubbing together. Over time, osteoarthritis, the erosion of the cartilage and underlying bone, can develop, causing knee pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion.

Taking the time to recover completely from a knee injury is very important. Knees are fragile, and there is always the chance that ‘just one more injury’ could have lifelong consequences.

14

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 2019

Small but mighty: Arctic bacteria are capable of cleaning up oil spills McGill microbiologists are exploring bacteria’s ability to degrade oil Laura Lyon Contributor Continued from page 1.

The research initiative consists of multiple partners, including universities, international organizations, and government departments, that are testing various solutions for developing strategies for cleaning up oil spills.

The research takes advantage of the fact that multiple microbial species have naturally evolved to degrade hydrocarbons like crude oil, which contain chains of carbons and hydrogens.

“There are lots of natural seeps of petroleum [on] the bottom of the ocean,” Greer said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

“In fact, in the Gulf of Mexico, [...] something like one million barrels of oil a year leak into the ocean naturally from these underwater seeps. Microbes living in the ocean environment have been eating this stuff for eons.”

Whyte and Greer are leading two projects: One to identify which types of Arctic microorganisms biodegrade oil, and another to study biostimulation, whereby certain added nutrients are able to promote the optimal performance of microbes.

“When you have a fuel spill, it’s like you’re creating a giant buffet of supper, lunch, and breakfast for these microorganisms to start munching on,” Whyte said. “But at the same time, they need other nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus to do that effectively.”

Whyte and Greer emphasized in situ

Many microbial species have evolved to break down hydrocarbons, such as crude oil. (Hakai Magazine) work, rather than lab experiments.

“In-situ means we set up experiments, leave them on site, [...] come back and take samples, then analyze microbial populations,” Whyte said.

Preliminary experiments involved smallscale, semi-controlled ecosystems, also known as microcosms. The ecosystems were set up in rivers and oceans to identify how factors such as nutrients and temperatures influence decomposer microbial populations.

Greer will continue microcosm experiments on all three coasts of Canada, including Hudson Bay, while the next phase of Whyte’s

work involves studying microbial communities on beaches. His research will test different combinations of fertilizer on a tidal Arctic beach treated with oil, mimicking an actual oil spill event. His team will then analyze fuel concentrations in sediment samples over the course of two to three years.

“This is a much better way of [studying] this than bringing beach sediments back to the lab,” Whyte said. ”Everything becomes somewhat artificial, and it becomes difficult to interpret those results accurately, as opposed to doing something right in the field.”

In the next few years, Whyte and Greer

also hope to expand their previous efforts engaging northern communities and local young people in science through potential partnerships with the Nunavut Research Institute and Arctic College in Iqaluit. Both scientists emphasized the importance of scientific research in informing government policy.

“The idea is to try and provide a very solid science base to help governments develop the necessary regulations and guidelines in order to protect our oceans from oil spills,” Greer said. “We need to have better mechanisms to deal with them quickly and efficiently.”

Écotech event aims to implement eco-friendly solutions through technology Teams competed in hackathon to solve municipal problems Angelina Giordano Contributor Young professionals recently took part in EnergyHack, an energy efficiency hackathon. The event, hosted by Écotech Québec on Sept. 28, prompted participants to choose and solve one of two challenges provided by the city of Varennes, an off-island suburb of Montreal, and the borough of Saint-Laurent.

The winning teams from each competition will work to bring their project solutions to fruition. They will also travel to the Smart City Expo in Barcelona this November, courtesy of Air Canada.

The event started with a welcome address from various speakers in the tech industry. Throughout the day, mentors were available to answer questions from participants; they also presented a series of workshops covering topics such as business savviness, challenges that experts in the field face, and artificial intelligence (AI).

The first challenge was proposed

by Alan DeSousa, the mayor of SaintLaurent. He asked for a way to install an intelligent ventilation and windowopening control system in an existing building in Saint-Laurent. Meanwhile, Martin Damphousse, the mayor of Varennes, asked for plans that would integrate eco-efficient solutions when

constructing a new municipal workshop in Varennes. Participants used data on energy consumption, carbon emissions, and architecture plans to propose AI solutions.

Seven teams took part in the event: Four were assigned to the Saint-Laurent challenge and three to the Varennes challenge. David Fauteux, an advisor at the Institut de Développement des Produits (IDP), advised the participants to stay patient while searching for solutions. “[The] issues come from not finding the good stuff at the beginning,” Fauteux said. “If you don’t have much reflection, and you go too fast, you go [for] the quick solution, and then it’s not always a good option. With these kinds of events, […] it’s more about […] how you make sure that your reflection is good, [and] what have you done to make sure that not only your family and friends like your idea.”

Participants came from all around the Montreal area. Claude Belizare, founder of Human Level AI, heard about the event the day before and travelled from Trois-Rivières with his son. Club Poly Énergie, a group of engineers and data scientists from Polytechnique Montréal, won the Saint-Laurent challenge.

Ultimately, all participants, no matter where they came from, attended the event because they were interested in

Multiple teams from the Greater Montreal area participated in the hackathon. (dimluxlighting.com) using AI to help Montreal residents.

“It’s [about] what your idea can do for people,” Amir Nosrat, a founding director of the environmental charity Climatable, said during a speech about different kinds of business pitches.

The event also illustrated that AI can be a useful tool for solving many problems. Jean-Baptise Débordès, a mentor at the event and Founder of SEED AI, emphasized that AI is not the killer robot that it is made out to be.

“It is a tool to make better decisions, better run our lives, our businesses, our cities, do smarter thinking,”

Débordès said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

The winners of the Varennes challenge were Pierre Manach, a consultant at Solution Techso, and Guinel Garçon, an energy analyst at ENGIE. The two, who are also the founders of an energy podcast called La Patate Chaude, kept Nosrat’s advice in mind with their winning idea.

“From [La Patate Chaude], we’ve talked about different issues around the energy sector, and we’ve come [to EnergyHack] [...] to help with the management of energy,” Pierre said.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 2019

15

Know Your Athlete: Findlay Brown

Kicker talks movies, cooking, and getting competitive with teammates

Adam Bell Contributor Although they are the only players to make ball contact with their feet, kickers are often overlooked in football. McGill football’s fourth-year kicker Findlay Brown, however, has been grabbing headlines after converting all three of his field-goal attempts on Sept. 28’s homecoming game and claiming his sixth RSEQ player of the week award. Despite his accolades, Brown knows there are a lot of other excellent players in the league.

“I am honoured to be recognized in a crowded field of talented kickers, such as Université de Montréal’s Louis-Philippe Simoneau and Western’s Marc Liegghio,” Brown said. “I like to think I’ve been playing well recently, but I honestly don’t know how I stack up against these guys. My goal is to keep on improving and be the best player that I can be.”

Brown comes from an accomplished and competitive family. The Winnipegger is the eldest of three brothers, the youngest of whom is also a U Sports kicker, while the middle sibling finished third in the World Championship of Public Speaking and was a Canadian National Debating Champion.

Despite his their credentials, Brown insists he wins more arguments because he is not afraid to play dirty.

The kicker is not shy to brag about other facets of his life. The man that dubbed

himself “The Enforcer” likes to remind McGill’s starting quarterback Dimitrios Sinodinos that he ran the 20m sprint faster than him on two occasions.

Outside of football, Brown enjoys politics, soccer, and music, but he’s most passionate about movies and TV series. He has a particular fondness for Casablanca, The Godfather and La La Land. Brown also has strong opinions about TV shows.

“Friends isn’t that good,” Brown said.

“People should watch Parks and Recreation instead. It’s so much better.”

Brown believes that his fascination with motion pictures comes from his father, who is the CEO of a production company.

“Growing up, I was exposed to many movies, so it definitely piqued my interest,” Brown said. “But it’s only when I moved to Montreal that I rediscovered my love for film.”

Montreal is also where he had to learn to live by himself. Brown disclosed that it was hard at the beginning, especially during dinner time. He often indulged in large quantities of Kraft Dinner.

“My mom is an unbelievable chef,” Brown said. “It kills her every day the fact that I am a terrible cook.”

Except for the mediocre culinary skills, Brown’s transition to Quebec was fairly smooth. He quickly got settled, made some new acquaintances, and started to discover the city. Football was instrumental in this transition.

Fourth-year kicker Findlay Brown has now won six RSEQ player of the week awards after his spectacular play in the 2019 Homecoming game.

(Can Unal / McGill Athletics) “Football brings to your life friends, a sense of community, structure, and a purpose,” Brown said.” From the outside it may seem silly, but we spend so much time together to accomplish one common goal, it feels like a second family.”

While sports, especially football, are known to bring people together, kickers often feel isolated from the team because of their unique position. However, Brown says this has not been the case for him.

“Yes, there are jokes thrown around, but I’ve never felt left out,” Brown said. “While

on other teams it might [be] the case, at McGill, I know my teammates have had my back since day one.”

Brown is a smart, funny and talented individual. Not only is he excelling on the field, but also in the classroom and his personal life.

“When I finish here at McGill, I would like to produce movies or TV series, but who knows what’s next?,” Brown said. “In the meantime, I’ll just keep doing my best to help the team achieve our ultimate goal: Winning the Vanier Cup.”

McGill Men’s Hockey drops tight affair to Ottawa Visiting Gee-Gees win 3-2 in season opener

Adam Menikefs Contributor The McGill Men’s hockey team (0–1–0) opened their OUA regular season at home on Oct. 3 against the Ottawa Gee–Gees (1–0–0). Despite the enthusiastic crowd, the home team came up short, losing 3–2.

The game started at a fast pace, with good puck movement and checking from both sides. McGill took an early slashing penalty in the neutral zone one minute in; however, their solid penalty kill unit, who has given up one power play goal in their last three games, showed up to shut down Ottawa.

A few minutes into the first period, with McGill’s offence pressing, third-year forward Antoine Dufort-Plante buried his first goal of the season from just outside the crease. The momentum continued in McGill’s favour as Ottawa took two penalties in the next two minutes, giving the home side a critical five-on-three powerplay.

McGill’s powerplay unit moved the puck beautifully and took multiple shots on net. Ottawa’s goalie and defence stood strong though, and McGill was unable to increase their lead. Losing this offensive opportunity would prove costly: Minutes later, immediately after McGill killed another penalty, Ottawa outnumbered the home side in the offensive zone and capitalized on this opportunity, barely squeezing the puck past fourth-year goalie Louis-Philip Guindon to tie the game at 1–1.

In the second period, the home team struggled out of the gate. Ottawa took advantage of the

opening, scoring within the first minute to take a 2–1 lead. The Gee-Gees continued to press in McGill’s end, and again, Ottawa found the back of the net, finishing a beautiful cross-crease goal to extend their lead to 3–1.

Third-year forward Michael Cramarossa, currently co-leading the team in points this year, was frustrated with this tough stretch of the game.

“We didn’t play a full 60 minutes,” Cramarossa said. “That was our game plan from the beginning, and I think we left that, after their first [goal] and in the second [period].”

In the third period, McGill came out with a new energy, outskating the Gee-Gees and creating chances to put themselves back into the game.

Five minutes into the period, second-year forward Ryan Penny buried on a rush, narrowing the goal difference to one. The home team continued to control play in the offensive end, especially as time became scarce. With Guindone pulled to give them another attacker, McGill came extremely close to tying the game, even hitting the post. Ultimately, McGill fell short by a final score of 3–2.

McGill’s season continues with a tough opening stretch, as they go on the road for five of their next six games. Penny, who scored his ninth point of the season, is focused on what the team needs to do in order to bounce back in this next stretch.

“Just play simple,” Penny said. “Just stick to our game plans and pull out some road wins to get some confidence to begin the season.”

McGill plays The University of Windsor Lancers on Oct. 11.

McGill was rejuvinated going into the third period, but a goal by second-year forward Ryan Penny was not enough to secure the victory.

(Derah Onuorah / McGill Athletics)

MOMENT OF THE GAME

Antoine Dufort-Plante scored McGill’s first goal of the game and regular season right near the crease, sending the McGill home crowd to their feet.

QUOTABLE

“Statistic wise, it doesn’t really matter [to me]. I just care if we get the win.” - Third-year forward Michael Cramarossa on his current team co-lead in points.

STAT CORNER

Fourth-year goaltender Louis-Philip Guindon saved 41 shots, a season-high for the netminder.

16

SPORTS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 2019

Martlet Basketball falls to Queens in centennial preseason game McGill starts off preseason with 77-55 loss

frame. Smooth three-pointers from Diarra, fifth-year guard Geraldine Cabillo-Abante, and second-year guard Delphine Robitaille got the crowd roaring. But ultimately, the gap was too wide to close. The final score was 77-55 for Queen’s.

Despite the loss, Clayton remains hopeful about the team’s chances for the regular season.

“We’re a very strong team,” Clayton said. “We need to work on [...] showing those strengths for each other. This is just the first game, so with time that’ll come. I’m really

Zoe Babad-Palmer Staff Writer Martlet basketball made a valiant effort in their first preseason game on Oct. 5, but careless fouls and missed rebounds got the best of them. They suffered a 77–55 defeat to the Queen’s University Gaels.

This game marked the 100th anniversary celebration of Canadian university women’s basketball, which began with a matchup between McGill and Queen’s on Feb. 6, 1920. Since the two teams are in different conferences (McGill plays in the RSEQ, while Queen’s plays in the OUA), this was only the third time in the past seven years where they have played each other. The previous two matches ended in Martlet victories.

Fifth-year transfer centre Sirah Diarra, who led the team with nine points, emphasized the importance of the game for both the McGill community and the sport itself.

“It means a lot knowing that we’re part of this,” Diarra said. “It’s history. It was a great game [...] having all the alumni coming to watch us play. We wanted to do our best.”

The Gaels’ rock-solid defence was a substantial obstacle for the Martlets from the beginning of the game. McGill struggled to find passing lanes and was hesitant to shoot, running out the shot clock multiple times.

However, a three-pointer from third-year guard Charlotte Clayton brought the energy up going into the second quarter, with McGill down 20–10.

“The beginning of the game was where

MOMENT OF THE GAME

The Martlets were outscored 22–13 in the fourth quarter on their way to the loss.

(Matt Garies / McGill Athletics) we kind of fell short,” Clayton said. “We didn’t play our hardest [....] We need to take that responsibility to get ahead in the game.”

The Martlets fared much better in the second quarter. They fought back, remaining physical while committing fewer fouls.

First-year forward Nadege Pluviose nabbed two rebounds in a row, and while she didn’t score, her tenacity exemplified the Martlets’ persistent rhythm. By the end of the period, McGill had almost caught up to Queen’s thanks to a layup and a successful free throw in the last minute of the half from third-year

forward Kamsi Ogbudibe, bringing the score to 34-30.

“We [needed to push the ball [and] look for open players,” Diarra said. “We [had] to match [Queen’s’] intensity.”

Unfortunately, a slew of fouls in the third quarter dashed the Martlets’ hopes of catching the Gaels. Players on both teams were on a collision course for the entire quarter, tumbling down together like dominoes.

The quarter ended with a score of 55–42 in Queen’s favour.

McGill’s play was tighter in the final

At the beginning of the third quarter, Diarra grabbed her own offensive rebound and sunk a layup to make the score 34-32, bringing the Martlets within two points of the Gaels.

QUOTABLE

“It’s been a hundred years. It’s definitely come a long way, but we still have a long way to go, so it’s kind of a good meet in the middle.” – Clayton on the historic significance of the game.

STAT CORNER

Even though Queen’s had the edge in free throws and fast break points, McGill managed to score more second-

Pride from 3,000 miles away

Moving away for school changed how I support my favourite team Miya Keilin Managing Editor 54,005 baseball fans crowded into the RingCentral Coliseum, home of the Oakland Athletics, on the evening of Oct. 2 to watch the American League wild card game between the A’s and the Tampa Bay Rays. Fans filled every last seat of the dingy, old stadium,

which still doubles as the Raiders’ home field during the NFL season, setting a new record for attendance at a wild card game. Going to the game would have been unrealistic for a variety of reasons, but I wished so badly that I could have been one of those 54,005.

Being in Montreal has changed the kind of fan that I am. As much as I would love to, I can’t watch or listen to every one of their

The Oakland Athletics will miss the 2019 playoffs after losing 5–1 to the Tampa Bay Rays in the wild card game. (Lahlan Cunningham / Getty Images)

games as I had become accustomed to doing over the years. The three-hour time difference is one of the biggest factors: Games take place six or seven nights a week, with most home games starting at 10 p.m. EST and ending well after midnight. I recognize that I have it lucky, though, since the majority of the baseball season takes place during the summer. Fans of basketball and hockey face this predicament for almost the entire school year.

My surroundings are another factor.

I could easily eat, sleep, and breathe A’s baseball when everyone around me was also eating, sleeping, and breathing A’s baseball.

Here, if I gush about the outstanding night that shortstop, and San Francisco Bay Area native, Marcus Semien had or mention that the team finally called up top prospect Jesús Luzardo, I get an “oh cool” out of pity at best. Even the most devoted baseball fans here do not know much—or care much—about my hometown’s heroes.

I was not surprised that this was the case.

While Montreal used to have the Expos, and plenty of Canadians can at least pretend to care about the Blue Jays, baseball culture in my circles at school is not like baseball culture at home. Similarly, Oakland does not hold a special place in anybody’s heart here like it does mine. Not that it should, of course. I am certainly not expecting people with little interest in baseball or a connection to the Bay Area to care about my team, but it does

not change the fact that being an A’s fan in Montreal can get lonely.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that, while lonely, following the A’s in whatever way I can has helped alleviate feelings of homesickness. When I read The Athletic’s game recaps, it reminds me of chatting with my brother the morning after games, reliving our favourite moments or lamenting our bullpen’s struggles. When I see social media posts from the team, I chuckle to myself over inside jokes only Bay Area natives or A’s fans would find funny. When I celebrate quietly by myself while watching a live stream of a game from my bed, I feel the rumble of the stadium inside of me, as if I was there among the crowd again.

The A’s lost Wednesday’s winner-takeall wild card game, and I was devastated. Four of my friends, all baseball fans, were at my apartment watching the game with me, but none of them love the A’s. In that moment, with tears on the verge of streaming down my face, I wanted to be surrounded by people who love the A’s as much as I do; by coming here, I lost that chance, just as I had lost the chance to be among the 54,005 fans in attendance.

But sitting on my couch in Montreal with my kelly green Matt Chapman jersey on, I was so grateful for the incredible season that my favourite team had played, and I knew that despite being 3,000 miles away, I had not lost any pride or passion for my Oakland A’s.