McGill Tribune Vol. 37 Issue 14

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018 | VOL. 37 | ISSUE 14

EDITORIAL In search of better leadership for Student Life and Learning

PG. 5

Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

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FEATURE

SCI-TECH

When numbers lie

Five fun science electives that will satisfy your curiosity

Misleading statistics in the world of mass information

PGs. 8-9

PG. 10

(Gabriel Helfant / The McGill Tribune)

Drogheria Fine: A taste of Italy found in the heart of the Mile End

PG. 13

SSMU Board of Directors nominees to be ratified a second time Individual votes taken at Fall GA deemed unconstitutional Kendall McGowan Staff Writer At a meeting on Jan. 14, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Board of Directors (BoD) voted to ratify the Judicial Board (J-Board) decision re-

leased on Dec. 31 on the case of Glustein vs. Koparkar. With five in favour, three abstentions and three absences, the BoD vote affirmed the J-Board’s ruling that it was unconstitutional to vote on BoD members’ ratifications individually at the Fall General Assembly (GA), thus nullifying the split

vote to ratify seven out of 10 nominations to the BoD. The decision also absolved Maya Koparkar, SSMU Vice-President (VP) Internal Affairs and BoD member, and Jad El Tal, former SSMU speaker, of blame for the incident.

The case, which went to trial on Nov.

30, addressed events at the Oct. 23 GA, where Koparkar motioned to split the ratification of BoD nominations from one bloc vote for all 12 nominees into individual votes for each nominee. After deliberation, El Tal allowed a version of Koparkar’s motion to be voted on, and it passed.

PG. 2

SSMU Musicians Collective rocks out at La Vitrola Blundstones, Radiohead, and cheap beer were plentiful Katia Innes Contributor It’s add-drop season, so before profs start slamming students with endless readings, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Musicians Collective gathered in La Vitrola on Jan. 10 to kick off the Winter semester. The Plateau/Mile End vibe was strong that night: Blundstones, Radiohead, and cheap beer were plentiful.

Founded in 2010, the

SSMU Musicians Collective connects independent musicians within the McGill community.

“We initially started as a club of jammers, but since we got SSMU funding a few years back [in 2012], we’ve been able to expand,” President Michael Kalman told the The McGill Tribune.

The first performer, Elliot Sinclair, better known under his stage moniker Alright, Lights, began the show with his solo

act. Standing alone onstage, Sinclair quickly proved his capabilities as both a lyricist and guitarist. Reminiscent of Bahamas and Jeff Buckley, Sinclair breezed through his lovely “Infatuation,” into an alternative take on D’Angelo’s “Greatdayndamornin’/ Booty.” The SSMU Musicians Collective also saw the last performance of McGill band Matty Parker, as frontman James Parm is leaving for Asia.

PG. 12

2 NEWS

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Dentistry professors and staff accused of harassment, sexual assault

CBC report sheds light upon pervasive issues in McGill’s Faculty of Dentistry Audrey Carleton Managing Editor McGill’s Faculty of Dentistry has come under scrutiny following a Dec. 14 CBC report on student allegations of harassment and sexual assault by multiple professors and employees. A former McGill student reported having been sexually assaulted by a dentist at the University in November 2016 and another student filed a case claiming psychological harassment and bullying by seven Dentistry professors in March 2017.

According to the student who accused a McGill dentist of sexual assault—whose identity remains anonymous—the incident occurred during a mouthguard adjustment which the dentist insisted should take place at their off-campus office. The student later reported to McGill and the Ordre des dentistes du Québec (Quebec Order of Dentists) that the dentist groped her during the operation.

Several months later, the student met with Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) Angela Campbell and Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry Paul Allison to discuss the incident, and found the conversation neither supportive nor survivor-focused.

“I felt like they were trying to discredit my story by excusing whatever he did and trying to formulate it into some kind of treatment plan,” she told the CBC. In a statement to The McGill Tribune, however, Campbell claimed that handling sexual assault cases in a careful and empathetic manner is a priority for the University.

“Services and accommodations are provided to any person who discloses an experience of sexual violence, regardless of whether they report the matter to McGill or external authorities,”

Campbell wrote. “It is therefore disappointing to learn of any incident where a member of our campus community did not feel fully supported by our processes and resources.”

Allison was not able to comment before press time.

According to the CBC, the accused dentist was suspended from work for the duration of the McGill’s investigation into the incident, but was eventually permitted to return to the University under certain conditions and limitations. Campbell said she was unable to divulge the details of these conditions to both the complainant and the Tribune.

“Where the person who is disciplined is a McGill employee, information about the disciplinary process and conclusion is private as a matter of law and the University therefore cannot make the outcomes known,” Campbell wrote. “We understand that our inability to share this type of information may be frustrating for some members of our community, but it is a legal constraint to which we are bound.”

The complainant also reported the case to the police and was told that the Crown prosecutor had authorized charges against the dentist in question, but a month later learned they had missed the deadline for getting the case underway. The Quebec Order of Dentists continues its investigation into the case—now over a year after the alleged incident—but was unable to comment to the Tribune due to confidentiality restrictions.

The case has sparked discourse in a number of McGill’s student societies, including the Dentistry Students’ Society (DSS).

“As of now, the DSS is not aware of the identities of the parties involved,” the DSS wrote in a statement to the Tribune. “This incident in particular did not involve any members represented by the DSS. Nevertheless, the DSS condemns all forms of sexual ha-

A former McGill student reported having been sexually assaulted by a dentist at the University in November 2016. (Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette) rassment and violence. There is no place for sexual misconduct in the field of dentistry.”

The reports were also discussed at the Jan. 11 Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council meeting, during which Vice-President (VP) External Connor Spencer announced that the Our Turn Task Force—which will pursue the goals of SSMU’s Our Turn Action Plan—will be investigating attitudes toward consent and sexual assault in each faculty.

“The Our Turn task force has been struck, and I’ve sent emails to every one of the faculties asking for faculty representatives,” Spencer said. “The task force will look at rape culture in each one of the faculties and examine what is being done to counter or address [it].”

SSMU Board of Directors nominees to be ratified a second time

Individual votes taken at Fall GA deemed unconstitutional Kendall McGowan Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

Shortly after the GA, Jonathan Glustein, a former member of the 2017 BoD who was not up for reappointment, filed a petition with the J-Board claiming that this motion was unconstitutional and therefore that a new bloc ratification vote should be taken. The J-Board agreed with him.

“The Judicial Board believes that the Motion Regarding the Nomination of Directors for the Board of Directors should be voted on again at another General Assembly or as a Referendum question—this time, as a whole,” its Dec. 31 decision reads.

The BoD members nominated at the Fall GA were scheduled to begin sitting on Nov. 15, when the contracts of the 2017 Directors terminated. However, on Oct. 28, the J-Board released an interim order suspending the results of the GA until a final decision could be made. SSMU President and BoD Chair Muna Tojiboeva announced at a Nov. 5 BoD meeting that, after consulting with SSMU’s legal team, that the past term’s members would remain on the BoD until the case was completed. Five of the members, including three executives, would be serving on both boards.

Per the SSMU Internal Regulations, all decisions made by the J-Board must be approved by the BoD in order to become final. Glustein, Koparkar, and Alexander Scheffel abstained from voting on the final J-Board decision, and Noah Lew was not present for the vote.

Tojiboeva announced at a Nov. 5 BoD meeting that the results of the GA were suspended by the J-Board, and that the past

term’s members would remain on the BoD until the case was completed. Now that a ruling has been issued, the new bloc vote will be held via online referendum from Jan. 15 to 18.

In an interview in November, Koparkar noted that she made the original motion at the GA because she was under the impression that the BoD agreed it would improve their democratic legitimacy.

“In September, when there was a lot of controversy over who was on the Board, one of the Board members had said that our board wasn’t democratic because it wasn’t made of fully elected representatives,” Koparkar said.

“Someone else said that they were elected because they were ratified at the GA. However, it’s a bloc vote so the first director said that made this not legitimate.

Then the General Manager had

suggested putting each candidate on a separate ballot in the future and everyone agreed to this. At Legislative Council we [ratified the Board members] with a division of the question as well.”

Although he emphasized his support for all 12 BoD nominees, SSMU VP Student Life and Director Jemark Earle shared Koparkar’s opinion on the democratic merits of individual ballots for each nominee.

“Voting in a [bloc] forces you to either sacrifice your own personal values to let someone represent you who could be problematic or vote against people who you support just because of one or two people,” Earle said.

“When the Councillors were being nominated to [the BoD] at Council, it was done individually, [which] I believe was much more democratic than had it been done as a [bloc].”

NEWS 3

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

SSMU launches discount food app SSMU Eats partners with local restaurants to provide discounts for McGill students

OSD-Athletics pilot project promotes inclusivity in the gym McGill’s new program provides personal fitness training to students with disabilities Dorothy Yip Contributor

The new SSMU Eats app offers students discounts from Montreal restaurants. (Leanne Young / The McGill Tribune )

Nina Russell Contributor The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) launched its first ever app on Dec. 8, with the release of SSMU Eats, a program designed to provide students with discounts from restaurants throughout Montreal. It is available on both iOS and Android, offering deals of up to 70 per cent off at a variety of venues around the city including Subway, Liquid Nutrition, Vua, and Le MajesThé. To access the discount, students have to select a coupon and show it to the cashier.

The app was developed in coordination with Spinyt Technologies, a company that has also worked with eight universities and 74 restaurants across North America to create apps promoting discounts for local businesses. Spinyt Technologies’ first app, CASA Deals, was released in partnership with the Commerce and Administration Students’ Association at Concordia University in August 2016. Since then, Spinyt Technologies has continued to collect user feedback and update the app accordingly.

“We figured out that students want discounts around campus and we started with Concordia,” Emile Chouha, one of the founders of Spinyt Technologies, said. “We partner up with the student association [of the university] and we get the restaurants from our side, and the student association is able to pass the information on to the students.”

Spinyt’s discount apps help vendors boost business during slow periods by giving them a platform to provide discounts coinciding with those periods.

“We allow restaurants to update their deals in real time,” Chouha said. “When they have empty seats in their restaurant, [owners] can upload a 50 per cent deal and students will go to the restaurant, fill up the empty seats, and take advantage of the discount.”

The app also helps eateries to reduce food waste by providing discounts toward the end of the day so they can sell leftover food that would otherwise be thrown out. “[Restaurant owners] are engaging more and more with the platform,” Chouha said.

“When we are able to get a lot of students on a campus, we have less food waste because there [are more interactions] going through the restaurants. Our goal for the next six months is to eliminate food waste downtown as a whole [instead of just around specific campuses].”

Partnered businesses have taken innovative approaches to promoting SSMU Eats. Le MajesThé, for example, offered students who had the app downloaded free bubble tea on Jan. 12.

“I think [SSMU Eats] attracts [quite a few] customers [when] I post the deals,” Vincent Ma, owner of Le MajesThé, said. “We had a good 450 people today download the app and quite a bit of new customers. We haven’t actually tried out too [many] features of the app, but it’s a really interesting idea and I think it will work out.”

SSMU Eats offers its own exclusive deals such as a ‘spin’ feature, on which users spin a wheel to win a randomly selected coupon for a restaurant close to them. In December, it also held a lottery offering free Vua sandwiches for a year to one lucky winner.

“I am extremely excited that I won the free sandwiches,” David Naftulin, U1 Arts and winner of the Vua sandwiches lottery, said. “I think the SSMU Eats app is awesome and I am really pleased with the selection of restaurants on the app. I am also really pleased to see SSMU taking steps in bringing forward initiatives that benefit the day-to-day lives of McGill students, and I hope to see more positive projects like this one from SSMU in the future.”

SSMU hopes to continue expanding the capacity of SSMU Eats and growing the range and diversity of its dining options.

“SSMU Eats will continue to expand the list of restaurants offering discounts to McGill Students,” SSMU President Muna Tojiboeva wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

“We will continue to work with Spinyt to provide giveaways and contests to Undergraduate students all throughout the Winter semester.”

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) is collaborating with McGill Athletics to launch Fitness Access McGill, a project that will help students with physical disabilities maintain an active lifestyle. It offers students who self-identify as disabled two sessions of personal training to help learn exercise routines that they can carry into their daily lives to overcome acquired or innate barriers to doing physical activity.

The pilot project will begin this semester with 10 students.

Fitness Access McGill was inspired by comments sent to the OSD that students with physical disabilities at the university were having difficulty establishing exercise routines. The idea came together over summer 2017, and the OSD began recruiting participants that November. OSD-registered students were invited to apply through a form that asked about the physical barriers they encountered during exercise.

The initiative received an enthusiastic response and there were three times as many applicants as there was room for participants.

Participants will create personalized training programs with adaptive-fitness personal trainer Aaron Fellows and familiarize themselves with adaptive equipment on campus. Student volunteers in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education will also assist participants in their weekly training sessions.

“There are two main goals to this program,” Fellows said. “The first is to set participants up so that they feel confident and comfortable in exercising in the gym. The second is for them to keep working out and staying physically active even after they finish the program.”

To OSD Access Advisor Rachel Desjourdy, Fitness Access McGill is a valuable opportunity to extend the dialogue about accessibility from the academic sphere to less conspicuous, more personal spheres of student life, such as achieving and maintaining an active lifestyle.

“Traditionally, we think a lot about the academic environment, not necessarily about barriers in other aspects of university life, like social life and being active, which are really big parts of mental and physical health,” Desjourdy said.

“Our theme for this year is promoting accessibility in non-traditional and unconventional ways.”

Desjourdy hopes that the project will spark wider discussions of inclusivity in physical fitness on campus.

“From a universal design perspective, there needs to be multiple entry points for a variety of users,” Desjourdy

Students with physical disabilities can receive free personal training sessions through the Fitness Access McGill initiative. (bgcarlisle.com) said. “If there’s only ever one way to access an active lifestyle on campus, then that serves a very small slice of people.

That’s one of the cool things of universal design, [it] challenges you to think about what are the barriers for people, and what can we change in the environment to make their experience different.”

The program also aims to challenge normative views of ‘active’ living.

“Healthy looks different for different people,” Desjourdy said. “You can have a disability, or a chronic illness, and are traditionally viewed as unhealthy, but you can still be active and maximize what you can do.”

Sarah Canzer, Social Media and Community and Fan Engagement administrator at McGill Athletics, believes that existing fitness facilities have room to accommodate specific needs that students might have.

“We have all these facilities, but if people aren’t able to access them, or they aren’t even aware that they can access it, they all go to waste,” Canzer said. “Whatever their interests are, or whatever their abilities are, or whatever they have fun doing, there’s something for everybody—which is actually our slogan, and it’s true.”

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4 NEWS ESTEBAN HERPIN

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

SSMU VP FINANCE BY-ELECTION Esteban Herpin, U3 Finance with a double minor in Economics and Political Science, is running unopposed for the office of Vice-President (VP) Finance of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), following the resignation of Arisha Khan in November 2017. Herpin was formerly a member of the Management Undergraduate Society’s (MUS) Corporate Relations team, where he negotiated and drafted legal agreements and oversaw MUS accounts, and was previously a member of SSMU’s Francophone Affairs Committee.

Herpin’s platform involves increasing financial transparency, improving access to club funding, emphasizing sustainable investments, and reaffirming SSMU’s responsibility to positively impact students in lieu of perpetuating political divisiveness. Herpin hopes to alleviate the strain that the University Centre’s scheduled closure has placed on clubs and independent student groups (ISGs), and to increase funding for SSMU’s mental health resources. He also plans to reduce expenditures in SSMU’s operating budget.

ENDORSEMENT:

YES WITH RESERVATIONS

The McGill Tribune endorses Herpin’s candidacy, but with significant reservations. Many of his platform promises are wellintentioned and identify important issues. Financial transparency has been historically imperfect at SSMU; the society failed to produce its 2016-2017 budget report. Applications for club funding are lengthy and convoluted, discouraging clubs and ISGs from pursuing essential funding. Despite SSMU’s attempts to provide interim accommodation, many clubs and ISGs remain vulnerable to the costs of the University Centre’s upcoming closure. Herpin has had firsthand experience with club funding applications and intends to streamline the process.

Although Herpin’s platform reflects general student demands, he has failed to outline concrete plans to achieve them. He did not specify which components of club funding should be simplified, nor did he specify which SSMU expenditures or investments to cut, despite having an interest in lower student costs. It is also unclear what capacity the VP Finance has to alleviate the costs of the building closure. In addition, Herpin did not meet with the returning SSMU executives prior to his campaign.

Should Herpin be elected VP Finance, he may pursue a positive and constructive agenda, help alleviate the workload on other executives, and fulfill important tasks, such as setting the 2018-2019 budget.

However, his lack of concrete plans and knowledge of the VP Finance portfolio mean that there will be a significant learning curve during his short four-month tenure if elected. It is essential that he develop a more robust set of solutions to the issues outlined in his platform in order to have the greatest impact on SSMU.

SSMU Legislative Council addresses CBC sexual violence report Indigenous Affairs Committee and SSMU governance reform discussed Kendall McGowan Staff Writer At its first meeting of 2018 on Jan. 11, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council discussed accusations of sexual assault and harassment in the Faculty of Dentistry reported by the CBC. SSMU Indigenous Affairs Commissioner Carlee Kawinehta Loft also guest spoke on the topic of legislative reform, and Nikolas Dolmat sat in his role as the speaker for the first time.

Senator introduces sexual violence report in the Faculty of Dentistry Joshua Chin, the 2016-2017 student senator for Medicine and former de-facto representative for Dentistry, brought Council’s attention to a CBC report describing an allegation by a former McGill student that a dentist in the Faculty of Dentistry sexually assaulted her at an appointment in November 2016. The report also covers students’ ongoing claims about experiencing various forms of harassment from professors and staff in the faculty, and notes that the accused dentist was allowed to return to work after a short investigation by McGill.

“Unfortunately I don’t have much to say [about the sexual assault allegation] because I don’t know [the survivor],” Chin said. “[However], there is a second report of bullying and harassment corroborated by many students who I have spent hours speaking with in my capacity as a Senator from Medicine last year. There is a serious management and accountability problem here. Students do not feel safe coming forward with allegations or [expressing] concerns.”

Dentistry Representative Nishath Syed was not present at Council, but Medicine Representative André Lametti responded that the Medical Students’ Society was aware of the situation and had offered its support to the Faculty of Dentistry. SSMU Vice-President (VP) External Connor Spencer added that the Our Turn movement has an ongoing campaign to address instances of sexual violence at McGill.

“The Our Turn task force has been struck, and I’ve sent emails to every one of the faculties asking for faculty representatives,” Spencer said. “The task force will look at rape culture in each one of the faculties and examine what is being done to counter or address the culture of sexual harassment in them.”

SSMU Indigenous Affairs Commissioner presents on the committee’s role at SSMU Legislative Council. ( Ava Zwolinski / The McGill Tribune) Guest presentation from Indigenous Affairs Committee representatives Loft and other members of the SSMU Indigenous Affairs Committee presented on the importance and implications of land acknowledgements and the committee’s role at McGill. According to Loft, the group serves as a consultative and decision-making body which collaborates with students and community groups and oversees the implementation of the Indigenous Solidarity Policy.

“Indigenous issues are really interwoven with any event or issue you may be considering on campus,” Loft said. “But we offer consultations so you can get an integrative approach to solidarity, not put all of the onus on another group.”

The committee also announced the Indigeneity and Solidarity Event Series, which will occur throughout this semester to educate students of all backgrounds on Indigenous identity and support both at McGill and beyond.

Council considers options for governance reform At the suggestion of the Executive Committee, Council discussed the possibility of forming a review committee to consult students and create a strategic plan and referendum for governance reform in 2018. Council also debated whether increasing public availability of government documents such as the SSMU Constitution, which was discussed last semester, should be included in the process. “[The strategic plan will address] the questions that were raised at Executive Committee,” SSMU President Muna Tojiboeva said.

“How do students engage with SSMU? How is harm perpetuated by and in SSMU and how is harm addressed?”

Spencer acknowledged that the plan might be insufficient, but maintained the importance of starting a process toward change that could withstand SSMU’s fundamental lack of institutional memory.

“Yes, it is a huge project [...] but we need to start somewhere,” Spencer said. “We might as well start now while we have a team of people that’s actually committed to doing this work, because we don’t know who will be here next year.”

OPINION 5

Tuesday, January 16, 2018 Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Jasinski editor@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Noah Sutton nsutton@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Audrey Carleton acarleton@mcgilltribune.com Emma Avery eavery@mcgilltribune.com Selin Altuntur saltuntur@mcgilltribune.com News Editors Holly Cabrera, Domenic Casciato, Calvin Trottier-Chi news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Jackie Houston & Alexandra Harvey opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Jade Prevost-Manuel scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Living Editor Catherine Morrison studentliving@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Marie Labrosse features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Dylan Adamson & Ariella Garmaise arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Stephen Gill & Selwynne Hawkins sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Arshaaq Jiffry & Elli Slavitch design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor Ava Zwolinski photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editor Tristan Surman multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Daniel Lutes webdev@mcgilltribune.com Julia Kafato online@mcgilltribune.com

At the end of the Fall 2017 semester, McGill students learned that Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens will not pursue a second term once his current mandate concludes at the end of July 2018. While there will be an interim deputy provost after he departs, the formal appointment process for his successor begins in Fall 2018. In its search for new leadership, McGill has the chance to revitalize and renew student faith in the Office of the Student Life and Learning (OSLL), after several widely-criticized missteps during Dyens’ tenure.

Accordingly, before a candidate is named, Provost and VicePrincipal (Academic) Christopher Manfredi is to review the “scope and orientation” of the OSLL. However, the office’s mandate is already fairly clear, if broadly defined. It’s in its very name—to support McGill student life and learning by providing essential services, raising student concerns to administration, and supporting and communicating with student leadership and student groups.

Its units include Student Housing Services, the Office for Students with Disabilities, and Scholarships

OFF THE BOARD

Copy Editor Ayanna De Graff copy@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Daniel Minuk business@mcgilltribune.com Advertising Executives Grayson Castell, Noah Cohen, Vincent Li ads@mcgilltribune.com Publisher Chad Ronalds

TPS Board of Directors

Nicholas Jasinski, Daniel Minuk, Katherine Hutter, Julia Métraux, Anthony Kuan, Elli Slavitch, Holly Cabrera, Jeeventh Kaur, Katherine Milazzo, Becca Hoff

Staff Writers

Selwynne Hawkins Sports Editor

Contributors

Like the iconic little black dress, denim, and sliced bread, some things never go out of style. Others, like the big hair of the ‘70s or assless chaps, are less enduring. Looking back at photographs over the ages, we’re often horrified by past trends.

For our generation to avoid such embarrassment in the future, we must make a conscious effort to distinguish classic, long-lasting styles from peculiar, transient fads. One such recent craze— which we must work tirelessly to eradicate—is our obsession with smiling in photographs.

Smiling has had its moment in the sun. It’s time for straightfacing (otherwise known as mean mugging) to reclaim its rightful

Kendall McGowan, Cherry Wu, Grace Gunning, Gabriel Rincon, Avleen Mokha, Virginia Shram, Sophie Brzozowski, Sam Min, Oceane Marescal, Miguel Principe, Jordan Foy, Patrick Beacham, Winnie Lin, Ananya Nair, Arindam Das, Arvaa Balsara, Brandon Kaufman, Danica Jekic, Dorothy Yip, Emma Gillies, Gabriela McGuinty, Gabriela Rey, Gal Sandaev, Gwenyth Wren, Hana Shiraishi, Johanna Cline, Katia Innes, Kevin Vogel, Leanne Young, Miya Keilin, Nina Russell, Patrick Beacham, Ronny Litvack-Katzman, Samantha LingAnanya Nair, Arindam Das, Arvaa Balsara, Brandon Kaufman, Danica Jekic, Dorothy Yip, Emma Gillies, Gabriela McGuinty, Gabriela Rey, Gal Sandaev, Gwenyth Wren, Hana Shiraishi, Johanna Cline, Katia Innes, Kevin Vogel, Leanne Young, Miya Keilin, Nina Russell, Patrick Beacham, Ronny Litvack-Katzman, Samantha Ling

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EDITORIAL

In search of better leadership for Student Life and Learning and Student Aid, to name a few. The deputy provost oversees all of the office’s functions, and acts as the main contact point between students and the administration.

Reviewing the OSLL’s structure and goals is important, but the more relevant and pressing challenge for the administration is to ensure that the next Deputy Provost of Student Life and Learning is what Dyens has largely failed to be: An accessible, visible, and responsive advocate for student interests at the administrative level.

The concerns raised throughout Dyens’ term are not new—the OSLL has faced criticism for shoddy communication and consultation, and unresponsiveness to student voices as far back as 2011. Dyens’ tenure in the role, since 2013, deserves the same criticism. Between sidestepping administration responsibility for responding to incidents of sexual and gendered violence between McGill students; overseeing Counselling and Psychiatric Services’ switch to the “Stepped Care” model without adequate staff and student consultations; and, most recently, some stunningly tone-deaf advice on student mental health that launched

a thousand memes, the exiting deputy provost has done little to inspire student trust or interest in the OSLL’s Services.

Dyens’ track record doesn’t have to be the norm for the OSLL and its relationship to McGill students, nor should it be. The OSLL exists because it is essential to have an administrative body dedicated to student needs and interests. While the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) provides student leadership and representation independent from the university, as an administrative body, the OSLL has the power and resources to offer ongoing, essential student services.

For the OSLL to fulfill its role as such, and as a reliable source of student support, not frustration, a competent deputy provost is crucial. Competence means visibility and interaction with the student body beyond periodic appearances at SSMU Council meetings or press releases through the McGill Reporter. It means having clear, open channels for communication with students, and using those channels consistently and proactively. Fundamentally, it means understanding that the deputy provost’s role requires

actively seeking out student input and genuinely listening to their own needs and interests with regards to the OSLL. If the deputy provost is meant to improve the quality of student life and learning, then step one of their job should be to consult students on what quality of life and learning at university actually means to them.

It is in McGill’s best interests to have a capable student life and learning deputy provost as much as it is in students’. Practically speaking, if current students aren’t being heard when it comes to improving their own McGill experiences, prospective incoming students may go elsewhere. Happy alumni are also generally more generous than bitter and jaded ones. From a principled standpoint, of course, McGill’s interests should align with student interests: A university should care that its students are receiving essential support and services.

With capable leadership, the OSLL is the body to make that happen.

Students have expressed what they want—and don’t want—in a head of Student Life and Learning. When looking for the next candidate for the job, the administration should listen to them.

Wipe that smile off your face place as the default photo facial expression.

Smiling is considered the custom, but it’s a relative newcomer to the scene. Mean mugging, however, has been a mainstay since the days when portraiture was done with a paint brush. Kings and queens of old were portrayed as stoic and expressionless, or with— at most—their best attempt at a royal smize. Even with the advent of photography, early in the 19th century, straightfaced portraiture remained the norm. It wasn’t until a deliberate push by Kodak’s advertising department at the turn of the century that smiling entered the picture. Through their attempts to bring photography to the masses, Kodak found that people were anxious about having their picture taken, and focused their ad campaigns on smiling models, thereby showcasing how easy and fun it was to be photographed.

Since then, the fake smile has wormed its way into popular culture. Instagram is littered with post-hike or pre-brunch smiles, but it’s unlikely that anyone is particularly cheerful while their amateur paparazzo struggles to find the perfect lighting and their meal grows increasingly tepid. Smiling in pictures has lost its purpose as an expression

“

Smiling has had its moment in the sun. It’s time for straight-facing (otherwise known as mean mugging) to reclaim its rightful place as the default photo facial expression.

”

of genuine happiness; instead, posed smiles are used to dupe acquaintances—particularly on social media—into believing that we are radiant, ethereal beings with no struggles or stressors.

It’s all too common for people to crawl out of soul-crushing spin-bike sessions only to prop themselves against a wall, plaster on an ear-to-ear grin, and snap a disingenuous pic to share with their social media following.

Those smiles are lies.

Most people are adept swindlers, and their fraudulent fake smiles can be difficult to identify. Some people, however,

never learn to smile for the camera. For these unfortunate few, the enduring childhood class-photo grimace-smile—with the mouth stretched to display all 32 teeth and the eyes open as wide as possible—remains their best attempt at a toothy ‘smile,’ and they must resort to an awkward closed-mouth grin.

Smiling is heralded as the most attractive arrangement of our facial muscles, but it excludes those who are unable to produce a dazzling smile at the drop of a hat.

Mean mugging is the most natural—and accessible—pose.

While not everyone can smile on cue, everyone is born with the ability to produce a masterful blank stare.

Even the biggest social media influencers—many of whom were blessed with an impeccable set of teeth and have countless reasons to smile—have turned their backs on the smiling fad. According to their Instagram pages, the Jenner sisters haven’t open-mouth smiled since November 2017.

Similarly, it’s been months since Taylor Swift posted a smiling pic, and Beyoncé has only posted three since mid-September.

The tastemakers have spoken: Smiling is finally out.

It’s time for us to return to the stony faces of days past.

6 OPINION

COMMENTARY

Grace Gunning Columnist When I first read Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens’ call for “hygiene de vie” in the McGill Reporter, I immediately thought of medieval physicians.

“Eating well, sleeping well, being physically active”—all of these practices recommended by Dyens were also popular prescriptions from the medieval medical community, which would often recommend regimes that are surprisingly analogous to the habit-based “healthy living” that is so prevalent today. Physicians of the 12th century recommended broad lifestyle changes as the primary form of therapy to keep the body in balance.

This is not to say that McGill students are faced with a potential

COMMENTARY

Johanna Cline Contributor Triggering language— including terms that provoke traumatic memories or harmful thoughts—endangers the mental well-being of people with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety. While it is impossible to fully avoid upsetting words in day-to-day life, trigger-free spaces are crucial for providing solace and protecting mental health.

However, as Internet users know, the unmonitored and unpredictable nature of online content means there are no guaranteed Internet safe spaces.

In response to this issue, McGill Engineering student Angus McLean, and his University of

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

“Self-care” goes beyond the self resurrection of medieval medical theory. But, just like those of the Middle Ages, when popular thought favoured categorical thinking for all areas of life including the body, today’s regimen-based health practices have emerged for cultural reasons. In the modern era, these roots are troubling.

The 21st century has seen the reinvention of the body as a project, optimized through the application of “healthy living” and “self-care.” The problem with this vision of health is twofold: First, these concepts depend on and are fueled by consumerism, as those who wish to be healthier are bombarded with products promising their betterment. Second, seeing the body as something to be perfected validates individual, subjective opinions over the medical consensus on best health practices.

Self-care’s modern iteration has its roots in activism and community, specifically in Black feminist movements. Activist and writer Audre Lorde defines self-care as a “political warfare.” Implicit in this politicized definition is the idea that self-care benefits both the individual and the community. The marginalized individual, whose body and labour are traditionally deprioritized, focuses care inward. In doing so, she becomes a healthier individual, and this allows

her to participate in her community without burning out.

However, these radical beginnings are not apparent in selfcare’s most visible manifestations today. The languages of advertising and of self-care have converged, as brands conflate the phrase “selfcare” with “treating oneself to a new product.” In this environment, lifestyle blog Into the Gloss can publish a flippant article called “Maximum SelfCare: The 10-Hour Facial,” peppered with produce recommendations. Goop provides a similar regimen for office workers. Meanwhile, exercise brands like Lululemon advertise “seamless leggings, bras, and tops that remove distractions so you can focus on you.”

The message is clear: Care requires consumption, and it is unachievable without brands and products.

Individualized self-care becomes even more dangerous when it is paired with health. The health or skincare regimen lifestyle is increasingly turned into a comprehensive set of lifestyle prescriptions. Dyens’ recommendation of “hygiene de vie” for overstressed students is only one example. Equating selfcare with medical therapy can result in such absurdities as veganism as a cure for depression, or idealized “superfoods” that are purported to fight cancer, aging, weight gain,

Today’s cconsumer-driven notions of “self-care” have negative consequences.

(Gabriela Rey / The McGill Tribune) and any number of other maladies.

Such rhetoric prioritizes subjective choices over therapies prescribed by professionals, and places the onus of health completely on a person and their lifestyle choices.

The personalization of health requires one to take responsibility for their own care, but it also allows the individual to cherry-pick the methods that they use. Self-care regimens have endured for hundreds of years because they are a valuable component of maintaining total health, but in overly focusing on the individual, they now conflate health with consumerism and

self-indulgence.

The body does not exist in a vacuum. It is not enough to focus one’s personal notion of care inward.

Bodies are the lenses through which Scanned peopleby CamScanner interact with their surroundings; therefore, a person’s conceptualization of their body shapes not only their ideas of self, but their worldview. Individualism, collectivism, alienation, connection— they all begin with the body. Only by placing our bodies, and the ways we care for those bodies, within a community context can we truly thrive.

Online hate-blocking app protects users’ mental health Ottawa partner Nikola Draca, developed a Google Chrome extension called Soothe that blurs out triggering content from users’ internet browsers.

So far, the response from both test clients and the media has been positive. Given the usual controversy surrounding trigger warnings and safe spaces, the enthusiastic reviews are a surprise. However, with Internet use as such an integral part of daily life, apps like Soothe are a logical next step in promoting mental health and well-being.

Although websites such as Facebook and Twitter already allow users to block individual words from their feeds, Soothe goes further. The app uses sentiment analysis, an algorithm programmed with a list of terms that it locates in sentences. If Soothe detects words from the list, it scans sentence contexts and blurs out material that could be triggering. For example, homophobic, racist, sexist, transphobic, or violent language can be blocked depending on user preferences. The app is particularly relevant on university campuses, where mental health concerns, such as anxiety, are increasingly recognized. It protects students who are often required to spend hours on the Internet daily, potentially running into triggering

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With large aspects of school work, jobs, and recreation centering around the Internet, feeling at-risk every time you open your laptop is a massive burden to bear.

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and harmful content.

In other cases where content censoring has been suggested in the interest of mental health, such as student petitions for trigger warnings for readings at University of Santa Barbara and Oberlin College, promoters have faced tremendous backlash.

Professors at Oberlin College rejected the proposed trigger warnings, stating that they needed to challenge students and make them feel uncomfortable as part of their education. In another instance, an app similar to Soothe, called Silencer, aimed to make online news feeds more positive by removing certain words. It too

faced criticism from users who argued that ignoring bad news isn’t a sustainable solution to people’s problems.

Although avoiding material that challenges one’s political views may pose little benefit, avoiding hate speech and microaggressions is entirely different. A major distinction must be made between controversial content that makes someone feel uncomfortable, and content that compromises mental well-being by triggering harmful thoughts or forcing someone to relive a traumatic past experience. The latter is what Soothe aims to block. Additionally, with Soothe, users only block pages in their own browsers and can uninstall the app anytime—content is not being censored from the public but simply for users’ own private use. The goal is safeguarding their mental health, not turning a blind eye to controversy.

Another critique of trigger warnings comes from a psychological standpoint: Some argue that avoiding triggers can exacerbate mental health issues.

When considering this, one must recognize that Soothe’s users are not trying to avoid offensive content altogether—in an age of unprecedented communication and information-sharing, that’s impossible. But they can use

the app to create one reliable, relatively-safe haven from it.

Moreover, the unmonitored and often extreme or offensive nature of online content means that people do not have the option to choose how they come in contact with upsetting materials like they would in real-life interactions.

Soothe empowers users with mental health concerns to interact positively with the Internet by allowing them to choose whether or not they encounter distressing material. With large aspects of school work, jobs, and recreation centering around the internet, feeling at-risk every time you open your laptop is a massive burden to bear. Apps like Soothe are vital for facilitating mental health while encouraging everyone to take full advantage of Internet resources.

Given Soothe’s consistently positive feedback, the market for this app and similar services seems to be on the rise. Moving forward, McLean and Draca want to enable Soothe to block images and video in addition to text. The Chrome extension is also designed to be adaptable and will allow users to flag new terms not initially considered by its creators. This app is an important tool for empowering people to enjoy the Internet without risking their mental well-being.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

science & technology 7

Bomb cyclone rings in the New Year

Winter Storm Grayson strikes the East Coast with bone-chilling temperatures

Emma Gillies Contributor On Jan. 4, 2018, much of the American and Canadian East Coasts were hit with chilling temperatures, snowy conditions, and hurricaneforce winds. Iguanas fell from trees in Florida, Boston’s streets flooded with icy water, and parts of New Brunswick saw more than 50 centimetres of snow.

The culprit was a “bomb cyclone” named Winter Storm Grayson. In 1980, John Gyakum, professor in McGill’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, helped coin the unusual term for this type of storm with former MIT professor Fred Sanders.

A process often referred to as “bombogenesis” by meteorologists, a bomb cyclone is a low-pressure system that intensifies rapidly over a short period of time: more specifically, at a rate of at least 1 millibar per hour for a 24-hour period. At sea level, normal barometric pressure is around 1,000 millibars.

When pressure falls rapidly, it is indicative of stormy conditions. This 24 millibar rate was originally employed for the latitude of Bergen, Norway but the pressure required to form a storm of this nature changes depending on latitude.

“If you have a 24 millibar deepening rate for a 24-hour period in lower latitudes, [the storm becomes] a much stronger cyclone,” Gyakum said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

Last week’s cyclone deepened off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia at a latitude of around 31 degrees North. According to

Higher temperatures could result in more volatile winter storms. (Winnie Lin / The McGill Tribune) Gyakum, the minimum threshold value necessary to form the bomb cyclone at this latitude is around 16 or 17 millibars, but the real deepening was around 50, making this storm a “superbomb.”

These storms are often accompanied by hurricane-force winds, storm surges—where winds transport ocean water into coastal areas— and heavy precipitation.

Under normal conditions, bombogenesis—a cold-season maritime phenomenon that, in rare circumstances, has been known to appear in warmer weather–

occurs offshore with minimal impact to coastal areas and their inhabitants. Yet “bomb cyclone” Grayson affected millions of people, which is why the term took the media by storm.

Cold air mass is important for bombogenesis to occur. When cold air travels over warm waters, it destabilizes the atmosphere and increases the likelihood of thunderstorms.

Thermal contrast between cold continents and warm ocean waters can also act as a mechanism for aiding cyclone development.

“One of the issues that comes about when we talk about global warming is that you might

[…] say that with global warming, we won’t have cold air masses as much,” Gyakum said.

This paradox has led some politicians to believe that global warming could lead to more pleasant temperatures. However, Gyakum advised looking at the big picture. February 2015 was the coldest February on record in Montreal, whereas globally, it was the second warmest.

Gyakum explained that, given the effects of climate change, there is potential for more extreme ocean cyclogenesis in the future. While modelling experiments show that hurricanes and storms in the future might not be more frequent, the ones that do occur may become more extreme.

“It’s very, very hard for us to attribute a particular event to climate change,” Gyakum said. “But, there are a few things that we do know [….] One impact of global warming is that sea levels have risen, and; for that reason alone, even the most ordinary of storms […] will produce more of an impact along coastal areas.”

The spike in sea levels is accompanied by an increase in ocean temperatures. Warmer oceans lead to a greater amount of water vapour in the atmosphere. Once the water vapour condenses, it acts as fuel for the development of these bombs.

Overall, Gyakum thinks that the term “bomb cyclone” can be beneficial, especially because people along the East Coast tend to give less thought to extreme weather conditions after the end of hurricane season.

“The fact is that many of these storms […] can be as devastating, if not more so, than hurricanes,” Gyakum said.

The indestructible deconstructed

McGill researchers acknowledged for one of the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2017 Ronny Litvack-Katzman Contributor A group of McGill scientists were recognized for their cuttingedge research, an example of innovation at its finest.

“Innovations are the solutions that no one else would think of,” Don Sheppard, professor of microbiology and immunology and researcher, told The McGill Tribune.

Québec Science Magazine recently recognized Sheppard and

his team for their revolutionary work on biofilms, following a study they published in June 2017. They are one of three McGill-affiliated research teams to be recognized in the magazine’s “Les 10 découvertes de l’année,” a comprehensive list of the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2017.

Sheppard’s team developed a mechanism in which the enzymes used to build biofilms can be reversed upon themselves, producing a self-sabotaging system in which the biofilm destroys itself.

Biofilms are glue-like

The innovative research team behind McGill’s biofilm research. (Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre)

membranes that exist around populations of microbes, collectively creating a thick layer of slime that is difficult to treat or remove with antibiotics. Many common health issues, such as urinary tract infections, Crohn’s disease, and even dental plaque can be made worse by biofilms.

Biofilms are found everywhere: They make up the mucous layer of lung tissue, and can form in the tissues of postoperative surgical patients, which may further complicate already strenuous and delicate procedures.

For years, biofilms have been virtually untreatable as they do not respond to antibiotics or physical removal. Sheppard’s research may circumvent this problem.

“This [mechanism] turns the problem at 90 degrees,” Sheppard said. “We are not harming the bug at all with our therapy. Instead, we are attacking a structure that the bug makes, we are attacking this biofilm, this wall around the city that the organism makes.”

He refers to the enzymes that compose biofilms as “saws”—tools used to build a wall around bacteria.

Sheppard’s mechanism strips the enzymes of their safety features, allowing the enzymatic process to work opposingly, thereby taking apart the biofilms with the same tools used to build them.

Sheppard’s research represents a turning point in the way that medical professionals may tackle the problems presented by biofilms in the effective treatment of patients. The new method’s importance goes beyond its medical implications.

“I believe that the ramifications of this discovery are enormous,” Brendan Snarr, a PhD candidate in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “It is suspected that almost all microbes can live in some form of biofilm in the environment, so to have a technology to degrade them could have applications across many fields.”

This technology has potential uses across multiple disciplines, from the health sciences to manufacturing and agriculture.

The team has high hopes that this technology will become available

for commercial therapeutic use within the next five years, and are currently working toward generating the required data to begin a clinical trial in humans.

McGill microbiologists worked alongside Dr. Lynne Howell, a researcher in Molecular Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Howell, who specializes in the mechanics of enzymatic function, worked alongside Sheppard and Snarr to create an interdisciplinary answer to the problem.

“This is a great example of the success of interdisciplinary science,” Sheppard said. “We take a group like mine, along with myself, [...] an infectious disease doctor, and marry it with a research lab focused on the structure and the function of individual proteins and enzymes.”

Together, in what can only be described as a perfect pairing of immunology and biochemistry, two teams of doctors studying vastly different fields have come together to, in Sheppard’s words, create “A product [that] greatly exceeds the sum of the parts.”

W

e live in a perpetual state of misinformation. In 2016, Oxford Dictionaries selected “post-truth” as its word of the year, an adjective “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” In 2017, Collins Dictionary chose “fake news” as its word of the year.

With society’s need and capacity for constant innovation and new discoveries, the scientific world has witnessed a significant increase in published research in the past 30 years—roughly nine per cent per year. The advent of the internet has boosted the availability of information and, in its wake, a variety of online journals have emerged; some willing to publish just about any research. The increasing use of social media aiding the spread of information combined with a genuine misunderstanding of statistics create the perfect recipe for mass misinformation.

In the digital age, not a day seems to go by without someone using debatable numbers to support even more debatable conclusions. Research, it seems, has become a race to publish, in which quality plays a role that is only secondary to recognition and discovery. The misleading statistics and false results published by academic sources and the media are often celebrated as “discoveries.”

Shared from person to person, with no apparent source, erroneous statistics manage to make it onto everybody's Facebook and Twitter feeds, and even slip into conversations. Yet, nobody seems to know where these statistics come from—and whether or not they are actually true. Even reputable articles, that can be found both online and in the physical press, use an impressive amount of numbers to seemingly validate their claims—yet fail to cite any respected source or expert.

Shane Terrillon, U3 Science, studies mathematics and statistics. He cautions that people tend to easily misinterpret statistical results. One common mistake is the assumption that correlation between data sets necessarily implies causation.

"People definitely pick and choose the statistics that they use for their articles to make their argument a bit more [...] credible," Terrillon said.

Terrillon takes numbers in the media with a grain of salt, and is weary of sharing them. But not everyone is as cautious, spreading misleading articles across social media feeds daily.

As of August 2017, 67 per cent of Americans get at least some of their news from social media platforms, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. News readership via social media has increased from 65 per cent a year prior, particularly among Americans 50 and over. The preferred three platforms survey takers reported using to source news were Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook.

Despite its popularity, social media might not be the best place to get accurate information. In the lead up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election The Wall Street Journal compared sources shared by users who reported they were either “very conservatively aligned” or “very liberal.” They compiled these sources into “blue feeds” and “red feeds” to illustrate the discrepancies in news offerings between Facebook users. Considering how many people increasingly use social media as a source of information for worldwide news, having selected facts and statistics floating around exacerbates the trend of misinformation plaguing our society.

These tailored feeds create an “echo chamber” effect, wherein social media users only see content from friends and third-party sources that align with their own views.

This issue becomes even more troublesome when established media outlets also include dubious statistics in their reporting. In April 2017 Fox News came under fire for tweeting a graph with statistics that incorrectly suggested that President Trump had a much lower 100 day unemployment rate (after his first three months in office) than most other presidents over the course of the past 14 years. What the graph fails to show is that Obama’s rate was the outcome of the previous administration’s policies, while Trump inherited that of the Obama administration.

The primary cause behind the publication and spread of misleading statistics is an inadequate approach to the discipline. Russell Steele, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, thinks that misleading statistics are not wrong per se but are simply overstated. “[The problem] has less to do with the results themselves not being correct, but rather the conclusions that you make on the basis of the evidence not being correct,” Steele said. “It really comes down to two things [...] generally people do not receive enough training in statistics from statisticians [...and thus] they don’t understand the limitations of statistical techniques.”

Understanding the limits of statistical investigation is key to the discipline

itself.

“Statistics is a discipline [that], when it's functioning properly, [...] should be inherently skeptical," Steele explained.

Fellow statistician Yi Yang, assistant professor at McGill, echoes Steele’s point of view.

“Sometimes the researchers themselves, when they use some statistic, because they’re not trained in statistics [...] do not fully understand the meaning of the tools that they use,” Yang said. “They make some much stronger conclusion [...] when it should not be the case.”

This misleading data caused by inadequate approaches to the statistical discipline is then widely disseminated through publication.

John Ioannidis, a professor in disease prevention at the School of Medicine at Stanford University, claimed that more than half of published research is false. He blames confirmation bias for such a significant occurrence.

Many methodologists are also pointing the finger at the p-value. Also known as the rejection region, the p-value is used to evaluate the likelihood of an event.

If the p-value is very small, then this indicates a very low probability that the event falls outside of the interval of likely values. It is a very popular statistic used to determine the relevance of results, particularly in the biomedical field.

But, as Regina Muzzo noted in a Nature article, the p-value is far from the most reliable statistic. Its inventor Ronald Fisher, actually intended it as an informal first—not final—test for further examination.

In 2016, researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine examined millions of research abstracts between 1995 and 2015, and found that the mention of p-values more than doubled over the period, despite mounting evidence against its reliability. Considering that the research was all conducted in the biomedical field, this raises some concerns; not everybody has to care about p-values and confidence intervals, but everyone cherishes their health and well-being.

The habit of relying on a debatable statistic to determine statistical relevance—whether a hypothesis is plausible or not—is far from unique to the scientific world. Reliance on a single methodology, much like the p-value used in scientific research, is one of the main factors that led to the financial market crash of 2008. Following the crisis, the world discovered that many banks and investment firms had been underestimating the risk of certain investments because of inadequate statistical assumptions. Investors were overconfident in the reliability of the “normal” distribution of probabilities, which poorly predicts days that do not follow the typical evolution of a trading cycle, and thus underestimated the likelihood of financial loss.

For such reasons, Yang suggests that industry professionals and researchers alike rely more on statisticians to ensure their methods are appropriate, rather than clinging onto the belief of a one-size-fits-all statistic. Similarly, journalists and others responsible for the dissemination of information should also seek the opinion of statisticians to evaluate the validity of their claims when citing research found on the Internet.

But even when consulting an accountable statistician, another problem can surface: The inability to challenge desired findings.

“If [researchers] get the answer [they] want, then [they] stop,” Steele said.

“But if [they] don’t get the answer [they] want, [they] keep going.”

Too often, researchers will challenge and re-evaluate their methods only when the results are not in accordance with their hypothesis. Then, they will use alternate methods, review their data sample, and look for faults in the way the study was conducted—all in order to get a different conclusion. However, if the results align with the prediction, scientists may neglect to investigate any further.

Research data always carries the potential for mistakes, no matter how many attempts it takes to acquire the results. Regardless of the outcome, the methodology and the desire to explore all possible flaws, should be the same for both statisticians and researchers. “[For] good statistical analyses, the [best] way to support your conclusion, [...is] once you have your answer, you try to break it,” Steele said. “[Researchers should] be more skeptical [...] and always challenge their results.”

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Yang suggests that industry professionals and researchers alike rely more on statisticians to ensure their methods are appropriate, rather than clinging to the belief of a one-size-fits-all statistic.

”

Researchers aren’t the only culprits for the proliferation of misleading statistics. People share dubious articles because their lack of understanding of the numbers renders them unable to recognize the critical flaws in the “facts” presented. Sharing articles without understanding or fact-checking them can lend credibility to an otherwise baseless claim.

“If my friends or someone [I know] shared a stat [...] I would [be more likely to] believe it, because they’re someone that I trust [...] so their judgement I would [also] trust [...] instead of some random source,” Coco Wang, U1 Science, said.

Both Yang and Steele believe that statistics should be better integrated into the educational system. Without skepticism of the facts and figures in popular news articles, misinformation can spread rapidly via social media. If people better understood statistics, they would be more prone to challenge the information they read.

"Especially when you go through [the final years of high school], that’s your best chance [to educate people about statistics]," Steele said.

“If people are learning about statistics in university, [for many of them] it’s probably too late [to change the way they think about statistics].”

Yang also believes that more elements of data science should be added to academic curriculums.

“People are realizing the importance of data science [...and] in different programs they started to add some flavour of the training of data science into statistics,” Yang said.

In the meantime, what is one to do as we wait for the world to catch up to the realization that numbers play an increasing role in our data-driven lives? Inspecting every cited research source in the morning newspaper, while attempting to chase down a cup of coffee, hardly sounds like much fun—or something that anyone would actually do.

The situation is especially tricky considering how many rely on social media to stay up to date with current news. In August 2017, Facebook attempted to resolve the issue with an algorithm to spot fake news. Using fact checkers, it tagged articles with suspicious content as potentially fake. But four months later, Facebook terminated the initiative due to poor results. Moreover, algorithms in general are still extremely vulnerable to hacking and corruption operations which render them useless. Such algorithms wouldn't necessarily be able to prevent studies with misleading results from spreading on the web and social media.

Steele suggests taking a more philosophical response to the issue of misleading statistics: “[People in the scientific world should be] more comfortable with saying ‘I think,’ instead of ‘I know,’” Steele said.

He believes that if researchers start being more skeptical, journalists would be more likely to follow suit when reporting their studies, as would the general public when looking for information.

After all, perhaps the problem of misleading statistics really is just a fear of not knowing; and if the general public accepts that sometimes an admission of uncertainty is preferable to blind and incorrect assertions, then there would be no need to look for numbers that aren't really there.

10 science & technology

Tuesday, January 16 , 2018

Microbead ban exposes the dangers of plastic pollution A response to years of protest on behalf of environmental activists and scientists Gwenyth Wren Contributor The Canadian government has heard the cry of environmental activists and scientists. On Jan. 1, 2018, Health Canada enacted an official ban on the manufacturing and importation of products containing microbeads, following a written proposal for the regulation on June 2, 2017. A ban on the sales of these products is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2018.

Environment Canada defines microbeads as synthetic polymer particles that range between 0.1 micrometres and 5 millimetres, varying in composition, shape, and density. Microbeads are manufactured for specific purposes, primarily for use in personal care items such as scrubs, bath products, facial cleaners, and toothpastes. Microbeads are also ubiquitous in household cleaning products, despite being listed as a toxic substance in 2016 under the Canadian environmental protection act.

The ban on microbeads addresses environmental concerns, and is the result of lobbying by scientists, environmental activists, and politicians. The plastic polymers are too small to be filtered by water waste treatments, and ultimately end up in aquatic ecosystems where filtered waste is deposited, like the St. Lawrence River. They are subsequently ingested by the organisms that live there, which has a dire effect on aquatic life.

Studies have shown that zooplankton— heterotrophic plankton at the base of the food webs—are eating microbeads. When

microbeads are ingested by lower trophic levels, they can spread like wildfire throughout entire food webs.

Rowshyra Castañeda, a PhD candidate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto, has been involved in researching microbead pollution at McGill. Castañeda stated that the extent to which these beads affect aquatic environments is not yet fully understood.

“Marine and freshwater organisms have been found with microplastics in their guts and even tissues, but we still don’t exactly know what the impacts of consuming the pollutants are,” Castañeda told The McGill Tribune. “I’d hypothesize that it’s not great.”

Microbeads have also been proven to reduce the reproductive rate of Daphnia, another staple species in food webs. The toxins from these particles risk being transferred to the organisms that ingest them, which can alter their physiology and behaviour. There is a possibility that they can be passed on to humans. This means that the plastic in the facial cleaners we use on a daily basis could be making its way into the sushi we’re eating.

Plastic production has increased twentyfold in the last 50 years. Even with new programs and policies, microbeads keep falling through the cracks. The resulting effects of the vast amount of plastic polymers that end up in lakes and oceans has yet to be properly understood by scientists. The microbead crisis is one that hits close to home, with some areas of the St. Lawrence River harbouring over

Tiny plastic beads found in many personal care products have serious environmental consequences.

(Erica Stefano / The McGill Tribune) plastic cutlery and non-reusable water bottles], 1,000 microbeads per litre of sediment.

Microplastics are a part of any consumer’s which also needs to be addressed if we want to daily routine. Castañeda explained that more reduce this pollutant even more.”

Check any one of the personal care needs to be done to combat the consequences of products in your household—if one of the microbead disposal.

“This ban is a great first step to reducing ingredients is polyethylene, polypropylene, or the number of microplastics in our freshwater polystyrene, then microbeads are a part of your system,” Castañeda said, “But we still have a long daily routine. The microbead case is a fantastic way to go to eliminate or reduce microplastics. example of policy responding to science, but Other big sources of microplastics are from there is still a long road ahead and more must synthetic clothing fibres and [the] degradation be done to mitigate the effects that these plastics of larger plastics from single-use items [such as have on crucial ecosystems.

Five fun science electives that will satisfy your curiosity

From chemistry to philosophy, these courses make science accessible to all at McGill

Sam Min Staff Writer Each semester, McGill students spend hours searching for courses that are both interesting and manageable. For those who are not enrolled in a Science major and are feeling particularly adventurous this semester, The McGill Tribune has compiled a list of five fascinating electives that are sure to pique your interest.

CHEM 181 – World of Chemistry: Food Chemistry courses can often leave students fearful for their GPAs, but CHEM 181 is the exception. This course covers topics like the history of food, the relationship between diet and cancer, and cheese production. The course instructors—Chemistry department members David Harpp, Joe Schwarcz, and Ariel Fenster—fill their lectures with food facts and entertaining anecdotes that make each class exciting. Some highlights of the curriculum include lectures about cheese, chocolate, and wine. CHEM 181 is one of the few online courses taught at McGill and the bulk of the material emphasizes memorization.

MyCourses provides full transcripts of the lectures, and the course’s exams are non-cumulative. This course is suited to students with a keen interest in healthy living and, of course, healthy eating.

PHIL 221 – Introduction to History and Philosophy of Science 2 This course is designed for students with little to no philosophy background.

Science students at McGill are often trained to memorize facts. Later, they may find themselves avoiding humanities courses ranging from literature to philosophy in an effort to salvage their GPAs. If you find yourself in this position, you should consider this course. It covers the basics of science philosophy, as well as the development of modern science since the 18th Century. Topics include how the scientific method has been adopted by scientists and the influence of philosophy on scientific research and data collection. This course may also be rewarding for humanities students who want to explore how serendipitous a scientific discovery can be and how science and philosophy heavily influence one another.

ATOC 184 – Science of Storms In this course, students learn how extreme weather phenomena such as blizzards, hurricanes, and floods are formed. This course also explores these phenomena in the context of Montreal, a city with feverishly fickle weather.

There is no final exam for this course—instead, students must complete a group project that requires a short presentation about an assigned weather topic. All the lectures are recorded and there are two midterm exams, both of which are non-cumulative. This is a great elective for students from all backgrounds who want to understand the weather systems we live with.

COMP 202 – Foundations of Programming

In today’s world, programming experience is valued across the job market. This course may appear daunting to students with no prior experience, but COMP 202 is designed to allow novice programmers to get hooked on coding. There are multiple sections of this course taught every semester and students have access to all the lecture recordings for each section. For those interested in joining a research lab at McGill, a background in programming often sets candidates apart. While many students have the required knowledge to perform research, few can code and perform statistical analyses. Though programming can be difficult, it often leads to eureka moments when a solution is found.

MATH 180 — The Art of Mathematics

The Art of Mathematics allows students to gain exposure to mathematics concepts that they wouldn’t otherwise encounter, such as code breaking and logic. The purpose of this course is to give students with any background an appreciation for the beauty of mathematical concepts. Sidney Trudeau, the course instructor, discusses high school math concepts and more abstract topics like chaos in a way that is accessible to a wide range of students. This course is highly recommended for students who would like to explore math from a new perspective.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 11

The Disaster Artist-or ‘How to Bring Tommy Wiseau to the Oscars’ James Franco’s film, tellingly, glosses over bad behaviour Danica Jekic Contributor In 2003, a man created a film that came to be known as the best worst movie of all time: The Room, written and directed by Tommy Wiseau, who also stars. Despite its lackluster premiere and absence of a theatrical release, it has garnered a cult following complete with midnight screenings, and cosplays. Years later, James Franco—the latest abuser to face the post-Weinstein reckoning—became enamored with the film. The Disaster Artist, written, produced, directed by, and starring Franco, is partly based on The Room, but primarily tells the story of a memoir by the same name. Written by Wiseau’s costar Greg Sestero, The Disaster Artist details his journey to Hollywood, his inexplicable friendship with Wiseau, and the difficulties of creating The Room—a film so uniquely terrible that it turned Wiseau into a cultural phenomenon.

Fans of the book might find themselves disappointed with the tone and plot of the film. It tries to make Wiseau look good and often undercuts how truly horrific The Room’s production was. As the memoir documents, Wiseau funneled millions (from unknown sources) into useless details, constantly humiliated and spied on the actors and the production crew, refused to provide them

with basic necessities, and fired at least half of them before production concluded. Franco acknowledges very few of these moments, instead presenting Wiseau as a mad, yet miraculously inspired genius.

The book tells Sestero’s personal story as he worked with Wiseau and other actors to make the movie a success. The film shifts Sestero’s role and turns him into an audience stand-in. Despite being relegated to the role of the naïve pseudo-narrator, Dave Franco plays Sestero with the same charm that he brings to all his roles, and the Franco brothers’ dynamic wonderfully echoes Sestero and Wiseau’s real-life friendship.

James Franco’s performance is absolutely the highlight of the movie, as he dons a long, ratty, raven-black wig, shadowy makeup, face prosthetics, and several large belts wrapped around his legs. His pitch-perfect imitation of Wiseau’s almost-constantlydrunken demeanor and confusing accent turns the film’s otherwise grounded, somewhat depressing drama into a surreal comedy, as one cannot help but chuckle whenever he opens his mouth.

However, despite Franco’s performance, he deliberately avoids tackling Wiseau’s more vicious moments in his screenplay and acting. The film addresses a fraction of the

‘The Disaster Artist’ ignores Tommy Wiseau’s abusive tendencies. (indiewire.com) many recorded instances of Wiseau’s abusive behaviour, and while Sestero constantly highlights his bizarre narcissism, Franco seems to suggest that this is only one layer of an eccentric genius. His choice clearly illustrates to the audience that his movie is not an adaptation of Sestero’s book but an homage to the uniquely endearing 2003 film and Wiseau himself. He’s not so much a person as a caricature, and Franco’s clear affection for the character conflicts with and undercuts Wiseau’s abusive behaviour. Here’s hoping the Academy doesn’t treat Franco like

Franco treats Wiseau.

The Disaster Artist presents the antithesis to the most common Oscar-bait narrative—the struggles of being an artist in Hollywood and creating a masterpiece—and tells the story of a man who utterly failed as a filmmaker, but managed to turn his horrifying creation into a phenomenon. James Franco’s Golden Globes’ hypocrisy, accumulating sexual assault allegations, and pathetic non-apology are deplorable. The movie is funny, harsh, poignant, and uplifting, but at its core, is a film by an abuser celebrating an abuser.

Thirty years of image+nation

A behind the scenes look at Canada’s oldest LGBTQ film festival

Kevin Vogel Contributor

Thirty years ago, Canada’s first LGBTQ film festival held its inaugural screening. Today, the image+nation festival continues to share queer cinema with Montreal’s wider community, supporting the producers and artists who create these spellbinding stories.

Bringing all of this together is no easy task. Programming director Katharine Setzer and her team scour other film festivals both here in Canada and around the world. This year alone, the image+nation organizing staff selected over 120 films to feature during the 10-day event. Her team communicates with the artists themselves to bring it all together.

According to Setzer, there is never a shortage of queer content to share.

Every year image+nation receives more and more film submissions. “[The hardest part is that so much of] the work is really strong and that [...] you have to make a choice,” Setzer told The McGill Tribune.

By the end of the process, the festival lineup is filled with a variety of content. Featuring films all the way from a short recounting the story of a young man’s experience growing up gay in the Soviet Union (Little Potato) to a documentary detailing the history of punk rock’s impact on queer activism (Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution), image+nation encompasses an incredibly diverse range of queer stories.

But the work does not stop after the content is selected. According to Setzer, gathering the financial resources to run the festival proves to be one of the most difficult parts of organizing image+nation every year.

While image+nation receives a large amount of support through traditional funding methods, such as ticket sales and membership fees, image+nation remains the only queer film festival in Canada that does not receive provincial funding due to legislative complications with the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC).

“One thing that could help is membership and a community coming together and saying yes we support our festival,” Setzer said. “[The problem is that] it really comes down to having the funds to put together the festival, it is never the case that there is not enough brilliant work to show.”

Despite these obstacles, image+nation remains a key member of the international queer film circuit, and an important advocate in the fight for queer rights. “[This festival and activism] are very intrinsically connected,” Setzer said. “There are a lot of queer artists who are also activists. I think that art in general, and filmmaking in general, is a form of activism.” image+nation has been at the vanguard of Montreal’s queer art and activism scene, and witnessed the changing climate.

“Lots has happened in 30 years,” Charlie Boudreau, image+nation’s

Festival director, said. “This year’s preparations have given us valuable moments to think about how our LGBTQ stories have evolved in parallel with our ever-changing society. What is clear is that we have managed to take charge of our own narratives and our stories are the truer for it and more representative of our wonderful diversity.” image+nation is held annually in theatres across Montreal. While we will have to wait until November for the 2018 edition, in the meantime image+nation’s website provides opportunities to support the event by becoming a Friend of the Festival, or even submitting a film for consideration.

image + nation, Canada’s first LGBTQ film festival, celebrates its 30th anniversary.

(Kevin Vogel / The McGill Tribune)

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

12 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SSMU Musicians Collective rocks out at La Vitrola Blundstones, Radiohead, and cheap beer were plentiful Katia Innes Contributor Continued from page 1.

Backed by Michael Abraham, Ethan Cohn, and Greg Kustka-Tsimbidis, Matty Parker is a self-proclaimed “nothing band that will likely split up soon due to internal conflict.”

Matty Parker draws heavily on Radiohead, the Pixies, and Sparklehorse. Standout tracks included originals “Drinking in Denial,” and “Stolen Stuff.”

Each song bellows and contracts; crescendos are followed by both restrained emptiness and triumphant sounds.

Besides creating a performance platform for student musicians, the Collective organizes various open mics and workshops. They also plan to host bi-monthly jam sessions in the Collective’s space located in the sub-basement beneath Gerts in the SSMU building. This same space can be booked out for

all curly hair and unrefined enthusiasm, led the four-piece along with Jonathan Verreault on the drums, Philippe Moison on guitar, and Vincent Lambert on bass for an altogether energetic set. Songs like “Take Me Home” proved to be not only excellently crafted and performed, but insanely catchy.

Near the end of the night, the crowd had gathered together near the front of the stage, begging The Corks for an encore.

They obliged. If anything, Wednesday’s concert highlighted the extensive musical talent that is often forgotten at McGill.

More than just an academic institution, there is a huge pool of musical capability that, with the help of the Musician’s Collective, is reaching a broader audience. This semester, dare to venture out of the conventional music scene and take a peek The Plateau/Mile End vibe was strong that night at the SSMU Musicians Collective. (Corey Steinke / The McGill Tribune) at what your classmates are creating. Who knows, maybe the up to six hours, no charge, for production workshop in the occasionally teeters towards guy behind you in your chemistry funk. They brought a well- lecture has a wavy dream-pop private use. Kalman also hinted upcoming months.

The Corks played last, needed bolt of lightning to the band. Check it out sometime— at workshops this semester, including an electronic music with a bluesy rock sound that venue. Singer Sacha Gubany, you’ll be surprised.

Phantom Thread finds hilarity in toxicity Please do not retire, Daniel Day-Lewis Brandon Kaufman Contributor Don’t be deceived by its trailers: Phantom Thread, the new Paul Thomas Anderson (Inherent Vice, Boogie Nights) film, is possibly the funniest thing he’s made yet. It’s also one of the most impeccably-crafted movies of 2017.

Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Reynolds Woodcock in what he claims will be his last role before retirement. Woodcock is an eminent fashion designer in 1950s London, a Balenciaga-like figure who appears to care more about his art than his personal life. Early in the film, we watch as Woodcock has breakfast with his domineering sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) and his girlfriend Johanna (Camilla Rutherford), whose innocent attempts at small talk are icily shut down by both siblings. It seems that Woodcock has extracted all the creativity he can from this former muse; she is now useless to him.

He later lunches at an upscale hotel restaurant, where he meets Alma (Vicky Krieps), a warm, bubbly waitress.

Woodcock hilariously orders an excessive amount of food to keep her attention. They shoot looks at each other, and he asks

her to dinner. After their meal, the two go to Reynolds’ country house, where Alma is asked to try on a few of Woodcock’s dresses. After Woodcock spends hours measuring every inch of Alma’s body, she tells him she “can’t stand forever.” He snaps.

Anderson’s blocking (Alma always stands up straight and never looks up at Reynolds) and Krieps’ stoic delivery, however, indicate that unlike his previous girlfriend, Alma is no pushover.

Woodcock’s attempt to mould her into a docile mannequin fails the first time, but he tries again throughout the film. In turn, Alma attempts to humble him, to tear down the facade of a Serious Artist he has erected.

The film is centered on Alma and Reynolds’ attempts to construct their ideal versions of one another, creating a noticeably ominous mood. The sense of dread and humour do not contradict one another. We laugh at Woodcock’s anger over Alma’s impossibly loud chewing, but also feel a sense of dread over the toxicity of the relationship. This is intensified

by Anderson’s relatively sparse dialogue—the silence between lines forces the audience to think about every word uttered, building a foreboding tension

that lingers over most of the film and crescendos into one of the best final acts in all of Anderson’s films.

Day-Lewis, as expected, is fantastic, but the film wouldn’t soar to the heights it does without the surly Manville and absolutely intoxicating Krieps, who utilizes every inch of her face in a manner similar to Meryl Streep.

Anderson’s direction is noticeably mature when compared to his earlier films.

Magnolia (1999) follows over a dozen characters and takes place across Los Angeles, and Punch Drunk Love (2002) is a formal flex, with virtually every shot in motion. Conversely, Phantom Thread is claustrophobic and formally restrained. Anderson has become so confident in his ability to tell a compelling story that he only needs three main characters, a steady camera, and one primary location. The film has been described as a gothic romance due to the nature of its story and characters. The movie’s claustrophobia brings to mind Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940), considered by many to be the best of all dark romance films. Underpinning the film is Johnny Greenwood’s score, an enthralling and disturbing

triumph, one that adds to the film’s “quiet air of death,” but refrains from telling the audience how to feel.

Anderson has said that he first got the idea for Phantom Thread when his partner Maya Rudolph looked at him tenderly while he was ill.

“I remember seeing how much my wife was enjoying having me relatively helpless,” Anderson said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. “Then I started thinking, wouldn’t it kind of... suit her to keep me this

way?”

This is what the movie is about: The universal desire to fit and alter those closest to us, just as Woodcock would alter a dress. In the end, Woodcock does not succeed in this attempt.

Alma does. She slowly chips away at his ego, and makes Woodcock desperate for her attention. Anderson, it seems, is acknowledging to Rudolph his tendency to be an asshole, and thanking her for offering levity to an ultra-serious perfectionist like himself.

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Tuesday, January 16, 2018

STUDENT LIVING 13

TRICKS YOU WOULDN’T THINK OF FOR LANDING A SUMMER JOB Beyond targeting the resume and dressing for success Samantha Ling Contributor With the beginning of the Winter semester comes the daunting task of searching and applying for summer opportunities. Yet landing the ideal job can feel like a catch 22: You need work experience to get a job, but without a past job or other opportunities, you can’t get work experience. Beyond the basics of drafting a CV and learning how to shake hands, The McGill Tribune has compiled a few niche tips and tricks for navigating the job hunt that can’t be found in the average ‘How to land a job for dummies’ guidebook.

The application

The interview

1. Keep both tailored and ‘master’ CVs As relevant skills and experiences vary for each position you apply for, it’s important to tailor your CV to each job or internship. Starting with a ‘master CV’ can help you keep track of every aspect of your previous work experience—dates, organization names, and responsibilities. You can refer back to this document with each new application you submit.

1. Use your resources to practice For many people, no amount of preparation can result in a flawless interview.

In order to deliver your points in the most effective and eloquent way possible, practice your public speaking and ensure you’re confident about what you will say in the interview. Make cue cards with responses to typical interview questions, and run through them in front of the mirror or with a friend. CaPS also offers a service called InterviewStream which allows students to practice over 7,000 interview questions and hone their responses. While your interview responses should sound candid—not rehearsed—practicing can give you confidence as you head through the office doors, and ensure you walk out with your head high.

2. Start your cover letter with an anecdote The first paragraph of your cover letter is the most important; it must be clear, concise, and engaging in order to catch the reader’s attention. Start with the key details: State the position you’re seeking and general information regarding your university degree. Then, show the reader your general knowledge of the field in which you are applying to work, while expressing an aspect of your personality. A useful way to do so is to start out your letter with a relevant anecdote from your time in school or in similar positions. If, for example, you’ve ever overcome a challenge or had a troubling experience, describe the measures you took to fix the problem and what you learned from the issue. This will convey honesty and problem-solving skills, and a narrative arc will make your application stand out.

3. Stick to a uniform style Your cover letter and CV should be in the same format and design style in order for employers to easily identify them as yours. Future employers will appreciate that your documents are easy to follow, and may see the organization of your application as a reflection of your work capabilities. Templates for CVs can easily be found online on websites such as Overleaf and VisualCV.

2. Interview the interviewer The typical interview ends with the prospective employer asking “Do you have any questions for us?” For many people, this is a nerve-wracking request—but it doesn’t need to be. Ask your interviewers something about themselves and how they got involved in the organization. If you can, use that as a jumping-off point for more questions about their experience in the industry, and turn the interview into a backand-forth conversation. Not only does this reaffirm your interest in the job, it lets the employer know you care about them as much as they care about you, and shows off your conversational skills.

Drogheria Fine: A taste of Italy found in the heart of the Mile End The story behind Montreal’s favourite to-go gnocchi go-to

Gabriela McGuinty & Catherine Morrison Contributor & Student Living Editor Amid the many innovative businesses clustered in the Mile End neighbourhood, Drogheria Fine has managed to stand out for nearly a decade. The quaint family-

owned gnocchi restaurant has grown increasingly popular among locals and tourists alike. Located on Fairmount Avenue and Clark Street, the small window shop, known for its $5 gnocchi served in take-out boxes, offers a remarkably satisfying meal for the everyday student and passerby.

What makes Drogheria Fine unique is its limited menu: It only serves one dish—potato gnocchi cooked in traditional, homemade tomato sauce. According to Rosie Scalia, an employee at the shop, their specialization in a single product has helped them perfect the recipe, and ultimately led them to

Drogheria Fine’s $5 gnocchi and tomato sauce goes above and beyond the average Italian dish.

(Gabriel Helfant / The McGill Tribune)

their success.

“It all started because [owner Franco Gattuso and his family owned a few] restaurants, and then [...] eventually the restaurants closed down and [Gattuso] wanted to do something different,” Scalia said. “So he decided to take the one product that everyone really liked and just do that, which was the tomato sauce.”

The shop operates as a window counter during warmer months, often prompting a long lineup on the sidewalk. During the winter, however, Drogheria Fine moves indoors, transforming into a small single-room franchise. Inside the venue, the tantalizing smell of fresh gnocchi cooking on a stove against the shop window welcomes customers. The walls are lined with jars of tomato sauce, striking in quantity and aesthetic. In fact, to Scalia, it’s actually the tomato sauce—not the gnocchi—that keeps the business going. “[The tomato sauce] has priority,” Scalia said. “We’re here at 6 a.m. every day [and] don’t serve gnocchi before 12 p.m. because we

[are focused on] the production of the tomato sauce. From 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. though, there’s usually someone in the front to sell it with the gnocchi. I [prepare] about 250 to 300 jars of tomato sauce a day.”

According to Scalia, the affordable price, easilytransportable container, and incredible taste, have led Drogheria Fine’s gnocchi to rise in popularity around the Mile End—particularly among the vibrant student community. Their unique method of cooking the dish is another key aspect to its success.

“Gnocchi is an extra [that] introduces people to the tomato sauce, [which, in turn,] teaches people how to cook their gnocchi,” Scalia explains. “Most people boil their gnocchi, but our secret is that we’ll cook [them] directly in the sauce so you can control the temperature and texture.”

With its unquestionable attraction, popular location, and delicious gnocchi-tomato sauce combination, it comes as no surprise that this small shop has become a must-visit destination.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

14 STUDENT LIVING

Ask Ainsley: How do I overcome the winter blues?

Ainsley offers tools for coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder Dear Ainsley, I’m an international student at McGill and I come from a country that experiences a hot and dry climate for the majority of the year. I felt like the weather during the fall was fine, but I’m having trouble getting through the Winter semester so far. I’m more depressed now than I was a couple of months ago, for what seems like no reason. I’m worried that I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. What can I do?

Sincerely, Worried About Winter (WAW)

set aside some time out of each day to go for a walk or run outside. If you normally take the bus or metro to get to school, consider walking or biking instead—or if you have long gaps between mid day classes, take a few minutes to stroll around campus.

You may also consider taking up a winter hobby. Montreal offers many activities to make the most of the season, such as ice-skating on Mont Royal’s Beaver Lake, snowshoeing to class, or learning how to ski with McGill’s Ski and Snowboard Club.

Not only will taking up a winter hobby be beneficial to you in fighting SAD this year, it will also give you something to look forward to for winters to come.

Another great trick for combating SAD is to stick to a schedule. While it is easy to allow yourself to stay inside and sleep the day away to avoid the cold, it is essential to maintain a regular sleep schedule and continue embracing what little light the winter does offer. Although waking up daily at, say, 9 a.m. is difficult,

Dear WAW, I’m glad you wrote in about this, because this issue affects far more students at McGill than most people realize. An estimated two to three per cent of the general population of Canada is diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but many more grapple with its effects during Montreal’s harsh winters, when sunlight is a rarity. Thankfully, there are productive ways to mitigate weatherinduced depression, some of which involve gearing up and embracing the cold.

While it is important to stay warm in the winter, it is also necessary to spend time outdoors. Studies show that soaking in even the slightest bit of sunshine and fresh air can make a big difference in improving your overall mental health. Although it may be hard to motivate yourself to do so, try to

Spending time outdoors, sticking to a schedule, and reaching out to friends are all ways to cope with Seasonal Affective Disorder. (Gal Sandaev / The McGill Tribune)

especially if your first class doesn’t start until 4 p.m., it becomes easier to motivate yourself to wake up early once you develop habits that will encourage you to get out of the house. If you’re a regular coffee consumer, try going out to buy a warm cup from a café at the same time every morning. Likewise, find activities to do every day after your classes end, such as going to the gym, cooking warm foods, or reading—whatever keeps you awake. A lack of sunlight may lead to vitamin D deficiency, so consider taking a daily supplement or renting a SAD lamp from the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and sitting in front of it every evening. These habits will help you acclimate to a daily schedule of productivity during the day and relaxation at night, improving your mood in the winter.

Finally, remember to continue socializing.

Making plans with friends forces you to leave the house, even when you may not feel up to it.

It may be beneficial to schedule a weekly date with a friend, or set a regular reminder on your phone to text friends that you haven’t seen in a while in order to make sure you don’t isolate yourself for months on end. Finally, don’t be afraid to reach out to your friends about how you are feeling—chances are some of them may be going through the same things you are.

Together, you can hold each other accountable and make a plan to combat SAD—and before you know it, spring will be here.

Warmest wishes this winter season, Ainsley

Pancake fundraiser provides glimpse of Midnight Kitchen’s social justice mandate Students gather to learn about immigration reform over vegan breakfast Ananya Nair Contributor Midnight Kitchen (MK), a non-profit, worker and volunteer-run collective, hosted a pancake breakfast on Jan. 12 to raise funds for Solidarity Across Borders, a Montrealbased activist organization. As a migrant justice network, Solidarity Across Borders aims to establish a community which supports individuals and families facing issues with Canada’s immigration and refugee system. In supporting Solidarity Across Borders’ cause, all proceeds from MK’s fundraiser went to the organization’s Mutual Aid Fund.

As students lined up in the Madeleine Parent Room in the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) building for pancakes and coffee, volunteers grooved to uplifting music and the room buzzed with a strong sense of community. But the event was more than just a way for students to get together and enjoy warm vegan food. To Nat Alexander, an MK event coordinator, the fundraiser had much greater significance for Montreal. “[Solidarity Across Borders] mostly works with people who don’t have [...] employment, [a Social Insurance] number, [or] healthcare,” Alexander said. “They face extra barriers and as part of the McGill Community, a community which has so many resources to offer [...] if we can help people who are in

that in-between stage and who are not getting government support then it’s really a great thing. If everybody contributes a quarter or a dollar […] every little bit counts […] then we can help somebody get healthcare support for their child.”

MK frequently hosts events that encourage student engagement with the Montreal community. According to Alexander, the collective strives to teach students about social issues while building a community based on understanding and support.

“One of [MK’s] regular programs [is] ‘Lunch and Learn’ where we will have people from the [social justice] groups we support come in and spread awareness about the issues they represent,” Alexander said. “There is one related to Prison Abolition coming up in a few weeks with the Termite Collective. We also often host fun events or self-care types of events for students.”

In addition to hosting many community events, MK serves bring-your-own-dish style vegan lunches in the McGill community by donation from Monday to Thursday in the SSMU building. Midnight Kitchen offers anyone interested the chance to volunteer— either on site as a server, in the kitchen during daily servings, or behind the scenes as a member. A regular MK volunteer, Caroline Bruce-Robertson, U0 Science, began working after first hearing about the service during

MK teaches students about important issues amongst good friends and great pancakes.

(Midnight Kitchen) Orientation Week in September 2017.

“If you want to serve regularly or clean up or cook or anything you can go upstairs and they have a whiteboard where you can sign up if you want to go to the same shift any week,” Bruce-Robertson said. “If you have free time one day you can always pop in and ask if they need help with anything.”

Bruce-Robertson describes MK’s atmosphere as welcoming and inclusive; no

matter what prior skills a volunteer has in the food service industry, there is always a place for them at MK. “I actually serve, help cook, and clean-up [...] twice a week usually,” Bruce-Robertson said. “I can’t cook to save my life but you can always go help to cut up vegetables and stuff.

The serving is fun because you get to see 300 people who are obviously happy because there is food of course.”

SPORTS 15

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

NHL window shopping at the 2018 World Juniors

The best draft-eligible players at the international U-20 championships Every holiday season, many Canadians watch the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) U-20 World Junior Championships, cheering on the nation’s best young players. The tournament is an exciting time for NHL fans. For those supporting teams near the bottom of the standings, the World Juniors provide an opportunity to scout draft-eligible players that—if the draft lottery works out in their favour—may soon bolster their struggling teams’ ranks. While there were no undrafted players on the Canadian roster, other nations displayed their fair share of young talent.

Rasmus Dahlin — Sweden Without a doubt, Dahlin was the biggest name of the tournament in terms of draft-eligible players. Dahlin played a huge role on a Swedish squad that dominated its opponents at the tournament, falling only to Canada in the final. Individually, Dahlin made the tournament all-star team, and was named best defenceman of the tournament with a total of six assists. That performance showed that in addition to being a solid defensive player, he also has tremendous offensive capabilities as a puck-moving defenceman. He is pegged

by virtually all scouts as the top pick in the 2018 NHL draft, and his performance at the tournament did nothing but reinforce his reputation.

Brady Tkachuk — United States A skilled and irritating forward, Tkachuk was an integral part of the American attack, scoring three goals and six assists. In addition, he proved to be a versatile player, defensively responsible and a key component of the American penalty kill unit. When the situation demanded it, Tkachuk proved he could come in clutch: He scored the tying goal in the outdoor game against the Canadians, forcing the game into overtime and allowing the Americans to nab the game in an overtime shootout. While the Americans were ultimately defeated 4-2 by the Swedes in the semi-finals, Tkachuk scored the second American goal in a late-game comeback attempt. Tkachuk is a gritty forward that can get in the face of opponents; however, he has the skill to back up his antics, and is projected to be selected in the top five.

Andrei Svechnikov — Russia

Many regard Sweden’s Rasmus Dahlin as the crown jewel of the 2018 draft class. (worldjunior2017.com)

Svechnikov, a Russian winger, is another forward projected to be a top pick. Many rankings have him positioned to be drafted second overall. Unfortunately for those who hoped to see Svechnikov at the tournament, his playing time was limited as a 17-year-old on a team of

Jordan Foy / Staff Writer

mostly 19 year-olds. Nevertheless, he displayed his offensive prowess in the ice time he was given, adding five assists and tying for second in team scoring. Svechnikov has undeniable speed and skill, and the potential to bring tremendous offensive power to whichever team selects him.

Filip Zadina — Czech Republic Filip Zadina was a key member of a Czech team that surprised many with a substantial upset win over Finland in the quarterfinals. The speedy forward exhibited his high level of skill throughout the tournament, tallying seven goals to reach second in scoring, and was named to the tournament all-star team. In the semi-final game against Canada, Zadina displayed his offensive mastery on a beautiful shot that beat goalie Connor Hart cleanly to score the first goal of the game. His performance wasn’t enough to carry the Czechs to the finals, but, in Zadina, teams can expect a defensively accountable, highlyskilled forward with a nose for the net.

While Canada walked away with the gold, hockey fans around the globe enjoyed an exciting tournament that showcased the game’s elite up-and-coming players. Canadians who were exuberant about the win but support currentlystruggling NHL teams—such as the Oilers, Senators, Canadiens, and Canucks—may see a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of these young stars.

Implications of Herdman’s departure CSA’s gamble threatens progress of Canadian women’s national team Selwynne Hawkins Sports Editor On Jan. 8, via a hurried Twitter announcement, the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) announced a major reorganization at the top of its coaching hierarchy: John Herdman, who spent seven years at the helm of the women’s national team, suddenly fled to the men’s side.

Herdman will replace Octavio Zambrano as the head coach of the men’s national team— currently ranked 94th in the world—with the goal of replicating his previous success with the women’s team. He will also head up the men’s EXCEL program, which drives development by funneling talented young players into high-performance environments. The CSA also announced that the women’s national team has been left in the hands of Kenneth Heiner-Møller, who served as an assistant coach under Herdman.

Heiner-Møller is a capable coach, with experience as the head coach of the Danish women’s side, but with the the looming 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the timing of the swap could still prove disastrous for the Canadian women: With the qualifiers for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup slated for fall 2018, the Canadian women can’t afford a misstep. The move places the men’s and women’s sides in an unnecessary zero-sum situation and fails to properly prioritize the latter.

For Herdman, the swap was inevitable.

Though his success and off-field demeanor cemented him as a key member of the beloved Canadian women’s team, long-term involvement was never his plan. Immediately after his 2013 contract extension, Herdman expressed his desire to eventually step away from the team. His reasoning centred around the importance of female leadership in the women’s game. His plan, as recently as June 2017, was to hand the reins over to a capable female replacement after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The spectacle currently unfolding within the CSA, however, is a far cry from the carefully-formulated succession plan Herdman once promised.

The immediate reactions from long-time national team players Stephanie Labbé and Christine Sinclair indicated disappointment and confusion. Herdman’s coaching philosophy was built on team cohesion and mental strength, and the turbulence and uncertainty of a coaching change at this time could threaten the progress they’ve made in recent years.

After their calamitous last-place finish at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Canadian women were on the rise: Two back-toback bronze medal finishes at the Olympics and, at one point, a best-ever fourth spot on FIFA’s rankings. In 2015, Canada played host to the FIFA Women’s World Cup; though the Canadian women were eliminated in the quarterfinal round, the outpouring of support from young female fans across the country sowed seeds of hope for the future. Their recent mo-

John Herdman faces an uphill challenge with the Canadian men’s national team. (sportsnet.ca) mentum may have created the illusion of stability; however, as they fight to push past—or even remain even with—the German, English, and Australian women for the top spot behind the dominant Americans, they’ll need to maintain steady upward velocity.

Herdman’s comments after the announcement show that he believes his work with the women’s side is done. The CSA’s official statement focuses almost entirely on Herdman’s skills and the need for growth in the men’s program, giving little coverage to the challenges facing Heiner-Møller and the women’s side. The decision, from the perspectives of both Herdman and the CSA, seems to suggest that the women’s fifth-place international ranking is good enough or that the Ca-

nadian women will continue their rise without much consideration. But, while Christine Sinclair, Canada’s lynchpin since the early 2000s, is rapidly approaching retirement, international women’s soccer is undergoing explosive growth. It’s naïve to think that the Canadian women’s national team will continue to improve if they aren’t treated like a priority.

Herdman’s critics are quick to note that he has no high-level experience coaching men, which makes the move risky at best. The CSA’s gamble places the men’s and women’s squads in false opposition, suggesting that the women’s team must take a back seat for the men to improve. In truth, what fans want—and what the CSA should be working toward—is for simultaneous success on both sides.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

16 SPORTS

McGill Martlet basketball shuts down Concordia Stingers

GAME REPORT

A high-energy start and strong defence propel home side to victory Miya Keilin Contributor On Jan. 13, the second-ranked McGill Martlet basketball squad (6-1) tipped off against the no. 6 Concordia Stingers (3-2) in McGill’s sixth annual Shoot for the Cure game. Shoot for the Cure was part of an annual joint fundraising campaign between McGill’s women’s basketball and volleyball teams to support the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. The Martlets, sporting pink uniforms to support their cause, came out on top 63-51 in their second win in three days over Concordia.

“We just played them on Thursday [Jan. 11], and they didn’t do anything different so we were pretty ready,” fifth-year guard Frédérique Potvin said of the matchup.

McGill jumped ahead early and stayed ahead, outscoring Concordia 20-14 and 18-6 in the first and second quarters, respectively. Strong offensive performances from fellow fifth-years Alex Kiss-Rusk and Potvin contributed to the Martlets’ dominance in the first half.

“We started off [with] really high energy and we were putting a lot of pressure on them, not letting them run a lot of the things that they wanted to run,” Kiss-Rusk said.

After the break, the Martlets couldn’t replicate their explosive energy from the first half, allowing Concordia to cut McGill’s lead from 18 to six.

“Third quarter is always tough, [coming back from halftime,] so you have to get back into it and that’s something we need to work on,” Potvin said.

Despite Concordia’s best comeback efforts, McGill’s defence held off the Stingers to earn their third win over their rivals this season. First-year point-guard Kiana Scantlebury pitched in a critical effort throughout the game, and Head Coach Ryan Thorne pointed to her as the “star of the game.”

“We plugged in Kiana Scantlebury and she just brought that level up another notch,” Thorne said. “She played great defence and she didn’t score but she just brought a little something else that gave us opportunities to score. She just got her hands on the ball, created deflections which gave us easy points in transition, so I thought she was amazing.”

With this win, the Martlets have extended their winning streak to seven as they head into the back half of their season, still sitting atop the RSEQ standings. Their next game is on Jan. 26 is at Bishop’s University.

Beyond the box score, first-year Kiana Scantlebury contributed a vital performance. (Hana Shiraishi / The McGill Tribune)

Moment of the game

After a trying third quarter, third-year point guard Gladys Hakizimana scored a buzzer-beater, giving new energy to the team and the crowd.

Quotable

“Right now the plan is to make sure we get better every time out. We don’t look all the way down the road. It’s next game, next practice, let’s make sure we’re trying to get better.”

- Head Coach Ryan Thorne on how the Martlets will approach the back half of the season

Stat corner

With 22 points and 10 boards, fifth-year centre Alex Kiss-Rusk earned her eighth consecutive double-double.

Martlet volleyball sweeps Carabins in Dig for the Cure

GAME REPORT

Winter break training pays off in McGill’s matchup against top rival Patrick Beacham Staff Writer On Jan. 12, the McGill Martlets (9-2) came back from winter break to face the Université de Montréal (UdeM) Carabins (9-2) at the sixth annual Dig for the Cure match, a fundraiser for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. Despite losing each of the season’s four previous matchups to Montreal, McGill led for most of the game, which culminated in a decisive 3-0 victory. Against a strong team like the Carabins, the Martlets were understandably happy with their first performance of the new year. “[The win] feels very good, especially starting 2018 with this game,” fourth-year middle Myriam Robitaille said. “And it’s the second time, also, that we won Dig for the Cure in [its] history, so that feels good.”

The holiday break was no time for rest and relaxation for either team, as both McGill and UdeM travelled cross-country to British Columbia to train with potential postseason rivals from the West.

“The goal of the training camp was to play against really big [blockers],” Martlet Head Coach Rachele Beliveau said. “We were able to really work hard and be able to hit against those [teams], and as we’re coming back, we’re playing Montreal right from the beginning. For us it was good because we were just coming from

training in this situation that we were facing [against UdeM] tonight.”

The trip out West wasn’t the first for McGill to build familiarity with Montreal’s playstyle: Many of the athletes on both teams attended CEGEP together. This shared history enabled each team to effectively read the other, resulting in a game of perpetually changing strategies on both sides. The Carabins couldn’t stay on the ball, however, as the Martlets constantly shifted between long and short spikes. UdeM never managed to keep up, and McGill eventually took off with the third set 25-10.

“We knew we had to be fast against [UdeM], so we just wanted to focus on our passing to capitalize on our play and our speed to destabilize them,” second-year power Claire Vercheval said.

As the game went on and strategies adjusted accordingly, the Martlets continued to drive the tempo. Montreal is a tall team relative to McGill, so the Martlets knew that they had to play quick sets in order to gain an edge.

“That’s our strength,” fifth-year middle Érika Cournoyer added. “We’re a fast team. We try to do fast sets to try to outplay [opponents....] Montreal’s really tall, but they’re not as fast.”

The McGill victory leaves the two teams tied for first place in the RSEQ conference. As the Martlets focus on the upcoming away game against the Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Jan. 19, McGill could be in line to

Moment of the game

Fifth-year middle Érika Cournoyer slammed the ball through the Montreal block in the second set to reach a 7-7 tie, closing the last Carabin lead of the game.

Quotable

“At the beginning it was tough for us, but we got better and better and felt confident that we can hit the ball, even though we have big blocks in front.”

- Head Coach Rachele Beliveau on the importance of the training trip out West

Stat corner

Second-year power Claire Vercheval dominated the scoresheet with 25 total points, followed by second-year middle Elisabeth Perreault with 18.

McGill faced off against UdeM, a team known for its height and big blockers.

(Patrick Beacham / The McGill Tribune) dethrone Montreal.

“We’re gonna work toward [first place], and we just want to keep the intensity very high in-game,” Robitaille said. “Once we get to playoffs, anyone can exceed to the first ranks, so for sure that’s the goal.”

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