The McGill Tribune Vol. 37 Issue 8

The McGill Tribune Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2017 | VOL. 37 | ISSUE 8

EDITORIAL

McGILLTRIBUNE.COM | @McGILLTRIBUNE

FEATURE

HALLOWEEN MOVIES

SSMU President must step up, or step down

The legacy of Student Activism

The best horror movies for all your niche spook-season needs

PG. 5

PGs. 8-9

PG. 11

The primacy of student movements in political activism in Québec

(Kendall McGowan / The McGill Tribune)

Democratize SSMU motion of non-confidence in President fails at Fall General Assembly, Board of Directors ratification sparks controversy McGill administration plans to investigates allegations of discriminatory bias in vote

Ari Charles & Audrey Carleton Contributor & Managing Editor On Oct. 16, a student activist group’s Facebook event titled “Democratize SSMU” appeared on McGill students’ newsfeeds. The group, whose membership is anonymous,

formed after the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Board of Directors (BoD) ratified a SSMU Judicial Board (J-Board) ruling on Sept. 17. The J-Board had previously ruled the Winter 2016 referendum motion mandating SSMU to support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement as unconstitutional.

In defence of ghost stories

Last summer, amid the shelves of children’s novels in my house, I found a book titled 101 Ways to Find a Ghost

by Melissa Martin Ellis. As someone who has always explored and enjoyed anything related to the paranormal, I dove into it. What I found most odd about the book was its meticulous, scientific approach to “ghost hunting.”

Ellis imparts some advice in the opening chapter: “Your credibility as a paranormal investigator relies on maintaining your objectivity. Critics and skeptics believe that most ghost

bodies,” an organizer for Democratize SSMU, who chose to remain anonymous to avoid personal attacks, said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “Frustration due to the fact that they’re not democratic, not transparent, not representative, and very shady in terms of how they organize.”

PG. 2

Five spooky animal species to keep you up at night

Maybe it wasn’t the wind April Barrett Multimedia Editor

On its event page, which has since been taken down, Democratize SSMU listed its goals: To end abuses of power, conflicts of interest, and the neglect of duties within SSMU governing bodies. “[Democratize SSMU formed out of] frustration and a desire to change the current composition of many of SSMU’s governance

hunters are unreliable. Ghost hunters are often labeled as fantasy prone personalities—people who like to make things up.” I love hearing ghost stories, and I’ve always approached sightings of ghosts and other supernatural phenomena with a curious skepticism. I like to ask questions that could explain occurrences in the story (maybe it was just the wind?), but feel a satisfying sensation of eeriness when there appears to be no explanation.

The most horrifying ghost stories I’ve heard have often been from people close to me; objective proof is a difficult concept to insert into this dynamic.

PG. 5

From the vampire finch to the assassin spider, this creature feature will rattle your bones Emma Gillies Contributor Halloween and creepy creatures go hand in hand— but there’s more to the animal kingdom than the generic vampire bat or black cat. Here are five spooky animals to get you in the Halloween spirit: Tufted deer Found in the mountainous

forests of China, Tibet, and Myanmar, the tufted deer is a dainty and elusive animal characterized by a small tuft of black fur on its forehead.

At first glance, it looks like any other deer—until you notice their fangs. Males have protruding canines, known as tusks, that they use as weapons when competing for territories or females. Though females also have canines, they aren’t as long.

This physical difference between the sexes—called sexual dimorphism—may have been brought about by sexual selection, an evolutionary pressure that acts on an organism’s features, and thus, the ability of an organism to mate.

Despite their fangs, these vampire-like deer must still be careful of predators, and are endangered due to poaching and habitat loss.

PG. 13

2 NEWS

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Democratize SSMU motion of non-confidence in President fails at Fall General Assembly, Board of Directors rafitication sparks controversy McGill administration plans to investigate allegations of discriminatory bias in vote Ari Charles & Audrey Carleton Contributor & Managing Editor

Continued from page 1.

The group mobilized at the Fall 2017 General Assembly (GA) to submit a motion of non-confidence in SSMU President Muna Tojiboeva to the agenda. The motion came to the floor four days after SSMU Vice-President (VP) Student Life Jemark Earle read a statement on behalf of the other five SSMU Executives at Legislative Council on Oct. 19, asserting that Tojiboeva had acted on their behalf in a non-transparent manner. In response, Tojiboeva alleged that she was a victim of workplace harassment.

According to Democratize SSMU, Tojiboeva’s own miscommunications about the processes for submitting motions to the GA agenda fell in the way of its attempts to put forth the motion.

Section 13.2 of the SSMU Constitution requires the BoD, Councillors, or SSMU members to submit motions to the agenda two weeks prior to the GA. While Tojiboeva stated that the GA date was posted on the SSMU website in September, there is no evidence to show that she formally announced this submission deadline to SSMU membership beyond this post.

Although all parties were allowed to submit their motions late, each motion subsequently required a two-thirds majority of votes at the GA to be added to the agenda—whereas on-time motions are automatically added, and in turn, voted upon with a requirement of 51 per cent to pass. The motion of non-confidence failed to garner a two-thirds majority—with 61 per cent of students attending GA voting in favour—and as such, was not added to the agenda.

“We, Democratize SSMU, were forced to submit a late motion, faced an uphill battle to get two-thirds majority just to get this on the agenda at the GA,” the organizer said. “[Had Tojiboeva] opened submissions on time, and we submitted our motion on time, and it was automatically on the agenda, and we only needed a simple majority to pass a non-confidence motion, we would’ve had 61 per cent of the vote, and that would’ve passed [....]

Had she done her job, the General Assembly would’ve voted non-confidence for her.”

Following the approval of the agenda, the GA moved into regular business, including the approval of the SSMU Auditor and the ratification of the 2017-18 SSMU BoD, whose year-long term begins on Nov. 15. However, while Board members are typically ratified as a bloc, such that members vote to approve or disapprove the entire Board, SSMU VP Internal Maya Koparkar motioned to divide the question.

This motion passed, and the nominated di-

rectors were ratified as individuals. Of the 10 nominations, seven were ratified for year-long terms, while three members— Noah Lew, Josephine Wright O’Manique, and Alexander Scheffel—failed to be ratified. Both Lew and Scheffel are membersat-large of the current BoD, and were the only two nominated directors who would be returning for second terms.

After the ratification, SSMU members alleged that Democratize SSMU was behind the choice to divide the question.

According to Koparkar, dividing the question was an attempt to improve transparency in the selection of the BoD given the controversy over the constitutionality of the Board’s makeup earlier this semester.

“I am definitely not a member of Democratize SSMU,” Koparkar said in interview with the Tribune. “When all of those conflicts were going on regarding the constitutionality of the Board, someone had alluded to the fact that the Board wasn’t democratic because it wasn’t composed of elected members [....] Someone suggested dividing the question as a way of adding legitimacy to this process, which I felt was fair, especially given that we voted on the councillors for BoD in this manner at Council a couple weeks ago.”

The ratification vote occurred just one week after the BoD’s vote in confidential session to suspend VP Finance Arisha Khan for a two-week period on Oct. 16 for a breach of confidentiality.

At the meeting, SSMU General Manager Ryan Hughes presented the results of an investigation into suspicions that Khan had leaked confidential information to student media. Hughes showed directors a confidential email that Khan had forwarded to a SSMU member who is not part of the executive and is unaffiliated with the student media. During the vote, Khan was at a conference on behalf of SSMU and said she was not warned of the vote prior to the meeting. The Board’s failure to notify Khan would violate article 6.8 of the SSMU Constitution, which stipulates that a Director shall have the right to put forth reasons opposing the proposed removal from office.

“Noah Lew and Alexandre Scheffel are both members of the Board of Directors that voted to suspend [VP] Khan from the Board of Directors when she was away at a conference on foster care without her being given the chance to defend herself,” the Democratize SSMU organizer said.

“In the constitution it says that a Board member can be voted off from their position but they will be notified of the time and place of the meeting and shall be present, [and have] the right to be present to defend themselves. But she wasn’t notified [....] It’s unconstitutional what they did.”

Following his failed ratification, Noah Lew asserted in a widely-shared Facebook status that the students voting against him were motivated by religious prejudice, citing Democratize SSMU’s mention of his name, his affiliation with

The motion put forth expressing non-confidence in SSMU President Muna Tojiboeva failed to be added to the agenda.

(Kendall McGowan / The McGill Tribune) Jewish organizations, and his conflict of on our campus are subjected to situations interest in its Facebook event description. that are discriminatory or disrespectful.”

According to the organizer, the BoD Many members of the McGill community expressed anger and disappointment with ratification was not on Democratize SSthe alleged anti-Semitism behind Lew and MU’s radar when mobilizing students to Scheffel’s failed ratification, including attend the GA. Rather, the motion of nonDavid Naftulin, U1 Arts, a vocal member confidence was their only goal prior—and the BoD ratification vote only became imof the Jewish community on campus. “[Lew] is being ostracized in a politi- portant once the former motion failed.

“A lot of people [...] have made it out cal witch hunt because he is active in his [religious] community,” Naftulin said. “I to seem that this movement came to the posit that any [member of another] minor- GA to unseat these three directors, which ity group that was active in a mainstream is totally false,” the organizer said. “We organization that advocated for their com- came to the GA for one reason, the nonmunity would be under no such scrutiny at confidence motion [....] The principal’s SSMU. And that is the anti-Semitism. It is email makes it seem like we mobilized against those directors, but we didn’t. Dea double standard.”

The allegations of discrimination mocratize SSMU has broad goals of conprompted McGill Principal Suzanne Fort- stitutional reform.”

In the week following the GA, Diier to issue a statement to the student body on Oct. 25, reaffirming McGill’s values of rector Jonathan Glustein petitioned the tolerance and respect. She also detailed SSMU J-Board to rule the division of the the administration’s plans to investigate BoD motion unconstitutional, calling for alleged discriminatory bias or intent be- the upcoming online ratification to vote on the new members as a bloc. The Jhind the results of the vote.

“The allegation is that votes were Board intends to hold hearings to detertaken, and that on account of people’s mine the constitutionality of dividing the perceived religious affiliation, the vote motion and, in the meantime, all the direcagainst [the BoD members] was nega- tors will retain their positions.

Further, the BoD passed a motion tive,” Fortier said in an interview with the Tribune. “So, they were singled out on to form a committee to investigate antiaccount of religious affiliation. So that is Semitism on campus at its Oct. 29 meetthe allegation, and that’s what we will in- ing. The committee’s membership will investigate [....] I think we need to ask our- clude representatives from Jewish cultural selves the question of, how many people groups.

NEWS 3

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

McGill students protest passage of Quebec Bill 62

AUS Legislative Council condemns Quebec Bill 62

Student activists oppose discrimination against women wearing niqabs

Changes quorum for Fall Referendums and proposes lowering Computer Lab fee

Fionn Adamian Staff Writer

Sebastien Pentland-Hyde Contributor

The National Assembly of Québec passed Bill 62 on Oct. 18 by a vote of 66 to 51, mandating that all recipients of government services, as well as the officials providing them, keep their faces uncovered during public exchanges.

The legislation, introduced by Minister of Justice Stephanie Vallée in 2015, applies to patients receiving care from hospital doctors, bus and metro commuters, and public university students attending professors’ lectures.

Since its passage, McGill students have protested the bill by writing letters to Quebec Members of Assembly, wearing sunglasses to class, and circulating petitions online. Although the legislation applies equally to sunglasses and scarves, activists argue that the bill implicitly targets the niqab, a religious garment that covers the face.

“By omitting women’s access to public services if they wear a niqab, you’re essentially omitting a segment of the population from essential services that they are paying taxes to access and maintain,” Munema Moiz, a McGill alumna who was a writer and activist against Islamophobia, said. “On a basic level, if you can’t use a bus anymore, now this person has to make a choice, ‘Should I get to work or school or should I continue wearing my niqab?’”

In a press conference on Oct. 24, Vallée reneged on a previous statement that people would have to uncover their faces to ride the bus, insisting that someone wearing a niqab would not be denied service unless that they refused to remove the garment while presenting photo documentation. However, Bee Khaleeli, U2 Arts, and a co-organizer of the letter writing campaign, maintained that the bill cultivates an unsafe environment for Muslim women.

“Particularly in the context of Montreal, a lot of women who wear a niqab are new immigrants, a lot of women rely on public services to exist in the world,” Khaleeli said. “[The bill] sanctions instances in which women have their veils ripped off. It clearly marks them as outsiders in Quebec society and people who pose a threat to society’s welfare and consequently are deserving of that violence.”

Students are also taking to writing articles to convey their views on the legislation. A group of students at the McGill Faculty of Law penned an opinion piece, titled “Law 62: When ‘neutrality’ rhymes with discrimination,” about the Bill’s discriminatory nature. In the coming months, the students also plan to provide legal resources explaining a person’s rights if an official tries to enforce compliance with it.

“We just want to minimize the impact on individual women who will experience the effects,” Jessica Cytryn, a second year in Law and a co-author of the opinion article, said. “We hope to do this through highlighting that [Bill 62] is unconstitutional.”

Moiz expressed that the bill’s passage had been a long time coming, given how the proposed Québec Charter of Values attempted to single out Muslim women by prohibiting public employees from wearing objects indicating religious affiliation. Activists maintained a positive attitude about the potential for resistance against the law at McGill.

“I don’t think I expected the effort of people who said ‘Even if I can’t come I want to write a letter,’” Khaleeli said. “Students clearly have some interest in agitating against this bill. That’s a really valuable start.”

On Oct. 25, the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Legislative Council held its fourth meeting of the Fall semester.

Councillors passed motions to condemn Bill 62, reduce quorum requirements for General Assemblies (GA), and lower the Ferrier computer lab student fee.

Students protested the passage of Bill 62 by writing letters to their representatives, wearing sunglasses to their classes, and signing online petitions. (montrealgazette.com)

Council condemns Quebec National Assembly Bill 62 Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Arts Representative Jennifer Chan presented a motion to condemn the Quebec provincial legislature for passing the controversial Bill 62, a new law which prohibits citizens from covering their faces while giving or accessing public services, on the basis of religious neutrality. Chan framed the bill as singling out Muslim women, thus going against AUS’ mandate to represent all Arts students equally, and called for the Supreme Court of Canada to rule on its constitutionality. “[Bill 62] infringes on not just federal guidelines, but also our mandate as AUS,” Chan said. “We condemn it publicly […] and also [ask] for the McGill administration to publicly condemn [it].”

McGill has not condemned the law, but Principal Suzanne Fortier has assured students that McGill’s policies and practices will not be influenced. Chan was not satisfied, and pointed to the importance of actively recognizing McGill’s core values. “[We must] ensure that students from diverse cultures, ethnic origins, sexual and gender identifications, religious or faith backgrounds, and all types of disabilities receive equitable treatment in the provision of, and access to, [AUS’] services,” Chan said.

Chan’s motion passed unanimously with one abstention.

General Assembly quorum lowered AUS Vice-President (VP) Academic Madison Wilson and President Erik Partridge moved a motion to reduce the AUS General Assembly (GA) quorum, lowering the minimum number of students needed to hold a GA from 150 to 75 because of traditionally-low voter turnouts.

Additionally, Arts Senator Isabella Anderson called for reducing the current quorum to pass resolutions on AUS strikes and boycotts from 500 to 250.

“If there is something as serious as an AUS strike or boycott, [students] will show up,” Anderson said. “They show up to the GA at SSMU when they care about the issues.”

World Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Student Association (WIMESSA) VP External Andrew Sandock argued that 250 was an unreasonably high number given that the power to call general

AUS Council motioned to condemn Bill 62, lowered the quorum for its General Assemblies. (L-A Benoit / The McGill Tribune) strikes and boycotts are vital tools for minority voices, which wouldn’t have popular support or mobilization.

“There are a lot of smaller boycott and strike movements that exist that will never be able to get a quorum of 250 people,” Sandock said. “We’re talking about everything from Free Tibet movements, to Burma, to police brutality, to environmental change. It’s very difficult to rally when you have such a small movement.”

The motion, as well as its amendment for a quorum of 250 for strike and boycott resolutions, passed.

AUS Proposes Arts Computer Lab Fund Fee Referendum AUS President Erik Partridge proposed including a question in the AUS Fall Referendum to reduce the opt-outable Arts Computer Lab Fund Fee from $7.85 to $3.85. AUS runs a few dozen computers across campus but, according to Partridge, their usage has declined since 2011. Students use, on average, 12 per cent of all arts computers during business hours.

Partridge expressed his desire to reduce the number of computers by 60 per cent and open up the space for group study areas. As an alternative to the desktops, he encouraged students to use the AUS laptop-lending program. Although the usage of this program has increased twofold yearly since its introduction, there are only 40 computers available for rental.

Students will also be voting on a proposed $3 increase on the AUS base fee, from $13.50 to $16.50, to keep up with inflation, as the fee last increased in 2013.

Both proposals will go to referendum.

AUS Council will next meet on Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. in Leacock 232.

4 NEWS

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

A Fall Reading Week presents both benefits and drawbacks A look into the conversation regarding a Fall academic break Caitlin Kindig Contributor In the years following the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council’s November 2015 motion in support of a Fall Reading Week, McGill students are still pushing for its implementation. According to SSMU Vice-President (VP) External Connor Spencer, the administration abandoned the concept shortly after the proposal, citing the university’s rigorous curriculum and leaving the student body without answers or an outcome.

“Often the response the administration gives is that because we are a research-intensive school, we can’t afford to take time off and still keep the challenging level of our studies,” Spencer said. “But many of the U15 [Canada’s 15 research-intensive universities] schools have been able to implement a Fall Reading Week in the last few years.”

SSMU VP University Affairs (UA) Isabelle Oke has worked with the McGill Senate on this project, and considers the implementation of a Fall Reading Week a top priority.

“The deadlock that we find ourselves at is based on the fact that some concessions will have to be made in response to

Students continue to push for a Fall Reading Week while McGill considers the implications. (Arshaaq Jiffry / The McGill Tribune) scheduling constraints, [like] holidays, exam schedules, and the presence of Labour Day at the beginning of the year,” Oke said.

According to Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens, in 2015, then registrar Kathleen Massey addressed whether or not the university

could implement a Fall Reading Week.

Massey created a survey, formed an ad hoc committee, and consulted with several students, staff, and faculty members regarding a potential break.

One option these parties discussed was adding two or three days to the break Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. How-

ever, this would require beginning the semester before Labour Day, thus forcing students living off-campus to sign leases starting in August, and pay an extra month of rent. It would also reduce the number of days between the end of classes and the start of final exams. Another option would be to shorten the holiday break, which is already shorter than that of many other North American universities.

“Having a more dense exam period would mean much more stress on all students,” Dyens said. “While I really pushed for this at first, I also realized through the process that the correlation between a Fall break and better mental health is not that clear in the literature. And I really did not want to create more stress during the exam period.”

Idil Uner, U3 Arts and floor fellow for La Citadelle residence, believes that there is a lot at stake for first-years transitioning to university in the debate over whether to implement a Fall Reading Week.

“As a floor fellow, I see the benefits of having a Fall Reading Week even more,” Uner said. “First-years are not used to having no breaks and studying for weeks on end [....] First year is an overwhelming period and it is unfair of McGill to expect students to navigate it easily without some sort of off time.”

Hillary Clinton tells Montrealers “What Happened” in 2016 Clinton talks sexism, Russia, Comey, and her “damn emails” Alexandra Harvey Opinion Editor

A cheering crowd welcomed an injured Hillary Clinton to the stage at the Palais des congrès de Montréal on Oct. 23. She opened by jokingly describing her doctor’s orders to heal her recently fractured foot.

“The doctor said rest, ice, compress, and elevate,” Clinton said. “So I said, ‘Yes, and Montreal.’”

Clinton was in Montreal to promote her memoir, What Happened, which describes the 2016 U.S. presidential election from her perspective. She expressed her appreciation for the welcoming Canadian audience, remarking on the uniquely close relationship between Canada and the United States.

“I so admire [Canada’s] commitment to a diverse and open society,” Clinton said. “It must be very reassuring to have a charismatic, compassionate leader who cares about people and policy. I remember what that was like.”

Clinton spoke about her

election loss and how she motivated herself to get back into the public sphere. She reflected on what it was like to deliver the concession speech she never expected to give, and compared Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration to getting a root canal but on steroids.

She blamed the outcome of the election largely on former FBI director James Comey’s investigation, the exaggeration of her email controversy, and Russian intelligence hacking. Clinton found Russia’s federal election interference particularly worrying from a global perspective.

She equated the Putin administration’s aggressive efforts to undermine liberal democracies to a modern Cold War, propagated through hacking and the spread of false information. Clinton emphasized the importance of holding political leaders accountable.

Clinton also reminded the audience that today’s American political system is still rife with ingrained misogyny.

“The only way we will get sexism out of politics is to get more women into politics,” Clinton said. “Young women have

come to me telling me they want to run [for office], and I’ve been encouraging them to do it, but I’ve also been very clear that they have to recognize the double standard is alive and well.”

Clinton commended the activists that participated in the Jan. 21 Women’s Marches, at which over four million individuals worldwide came together to stand up for women’s rights and other social justice causes, although she herself chose not to attend.

“I wanted badly to join the crowds and chant my heart out,” Clinton writes in What Happened.

“But I believed it was important for new voices to take the stage, especially on this day. There are so many exciting young women leaders ready to play bigger roles in our politics.”

Clinton applauded the new activism that has surfaced following the 2016 election—namely, athletes kneeling during the national anthem—with people standing up for human rights and democratic values filling her with hope.

“We’re on the right side of history,” Clinton said.

Hillary Clinton called for people to stand up to misogynistic political systems. (huffingtonpost.ca) Clinton’s critical take on sexism and female involvement in politics resonated with audience members. “[Clinton] reminded [me] that the glass ceiling is far from broken,” Alexander Bloomfield, U2 Arts, said after the talk.

Other McGill students at the event expressed optimism—after the event, they commended Clinton for her accomplishments and her role as a trailblazer for women’s rights. “[As the only female presidential nominee for a major American political party, Clin-

ton] holds a perspective that no other woman in the world has,” Alexa Coleman, U2 Arts, said.

“She is fiercely progressive and embodies the archetype of a strong, kick-ass, status quo-defying modern woman.”

Clinton encouraged Americans—and Canadians—to continue the momentum she started by standing up for what they believe in, a fitting end to her speech that mirrors the way she signed off on the final page of her book. “‘What do we do now?’ I said. There was only one answer: ‘Keep going,’ Clinton wrote.

OPINION 5

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

SSMU President must step up, or step down 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 Izze Siemann scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Living Editor Grace Bahler 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 Daniel Freed & Elli Slavitch design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor Ava Zwolinski photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editor April Barrett multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Daniel Lutes webdev@mcgilltribune.com Julia Kafato online@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Ayanna De Graff copy@mcgilltribune.com

The current state of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) is disconcerting, to say the least: Executives and employees have resorted to publishing op-eds against each other, and five of the six remaining executives have formally expressed a position of non-confidence in President Muna Tojiboeva, due to a lack of transparency and communication with both her colleagues and the students she represents. These public rifts diminish the effectiveness and legitimacy of the organization and the important services it provides, negatively impacting its constituents. Moreover, framing the current discord within SSMU solely in terms of “political differences,” as Tojiboeva has done, obscures legitimate student concerns regarding her performance as president.

Until Tojiboeva acknowledges and commits to improving upon her past incompetencies, and the executive team as a whole overcomes their frustrations toward each other, SSMU’s ability to serve students will suffer.

Tojiboeva ran for president to increase transparency and repair student trust in SSMU after a scandal-filled year. As President, she has yet to fulfill these promises. Measures to encourage student engagement and participation in the Oct. 23 Fall General Assembly (GA) were lacking compared to previous years. In particular, Tojiboeva failed to directly communicate the motion submission deadline—two weeks prior to the assembly itself—in time for members to submit motions for

OFF THE BOARD

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

Julia Métraux, Fionn Adamian, Kendall McGowan, Cherry Wu, Grace Gunning, Gabriel Rincon, Avleen Mokha, Virginia Shram, Sophie Brzozowski, Kate Lord, Sam Min, Oceane Marescal, Miguel Principe, Emma Carr, Wasif Husain, Jordan Foy, Patrick Beacham, Winnie Lin, Cordelia Cho, Erica Stefano, Gabriel Helfant, Margaux Delalex

Contributors

Alec Regino, Antoine Vandenborre, Ari Charles, Arshaaq Jiffry, Caitlin Kindig, Chistina Stackpole, Daria Kiseleva, Emma Gillies, Emma Hameau, Fiona Khan, Florence Min, Gal Sandaev, Hana Shiraishi, Janine Xu, Jovi Sidhu, Keating Reid, Kimberly Johnston, Lucas Harvey, Maxime Scraire, Patrick Beacham, Sam Wendel, Sanchi Bhalla, Sebastien Pentland-Hyde

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April Barrett Multimedia Editor Contiuned from page 1.

My belief in ghosts relies on a certain kind of knowledge, one that is not scientific at all, and is in fact, entirely subjective; it requires me to believe in other people. This kind of knowledge is different from the measurable evidence that Ellis looks for, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

The supernatural and paranormal could be analyzed through a scientific, evidencebased framework and, likely, if tested, ghost sightings would prove

consideration at the GA. Consequently, several motions were submitted from the floor, and by extension, required two-thirds majority to be added to the agenda, rather than a simple majority.

This misstep at best shows carelessness, and a weak commitment to upholding democracy within SSMU. Under Tojiboeva’s leadership, important information regarding the meetings and decisions of governing bodies has also become less accessible to students. The SSMU Board of Directors (BoD)—of which Tojiboeva is the Chair—meeting minutes now consist of summaries rather than verbatim accounts, and have not been regularly updated: Oct. 15 and 22 minutes were not uploaded online until Oct. 30, and the Oct. 1 meeting minutes are still missing as of Oct. 31. Moreover, the BoD resolution book has yet to be updated during Tojiboeva’s term, something that she should prioritize if she is serious about increasing transparency.

The Oct. 16 suspension of VicePresident (VP) Finance Arisha Khan from the BoD is another example of the opacity of SSMU practices under Tojiboeva’s leadership. While she was away representing SSMU at a conference, the Board voted to suspend Khan on charge of a confidentiality breach, compromising her ability to defend herself. The President, along with the two other SSMU executives present, had to leave the room for the closed discussion and ultimately abstained from voting. However,

any decision regarding a senior actor within student government must be made transparently, and with adequate due process. As Chair of the BoD, Tojiboeva should have made every attempt to ensure Khan’s representation at the meeting, or otherwise proposed to table the discussion until Khan returned.

These are objective failures of Tojiboeva’s promises of transparency and her ability to fulfill her presidential duties. Yet, she has failed to adequately respond to such criticisms, discounting them in a letter to The Bull and Bear as the SSMU “establishment” disliking her because “they no longer have a reliable lackey to do their bidding in the SSMU Executive.”

On campus, this divide has been interpreted primarily in terms of stances on the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and corresponding charges of anti-Semitism.

These are legitimate and important issues that merit attention in their own right, as do students who feel targeted or unsafe as a result of them. However, by reducing her individual shortcomings to political differences, Tojiboeva exploits and inflames a sensitive political debate on campus, perpetuating dangerous identity politics. Views surrounding these issues must not be conflated with the competency of a SSMU executive in performing their duties, whether or not one agrees with her personal political views.

Furthermore, there are appropriate channels for a SSMU President to voice complaints against fellow

executives. The commentary section of a student publication is not one of them.

Inappropriate or harmful workplace conduct, as Tojiboeva expressed at the Oct. 19 Legislative Council and in her letter, should be addressed through internal human resources channels, not aired out on public forums. Similarly, discord within the executive committee should not have come to the point where executives felt they had to bring the issue to Legislative Council, citing numerous previous failed attempts to resolve their concerns with the President internally.

After the Fall 2017 GA, several executives, including Tojiboeva, expressed desires to “reconcile” their differences and repair their working relationships. This is absolutely critical for SSMU to operate productively.

SSMU executive portfolios require cooperation on a number of issues, and often overlap. Executives function as a team, and must act like one. Ultimately, SSMU’s primary concern must be the provision and improvement of student life and services—executives cannot let the current division distract from this.

It is crucial to recognize discrimination when it occurs, but to equate administrative concerns with political bias endangers SSMU’s democratic accountability. When legitimate and pressing criticisms are levelled against any SSMU executive’s ability to perform their professional duties, they must either step up and respond directly to those complaints, or step down. Right now, the President is doing neither.

Maybe it wasn’t the wind: In defence of ghost stories no conclusive result. But it’s more valuable to view them as folklore.

Folklore is defined by Merriam Webster as “traditional customs, tales, sayings, dances, or art forms preserved among a people.” Today, Reddit threads and Tumblr blogs discussing sightings of Skinwalkers (creatures of Navajo legend) and black-eyed kids (aliens, most likely) are modern communities of people sharing knowledge through anecdotes and word of mouth.

These communities value sensory perception as a way of knowing, and oral history as a record of that knowledge. The channels to impart and gain this kind of knowledge aren’t official, and they certainly aren’t considered legitimate or respectable from an academic standpoint. Still, as folklore has always done, these stories reveal a certain kind of truth. They are a form of expression for people to relate experiences, feelings, and perceptions of their lives that are real despite being unscientific.

Believing in ghosts requires me to take the stories that people tell me at face value. It’s a trust in the idea that other people’s perception might yield something valuable. Hearing these stories out also requires an understanding that reality itself is shaped by multiple

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Enjoying a ghost story— and suspending your disbelief—is all about [...] giving over to the fear of the unknown.

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Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Jasinski editor@mcgilltribune.com

EDITORIAL

perspectives, and can be analyzed through many frameworks. Even if someone may be seeing something that isn’t objectively there, they’re still seeing something. To try to explore the meaning or possibility behind that something, instead of just discounting it because I haven’t experienced it myself, is a validating and mind-opening exercise.

Of course, there will always be

people who intentionally lie or try to profit off of others’ beliefs. As such, when collecting qualitative information, one must remain skeptical. Moreover, it is important to distinguish science from folklore.

These two ways of knowing can intertwine, and even benefit from each other, but ultimately, they serve different purposes.

Still, Ellis’s words suggest that people who have experienced something considered abnormal are required to prove themselves in order to be believed. Even more so, what Ellis reveals is that most people are highly uncomfortable with what they can’t explain.

Enjoying a ghost story—and suspending your disbelief—is all about getting comfortable with ambiguity. It’s about giving over to the fear of the unknown.

So this Halloween, instead of looking outward for proof of ghosts, try looking inward, at your own perception of the world around you. As Stephen King said in his introduction to the 2001 edition of The Shining: “[The] truth is that monsters are real, and ghosts are real, too. They live inside us, and sometimes they win.”

Happy Halloween!

6 OPINION

This summer, Dalhousie University student and VicePresident (VP) Academic and External of the Student Union, Masuma Khan expressed frustration with the Canada 150 celebration via Facebook, emphasizing solidarity with indigenous students and calling out white students for their continued support of the revelry. The post was reported by a fellow student for its supposed targeting of white people through its harsh language and profanity. Following the backlash, Khan faced threat of disciplinary

COMMENTARY

Keating Reid Contributor A fundamental principle of a liberal educational system is its status as “the great equalizer.”

It’s meant to serve as a vehicle for talented individuals to reach their potential, no matter their financial background. It’s a justification for education’s status as a human right. It’s also why The Universal Declaration on Human Rights asserts that “higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.”

To this end, virtually all Canadian universities offer merit scholarships to help poorer students invest in their futures. However, this vision of equal opportunity is threatened by a recent trend in scholarship applications—emphasis on extracurricular activities.

action. Dalhousie’s Vice-Provost of Student Affairs argued that Khan’s post violated a clause of the Code of Student Conduct, stating that “no student shall engage in unwelcome or persistent conduct that the student knows, or ought to reasonably know, would cause another person to feel demeaned, intimidated, or harassed.”

Though the disciplinary action has since been withdrawn, the university has not addressed the regulatory problems that created the situation in the first place: Namely, the student code’s lack of guidelines regarding online speech.

The contentious debate surrounding the blurry lines of free, political, and hate speech in a college setting has been extensively covered: Dalhousie’s Code of Student Conduct includes a provision allowing “peaceful assembly” and “lawful picketing” as political expression. However, it does not extend its reach beyond an old-fashioned conceptualization of political dialogue, and nowhere does it mention speech on the internet.

McGill’s Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures is also silent on the issue. In fact, neither code discusses the internet at all, and this is a troubling oversight. The legislative

machinery of a university exists to protect its students, by limiting

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The internet represents a new venue for political conversation [...] one that Canadian universities are not yet prepared to oversee.

what students can do in universityowned space. Dalhousie and McGill both define their jurisdiction as the physical space of the respective universities. As such, their respective codes of conduct are not designed to administer virtual arenas.

The internet represents a new venue for political conversation, one that is neither public nor private, and one that Canadian universities are not yet prepared to oversee. As long

as the internet exists in a regulatory grey area, students—especially student leaders like Khan, who use online platforms to engage with their communities—will continue to be hurt by the selective application of university regulations. Although the definition of what kind of space the internet is—as well as the nature of acceptable speech within that space— is deeply nuanced, universities have a responsibility to their students to define the ways that they will regulate their online activity prior to deciding to take disciplinary action.

If schools are going to police what students say on the internet, they need to first determine exactly how far their online jurisdiction goes. Arguably, universities have no right to regulate web activity at all. As it stands, the codes of both Dalhousie and McGill apply to the “university community” in the “university context.” If it is decided that certain online activity belongs to that context, and that a school can take disciplinary action against what its students say virtually, then the administration needs to work with students to create comprehensive regulations. Regulatory gaps in regards to internet conduct allow existing regulations to be applied

arbitrarily. In Khan’s case, there was no way for her to know beforehand that her post would fall under the category of “unwelcome and persistent conduct” enumerated by the code. As it stands, the language of both the Dalhousie and McGill codes is too flexible for students to know what is acceptable to post and what is not. This leaves too much room for the code to be applied selectively by, for example, students who wish to target other students. This does not create a safe, transparent, or democratic environment for students who are politically active online.

The venues for public speech are becoming digitalized, and, as a result, the lines between public and private are dissolving. Institutions as a whole need to develop realistic machinery for regulating students’ conduct on the internet. Without such machinery, there is too much potential for the unfair targeting of individuals who use their virtual platforms as quasi-public spaces that collapse the personal and political. Students like Khan should not have to wonder whether their online statements will bring them under the scrutiny of their university administration.

Dalhousie—and McGill—must do better.

The problem with “merit” scholarships “Broad-based” application processes are sold as a progressive practice, allowing capable students whose strengths aren’t measured in a grade point average to compete with their more traditionally academic peers. But, there are unintended, regressive consequences to this development: Namely, it disadvantages students from lower-class backgrounds when competing for the scholarships they need most.

According to a 2015 survey of university admissions teams by gap-year provider World Challenge, extracurricular activities—like volunteering, athletics, and the evernebulous trait of “leadership experience”—have grown in importance for admissions decisions over the last 10 years. The trend also applies to scholarship applications: For example, the McGill Major Entrance Scholarship application recommends listing service, athletic, and artistic activities.

While these non-academic experiences are valuable for students, the reality is that most model scholarship students are not self-made. Taking on extensive extracurricular activities often requires family support—logistically and financially. Athletics are particularly expensive: The cost

of equipment, lessons, travel, and miscellaneous expenses can run into the thousands.

Even less expensive activities, such as volunteering, take parental investment in the form of car rides, help finding opportunities, and above all, encouraging these activities from a young age. Without this parental involvement, students are left with the difficult task of organizing themselves. Some students may even need to balance school with working to support their families, leaving little time for unpaid community work or extracurriculars. It’s no surprise then that participation in extracurricular activities is split along class lines. Children from families wealthy in time and money have an inherent advantage in competing for scholarships, but the truth is, these are the people who need them the least.

In order to remedy these skewed opportunity structures, schools must de-emphasize consideration of extracurricular involvement in broad-based scholarships, and instead use a combination of high school grades and standardized testing. While some parents and educators argue that standardized tests are biased in favour of the rich, and that they only effectively measure testtaking ability, the data shows

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Broad-based scholarship applications do more to disadvantage low-income students than they do to include them.

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Grace Gunning Columnist

New frontiers need rules: University policy must address the internet

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COMMENTARY

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

otherwise. According to a 2012 study from the University of Minnesota, 21.2 per cent of variance in SAT scores can be linked to socioeconomic status. While this number is significant, and speaks to a need for academic equalization as well, it is worth noting that 78.8 per cent of SAT scores have no correlation with socioeconomic status—which is no small amount. The study also found that SAT scores, especially when considered alongside high school grades, can effectively predict university performance.

It is true that students from low-income families face disproportionate challenges in their academic pursuits, and that the problem is not limited to extracurriculars. Schools

in low-income areas may not offer the same resources as their wealthier counterparts.

Certain lifestyle pressures, like needing to work to contribute to family expenses, are unique barriers. But merit scholarships aim to help those students who succeed in spite of such barriers. Admittedly, they’re a palliative solution until society finds a way to truly equitize the education system, but the current trend of broad-based scholarships is not helping in this aim.

Completely eliminating the educational advantages that come with wealth is a difficult task, but broad-based scholarship applications do more to disadvantage lowincome students than they do to include them. Not using expensive, inaccessible extracurricular activities as measures of merit—or at least, viewing them in the context of a student’s financial background—is a start to making education accessible to all.

Increasing need-based financial aid offered by governments and universities is even better. And, while not perfect, the use of standardized testing goes a long way in levelling the playing field. Incorporating these in a thoughtful way would help make sure education remains “the great equalizer.”

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

7 STUDENT LIVING

Montreal murders that shocked the city Unearthing tales of decapitation, psychotic killers, and fatal jealousy

Founded in 1642, Montreal is one of Canada’s oldest and largest cities. Along with its lengthy history come stories of heinous and mysterious acts that inspired ghostly legends, sometimes even changing Canadian history. In the spirit of Halloween, The McGill Tribune has compiled some of the most famous treacherous tales in history to occur close to McGill.

Miguel Principe & Janine Xu , Staff Writer & Contributor

Beeading in Griffintown, 1879 According to legend, a headless ghost appears searching for its lost head on the corner of William and Murray streets in Griffintown every seven years. The entity is thought to be the ghost of Mary Gallagher, a local prostitute who was murdered in the 19th century.

Mary Gallagher was a working class prostitute living in thenslum Griffintown. On the night of June 27, 1879, she picked up a client, Michael Flanagan, and the two set off to meet her friend and fellow prostitute, Susan Kennedy. The next morning, after a downstairs neighbour reported hearing sounds of chopping and the thud of something falling to the floor, police found Gallagher’s severed head in the bathtub. Flanagan was nowhere to be seen.

Soon after, both Kennedy and Flanagan were arrested for murder, and while Kennedy had first reported that she’d seen a strange man enter her house and argue with Gallagher, this was revealed to be false. The police eventually found Kennedy’s hatchet in her apartment, covered in blood and bits of flesh and

hair. Kennedy was sentenced to life in prison, while Flanagan was released from police custody—only to drown in the Peel Basin on Dec. 5, 1879. Meanwhile, Gallagher was buried in a pauper’s grave.

“You have the whole Irish tradition of banshees and ghosts,” Alan Hustak, a former reporter for the Montreal Gazette and author of The Ghost of Griffintown: The True Story of the Murder of Mary Gallagher, told Vice. “The whole story took on a whole different ghostly [aspect] within the Irish community.”

Gallagher’s story was soon propelled from tragic murder to mysterious legend, according to Patrick Lejtenyi, author of the Vice article.

“It did not take long before locals [said] they saw Mary Gallagher’s ghost wandering around,” Lejtenyi wrote. “Everyone in the tightly-knit neighbourhood knew the story of the murdered prostitute, and Irish parents would use the story as a way to threaten their children: Eat your cabbage, or Mary Gallagher will come and get you. Eventually there arose a tradition that Mary would appear every seven years on the night of her murder, headless.”

Gallagher’s ghost haunts William street every seven years. (MTLblog).com

The bloody love triangle of 1967

The Redpath Mansion was demolished in 1955. (CBC.ca)

The Redpath mansion murders of 1901 At the corner of Sherbrooke and Redpath streets lived one of Canada’s most wealthy and influential families, the Redpaths. John Redpath was responsible for building much of the city’s lasting infrastructure, including the Lachine canal, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the library and museum bearing his name on McGill’s downtown campus. Redpath died in 1869, leaving behind 17 children and his second wife.

On June 13, 1901, Peter Redpath, one of John’s sons, came running to his mother’s room, where he found both his mother, Ada Maria Redpath, and his brother, Jocelyn Clifford Redpath, lying in a pool of blood with a revolver near Clifford’s hand. The two were brought to Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH), where Mrs. Redpath immediately died and Clifford remained in a coma until the next day when he was taken off life support. The atrocity attracted widespread publicity, garnering coverage from publications as distant as The New York Times and The Calgary Herald.

Two days later, the coroner’s office came to a verdict: Clifford had not been in his right mind when he killed his mother with the revolver. They suspected he had either been under the influence of alcohol or having an epileptic fit during the act. Upon realizing what he had done, Clifford then turned the gun on himself. Yet, many Montrealers believe that the murder at the Redpath Mansion was not as simple as the verdict made it out to be. According to The Globe, the police did not inform the rest of the Redpath family, who learned of it indirectly.

Strangely, the investigation that led to the conclusion that Clifford was the killer only lasted two days, and the coroner never addressed two contradictions in the evidence. First, many newspapers reported that Clifford was admitted into RVH—but the hospital doesn’t have him in its patient records.

Second, the Redpath’s family physician, Dr. Thomas George Roddick, testified that he examined the bodies immediately after the murder occurred. But according to the Montreal Daily Star, Roddick was in Toronto at the time.

While the case is closed, to some it remains a mystery. “Great Unsolved Mysteries” in Canadian History compiled available data on this case to see if others can fully piece together what happened that night. Today, the corner of Sherbrooke and Redpath has no remnants of the mansion or the suspicious murder that happened within it.

The 1967 murder of James Drummond Ross received little media coverage at the time, but it was a tragic event that shaped Canadian history. Ross was a McGill assistant professor who grew up in a well-to-do family in Westmount. According to Kristian Gravenor, journalist and founder of Montreal stories blog Coolopolis, Ross, who was gay, was purportedly discreet about his sexual orientation, as homosexuality was still illegal in Canada in 1967. At the time of his death, the 36-year-old professor was seeing a younger man named Henry Bérubé.

But Bérubé was also involved with another man, Michael Jenkins, a freelance photographer who felt threatened by Ross. On the night of Oct. 12, 1967, Ross returned to his home on 1565 Pins avenue to find Jenkins on his third floor balcony. Jenkins swiftly pulled out a 0.303 caliber rifle and shot Ross through the stomach. According to several witnesses living in the area, a bloodied Ross managed to run across the street, where Jenkins finally killed him with a shot to the temple.

Bérubé, who was a witness to the murder, refused to testify against Jenkins and even lied about his involvement with Ross. According to Gravenor, this angered the presiding judge, who detained Bérubé in Bordeaux prison for five months and placed a bail of $5,000, which Bérubé was unable to pay.

“I didn’t have a trial and I was confined in deadlock,” Bérubé told Coolopolis. “I decided to write to John Diefenbaker because he was the best criminal lawyer in Canada [....] He ordered me released right away, [but] I never received an apology or compensation.”

Meanwhile, Jenkins was charged with Ross’ murder. According to both the Montreal Gazette and Coolopolis, Jenkins’ lawyer oddly did not present any defence testimony. The jury only deliberated for 90 minutes before deciding Jenkins was guilty, and he was sentenced with to life in prison.

Ross’ death ultimately led to swift changes in Canada’s criminal code. Homosexuality was legalized in 1969, and the practice of detaining witnesses was limited to 90 days. As for Ross, his story was covered only briefly in the Montreal Gazette and the McGill Daily, where there was no mention of his homosexuality or his relationships with Bérubé and Jenkins.

Ross was an assistant professor in philosophy at McGill. (Coolopolis.com)

A legacy of student activism The primacy of student movements in political activism in Québec Domenic Casciato News Editor Quebec’s student unions and federations are some of the most politically active and mobile student networks in the world. Since the first general student strike in 1968, national student federations have organized six more massive strikes in Quebec. Twentyfirst century political activism in the province has largely become organized around the student associations of CEGEPs and universities, mobilized by national student federations.

Although many of the unions and federations associated during the 2012 general strike— the latest in Quebec’s history—have disbanded, student unions and federations like the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) continue to mobilize their members in smaller ways around a myriad of political issues. In the sociopolitical landscape of post2012 Quebec, student unions have become the primary vehicles for political mobilization.

In 1968, the General Union of Quebec Students (UGEC) and the Fédération des associations générales des étudiants des collèges classiques du Québec (FAGECCQ) organized the first general student strike in Quebec’s history. The protests successfully mobilized students from 15 out of 23 CEGEPs throughout the province. Protesters demanded better accessibility to postsecondary institutions for francophone and working-class students, a better understanding of governmental positions concerning loans and bursaries, and that university campuses be more democratic. Many students took to the streets to protest, and some even barricaded themselves in their schools, refusing to allow classes to continue until their demands were met. McGill’s Political Science Association (PSA, now the PSSA) demonstrated by boycotting all political science courses for two weeks and occupying the fourth floor of the Leacock building.

Many of the students’ demands were not met, and UGEC, their primary organizer, disbanded in the years that followed. Nevertheless, the 1968 student demonstrations did successfully pressure the provincial government. In the wake of the protests the government created the Université du Québec network, and established five new universities throughout the province, including Université du Québec à Montreal (UQÀM), the city’s second francophone university. The demonstrations also had one unanticipated consequence, which was not among the striking students’ list of demands: Jumpstarting a long history of student union-led protests in the province of Quebec.

Since 1968, student activism has become the primary method of direct political action in Quebec. In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) External Connor Spencer explained how, in the decades following 1968, student unions and federations mobilized their members to challenge the government on both student and nonstudent issues.

“A lot of activism has always been centred [around university campuses],” Spencer said. “[There’s] this latest wave of activism that, I would argue, started in the 1950s. Before that [...] the majority of mobilization and activism was housed under labour unions. In the ‘50s, [mobilization] was largely led by the students. Then [in the late 1960s...] I think that’s truly when we can say that student associations, student movements, and student activism became 100 per cent related to each other.”

Although the student unions and federations disbanded in the years following 1968, students once again organized a general strike in 1974, this time aiming to abolish entry

level tests for francophone universities, and to improve the province’s financial aid system.

Capitalizing on the student networks that were created during the strike, student associations from 24 CEGEPs and five universities formed the Association Nationale des Étudiantes et des Étudiants du Québec (ANÉÉQ), one of the first national student associations in Quebec.

The founding of ANÉÉQ reinforced the legacy of national associations’ involvement in student activism in Quebec. Members of ANÉÉQ participated in another student strike in 1978, and successfully pressured the government for even more concessions on student financial aid.

In 1986, ANÉÉQ led the fourth student general strike in Quebec’s history after rumours spread that the newly elected Liberal provincial government would reverse a freeze of university tuition in the province. The strike successfully extracted promises from the Liberal Party to maintain the freeze. However, in 1990, Robert Bourassa, premier at the time, announced annual tuition would be raised from $500 to $1,600 over a four-year period.

Although ANÉÉQ mobilized students in reaction to the tuition hike, it failed to organize a general strike, and the tuition hike was not reversed.

In 1993, ANÉÉQ disbanded, but in its place appeared the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec (FECQ) and the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec (FEUQ). In 1996, after the announcement of another round of university tuition hikes, the FEUQ and the FECQ participated in a general student strike, this time organized by a new national student association, the Mouvement pour le droit à l'éducation (MDE). The strike was successful, and the tuition hikes were never enacted, but a divide between radicals and moderates in the student movement appeared. In an interview with the Tribune, Isaac Stethem, Communications Coordinator at the Association for the Voice of Education in Quebec (AVEQ), explained the divide.

“Objectively, the FECQ and the FEUQ were not as far left-wing as ASSÉ, so obviously there are criticisms that come from the political positions taken,” Stethem said.

The FECQ and the FEUQ favoured direct negotiation with governments, and discouraged student strikes when possible, while the MDE was wary of negotiations. The MDE eventually disbanded in 2000 and was replaced by the Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (ASSÉ), which continues to serve as the forum for leftist voices among Quebec’s national student associations.

The ASSÉ, FECQ, and FEUQ came together in 2005 when the Quebec government, facing severe budget cuts, decided to transform $103 million in student grants into student loans. First the ASSÉ decided to call for another general student strike in January, and then the FECQ, FEUQ, SSMU, and the McGill Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) followed suit in March. However, while the ASSÉ continued its strike, the FEUQ and FECQ reached a settlement with the government in April.

Stethem described leftist criticisms of the FECQ and FEUQ during the 2005 protests, and how the resulting division continues to characterize Quebec student movements to this day.

“There was very serious criticism after [the 2005 protests] that, basically, they had split the student movement,” Stethem said. “[...] In any large mobilization, these kinds of

UGEC and FAGECCQ organize first student strike, called for creation of Université du Québec network

ANÉÉQ led strike to demanding improved financial aid

Independent unions strike to abolish entry level tests for francophone universities and improved financial aid.

ANÉÉQ strike later announc

[divisions] always come into it. [When there are] literally hundreds of thousands of people taking part in [a] movement, [there will be] tensions in terms of different perspectives, in terms of who is being presented as public faces of the movement, and in terms of media interviews.”

Many of the FEUQ’s members—including SSMU, one of its largest—were unhappy with the FEUQ’s decision to exclude ASSÉ from negotiations, and left the federation in response. In 2012, however, the FEUQ, FECQ, and ASSÉ once again collaborated to organize the longest general student strike in Quebec’s history. After proposals by the Liberal government to increase tuition by over $1,600 between the years of 2012 and 2018, the three student federations organized a general student strike that lasted multiple months and drew over 250,000 students from across the province. The strike included a protest in Montreal on it’s 100th day that many cite as the single largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history, with over 400,000 participants. Stethem explained how in 2012, unlike during the 2005 strike, FECQ, FEUQ, and ASSÉ were able to collaborate successfully.

“There has definitely been criticism of the role the FECQ and the FEUQ played [in the 2012 protests],” Stethem said. “Some people would say they co-opted it a bit, that they

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When folks have an initiative or are trying to lobby the government for something, they go to students, and they try to get the support of the students.

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weren’t interested in mobilizing around it at the beginning, and that it was ASSÉ and local, independent associations that were [mobilizing] and that [FECQ and FEUQ only] later took on a role. The contrast though, in terms of the role [FECQ and FEUQ] played, [is that] obviously, if you have a big mobilization like that, federations [will] play a role in terms of mobilizing people, organizing events, and being public spokespeople.”

Stethem identified this difference as one of the keys to the movement’s outcome.

“One of the biggest things that’ll happen is, at a certain point, [students] are asked to negotiate with the government to try to come to a settlement,” Stethem said. “The big difference [between 2005 and 2012] is that in 2012, part of what did allow the mobilization to go on for so long was that the three student federations did actually respect working in solidarity. They all required each other’s presence in order to speak with the government, and worked together on that to a great degree.”

The 2012 protests ended when, during the Fall semester, a Parti Québécois government was elected and enacted a tuition freeze, appeasing the demands of the striking student federations. The 2012 protests were the latest general student strike in Quebec, and the last major episode in the student movement. Spencer explained how, following the protests,

e for freeze on tuition. Government nced $1,100 tuition hike.

ANÉÉQ strike for freeze on tuition. Government later announce FEUQ, FECQ, and MDE led strike to prevent tuition hikes from being enacted. Protests revealed divide between leftists and moderates.

student activism has become the principal method of direct action in Quebec.

“Looking from 2012 onwards, [...] if you want something done, you go to the students and get them to sign on,” Spencer said. “When folks have an initiative or are trying to lobby the government for something, they go to students, and they try to get the support of the students.”

Although there has not been a general strike since 2012, student associations and unions throughout the province have continued to mobilize in smaller ways. At McGill, SSMU has rallied around a number of issues, during both periods of student unrest and of inactivity.

“Like a lot of universities, SSMU actively campaigned against the South African apartheid [in the 1980s],” Spencer said. “Something folks don’t realize is that Demilitarize McGill has been a campaign that has come about in waves. It has actually been around since the ‘80s. Tied to that have been demonstrations against nuclear war. Recently we’ve seen a lot of mobilization from SSMU around pipelines, and the construction of pipelines in Canada.

We’re very slowly starting to see mobilization around Indigenous rights. Largely, that’s been mediated [by] discussions of climate justice, and I think that’s one thing that moving forward SSMU has [to work on].”

On Oct. 12, SSMU’s Legislative Council passed a Motion to Endorse the Popular Demonstration Against Racism and the Far-Right on Nov. 12. The motion gives Spencer the mandate to hold two workshops on the far right and to mobilize a contingent of SSMU members to attend the Popular Demonstration Against Racism and the Far-Right. “[The workshops will cover] information and awareness about what the far right looks like when it’s organizing on our campuses,” Spencer said. “The first workshop will [address] what the far right is, how we identify it, and the second workshop is focused more on the specific Quebec context and the rise of the far right in our immediate region, and how it's been mobilizing.”

AVEQ, a national student federation that SSMU is an observing member of, has a number of different political issues it mobilizes around. In an interview with the Tribune, AVEQ Coordinator of Education and Research, Sophia Sahrane listed some of their campaigns.

“One way [AVEQ] contributes [to political activism] is by producing research,” Sahrane said. “We are mandated by our members to approach certain issues, and often, so that we can have ammunition and facts to back up our arguments, we produce research. We have the action fund, where people can apply for funding for direct action, campaigns, and any kind of project that stands within our values and positions. Kristin Perry, who is our Coordinator of Mobilization and Associative Development, facilitates a lot of meetings [...] and puts people in contact [to] further help with mobilization.”

Both SSMU and AVEQ will mobilize its members for the Popular Demonstration Against Racism and the Far-Right on Nov. 12. Quebec’s student unions have, by and large, become the main avenue through which demonstration organizers source members to mobilize. The participation of a student union or national federation can be the deciding factor for whether a demonstration successfully lobbies the government, and few large protests in Quebec are carried out without some degree of student union support or solidarity.

“All issues are inherently political and social issues,” Sahrane said. “When we’re talking about human rights, when we’re talking about student rights, when we’re talking about abuse, racism, transphobia, homophobia, everything boils down to politics. As a student union representing a diversity of students, and having our positions and our values and the different things that we stand for, I think that it’s honourable to give a voice to the people that are most marginalized.”

ASSÉ, FECQ, and FEUQ strike against $1,600 tuition hike, mobilized over 250,000 students at protests' peak.

ASSÉ, FECQ, and FEUQ strike against transformation of $103 million in student grants to student loans.

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

STUDENT LIVING 10

Ask Ainsley: How can I have a safe one-night stand?

Advice for fun and thoughtful casual sex Ainsley Dear Ainsley, Now that I’m in my first year of university, I feel like a lot of my friends are having one-night stands. I’ve never had one before, but I want to prepare myself for the possibility. Do you have any tips on how to have a safe one-night stand?

Sincerely, Contemplating casual sex (CCS) Dear CCS, I’m so glad you’re thinking about this—being safe when engaging in a one-night stand is super important! We tend to view these encounters as having ‘no strings attached,’ but we often forget to think about the potential repercussions of casual sex, especially when it’s with someone new.

When going into a one-night stand, just as in any sexual situation, it’s extremely important to make sure you’re both giving enthusiastic and continuous consent. If you’re at a party and have been drinking, remember that your own and others’ abilities to make rational decisions and give consent might be compromised. If you have the slightest inkling that someone is too drunk to consent, trust your gut, and do not try to engage in sexual activities with them. When you go out, try having one designated friend stay sober and check up on the group in the event that anyone gets too drunk to consent. And, even if you’re sober enough to make decisions on your own, if you’re having doubts about going home with someone, remember that it’s more than okay to change your mind.

If you have decided to go home with someone, it’s a good idea

to tell a friend where you’re going and with whom. Regardless of how good things might go, it can be helpful to have someone looking out for you.

Once you’ve made it to your home or theirs, you still have the option not to have sex. Often during one-night stands, there are pressures or expectations to engage—but you are never obligated to do anything and you have the full right to say ‘no’ at any point in the evening.

In the case that you do decide to have sex, be sure to use protection. There are several kinds, ranging from condoms to the pill, so decide what’s best for you. Either way, you want to make sure you are protecting yourself against STIs and, if applicable, pregnancy.

I know it can be intimidating to bring up the topic of birth control with someone you don’t know very well, but the fact that you’re not familiar with each other—or your practices—makes it even more important.

If it’s your first time venturing into a one-night stand, don’t forget to have fun; there’s no shame in enjoying the night. Keep in mind, though, that because you don’t know this person very well, a one-night stand might not be the best time to push sexual boundaries.

This is probably not when you want to try unconventional sexual positions or sex toys, unless you and your partner have both explicitly consented to that beforehand. While it’s important to feel comfortable expressing yourself sexually, if you just met the person you’re with, they may feel pressured into saying ‘yes’ to things because they don’t yet know you well enough to say no. If there’s a time to keep things simple, it’s now.

When it comes to spending the night, it’s important not to have too many expectations. Don’t assume that you will sleep over at someone’s place or that they will stay over at yours, because for some people, sharing a bed is more intimate than sex. If you find yourself wanting to say a simple “bye” post-sex, honesty is your best bet.

Kindly tell your partner that you prefer to sleep alone, or that you’ve got to be up early the next day. They should respect your decision, just

as you should respect theirs.

On another note, it’s definitely worth communicating your longterm expectations with your partner post-sex. Whether you want your one-night stand to remain one-time, you want to see the other person again, or you want to take things to a new level emotionally, let them know, and hear them out if they want something different.

Romantic comedies tend to portray tired tropes of one-night stands as the beginning of a happily ever after. Sometimes this is the case, sometimes it isn’t, and the only way you’ll know is if you talk about it.

One-night stands can be fun, but they require care and communication. The best advice I can give you is to prioritize your happiness, comfort, and certainty surrounding the decisions you make. Everyone has their own preference when exploring intimacy and sexuality, and it’s all a matter of personal choice when discovering what you want.

Stay safe, Ainsley

Embrace the one-night stand and the measures involved to stay safe.

(Florence Min / The McGill Tribune)

WORD ON THE Y What’s your favourite Halloween memory?

When it comes to Halloween memories, everyone has had their share of tricks and treats. The McGill Tribune talked to students passing by the Y-Intersection about their spine-tingling, sugar-filled, sentimental recollections of Halloweens past.

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by Emma Carr, Miguel Principe, Mary Lynne Loftus

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Sophie Sklar UO ARTS “[I remember] always carving a pumpkin. That was like, the big shabang with all of my cousins. [Also] trick-ortreating. All the kids on my block would dress in a group costume, and then we would drive to the rich [neighbourhoods] to get full-sized candy bars.”

Taylor Burnett U2 Anthropology “My mom used to do group Halloween costumes for me and my siblings. For three years in a row, she was Cruella de Vil and me and my little sisters were all dalmatian puppies. [101 Dalmatians] was one of my favourite movies, so I appreciate that she put in effort. She walked me and my twin and my younger sister around the neighbourhood in our little dog costumes.”

Vishwaa Ramkrishnan UO, ARTS “[I love] Kit Kat bars. [I remember] digging through candy [bags] for Kit Kat bars. Once the Kit Kat bars are [gone], basically Halloween is over. Nowadays I don’t go trick-or-treating as much, I just steal [Kit Kats] off my sister.”

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SANCHIT GUPTA U2 BIOCHEMISTRY “A bunch of my friends, we went to a house that never celebrates Halloween [...] and rang the doorbell and sprinted down the street. [The owner of the house] got in his car and followed us.

After that, we never went back there.”

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Milton Calderon U2 International Development and Economics “My friend Josh and I [...] we would go around the neighborhood with our bag and collect candy. It was sweet.

Sometimes we would give out candy. I remember one time I was a zombie and I cut my shirt and my sisters painted my face, so that was chill.”

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Harriet Yan U3 Physiology “One year, my best friend and I dressed up as giant babies and it was the best Halloween ever. That was when we were in high school. It was a really silly costume and we had a lot of fun. We got a lot of weird looks from people in public because we went to school in them.”

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Kevin Judras U3 PSYCHOLOGY “My favourite Halloween memories are with my father. [We would] get some [pumpkins], carve them up, and give candy to children.”

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Tuesday, October 31, 2017

A&E Halloween special:

The best horror movies for all your niche spook-season needs With Christmas family-comedy season about to rear its cringey head, our writers prescribe four horror classics to keep your spook levels up all year round.

Illustrations by Daria Kiseleva

Horror movie with the best female leads: ‘Ginger Snaps’ Christina Stackpole Contributor

In a genre littered with disturbing representations of women, Ginger Snaps (2000) offers a unique portrayal of meaningful and complex female relationships, and an examination of the bonds of sisterhood. Ginger and Brigitte Fitzgerald (Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins) are teenaged sisters attached at the hip—snarky loners with a macabre

Ginger and Brigitte Fitzgerald are horror’s fiercest heroines.

sense of humour and a fascination with death. However, when Ginger gets her first period and is subsequently attacked by a werewolf, she begins a monstrous physical and psychological transformation—and it is up to Brigitte to save her.

Ginger Snaps is a fearless, sharp, and truly important feminist contribution to the horror genre—complete with excellent special effects, beautiful art direction, and a darkly-comedic script.

Isabelle and Perkins are standouts as the film’s feisty heroines. Director John Fawcett (Orphan Black) forgoes sexist stereotypes. Instead, Fawcett delivers a scathing commentary on the impossible double-standard of purity and sexual experience, society’s fear of powerful women, and the stigma against menstruation. If you’re on the hunt for a great creature feature with some pitchblack humor and hard-hitting social commentary, look no further.

Horror movie that will make you want to never have kids: ‘Dark Water’ Chistina Stackpole Contributor

If you’re ever considering having children, look no further than the ageold “creepy child” horror film to squash that desire once and for all. Perhaps no subgenre does it better than Japanese ghost stories, most notably in Dark Water (2002). Don’t be turned off by the shoddy American remake—the original Dark Water is a modern horror milestone. Directed by Hideo Nakata (Ringu, 1998), Dark Water is a chilling

melodrama about a divorced mother who moves into a derelict apartment building with her young daughter, only to be haunted by inexplicable ghostly activity involving water and a mysterious young girl.

Nakata combines genuinely unnerving images with an emotionally resonant story about failed motherhood, abandonment, and breaking traditional family roles. Most of Dark Water’s terror stems from the expertly-crafted atmosphere, which Nakata accomplishes through his use of cool tones, sepia

colouring, and jarring cinematography.

Even in the lulls between scares, the film’s pervasive sense of dread and isolation keeps viewers tightly in its clutches until the very end.

The child-ghost is an ominous reminder of the consequences of neglectful parenting and cycles of abuse.

Impeccably produced, superbly written, and frighteningly relevant, Dark Water is a challenging tear-jerker that will appeal both to horror connoisseurs and those more hesitant to dip their toes into the genre.

Dark Water’s child-ghost provokes parental anxieties.

Best date night horror movie: ‘Paranormal Activity’ Jordan Foy Staff Writer

Paranormal Activity is a rare thriller fit for both Halloween and Valentine’s Day.

Paranormal Activity (2007) is the perfect date night horror movie— combining thrills, innovative filmmaking techniques, and a compelling story. Oren Peli’s low-budget film uses a foundfootage style to tell the story of couple Micah and Katie, the latter of whom

has suffered from strange inexplicable occurrences throughout her life. Micah’s attempt to get to the bottom of this results in a clash with the supernatural forces that are haunting Katie. The experiences faced by the couple push their relationship to the edge.

The good thing about Paranormal Activity is that it’s not too scary; there are enough thrills to make for a solid bonding experience between you and

your date, without the risk of losing any sleep. Paranormal Activity also offers good post-film discussions, and there’s a plethora of ‘did you see that’ moments to chat about once the movie ends. Plus, film nerds will appreciate the impressive special effects, given the movie’s lowbudget.

Don’t judge Paranormal Activity by the series of mediocre sequels it spawned—the original is truly a classic.

Best spooky drinking game movie: ‘The ABC’s of Death’ Virginia Shram Staff Writer

Can’t decide on a movie?

Preparing for a Halloween bash?

The ABC’s of Death (2012) is the modern equivalent of clicking through creepy YouTube videos as a preteen at a 2-a.m. slumber party and eventually landing on “Scary Car Commercial.” By no means a critically-acclaimed film, it is nonetheless rowdy, indulgent,

bloody fun. The movie is composed of shorts, each corresponding to one of 26 words starting with each letter from A-Z. Since the anthology is a collaboration between 26 different directors, there’s something for everyone in varying levels of dread—including classic paranoia, body-horror, gore, slasher, and even comedy.

The ABC’s of Death’s segmented structure makes it a great Halloween party movie, and also perfect for

drinking games. The rules: Each person has the length of the short to guess the word that characterizes the segment. Each person can only guess once, and after being claimed, that answer is locked in and off the table for anyone else. There’s advantage to an early guess, but slightly more risk. If you guess correctly, everyone else drinks twice. If everyone gets it wrong, everyone drinks once. If anyone screams prematurely, they have to take a bonus sip.

The ABC’s of Death is a horror anthology perfect for Halloween parties.

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Nuné Melik fights for inclusivity in Classical music PhD candidate’s new album compiles Armenian staples for violin and piano Maxime Scraire Contributor “Do you mind if I shoot the interview?”

Nuné Melik’s friend asked as we settled in the The McGill Tribune’s office.

“It is pretty much just to brag [on social media] about how important and famous I am,” Melik added with a self-deprecating smile.

She might not be famous just yet, but after only a few minutes in her company, it becomes clear Melik is on her way to accomplishing great

things.

In the past year alone, the up-and-coming classical violinist played at Carnegie Hall and the United Nations after winning the Waldo Mayo Violin Competition, published a volume of her own poetry, and released a crowdfunded record with her long-time musical partner, pianist Michel-Alexandre Broekart—all while pursuing her doctorate studies in music at McGill. She is now touring North America, playing in a handful of major cities before the year’s end.

The album, her first, is the result of seven

Nuné Melik has performed at Carnegie Hall and the United Nations. (instrumentbank.canadacouncil.ca/)

years of relentless work, including extensive research on Armenian classical music, and two years of recording. The result, Hidden Treasure: Classical Armenian Music for Violin and Piano, is an emotionally-charged introduction to both her formidable talent and classical Armenian music.

“I’m really proud of this project, and I’m not easily satisfied with myself,” Melik said.

Of Armenian and Georgian descent, Melik is passionate about shining a light on the music she grew up with, and strives to give a voice to the neglected composers who shaped her.

“I want people to learn about this music, or at least acknowledge its existence,” Melik said.

“Because today, it’s as if it’s not even there, you know? It’s wrong. [Our music] is beautiful. It has its value.”

Her album stands in opposition to her classical contemporaries, many of whom she criticizes for abandoning those who stand in the margin.

“We’ve been running circles around absolutely the same repertoire for centuries,” Melik said. “Everything that is not Beethoven, Mozart, or Shostakovich is not even worth being considered.”

With Hidden Treasure, Melik forges her own path as a curator, recording not what she knows will make her famous, but what she believes needs to be heard.

“The main message is really just to celebrate that we are still here, and that we continue to create things,” Melik said.

In addition to popularizing Armenian music by both playing and recording it, Melik seeks to make the music more accessible to classical performers. Over the past few years, she has traveled to Armenia three times, to gather sheet music that cannot be found in North America.

Her travels were worthwhile.

“I have, I think, the most impressive library of Armenian music in North America right now,” Melik said.

Melik is now considering launching an electronic library on her website, to which access would be granted on a pay-what-you-can basis. Meanwhile, she continues to work on her doctorate thesis and is shooting a documentary feature on Arno Babajanian, an Armenian piano virtuoso whose three-piece “Violin Sonata in B-Flat Minor” and “Elegy” are featured on Hidden Treasure.

The album release might feel like the end of a chapter, but for Nuné, there is no slowing down.

“I’m leaving for Mexico [on] Monday. I’m going to give masterclasses [and] play with the orchestra,” Melik said. “I’ll most likely present the album also.”

She also has a Canadian tour planned with Jeunesse Musicale and a Chinese tour coming up in 2019.

“I just want to impact the world in a better way,” she says. “I don’t know if I’m gonna succeed, but at least I’m trying.”

While Melik continues to push the boundaries of the exclusive classical music canon, no one will contest that.

Cristina Cugliandro spin-off adaptation asks pertinent questions Montreal director’s production explores issues of women’s rights during the flapper era Avleen K. Mokha Staff Writer Montreal-based director Cristina Cugliandro, co-founder of Odd Stumble Theatre, is staging What Happened After Nora Left Her Husband on Nov. 3 and 4. A part of Imago Theatre’s forthcoming Her Side of the Story: Revision to Resist theatre festival, taking place from Oct. 31 to Nov. 5, Cugliandro’s story holds relevance for today.

“As a theatre practitioner I strive to tell stories I believe are important,” Cugliandro said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “If a deep thought or feeling is born, unleashed, or revisited, the work has fulfilled its purpose.”

What Happened After Nora Left Her Husband, written by Austrian playwright Elfriede Jelinek in 1979, follows Nora Helmer, the female protagonist from Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, who leaves her husband at the end of Ibsen’s play, thus starting her long-due search for independence.

Cugliandro concedes that she is less pessimistic than Jelinek, but admits that the playwright’s piece asks hard questions about the notion of progress.

“When I read [Jelinek’s] piece, I was struck by how she draws upon Ibsen’s plays,” Cugliandro said. “She brought together many elements [...] how the unchallenged capitalist society has morphed our humanity and our beliefs. [Essentially], how easily we are taught to […] absorb ideas about gender and class. The most inspiring feature was […] how [Jelinek] does not apologize for her opinions.”

The cultural mood of the play also piqued Cugliandro’s interest. Set in the so-called ‘flapper era’ of the 1920s, the setting is one of apparent abundance, although the instability leading up to the Great Depression can already be felt. The script sets up a parallel between Nora’s individual experience as a woman who leaves her husband, and larger economic and racial systems of violence.

“During this time, women’s movements began to gain momentum, but [Jelinek] was uncertain what these would lead to,” Cugliandro said. “She [wants to know] whether [our] ideas about the placement of gender have changed or not. I think that’s an interesting conversation to have. When we look at gender, race, and politics today, we start to realize that [discrimination] is still in place.”

Cugliandro seeks to depict the intersectional oppression left out of Ibsen’s original play. (imagotheatre.ca) Cugliandro is also moved by the depiction of advertisements in the script, and the advertising industry’s role in distributing propaganda both during and in between the two World Wars. According to Cugliandro, the mission of Jelinek’s sequel was to show how economics, sexism, and racism intertwine. Cugliandro, her actors, and her crew worked as a team to centre these themes in the adaptation.

“The idea for taking a text like this [was to talk] to the actors and crew about what the style of the delivery will be,” Cugliandro said. “The Brechtian technique of alienation [to] simply state things, so the audience understands what is being talked about [was also important]. The

play is actually full of humour and hilarious moments. For me, it was about finding that balance [...] about allowing people to laugh, cry and understand at the same time [...] to awaken and provoke thought.”

Cugliandro hopes to convey a message of active and critical thinking to a generally sheltered Western theatre audience.

“I think real change comes from knowledge and anger,” Cugliandro said. “It’s not enough to say [those of us in the Western world] are the lucky ones. We need to find ways to change the society we find ourselves in [….] Hopefully the piece starts a discussion about where we are and how to go forward in the best way we can.”

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Tuesday, October 31, 2017

10 Things: Athletes whose careers came back from the ‘dead’ Professionals from across the sporting world with amazing career comeback stories Lucas Harvey, Contributor Sam Wendel, Contributor Jordan Foy, Staff Writer Stephen Gill, Sports Editor

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Kurt Warner

After he went undrafted in the 1993 NFL Draft and was subsequently cut by the Green Bay Packers, Warner began stocking grocery store shelves. But the quarterback persisted, and after dominating in the Arena Football League for three seasons, was given another shot by the St. Louis Rams in 1997. He made most of the opportunity, finishing his career with two Most Valuable Player awards, one Super Bowl ring, and two additional Super Bowl appearances.

2. Dara Torres

Torres’ return to swimming in the 2000 Sydney Olympics was surprising enough, as she earned five medals as part of Team U.S.A. However, she one-upped that feat when she came back to Olympic swimming once again in 2008. At 41 years old and 16 months after giving birth, Torres won three silver medals in Beijing.

3. Petr Cech

In a Premier League match in 2006, the then-Chelsea goalkeeper was struck in the head by an opposing player’s knee. The collision gave Cech a nearlyfatal depressed skull fracture. Despite the traumatic injury, he returned to play later in the season in superb form, including nine consecutive clean sheets.

4. Bethany Hamilton 8. Mario Lemieux In 2003, Hamilton was bitten by a shark while surfing. The attack left her without her left arm, but after just a month of recovery, she began surfing again. Hamilton would go on to surf professionally with inspirational success, nearly winning prestigious competitions such as the U.S. Open of Surfing and Fiji Women’s Pro. She has participated in competitions as recently as 2016.

In 1993, the hockey legend was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This only kept him out of action for two months, and he still managed to win the Art Ross Trophy that season. Lemieux played five seasons after the diagnosis—winning two more Ross trophies and a Hart Memorial trophy— finally deciding to hang it up and become an owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Amazingly, the Hall-ofFamer returned to the league again from 2000 to 2006 in an unprecedented player-owner role.

While dodging the draft, Ali had his boxing license suspended and couldn’t box competitively for three years. He returned to boxing after his conviction was overturned. Despite a rusty start, Ali regained his prior dominance, defeating boxing legends like Joe Frazier and George Foreman on his way back to the top.

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5. Muhammad Ali

6. Shaun Livingston

10. Brett Favre

After an illustrious 16-year career with the Green Bay Packers—highlighted by three consecutive MVP awards and one Super Bowl—Brett Favre called it a career on March 4, 2008, but for just 156 days before returning to the NFL to sign with the New York Jets. After an up-and-down season, he retired again—this time, for 112 days. Favre would go on to play one of the best statistical seasons of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, with a Pro Bowl appearance and almost another Super Bowl appearance before retiring for a third time. This time, it was for good.

Andre Agassi

Agassi won two Grand Slam finals and reached another in 1994 and 1995, but failed to follow up in 1996. His career bottomed out the following year between a wrist injury, failed marriage, and crystal meth bout. Still, Agassi came back in 1999 to win two Grand Slams and finish second at Wimbledon.

In Livingston’s third NBA season, he landed awkwardly on his leg in a graphic injury that resulted in three torn ligaments, a sprained MCL, a dislocated patella, and a dislocated kneecap. Doctors considered amputation, but ultimately he overcame the injury and returned to the league. Since then, he has sustained a career as an experienced veteran, winning two NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors.

7. Monica Seles

During her reign as the world’s top female tennis player, Seles was stabbed by a spectator during a Citizen Cup match in 1993. She missed two years while recovering from the attack, but eventually returned to tennis to win an Australian Open championship and reach three more Grand Slam finals.

Athletes have gone to incredible lenghths to bring their careers back to life. (Jackie Houston / The McGill Tribune)

Know Your Athlete: Jenning Leung

After an improbable rise, the Redmen basketball veteran looks to end his career on a high note Alec Regino Contributor As Jenning Leung, the six-foot-one starting McGill Redmen point guard, was set to begin his fifth and final year, he reflected on some of the things he’s grown to appreciate during his time at McGill.

“I’ll miss Montreal a lot,” Leung said. “I love the city and my friends here. I’ll especially miss the basketball team. hose are my brothers. I’ll miss the coaching staff. They are a special team of guys and I’ll miss them a ton.”

Last season, Leung and the Redmen matched the program’s best-ever finish: They came fourth at nationals, thwarted by the Dalhousie Tigers in a close loss. Leung was also named RSEQ First Team All-Star after scoring over 14 points per game, the second best mark in the RSEQ. But Leung wasn’t always a mainstay on the team. When he first joined the Redmen in 2013, he averaged just six minutes per game.

“In my first year, one of the major issues was that my confidence level wasn’t high,” Leung said. “I was so shocked about how good everyone else was.”

Leung’s recruitment story is far from typical. He grew up and learned to love the game in the Philippines, where his brother— a McGill alum—coached him. In his senior

year of high school, Leung sent emails to universities all over Canada and flew across the world to try out for teams willing to watch him play. McGill was the first school to offer him a spot.

Once Leung started training with the team, it was a whole new ball game.

“When I first came I was not up the same level as the other guys,” Leung said. “It was a shock to me. The game was much faster, and mentally I was just like, ‘What’s happening?’”

Leung, however, remained persistent.

Despite his slow start, he worked on his game relentlessly that summer back in the Philippines. During his second year, opportunity sprang in the form of a shallow point guard rotation. By the end of his sophomore season, Leung had started in 13 games, and has been a starter ever since.

But Leung isn’t satisfied solely with individual growth. Wanting to win a championship with McGill was one of the main reasons he decided to come back for a fifth season.

“We finished fourth in nationals, but the goal was to win it all,” Leung said. “It was just a disappointing end to the season, and I really think that our team is special and I think we can win it this year. That’s one of the major reasons I came back. The expectation this year is to win a national championship.”

Leung has already accomplished the once-improbable objectives of making the

Fifth-year guard Jenning Leung displays his fearsome ballhandling. (McGill Athletics) roster of a university basketball team from a country that is rarely scouted, and has worked tirelessly to secure his position in the rotation.

A national championship—an elusive standard that the McGill men’s basketball team has yet to reach—would be the icing on the cake for this determined athlete.

After he finishes out his final year at McGill, Leung hopes he can continue to play

basketball at a high level.

“I’d like to go to Asia and play professionally,” Leung said. “A lot of things have to go right for [that] to happen, but that’s something I’d like to do.”

On Nov. 9, Leung will suit up for his final home opener as a member of the McGill Redmen basketball team.

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Tuesday, October 31, 2017

McGill Redmen soccer haunts Stingers in last regular season home game

GAME REPORT

A dominant second half pushes McGill to victory

midfielder Michael McIntyre said.

The Redmen offence struck again in the 58th minute, after a superb pass resulted in an easy tap in by secondyear forward Mehdi Ibn-Brahim.

Later in the game, McGill capitalized once more when Bonalumi took advantage of a misplay by a Concordia defender for his second goal of the night. The Redmen then contained the Stingers’ offence for the remainder of the half and secured the win.

The match marked the last home game for many graduating veterans on the team, who expressed how thankful they are for the team and the experience.

“I was just looking forward to the opportunity of playing, and trying not to think about it being as my last game,

Jordan Foy Staff Writer On Oct. 27, McGill Redmen soccer (4-5-3) took on the Concordia Stingers (3-8-1). The highly physical game resulted in a 3-1 victory for McGill.

The first half was a close affair, with both teams registering a goal each. The Redmen came out strong and were able to get ahead early, when second-year midfielder Roberto

Second-year forward Mehdi Ibn-Brahim dribbles past a defender. (Ava Zwolinski / The McGill Tribune) Bonalumi booted the ball past the Concordia keeper.

In the opening minutes, McGill controlled the play well, employing excellent ball movement to halt the Concordia attack. But, as the half went on, their play slipped and Concordia scored midway through the half to tie the game.

During halftime, the Redmen regrouped and focused on tightening up their game.

“We told them […] they have

to execute better,” Head Coach Marc Mounicot said. “They have to be more dangerous offensively, and the use of the ball has to be much more positive [….] We were hoping for a reaction, and I think they did [react].”

In the second half, the Redmen were able to regain control over the game by refocusing their strategy.

“Instead of putting our heads down, we just knew that we had to come out strong in the second half, and just change the momentum,” fifth-year

and instead just trying to enjoy it.” McIntyre, one of the six graduating players, said.

For defender Davide Salvoni, the game was bittersweet.

“I dedicated a lot of time to this program for four years, so it felt a little tough to let it go, you know, break the routine I’ve been in for the last four years,” Salvoni said. “So I definitely wanted to end it on a good note.”

On Oct. 29, the Redmen took on the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins (7-4-1) at Stade Saputo, losing 1-0. Despite the loss, the team still secured a berth in the RSEQ playoffs. They’ll face off against the Université de Montréal Carabins on Nov. 11 at Stade Cepsum in the semifinal round.

Moment of the game

Late in the first half, McGill goaltender Antoine Marchal and a Concordia attacker engaged in an epic footrace for a stray ball, in which Marchal just managed to boot it out of reach of the Stingers forward.

Quotable

“I think we came out with the right mindset, we were just worried about ourselves, rather than the other team. And we never stopped throughout the whole game, even when they tied it up.”

- Fourth-year midfielder Michael McIntyre

Stat corner

Despite Concordia outshooting McGill 9-6, the Redmen registered more shots on target, edging the Stingers 5-3.

Redmen lacrosse leaves Gee-Gees aghast in sudden-death playoff

GAME REPORT

McGill was out for blood at the last home game of 2017 Patrick Beacham Staff Writer McGill Redmen lacrosse (12-1) stormed Molson Stadium at their Oct. 28 game as they went head to head with the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees (4-9), battling for a qualifying berth at the 2017 Baggataway Cup. McGill ran away with the game after taking the first quarter 4-2, ending with a definitive 17-6 victory.

After losing to Ottawa in 2016 during a sudden death playoff, the Redmen have now defeated the Gee-Gees three times this year, increasing their scoring margin each game.

“It’s always tough to beat the same team three times,” Redmen Head Coach Tim Murdoch said. “It was a total team win, and I think that our bench depth was really on display tonight.”

The Redmen attack line rushed the ball up the field with increased intensity each time, and Ottawa could neither keep up with McGill’s rotations, nor protect their goal from an onslaught of flying shots.

“We have threats from all over the field,” Murdoch said. “We have a lot of depth, and that’s going to really serve us well in the playoffs.”

The Gee-Gees were seldom able to get the ball up into their offensive end, let alone generate scoring opportunities. Save for some brief moments during Ottawa’s last attempts to make a comeback, McGill fifth-

year goalkeeper William Waesche easily blocked opposing shots and lobbed the ball up to the offence for swift transitions.

“In any great defence, it takes a lot of help from the offence to set the tone,” Waesche said. “I thought today was a very offence-led effort. As a goalie, I was really happy with being supported from the other side of the field.”

The Gee-Gees, after enduring numerous Redmen offensive blitzes, were visibly deflated. In their last breath, they managed to put up two final goals at the end of the third quarter. McGill then swept the fourth quarter with a 4-0 shutout.

“We played 80 minutes of team lacrosse and it’s the first time we did that all season,” Redmen first-year midfielder Gardie Herr said. “We didn’t have a lull after the half which usually happens to us. It’s just nice to go out there and win.”

It is still uncertain whom McGill will face in the first round of the Baggataway Cup, though it will likely be either the Queen’s Gaels or the Western Mustangs.

Heading into the national playoffs—hosted in Kingston between Nov. 3 and 5—the Redmen will use the upcoming week to sharpen up and prepare to take another stab at the championship.

“We’re just focusing on bringing the intensity every day,” McGill first-year defenceman Oliver Bolsterli said. “And just getting better every day of the week so we’re ready to roll on Saturday.”

First-year defenceman Oliver Bolsterli fends off a Gee-Gee aggressor. (Patrick Beacham / The McGill Tribune)

Moment of the game

Immediately following a faceoff in the third quarter as Ottawa was deteriorating, firstyear midfielder Gardie Herr was cornered by two Gee-Gees who proceeded to strike him in the face with their sticks, knocking him to the ground.

Quotable

“It’s a great feeling [to go back]. There’s nothing better than playing for a championship.”

-Bolsterli on getting back to the championships after last year’s upset.

Stat corner

Three Redmen—Liam MacDonald, Maxime Murdoch, and Goose Bolton—dominated the scoresheet, accounting for 11 of the team’s 17 goals.