The McGill Tribune Vol. 39 Issue 1

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2019 | VOL. 39 | ISSUE 1

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Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

GAME REPORT

I’d rather be a Martlet

Signed and sealed

McGill men’s rugby dominates against Harvard

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PGs. 8-9

PG. 16

(Leanne Young / The McGill Tribune)

Tribune Explains: Campus construction

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Frosh sends troubling messages about drinking culture Makena Anderson Contributor Following a significant backlash in past years regarding the toxic nature of many Canadian Frosh weeks, McGill has

made attempts to improve the experiences of incoming students. Frosh coordinators across faculties have, in consultation with staff and the administration, implemented new policies that seem to have improved student well-being and safety during Frosh. In recent years, the university has

emphasized consent education and renewed its commitment to inclusivity through programs like Access Allies, during which leaders receive additional training sessions to welcome first years. While many aspects of the week have changed, McGill remains one of the few Canadian

universities to continue to promote the consumption of alcohol during Frosh.

In continuing to legitimize wet Frosh weeks, McGill introduces students to an inextricable link between intense alcohol consumption and social events during students’ undergraduate tenures.

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Introducing a new understanding of stress

Recent McGill study provides insights into the hippocampus and stress-caused disorders Sophia Gorbounov Contributor In Aug. 2019, a team led by McGill professor and researcher Tak Pan Wong published a new study about the hippocampus and its ability to

retain memories of stressful experiences. Published in the Journal for Neuroscience, the study detailed new connections to mental disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. By exposing mice to

In conversation with Kid Smoko

OAP’s closing act is a “post-genre” renegade Noah Simon Contributor

social stress in the form of physical threats from other mice, Wong and his team found that negative memory traces were left on the hippocampus, the part of the brain primarily responsible for memory and spatial recognition.

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Starting a band is easy— the difficult part is standing out. That’s a main concern for Kid Smoko, a New Jersey band that closed out the final Friday of McGill’s Open Air Pub (OAP). With irresistible songs and energy to spare, Kid Smoko forces audiences to pay attention. And much like their enigmatic name,

their sound is hard to pin down.

“We’re post-genre,” said Michael Burke, one of the band’s two vocalists and a founding member.

“I just wanted to make a Soundcloud band [...] Like Lil Uzi [Vert] vocals over indie beats.”

Listening to their music is very much the rollercoaster that this description suggests. Since their 2018

album Not Your Son up until their newest single, “Tommy Boy,” out next week, Kid Smoko has been displaying their versatility at every turn. Jumping from song to song, listeners will be able to identify a wide variety of musical styles, ranging from hip hop and indie pop to punk and various forms of electronic music, often all within the same track.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2019

Première Moisson has served its dernier croissant

Bento Sushi, Toi Moi et Café move into Redpath basement Delphine Polidori Contributor Redpath Café opened its doors on Sept. 3 after Quebec-based café and bakery chain Première Moisson failed to renew its lease at the end of the 2018-19 academic year. Canadian chain Toi Moi et Café will serve coffee and baked goods at the new venue, alongside Bento Sushi and Mandy’s salads.

Staff working at the previous Première Moisson location were offered the option to return to the new café in September. Meagan Toohey, who has been working in the Redpath-McLennan building for the past four years, shared her enthusiasm for the cafeteria’s new services.

“We [prepare all our products] in the kitchen each morning so [they’re] all fresh every day,” Toohey said. “We have a lot more fruits, [so the café is] not full of sugary stuff. We have a lot of snacks [...] and there are a lot more drink options. Plus, we have the sushi place, which is very popular right now.

And the coffee is also a lot cheaper than in the past.”

The Quesada and Bento Sushi locations in the Bronfman Building shut down in April 2018 due to construction on the first and second floors of the building. The work is intended to provide facilities for the Bensadoun

School of Retail Management, such as classrooms, office and meeting rooms, and study areas.

Food and Dining Services informed The McGill Tribune that these renovations, scheduled to end in Nov. 2019, will only include new academic spaces. Quesada has another location in Carrefour Sherbrooke, and Bento Sushi has several outlets across McGill’s campus and residences.

Many students have not yet had the chance to visit the new café in the Redpath basement. Elijah Wenzel, U4 Arts, has yet to form an opinion about the new additions.

“I do think the food is still alright and they still have coffee and tea, which is really what I want the most,” Wenzel said. “They’re still getting set up [....] I was told that soon they’ll have a better menu that shows really what they have [...] so I’ll reserve some judgement until they’re really up and running. I [also] think the [pricing] is maybe a little lower, which I appreciate.”

In Jan. 2019, the Tribune conducted an informal survey which found that only 29 of 314 respondents wanted Première Moisson to remain in the Redpath-McLennan library. However, now that Première Moisson has vacated Redpath, some students have expressed favourable opinions toward the café.

Première Moisson has occupied the Redpath basement since 2014. (Sabrina Girard-Lamas / The McGill Tribune)

“I thought that Première Moisson was kind of expensive, but at least we had different options in terms of sandwiches or salads,” Clara Sedzro, U2 Arts, said. “I kind of miss Première Moisson. They also had more vegetarian sandwich options.”

Wenzel disagrees that Première Moisson was overpriced.

“I liked [Première Moisson],” Wenzel said. “I know some people thought it was kind of expensive, but I always thought it was a nice place to come down and get a cup of tea or coffee. [...] I mostly miss the seats by the window because I really liked sitting there and looking out onto Lower Field.”

Tribune Explains: Campus construction Exploring building closures and pedestrian obstacles

Leanne Young Photo Editor To better understand the seemingly never-ending construction on campus, The McGill Tribune delved into McGill’s various ongoing projects.

What structures and buildings will be affected?

There are a handful of projects that will take place within the next few years. Some of the more prominent projects include the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Building (to be finished December 2019), the Leacock Terrace (December 2020), the reconstruction of the main road (Winter 2020), and the Macdonald-Stewart Building (late 2021), which also houses the Schulich library. Other projects that may also affect the day-to-day routines of staff and students include renovations on the Stewart Biology Building, Macdonald Engineering Building, MacdonaldHarrington Building, Education Building, Bronfman Building, and Lyman Duff Medical Building.

Why are there so many projects taking place?

McGill is home to some of the oldest buildings in Montreal, and many of them are in need of major upgrades. For instance, the Schulich library will undergo significant and essential structural repairs and major internal upgrades, which includes the stabilization of the stone structure and the installation of a new HVAC system.

Campus-dwellers may also notice an increase in projects taking place due to a recent increase in funding from the provincial and federal governments. This has allowed McGill to increase its projects budget from $80 million to $130 million per year.

Are there updates on the SSMU Building’s status?

Fabrice Labeau, deputy provost (Student Life and Learning), confirmed in a recent institution-wide email that the building is es-

timated to be finished by Dec. 2019 (originally Aug. 2019). As many student clubs and services were previously housed in the University Centre, SSMU officials, such as SSMU Vice President Student Life Billy Kawasaki, are working to schedule spaces for the new academic year.

“During the fall semester, we will continue to work together with McGill to find space for student groups elsewhere on campus,” Kawasaki said. “ We [will] offer support and insurance to student groups holding off-campus events [...and] will continue to collaborate closely with McGill in order to accommodate bookings as much as we can.”

What’s happening with campus libraries, and where can I study?

The Schulich library will be closed for renovations for the next two years. When the work is completed, the library will include more spaces for studying and working, improved accessibility, restored exterior masonry, a new HVAC system, and an expanded number of washrooms. In addition to these features, McGill is working to ensure there are available study spaces for students on campus during this closure. Vincent Campbell Allaire, communications associate from the McGill Media Relations Office, is working to move 700 desks from Schulich library to McLennan-Redpath.

“Over the months of July and August, the Library has been relocating the Schulich student study desks (approximately 700 seats) to the McLennan-Redpath Complex,” Campbell Allaire said. “The bulk of the desks will be located in a new study area on the second

Gerts’ will reportedly reopen in January. (Leanne Young / The McGill Tribune) floor of the Redpath Library Building and on the second floor of McLennan.”

What new opportunities should students be looking out for this fall?

In addition to the new desks, the McLennan-Redpath complex will now be open 24 hours a day for the entire academic year. Furthermore, the Schulich Collection, which comprises 160,000 books, has been moved to the Redpath library basement. The Schulich reserve collection has also been moved to the main floor of McLennan in the Humanities and Social Sciences Library Self-Serve Reserves Room for quick retrieval.

NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2019

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Governance 101

A guide to McGill’s governing bodies Nina Russell News Editor

BOARD OF GOVERNORS (BoG) What it does

STUDENTS’ SOCIETY OF McGILL UNIVERSITY (SSMU) What it does

SSMU is responsible for supervising undergraduate clubs and extracurricular activities, managing and ensuring the sustainability of long-term operations such as Gerts’, advocating for student interests in the McGill Senate, and assisting in planning social events such as Frosh. SSMU is led by seven student executives who are elected at the end of every academic year. Legislative Council, which is composed of SSMU executives who sit with 30 other councillors who represent faculties and extracurricular clubs, determines policy directions. Any councillor can propose a motion, which Council then votes on and may become legislation. Additionally, several of the 30 councillors deliberate McGill policies at Senate meetings. Seven students, predominantly from the Faculty of Law, make up the Judicial Board, which ensures that SSMU adheres to its constitution. Undergraduate students can directly influence SSMU by attending its General Assemblies and voting in online referenda, both of which are held once every semester.

The McGill BoG acts as the final authority over all of the university’s academic and financial affairs. Two student representatives sit on the 25-person board, with the rest of the seats belonging to other stakeholders. Composed of nine standing committees, including the Finance Committee and the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR), the BoG is responsible for the maintenance of daily activities at McGill. They are scheduled to hold five regular meetings over the upcoming academic year. Meetings include a closed portion followed by a public session open to all members of the university.

Recent events

In April 2019, Board Members Darin Barney and Derek Nystrom resigned over their anticipation that the BoG will decide against divesting from fossil fuels. Despite the McGill Senate’s voting overwhelmingly in favour of divestment, the BoG has yet to make a final decision, but will release a report in Dec. 2019. The Board also shut down a proposal to make BoG committee meetings more accessible to members who are not a part of specific committees at an April meeting, but will consider the question of student representation on subcommittees in the coming months.

Recent events

SSMU is currently entangled in an ongoing battle for a Fall Reading Week, which Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Fabrice Labeau said might be possible as soon as Fall 2020. At the 2018 Fall Referendum, members of SSMU approved funding for the Gendered and Sexual Violence Policy (GSVP), which provides resources for sexual violence response training for SSMU executives and half the members of all SSMU clubs. SSMU remains without a home, although the University Centre is set to re-open in Dec. 2019 after construction for asbestos removal, a new HVAC system, and additional restrooms is completed.

McGILL SENATE What it does

POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS’ SOCIETY (PGSS) What it does

PGSS representatives are elected by graduate students and postdoctorate fellows, and meet once a month to discuss and vote on new policies. To fulfill their mandate, which includes improving the quality of life for postgraduates by providing accessible social events, PGSS executives plan events such as workshops and cocktail parties, many of which take place in their headquarters at Thomson House. Additionally, the society liaises with other governing bodies at McGill and beyond.

Recent events

To amplify PGSS’s voice on the provincial stage, former External Affairs Officer Hocine Slimani advocated for joining the Quebec Student Union (QSU), which advocates for student interests at the provincial level. PGSS members debated the merits of joining the QSU at an Oct. 2018 meeting, and amended a motion to pose a referendum question on the subject to allow an unaffiliated external body to study the student federation.

The Senate is mandated to govern academic policies such as the development of curricula and requirements for degrees and diplomas. It also takes on a broader role at McGill by managing the university’s libraries and administering Student Services. The Senate is comprised of nine standing committees, which include the Senate Steering Committee and the Committee on Libraries. The Senate meets on a monthly basis, during which standing committees deliver reports and senators vote on policies and nominations.

Recent events

After McGill missed the Jan. 1 provincial deadline for an updated sexual violence policy, the Senate approved a revised Policy Against Sexual Violence at its March meeting. While the revised policy includes improvements such as a centralized reporting procedeure and new online sexual violence awareness and prevention training, the policy does not place an outright ban on professor-student relationships, a decision that remains a source of controversy.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2019

McGill revamps student health care with $14 million investment

New centre promises a more unified care experience William Pang Contributor A $14 million investment to revamp McGill’s student health care is taking shape with the creation of the Rossy Student Wellness Hub, which integrates medical care with counselling and psychiatric services.

The majority of the funds will be used to hire two dozen additional staff, including general practitioners, case managers, and counsellors, as well as 14 local wellness advisors—trained clinicians located in residences or faculties intended to serve as points of first contact for students.

Not included in the budget, however, is the addition of psychiatrists. The number of full-time psychiatrists at McGill has decreased from seven to five in the past year due to retirements, maternity leave, and other reasons beyond the university’s control, according to Executive Director of Student Services Martine Gauthier.

“We do not actually hire psychiatrists,” Gauthier said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “Psychiatrists are paid through the healthcare system, and they are not on salary with [McGill].”

The student health services space has two new kiosks that are now stationed at the third floor of the Brown Building, allowing students to check-in for a planned appointment or schedule future ones.

While extensive physical changes have been made, Rick Hink, the director of communications for Student Services, was quick to stress that they represented only 10 per

cent of the project’s budget.

The new changes to the Student Wellness Hub come at a time when universities are seeing a marked increase in students seeking mental health care, according to Gauthier, over 6,000 McGill students have accessed mental health services in the past year alone. This uptick has forced universities to confront important questions regarding their role in providing students with healthcare.

“The reality is that our services are short-term care, and if a student chooses long-term care or weekly access, then we will help them to connect to an external resource that can facilitate that type of care,” Gauthier said. “But we ourselves don’t have the capacity.”

Through the streamlining of services, administrators at the Student Wellness Hub hope to reorient their efforts toward early intervention and prevention.

“If we can get to students at that early point—where I am dealing with something now—without waiting for weeks or months to be able to deal with it, then we can intervene,” Gauthier said.

Since early July, the Student Wellness Hub has undergone a transitional phase before beginning full operation in the Fall.

According to Student Wellness Hub director Vera Romano, the summer months saw numerous technical issues with the kiosks and TV monitors.

“We had to set up a process that was agile,” Romano said. “That is, we couldn’t set up these new things and then meet once

a month or create [these] heavy bureaucratic escalation processes [...] so many students have already experienced [the technical issues].”

Administrators of the Hub say that the changes are made in acknowledgement of students’ criticism and dissatisfaction with the difficulty of accessing student health services.

“In the past, [...] you try to move things quickly, and so you make decisions, and [...] figure out the student experience later,” Gauthier said. “This is something we really take seriously: [...] The student experience, and listening to student feedback and being responsive to that student feedback.”

Despite expressing concern that McGill hadn’t re-established its eating disorders program since which was discontinued in 2018, Billy Kawasaki, the Students’ Society of McGIll University’s vice president Student Life, agrees with the direction student services is taking.

“We think it’s a pretty good step in making mental health [care] and health [care] in general more accessible to students,” Kawasaki said. “Also, they are pursuing resilience-building initiatives, which minimizes the need for later intervention, which is better than the reactive model they had before.”

Over 6,000 McGill students have accessed mental health services in the past year.

(Nicholas Raffoul / The McGill Tribune)

Quebec to ban marijuana products that ‘appeal to minors’ Federal government to legalize edible and topical cannabis next month Prisca Tang Contributor In a statement released July 24, the Quebec government proposed banning the sale of sweet cannabis edibles that ‘appeal to minors,’including ice cream, brownies, and candy. The move is a response to one of the federal government’s main campaign promises, which involves the legalization of edibles and other topical products that is set to come into effect Oct. 17.

The statement criticised federal cannabis regulations for failing to minimize the risks to public health, especially to minors.

“Quebec is taking the necessary steps to reduce the consumption of cannabis that appeals to young people,” the statement reads. “The aim is to minimise the risk of accidental intoxication and health risks associated with products containing high concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).”

The bill represents a pattern of the Quebec government attempting to tighten restrictions on cannabis use as the federal government loosens them. In Dec. 2018, the provincial government brought forward a bill that proposed raising the legal age for recreational cannabis consumption to 21, though the bill was abandoned in May 2019. The government also proposed a ban on smoking cannabis in public places, but determined that this regulation would be too difficult to enforce.

The new provincial regulations would only target edibles that appeal to minors. The sale of cannabis-infused butters and oils will remain legal, but will need to follow a series of new guidelines: A package of solid edibles will not be allowed to contain more than ten mg ofTHC, while liquid cannabis edibles will be limited to five mg of THC

per package, five mg less than the federal limit. Cannabis skin, hair, and nail creams will also be banned.

Moreover, the same set of regulations will also restrict additives that could alter the smell or flavour of cannabis products. This means that edibles such as cannabisinfused hot sauce and other similar products may not be permitted for sale.

While the federal government’s new laws have been met with excitement by many, researchers have discovered concerning implications regarding the new legislation. Adolescent cannabis use has been linked to an increased risk of depression and suicidal behaviour in young adulthood, according to a team of scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and McGill, who work in collaboration with the University of Oxford and Rutgers UniversityCamden.

“This meta-analysis shows that cannabis consumption in adolescence is associated with [an] increased risk of developing major depression in young adulthood and suicidality, especially suicidal ideation,” the study reads. “The effect size is modest, but considering that 20.9 per cent of adolescents in the United States report monthly use of cannabis and seven per cent of US high school seniors are daily or near daily users, the consequences of cannabis use during adolescence are magnified in young adulthood” Gabriel Aboutboul, a U4 Psychology student at McGill and a member of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy, is skeptical of Quebec’s proposed ban.

“Banning cannabis sweets will likely lead them into the black market, which is a diversion from a priority set by the Cannabis Council of Canada,” Aboutboul said. “[If edibles are packaged in a] bland and opaque container, children will be less enticed.”

The number of new cannabis users has increased during the first quarter of 2019, according to a government study. (Justine Touchon / The McGill Tribune) In the first quarter of 2019, Statistics Canada’s National Cannabis Survey found that cannabis use had spiked, with 18 per cent of Canadians reporting cannabis use within the last three months. While the jump can mostly be attributed to increased consumption among men and adults aged 35–63, the number of new users has also increased, particularly among those over 45 years old.

However, Aboutboul still thinks that updates to the

regulations will be necessary as time goes on and more data is collected.

“As cities and countries around the globe shift cannabis to a legal status there will be more data to investigate [which will allow] the most informed decision regarding the safety of minors from cannabis sweets,” Aboutboul said.

OPINION

TUESDAY, SEPTMEMBER 10 2019

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EDITORIAL

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

News Editors Kyle Dewsnap, Laura Oprescu, & Nina Russell news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Lucas Bird & Johanna Cline opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Emma Gilles scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Life Editor Katia Innes studentlife@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Gabe Nisker features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Sophie Brzozowski & Kevin Vogel arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Ender McDuff & Kaja Surbourg sports@mcgilltribune.com

I’d rather be a Martlet On April 12, McGill students received a monumental email: Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier had reached a decision on whether or not to change the controversial men’s varsity team name. Fortier wrote that, with respect to Indigenous students who felt alienated and disrespected by the name, the teams’ names would be replaced. This decision represented a major victory for the Indigenous students and allies who had protested and spoken out against the injustice.

The email also mentioned that McGill would not announce a new name for the team until the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester. The McGill mascot, the Martlet, is already the name of the womens’ varsity teams, which means that a gendered divide remains between the two groups. It makes sense for McGill to adopt the Martlet name unanimously for all school teams, and the administration must both increase transparency and make greater efforts to involve the student body in the process.

Fortier’s email outlined that a

OFF THE BOARD

Design Editors Erin Sass & Erica Stefano design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor Leanne Young photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editors Sarah Ford & Aidan Martin multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Jad Hamdan & Jonathan Colaco Carr webdev@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Keating Reid copy@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Heela Achakzai business@mcgilltribune.com Publisher Chad Ronalds

TPS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Heela Achakzai, Solomon Friedman, Katia Innes, Caitlin Kindig, Marie Labrosse, Katerine Milazzo, Falah Rajput, Keating Reid, McEan Taylor

CONTRIBUTORS Makena Anderson, Vanessa Baron, Joey Caplan, Théo Farineau, Jonathan Giammaria, Sabrina Girard-Lamas, Sophia Gorbounov, Daria Kiseleva, Kaylina Kodlick, Laura Lyon, Ronny Litvack-Katzman, Winnie Lin, Margot Maclaren, Yonatan Morocz, Leyla Moy, William Pang, Emma Paulus, Delphine Polidori, Amrita Sandhu, Noah Simon, Prisca Tang, Heather Weinreb, Sophia White

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The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of The McGill Tribune and the Société de Publication de la Tribune, and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. Letters to the editor may be sent to editor@mcgilltribune.com and must include the contributor’s name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted only to the Tribune. Submissions judged by the Tribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or solely promotional in nature will not be published.

The Tribune reserves the right to edit all contributions. Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff. Please recycle this newspaper.

Nicholas Raffoul Creative Director Some may call this narcissistic or self-absorbed, but I’m constantly taking selfies: In class, at work, at home, in my kitchen, and before I go to sleep.

For me, this process is not self-destructive, but therapeutic. It is a physical and digital manifestation of my confidence, self-esteem, and respect for myself and the body I was born into. As an artist of colour learning to find my voice, selfies are a medium in which I claim space, learn to appreciate myself, and, ultimately, create art.

In a world where representations of people of colour are often lacking or distorted, selfies become a form of self-expression and self-fashioning that people

steering committee would be formed to lead a consultative process for choosing a new name, and mentions that details about this process would be communicated in the months ahead. That email was in April. The student body has been left hanging over the summer months and it’s not clear that McGill will now change its approach and proceed with apposite transparency.

At McGill and in varsity sports more generally, there is a historical sexist and transphobic divide in team naming and participation. The administration’s failure to publicly consider adopting the Martlet name seems to represent this larger issue.

In the same manner that the original men’s team name ostracized and disrespected Indigenous students, this binary divide alienates transgender students who may feel unsafe and uncomfortable participating in gendered sports.

Right now, McGill stands at a precipice from which they can challenge the inequitable separation

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through false gender-binaries in college sports, paving the way for other institutions to do the same and uniting the McGill community under a single name for which the student body already feels an association.

Failing to do so would be a disservice to both current and future students and athletes.

Student-organized protests spearheaded by the Indigenous community at McGill brought about the name-change in the first place.

Therefore, the administration must make a greater effort to engage those who a decision this monumental should be up to. Given this history, it makes ethical and logistical sense to involve Indigneous students, and the rest of the student body, in choosing the new name. The administration can poll the student body, allowing students to vote on which name they want for the men’s team to fully understand interest. The decision-making process shouldn’t be bureaucratic and inaccessible.

While a year is a long time to

make a decision, it may make sense to present a new name at the beginning of a fresh sports season.

Additionally, this is a delicate decision that needs the thought and care it deserves. However, during that time, students deserve insight into the decision process. Whether this means publishing the minutes of working group meetings or sending regular email updates, transparency must be increased. In the meantime, in honour of the students who spearheaded the #ChangeTheName campaign, students should continue to support Indigenous initiatives on campus: For example, from Sept. 16 to 27, the Indigenous Education Advisor alongside the First People’s House are hosting Indigenous Awareness Weeks, with numerous free events, talks, and activities on campus. McGill has an opportunity to set a towering precedent for inclusivity in university sports and, if it fails to do so, it will simply be exchanging a name that represented racial injustice to a name that continues to represent gender inequity.

Loving myself and my selfies of colour can fully control.

While many Arab men are stereotyped as aggressive, barbaric, toxically straight and masculine, and lacking aesthetic sensibility, my selfies show otherwise: As an Arab man, I can be vulnerable, soft, queer, artistic, and creative. My selfies show me as human.

Problematic depictions of people of colour in news or movies, often presented by white people, permeate the media landscape. Selfies are one’s only chance to represent themselves as they want to be represented, no matter how raw or filtered that may be. Selfies by marginalized bodies address misrepresentation and question who is allowed to be visible.

As coined by Joel Waldfogel, the rise of selfies comes at a time of a digital renaissance in which a current digital revolution is upending traditional creative industries and accessible self-publishing is challenging the gatekeepers of culture. While large art and culture institutions control mainstream images of marginalized people, digital spaces such as Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter give everyday consumers the tools to dismantle those mainstream

images.

Selfies combat society’s categorization of nonwhite features as unattractive by reclaiming racist beauty standards: In societies and institutions that celebrate a singular definition of eurocentric beauty, selfie art by people of colour becomes a powerful act of resistance and political protest against these ruling cultural institutions.

These selfies of resistance on social media also address the importance of self-representation and online collective spaces, especially for those who are not able to march down the street in protest or those who are too young to explore social justice and collective healing in their non-digital lives.

Posting on social media does have its limits— Instagram has been found to unfairly censor posts by plus-size women, claiming that the content is “sexually suggestive.” Twitter is 1.5 times more likely to flag tweets written by African American people as “offensive” compared to other tweets. While tools like Instagram and Twitter are free and widely accessible, it is important to acknowledge that these companies still control limits to one’s self-

expression.

Finstas (fake Instagrams) exist as a place of refuge and digital diary for users to express themselves, their art, and their feelings safely; users can choose to invite people into their virtual space and build genuine connection. For those who don’t feel comfortable expressing their ‘true’ selves to all their followers, finstas provide a therapeutic space to create trusted support networks and feel part of a wider community.

For creatives of colour, Instagram finstas become a haven of support where users can post raw content about their experiences to trusted friends and also experiment with their artistic styles without any potential backlash.

My phone is my tool for creating, exploring my artistic style, and sharing it with the world and my 37 finsta followers. With the ability to publish content without the approval of large cultural conglomerates, I’m able to feel validated as an artist (and human). As superficial as it may sound, I learned to love sharing pictures of myself, bushy unibrow, dark eyes, large nose, and all.

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OPINION

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2019

Frosh sends troubling messages about drinking culture Makena Anderson Contributor Continued from page 1.

Faculty Frosh weeks aim to plan safe and inclusive orientations, including extensive Frosh leader training that involves discussions with the Milton-Parc Citizens’ Committee and the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). While training educates leaders and prepares them to take care of groups of 20-30 first years, there remains a consistent disconnect between knowledge and practice of safe alcohol consumption habits.

For many, alcohol serves as a social stimulant that helps them mingle and socialize. For others, wet Frosh weeks create an environment that produces intense social pressure to overconsume, often to the point of blacking out. While Frosh events never require alcohol consumption, pre-games and bar crawls often include chanting, drinking games, and chugging contests that glorify it. From day one, students are taught that drinking alcohol at events is correlated with social success.

Although Frosh Week is not an introduction to drinking for all incoming students, in the absence of parents and

guardians, it presents an opportunity to escalate previous drinking habits. With newfound freedom, first years have the opportunity to let loose in a seemingly safe environment. The drinking culture at McGill tends to celebrate students who can consume the most, the fastest. At pre-games, Froshies praise each other for pushing their limits by challenging the number of drinks they can consume before blacking out. The next day, they shrug off a lack of memories because their peers share similar experiences.

While Frosh serves as an introduction to McGill’s work-hard-play-hard attitude, the cultural pressure does not end there. McGill offers countless opportunities for students to drink and socialize, including student-run bars and drinking events like Hype Week and Winter Carnival that take place throughout the semester. Early on, attitudes towards drinking prompt students to use the ability to bounce back from dangerous alcohol binges as criteria for success.

Frosh remains a formative experience for many, but for it to maintain students’ health, Frosh must put an end to the normalization of binge drinking. Faculty Frosh weeks can take notes from their alternative counterparts, such as Rad Frosh, which emphasizes safety and inclusion through workshops, walking

tours, and accessible dance parties. It is time for students and the administration to acknowledge the damaging impacts of McGill’s work-hard-play-hard culture and the need to tackle it at the macro-level. The habits that students acquire today have the potential to set the tone for future drinking practices and health outcomes.

Future Frosh planning must address attitudes toward drinking at McGill as a whole and how the school can shift toward a culture of moderation. Instead of emboldening students

to adopt dangerous consumption habits, Frosh organizers should teach incoming students how to incorporate alcohol in a safe manner by supporting non-drinkers at wet events and offering additional dry events. Students should be taught to feel comfortable speaking candidly about how alcohol affects them and understand that their ability to recover from a blackout or the speed of their chug time is not a measure of their worth.

Rad Frosh emphasizes safety and inclusion through accessible events. (Erica Stefano / The McGill Tribune)

Remembering McGill’s past to progress its future unhappy with the administration’s inability to effectively communicate with provincial offices regarding the With the new school year starting, issue and the lack of a reparative policy many students prepare to fall back offering some sort of compensation. into their routines on campus. Among Currently, no resolution has been the new classes and experiences to be reached between the protestors, McGill, had, many look forward to a fresh start and the Ministry of Education. McGill’s in the Fall semester. While it may be continued hesitancy to accomodate the tempting to leave the issues of last year needs of the social work students is yet in the past, it is important to remember another reason why student activism the administration’s insufficient action remains vital. and shortcomings over the past year In addition to the Nov. 2018 social to continue working toward a better work student protest, many students future by actively pursuing unfinished also protested the McGill men’s varsity initiatives. team name. Thanks to student activists Last year, McGill saw several such as Student’s Society of McGill student-led protests take a stand on University (SSMU) Indigenous Affairs Commissioner Tomas Jirousek, the previous team name was changed.

Principal and ViceChancellor Suzanne Fortier announced last June that a new name will be decided by the beginning of the sports season in Fall 2020.

The #ChangeTheName campaign is an example where student led activism has resulted in administrative response, resulting in a palpable change. Change resulting from student activism is possible within the walls of McGill, as long as the social issues addressed by past students are not Protesting is just one way that student activists make their voices heard. (Cece Zhang / The McGill Tribune) forgotten or ignored by

Amrita Sandhu Contributor

issues of social justice on campus. One of these protests, led by McGill’s social work students, questioned McGill’s labour practices. McGill’s Bachelor of Social Work program, in adherence with Quebec provincial policy, mandates that two unpaid internship placements be held during the last two years of the degree, each 400 hours long. To require that upper year undergraduate students work uncompensated for 400 hours while balancing academic responsibilities is unreasonable, and as mentioned by the President of the Association of McGill University Support Employees Ella Hartsoe, experience does not pay rent.

While McGill is not alone in maintaining such a requirement, students remain

the incoming class.

In April 2018, McGill’s mismanagement of sexual misconduct allegations motivated students to stage a walkout to protest the administration’s handling of sexual violence cases from staff. In July 2019, McGill launched a mandatory online course regarding sexual misconduct alongside a revised sexual violence policy, and a new special investigator to look into new allegations.

McGill has made significant progress all because of the student activists who worked tirelessly to make the campus a safe and inclusive space for survivors of sexual violence. Although some of these new policy developments still fall short of making campus fully safe and inclusive, McGill activists have spearheaded commendable progress.

Student protests have the power to improve the university’s values, the quality of student life and safety, and create real policy changes. While some of these protests have direct payoffs for students, many are still not given the attention they deserve by the McGill administration. Going into this new school year, McGill students and faculty alike must remember the pressing issues lingering from past school years and take action to address them once and for all.

This is especially important for the first years joining McGill, to acknowledge all the changes made from tireless work from student activists. Progress made by past generations at McGill will continue to have a meaningful impact for future students.

STUDENT LIFE

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2019

7

Wisdom for the youth

What the Tribune editors wish they had known during first year Get involved and discover your interests Leanne Young, Photo Editor University is undoubtedly a busy time for students, but it is not just about getting your degree: It is also the best time to explore new interests and develop life long relationships. While you should not stretch yourself too thin, it’s important to keep an open mind, step outside of your comfort zone, and try new activities! Getting involved can help you discover yourself, meet new people, and take a breather from studying, all while giving back to the McGill community.

for my first U1 semester. However, the film studies classes I also wanted take conflicted. I was bored by economic theory but pushed through it for the sake of future income and to please my parents. What I wish I had done instead was take the classes I wanted to from the get-go. Get the degree you want first; the job will come next.

Kevin Vogel, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Take the classes you like Gabe Nisker, Features Editor At the end of my first-year, I sat in my dorm room and stared at my computer. I wanted to take a film studies class, but I needed to be a cultural studies major to take it. At first, I planned to major in economics, and I had circled the next set of economics classes as “musts”

Lower your expectations Keating Reid, Copy Editor Lowering your expectations is the quickest route to happiness. It may sound cynical, but consider how freighted with cultural baggage our university years are: This is the time when you’ll meet your lifelong friends and possibly your future spouse, discover your deepest passions, and sculpt the remainder of your time on this planet. Of course, none of this is necessarily true.

Friends, partners, and passions don’t come and go on a schedule. The good news is that we’re people; we don’t have “best-before” dates. If the ‘university experience’ isn’t all you expected, don’t worry—they’re only the best years of your life if you let them be.

Drop out of political science, you dunce I came to McGill with big aspirations: I would graduate with a political science degree; get a cushy, bourgeois government job; maybe even become a bigcity lawyer. Yet, these expectations failed to prepare me for the reality of student life. I dreaded political science classes, but told myself that things would improve if I kept with the program. When I finally accepted that I had no passion for my major, I had already taken 18 dismal credits in the program. Had I realized this sooner, I could have explored completely different disciplines instead of listening to centrists in international relations conferences defend military interventionism.

for it. Yes, Montreal is beautiful at night, 2Chow tastes the best at 2:00 a.m., and the upper floors of McLennan the most tolerable in the wee hours of the morning, but getting enough sleep is simply non-negotiable.

Ask for support Abeer Almahdi, Managing Editor Go to bed! Take the classes you want! Remember to seek out support!

(Yonatan Morocz / The McGill Tribune)

Get some sleep!

Sophie Brzozowski, Arts & Entertainment Editor Being a night owl by nature, I was instantly taken

by McGill’s many opportunities for nocturnal recreation: 24-hour libraries, 3:00 a.m. last calls at the coolest bars, and a selection of fast food joints that delivered, for no good reason, until four in the morning. At first, my sleeplessness was mostly due to the fact that everything was simply too exciting, but by midterm season, I was paying

In my first-year, I was constantly comparing myself and my success to other people, which took a toll on my mental health. It is important to recognize that everyone is on their own university journey, and that we are all going at different paces. It is important to ask for help and put you and your health first. Seek out safe spaces in clubs and cultural associations, or finding support from your floor fellow if you’re in residence, your advisor, group therapy, or counselling. Finding support networks is important, especially when McGill resources fall short of expectations.

The value of working a summer service job Students build character and practical life skills in understated positions Sophia White Contibutor For most, the quintessential image of summer calls to mind beach getaways and backyard barbeques, not washing dishes or consoling cranky customers from behind a cash register. By the end of a long school year, students are more than ready to embrace the summer vacation mindset and relax, but the months ahead provide the perfect opportunity to land a part-time job. As a small fish in a big university pond, it is common for students to feel pressured to score a resume-boosting internship, so many feel as though they have failed when they work in retail or service instead.

Internships can provide students with valuable work experience in the professional world, but paid positions are hard to come by in Quebec. Meanwhile, jobs in retail and service are a guaranteed way to earn an income, and they equip students with valuable work skills, building character, and fostering a strong work ethic.

Kirsten Wesselow (BA ‘19) recently graduated and is now working full-time, but she worked service jobs during previous university summers.

Wesselow worked as a cook and counterperson two summers ago, as a cashier at La Diperie during Fall 2017, and had another cashier gig last summer.

“I applied to internships every summer, but the only one that ever worked out fell through because

of a housing issue,” Wesselow said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “I definitely felt pressured to have an internship and often felt ashamed or like I had failed by working a service job instead. It was especially relevant when all my friends in town for the summer had internships or 9–5 jobs, and I almost never saw them. They often tried to convince me to come hang out with them after a very tiring work day versus them making time for me on one of my rare days off, which made me feel like they did not see my job as real work.”

As students, it can be easy to compare our experiences and feel the need to measure up to peers.

Service jobs are likely not students’ ultimate career goal or even their first choice of work, but earning money is crucial for many to help pay for tuition and living expenses.

Philippe Masson, U4 Arts, went home to Maryland for the summer and worked as a camp counselor at a neighbourhood pool during the week and at a bakery on the weekends. In his spare time, he sold pastries at a local farmers market and ran his own neighbourhood landscaping business. Masson worked an internship two summers ago for a Seattlebased startup, but felt that the experience was isolating and boring because he was working from home and staring at a computer screen all day.

“The sales skills at the bakery are applicable skills,” Masson said. “I really enjoy working for the bakery because I get to learn a lot about French cui-

sine and pastries, as well as interact with customers and improve my sales skills. I wish I could have had a paid internship or something more resume-building rather than working as a camp counselor because it’s not really what I’m interested in doing, but I like working multiple jobs because it’s always different and I can rotate my focuses.”

Customer service skills are a major asset for students entering the professional workforce. Often-

times, customers are rude, impatient, and demanding, so service employees have to be quick to resolve conflicts without losing any potential business. Service jobs require patience, effective communication, and resourcefulness. There’s something to be said for working long, tiring shifts with few breaks to sit down or catch a breath. Service jobs shouldn’t be seen as a failure, but rather an honourable foray into the workforce.

With cranky customers, long shifts, and repetitive work, service jobs can be quite the juggling act.

(Kaylina Kodlick / The McGill Tribune)

Signed and Sealed When universities silence those they are supposed to protect Nina Russell, News Editor

As soon as she heard the allegations, University of Windsor Law professor Julie Macfarlane felt as though she had to speak up. In 2013, she learned of a fellow professor who had allegedly pursued predatory relationships with certain groups of students while alienating others. Yet, it wasn’t until early 2015 that the professor was terminated from his position at the university.

Over the course of the 15-month investigation, which Macfarlane called “absolutely abhorrent,” the university convinced all parties involved to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA), which ensured that the conditions of the accused professor’s termination would be kept private. Macfarlane, who was aware of the allegations and the conditions of her colleague’s termination, but was not herself privy to the investigation, would not know that those involved signed an NDA until several months later, when she began to hear about the accused professor’s job applications to other universities from colleagues who wondered about the forms. “[Other universities] were very puzzled about this paperwork that he had, which is typical of an NDA,” Macfarlane said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “It basically said, ‘I had a tenured position at the University of Windsor with the Faculty of Law, but I just up and left,’ because that's what the NDA does. It

doesn't give any reasons [for his leaving], and people were suspicious of this.”

Macfarlane described the circumstances of the former professor’s termination to her colleagues, and revealed the allegations of sexual misconduct against him. And when she saw that he had been hired at a law school in Trinidad, she phoned his new employers to tell them aware of why he had been fired.

It took some time before Macfarlane next heard from her former colleague.

“What happened next [in 2017], was that the former faculty member sued me personally for defamation,” Macfarlane said.

Macfarlane is still locked in a legal battle with her former colleague, who has not issued public comment on the matter. The University of Windsor, which has proof of the conditions of the professor’s termination, holds the key to Macfarlane’s acquittal.

“They have the documentation that shows that he was, in fact, terminated for misconduct, but they are refusing to [show] it,” Macfarlane said. “They are hiding behind me, and it's really shocking. Because what it implies is that anybody like me, who's [a] professor, who gets asked about somebody who was accused of sexual misconduct and is given an NDA, is susceptible to being personally sued.”

Both NDAs and defamation lawsuits in response to sexual assault allegations have gained attention as a mechanism for silencing victims in the #MeToo era. On May 29, the state of New Jersey banned the use of NDAs in workplace contracts, while Arizona, Washington, and California have passed bills limiting their power in sexual assault cases.

However, Canada still seems to be waiting for its own reckoning. Macfarlane’s is only one of four ongoing cases in which university professors are suing their accusers for defamation after accusations of sexual assault. These cases commonly involve NDAs to help protect both the reputation of the university and professors involved. The others, at Yukon College, the University of British Columbia (UBC), and McGill, have remained in deadlock since the lawsuits were initially filed, leaving accusers and their supporters in legal limbo.

The most high-profile of these cases is that of Steven Galloway at UBC. In 2015, Galloway was suspended without pay after sexual misconduct allegations were made against him.

Months later, he was fired, provoking backlash from a number of prominent Canadian literary figures. Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje, among others, signed an open letter arguing that Galloway had not received due process. Galloway later admitted to an extramarital affair with one of his students, though he maintained that it was consensual, and his case was eventually dismissed by a BC judge. During the summer of 2018, he was awarded $167,000 from UBC in arbitration, based on the claim that firing him had ruined his reputation.

“You come out of it having received a judgement that you didn’t do these things, and that is still not good enough,” Galloway said in an interview with Macleans. “There is no possibility of innocence.”

As part of his monetary award, he is not allowed to discuss the details of the arbitration.

In Oct. 2018, Galloway then sued 24 former colleagues and students for defamation, one of whom was named solely because of a tweet she had posted accusing Galloway of rape.

Mandi Gray, one of the defendants named in the lawsuit, is a doctoral student and activist at York University.

She says that the suit in which she is involved is still in its very early stages, and it is another example of the growing trend of defamation lawsuits in sexual assault cases.

“It’s very much about controlling the narrative,” Mandi said. “I don’t think anything I said was defamatory.

I think [the lawsuit] was more [...] about punishment.”

Around the same time that Galloway filed his lawsuit, a student at Yukon College published a Facebook post accusing criminology professor Charles Stuart of sexual misconduct, though the post did not

mention him by name. Even after his firing, Stuart insists that his encounter with the student was consensual, and he has since filed a lawsuit seeking damages for defamation against the student.

In most of these cases, allegations proceeded through formal university mechanisms before being brought to court.

However, Mandi believes that universities are often more interested in protecting their own reputation than achieving justice. Universities commonly use NDAs as a mechanism for avoiding having to answer to the public, as they prevent allegations from leaving the small circle of those involved. “[Desire to protect] reputation [and] branding of the university far exceeds, from what I’ve seen, the actual desire to protect students and university community members,” Mandi said.

Things are no different at McGill. In July 2018, Ahmed Ibrahim, a professor in the Islamic Studies department at McGill, sued Sarah Abdelshamy, a student, and Pasha Khan, a teaching assistant, for $600, 000 in damages for defamation after allegations were made that he had engaged in a relationship with a student from 2014 to 2017.

Ibrahim claims that the two defendants have since become involved in an ongoing effort to have him terminated.

After months of protest led to the revision of McGill’s sexual violence policy, there is still no blanket ban on professor-student relationships. Instead, these relationships are regulated by a separate document, titled “Regulation on Conflict of Interest,” which only bans them if the staff member has supervisory or evaluatory responsibility over the student. During the revision process, Angela Campbell, Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies), argued that a total ban would constitute an illegal violation of individual freedoms, based on the findings of a working group at Concordia University.

Julius Grey, a prominent human rights and constitutional lawyer at the Montreal firm Grey and Casgrain and former Students’ Society of McGill University president, is representing Ibrahim in his suit against Khan and Abdelshamy.

Julius, who sparked controversy at Concordia in February for defending Ibrahim when he spoke at a panel discussion on sexual violence, is an outspoken skeptic of the #MeToo movement.

While Julius is generally wary of defamation suits, he worries that the #MeToo movement has threatened the accused’s right to due process. He disagreed with Mandi’s claim that an increase in defamation suits will lead to a decrease in the number of students reporting. He said that in order for a defamation lawsuit to be successful, the claim must be “intentionally false or in bad faith”—defamation cannot be proved solely through the acquittal of the accused.

“In the case where there is a deliberate and malevolent accusation—and that does happen— there must exist a remedy for the accused,” Julius wrote in an email to the Tribune.

“This should not be a disincentive to any honest person wishing to file a complaint and one hopes that legitimate complaints will not be deterred.”

With regard to NDAs, Julius cited their frequency in civil suits of all kinds.

“It is part of our custom that if you settle, you have to agree to silence,” Julius wrote.

“It is also clear that i n

sexual matters, both parties might want anonymity for various reasons—privacy, fear of being sued, fear of discipline, etc.”

However, the chorus of voices advocating against NDAs is growing louder. In addition to Macfarlane and Mandi, who advocate against the silencing of survivors through NDAs, defamation lawsuits, and unnavigable reporting procedures, more and more survivors are beginning to speak out despite the constraints they face. Connor Spencer, the national chair for Students For Consent Culture Canada, agreed with Macfarlane and Mandi that this is just the start.

“In Canada, it's just that we haven't had conversations about [NDAs],” Spencer said. “I would argue that it's still very fresh. So I think the advantage of post secondary institutions [is that they] have a lot of student leaders and student activists.

And so now that we [are having these conversations], we're able to actually flesh out what they mean.”

While these cases refer specifically to sexual assault allegations against professors, reporting fellow students is often equally as isolating to the victim. According to an Australian survey, one in five university students reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment during their time in university. LGBTQ+ students were also more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to report sexual assault. In the general population, up to 83 per cent of assaults go unreported.

Spencer added that she would like to see an increase in institutional courage, referring to the idea that institutions, such as universities, should challenge norms surrounding sexual violence that preserve reputation above all else.

“The entire culture around complaints, complaint systems, harassment, assault, [and] violence on campus is largely mitigated by this conversation around legal responsibility, rather than [the] moral responsibility of the institution,” Spencer said. “And so what we really need to be doing is pushing this cultural shift toward the moral responsibility of the institution, which is namely to make sure harm does not befall its employees or students, which, arguably, many institutions across the country are failing at right now.”

When institutions fail to exhibit courage, victims are often left with a sense of ‘institutional betrayal,’ a term coined by University of Oregon professor Jennifer Freyd for when institutions fail to protect those who are dependent on them. This often adds to the trauma that survivors have already experienced, and it leaves other survivors without the confidence that the university has their best interests at heart when they come forward with their own allegations.

A 2014 study at the University of Kentucky found that undergraduates who had experienced sexual assault during their first semester were more likely to leave with lower GPAs at the end of the semester compared to their counterparts who had not experienced sexual assault.

This may be a result of the strain and stress of reporting. Even those who are found to be guilty are not severely punished. Mandi says that reporting processes are often so complex that students will either end up dropping their complaint or dropping out of university entirely.

“A lot of the folks who I’ve talked to said [the university] just made it so impossible,” Mandi said. “So they just [drop] the complaint, drop out of university, [and] transfer [to a new] university, or they graduate, so there’s never any resolution.”

According to Mandi and Spencer, it is common for students who report sexual misconduct to universities to feel as though their well-being is not prioritized by university administrations.

However, Campbell pointed to the resources that McGill offers for survivors of sexual misconduct and stated that, in the case of lawsuits, decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

“McGill is committed to supporting survivors in all cases and does so primarily through the Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education,” Campbell wrote in an email to the Tribune. “The University would not typically represent a student who is the subject of a lawsuit by another member of the University community, although such determinations are made case by case.”

While defendants are still waiting for their lawsuits to progress, increasing activism and awareness around NDAs and their implications for survivors give Spencer optimism.

“Grassroots mobilization needs to be the face [of our activism], but it can't be the only tool in our toolbox,” Spencer said. “There are also things like lawsuits, education, and direct action that we can be using. And we need to use all of them in order to actually engage different parts of the community, and specifically the McGill community.”

10 STUDENT LIFE

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2019

Best looks on earth: Student style at OAP A walkthrough of McGill’s most stylish (and muddy) event Leyla Moy and Vanessa Barron Contributors OAP is more than a back-to-school barbeque; it’s also the perfect opportunity to survey McGill’s unique brand of street style, which this year included an abundance of relaxed-fit pants, one-of-a-kind customized pieces, and lived-in sneakers.

The McGill Tribune spoke with OAP’s slickest students about their fashion inspirations and favourite pieces, as well as the stories behind their outfits.

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“My friend gave me [these jeans], and they looked really bad so I painted them. I was like ‘I don’t care,’ ‘cause I got them for free. This summer [...] at work, I kept drawing these stars, so that’s why I did that, and the rest I just did whatever. These words on the back are in a bunch of different languages.”

“I unabashedly, unironically love [VSCO girl and e-girl culture]. I love stripes because it’s bisexual/queer girl culture. Horizontal stripes? Lesbian. Chapstick with your hair up in a bun? Queer. [I always wanted to invest in Levi’s,] so I figured, drop the money on [jeans] that are gonna last me a lifetime. And then high-tops because I want the women to know that I like women.”

“So I have always been looking for the perfect pair of overalls, [and I found these] thrifting, [...] and they were phenomenal except they were bell-bottoms, so [I] spent six to seven hours hand-sewing the two legs, [but I sewed them too tight]. I was really upset, like I [had] ruined the dreamiest overalls on the planet. I took them to [one tailor who] was like, absolutely not. So I went to a second tailor, [...] thrifted a pair of jeans that were almost the exact same colour, and he [sewed them] in this triangular panel. I’m so grateful that it worked out because I have a perfect piece of clothing that I’m really happy about.”

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“I walked out of the house in a skirt and high heels, and [...] I was like, I have to turn around, it’s OAP! So this is the outfit that I chose: Corduroy pants and a crop top and my Converse All-Stars.”

“I love good streetwear. [My Supreme bag is designed by] Mark Gonzales, [...] a skateboarder from the 1980s [and] black denim goes with everything. I got my pink cords from Urban; [...] I love a wide fit. [My shirt is] another skate brand, [and] I have this keychain around my neck that is Saint Laurent. It says ‘Addicted to Love,’ ‘cause I am. I got this hat [from Off the Hook] in Montreal, and it’s 40’s & Shorties, [...] another skate brand. I’ve got the pastels going on today, that’s the vibe. It’s a pretty day, blue sky, colorful outfit.”

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“I love to go to Value Village ‘cause I love a deal.

All my stuff is thrifted besides my shoes, socks, and my underwear. I love the 2000’s [and] I like big shorts ‘cause they’re more comfortable. I like baggy stuff.”

“I really like wearing lingerie inspired clothing. I like breaking the [...] boundaries of showing off your body and being comfortable in that, and I love seeing other women do that [....] I’m also a die-hard baby pink lover, so I always try to incorporate it. [My shoes are] slip-on Converse slides.”

M it c h S t rong U 2 S c ie nce “ [I g o t my h a t wh e n ] I wa s v isitin g my b ro th e r, we we re o n S t. C a t’s. Th e sh irt is fro m a th rift sh o p in B a y fie ld , Wisc o n sin .”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2019

11

What we liked this summer

A curated list of the season’s greatest hits With classes already in full swing, the season for carefree media consumption has come and gone. From here on out, reading will be mandatory and any TV-watching will be tinged with guilt and anxiety as readings pile up and assignments loom. For the remaining few days of add-drop, however, here’s some stuff that we at the Tribune liked this summer.

TV Show: Euphoria Nicholas Raffoul, Creative Director Premiering on June 16 on HBO, Euphoria follows the trials and tribulations of a group of students navigating relationships, mental health struggles, drug abuse, and body image issues. The remarkable cast includes Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, and model Barbie Ferreira who star as uniquely exceptional yet relatable small-town teens. The show tackles its often sensitive subject matter with empathy and tact. Filled with much-coveted outfits, hazy fever dreams, and dazzling makeup, Euphoria is a heartfelt and theatrical spin on the coming-of-age narrative.

Album: Cuz I LoveYou, Lizzo Abeer Almahdi, Managing Editor Lizzo’s third studio album,

Cuz I Love You, dropped triumphantly on April 19. Lizzo’s bold persona, mesmerizing vocals, flute solos, and upbeat lyrics undoubtedly defined the summer season.

The track “Truth Hurts” will go down in history as one of 2019’s most iconic summer anthems, hitting the number one spot on Billboard Music’s top 100. “Tempo,” featuring the legendary Missy Elliott, is also an amazing collaboration between two iconic vocalists. The album is an unapologetic manifestation of self-love and confidence that is meaningful and fun in equal measure. As a plus-size Black woman, Lizzo decares her space, thrives in it, and ensures that everyone joins her.

Book: The Overstory Jonathan Giammaria, Contributor With The Overstory, Richard Powers joins a canon of media and literature begging us to stop killing our planet. With the creative liberty that fiction allows, Powers makes trees his novel’s protagonists and conceptualizes them as the resilient backbone of our natural world.

Powers paints trees as benevolent and mythical creatures, alive not only in a technical sense but also as active participants in nature, in-

terwoven with each other but also with all life that extends past the boundaries of forests or jungles.

By structuring a narrative around non-human characters, The Overstory challenges the hierarchical assumptions of the relationship between humans and the natural world, scorning our view of an environment meant to be consumed or commercialized. The Overstory is a thoughtful celebration of a towering presence we’ve learned to ignore in our concrete and steel urbanity.

Podcast: Why Won’t You Date Me?

sive list of guests, such as Jameela Jamil from The Good Place, comedian Zainab Johnson, drag queen Eureka O’Hara, and plus-size model Tess Holliday, Byer investigates modern romance thoroughly and with a sense of humour. Why Won’t You Date Me? is a positive, witty, and hilarious exploration of the challenges of navigating love.

Movie:TheArt of Self Defence Joey Caplan, Contributor

The Art of Self Defence, directed by Riley Stearns and starring Jesse Eisenberg, might

seem, at first, to be quite ordinary: Just another tale of finding inner strength following trauma through martial arts. As the film progresses, however, the rug is slowly pulled out from under the audience, and what started off as a generic narrative quickly becomes a sinister tale of madness and revenge, rife with entertaining characters and shockingly dark humour. Eisenberg may play the same character in every movie, but, give him a good director and you will be too engrossed to notice.

Abeer Almahdi

Nicole Byer says she’s been single for decades, so, in a podcast, she attempts to find the reason behind her unlucky track record.

Host of Netflix’s original series Nailed It, where home bakers without any professional training attempt to make gourmet pastries, Byer has already won over audiences with her audacious humour.

Why Won’t You Date Me? discusses important subjects concerning sex and love: Commitment issues, polyamory, fatphobia, dating apps, and long distance relationships to name a few. Alongside an impres-

These are a few of our favourite things (Winnie Lin / The McGill Tribune)

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” harkens back to a Los Angeles of yore Tarantino’s latest is best enjoyed in the company of a spellbound crowd

Andras Nemeth Managing Editor The first time I really saw Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 World War II revenge fantasy, I was with 20 other classmates at a high school screening. It wasn’t my first time seeing the film, but it was my first time experiencing it in a group.

Seen in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd, Inglourious Basterds morphs into an entirely different beast. It’s as if the entire film sharpens into high relief; the edges are suddenly more distinct, the jokes funnier, the long, tense silences more nerve-wracking, and the violence infinitely more explosive.

The same is true of almost all of Tarantino’s works: His films often resemble Frankenstein’s monsters, stitched together from the organs of a host of other movies and miraculously brought to life by the sparking energy of a crowd reacting to their uniquely thrilling, often gleefully violent twists and turns.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Tarantino’s latest film, is no exception. It’s a film in which the audience’s reaction is a crucial part of the experience, and in that sense, it is classically Hollywood, a film whose true home is the movie theatre.

The film is centred around the 1969 Manson murders, when members of the infamous Manson family broke into director

Di Caprio and Pitt delivered believable and moving performances (theverge.com) Roman Polanski’s house and murdered five high-profile Hollywood figures; most notable among them was actress Sharon Tate.

In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Tate is portrayed as a near-angelic presence by Margot Robbie: Throughout the film she is shown strolling through her idyllic life, a source of awe for more than one of the film’s expansive cast of characters.

The central focus of the film is the duo comprised of Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt,

respectively. Dalton is an insecure, harddrinking television star at the end of his career, teetering on the edge of despair. The film follows his character through a day of guest-starring on a Western TV show. Booth is Dalton’s cool, detached, and loyal stuntman, whose meanderings through the halcyon world of Los Angeles bring him faceto-face with the menace growing at its heart.

The relationship between the two, is the emotional core of the film.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a

hangout film, a film that soaks its audience in the gorgeous sights and sounds of its era; automobiles tear down freeways at a comically ferocious pace, and, as the sun sets on the day of the Manson murders, the audience is treated to a grandiose, symphonic sequence in which the city’s neon signs burst into colour. It’s a swaggering, confident, and disjointed journey through 1950s Hollywood, complete with a period-piece soundtrack and rounded off by a spectacularly shocking, fiery climax.

The controversy that has surrounded the ending and many other aspects of the film is as much a part of its impact as the immediate audience reaction to its more divisive scenes. Tarantino remains a provocateur, and in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the provocations feel calculated, deliberate, and necessary.

Whether audiences agree or disagree with his vision, nothing beats the feeling of walking out of a theatre with a group of people who have really been through something, who have been challenged, shaken, and confused, but ultimately come out on top. It is this collective experience that makes the film worth seeing, and worth seeing with a crowd, and it is a vision of the loss of this collective experience that ultimately justifies the poignant melancholy of its ending.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2019

In Conversation with Kid Smoko

OAP’s closing act is a “post-genre” renegade Noah Simon Contributor Continued from page 1.

“That’s just what we like,” says guitarist Sam Berkley. Each member— including Declan Martins (guitar), Matt Salort (vocals), and Michael Ferranti (producer/ engineer and the only McGill student of the group)—lists some of their diverse inspirations: Vampire Weekend, The Strokes, Gorillaz, Joji, Playboi Carti, Brockhampton, and Odd Future.

“Beyond just the music, [this mix of influences] represents who we are as people: Just different guys with different interests,” Burke said. “Our music is a direct reflection of who we are, and we believe people can connect to that [...] Listening to us is like you’re becoming our friend.”

As a project, Kid Smoko feels like a longrunning inside joke that fans slowly start to

understand the more they listen. Their lack of selfseriousness and their contagious energy create a space for listeners to be comfortable and let loose. The band describes their live performances as an emotional outlet and opportunity to go crazy, a participatory experience.

But it’s not all fun and games. In the end, Kid Smoko simply makes fantastic songs. They mix their variety of aesthetics

with catchy pop melodies, grand guitar solos, and sticky, stand-out production, all of which contribute to their unique charm. And, as the group’s sound grows and evolves, so do the members themselves, as they begin to interrogate the music they make and listen to.

Despite Kid Smoko’s breezy persona, the musicians are always cognizant of the wider implications of the music

they create, rising to every challenge as a means of self-expression.

“We’re doing this for ourselves. I want this to be my livelihood,” Michael Ferranti said.

Lucy Dacus

Kid Smoko can be found on all streaming services.

Imaginus Poster Sale

A night of soulful tunes with indie’s most elegant songstress.

Sept.r 16, 8:00 p.m.—11:00 p.m.

L’Astral Starting at $23

Deck out your dorm room or apartment with some rad and reasonably priced artwork.

680 Sherbrooke Room 110 Until Sept. 13

McCord Museum 5 à 9 After hours final showing of the Museum’s Polaroid exhibit 690 Sherbrooke West Sept. 12, 5:00 p.m.—9:00 p.m.

Starting at $16

Red Light Walking Tour

Museum of Jewish Montreal shows the city’s historic red light district Southeast corner, blvds. René Lévesque and St. Laurent Sept. 11, 6:00 p.m.—8:00 p.m. $10 for students

Kid Smoko closed out OAP with a bang. (Leyla Moy / The McGill Tribune)

‘El Peridido’ documents a forgotten landscape

Patrick Beaulieu’s latest exhibit is a haunting portrait of Middle America Johnathan Giammaria Contributor

The archetype of the wandering artist is a familiar one, emphasizing that the freedom of the road, and the directionless travel that follows is a catharsis that allows an artist to create as freely as possible. For Patrick Beaulieu, the very act of losing yourself on the road is a means to an end, and the documentation of “lost places”— the neglected and decaying areas one finds during a journey—is the art itself. Beaulieu set out in a camper van, “El Perdido” [The Lost], in 2017 and travelled across the United States in search of “The Forgotten Road,” which he described as an ambiguous destination discovered only in the process of searching for it. Running until Oct. 26 at Art Mûr, El Perdido showcases Beaulieu’s photos and videos of his travels, which explain how he set out to lose himself.

To achieve a state of disorientation, which Beaulieu described as a feeling of isolation brought on by the unfamiliar landscape, he often explored undocumented areas of rural decay. His imagery of grey skies and ruined housing allude forgotten places as being lifeless.

For Beaulieu, though, the path to losing oneself in the abandoned margins of a map always involved engaging with other people throughout his travels.

“I started in a small town in Oklahoma called Lost City.

From [there], the trajectory was generated, influenced, by all the information, the directions, the orientations that the people gave to me. It was kind of a chain reaction from

Partrick Beaulieu’s multimedia exhibition is showing at Art Mûr until Oct. 26. (artmur.ca) one person to another to try to find these non-existent places,” Beaulieu said. “Specifically in this project, the encounters and relations were essential, because the idea was to try to find a destination that doesn’t exist.”

Along with his interactions, the exhibition displays other tools that Beaulieu imagined as being helpful in losing oneself. On one wall, Beaulieu has two ‘70s-era road maps unfolded and framed. In the creases of the maps, routes end or become misaligned with the adjacent sections, and these segmented images become what Beaulieu refers to as “road map collages,” now rendered useless when considering their original purpose.

In another corner of the exhibition, Beaulieu displays a series of confusing signage and dilapidated billboards that he found during his travels. Here, arrows pointing to nowhere, illegible road signs, and inverted detours create the ignored landscapes that led him to his “Forgotten Road.” Being lost meant embracing the disordered and illogical routes that led to the “modern-day ruins” of rural life, areas often abandoned and erased in an increasingly urban world.

Though Beaulieu often used his environment as a means of becoming lost, he also noted how he could turn to his collaborator Alexis Pernet, who navigated and recorded their travels as diary entries, as a source of disorentiation. He referred to himself and Pernet as “co-perdidos” and explained how he asked Pernet, his navigator, to intentionally misguide the pair while on the road. One video, in which Beaulieu repeatedly stops, starts, and switches directions in the middle of an intersection conveys this process of broken navigation.

Throughout all his efforts at becoming lost, Beaulieu noted that though he’d had no expectations before beginning the project. He’d now arrived at a more personal definition of what being lost meant. Calling the project a ‘long term and monumental performative state,’ Beaulieu likened himself to a tourist whose self-inflicted sense of being adrift had led him to a forgotten world, itself a figurative space that reflected the lost people it attracted.

“As much as possible, I was trying to be lost,” Beaulieu said. “When you are trying to lose yourself, you find a lost people and you find lost places.”

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2019

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Introducing a new understanding of stress

Recent McGill study provides insights into the hippocampus and stress-caused disorders

Sophia Gorbounov Contributor Continued from page 1.

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Wong explained that the inspiration for the study was the growing interest in understanding the biological mechanisms underlying sensitivity to stress. Researchers originally predicted that increased sensitivity to stress—known to negatively impact learning and memory—was related to reduced hippocampal function.

“Surprisingly, using MRIs [magnetic resonance imaging] to compare [the] hippocampal volume[s] of mice that [were] either susceptible or resilient to stress revealed a bigger hippocampus in susceptible mice,” Wong said.

The hippocampus is a part of the brain located under the cerebral cortex in the medial temporal lobe. It plays a central role in long-term memory formation and spatial recognition, though the study focused only on the former. The hippocampus is thought to record memories of negative events, which leads to the activation of a group of neurons called engrams. The study found that mice that are genetically more sensitive to stressful environments experienced the overactivation of certain engrams in the hippocam-

pus and were more likely to exhibit depressive and aversive behaviours, namely social avoidance.

Wong explained that, though spatial orientation and recognition of the outside environment were likely not directly affected by exposure to social stress, the entire hippocampal region was put under distress. A 2018 paper showed that when put in a stressful situation, the neurons in the hippocampus responsible for getting an accurate image of one’s outside environment register poorly, influencing the long-term memory and reactivation when placed back in the same situation. The group of neurons for this place field are thus a lot less responsive when activated by stressful experiences.

“These findings suggest the presence of distinct populations of neurons for accurate encoding of spatial information and fear memory,” Wong said.

New knowledge on the effect of traumatic memories on the hippocampus can offer new insights on the role that memory plays in people with depressive disorders.

Depression is known to have cognitive symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and memory loss. In the study, repeated exposure to social stress in some mice led to overactivation in certain parts of the hippocampus, causing depressive behaviours like social avoidance. This is also a

common symptom for those with depression or post-traumatic stress, as there is a fear of being judged or criticised. In his research, Wong found that activating engrams led to increased avoidance behaviours, while deactivating engrams reduced these behaviours, thus demonstrating a relationship between an overactive engram and depressive symptoms.

Moving forward, Wong is interested in exploring whether functional changes to

place cells may somehow also be related to stress sensitivity.

Though the study demonstrated the results of stress exposure in mice, the mental and social abilities of humans are more complex. People experience, respond, and manifest stress in different and more subtle ways.

Nonetheless, the study opens a new path for depression research and is a cornerstone to future studies regarding memory formation and depressive disorders.

The hippocampus can hold memories of stressful experiences. (news-medical.net)

Climate change has become a food security dilemma Unsustainable land use disproportionately threatens developing nations Ronny Litvack-Katzman Contributor The most recent report from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), drafted on Aug. 7, emphasizes the susceptibility of global food security to changes in climate and land use. The report highlighted that adaptive strategies to reduce total carbon production and preserve natural ecosystems are humanity’s best chance at mitigating the climate emergency’s effects on food production.

The report stressed the extent of human dependency on land systems. Humans are currently using one quarter to one third of available land’s potential production capacities.

Essential products that come from land use, including feed and natural energy sources such as fossil fuels, are crucial to agricultural yields and the sustainability of the food supply chain.

“Land degradation is a general term describing negative trends in land condition, such as loss in biological productivity and ecological value to humans,” Margot Hurlbert, a Canadian coordinating lead author of the report, said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

Humanity is consuming resources at an unprecedented rate. Consequently, land has become exhausted to the point that it will soon be unusable. Human disruption of natural processes is leading to adverse, irreversible ef-

Land has become exhausted to the point that it will soon be unusable. (thenewsminute.com)

fects on Earth’s natural systems.

“The use and emissions of carbon in agriculture is cyclical in nature,” Laxmi Pant, a contributing author to the report, said in an interview with the Tribune. “Modern agricultural practices such as tilling are a major source of carbon output into the atmosphere. But, to produce crops with greater yields, we require the input of carbon back into the land through synthetic sources such as fertilizers.”

This pattern of replenishing lost carbon through unnatural supplementation disturbs the delicate balance of the Earth’s carbon cycle. As a result, more carbon is released into the atmosphere, leaving the soil unable to reabsorb excess outputs and increasing overall greenhouse gas emissions. As emissions increase, so do global temperatures, causing further water and land stress and exacerbating many of the problems associated with land use and food cultivation.

The scientific community agrees that the climate emergency will have disastrous downstream consequences on all levels of society.

As such, climate change has led to concerns not only of environmental sustainability, but of social stewardship. In reality, the two issues are inseparable.

“The report takes into consideration people living in areas vulnerable to desertification and land degradation,” Hurlbert said. “Around half of the vulnerable population resides in already vulnerable areas in South Asia, Central Asia, West Africa, and East Asia.”

Food insecurity will pose additional problems to people living in susceptible coawstal areas, who now face the immediate risk of losing invaluable agricultural and residential land to rising sea levels.

Moreover, changes in food consumption patterns have created a global divide whereby approximately two billion adults are overweight or obese, yet an estimated 821 million people remain undernourished. Socioeconomic class and geographic location serve as the main determinants for the widening divide.

Given sustained increases in mean global temperature, this divide will only deepen without rapid intervention from national governments and international organizations.

“Socioeconomic choices can reduce or exacerbate climate related risks,” Hurlbert said. “A sustainability pathway with high income, reduced inequalities, and food produced in low emission systems have decreased risks of desertification, land degradation and food insecurity.”

Exposure and sensitivity to climate change and extreme climate events can impact infrastructure and transport, and can cause direct and indirect changes to the income level and food purchasing power of low-income consumers. Without a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions or the implementation of carbon-reducing agriculture strategies, the cyclical patterns of poverty, malnourishment, and income inequality will become further entrenched into global society.

14

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2019

Considering waste in McGill’s labs A discussion with Ebrahim Noroozi on waste management at McGill Margot Maclaren Contributor During the relocation of Macdonald Campus in 1978, lab manager in the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry Ebrahim Noroozi was tasked with the transfer of thousands of chemicals. That year, the campus was moved from its old buildings in the John Abbott College complex to its current location. Not all of the chemicals made it to the new buildings, however, as many were long expired.

“There were chemicals from before World War I, from 1905,” Noroozi said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “You’d go to every corner, and there were a lot of chemicals, a lot of hazards, a lot of pesticides.”

This undertaking at Macdonald Campus was one of many experiences that contributed to Noroozi’s interest in occupational health and safety. He went on to dedicate his career to promoting safe practices, both through his position as the lab supervisor for the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry and through educating others in workshops and lectures.

The progression of Noroozi’s

Lab manager Ebrahim Noroozi has been dealing with hazardous waste at McGill since 1978 (Ebrahim Noroozi) career has coincided with an increased interest in safety, both in industrial and academic settings.

Today, hazardous chemicals are no longer left forgotten for years

in the far reaches of Macdonald Campus buildings.

Noroozi explained that the Waste Management Program, which operates under the Envi-

ronmental Health and Safety unit at McGill, collects regular chemical waste bi-weekly. This type of waste is made up of corrosive chemicals and solvents, such as hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide, that are collected in 25litre plastic disposal jugs. At collection time, physical hazards are also gathered, as well as radioactive waste, including solid waste such as latex gloves and glass pipettes that have handled liquid radioactive waste. Biohazardous waste, which contains infectious or potentially infectious material including human tissue, animal waste, and microbiological waste, is collected as well.

However, some chemicals cannot be collected in these jugs.

In the case of a cracked bottle, expired chemical, or solid substance, hazardous waste is stored in the lab until it is packed up for an annual collection. Should the substance be explosive or otherwise require immediate removal, labs can call on the waste management team.

“If it’s urgent, even for a bottle, they may come to pick it up,” Noroozi said. “Or if it’s a large amount which occupies a lab.”

Noroozi has always associated safety with sustainability in

his labs. Over the years, he has encouraged researchers to share chemicals between their labs and scale down certain experiments to prevent the use of excess chemicals. He has also developed chemical recovery systems.

“In some labs, students […] do an extraction and distillation [a boiling process that separates substances from a liquid], and I can reuse the same substance and redistill it later on for another group because they’re not going to drink it or test it,” Noroozi said.

While Noroozi’s efforts to bring safe and sustainable initiatives into his workplace stands out as an impressive example to other scientists, he stresses that the work and dedication of others is essential. He can provide information and management strategies, but everyone must play their part to contribute to a safe working environment.

“I am not a policeman,” Noroozi said. “Safety is a shared responsibility. So that is what we promote [...], not acting like the police. Encourage [responsibility], so people see the benefit of it and try to do it.”

Science podcasts to start the semester

Exploring the world of science through podcasts Laura Lyon Contributor Whether you’re folding laundry or walking to campus, podcasts are a great way to pass the time and learn some obscure information to impress your friends. They can also be a wonderful way for science and non-science students alike to engage in a subject that they would like to explore. Although there are plenty of excellent podcast series to discover, The McGill Tribune has rounded up seven of the most exciting ones, from astronomy to psychology. Happy listening!

Science Weekly

Science Weekly is a weekly podcast from The Guardian hosted by science journalists Ian Sample, Hannah Devlin, and Nicola Davis.

It covers a wide range of scientific topics, from climate change to space exploration. Episodes are often related to current events, giving a more in-depth look at the science behind news headlines. A polished podcast with excellent production value, Science Weekly is perfect for those interested in a variety of fields.

Living Planet

Produced by German media site Deutsche Welle, Living Planet investigates the toll that global climate change is taking on the environment from the perspective of both humans and natural ecosystems. Episodes feature multiple stories from around the world revolving around a central theme, such as how different communities deal with waste or the psychology of climate inaction. Hosts Irene Quaile and Sam Baker interview a diverse range of people, focusing on those working on or directly impacted by the issues at hand.

Gastropod

What is the origin of the bagel? What’s actually happening when our stomach rumbles? Science journalists Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley host Gastropod, a fun yet informative podcast that explores the surprising science and history behind food. Chefs and scientists appear on the show to delve into the multiple dimensions behind various culinary subjects. Be sure not to listen on an empty stomach though.

Ologies

Ologies is an essential podcast for anyone interested in niche science fields. Science communicator Alie Ward explores different ‘ologies’ from mycology (the study of fungi) to graphology (the study of handwriting), and everything in between. Through interviews with researchers and personal anecdotes, Ward’s narration style and interview skills keep this series engaging, funny, and digestible. You’re guaranteed to discover an ology that you never knew existed.

rency, credit card habits, and electric scooters. Engaging hosts Dan Moren and Mikah Sargent interview two guests each week in a relaxed, down-to-earth conversation. Covering a range of topics within the tech industry, the podcast has the power to charm the even most technologically opposed person.

13 Minutes to the Moon

13 Minutes to the Moon is an excellent BBC mini-series hosted

by Dr. Kevin Fong, an expert in space medicine. In honour of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the podcast takes listeners on the riveting journey that sent the first man to the moon.

The series just wrapped up in July, so you don’t have to wait around for the finale. Scored by Hans Zimmer, Clockwise is a must-listen for anyone who appreciates a well-produced podcast.

Hidden Brain

NPR’s Hidden Brain examines topics in psychology and neurobiology through compelling stories and discussions with academic researchers. NPR science correspondent Shankar Vedantam discusses everything from how we hear our own voices differently from others to more serious matters like how your postal code affects your future. Have you ever wondered if women named Virginia are more likely to move to Virginia? Hidden Brain has you covered.

Clockwise

Covering four technology topics during a 30-minute podcast, Clockwise delves into subjects such as augmented reality, cryptocur-

Podcasts are an accessible and entertaining way to learn about science. (Emma Paulus / The McGill Tribune)

SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2019

15

#SheTheNorth: Bianca Andreescu’s meteoric rise hits new high Canadians celebrate the country’s first Grand Slam title Gabe Nisker Features Editor There’s still nothing like appointment television, even if it means sitting in a Plateau apartment with a laptop on a Saturday evening. All across Canada, sports fans cleared their calendars for 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu’s run to the 2019 US Open championship match. It took just over two hours on the afternoon of Sept. 7 before the Mississauga-born tennis phenom raised her hands in victory, making history and creating one of Canadian sports’ greatest moments.

In the thrilling two-set (6–3, 7–5) victory, Andreescu defeated 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams. The two battled it out in a close match, with surges of adrenaline coming through for both.

Andreescu’s shouts of “come on” pierced through a raucous pro-Williams crowd after big shots. When that final stroke came through for Andreescu, it was a powerful forehand in the open court ending Williams’ rally from down 5–1.

Although Andreescu and Williams’s history is short, it’s filled with significant matches and mutual respect. At the Rogers Cup in Toronto in August, an injured Williams retired during the championship match down three games to one, giving Andreescu a title on home soil.

When the two met again one month later, both healthy and ready, the fans got the

Bianca Andreescu collapses on the court after deafeating Serena Williams in the final of the US Open.

(Getty Images) match they wanted. It ended with Andreescu winning the first major singles title in Canadian tennis history. (Genie Bouchard and Milos Raonic had previously come up short in finals matches at Wimbledon.)

“If anyone could win this tournament outside of Venus, I’m happy it’s Bianca,” Williams told ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi when she accepted her finalist’s trophy. Williams had praised Andreescu’s poise and maturity after the Rogers Cup. While Williams has been on the finals stage many times, Andreescu took home the title in just her first appearance in a major final.

“I’ve never received this much

[money],” Andreescu said when handed the prize money cheque of $1 million. She remained calm and composed, even in the most emotional moments of the biggest match of her career so far, and it paid off– literally.

Andreescu’s complete game forced Williams to dig deep and play from behind for most of the match. The Canadian teenager put one of the best in tennis history on her heels, and it was obvious: Williams struggled to make shots with her backhand for much of the match. Even Williams’s strongest weapon—her serve—fell short, and she double-faulted eight times.

Ultimately, with the massive victory,

superstardom arrived for Andreescu.

Even if it feels as if this has come early, it certainly has not. Ranked 152nd in the world at the beginning of the calendar year, Andreescu moved to number five in the World Tennis Association rankings with her championship title. While her rise is astounding, it is well-earned. Andreescu talks often about visualizing such peaks and how her mind prepares her for these moments.

“The mind is an incredible tool,” Andreescu told Joe Wolfond of The Score in August. “You basically can create your own reality with your mind.”

And this reality is hers: Andreescu is a major champion, and Canadian tennis gets its biggest moment yet. There’s more to come, though. When asked about the potential for fame and whether she is okay with being recognized on the street, Andreescu contemplated her new reality.

“My goals have just been to win as many Grand Slams as possible, become number one in the world, but the idea of fame never really crossed my mind,” Andreescu told reporters in the post-match press conference.

“I’m not complaining, though.”

Later, Andreescu and her coach Sylvain Bruneau posed for photos with their new trophies. Bruneau joked that this felt new for him, and Andreescu smiled.

“Get used to it,” Andreescu said.

Historic Mountain Bike World Championships held in Quebec The 2019 season ends in an unexpected French sweep

Ender McDuff Sports Editor On Sept. 1, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec hosted the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Mountain Bike World Championships. The competition was a downhill race of historic proportions for riders, the sport, and Quebec alike.

For the uninitiated, downhill mountain bike racing consists of athletes riding fullsuspension mountain bikes down intense, threeto-five minute tracks that reach top speeds of 80 km/hr, includes over 40 foot jumps, 10-foot drops, and an assortment of roots, rocks, and other obstacles.

The Mont-Sainte-Anne track is one of the longest, fastest, and most challenging in the world, a far cry from where the sport first started in the region. The original Mont-SainteAnne course was little more than a dirt access road. 27 years later Mont-Sainte-Anne boasts a beautiful track and plays host to World Cup races, making it the oldest downhill racetrack on the professional circuit.

This year’s race marked the 30th World Championships and the first time the event has been held three times at the same venue. This is a prestigious honour that is indicative of the respect that riders, fans, and organizers alike hold for the course at Mont-Sainte-Anne.

While there are World Cup races throughout the summer racing season, there is only one

World Championship race. This is because, for this single event, riders remove their sponsored team jerseys and instead wear the colours of their home country. National federations select riders to represent their country, which makes the World Championships especially competitive as does the honour of donning the World Championship rainbow-striped jersey in future races.

Entering the 2019 World Championships, many expected the women’s competition to be a contest between France’s Marine Cabirou and Australia’s Tracey Hannah, as the two have battled back and forth throughout the season.

However, the pair only managed to come third and fourth, respectively. Instead, it was Myriam Nicole, another French rider, who unexpectedly came down the course ahead of her closest competition by a margin of 1.2 seconds. This marks Nicole’s first ever win on the world stage.

On the men’s side, French rider Loic Bruni was the favourite, with victories in three of the last four World Championship races, as well as six podium finishes already this season. For this race, he did not disappoint. Bruni crossed the finish line just 0.581 seconds ahead of Australian Troy Brosnan to complete the sweep for France, crushing the Australian’s hopes for a first World Championship win.

Despite Canada’s top riders placing only seventh and eighth respectively in the men’s and women’s competition, thanks to the valiant

Bruni crossed the finish line just 0.581 seconds ahead of Brosnan. (Dave Trumpore / pinkbike.com) efforts of Finn Iles and Vaea Verbeeck, this year’s race in Mont-Sainte-Anne still held special significance for the host nation. The race honoured the memory of the first Canadian to ever win the World Cup overall championship, Stevie Smith, who passed away in 2016 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. In his honour, members of the Canadian team rode custom-painted bikes, and the course organizers made sure to feature the “Stevie Smith drop”— one of the track’s most eye-catching features—

as a testament to the legendary rider.

With another successful competition completed, fans of mountain biking in Quebec can look forward to next season, when the Mont-Sainte-Anne race is all but certain to continue making history in its 28th year on the professional circuit. And, with young athletes like Verbeeck and Iles on the heels of the world’s best, Canadians may soon see their flag wave again from atop the podium.

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 2019

Sacrificing vacations for a championship What the summer offseason looks like for McGill student athletes Théo Farineau Contributor

Varsity athletes continue to train throughout the summer months to stay in shape amd prepare for the return of regular season play.

(Erin Sass / The McGill Tribune) For most McGill students, summer is a muchneeded break from school, stress, and Montreal construction. For some varsity athletes, however, the summer offseason does not mean that they can enjoy their family and home. The McGill Tribune sat down with three McGill student athletes to discuss their summer experiences and whether they were able to take

some well-deserved rest during this time.

Though the fall sports season does not start until the end of August, McGill athlete practice and train all summer long. Santiago Sandoval, a third-year goalkeeper for the men’s soccer team explained that players are expected to train and play all summer so that they are in shape and ready to go when preseason camps begin in August.

“I practice two or three times a week with my club team, plus a game on the weekend,” Sandoval said. “I also go train by myself a couple of times [per week].”

The Martlets basketball team had a more intense summer preparation: They had to attend a rigorous five-week mini-camp.

“We had three practices a day: A team one, an individual shooting one, and a fitness session,” secondyear point guard Delphine Robitaille said.

This offseason training is crucial for student athletes given how quickly their exhausting competitive seasons get.

“Our first tournament is [in] the third week of September,” Julie Tian, a third-year badminton player, said. “It comes really fast.”

Even if the Martlets basketball team’s regular season doesn’t start until October, players are expected to maintain peak fitness year-round, which can make it difficult to enjoy the city or to travel during the summer. However, having time off from classes and studying allows athletes to let off some steam.

“During the school year, the stress is more intense

because we need to keep up good grades and balance school and sports at the same time,” Sandoval said.

According to Tian, athletes are always thinking about staying fit, but the summer gives athletes the chance to be inventive and mix other sports into their routine. Tian likes to go rock climbing and tries to spare time for volleyball while Montreal is not frozen over.

“Occasionally, I will play other sports with friends,” Santiago said. “But only for fun and not in an organized league.”

Being a varsity athlete adds greatly to the workload that the students face. Preseason camps can make it difficult to keep up with a summer course, and deferring an exam to the end of August, which is often the busiest time of the year for fall sports, is rarely an option.

“I’m probably going to have to take an extra semester to get my grades up,” Tian said.

Each athlete agreed that, although time-consuming, their varsity experiences will benefit them in the end.

Robitaille believes that these experiences promote hard work and an organized schedule.

“I know people [who] graduated in medicine and played sports for five years at McGill,” Robitaille said.

“There’s always a way to get where you want to be.”

Being a student athlete, even with its drawbacks, forces players to be on top of their responsibilities. But, it also forces them to make a choice about what they prioritize over the summer months.

McGill men’s rugby dominates against Harvard 38th Covo Cup ends 47-15 for McGill

Kaja Surborg Sports Editor McGill men’s rugby (2–0) is looking strong heading into the regular season after a resounding 47–15 win against Harvard (0–1). In the 38th annual Covo Cup, McGill’s final preseason game before RSEQ competition begins, McGill came out with a tenacious defensive showing and exciting play.

“We played hard defence, we didn’t let them get the ball, and I think we had a great game,” third-year prop Jeremy OckoMichilak said in a post-game interview with The McGill Tribune.

While McGill’s play was commanding throughout the game, an especially strong first half gave them a 26–3 lead at halftime, with Harvard’s only points coming from a penalty kick at 33 yards. Fourth-year right winger Joshua Worden opened scoring for McGill with a try in the third minute of the game that was converted by first-year winger Jack Tucker to give the home side an early 7–0 lead. Second-year 8-man Andreas Dionisopoulos added two tries to the scoreboard for McGill and had two more erased on penalties.

“I was playing on the right wing, and I normally play in the centre, so it was a new position,” Worden said. “I was really happy with [the first try] and had a couple of really nice tackles.”

This victory against Harvard is McGill’s second win in two preseason games leading up to the 2019 RSEQ

season, and their eighth consecutive win in the Covo Cup. Saturday’s match also brought McGill’s lifetime record in the Cup to 24 wins in 38 matches.

This year’s iteration of the Covo Cup was popular with the fans as well.

1,560 people filled the south stands at Percival Molson Stadium, breaking the previous attendance record for a rugby game at McGill set at the 2015 RSEQ championship game against the Université de Montréal Carabins.

“It was an entertaining game,” Head Coach Ian Baillie said. “It looks like the crowd enjoyed it, the ball moved and there were lots of points scored.”

The pressure of the large crowd certainly did not seem to be an inhibitor for the McGill players.

“A lot of my friends showed up, and I was glad that we could fill up the stands,” Worden said.

The eventful evening was capped off

by McGill Principal and Vice-President Suzanne Fortier presenting the cup to McGill men’s rugby captain Jessen Gibbs, a fourth-year centre. The team is now looking ahead to the opening of the RSEQ season.

“Confident, I’m feeling confident,” Worden said. “We have a tough [match] next week against Concordia, but we’ll take it day-by-day.”

McGill men’s rugby opens RSEQ regular season play against Concordia University at Concordia Stadium on Sept. 14 at 3:00 pm.

With 1,560 fans in attendance, McGill set a new home record. (Can Unal / McGill Athletics)

MOMENT OF THE GAME A try from fourth-year right winger Joshua Worden converted by first-year winger Jack Tucker put McGill ahead in the third minute of play and set the tone for the home side’s high scoring throughout the rest of the game.

QUOTABLE “Concordia’s going to be tough, but I think we’re going to stomp them.” - Third-year prop Jeremy OckoMichilak on how he’s feeling as the team heads into regular season play.

STAT CORNER McGill missed only one conversion, with first-year winger Jack Tucker scoring eight points from four of his five conversion attempts and first-year second row Ian McDowell scoring on both of his attempts.