The McGill Tribune Vol. 40 Issue 18

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2021 | VOL. #40 | ISSUE #18

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Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

Academic freedom does not justify discrimination

Hooked on the craft

STUDENT LIFE The history of Black History Month

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PG. 10

(Defne Gurcay / The McGill Tribune)

A walk a day keeps the doctor away

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Mcsway’s Heartbreak Museum offers students a cathartic space to express hurt The online exhibition featured poems, short prose, and visual art Erika MacKenzie Staff Writer

For those who are single, have recently ended a relationship, or are simply not interested in romance, Valentine’s Day can often feel like a punch in the

gut. With the additional isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s solitude hits especially hard.

Enter the Heartbreak Museum, an annual exhibition hosted by Mcsway Poetry Collective.

The Heartbreak Museum provides a digital space for artists and poets to share their heartache—romantic,

platonic, or otherwise—authentically. This year’s edition was held virtually through a website and Zoom open mic.

Event organizer Zeina Jhaish, U3 Education, spoke with The McGill Tribune about the impetus for this event.

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‘Black Mental Health Matters’ unpacks Student organizations collaborate on systemic racism in healthcare SSMU ‘Divest for Human Rights’ motion The presentation discussed mental health topics in the Black community Lucy Keller Staff Writer The Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic), the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the McGill initiative Supporting Young Black Students (SYBS) hosted “Black Mental Health Matters,” held virtually on Feb. 10. As part

of McGill’s Black History Month 2021, the event consisted of a presentation on mental health, a panel discussion, and a conversation centered around mental health in the Black community.

The presentation was given by Maureen Owino, who resides in Toronto, but joined the Zoom event from Nairobi. Owino is

a first generation immigrant who is currently a PhD student at York University studying the impact of the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 pandemics on Black communities in Canada. Owino is also a program coordinator for the Committee for Accessible AIDS Treatment in Toronto.

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The policy will be presented at the Feb. 16 SSMU General Assembly Ella Fitzhugh Staff Writer Seven McGill student organizations have collectively drafted a motion titled the “Divest for Human Rights Policy” to advance at the upcoming Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) General Assembly (GA) on Feb. 16. Divest McGill, Climate Justice Action McGill, Students in

Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), Students for a Free Tibet, McGill Stands with Hong Kong, Indigenous Student Alliance, and Students for Peace and Disarmament (SPD), collaborated to develop the policy which demands that McGill divest from companies that either aid or are complicit in human rights violations and environmental destruction.

With each group addressing different areas of McGill’s investment portfolio, the policy targets corporations and institutions complicit in a variety of human right abuses, such as Canada’s militarization of Wet’suwet’en territory, China’s forced labor camps for Uyghurs, and the statesanctioned crimes against Palestinians.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2021

NEWS

Board of Governors discuss preparations for in-person classes Board members also highlight planning for the 2022 budget Ella Milloy Staff Writer McGill University’s Board of Governors (BoG) convened for its first meeting of the Winter 2021 semester on Feb. 11, where it discussed plans for the Fall 2021 semester and McGill’s key performance indicators in multiple areas, such as academics and sustainability. Notable topics of the meeting included the Building and Property Committee’s report on the New Vic Project, the Fiat Lux Library Project, the Stewart Biology West Wing Redevelopment project, as well as a report by the Finance Committee regarding the 2022 budget.

At the start of the meeting, members of the Board discussed whether vaccination would be mandatory for those hoping to return to campus after the summer. They also deliberated the ongoing preparations for the Fall 2021 semester, and how in-person activities will be held during the rest of the Winter 2021 session.

Provost and Vice Principal (Academic) Christopher Manfredi raised concerns that international students may have for the return to in-person activities in the fall and shared the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal Academic (OPVPA)’s plans to facilitate a smooth transition.

“We are actively working on our scenarios for the fall,” Manfredi said. “We know that Fall 2021 won’t look like Fall 2019, but it also can’t look like Fall 2020. We are looking at what the thresholds would be for in-person teaching activities, and how we can reconfigure our course schedule and our use of classrooms to give us maximum flexibility. Our objective is to have as much happen in-person on campus in the fall as we can.”

The Board assessed the various ongoing construction and renovation projects at the university. After the Building and Property Committee provided a brief update on the New Vic and Fiat Lux Library projects, the Board approved a request to proceed with

MOMENT OF THE MEETING

Fortier highlighted the 13 members of the McGill community who recently joined the Order of Canada.

(Liam Kirkpatrick / The McGill Tribune) the Stewart Biology Building West Wing’s redevelopment, which includes a full interior renovation.

Vice-Principal of Administration and Finance Yves Beauchamp addressed budgetary adjustments necessitated by COVID19, such as ventilation upgrades.

“In all our new designs [for the project], we will need to consider all of those [COVID upgrades],” Beauchamp said. “This will be something [our team] will be discussing [....] There will be staff working on [amassing] all the knowledge we can gather, [including] the best practices regarding space, mechanics, and flex times.

We will [collect] all of that information in order to advise on future projects.”

Provost Manfredi presented McGill’s planned budget for the 2021-2022 year. For the 2021 fiscal year, the committee found no red flags in the expenditure or revenue reports that suggest exceeding McGill’s predicted deficit of $13.1 million. The Finance Committee will move the 2022 budget for approval at the Board’s meeting on April 22.

Principal Suzanne Fortier discussed the Faculty of Management’s new Couche-Tard store. Built as a retail innovation laboratory, the CoucheTard at the Bensadoun School of Retail Management uses new technologies which allow students to visit and shop without having to stop at a cashier. The new store is located on the ground floor of the Bronfman Building.

SOUNDBITE “The process in building the fiscal [2022] budget is proceeding as planned. In fact, we have essentially finished the preliminary work of working with the faculties and the main administrative units to understand their needs for the [2022] fiscal year in their position. We’ve gathered all the data and done all the consultations we need to do to start putting together a budget for [2022] [....] We’ve developed pessimistic, realistic, and optimistic scenarios [for] each of the [key drivers of revenue] [....] We are using those scenarios [to help build the budget].” Provost Christopher Manfredi on the process of developing the 2022 budget in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Panel highlights Canada’s failure to meet Indigenous communities’ needs Speakers discuss the housing crisis, COVID-19, and systemic inequities

Juliet Morrison Contributor Kicking off McGill Sustainability Systems Initiative’s (MSSI) first annual Sustainable Development Goals Week, McGill’s International Development Studies Student Association (IDSSA), McGill Sustainable Development Goals Student Hub (SDG), and McGill Students for Amnesty International hosted a panel titled “Basic Needs of Indigenous Communities on Turtle Island” on Feb. 13. Panelists Jessica Quijano, a feminist activist working for the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal and Tom Deerhouse, an elder facilitator at the First Peoples Justice Centre in Montreal, discussed housing shortages, COVID-19’s impact on pre-existing inequities, and the realities of advocacy work.

The panel framed the conversation around the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals—a list of 17 goals adopted in 2015. Speakers specifically highlighted four goals that are far from being met in certain Indigenous communities in Canada: Eliminating poverty and hunger, ensuring good health and well-being, and facilitating access to clean water and sanitation.

Quijano felt that the Canadian government has neglected to make Indigenous communities a priority and believes that more must be done more in pursuit of these goals.

“I think that we’re failing, frankly,” Quijano said. “We must always remember that these systems are put into place intentionally because we are not post-colonization. We have seen how our governments could re-

spond. I don’t think that if we had a water boil advisory in Montreal that would have lasted for 25 years [like it did in some Indigenous communities] [....] If kids couldn’t breathe in certain areas that would be fixed right away.”

Quijano described challenges that Indigenous activists face when raising awareness on issues affecting their communities— identifying ingrained colonial practices and bureaucracy as barriers to their advocacy.

Specific to Quebec, Quijano cited language barriers as a particular setback to maintaining clear communication between the provincial government and Indigenous communities, with many communities requiring English

services.

“There is [...] a lot of room for decolonization in the ways [the government] approaches communities,” Quijano said. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell [the Quebec government] that if they send emails to everyone in French, a lot of people won’t be able to understand it. It definitely is a touchy issue here in Quebec with the languages [....] I think it can be very complicated to work with these colonial systems, but you have to, you don’t really have a choice.”

The discussion emphasized the importance of making accessible, affordable housing available for Indigenous people, whom

Deerhouse mentioned the importance of wellness in advocacy work to avoid burnout.

(Xiaotian Wang / The McGill Tribune)

Quijiano noted are overrepresented in Montreal’s unhoused population.

Quijano believes that the housing crisis has persisted not because of a deficit of proven solutions or financial resources, but because of a lack of political will from local governments to address the issue.

Tom Deerhouse stressed the importance of resisting the colonial system by pursuing advocacy through legal avenues.

“It’s a constant fight,” Deerhouse said.

“We’re fighting a big system [...], but we have to pick our battles and whittle that down to something more manageable for the benefit of Indigenous people everywhere.”

During the question period, an audience member raised the question of vaccine hesitancy within Indigenous communities, citing the Canadian healthcare system’s historic and ongoing mistreatment of Indigenous Peoples.

“I’m trusting in the process,” Deerhouse said. “[We’re relying] on a community-wide public relations communication strategy.”

In Deerhouse’s community, support groups and Facebook live streams that feature medical professionals and community leaders are used to provide information on the vaccination process in Canada.

Geneva Yang, the panel’s host and SDG Campus Coordinator at McGill highlighted the importance of student allyship and recognition of Indigenous lands and territories.

“It is important for all of us to keep this constantly in our minds so that we can move forward, actively resisting neo-colonialism in all of its forms and manifestations,” Yang said.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2021

NEWS

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Black Healing Fund receives first round of applications for mental health care funding

The project offers mental health resources to Black individuals Maya Mau Staff Writer The Black Healing Fund, established in Oct. 2020, offers resources to Black people in the Montreal area who are looking for mental health services. Kat Charles, a queer Haitian writer, playwright, performer, therapist-in-training, and community organizer, created the fund with the belief that Black people should not have to pay for their own healing in a system that harms them. Since then, the fund has been managed entirely by volunteers who collect donations through sites such as PayPal, Patreon, and GoFundMe. In order to apply for funding, individuals seeking financial support are required to provide their name, location, and requested total amount.

From there, recipients will be randomly selected. Those who do not receive funding during the most recent round, for which applications closed on Feb. 6, will be placed on a waitlist.

Naïka Champaïgne, a Concordia student, is one of six team members. As coordinator for the fund’s communications, Champaïgne emphasized the importance of the orga-

The website provides information about resources such as food security.

(University of York) nization’s mandate.

“There is a huge community of Black people in Montreal, and a constant lack of acknowledgement that systemic racism exists in Quebec,” Champaïgne said. “For example, over the summer [during the Black Lives Matter protests] there was a much larger police presence in Montreal Nord where there are more Black people. There needs to be active support for Black people in Montreal.”

Maya Willard-Stepan, U2 Sciences, is the McGill Students Chapter of Jack.org’s Equity and Sustainability Officer, and recognizes that the Black community is disadvan-

taged when it comes to accessing mental health resources.

“BIPOC youth are 26 per cent less likely to receive sufficient treatment if struggling with their mental health,” Willard-Stepan wrote. “It is crucial to the health and wellbeing of BIPOC youth to create supportive communities with meaningful mental health dialogue and provide affordable access to professionals who will assist without discrimination or bias.”

The Black Healing Fund does not bar anyone from requesting help, but they do remind people to be considerate when applying.

“We remind people to be mind-

ful of social positionality, colorism, and socioeconomic status when applying,” Champaïgne said. “This fund is really intended for low-income Black people.”

The fund does not require recipients to spend the money on any particular practice, but provides a list of recommendations for potential healers whom they have vetted and linked on a page of the fund’s website.

While the Black Healing Fund is not directly affiliated with McGill organizations, campus mental health groups have voiced their support for the initiative.

Pratik Mahajan, U2 Arts, VicePresident External of McGill Students’ Nightline, and recognizes the importance of mental health resources from personal experience as a student from India who juggled several responsibilities.

“Every low income Black student faces unique barriers,” Mahajan wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “But the tallest one of them all is the one that keeps them away from seeking the support they need to overcome the mental toll of trying to overcome barriers every single day.”

Julia Caddy, U3 Arts and Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Mental Health Commissioner and Chloe Holmquist, U4 Arts, Co-President of Students in Mind, and the chair of the Peer Support Center recognize that free mental health services are in high demand during the pandemic, which has disproportionately harmed Black and Indigenous communities.

“Through financial support to Black people seeking mental health resources [with the Black Healing Fund], there’s an opportunity for not only timely support but for culturally appropriate support,” Caddy wrote in an email to the Tribune.

Holmquist commented on the barriers facing Black people as they look for mental health support.

“Mental health services can often be both financially inaccessible as well as feel unsafe due to the limited number of Black mental health professionals available,” Holmquist wrote.

The fund hopes to open a second round of applications later this year, and regularly posts updates on its Instagram profile and Facebook page.

Legislative Council approves question on SSMU Membership Fee increase SSMU approved many fee renewals concerning student resources and employment Jonathan Giammaria Arts & Entertainment Editor The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held its biweekly Legislative Council meeting on Feb. 11, where councillors approved a motion to implement a policy for McGill to transition out of the research and use of harmful military technologies and a referendum question requesting an increase of $1.20 to the SSMU Membership Fee. Vice-President (VP) External Affairs Ayo Ogunremi moved the policy regarding harmful military research at McGill. The proposal advocates for increased transparency with respect to such research on campus, with an end goal of transitioning away from supporting the development of military technologies. Ogunremi specified that the aim of the motion was to explicitly define and distinguish between terms like “military research” and “technologies” to clarify which forms of academic work would fall under the scope of the motion.

“It’s recognized that research that is not intended to be used for harmful purposes [...] can nonetheless lead to [...] harmful military technology,” Ogunremi said. “The policy is specifically trying to target harmful military research [....]

By virtue of that specificity, it enables actionable items [against harmful military technology].”

After Council passed Ogunremi’s motion, it approved a motion regarding their stance on institutions of public

Vice-President External Affairs Ayo Ogunremi passed a motion advocating for increased transparency regarding McGill’s research in harmful military technologies.

(Brian Schatteman / The McGill Tribune) safety. As a result, SSMU can now publicly recognize the systemic oppression embedded within the criminal justice system and its acting bodies, such as police forces, and can advocate for institutional overhauls such as defunding and the replacement of punitive justice with restorative and transformative approaches.

Next, VP University Affairs Brooklyn Frizzle proposed a motion concerning a referendum question to increase SSMU’s Membership Fee by $1.20—a non–opt-outable fee that all members of SSMU must pay. If passed, the funds from the increase will go towards creating hourly wages for SSMU Councillors and student Senators. Frizzle

spoke about the decision to specifically increase the fee—rather than seek faculty funding for its representatives or allocate funds from a separate new fee—in order to create student wages.

“I’ve been talking about this particular project [...] for as long as I’ve been on Council,” Frizzle said. “After due consultations with the finance and accounting departments and the [SSMU] general manager, we came to the conclusion that the best solution would be to increase the society’s membership fee.”

Councillors were divided on the topic of the fee’s increase. Some, such as Management Representative Noah Gundermann, argued that the motion would erroneously incentivize students to run for representative positions solely for their monetary imbursements, while others, including Music Senator Addy Parsons, asserted that the positions’ current unpaid standings constitute labour theft.

Engineering Representative Jake Reed added that paid employment was a matter of accessibility.

“Paying elected members of SSMU is actually something that increases the number of people that are able to run,” Reed said. “Not only are there members who are elected officials who have to face anxiety because they’re unpaid for their work, but there are also certainly other members of SSMU who would happily run for a position were it financially feasible for them.”

MOMENT OF THE MEETING Senators Addy Parsons and Alex Karasick, and Ar ts Councillor Chip Smith congratulated SSMU President Jemark Earle on his creation of the acronym, “SSAMMOSA”— the name for the committee overseeing the implementation of Earle’s five-year Master Plan.

SOUNDBITE “I can speak directly to the fact that [...] ever y time we have to campaign for our fee renewals [for ser vices], it takes up a significant por tion of our resources and energy. It is entirely standard for fees to be renewed ever y five years [....] Should it have to be renewed within a year, then that would cause undue effor t placed upon Drive Safe, MSERT, SACOMSS, and Walk Safe [....] Asking them to have to campaign for their continued existence two years in a row seriously takes away from the ability for them to actually provide these ser vices.”

—Mo Rajji Cour tney, SSMU mental health advocacy coordinator, on the need to keep the renewal of Safety Ser vice Fees in 2026, instead of the proposed 2022.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2021

Tribune Explains: Montreal’s snow removal system

The logic behind the madness of Montreal snow removal Respina Rostamifar Staff Writer

(Sabrina Girard-Lamas / The McGill Tribune) Every year, Montrealers are left in the dark about the ways snow removal is managed throughout the region. As the winter drags on, so do the unyielding sirens of the snow ploughs that roam the city. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of how municipal snow removal is done, The McGill Tribune looked into how the City of Montreal organizes its snow removal during the winter.

salt when sidewalks and roads become icy and slippery. The second stage of snow maintenance, snow ploughing, is implemented when there is over 2.5 cm of snow on the ground. The third stage of snow removal, undertaken when the snow exceeds a measurement of 10 cm on the ground, involves snow loading. Snow loading is done using a snowblower, which was invented by Montrealer Arthur Sicard.

Interestingly, roads, pedestrian sidewalks, and bike paths are all maintained with different types of machines. Oftentimes, bike paths are cleared sooner than sidewalks and roads because there is simply less ground for the snow removal crew to cover.

In the majority of Montreal’s boroughs, private snow removal is prohibited if snow is moved

on to public sidewalks and streets. Accordingly, snow must be kept on the property if shovelled.

Why are some areas prioritized over others?

Main roads—like Sherbrooke, RenéLévesque, Henri-Bourassa—that are connected to healthcare institutions, schools, prioritized bus routes, and major shopping areas are usually cleared first. Main streets that are narrower also get priority to ensure that emergency response vehicles can move through them. On some occasions, snow is only cleared on one side of main roads.

This irregularity in snow removal is influenced by traffic patterns as crews avoid clearing snow during rush hour and wait until the traffic moves to the

How does the snow removal system work?

In the 19th century, the city of Montreal called upon ordinary citizens to shovel snow away from sidewalks and streets. With the arrival of automated vehicles, however, snow removal could be completed in a fraction of the time needed, changing the landscape of snow maintenance forever.

Today, there are three levels of snow removal operations in Montreal which are carried out depending on the weather conditions. As stated by the City of Montreal, the first stage of snow removal occurs with the distribution of gravel and

other direction before moving to clear it.

Next on the priority list are medium-sized “collector” streets—like Cadillac, Bernard, and Villeray—or those that are connected to nonpriority bus routes and schools. After the collector and main roads are cleared, snow maintenance crews then begin work clearing local, industrial, and residential streets. Snow removal operations also clear paved alleys that are connected to commercial areas.

Are there any restrictions on residential parking during snow removal?

Montreal officials place orange temporary “no parking” signs if there has been heavy snowfall, or if one is expected in the coming days.

These signs are put up before 3:00 p.m. and snow maintenance is carried out between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., only after which residents can move their vehicles back to their original spots. Recently, however, in response to Quebec’s curfew, the City of Montreal has allotted “incentive parking lots” to help drivers find free parking before curfew.

Where does all the snow go?

Snow maintenance costs the city of Montreal roughly 160-180 million dollars per year.

(Reem Abdul Majid / The McGill Tribune)

Up until the latter half of the 1980s, loaded snow would simply be dumped into the St. Lawrence River. Public outrage over the rising pollution levels caused by salt, gravel, and garbage pressured the city to seek alternative dumping sites. Today, the city moves approximately 60 per cent of the snow to one of 29 dumping sites off the Island of Montreal. The remaining third of the snow is treated in the Montreal sewage system before being released into the St. Lawrence River.

Student organizations collaborate on SSMU ‘Divest for Human Rights’ motion The policy will be presented at the Feb. 16 SSMU General Assembly Ella Fitzhugh Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Maya Garfinkel, U3 Arts and SPD representative, and one of the founders of the campaign responsible for the policy, highlighted the main objectives of the motion.

“What we want from this motion is to basically set the foundation for mobilization in the future,” Garfinkel said. “In the motion, we break it down into specific bodies within SSMU, within the McGill administration, of what we are demanding from those institutions [....] We just [want] this policy to be a foundation for education for mobilization towards the ultimate goal of divesting from these harmful companies.”

An anonymous source representing SPHR elaborated on the importance of the policy in an email to the Tribune and explained how it serves to direct resources to areas that students are concerned about.

“I hope that this motion can be a conversation starter,” the source wrote in an email to the Tribune. “[It is] the kind of conversation that forces us to really think about what our tuition money is being invested into. [A conversation] that forces

us to think of our positionality as settlers on stolen land and not think of injustices in Palestine, Yemen or East Turkestan as ‘far away.’ Instead, as McGill students, we must recognize the power and responsibility that we have to pressure institutions like McGill until they stop investing our tuition dollars in corporations which directly facilitate and profit from violent

that the motion’s implementation will require further work from SSMU’s executives.

“This campaign will be a multilateral effort from the Offices of the President, VP External Affairs, and VP University Affairs, alongside nearly a dozen politically-oriented student groups,” Frizzle wrote in an email to the Tribune. “In the

Maya Garfinkel, SPD representative, preaches the importance of faculty solidarity in generating change at McGill and internationally. (Erin Sass / The McGill Tribune) oppression and exploitation, in Turtle Island and abroad.”

Brooklyn Frizzle, SSMU Vice-President (VP) University Affairs, believes

weeks following the GA, if we are successful [in the policy’s implementation], we will start by mobilizing public support through outreach and education cam-

paigns before setting up our action plan for [...] advocacy.”

Garfinkel is confident that passing the policy will strengthen student sentiment that McGill’s divestment from human rights violations should no longer be delayed.

“Historically, the McGill administration has required a lot of pushing from the outside, from the student body, for things like this to really move,” Garfinkel said. “[...] I think that we are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best when it comes to the McGill administration response.”

In a statement to the Tribune, McGill Media Relations officer Frédérique Mazarolle relayed a comment from the university administration on its investments and commitment to following recommendations from the McGill Board of Governor’s Committee to Advice on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR).

“To better align the mandate of its investment committee with the CAMSR recommendations, the Board of Governors has approved in June 2020 changes to the Statement of Investment Policy of the Endowment Fund to include ESG, [environmental, social and governance], considerations and a socially responsible investment concrete action plan,” read the statement from McGill.

OPINION

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2021

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EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Helen Wu editor@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Aidan Martin amartin@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Katia Lo Innes kinnes@mcgilltribune.com Nina Russell nrussell@mcgilltribune.com Sophia Gorbounov sgorbounov@mcgilltribune.com

News Editors Maya Abuali, Kate Addison & Sequoia Kim news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Jonah Fried & Kennedy McKee-Braide opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editors Madison Mclauchlan & Shafaq Nami scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Life Editors Alaana Kumar & Leyla Moy studentlife@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Kevin Vogel features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Vanessa Barron & Jonathan Giammaria arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Adam Burton & Sarah Farnand sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Ruobing Chen & Chloe Rodriguez design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor Jasmine Acharya photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editors Sarah Ford & Alexandre Hinton multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developer Benjamin Alexandor & Marwan Khan webdev@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Jackie Lee copy@mcgilltribune.com

Academic freedom does not justify discrimination Content Warning: This article discusses systemic discrimination and suicide On Jan. 19, the Religious Studies Undergraduate Society (RSUS) published an open letter calling on McGill to address discriminatory behaviour by Dr. Douglas Farrow, a faculty member in the School of Religious Studies. The letter describes how Professor Farrow creates a harmful environment in his classes, particularly towards 2SLGBTQIA+ students, violating McGill’s preferred name policy and expressing hostile views towards transgender individuals and same-sex marriage. Academic freedom must never outweigh the safety of marginalized students.

McGill must act to protect its students and clarify the scope of its policy to recognize its supposed commitment to equity.

While McGill has yet to release a statement directly addressing concerns over Farrow, the university has sent out two separate emails this academic year reaffirming its commitment to academic freedom. The first addressed a

OFF THE BOARD

Social Media Editor Marie Saadeh socialmedia@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Marilie Pilon business@mcgilltribune.com

TPS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Helen Wu, Caitlin Kindig, Ezra-Jean Taylor, Tara Alami, Yara Shaheen-Abuelreish, Deana Korsunsky, Sequoia Kim, Kennedy McKee-Braide, Shreya Rastogi, Marilie Pilon, Heela Achakzai

STAFF Sepideh Afshar, Reza Ali, Margaret Askey, Zoe BabadPalmer, Rory Daly, Ella Fitzhugh, Justin Galouzi, Defne Gurcay, Signy Harnad, Zoe Karkossa, Lucy Keller, Deana Korsunsky, Erika MacKenzie, Maya Mau, Adam Menikefs, Ella Milloy, Naomi Mirny, Matthew Molinaro, Jinny Moon, Respina Rostamifar, Brian Schatteman, Noah Vaton, Josephine Wang, Xiaotian Wang,Youssef Wahba, Margaret Wdowiak, Lowell Wolfe,Wendy Zhao

CONTRIBUTORS Reem Abdul Majid,Taja De Silva, Valentina de la Borbolla, Elissa Dresdner, Justin Galouzi, Daria Kiseleva, Lilly Lecanu-Fayet, Juliet Morrison, Michelle Siegel, Maya Watt

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Marie Saadeh Social Media Editor We all remember the day we heard about the samosa ban. The news rocked all of our worlds; we had been robbed of our beloved, cheap campus snack. But the ban was not the first of bad news on campus in the Fall of 2019. Reflecting on this particular semester— the last to be unaffected by COVID-19—I realize now that the samosas were one of three terrible omens of what was to come just a few short months later.

controversy at the University of Ottawa, where a non-Black instructor used an anti-Black slur in class. The second was in response to an open letter from the Students’ Society of McGill University that denounced Professor emeritus Philip Carl Salzman––who has published racist views about Middle Eastern people––and called for McGill to overhaul its policy on academic freedom. In both emails, the university claimed that academic freedom and equity and inclusion cannot supersede one another, yet failed to acknowledge the harm students experienced.

Academic freedom is undoubtedly important; at its core, the principle is meant to protect academics from arbitrary punishment and secure their ability to research freely. In the classroom, it allows for the expression of any idea or opinion without fear of censorship. But at times, academic freedom can be used as a cover for instructors to propagate harmful ideas, allowing educators to equate discrimination to a difference of opinion and a simple matter of freedom of speech under insufficient university policies.

The fact that Farrow teaches required courses forces queer students to interact with someone in a position of power who believes their identity is a threat and refuses to use their correct name and pronouns.

When rates of suicide amongst trans individuals are higher than almost any other demographic, that Farrow or any other instructor can get away with this is deeply troubling.

Behaviour of this kind can serve to work against the principles of academic freedom and open discussion in the long term by discouraging marginalized individuals from pursuing academia. If students are forced into unsafe learning environments, they may be less likely to remain in the field to conduct their own research.

Additionally, marginalized faculty members may feel less safe expressing their own views for fear of discrmination.

In principle, academic freedom should work in tandem with equity and inclusion to create a safe university environment; in practice, McGill has failed to show much consideration for the latter. It does not help

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EDITORIAL that the university’s statement on academic freedom is vague, making it difficult to know where the line is drawn between academic freedom and punishable discrimination.

While the university is clear that academic freedom cannot be used as a defence against hate speech or otherwise illegal behaviour, discrimination often goes beyond what is explicitly outlined by law. As such, McGill must redefine the boundaries of their statement.

As with freedom of speech, academic freedom should not directly translate to total freedom from consequences. Farrow’s position as an academic should not give him an unquestionable right to teach required courses.

There can and should be ways to ensure a safe learning environment, and allowing students to opt out of courses taught by Farrow and others with actively harmful views is but one example. McGill cannot flaunt its preferred name policy, its plan to address anti-Black racism, or any other initiative while failing to address hateful behaviour towards students and faculty.

The bad omens of Fall 2019 Let’s rewind a bit. The first event that indicated the coming doom was the closure of the Arts Lounge and the subsequent decline of Bar des Arts (BdA) as a central social location on campus. I remember when I heard this news in the summer of 2019. After having just finished my first year at McGill, an experience that was defined in large part by being a BdA staff member, the thought of not spending my Thursday evenings in the basement of Leacock serving beers was difficult for me to wrap my head around. I chose to remain optimistic, but this hope later proved to be naive.

I barely had time to process the absence of BdA before even more devastating news struck the McGill community: Selling samosas had been banned on campus. Samosas, a uniting force, a delicious treat, a shining light on a dark day, were no longer there to make our days. We had been robbed of the savoury, spicy glue that held our large and often flimsy campus community together.

Surely, it could not get any worse than this.

Although I was disappointed that my second

year experience would be different from what I had envisioned, I remembered that Gerts was set to reopen in December 2019. Knowing that my BdA experiences could be replaced by good times spent at a different beloved student bar relieved my mourning. I had never experienced a night at Gerts, but from the excitement of my upper-year friends I could tell that it would be worth the wait.

Of course, this dream too was crushed. An Oct. 28 email from SSMU announced yet another delay in re-opening the University Centre. I was disappointed, of course—the dream of having a go-to social spot on campus that was not the Redpath Café was becoming more and more unrealistic.

To consider Blues Pub as an alternative would go against my BdA roots.

Undoubtedly, there was good news in the Fall of 2019 that eased some of the pain.

One example was the surprise that Première Moisson, with its overpriced snacks and bad coffee, was replaced with better food options. More importantly, McGill did the bare minimum and finally changed the racist

men’s varsity team name after months of protests led by Indigenous students.

While it is nice to focus on the bright side, let’s face it: Things suck right now, and we should let ourselves mourn what once was. The reality is, most students are missing campus life and are fondly looking back on the months before the pandemic flipped our worlds upsidedown. However, as we reflect, we should remember that even before March 2020, a certain kind of McGill student culture was already on the decline. We can understand now that the trifecta of BdA closure, samosa ban, and the Gerts delay was only a taste of what was to come.

Hopefully, one day, we will be able to attend campus social gatherings and eat old samosas without washing our hands beforehand. It will be a beautiful day, but it must not be taken for granted. McGill students deserve to experience the vibrant campus community that slipped away from us in the Fall of 2019, hopefully with the same traditions that shaped the campus culture for which McGill was once known.

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OPINION

COMMENTARY

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2021

Shop local to support Quebec businesses affected by COVID-19

Justin Galouzi Staff Writer In April 2020, the Quebec government introduced Le Panier Bleu, an online directory of Quebec retailers that supports local businesses impacted by the pandemic. The initiative maintains that if shoppers are presented with an accessible way to shop local, they may be more likely to opt for those options rather than purchasing from large retailers. While Panier Bleu’s mission is promising, the platform must be reworked to become more user-friendly, and students can help it reach its full potential.

When the pandemic set in, businesses struggled to survive because of government imposed public health measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. As businesses were suddenly restricted to online sales, many local vendors without the resources to adapt to a web-based sales model suffered. Furthermore, many local stores only sell specific products. Even if the population has access to multiple shops from the comfort of their home, it is still far more practical to do all of one’s shopping at once. Consumers looking to buy a variety of products instinctively visit Amazon, which offers almost everything one could need on one site.

The government sought to adopt Amazon’s model not only to help small businesses survive, but also to try and combat the retail giant’s monopoly on online shopping.

However, Panier Bleu’s strategy has some glaring flaws.

COMMENTARY

Although it is meant to support local shops, critics have expressed concerns over some of the vendors listed on the site, like IGA, which is part of a multinational chain that already has its own online platforms and clientele. By including IGA and other stores like it on Panier Bleu, attention is taken away from truly local vendors, detracting

As of Jan. 21, 11 per cent of Quebec businesses were at risk of permanent closure. (Jasmine Acharya / The McGill Tribune)

from the purpose of the initiative. If the government wants to better support local businesses, it should consider removing any already well-established chains from the website. To do so, it could implement a revenue threshold that business must be under in order to appear on the platform.

Beyond issues with the selection on Panier Bleu, users

will find that it is not nearly as intuitive as its competitors.

While it aims to become an alternative to Amazon in Quebec, Panier Bleu merely redirects shoppers wanting to buy a product to a store’s website. Users looking for different products still have to visit several sites. This urges shoppers to buy from large online retailers, as they can search for a variety of products in one place and easily make a single purchase.

Despite its flaws, Panier Bleu’s shortcomings should not discourage potential customers from using it, including McGill students who are typically likely to shop on Amazon. While it may be less convenient, the benefit for small businesses can be massive. Further, increased use and feedback may push the government to improve the directory rather than eventually abandon it due to low traffic. To further support local businesses in the long term, when using Panier Bleu, students should also take note of which local stores sell the products they need to promote a shift to local shopping especially when it becomes easier to shop in person again. The process may take more time than shopping on Amazon, but if done en mass, these small actions support local shops that are in dire need of help.

By shopping on Amazon, students are supporting a company that made a monstrous profit last year while letting down struggling businesses. Although Panier Bleu must be improved, it can be incredibly meaningful to local shop owners, which ultimately outweighs the mild inconvenience that may come with using it.

The problem with the pornagraphy industry

Valentina de la Borbolla Contributor Content warning: This article includes mentions of sexual violence and discrimination A December 2020 New York Times article

by Nicholas Kristof exposing Pornhub’s refusal to take down videos depicting rape and child abuse has sparked international outrage.

Since then, credit card companies like MasterCard and Visa have cut ties with the Montreal-based site. Financial institutions are now part of the public debate of whether porn should be banned entirely by governments.

The fact that 93 per cent of male and 62 per cent of female college students watch porn before turning 18 shows that pornography influences students’ sexual interactions. But beyond the popular prohibitionist feminist stance that porn is dangerous for women and the permissive stance that rejects moralist concerns, there is an often-overlooked point: The business model behind the industry. The problem with porn is how it makes money.

Understanding how it works is important and can ultimately change harmful consumption habits.

The purpose of porn is to entertain and arouse viewers. Although porn is available to everyone who has access to the internet, it caters to white, straight, cisgender men.

From Hugh Heffner’s Playboy to many Pornhub videos, a lot of free and mainstream pornography objectifies women. Women are often at the centre, but we see them through the eyes of men. This does not mean that women, people of colour, or gender and sexual minorities cannot watch or enjoy porn. But the filming is done with a certain demographic in mind, tapping into harmful gender and racial stereotypes to please its

Platforms like OnlyFans have emerged as a way for adult content creators to maintain more autonomy.

(Sabri Conde-Yassin / The McGill Tribune)

audience.

Pornography, like any industry, prioritizes profits above all else. Its business model provides little to no incentives to regulate the content that users upload. It would

not be profitable to get rid of something that people clearly enjoy. In this sense, Pornhub is the perfect blend of racism, patriarchy, and capitalism because it takes advantage of people’s biases to make a profit. Pornography

platforms make money off leaked videos of 14-year-old girls, revenge porn, violent depictions of rape, and in a broader sense, racist and sexist content. One could argue that porn is subversive and that it defies moralist and prudish values that seek to villainize sex by representing hidden sexual desires that people cannot publicly claim. However, the racist and sexist mainstream porn industry challenges nothing; it upholds the oppressive systems on which it is built.

Debates about the ethics of porn can often seem abstract and ideological, but it is important that they centre around the people they tangibly impact. The critique should not seek to criminalize and punish sex workers for making a living. Moreover, not all porn is created equal, and the rise of ethical porn provides an important alternative. Instead, criticism should be aimed at companies like Pornhub and their respective business models, which incentivize them to profit off of the violence and trauma of others.

Rather than debating whether porn should be banned, it is important to focus the discourse on the systems and the companies that facilitate and actively partake in harm.

Discussions should not fall into the trap of individual responsibility that tends to distract from the true perpetrators. The danger of criticizing porn is punishing people for their sexual desires. But as Kristof states, criticizing the porn industry and being sexpositive should not be mutually exclusive.

Awareness of the structural dynamics that enable porn should not become an excuse for mindless porn consumption. People can choose what type of pornography to watch, what stereotypes they buy into, and to stop consuming violence. Young people and students have the power to shape the way we understand sex, and resignation to injustice should not eclipse the power of dissent.

STUDENT LIFE

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2021

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‘Love in the Time of…’ allows history students to cozy up The remote Valentine’s Day lecture series centered around the theme of love Maya Mau Staff Writer The Classics Students’ Association (CSA) and History Students’ Association (HSA) teamed up on Feb. 11 to host the “Love in the Time of…” lecture series remotely.

As they did for their “Haunted Histories” Halloween event earlier this academic year on Oct. 27, each student association invited two professors from their respective departments to give a short lecture, this time centred around the theme of Valentine’s Day and romance.

Under normal conditions, students would pass around sweetheart candies or

heart-shaped lollipops. Even without such traditions, HSA President Dalton Liggett, U3 Arts, still fervently believes in the event’s power to bring students together.

“My favourite thing about organizing HSA events is definitely being able to meet and converse with History students,” Liggett wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

“Amidst these ongoing circumstances, it’s rare for History majors to be able to gather together safely, even if virtually, so I cherish that.”

CSA President Taryn Power, U2 Arts, also sees these events as crucial for facilitating student connection in spite of remote learning.

“Love in the Time of…” is the sibling of the Halloween-themed “Haunted Histories” event. (shutterstock.com)

“My favourite part about events this year is getting to see everyone in my program, even virtually, and we’ve had a lot of really good attendance for events,” Power wrote in an email to the Tribune. “It’s nice to be able to see that the community in the department is still pretty close knit. Plus, it’s always nice to get to learn something new for fun, outside of class, and the lecture series always deliver on that,” For this event, the History department was represented by Brian Lewis, professor of modern British history, and Rachel Sandwell, who studies the history of women’s movements. Classics was represented by Lynn Kozak, who teaches epics and classical performance texts, and Naomi Kaloudis, who reasearches performance theory.

First to speak was Kozak, who spoke about her research on the NBC television series “Hannibal.” She discussed the queer subtext of “Hannibal” and its many samegender relationships that contain romantic and sexual undertones, transcending traditional definitions of friendship. Kozak also talked about the parallels between the characters in “Hannibal” and Achilles and Patroclus from The Iliad. By looking at modern entertainment through the lens of classical literature, Kozak gained a more in-depth understanding of the forces that shaped the hit series’ plot.

Sandwell then discussed love between South African revolutionaries. Movement organizers believed that romantic and sexual relationships made young people weaker and less trustworthy. As a result, organizers

dictated how young people in exile conducted relationships, thereby shaping the way young people interacted with South African politics.

After that, Kaloudis talked about pastoral poems in classical history, which are defined by their descriptions of a male figure’s unrequited love. In Theocritus’s Idylls, a goatherd falls in love with a woman named Amaryllis. Rather than casting Amaryllis as primarily the object of male fantasy, both parties possess equal agency in their relationship—a deviation from typical genre conventions of the time.

Last to speak was Lewis, who covered the history of perception regarding sexuality.

Traditionally, most considered there to be a sexual binary between a heterosexual majority and a homosexual minority that was deemed deviant. In reality, throughout history, sexual attraction between people of the same gender has existed across cultures.

Given their varied academic backgrounds, the featured Classics and History professors all contributed unique perspectives to the time of love. Seeing students’ faces light up on screen when lecturers made jokes spoke to the event’s success.

“I’m really happy with what the CSA has been able to do so far, and proud of my team for doing so well adjusting to the online format,” Power wrote. “I’m just hoping that, whether I’m organizing or not, we will slowly (and safely!) get to see some of our normal traditions start back up in the coming year, but if not, it’s nice to know after this year, getting together virtually can still work so well.”

Searching for the cities of the future

SDG Student Hub presents talk on the future of sustainable cities Lilly Lecanu-Feyet Contributor A panel discussion about the future of sustainable cities was presented by Sustainable Development Goals Student Hub (SDG), ECOLE, and the Research and Sustainability Network on Feb. 12 and marked the close of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) week. SDG week ran from Feb. 8-12, featuring panel discussions and movie screenings open to all who were interested. The panel addressed the 11th and 12th of the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals, and the three panellists—Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering professor Dr. Ursula Eiker, Urban planner Louis Mazerolle, and Geography PhD candidate Kerstin Schreiber—presented research to show how academics, planners, and city governments are working hard to meet these goals.

Eiker, who teaches at Concordia University, opened with a presentation on creating cities with smaller energy demand and carbon footprints. Eiker argued that planners should build cities in a compact formation to lower energy consumption in buildings

and reduce the amount of transit required for movement. Eiker works in the Next Generation Cities Institute at Concordia, where researchers use computers to model the impact of planning for sustainability on cities’ greenhouse gas outputs. Developed countries tend towards increasing levels of urban sprawl, and Eiker’s research argues why this sprawl is highly detrimental to the environment and health of people living in cities.

“Cooperative or communal housing needs to see a renaissance,” Eiker said. “It is good for social interaction, and it is a good way to slow the rebound effect we see where people with money choose to spend their money on goods that are less sustainable.”

The rebound effect, also known as the Jevons paradox, is a widely discussed phenomenon in sustainability. It occurs when technological advancements introduced to reduce emissions fail to do so because of a rise in improved technology use. In developed countries with more resources, communal goods are a thing of the past because most people have their own products.

The rebound effect will continue to strengthen as wealth builds and

more people can purchase their own cars instead of taking public transit.

Next, Mazerolle argued that safe public spaces and large green areas are important for creating sustainable cities that benefit their residents. Currently, Mazerolle is working on a project in Laval to update development bylaws for environmental protection.

Mazerolle’s approach to planning sustainable cities is similar to Eiker’s, in that it is better to build up than out.

“It is always better to start building a new sustainable city on top of the older city,” Mazerolle said. “Green fields are easier to build off of, and there is less of a wait for permits, and the land is often cheaper. We need to flip the incentives so that it is easier to build on what is already there.”

The final speaker was Schreiber, who discussed the issues of food accessibility in high density cities. Since cities are not usually conducive to food production, city dwellers have always relied on others to procure their food. This is part of the reason for food deserts, areas where healthy food is not available, and other inefficiencies in the food system, such as food waste. Schreiber proposed several

The Future of Sustainable Cities discussion addressed the 11th and 12th of the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals, and the three panellists presented strong research to show that there are people working hard to meet these goals. (Elissa Dresdner / The McGill Tribune) solutions to these problems, including the food waste ban that was piloted in French supermarkets.

Urban agriculture has also seen a revival in the past 10 years, with rooftop farms and community gardens appearing across North America. This offers a sustainable way to close food cycles and serves as a short term antidote to food deserts.

“We are still figuring out which is the most sustainable way to feed cities: Food supply coming from local food systems, or global trade of food,” Schreiber said. “Global trade keeps food affordable and accessible, but the emissions are also higher, so it is likely that neither of the two extremes will be the solution, but rather a combination of those and other ideas.”

Hooked on the craft Exploring crocheting and knitting during quarantine and beyond Jackie Lee, Copy Editor Crocheting is a balancing act. To make each stitch, one hand grips the hook and the other controls the tension of the yarn: Too taut, and the project will turn out cramped, stunted; too loose, and it will be flimsy, undefined.

I was 10 when my Oma taught me to crochet, and it took a full week. Each day we practiced together, her worn but still-deft hands guiding mine until I could yarnover, chain stitch, and single crochet. I marveled at the diversity in her repertoire, from delicate lace doilies made with thread to bulky crewneck sweaters spun from Icelandic sheep’s wool. My first project was restricted to a simple square (though it looked more trapezoidal), but it felt like mine—here, at last, was something I had made.

There’s something magnetic about crafting, whether it’s crocheting a scarf or knitting a sweater. For many students, it becomes a reprieve from the hustle of everyday life, a chance to wretch our hands from the vice of our keyboards. Just as uniform stitches require careful attention to balance, students too must work to manage their personal and academic lives during remote learning semesters and beyond. While academics may in some ways prove a hindrance to crafting, they are also a conduit by which to channel creative energy. Unlike nebulous professional or personal aspirations, which may prove fruitless despite best efforts, crafting is foolproof: Learn the technique, follow the instructions, and voila—a handmade, three-dimensional scarf, sweater, blanket, or amigurumi has been transformed from a simple ball of yarn.

Crafting becomes a meditation, a mindfulness that rewards the practitioner not only with a creative outlet but a physical, meaningful result. Although crocheting and knitting was once pegged as tedious monotony, it is this very consistency that offers a sanctuary from the difficulties of present life.

Crocheting is to knitting what snowboarding is to skiing—parallel techniques and common materials mean the communities often overlap. Both use a tool to manipulate a fibre into a woven textile. Crochet uses one hook, while knitting uses needles; crocheting is often faster, but knitting uses less yarn. Compared to weaving, knitting, or other handicrafts, however, crocheting is relatively contemporary, with complete patterns emerging only in the early nineteenth century. Previously, crocheting was often considered a frivolous pastime, only used for superfluous projects like lace edging and decorative change purses.

Now, of course, crocheting is indiscernible from the stereotypical image of the elderly woman knitting diligently in her rocking chair. For me, despite numerous attempts, I’ve never been able to grasp knitting—I’m a proud crocheter, even if I do envy the elegant drape of a knit shawl or cabled sweater.

Design: Chloe Rodriguez / The McGill Tribune

I remember sitting on my Oma’s front porch in Kitchener, Ontario, curled up in a wicker chair as I fumbled with my hook. It was a balmy evening, the summer sky still bright despite the hour, and I had the third Hunger Games book propped in my lap, eyes glued to the page while my hands made quick work of the acrylic-blend skein. This habit carried over to middle school, where I would crochet during class, fielding questions from peers and skepticism from teachers. Part of me preened under the attention in that righteous, edgy way only seventh graders can. The other part was self-conscious at the grandma-esque persona I was accruing.The ability to focus better with my hands occupied, though, won out over this concern.

Olivia Valentini, U2 Arts, has been knitting since she was a child. Her grandmother, who could create hats and sweaters on request within two days, taught her, and eight-year-old Valentini was enthralled by this magic, eager to try herself. As a crafting veteran and the vice-president (VP) workshop of McGill’s Knitting Club,Valentini is responsible for knitting and crocheting workshops for beginners and intermediate members alike.

Valentini, like myself and countess others, regularly knits or crochets while occupied in another, more mentally taxing task.

While pre-pandemic eras saw crafters on public transit, waiting rooms, or lecture halls, remote learning makes it easier than ever to squeeze a row or two between—or during—classes.

“So you know when you’re 10 minutes into a Zoom class and you slowly feel yourself zoning out into another dimension?” Valentini wrote in an email with The McGill Tribune. “Well, when I start to feel that, I pick up my knitting needles and start doing a really easy stitch that doesn’t take a lot of effort. For whatever reason, keeping my hands busy with something keeps me really grounded and suddenly I’m able to focus better on what is being said.”

Crafting is a welcome alternative to the perpetual blue light of Zoom classes, and it also connects students who might otherwise feel isolated. Amrita Singh, U2 Science, started knitting last February through the McGill Knitting Club. As the group was looking to fill executive positions, Singh ended up accepting the VP communications role. Beyond facilitating a space for community and connection in the club, Singh found that knitting helped motivate her to study.

“When I lack focus and feel like procrastinating, I use the Pomodoro technique, where you study for 25 minutes and take a [five] minutes break,” Singh wrote in a message to the Tribune.

“During the break, you should avoid social media since it will be hard to get off them later on, so therefore, I will knit a couple of rows during this time. It helps me take a break from constantly looking at a screen and gives me some quiet and peaceful time.”

Andrej Jermilov, president of McGill’s Knitting Club, first started knitting three years ago, when he joined the club after visiting the booth during Activities Night. For Jermilov, COVID19 restrictions during the summer provided free time and limited commitments, driving him to knit more. Remote learning has stifled some of that energy.

“During the summer, my creative drive really soared,” Jermilov said. “It gave me the time to think about what knitting means to me, and what I want to do with this skill I have [....] I find that school definitely keeps me from knitting, [but] I try to set aside [time] once a week to knit and keep that knitting flame burning until I have the free time to pursue it more.”

B y highschool, I had embraced my grandma-brand and regularly crocheted in class. My class- mates sometimes requested their own pieces, unaware that yes, yarn costs money, and projects like detailed sweaters can take dozens of hours of work. Having been commissioned by a few teachers in eighth grade, I eventually decided to create a shop. My tiny enterprise did not translate into big bucks like other entrepreneurship-minded teens—Depop was not on my radar—but I sold handwarmers to my friends and mittens and baby shoes to my teachers.

I fell out of the practice when my in-person customer base dwindled, and continuing would necessitate moving my platform from an Instagram portfolio to an online marketplace like Etsy. As university admission applications loomed, I quietly retired the account.

Other creators have successfully managed to transform a hobby into an income. To millennials and older Gen Z, the “side hustle” is another facet of life in this day and age. Especially for students, who often micromanage their timetable in order to balance studying with leisure, it’s tempting to see every hour as a chance to maximize one’s productivity.

Some can balance both: Chris Lau, U3 Management, with friends Kinda Wassef and Jana Beydoun, created an Instagram shop in December, and Lau has recently opened her own Depop.

Lau used to knit sparingly in highschool, but revisited it during lockdown in April. She began crocheting shortly after, enticed by its more forgiving nature—crochet stitches are more flexible and easier to undo. Lau expanded on why income-driven work rather than creative work has not stifled her motivation.

“I enjoy crocheting, but I don’t want to keep everything I’ve made,” Lau wrote in a message to the Tribune. “Especially in quarantine, [...] I’d rather sell it to someone who will make good use of it. I don’t think my motivation has changed that much. It’s been fun working with people [...], but it definitely does add a layer of pressure making sure people are happy with the final outcome. But I think it just pushes me to have more attention to detail than I would have making something for myself.”

Others find that their interest wanes when shifted to financial-minded goals rather than personal ones. Although Valentini even considered pursuing fashion design, for her, knitting and crocheting remain a hobby.

“I think knitting and crocheting takes way too long for me to actually make enough product to rationally monetize it,” Valentini wrote. “I’m also the type of person who gets unreasonably stressed when my hobby becomes something I have to do for customers or money.”

While Jermilov has dabbled in commission work, he has decided for now to leave the potential financial element out of the equation.

“While I would love to be able to live off of just knitting, I don’t think I’d be able to do it, at least not if my income was coming primarily from physical pieces that I was creating,” Jermilov said. “Even if I had all the resources at my disposal, [...] once knitting moves from something that I’m doing because I feel like doing it, to something that I’m doing because I have to do it, my enjoyment of it tends to drop and quickly leads to a burnout.”

Jermilov sees designing patterns as a possible alternative to the labour required of small creators selling their work.

“I don’t think I’d run into this same [burnout] problem if instead my income was coming from designing patterns and selling those instead of the actual physical pieces,” Jermilov said. “This

way, I get to explore my creativity and try to push myself as a creator and also get a bit of renewable income from it.”

In a world saturated with fast-fashion, sustainable alternatives have proliferated as brands attempt to cash in on the trend. Handmade goods offer a way to support small creators, but are not feasible for all.

“I think it would be really great if handmade goods became the norm, but it can often be just as financially inaccessible as sustainably branded companies,” Lau wrote.

“Handmade goods are having a difficult time competing with fast-fashion brands because they have devalued the true cost of clothes. Because of that, people are not able to afford or willing to pay for handmade goods even if they are an investment and support small businesses.”

Valentini agrees and suggests supplementing sustainable brands with one’s own creations.

“When you know how much time it takes to design, make a pattern, buy the right fabric, and sew the garment, you understand where the cost [of sustainable fashion] is coming from,” Valentini wrote. “Try your hand at making your own stuff! It’s so rewarding and endlessly fun.”

The act of crafting is a solitary one, yet for many, gifting their finished projects is the most rewarding aspect. The joy of giving is a unique type of gratification—not only is the crafter dedicating time and effort into a gift tailored specifically for the recipient, the knowledge that it is handmade makes it infinitely more valuable. Despite the amount of work, there is definite fulfillment in having a new plushie or scarf and in the process of creation itself.

“I usually create things for myself because oftentimes they’re super intricate pieces of clothing that take me months to finish, which results in feelings of attachment,” Valentini wrote.

“When I make crochet plushies though, I always give them as gifts. Something super cute like a tiny penguin always puts a big smile on someone’s face!”

Crocheting and knitting do not just feed the creative soul: Some studies suggest that knitting can boost cognitive function, manage chronic pain, and improve mental health.

“I continue [knitting and crocheting] because it takes my mind off of everything that’s happening in the world and in my life, and in the end, it’s also an esteemable act,” Valentini wrote.

“Knitting or crocheting something really cool and being able to say, ‘I made that!’ is a tiny joy that really makes a world of a difference.”

I’ve used crocheting as a coping mechanism myself when my Oma passed just before I started ninth grade. My hooks and yarn held memories now tinged bittersweet. In an effort to process the loss, I decided to finish a striped blanket I had found in her house. Completing the last couple of rows and stitching around the perimeter, I felt connected to her in a way that provided closure without pain. Eventually my grief subsided, but I remain grateful for this skill she passed on to me. I continue to make my own projects today.

“There’s no deep meaning behind why I always come back to knitting,” Jermiov said. “Ultimately, it’s just a fun activity that allows me a creative outlet, and for now, that’s all I need it to be.”

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STUDENT LIFE

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2021

The history of Black History Month

How Black History Month’s legacy can help inform activism today Josephine Wang Staff Writer Every February, Canadians are called to reflect upon the nation’s history from the perspective of Black Canadians. While Black History Month began in the U.S. in the 1920s, it is now observed in other countries including Canada, the U.K., and the Netherlands. The McGill Tribune examines how this celebration came to be.

The origins of Black History Month can be traced back to 1926 and to Carter G. Woodson, an eminent African American historian.

Woodson, who believed that Black history had long been neglected in academia, designated the second week of February to celebrate the accomplishments and history of African Americans. Woodson selected February to commemorate the birth month of two influential figures in Black American history: Frederick Douglass, a formerly enslaved abolitionist, and Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the U.S., who issued the Emancipation Proclamation. By 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month, making a call to action for Americans to honor the overlooked accomplishments of Black Americans.

Black History Month was adopted in Canada in 1955, following a motion introduced by Jean Augustine, the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament. Although 1955 marks the official recognition of Black History Month by the Canadian government, it did not mark the first time that Black history was celebrated in Canada. Similarly, while 2021 marks the fifth year of institutional celebration of Black History Month at McGill,

Black community members have organized during and outside of Black History Month for decades.

When considering Black History Month, it is important to always acknowledge the labour and legacy of all those that came before, as their contributions are often erased.

In an interview with the Tribune, Senior Advisor of AntiRacism and Equity Education Shanice Yarde discussed the importance of Black history when reflecting on Black History Month.

Black History Month was first officially recognized in Canada in 1955. (cupe.ca)

“Every place creates its own narrative about itself [...], but it’s important that we challenge these narratives to make sure that they tell the fullness and richness of the story,” Yarde said. “[There is] denial and dismissal of oppression here [in Canada] and we compare to the U.S. to deflect. When honouring and celebrating Black History Month, it is important to have a global perspective but it is also critical to focus on the local context.

Black history here is incredible, but overlooked.”

Many people do not recognize the vastness that exists when it comes to Black history in Canada.

Yarde explained that due to the censorship in history textbooks, many Canadians are not aware that Black people were once enslaved in Canada. “[There is a] narrative that Black people don’t exist or face violence here,” Yarde said. “There is a particular way in which Blackness gets erased from a space based on what narratives are perpetuated and challenged and which ones are not [....] Every single year I learned about Rosa Parks and [Martin Luther King], and not to discredit the incredible contributions that they have made, but there are so many other important and notable

people.”

While February is a month to learn and celebrate Black history, students should continue this work and dialogue year round. “[It is] also important for people to continue and push this work beyond February,” Yarde said. “[There are] all of these events that happen in February, but once March 1 arrives, it’s just crickets. There is a role for people to continue these dialogues and education beyond February. How are we creating spaces outside the designated time period? What work are we doing when the cameras are off and the spotlight is no longer on?”

Furthermore, Black History Month is often used as an opportunity to talk almost exclusively about racism and oppression, perpetuating a narrative that Blackness is only connected to trauma and violence.

It is clear that understanding Black history transcends learning about oppression Black people have endured: It is also about the ways they have fought to survive and thrive in Canada.

Visit Equity at McGill for resources to educate yourself on anti-racism and allyship as well as ways to honour Black History Month.

‘Black Mental Health Matters’ unpacks racism and mental wellbeing

The presentation discussed mental health topics in the Black community Lucy Keller Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

In her presentation, Owino discussed the history of racism in Canada, transgenerational trauma, and the way in which anti-Black racism impacts mental health.

“Racism and anti-Black racism are policies and practices rooted in Canadian institutions,” Owino said. “This can be understood through education, health care, and justice that mirror and reinforce beliefs, attitudes, prejudice, stereotyping, and discimination towards people of Black-African descent.”

Owino continued by speaking about her traumas of experiencing systematic racism. She shared several first-hand experiences as a Black immigrant in Canada navigating the Canadian health care system while facing mental health challenges, despite legislation intended to protect individuals facing these issues such as the Canadian mental health acts.

“I have witnessed and experienced through my work how Black men and women, when they are in crisis, are sent to prison instead of receiving help,” Owino said. “It just shows how the Canadian mental health acts do not protect Black Canadians.”

The second part of the night consisted of a panel moderated by Leatitia Mbassegue, SYBS member and McGill first-year medical student. Speakers included Owino, Khan Bouba-Dalambaye, a councellor at Openspace

Panelist and McGill medical student Leatitia Mbassegue emphasized the importance of attentive allyship for non-Black students. (Jinny Moon / The McGill Tribune) Clinic, Melissa Cobbler, wellness advisor for the Faculty of Science, and Aishah Seivwright, external coordinator for Black Mental Health Connections.

The panel members spoke about their lines of work, personal experiences with mental health and racism, and how these encounters negatively affect mental health.

Throughout the talk, panelists emphasized the lack of mental health resources available

to the Black community in Montreal, and more broadly in Canada, offered by Black practitioners. According to Bouba-Dalambaye and Cobbler, understanding the demographics of the mental health workers in Montreal is just one way to comprehend the disparity of Black practitioners.

Shanice Yarde, equity education advisor (anti-oppression and anti-racism) at the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic)

played a large role in planning the event. Yarde spoke with The McGill Tribune about the evidence of systemic inequity in Montreal.

“Khan is one of two Black male counsellors in Montreal,” Yarde said. “The lack of Black practitioners has nothing to do with a lack of knowledge, interest, or capacity, but the barriers to entry to those programs that make it possible for people to be in those roles.”

The panel and community conversation also highlighted the ways that non-Black students can better support their Black peers’ mental health. Mbassegue underscored the importance of allyship in an interview with the Tribune.

“An ally stands up with no fear,” Mbassegue said. “So messaging us in private and saying ‘I am so sorry about what is happening in the world’ or ‘it must be tough’ does not help much [....] Somebody else standing up and not making us be the only one to call something out is a way to start being an ally.”

As Seivwright and Owino discussed, Black students have dealt with having their hair touched and being called names for too long.

“I think an important takeaway from this conversation for non-Black students is being willing to listen first and believe in Black people’s self determination abilities,” Mbassegue said.

“We are the experts of our own experiences so we can tell you what we need, and then you can help us from there.”

For information on Black History Month 2021, check out this website.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 11

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2021

Celina Caesar-Chavannes calls to build an inclusive world Can You Hear Me Now?’ unpacks the former MP’s life Matthew Molinaro Staff Writer On Feb. 12, the West Island Black Community Association (WIBCA) hosted a virtual book launch for Can You Hear Me Now?, the memoir of businesswoman and former Member of Parliament (MP) Celina Caesar-Chavannes. CaesarChavannes, the first Black person representing Whitby, Ontario, in Parliament, was among the most outspoken Liberals and later Independents during her tenure, advocating for causes like mental health, international development, and gender and racial equity in the House.

Her commitment to humanity-based governing principles brought her acclaim as Secretary to the Prime Minister and as Minister for International Development, yet that principled commitment ultimately caused her to leave the Liberal caucus and choose not to run for reelection in 2019. Can You Hear Me Now? explores Caesar-Chavannes’ mistakes, guilt, and pain in the creation of a call to action.

The launch began with a set by DJ Don Smooth Garrett, which introduced the hosts and Caesar-Chavannes into the groove of Marvin Gaye, Al Green, and Stevie Wonder.

But it was Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” that aptly introduced the author.

The conversation between

Celina Caesar-Chavannes argues for passion, principles, and progress. (kingstonist.com) Caesar-Chavannes and moderator Fimo Mitchell, a Montreal meditation coach, covered her memoir and beyond, delving into topics like Caesar-Chavannes’ childhood, career, and love for Prince.

Like her public service, Caesar-Chavannes’ memoir is a work of authenticity, and writing it pushed her to pen several letters to family members informing them of its unflinching content. Caesar-Chavannes and Mitchell spoke about

the former’s upbringing. Having immigrated to Canada from Grenada as a toddler, she noted memories of her parents taking care of her through her childhood.

Her description of her mother’s tough parenting outlines CaesarChavannes’ need to show realities of Black motherhood coupled with the immigrant experience.

“It’s not the soft and squishy that sharpens me,” Caesar-Chavannes said. “I feared her while she

feared for me [....] She treated me in a way that she knew the world would.”

Caeser-Chavannes’ father grappled with racism at work, which also presented her with an understanding of the power of words.

“The haunt around my dad made him look gray and emaciated,” Caesar-Chavannes said. “It would be years until I understood that the haunt was racism and that is part of the Canadian experience for Black people.”

In light of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, Caesar-Chavannes urged listeners to engage in dismantling systemic racism. Stressing fact-based dialogue, she referenced the deaths of Toronto’s Regis Korchinski-Paquet and Joliette’s Joyce Echaquan, and highlighted the disproportionate consequences that Canada’s COVID-19 response and policing practices have on Black and Indigenous peoples. Democracy, she argued, is key to change.

“Democracy does not belong to a man with well-coiffed hair on Parliament Hill,” Caesar-Chavannes said. “Politicians have borrowed jobs. We decide whether they get that job again.”

She further emphasized that passion results in substantive progress, not just virtue-signalling. Caesar-Chavannes left her work running clinical trials across Canada to run for office because of her passion

for people. However, people often do not understand why she left her position in office.

“I’m not interested in being at the table to eat the crumbs off the floor [or] even worse, to be on the menu,” Caesar-Chavannes said.

After a federal election in 2019 promising change, CaesarChavannes still sensed that same haunt her father felt seeping in. The government reverted promises, like electoral reform and ending mandatory minimum sentences, and antagonized independent voices in their party, especially women of colour like Jody Wilson-Raybould and Caesar-Chavannes. After being told in early 2019 to support the party over principles, she left the Liberals.

“I was left alone […] so cold on that side of the House,” CaesarChavannes said. “I didn’t deserve anything they did over the three years. I don’t know why they did that.”

After a gripping two hours, Caesar-Chavannes rallied the audience to do the work, unpack toxic environments, and importantly, extend humanity.

“I want my tombstone to read, ‘All she had left to do was die.’”

Caesar-Chavannes said. “But I ain’t going anywhere soon.”

Can You Hear Me Now? is available for purchase now.

Heartbreak Museum offers students a cathartic space to express hurt The online exhibition featured poems, short prose, and visual art Erika MacKenzie Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

Event organizer Zeina Jhaish, U3 Education, spoke with The McGill Tribune about the impetus for this event.

“I joined Mcsway three years ago as a project lead,” Jhaish said. “I had to create a project for that year, and […] I remembered the [Museum of Broken Relationships and] seeing white empty rooms and objects that represented heartbreak. I really thought the idea was nice and I wanted to see it in the Mcsway context [.…] For me, the inspiration personally was [that] heartbreak is always relatable.”

When viewers enter the website, they are greeted by a digital painting of a heart with a gash down the middle and stitches alongside to patch the wound. Immediately, the audience is drawn in by the painful beauty of a broken heart.

Along with its virtual exhibition, the Heartbreak Museum hosted an open mic on Feb. 12 where poets shared their most intimate heartbreaks. These readings revealed that heartbreak is not limited to simply romantic relationships. Jhaish explained that the Heartbreak Museum is meant to be an inclusive space that discusses many different types of heartbreak.

“We have a lot of heavy material and a lot of great sensitive, amazing poetry from our participants,” Jhaish said. “We always emphasize that heartbreak is not just about relationships and Valentines [....] So, our audience can also talk about family and friend-heartbreak and maybe even self-heartbreak.”

The exhibition hosts a range of work, including sites where photographers documented their broken hearts and artifacts from past relationships, collages, and short films. In one set of images entitled “the sound of leaving,” the artist, Amanda, shows that moving from one place to another can also feel heartbreaking.

Despite the fact that Zoom often feels like an impersonal platform to share art, the open mic offered a welcoming and supportive space for artists. As participants read their poetry, the chat box was flooded with loving and encouraging words. Poets shared experiences detailing the loss of friends and family, the pain of unrequited love, and the turmoil of toxic relationships.

Jhaish discussed how moving the event online allowed Mcsway to expand its programming to include the open mic element.

“We all love [the] Heartbreak Museum, so we thought we should find a creative way to bring it to life in COVID-19,” Jhaish said.“We decided to put it in the form of a website […] and then we also wanted to create a platform for people to perform their pieces [....] We

The Heartbreak Museum explores the many forms of heartbreak through poetry, photos, collages, and short films. (Taja De Silva / The McGill Tribune) wanted to add a little more pizazz to it and have an open mic where people could share and discuss and talk […] and use Zoom to our advantage.”

Jhaish emphasized that the Heartbreak Museum offers students a sense of catharsis during a challenging time of year, which has been exacerbated by stay-at-home orders.

“This year [heartbreak] hits differently because it’s COVID and all the frustration that comes with it,” Jhaish said. “It’s especially important to continue with this because we saw that a lot of people obviously want to share and […] and we believe in [...] channelling our energies into expressing ourselves and having a platform to do that.”

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2021

12 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘OK Human’ is sort of human, but definitely less than okay Weezer’s new album emulates pandemic blues without any nuance Michelle Siegel Contributor Due to the indefinite nature of the pandemic, the subgenre of the “pandemic album” has become an increasingly large fixture. Although some, such as Taylor Swift’s folklore and Charli XCX’s how i’m feeling now, were massive critical and financial successes, Weezer’s latest album, OK Human, is not poised to join those ranks. While the album is clearly inspired by the classic Beach Boys album Pet Sounds, OK Human comes off as an odd imitation of Coldplay with quirky yet unremarkable lyrics and string orchestras in place of more brooding melodrama.

Although the album deserves a certain amount of credit for sticking to a moody, dramatic aesthetic and producing a cohesive vision, this vision is ambivalent and mediocre. In what can be viewed as an unintentional homage to the band’s poppunk roots, most of the songs sound almost exactly the same, and virtually none of them are memorable or good enough to propel the album to a higher quality. While “Screens” and “Here Comes the Rain” stand out amongst the sea of homogeneity and are more indicative of Weezer’s typical alternative rock sound, most of the songs on the album feel like a misplaced and half-hearted attempt to revisit a once-ex-

Festival Art Souterrain 2021: Chronométrie

Check out art centred on the theme of time Saturday Feb. 20, 6 p.m.

Free Online

Leftover Love with SSMU Musicians Collective & McGill Students’ Visual Arts Society

Come join a card-making tutorial with music!

Thursday, Feb. 18, 5:30 p.m.

Free Online

A Talk on Gender Inequality with Captain Rola Hoteit and HeForShe McGill

While it may feel briefly representative of the moody blues of the pandemic, there is no quality or longevity beyond Weezer’s pedestrian new album, OK Human. (kerrang.com) perimental, now dated style of production.

The high concentration of orchestral backing throughout the album is at its best in the final song, “La Brea Tar Pits,” where it takes on a more subdued version of the role that a guitar riff might have filled in earlier Weezer work. However, any power

built up in the standout songs is fundamentally washed away by the bland repetitiveness of OK Human as a whole. While it may feel briefly representative of the moody blues of the pandemic, there is no quality or longevity beyond this pedestrian work.

Lebanon’s first female pilot shares her insights Saturday Feb. 20, 12 p.m.

Free Online

Mercredis 100% Humour at Abreuvoir Bar et Terrasse Grab your coat for an outdoor show.

Wednesday Feb. 17, 6 p.m. $10 In-Person

Framing Britney Spears, again

Despite rave reviews, ‘Framing Britney Spears’ is a failed redemption Maya Watt Contributor In 2008, the L.A. Superior Court granted Britney Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, financial conservatorship over Britney, allowing him to control her finances. Thirteen years later, Jamie remains Britney’s conservator. Framing Britney Spears is a New York Times documentary following Spears’ tumultuous life and her fight to end her father’s conservatorship.

Despite being the focal point of the film, Spears herself is not part of it.

As mainstream media slowly but surely begins to embrace feminist values, with it comes increasing sympathy for Spears. Although many viewers are treating this film as her redemption, it should not be. It is her story, but it’s not told in her own words. Spears responded to the film on Instagram.

“No matter what we think we know about a person’s life it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens,” Spears wrote.

It is unclear whether Spears is referring to the lens belonging to the

paparazzi, or the New York Times.

Perhaps it’s both, because the irony is this: At the end of the day, the public is still talking about Spears and is endlessly fascinated with her personal life, and yet, she still has no voice on the trauma she has faced throughout her career.

Spears has expressed gratitude for the #FreeBritney movement, but it is difficult to see how this documentary helps Spears in her fight against her father’s conservatorship. More sympathy from the public might mean more sympathy from a judge, but

In 2019, comedians and creators of the podcast Britney’s Gram Tess Barker and Barbara Gray launched the #FreeBritney movement. (vanityfair.com)

#FreeBritney activists were already applying pressure on the L.A. Superior court to relinquish Jamie Spears’s conservatorship before the Times aired the film.

However, there are a number of reasons why this documentary does not belong on the let’s-speculateabout-Britney-Spears’-personal-life shelf.

For one, Framing Britney Spears is building some much-needed sympathy for Spears. Fans are currently demanding celebrities who mistreated Britney to apologize.

Further, it lays bare how toxic paparazzi culture was, and still is. In one clip, paparazzi are seen packed into a gas station waiting for Spears to exit the bathroom. In another, she is seen crying in a restaurant as onlookers press on. An interviewer asks Daniel Ramos, an active member of the paparazzi, if their work affected Spears at all.

“Working on her for so many years, she never gave a clue or information that [said] ‘I don’t appreciate you guys,’ or ‘leave me alone,’” Ramos says.

Additionally, the film serves as a reminder that Spears faced harassment from not only the paparazzi, but also from the general public. Within the last decade, the public refused to view a woman in control of her sexuality as none other than a threat to their

children. In a clip of Diane Sawyer interviewing Spears, Sawyer justifies a mother’s claim that she would shoot Britney if given the chance because of how hard it is to be a parent. From all angles, Spears was a target for criticism and hatred.

Although the film has the power to sway public opinion in favour of Spears, it still inadvertently forces Spears—a woman who has suffered incessant public scrutiny—back into the limelight. One thing is for sure: Any piece of media with Britney Spears in the title will always do well because it satiates the public’s obsession with her private life. It’s clear that the filmmakers respect Britney—they are careful not to speculate about her life too much—but if their goal, truly, was to humanize Spears, they should have waited until she is ready and able to tell her own story.

Britney’s friend, chaperone, and former assistant Felicia Culotta alludes to the fact that this film is not Britney’s redemption. Culotta guides the filmmakers around her Mississippi home, the walls plastered with framed records and photos of her and Britney.

“One reason I agreed to do this interview is so we can remind people of why we fell in love with her in the first place,” Culotta says. “I’m excited for the time she’ll get to share her story [....] Everything will fall into place.”

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2021

13

A walk a day keeps the doctor away

Active architecture reduces cardiometabolic mortality rates

Margaret Wdowiak Staff Writer Every year, McGill students curse the campus terrain as they trudge up the hill towards the Life Sciences Complex. However, the health benefits of climbing up the hill are abundant. Research has shown that for those able, walking reduces the rates of cardiometabolic diseases like diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes.

A new study conducted by a group of McGill researchers explores the link between a city’s walkability scores and rates of cardiometabolic disease and mortality.

“Cardiometabolic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, are the kinds of chronic diseases that are influenced by individual behaviours—namely physical inactivity and diet,” Sarah Mah, a PhD candidate in McGill’s Department of Geography, wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

Active living environments, also known as walkable environments, are defined as easily navigable areas with wellconnected walking paths, a variety of destinations within walking distance, and denser populations.

Walking is associated with a 43 per cent risk reduction of premature cardiometabolic death in middle-aged women. (Defne Gurcay / The McGill Tribune) The team wanted to expand on previous research that showed that these types of neighbourhoods are linked to positive health outcomes.

The group conducted their study using data from 250,000 respondents from the Canadian Community Health Survey and death records from the Canadian Mortality Database.

The datasets contained information regarding social and demographic characteristics as well as health behaviours like physical activity levels. Afterwards, Mah and her

colleagues used the Canadian Active Living Environments (Can-ALE) database to assess how living environments impact physical activity levels, and the risk of premature cardiometabolic death.

The team observed that people walked more frequently in neighbourhoods with favourable conditions for active living. They also found that walking was associated with lower premature cardiometabolic death in all groups except for middle-aged men. On

average, people walked more in these environments, regardless of sex and age.

Overall, these results highlight the importance of the built environment—manmade structures and features in a neighbourhood—in shaping behaviour and health.

“We have seen a huge increase in obesity rates and overweight rates over the last 30 to 40 years,” Mah said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “One of the ways to curtail that is to encourage people to be physically active.

Whether our neighbourhoods are built to support active lifestyles is part of that.”

Mah believes these environments can also encourage sustainability.

“We are heading towards a future that is not looking good in the way of climate change,” Mah said. “I think figuring out how to structure our environment such that we can reduce motorized transportation and live more sustainably is going to be really important.”

Mah suggests that improvements on neighbourhood design plans can be made by considering these research findings.

“The research shows that neighbourhoods that support active living tend to be places that are easy to navigate, have more people, and have more places that people can walk to for their daily needs and activities,” Mah said.

She further recommends that policymakers re-examine existing neighbourhoods to identify ways of improving active living, like increasing mixed-use planning.

Another way to promote a city’s sustainability is to support initiatives like the creation of safe bike lanes.

In our increasingly sedentary lifestyles, designing environments that promote walkability is more important than ever. Cities all over the world stand to benefit from active living environments.

Universities like McGill could be a source of inspiration, given its active living environment that includes opportunities for walking and cycling.

“Universities tend to be very active living friendly,” Mah said. “Not only do students have destinations that are walkable, densely connected population areas, [they] also have some great destinations to amenities, to groceries, to healthcare.”

Puffy exoplanet challenges traditional notions of planet formation WASP-107b’s surprisingly low density is unprecedented in a gas giant

Daria Kiseleva Contributor Since the first exoplanet was discovered in 1992, scientists have identified more than 4,000 of these astronomical bodies. Exoplanets— planets found outside our solar system—have been shown to challenge traditional theories of planet formation, which were based on Earth’s own system.

A recent study has revealed that gas giants can form from a smaller core than previously thought possible. The study was led

by Caroline Piaulet, a PhD student at the University of Montreal’s Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), in collaboration with a team of astronomers including Eve Lee, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics at McGill and the McGill Space Institute.

The exoplanet WASP-107b, which orbits the star WASP-107, was first observed in 2017. This gas giant is classified as a “superpuff”—a planet with a very large radius compared to its low mass.

The initial low estimate of its mass prompted researchers to seek a more accurate estimate using data collected over several years by the

Keck Observatory in Hawaii. Using the radial velocity method, they could determine the planet’s mass by observing the effect of its gravitational pull on its host star. This independent, direct measurement of the mass showed that the planet was even lighter than expected— about 10 times lighter than Jupiter but similar in size.

Planets begin to form when dust and gas particles surrounding a young star in a protoplanetary disk clump together. If a massive rocky core is formed, its strong gravitational pull can accrete enough gaseous atmosphere to create a gas giant before the disk dissipates.

WASP-107b’s low density suggested that while the gas envelope comprises over 85 per cent of its mass, its core is no more than four times the mass of Earth. This estimate is significantly lower than the previously believed threshold of about 10 earth masses considered necessary to form a gas giant.

“The bigger implication [is] that it doesn’t take as much solid [material] as we thought to make a gas giant,” Piaulet said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

“The riddle that it posed was how could such a big planet form from

such an apparently low-mass core.”

One theory is that WASP107b formed farther away from its star than its current location, and the colder temperature allowed the core to accumulate an atmosphere faster.

“One way to think about this is that [the core] has some gravitational sphere of influence, that is, the maximum radius in which you can gather some gaseous atmosphere initially,” Lee said in an interview with the Tribune. “But this atmosphere eventually cools down […] and shrinks, [leaving] some empty room within this gravitational sphere of influence for the ambient gas to refill. And that means that if it can cool faster, you can gather a more massive envelope a lot quicker.”

The team considered the possibility of the planet interacting with WASP-107c, another planet in the system. Located farther away from its host star than WASP107b, WASP-107c has a notably eccentric orbit. Deviation from a near-circular orbit is a sign of some disturbance in the planet’s history, which could indicate an encounter with another planet.

“Imagining that both [WASP-

The host star of the planet, WASP-107, is located about 212 light -years away from Earth in the Virgo constellation. (Daria Kiseleva / The McGill Tribune) 107b and WASP-107c were] far from the star, having a close interaction of the two might have slingshotted [WASP-107b] into an eccentric orbit such that the closest approach point was very close to the star,” Piaulet said. “And eventually […] every time it gets closer to the star, the star tug[s] on it and shrinks [the orbit].”

In this scenario, even at its closest point to the host star, WASP-107c would still have been

too far to circularize its eccentric orbit, unlike WASP-107b.

The researchers plan to continue studying WASP-107b, particularly its atmosphere. The molecular features of the atmosphere differ depending on the distance from the star at which the planet forms and could provide new evidence for the planet’s formation location.

The James Webb Telescope, set to launch in October 2021, will collect more data for the research.

14 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2021

Science Rewind: Notable Black scientists and inventors throughout history

Innovators at the forefront of discovery despite oppression Zoe Karkossa Staff Writer Content warning: Anti-Black racism and discrimination Black people have long been barred from academia and entrepreneurship opportunities due to institutionalized racism and prejudice. In honour of Black History Month, The McGill Tribune highlights notable scientists and inventors who succeeded in making important scientific progress in spite of systemic anti-Black racism.

Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919) Walker was one of many Black women afflicted with scalp ailments in the early 20th century. Exposure to harsh lye soap and sulphur, commonplace at the time among laundresses like Walker, contributed to severe hair loss. In 1904, she started working as a sales agent with Annie Turbo Malone, a Black chemist and entrepreneur who designed hair products specifically for Black women. With the help of her four barber brothers, Walker developed a scalp conditioning and healing formula by experimenting with both store-bought and homemade products. She used this to launch her own business and embarked on a successful door-todoor marketing campaign. Walker expanded her line and went on to launch a factory and salon. She employed 40,000 other AfricanAmericans during her lifetime and pursued a wide variety of philanthropic work.

Frederick McKinley Jones (1893-1961) Despite only having a sixth-grade formal education, Jones received 60 patents over the course of his life, with the majority of his work focussing on long-term refrigeration. Having worked as an automobile mechanic and an electrician, Jones’ first inventions were designed for the motion picture industry such as developing a contraption that combined moving pictures with sound. In 1935, he turned his focus to food transportation, creating a first-of-itskind system for automatic refrigeration in long-haul trucks. He

expanded his work to invent a variety of other devices, including a portable X-ray machine and a mobile air conditioning unit used for blood and medication storage.

Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner (1912-2006) Kenner was born to a family of inventors and continued the tradition by patenting five products throughout her life. Although she was accepted to Howard University, she was forced to drop out due to financial barriers. In 1957, she filed a patent for a sanitary belt with a moisture-proof napkin pocket, the design of which inspired modern menstrual pads. Kenner’s opportunity at commercial success was cut short when the company she hoped to work with found out she was Black and rescinded their interest in her products. She continued inventing throughout her life, including a patent for a walker attachment with a serving tray she designed for her sister who had multiple sclerosis.

Marie Maynard Daly (1921-2003) After graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Queens College, Daly decided to pursue graduate education. In 1947 at Columbia University, she became the first African-American woman to obtain a doctorate in chemistry in the U.S. She studied the composition and metabolism of the cell nucleus, and her post-doctoral research on the chemistry of histones provided fundamental discoveries to the field of chromosomal proteins. She was also the first person to identify a relationship between cholesterol and clogged arteries, which was essential in understanding the causes of heart attacks. Daly later became a professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and continued her research until 1987.

Marie Van Brittan Brown (1922-1999) Born and raised in the neighbourhood of Jamaica in Queens, NYC, Brown often felt unsafe alone in her apartment due to the area’s high level of crime. Building on the closed-circuit televi-

Historically Black colleges and universities have been instrumental in allowing Black people access to university-level teaching opportunities. (Xiaotian Wang / The McGill Tribune)

sion technology of the time, she filed a patent in 1966 for a design involving a series of peepholes in her front door paired with an adjustable remote-controlled camera. A precursor to the modern home security system, her innovation allowed residents to see who was at the door, talk to them via a two-way microphone, and remotely lock or unlock the door. Although the patent was never put to commercial use, it has been cited in numerous other patents since, and Brown later received an award from the National Scientists Committee for her ingenuity.

A future with 100 per cent green energy

Panel of professors discuss the nuances of a global green transition Daria Kiseleva Contributor In 2015, all United Nations (UN) member states adopted the Agenda for Sustainable Development, which comprises 17 goals that address the social, political, and economic aspects of sustainability to be achieved by 2030.

On Feb. 9, a panel discussion titled “Can We Ever Achieve 100% Green Energy?” was held as part of the McGill Sustainable Development Goals week to raise awareness about the UN’s sustainability goals. A recording of the event can be viewed online.

The panel featured McGill associate professors David Wachsmuth from the School of Urban Planning, Ismael Vaccaro from the McGill School of Environment and Department of Anthropology, Chris Barrington-Leigh from the Institute for Health and Social Policy and the Bieler School of Environment, and Jeffrey Berthorson in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

In their discussions, the panellists spoke about the ambitious vision of a global transition to 100 per cent green energy, including challenges and strategies to achieve it. Indeed, the speakers were confident in the feasibility of sustainable energy use.

“From a technological perspective, I think it’s clear that we have most of the technologies needed,” Bergthorson said.

Barrington-Leigh mentioned that in one year, humans use approximately the same amount of power as what hits the Earth in solar energy. He argued that the green transition is not a physical impossibility but rather a matter of choosing a trajectory and coordinating efforts within a short enough time scale.

Speaking to the challenges associated with implementing sustainable approaches, Wachsmuth remarked that some systems which appear sustainable at a local level become more questionable when examined through a holistic lens. For

example, cities that invest in green initiatives such as urban transit and cycling infrastructure tend to attract wealthier demographics, which impacts affordability and leads to gentrification.

“Cities [such as Vancouver] that are understood to be leaders in green transition [are] de-materializing their local economies,” Wachsmuth said. “They redistribute a lot of

Renewable energy sources currently account for about 16 per cent of Canada’s total primary energy supply. (Brink News) their environmental impact to, say, China, which is producing the stuff that we consume in supposedly green cities.”

Vaccaro raised similar concerns and stressed the importance of learning from history to avoid repeating the trend of displacing the costs of innovation onto disadvantaged regions. For instance, waste and recycling are largely handled by private industry in Canada and much of it ends up being shipped to Southeast Asian countries.

“If you look at history, every single energy revolution [such as] Hydropower, coal [...], nuclear energy, [was] designed to respond to the needs of the cities,” Vaccaro said. “The cities become the centres […] and all the rural areas around them feed them. And many of the problems, including landfills, are things that the city exports.”

The speakers emphasized the complexities of coordinating global efforts as well as persuading influential institutions to invest in sustainable long-term solutions over shortsighted conveniences.

Barrington-Leigh argued that ambitious economic investments in green energy by governments are nonetheless justified, citing the pandemic as an example that has incurred large costs but will pay dividends in the future.

“When the costs are so large to not doing anything, [...] once we have these big-picture, well-coordinated plans, we’re allowed to spend a lot on [them],” Barrington-Leigh said.

Bergthorson suggested that corporations are often the slowest to make green changes and will not shift towards sustainable practices without incentivizing drivers.

Wachsmuth further argued that environmental concerns are often interrelated with social issues. Social justice movements, such as activism for affordable housing or improved transit development, are also directing political energy towards sustainability.

Barrington-Leigh stated that helping individuals come on board with sustainable changes must go beyond apocalyptic narratives or reciting statistics. Instead, people should be encouraged with positive reassurances of a better world within new sustainability parameters.

“We [must] really give ourselves the liberty to think freshly about how life could be and what we want,” Barrington-Leigh said. “ It’s only fair to the large segment of the population which is more interested in the end of the week than the end of the world.”

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Racism is all too prevalent in professional sports Professional sports have a racist past and present that must be recognized Sarah Farnand & Sophia Gorbounov Sports Editor, Managing Editor Content warning: Racial discrimination and hate speech When thinking of sports, many people like to remember the epic highlights and the feelgood comeback stories. What is often overlooked is the systematic oppression that underrepresented groups have faced in sports over the years. Black people in particular have faced significant racial barriers in sports, and the fight is still ongoing.

Baseball is one of numerous sports with a deep-rooted legacy of racial segregation. Although Jackie Robinson was the first Black player in Major League Baseball, Moses Fleetwood Walker was actually the first Black professional player in the sport. Fleetwood Walker was the catcher for the Toledo Blue Stockings in the American Association of professional baseball.

own team rejected him at first until his achievements and attitude forced them to rethink their racism. He was named National League MVP in 1949 after leading the league in hitting with a .342 average, 37 stolen bases, and a career-high 124 RBI. Robinson was forced to prove to the professional baseball community that he belonged there. He had to be the best in order to overcome the prejudices held by most players and non-Black fans.

Today, only eight per cent of Major League players are Black.

Derek Jeter, the manager of the Miami Marlins and former shortstop for the Yankees, is the only Black manager in the MLB. This issue of representation is not just prevalent in the MLB—numerous professional sports leagues are seriously lacking representation.

The NHL runs a campaign called “Hockey is for Everyone,” yet the league has a history of racial exclusion and violent ridicule from fans. In 1958, when Willie O’Ree stepped on the ice for the

(Al Bello / Getty Images) He played minor league baseball until 1889 when the “Color Line” was enforced and would remain in effect until the arrival of Jackie Robinson in 1946. The Color Line excluded Black players from Major League Baseball and its affiliated Minor Leagues.

Jackie Robinson would break the colour barrier permanently, although racism in baseball was still rampant. In 1946, Robinson joined the Montreal Royals, the Brooklyn Dodgers’ second team. He was promoted to the Dodgers in 1947 and became the first Black player in the MLB. Despite Robinson’s exceptional talents, he received anonymous letters threatening his life, violence against his wife, and abduction of his son. The senders of these hateful messages were not limited, however, to baseball fans. The Philadelphia Phillies’ manager and players shouted racial slurs at him when he was at bat and the St. Louis Cardinals threatened to go on strike if a Black player was allowed to play in the major leagues. Even Robinson’s

Boston Bruins in a game against the Montreal Canadiens, he became the first Black player in NHL history, over 40 years after the league’s founding. Throughout his career, he faced racial abuse from fans, players, and coaches. He detailed his experiences in an interview during the 22nd Anti-Defamation League conference in Boston.

“Every time I went to the ice, I was faced with racial slurs because of my colour, and my brother taught me names will never hurt you unless you let them,” O’Ree said. “I had black cats thrown on the ice and told me to [go] back to the cotton fields and pick cotton.”

Racial abuse in the NHL is not just an issue of the past. In 2011, when Wayne Simmonds was playing for the Philadelphia Flyers, he had a banana thrown at him by a Detroit Red Wings fan in an exhibition game in London, Ontario. In 2012, after Washington Capitals forward Joel Ward scored an overtime winner, knocking the Bruins out of the playoffs, he was bombarded with racist abuse from Boston fans

Colin Kaepernick’s activism prompted protests against racial injustice around the U.S. (Kirby Lee / USA Today Sports) on social media. Even this year, when New York Rangers prospect K’Andre Miller participated in a question and answer session with fans on Zoom, he was repeatedly harassed with racist taunts. As much as the NHL wants to believe that “hockey is for everyone,” they continue to facilitate anti-Black racism, proving that professional hockey, even today, does not have the best interest of racialized players in mind.

The NFL has had perhaps the most public recent protests regarding police brutality and the oppression of BIPOC. In 2016, 49ers quarterback and activist Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem in solidarity with marginalized communities that did not have a platform to speak out about racial oppression. This came after Kaepernick was seen sitting during the anthem in the preseason games. When confronted by the media, he explained that he would not stand until the anthem

have their voices heard, and effect change. So I’m in the position where I can do that and I’m going to do that for people that can’t.”

Needless to say, Kaepernick’s resistance was met with criticism from every corner of the sporting world. In an interview with ESPN, Saints quarterback Drew Brees expressed his discontent with Kaepernick’s actions. “[T]here’s plenty of other ways that you can [speak on important issues] in a peaceful manner that doesn’t involve being disrespectful to the American flag,” Brees said.

Indeed, Kaepernick’s actions resulted in comments about him being unpatriotic, anti-American, or anti-military. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also disagreed with Kaepernick’s kneeling during the anthem, deeming the flag to be sacred and kneeling to be unpatriotic.

The backlash due to Kaepernick kneeling and his subsequent explanations stems from the avoidance of racial discussions

(The Canadian Press AP) represented something to be proud of.

“This stand wasn’t for me,” Kaepernick said. “This is because I’m seeing things happen to people that don’t have a voice, people that don’t have a platform to talk and

when political protests take place in sports. In a 2019 study that explored the responses of students to the NFL anthem protests, researchers found that some white students’ responses demonstrated an avoidance of race in political discussion, even when

discussing racially-charged political protests.

Even the NBA, widely considered one of the world’s most progressive professional sports leagues, can do better to address racism and discrimination.

Ever since its founding in 1946, players in the NBA have faced racial injustice. In 1950, when Chuck Cooper became the first Black player to be drafted into the NBA, fans believed that Cooper should not play in the NBA. In 1956, the Celtics drafted Bill Russell, who would be the first Black NBA superstar, winning 11 NBA Championships in his 13 year career. Throughout his career, however, Russell’s house was vandalized with graffiti of racial slurs, a burning cross, and defecation.

More recently, Marcus Smart, a point guard for the Boston Celtics, wrote an article in the playerstrib detailing the hate he has received from basketball fans, including a specific incident where a woman called Smart a racial slur in front of her young son.

Smart is not the only player to face racial violence and discrimination. Utah Jazz fans are known for using racial hate speech against Black players. One fan told Russell Westbrook to “get down on [his] knees like he used to,” while another fan repeatedly shouted derogatory terms at Westbrook before a playoff game in 2018.

Black representation in the NBA front-office is also severely lacking. While Black players make up 74.2 per cent of the NBA, there are only four Black head coaches and eight Black managers in the entire league of 30 teams. Although the NBA may be the most progressive league in the world in terms of player activism, Black representation is still desperately needed amongst team management.

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The creative realms of fictional sports

Movies, books, and television have a long list of creative sports Zoe Babad-Palmer Staff Writer In many long-running TV or book series, there is a game or sport that is wildly popular in-universe, but does not exist in real life. They range from one-off mentions, like Velocity in Star Trek: Voyager, to plot-central activities, like podracing in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Calvinball The comic strip Calvin and Hobbes features a chaotic, incomprehensible game called Calvinball, which has only three rules: Calvinball games may never be played the same way twice, players can invent rules whenever they please, and masks must be worn at all times. Aspects of the game featured in the comic include the “Pernicious Poem Place,” where players must recite poetry, the “Song Zone,” where they must sing, and nontraditional scores of “Nosebleed to Trousers” and “Q to 12.”

Podracing Podracing, as featured in the Star Wars franchise, is a sport where drivers, mostly non-humans, pilot small crafts to compete in races so dangerous that the sport is outlawed between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope. In Episode I: The Phantom Menace, a young Anakin Skywalker wins his freedom through his podracing skills.

Podracing gives film viewers all the fun of traditional racing with the added excitement of bizarre-looking creatures and faraway planets.

Exy

and the tension as they attempt to knock their opponents into receding territory zones or out of the ring is electric.

Quidditch

grew, Quidditch jumped out of the pages and was adapted to non-magical play by a group of students at Middlebury College in Vermont in 2005. In the 16 years since, scores of other schools, including McGill, have created Quidditch teams, and there is even a semi-professional league operating in North America. Although players cannot fly, they do hold broomsticks between their legs, and games can get almost as physical as they do in the books.

Not only are fictional sports invaluable contributions to worldbuilding, they can also give fans a physical way to connect with their favorite forms of media, whether through video game tie-ins or real-world versions.

While one may never be able to live in the world of The Legend of Korra, they can become just as excited about a hero’s probending victory as the characters do.

Pro-bending

Quidditch is by far the most well-known and expansive fictional sport. Originating in the Harry Potter series, Quidditch is played on flying broomsticks. Over the years, it has been given an immense amount of attention.

In addition to Quidditch matches often serving as the backdrop for character conflict and plot development, the supplementary book Quidditch Through the Ages tells the story of the “historical” development of Quidditch, lists common strategies and some of the 700 fouls in the sport, and provides an overview of its place in the wizarding world.

As the phenomenon of Harry Potter

One of the more complex fictional sports featured on this list is pro-bending from The Legend of Korra. Benders, who can manipulate water, earth, fire, or air, use their powers to defeat their opponents in a sport loosely inspired by pro wrestling.

Each team consists of an earthbender, a waterbender, and a firebender, with specific rules governing the use of each bending type—for example, only waterbenders may make headshots. Pro-bending is extremely popular in-universe and plays a key role in the show, as the protagonist, Korra, joins a probending team in the first season. The daring martial arts-inspired moves are mesmerizing,

Calvinball is one of comic strip writer Bill Waterson’s most iconic creations, expanding the minds of young readers overwhere. (Brian Koberlein)

Nora Sakavic’s All for the Game trilogy centers around a ragtag NCAA Exy team.

Exy resembles co-ed lacrosse, but is played on an indoor court and tends to be more violent, with a character being expelled via red card in nearly every game in the books.

It was invented in Japan a few decades before the books are set, and quickly made its way to the U.S., where it caught on and expanded to college-level and professional leagues, and eventually became an Olympic sport.

Movie night: Five exceptional basketball movies Movie choices for the basketball purist

Adam Burton Sports Editor Sports have a long history on screen, and while there has been a long list of unfortunate misrepresentations of various sports, there has also been an abundance of fantastic movies that remind us of what we love about competition and the blood, sweat and tears that go into being the best at anything.

At their best, these movies use basketball as a tool to develop character, raise stakes, and highlight hard work and pride. For anybody who needs a break from coursework or just misses pick-up basketball, The McGill Tribune has compiled a list of the best basketball movies to provide that cathartic release needed at the end of a long day of Zoom classes.

White Men Can’t Jump White Men Can’t Jump is a funny yet serious movie that

tells the stories of two men making a living in several nowiconic neighbourhood courts in 1990s Los Angeles.

Throughout the movie, Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) takes advantage of the stereotype that he is not good at basketball because of the colour of his skin. This goes wrong when Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes) catches on and looks to team up with Billy to scam unsuspecting players.

To say this movie is about basketball is like saying The Godfather is about pasta. This movie is about cultivating friendships, making hard choices, and overcoming differences.

On top of that, the movie features Rozy Perez and has fantastic basketball scenes.

Love and Basketball Love and Basketball is less about basketball than it is about a connection that binds two people whose love of the game surpasses everything else. Quincy McCall (Omar Epps) and Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) grow up next to each other, and while they come from entirely different backgrounds, they share a love for basketball. When they finally part ways after college, the two are unable to dismiss their connection to one another, and eventually rekindle their relationship after their professional careers.

This movie gives a heartfelt depiction of the struggles that college athletes face when weighing the importance of an education against the glamour of a professional career, and the gender disparity in the world of sports.

He Got Game

Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes’ portrayal of 1990s basketball pick-up in Los Angeles is a timeless classic. (The Ringer)

He Got Game delivers a powerful, thought-provoking experience in line with what many have come to expect from director Spike Lee. This 1998 film features Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen) as a top high school basketball player, and his

father Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington), a convicted felon, who tries to persuade his son to accept recruitment to the State Governor’s Alma Mater in return for his release from prison.

This movie highlights several topics. Themes of inequality, corruption, and family duty are rife, and the cinematography and acting are exceptional, especially when considering this was NBA player Ray Allen’s acting debut.

Semi-Pro This masterpiece of a comedy was Will Ferrell’s last movie in a string of sports-themed comedies. Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, a one-hit-wonder musician who owns and plays for his own ABA Basketball franchise in Flint, Michigan. Will Ferrell’s antics and the absurdity of his team management make this movie a delight to watch, while covering an important moment in basketball history that occurred when the NBA acquired the ABA, consolidating the leagues, and marking the end of small market teams.

Space Jam It is difficult to write a list of the best basketball movies and not include this cultural touchstone. Space Jam begins with the alien abduction of Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, and Muggsy Bogues. Their basketball talents are transferred to a group of aliens that form their own star team after they were challenged to a game by the Looney Tunes. With the help of Michael Jordan, the Tunes have no choice but to defeat the aliens in a game of basketball and save themselves from abduction.

The star power of the cast and the combination of live action and animation make the film a spectacle to behold and a classic that holds up to this day.