The McGill Tribune Vol. 40 Issue 19

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2021 | VOL. #40 | ISSUE #19

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Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

SPORTS

Race-based data is essential to combatting COVID-19

A petrified stream of consciousness

A look into the storied life of McGill’s Phil Edwards

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PGs. 8-9

PG. 16

(Jinny Moon / The McGill Tribune)

Spotlight on Black scientists at McGill and beyond

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J-Board deems SSMU support of Palestinian liberation constitutional SSMU seeks clarification on their ability to take political stances Sophia Gorbounov Managing Editor On Feb. 19, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Judicial Board (J-Board) held a hearing to establish whether SSMU clubs or services would be permitted to adopt a stance on the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions

(BDS) movement, apart from the SSMU Executive Committee itself. The Board ruled that criticizing certain actions of the Israeli government and voicing support for Palestinian liberation is permissible under the SSMU constitution given that such statements would not amount to a position against a specific country. This ruling is applicable to the mandates of clubs and services who have political and ac-

tivist mandates.

BDS is a Palestinian-led movement that advocates for financial action against Israel to end international support of Palestinian occuption. It was created in response to a 2005 call from the Palestinian Civil Society. The movement targets Israel financially to pressure it to comply with international law and universal human rights.

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‘A Bite of History’ explores food and SSMU General Assembly loses quorum culture within Black communities before ‘Divest for Human Rights’ vote

Panellists discussed the discovery of ancestry Attendees debated divesting from the military through food industrial complex Lilly Lecanu-Faye Contributor The Black Students’ Network (BSN), the McGill African Students Society, and the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) presented the panel discussion “A Bite of History: A Conversation on Food, Ancestry, and Healing” on

Feb. 17 as part of Black History Month. The panellists— Aisha Lesley Bentham, vegan chef and founder of Hue Foods; Jean-Philippe Vézina, founder and director of Les Jardins Lakou; and Maud Mazaniello-Chézol, a clinical dietitian and PhD candidate —came together to discuss the important role that food can play in helping racialized

individuals connect to their culture and pursue physical and emotional healing.

A focal point of the conversation was how the panellists think about food in the context of their personal and professional lives. Bentham opened the discussion by commenting on the international roots of veganism, as well as her own practice.

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Ella Milloy Staff Writer The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held its Winter 2021 General Assembly (GA) on Feb. 16, reaching its quorum of 350 for the first time since Fall 2017. Although the GA approved the nomination

of the auditor for the 2021 fiscal year, the centrepiece motion, “Divest for Human Rights,” was not approved after many attendees exited the meeting prior to the vote, causing the meeting to lose quorum.

The “Divest for Human Rights” motion seeks to expand SSMU’s leadership on matters of

social justice and human rights and calls on the McGill administration to divest from companies such as Lockheed Martin, TC Energy Corporation, Re/Max, and Puma, among others. The motion looks to advance previous and ongoing demilitarization and fossil fuel divestment campaigns.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2021

NEWS

J-Board deems SSMU support of Palestinian liberation constitutional SSMU seeks clarification on their ability to take political stances Sophia Gorbounov Managing Editor Continued from page 1.

In a 2016 reference, J-Board ruled that it is unconstitutional for SSMU to adopt an official position on geopolitical issues that do not directly affect students and events on campus. The Board did not allow SSMU to support BDS in lieu of the Israeli-Palestine conflict because it reasoned that such stances would breach the SSMU’s equity policies.

Brooklyn Frizzle, SSMU Vice-President (VP) of University Affairs, represented the SSMU Executive Committee at the hearing.

In their opening remarks, Frizzle argued that adopting such a position would improve the livelihood of queer individuals. Frizzle believes that Queer McGill adopting a stance in support of BDS is well within their constitutional rights as an activist and antioppressive organization.

“The Queer McGill constitution states that it is within its mandate to take stances on relevant queer-related political issues in order to heighten student awareness [and] actively promote queer issues to the best of its ability,” Frizzle said.

Bryan Buraga, a student advocate for Students in Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill (SPHR), and Ghida Mawlawi,

a member of SPHR, acted as intervenors of the petition on behalf of SPHR. Buraga cited a need for SSMU services, especially those with political mandates like SPHR, to have their own political autonomy.

“We’re specifically worried about how [the 2016 reference] would be applied to services,” Buraga said. “If it were applied to its full extent to services, especially those with a political and an activist mandate to advocate for its members, we worry this would create a precedent that would affect SPHR McGill, as well as other activist clubs.”

Mo Rajji Courtney, outreach coordinator of the Union for Gender Empowerment (UGE), also expressed their support for the

Following a 2016 General Assembly motion supporting the BDS movement, the increase in tensions on campus prompted the Judicial Board to pass the 2016 reference regarding the legality of the BDS movement on campus. (Leanne Young / The McGill Tribune)

motion. In 2018, Courtney recalled being informed that the UGE would need to strike their support for BDS and SPHR from their mandate and training, and that they would not be allowed to adjudicate the matter.

“When I joined the Union for Gender Empowerment back in 2017, there was a training provided by SPHR about BDS and about solidarity with Palestinian peoples,” Rajji Courtney said. “This was also part of our mandate. Beyond just being a transpositive service, we are also very specifically feminist and anti-oppressive. We also hold to a mandate of anti-racism as well as any anti-oppressive views that align with our mandate.”

Courtney also noted that by not condemning the occupation of Palestine, the issue is subject to pinkwashing, a term referring to a government’s use of queer rights as a distraction from that government’s violence or oppression.

The recent J-Board ruling states that criticisms of the government of Israel are not in violation of the SSMU constitution, nor is support for Palestinian liberation. In this specific case, a new motion that allows the Society to take an official position in support of Palestinian liberation can be introduced to the SSMU Legislative Council. Explicit support for the BDS movement, however, remains unconstitutional as the original 2016 reference remains in force until a conflict between it and the current reference arises.

The J-Board ruled that the new reference would supersede the 2016 reference only in areas of dispute, not in its entirety.

Tribune Explains: McGill’s Mandatory Meal Plan 2019-2020 rollover dollars will not expire come May 2021 Hanna Hipwell Serfaty Contributor First year students who left residences during the Winter 2020 semester may be wondering what will happen to their rollover meal plan money. Students who paid for the Mandatory Meal Plan during their first year in residence, or those who voluntarily elected to purchase the meal plan, now have hundreds of dollars left over. The McGill Tribune investigated if the funds will be reallocated and how students can use them.

What is the Mandatory Meal Plan?

All students living in McGill residences except Solin Hall must pay for the Mandatory Meal Plan. The funds are split into two accounts: The Home Base Account and the Flex Account.

The Homebase Account can be used at any of the five downtown residential dining halls on campus, whereas the Flex Account is divided between oneCard services and Flex Dollars. OneCard can be used for laundry services in residences, off-campus food purchases, and

on-campus vending machines.

Flex Dollars can be used to dine in over 20 on-campus restaurants and cafés, most of which are currently closed due to COVID-19.

What is the Rollover Plan, and does it expire?

In previous years, leftover credit from the Mandatory Meal Plan was valid for the two terms following a student’s move-out from residence on Apr. 30. After that date, any leftover credit is transferred to the Rollover Plan: Funds that are taxable and expire at the end of the following academic year, typically the Fall and Winter semester of a student’s U1 or U2 year.

During the duration of the Rollover Plan, Homebase dollars are accepted at the five downtown residential dining halls. Rollover Flex dollars, on the other hand, can be used in any of the on-campus locations where meal plans are accepted until April 30, after which any leftover money expires and is non-refundable.

Are there exceptions for students who had to move out of residences

early last March because of COVID-19?

Students who lived in residences during the 2019-2020 academic year and who vacated residences early are exempt from the Rollover Plan’s expiry.

Although the Food and Dining services page reads that the Rollover Plans will expire on Apr. 30 2021, this does not reflect recent updates. Monique Lauzon, Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS) representative, confirmed the extension in an email to The McGill Tribune.

“Due to the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent closure of the university resulting in reduced services, the Rollover Plan deadline was extended for all 20192020 residence students,” Lauzon wrote. “Funds remaining in the Rollover Plan at the end of April 30, 2020 have been made available for students to use on campus until the end of their academic studies.”

Can students cancel their meal plan or get a refund?

Students cannot cancel or

Typically, the Rollover Plan for second years expires April, 30, one year after move-out. (Sabrina Girard-Lamas / The McGill Tribune) receive a refund for their Mandatory Meal Plan barring extenuating circumstances.

For example, students who need to leave McGill for a medical emergency may necessitate a request for a refund. Students may request an exception by contacting SHHS. For non-emergency requests, there are certain costs associated with cancelling a meal plan based on the date that a student moves out of residence.

Are residence hall cafeterias open to non-resident students?

For students with the Rollover Plan, New Residence and Carrefour Sherbrooke dining halls are currently open to non-resident students. Royal Victoria College (RVC) is not available to nonresident students due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak. However, there have not been positive cases since Jan. 21, and the dining hall is likely to re-open to the public soon.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2021

NEWS

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Montreal advocates call attention to curfew’s impact on migrant workers

A deeper look into the curfew’s impact on migrant communities Sequoia Kim News Editor The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) released a statement on Feb. 12 condemning the impact of the province-wide 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew on unhoused and migrant populations.

While housing advocates have continued to push for more resources following Quebec Superior Court Justice Chantal Masse’s order to exempt unhoused populations from the curfew as of Jan. 26, community organizations supporting undocumented and temporary worker populations have also sustained their advocacy throughout the pandemic.

From exploitative labour conditions to an increased police presence on city streets to the threat of deportation or detention, migrant workers are facing several barriers exacerbated by the curfew. Mostafa Henaway, a community organizer at the Immigrant Workers Centre (IWC), believes that despite the curfew’s purpose to curb COVID-19 transmission, the measure put many migrant workers in a more precarious position.

“A lot of the work that [...] immigrants and migrants do is not nine-to-five,” Henaway said in an

be exempt from the curfew—from anyone found outside during curfew hours. Many warehouse employer letters, Henaway explained, are highly impersonal and often cause prolonged interrogations by police.

“There’s a standard template that employers use that just has the [employee’s] name, where they work, and an employer contact,” Henaway said. “Unfortunately, some warehouses don’t put the employee’s name. It’s just a generic letter [...], and employers don’t even print them out sometimes [....]

Because of the way that curfews are forced, it’s [often] simply not enough to have a letter. You have to have the letter and your ID [and] the police may not be satisfied with the letter.”

Gaurav Sharma, IWC organizer and UberEats delivery driver, said he noticed some of the police behaviour that Henaway mentioned.

“Sometimes the police [waste time],” Sharma said. “The police are not easily satisfied with [workers’ documents], so [it can] feel like harassment. If the [worker] has the [required] documents, [the police] should release them. Why do they ask questions for more than 15 [to] 20 minutes, wasting time?”

In addition to weak letters of

Services Agency,” Henaway said.

“So a lot of people live in fear.”

Furthermore, the welldocumented systemic racism present within Quebec’s police forces puts additional pressure on workers with precarious immigration statuses, with racialized people facing an increased chance of experiencing racial profiling by police.

“You have areas in the city where there’s nothing but warehouses where people were targeted,” Henaway said. “[For example,] there was a company called Goodfood [...] and people were ticketed waiting at the bus stop in front of Goodfood. There’s nothing there. No one is ever [in that area of town].”

While the curfew itself has provoked issues that further marginalize migrant workers, many observers stress that the pandemic has merely exposed and exacerbated pre-existing inequities.

Jill Hanely, associate professor at the McGill School of Social Work and scientific director of the SHERPA University Research Institute on Migration, Health and Social Services, pointed to the Canadian immigration system and exploitative labour practices as dual factors that plunge migrant workers into precarious labour.

Since 2017, when the Montreal City Council passed a motion declaring itself a “sanctuary city” for undocumented immigrants, the IWC has pursued multiple campaigns to hold the city accountable. (Brian Schatteman / The McGill Tribune) interview with The McGill Tribune.

“These essential jobs are not office jobs. So people are working in kitchens, people are cleaning, people are working in warehouses, delivery jobs, care work, [and] all of these jobs happen around the clock [....] They’re the ones who are going to be out the most, and they’re going to be the ones targeted the most.”

Tasked with enforcing the curfew, the City of Montreal Police Service (SPVM) reserves the right to demand a letter of attestation—a letter from an employer that explains why the employee is to

attestation, the increased police presence at night also heightens the threat of deportation for those with vulnerable statuses. While matters of immigration and status fall outside the SPVM’s jurisdiction, Henaway noted that police coordination with the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) poses a risk of deportation or detention to undocumented and temporary foreign workers.

“If a person has an immigration warrant, the police [...] will enforce that immigration warrant [and] hand them over to Canada Border

“On the one hand, our immigration system, [...] by having precarious immigration statuses which require work permits, [signals] to employers that this is someone who will be here temporarily, [or] who will be nervous about defending their rights,” Hanley said. “But on the other side of that, there is discrimination in our labour market [....] There is a whole subsection of the labour market full of the tough jobs that do not pay as well [and] if you look at who is working in it, it is very gendered, it is very racialized,

Another policy recommendation contained in the IWC’s press release asks that the Quebec government issue financial compensation for all workers, regardless of their status, who have lost income due to the curfew. (thesafetymag.com) it is very divided up according to immigration status.”

Since the start of the pandemic, IWC’s advocacy has put Montreal’s Dollarama warehouses under public scrutiny for harbouring unsafe working conditions and employing workers through temporary placement agencies.

Sharma suffered a workplace injury at Montreal’s Dollarama warehouse while working there between September 2019 and July 2020.

“One day I was lifting a box, and the boxes are very heavy,” Sharma said. “So I lifted the box, and I felt too much pain in my back so I tried to contact my supervisor. [My] supervisor said ‘go to the hospital,’ and my doctor recommended [best rest]. I was on bed rest for two weeks and later on, I decided to [start delivering for] Uber Eats.”

Before coming to Montreal, however, Sharma was a theatre artist in India. In collaboration with the IWC, Sharma prepared and acted in a street play that portrayed warehouse workers’ experiences.

Sharma first performed at De La Savane station—a metro station on Montreal’s orange line a few kilometres away from the warehouse. Sharma has remained involved with the IWC’s organizing and advocacy.

“I am happy I am associated with IWC because I feel the organization is doing very well,” Sharma said. “They are very honest and very [hard-working]. Last week, the IWC distributed a lot of masks [...] and leaflets [to raise awareness] about work rights, the pandemic, [and] health and safety.”

On Jan. 26, the IWC published a statement titled “End curfew repression! Stop police harassment!” that contains four

policy recommendations to better protect vulnerable workers. It calls on the city to institute a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy which would effectively sever any ties between police officers and the CBSA, thereby halting the city’s role in facilitating deportations.

Another recommendation includes the implementation of municipal IDs—a form of identification that allows both status and non-status Montreal workers to legally identify themselves without disclosing their immigration status.

The IWC also recently voiced its support for Villeray–SaintMichel–Parc-Extension mayor Giuliana Fumagalli’s Motion visant à soutenir la régularisation des personnes sans statut légal vivant sur son territoire, which proposes that Montreal officials call on the federal government to regularize the status of all migrants in Canada. Introduced to Montreal’s City Council on Feb. 5, the IWC approved of this first step in a statement, but still believes that more must be done. The motion will be put to vote at the next council meeting on Feb. 22.

Ayo Ogunremi, SSMU VicePresident of External Affairs, encouraged students to support student advocacy on campus and in the Montreal community.

“Those two organizations, particularly Pas de solution policière à la crise sanitaire and Meals for Milton-Parc have [affirmed] the agency and power of students and student organizing to address the injustices that they’re living around,” Ogunremi said.

“Being able to channel whatever passion and determination within a collective organization is really the most important thing that students can do.”

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2021

NEWS

SSMU General Assembly loses quorum before ‘Divest for Human Rights’ vote Attendees debated divesting from the military industrial complex Ella Milloy Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

After several questions from attendees regarding whether the motion falls under SSMU’s mandate, Ayo Ogunremi, SSMU Vice-President (VP) External Affairs, explained that the motion was relevant to the mandates of both the Office of External Affairs and SSMU regarding student-run political campaigns.

“SSMU has a number of mandates to demonstrate leadership,” Ogunremi said. “Under the preamble of the constitution, SSMU is mandated to demonstrate leadership [regarding] issues of human rights, social justice, and environmental protection. The constitution also acknowledges that SSMU has a history of doing this [….] SSMU has a responsibility to support these sorts of human rights-based resolutions.”

With peak attendance reaching almost 390 students, the meeting’s debate period raised a diversity of opinions. The GA witnessed a notably intense debate regarding sections 3.2.2 and 3.2.3 of the “Divest for Human Rights” motion, both focussing on human rights issues on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Although students came prepared with comments both in favour of and against these particular sections, the debate quickly turned into a heated cycle of repeated arguments.

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Engineering Representative to the SSMU Legislative Council Jake Reed expressed his concern over the tense debate period during the GA. “I worry that [Zoom] fosters animosity in the same way that internet debates, flame wars, and comment sections do,” Reed said. “Because they rely on anonymity, [online debates] involve a lot more active aggression than arguments and confrontations

MOMENT OF THE MEETING The meeting started 26 minutes later than scheduled as GA staff had to individually admit every member into the GA from the Zoom waiting room. Due to the popularity of the motion, GA staff ensured that the Zoom call could allow up to 500 members. SSMU Speaker of Council Lauren Hill asked attendees to remain patient as they admitted the 390 registered students to the call.

GA staff adapted registration and voting processes in order to accommodate the large number of expected attendees.

(Brian Schatteman / The McGill Tribune) in real life do, and I think the same thing played out in this GA.” Following the lengthy debate, the GA voted on whether to continue or end the debate period in order to proceed to vote on the motion. After a majority voted in favour of ending the debate, many individuals immediately left the GA Zoom call.

Attendance dropped from almost 390 members to 307. As a result, the GA lost quorum, which had been maintained until the voting period. The campaign will be put to vote at the next Legislative Council meeting on Feb. 25.

On Feb. 18, Divest for Human Rights Coalition, the group that wrote the motion, issued a statement condemning the participant exit before voting as an anti-democratic tactic, and called on SSMU executives to support the policy.

SOUND BITE “If it isn’t approved, [...] the motion will be null.

I’m going to note that there is no longer quorum [....] For quorum check, we currently have 311 in the room, but given that we currently have three staff, myself, the parliamentarian, and the recording secretary, we have 307. We don’t have quorum. This means that this motion will go to the Legislative Council.”

- SSMU Speaker of Council Lauren Hill on the loss of quorum prior to the vote on the Divest for Human Rights motion.

SUS Winter General Assembly amends electoral bylaws

Failing to reach quorum, the GA became a consultative meeting Katia Lo Innes Managing Editor The Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) of McGill convened on Feb. 17 for their Winter 2021 General Assembly (GA). Despite the attendance of all executives and departmental representatives, the meeting failed to meet the required quorum of 100 students from four different departments. Without quorum, the GA proceeded as a consultative forum.

Much of the evening’s discussion revolved around adapting to remote learning. With campus life on pause, executives expressed their frustrations in trying to provide meaningful services to their constituents. McGill Anatomy and Cell Biology Students’ Society (MACSS) Vice-President (VP) External Rahul Thareja highlighted the unexpected obstacles departments faced since remote learning began, including barriers to fulfilling clothing orders from the previous academic year.

“We were finally able to access [the] Strathcona [Building] and finally sent out our clothing orders from Winter 2020 because they were locked inside, and we couldn’t get to them,” Thareja said.

Despite these logistical setbacks, department executives reported to

the council that virtual engagements with the science community have been largely successful. Further, the SUS GA moved to implement a series of motions that would improve the quality of their in-person services for coming semesters. The renewal of the Computer Task Force (CTF) fee and the Science Student Space Improvement (SCSS) fund both passed unanimously. Although both of these funds have been underused this academic year, SUS VP Finance Rohan Bhutkar emphasized the SCSS’s services and

urged executives to use them to their advantage. “[SCSS] is a fund you all know and love,” Bhutkar said. “This is what gets you new couches and replaces [old ones]. Please apply to this fund if you have any ideas on how to use this money during COVID times, which I haven’t come up with [yet], but if you have any, let me know.”

Although COVID-19 has curbed the usual flow of students in the Burnside basement, it has not stopped the onset of student

government elections.

With SUS general election campaigns beginning March 1, SUS President Sydney Merritt moved to amend the SUS electoral bylaws. Previously, the SUS electoral bylaws explicitly stated that the only online platform to be used for campaigning was Facebook. Merritt noted that this bylaw was outdated and especially restrictive during the remote semester.

“In non-remote years [...] you could promote your candidacy in front of classrooms on blackboards, or even in lectures,” Merritt said.

“With the complete transition to the online platform, I find that the Facebook limitation makes it inaccessible to all members of the science community. Some people don’t use Facebook, but instead use Discord and other types of platforms.”

MOMENT OF THE MEETING To add levity to an otherwise taxing virtual conference, the SUS General Council has been instituting a theme for each biweekly meeting. This week’s theme was lab coats; many executives donned customized lab coats and safety goggles.

At the end of the general assembly, Arts & Science Undergraduate Society VP External Ethan Mendell proposed the next meeting’s theme: Pyjamas and hot chocolate.

SOUND BITE

SUS President Sydney Merrit moved to amend the electoral bylaws to accommodate campaigning during the online semester.

(Alex Gardiner / The McGill Tribune)

“We have officially implemented electronic fund transfers, which means no more cheques. If you’re ever requiring money, yes, it can be direct-deposited into your account. So one more step towards sustainability and no more paper.”

—SUS VP Finance Bhutkar on eliminating cheque transfer as part of SUS’ environmental initiative

OPINION

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 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 Kennedy McKee-Braide kmckee-braide@mcgilltribune.com Sophia Gorbounov sgorbounov@mcgilltribune.com

News Editors Maya Abuali, Kate Addison & Sequoia Kim news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Jonah Fried & Sepideh Afshar 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

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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 Reza Ali, Margaret Askey, Zoe Babad-Palmer, 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, India Blaisdell, Michael Dickinson, Elissa Dresdner, Antoine Guimbal, Adam Gwiazda-Amsel, Karan Kumar, Lilly Lecanu-Fayet, Namrata Rana, Hanna Hipwell Serfaty, Michelle Siege

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EDITORIAL

Race-based data is essential to combatting COVID-19 Advocacy groups such as Montreal’s Centre for ResearchAction on Race Relations (CRARR) have been pushing for Quebec to collect and publish race-based data on COVID-19 transmission since the onset of the pandemic. Although the government has refused to even acknowledge the existence of systemic racism in the province, independent studies demonstrate that the pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on racialized individuals. With vaccine distribution underway, it is vital that the government recognize these racial disparities in order to develop an equitable immunization effort.

Students should support advocacy to promote awareness of this issue and put pressure on the province to collect racial data, but it is equally incumbent on McGill to leverage its platform as a research institution and amplify calls for change.

When the pandemic first began last March, pandemic “hot-spots” were observed in neighbourhoods with high proportions of racialized residents. Consider that as of July 30 in Toronto, 83 per cent of reported cases were concentrated amongst BIPOC individuals. Even though Quebec

Aidan Martin Creative Director Last Friday, I listened to Prince by Prince on vinyl while I handwrote a letter to a friend, wandered the streets taking videos on my handheld camcorder, and watched my favourite John Cusack film High Fidelity on VHS. It is 2021, and yet I find that my days are consumed by the use of various forms of analog media. In an era where our lives are entwined with an online space, there is a need for a tangibility that only early media can provide.

Although the resurgence of analog may seem ridiculous to some who consider it inferior to new technologies, there is value in preserving and returning to older types of media. I am aware that my VHS collection is outdated, but streaming a movie on my laptop

Public Health Director Dr. Horacio Arruda pledged in May to begin collecting data on infected persons’ ethnic and racial backgrounds, the government has reneged on this promise. Instead, officials blamed poverty and overcrowding without recognizing that these factors are inextricable. Neighbourhoods like Montreal North are particularly crowded and predominantly inhabited by low-income and racialized people.

These residents often work in essential fields that are not conducive to a remote alternative, increasing their exposure to the virus and spreading it throughout their communities. Furthermore, many of these residents are immigrants, and the government’s failure to widely translate communications may hinder their ability to understand constantly changing public health ordinances and other measures. Similarly, those with precarious immigration statuses may be exploited relentlessly by their employers and refrain from seeking aid, treatment, or vaccination out of fear of deportation. In light of these barriers, such marginalized communities should be the focus of the provincial vaccination campaign.

Montreal’s unhoused population, which is disproportionately composed of Indigenous people, is at acute risk because of the curfew in effect from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Unsheltered individuals in areas like Milton-Parc are forced to crowd into shelters, where they are more likely to be exposed to the virus.

Many have been accosted for nothing more than their lack of a place to call home. Although the housing crisis is an issue of poverty and class, it is fuelled by underlying racial inequities that cannot be ignored.

Quebec’s resistance to publishing statistics on the pandemic’s racial trends is ethically irresponsible. With this information, public health officials would be able to make better decisions on vaccine distribution and provide financial support to help people comply with safety measures. Especially with movie theatres, retailers, and other formerly closed sectors reopening, the absence of such information could be devastating as the pandemic inevitably worsens due to the influx of new variants of the virus.

Quebec’s reluctance to collect race-based data is particularly egregious considering that the provincial public health system

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continually fails BIPOC individuals, as in cases like Joyce Echaquan’s death due to racist negligence.

Although some statistics on the ethnic breakdown of COVID-19 cases already exists through independent resources—including Colors of Covid, an independent database—official statistics would empower activists’ calls for government attention towards marginalized communities.

Students should recognize the work of advocates such as McGill Social Work assistant professor Alicia Boatswain-Kyte, joining her in urging the government to take action to address the pandemic’s racial discrepancies. Likewise, they should donate to Colors of Covid to fund its mission and lobby their representatives to demand race-based data. But at the same time, it is crucial that educational institutions like McGill fund research to expose the pandemic’s disparate impacts on marginalized communities.

Quebec’s reticence perpetuates ignorance, and universities have a duty to hold the government to a higher standard by spreading awareness of the intersection between systemic racism and the impacts of COVID-19.

The role of analog media in an online world does not even slightly compare to the process of watching a film on my small box TV. From carefully choosing which film to watch, taking the movie out of its cover, rewinding the tape if my past self was not kind, and finally pressing play, there are no interruptions of ads or video buffering except the subtle background noise of the popping static and whirring of the spinning tape. Criterion enthusiasts and even my parents would agree that this way of watching a movie is absurd, but the physical nature of the antiquated process provides me with unparalleled comfort.

As the credits of a movie I have just streamed roll by, I will turn to FaceTime to talk to my sister about it, or continue the seemingly endless cycle of scrolling the internet. But at the click of the tape coming to its end, I’ll press rewind, sitting and thinking about the film before perhaps turning to a book.

Among other things, being offline encourages me to connect with my surroundings and be more mindful in the process.

For me, the use of analog media is a natural inclination. Although I grew up on the cusp of the internet’s explosion, I remember going to the video store to pick out DVD and VHS tapes and my parents creating home videos with a tape-recorder camera. Going through my parents’ basement in search of their vinyl records, old cameras, and movies

felt like a necessary rite-of-passage.

Perhaps the use of analog media is a form of nostalgia, which it is in part for me, but for a newer generation that was not alive to experience the world pre-internet, these forms of media can provide a much-needed offline escape and exploration into history.

The analog medium of film photography has become ubiquitous with the increasing prevalence of disposable, thrifted, or hand-medown cameras. Contrasted with a DSLR or cellphone camera, using film demands more time and contemplation with each photograph instead of taking multitudes of the same shot. The instant gratification of immediately seeing a photo taken with a digital camera is not possible with a film camera, and even instant film polaroid cameras take time to process. Once a roll is finished, the act of developing the

film requires patience and reflection that leads to surprises of forgotten photographs. If the photographer chooses to print the photos, it adds another element of physicality that is normally lost in our phone’s camera roll.

While digital media provides a way to connect that was never possible pre-internet, the act of typing a text message to a friend holds much less care, love, anticipation, and thought than crafting a letter and placing it in the mailbox. The excitement and sense of modernity that came along with the age of the internet have already grown old, and the connections that it has provided are often greatly over-stimulating and emotionally tiring. The role of analog media in my life has allowed me to access a not-so-distant history, disconnect from constantly being online, and be more mindful of each moment and those who share them with me.

ERRATUM An article published in the Feb. 16 issue titled “‘Black Mental Health Matters’ unpacks systemic racism in healthcare” stated Shanice Yarde’s title to be equity education advisor (anti-oppression and anti-racism). In fact, her title is Senior Advisor: Anti-Racism and Equity Education. The article also misquoted Yarde when discussing Black mental health practitioners in Montreal.The quote has been updated online. The Tribune regrets these errors.

6

OPINION

COMMENTARY

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2021

Financial accountability is key to the success of SSMU’s five-year plan

Michael Dickinson Contributor The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) experiences high annual turnover among its leadership, which often forces executives to prioritize making an immediate impact at the expense of more effective, long-term goals. In response, President Jemark Earle campaigned on a promise to implement a long-term plan for the organization that focusses on policies that his successors may otherwise neglect. In December, SSMU unanimously adopted a five-year plan to improve staffing, club finances, and student services. Earle’s plan contains numerous items that will improve student life, but it requires a significant monetary investment from McGill students. To ensure the plan’s success, SSMU will need to be more transparent with how student funds are spent.

If enacted effectively, Earle’s ambitious goals will increase the scope of services available to McGill students. Among other ideas, the plan proposes to open a pharmacy and a tax clinic, and renovate the University Centre’s second-floor cafeteria into a student lounge. Clubs and student advocacy groups will receive more financial and institutional support, and additional administrative staff would be hired to alleviate the burden on SSMU’s currently overworked employees.

The proposed services would be beneficial, but they come at a high price: It is estimated that increasing club insurance alone will cost two hundred thousand dollars.

COMMENTARY

Since student fees make up much of SSMU’s budget, the Society is obligated to allocate these funds more responsibly than they have in the past to ensure the success of this expensive project. A recent Finance Committee report found a significant lack of oversight regarding SSMU’s approval of ancillary fees in recent years. For example, groups requesting fee collection do not need to submit any information about how they intend to use their budget, leading many groups to ask for more than they need. Between 2015 and 2020, SSMU approved 95 per cent of fee requests from student groups despite often not knowing how this money would be used. To eliminate wasteful spending and leave more resources available for more meaningful projects, budgets must be scrutinized more thoroughly before SSMU approves funding.

Although SSMU has not always been forthcoming about past budgets, the plan’s finance section shows that its executives are aware that this needs to change. SSMU’s suggestion to consolidate fees is an excellent start towards minimizing monetary waste. Externally auditing this collective fund would allow full financial transparency, and money could be allocated to groups on an as-needed basis. Furthermore, the plan’s other fiscal goals would raise money in the short-term to lessen the need for future fee increases. These include registering SSMU as a charity so that it can receive donations, and investing portions of the consolidated fund into money markets. Additionally, the

Historically, SSMU clubs have not been required to provide budgetary information in their fee proposals.

(Jasmine Acharya / The McGill Tribune)

Finance Committee report identified that SSMU services regularly run large surpluses. Existing surpluses can help decrease the burden of the plan’s new fees, but it is up to the Society to prevent services from collecting more money than necessary going forward.

In addition to saving money, increased budgetary accountability and transparency would empower SSMU members to make informed choices about the five-year plan.

Every fee increase that SSMU intends to levy will have to be approved by a student referendum. Although past referendums have seen voters overwhelmingly support fee increases, these elections have been hampered by low turnout. This shows a lack

of interest or knowledge among the student body regarding SSMU’s finances, which is dangerous considering the expense of the new projects. Greater transparency will keep students informed about the budget, thus encouraging them to fulfill their obligation to vote.

Although the five-year plan will help the university, a history of fiscal mismanagement threatens to undermine its potential.

SSMU must learn from these mistakes by empowering its Finance Committee, club leaders, and external auditors to ensure that their projects are financially viable. The success of the five-year plan hinges on increased fees, and students deserve to know that their money is being spent responsibly.

Let’s stop waiting for social housing

Adam Gwiazda-Amsel Contributor Over the past three years, McGill students have stood at the forefront of the movement for affordable housing. From commissioning high-quality studies to participating in yearly discussions around tenants’ rights, McGillians clearly understand the critical role that access to quality, affordable housing plays in determining one’s ability to live safely and with dignity. Now, this community can play a key role in society’s shift toward not simply affordable housing, but social housing.

Agencies and institutes differ in their definitions of social and affordable housing. In Montreal, the terms are understood to mean, respectively, housing that is accessible relative to income and housing that is accessible relative to market rates. This delineation can be grossly misleading, since “affordable” housing refers to rents at 80 per cent of the market rate. With average studio apartments renting for $935 per month in Montreal, such housing is by no means affordable.

Prior to COVID-19-driven vacancies, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reported that Montreal’s vacancy rate had dropped to a 15-year low of 1.5 per cent. This shortage means lower-quality and less affordable housing, as landlords gain bargaining power when tenants have fewer options. Across the country, the CMHC is tasked with coordinating the Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS), a $55-billion plan to address low vacancy rates

by supporting homeownership, affordable housing construction, and providing various targeted subsidies. Unfortunately, while the CMHC claims to prioritize non-profit and cooperative housing partners, their affordability targets are indexed to median market rates, which were steadily on the rise before the onset of the pandemic.

In addition to the illusory promise of truly affordable pricing, the CMHC argues that an increase in the supply of quality housing will

who take the units off the rental market with intentions to flip them for a profit. In 2017, this practice decreased vacancy rates in downtown Vancouver by as much as half a percentage point, at a time when the city’s overall vacancy rate stood at 1.1%. Landlords and speculators have no reason to undercut rents when they know they can squeeze tenants or flip the unit on the speculative market.

There are a few ways in which McGillians are well-positioned to start thinking about

Whereas affordable housing is accessible relative to market rates, social housing units are accessible relative to local income rates. (Elissa Dresdner / The McGill Tribune)

contribute to the goals set by the NHS. This is an entry-level economist’s fantasy solution to the housing crisis: Increased supply, decreased price. But a concerning proportion of this increased supply is purchased by investors,

their role in these larger policy debates. First, students need to stop defending landlords.

Investments incur risk, and given how willing the private sector is to price-gouge and prioritize profits over helping people off

the street, it is baffling to witness the outpour of sympathy for those whose investment returns take a turn for the worse during rent strikes or when tenants refuse rental increases.

Aside from direct action, pushing for further government support is also essential.

Although the NHS seems a good start, it is woefully inadequate given the heavy housing needs facing Montreal and Canada more broadly. The “Empty Homes Tax,” which Vancouver introduced to discourage purely speculative units, is a great example of how targeted policy can eliminate some of the more nefarious behaviours of the private market.

Taking from Vancouver, freezing evictions, mortgages, and rent payments in Montreal during the pandemic might have curbed the steady increase in the city’s unsheltered population.

Ultimately, students’ work toward the decommodification of housing should lead to more leadership on affordable housing. The Milton Parc Citizen’s Community famously took six blocks of prime real estate off the rental market by establishing a Community Land Trust, including collective ownership of the land and buildings. Residents now enjoy non-profit costs of around $300 per month, with adjustments based on income, without additional administrative fees that come with government-run housing. This and similar models represent extraordinary solutions by ordinary people. They require time and dedication, but they offer a real chance to make safe, affordable housing into more than just words on a page.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 7

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2021

‘Black Women’s Voices’ panel unpacks writing on the journey to justice

The Canadian Women’s Foundation’s event highlights Black stories and voices Matthew Molinaro Staff Writer On Feb. 19, the Canadian Women’s Foundation’s Tireless Readers Collective hosted “A Celebration of Black Women’s Voices in the Journey to Gender Equality,” a panel discussion featuring authors Zalika Reid-Benta, Eternity Martis, Francesca Ekwuyasi, and Jael Richardson. Chaired by the Foundation’s president and CEO, Paulette Senior, the panel reflected on writing as a path to justice, each author’s approaches to their stories, and their views on the future of Black literature and representation in Canada.

To open the discussion, Senior shared a quote from one of Canada’s founding mothers and political trailblazers, Rosemary Brown.

“Until all of us have made it, none of us have made it,” Senior read.

As the discussion moved to their genres, all four authors noted the stark contrasts between each other’s writing. Where Martis’ memoir, They Said This Would Be Fun, is journalistic, Richardson’s novel, Gutter Child is dystopian. ReidBenta highlighted the importance of their range in genres and prose styles.

“There is a diversity of Black

The four authors’ successes showcase the rich diversity of Black narratives (@cdnwomenfdn / twitter.com) narratives [...] that expands the scope of what it means to be Black,” ReidBenta said.

Likewise, Richardson explained why the authors’ differences were valuable for both reaching and reflecting the lived experiences of a wide readership.

“It does not matter the form,” Richardson said. “Stories are a way of reaching other communities [....]

By reading, people look at their lives differently.”

Martis and Ekwuyasi elaborated on Reid-Benta’s and Richardson’s

points by referring to the potential of fiction and non-fiction stories to add truth to the public record of historical Black narratives.

The discussion extended past their writing and to the women’s relationships with their work. Martis, whose current journalistic practice with West End Phoenix focusses on revealing the hidden dynamics of systemic oppression, argued that solution-based journalism can help highlight the pandemic economy’s disproportionate effect on survivors of abuse, employed women, and

maternal mortality.

“We need to speak of the intersections of what it means to be a woman of colour in a pandemic,” Martis said. “Narrative allows us to make choices [....] Solution-based journalism gives us the skills to act and to empower people of colour and women of colour.”

Similarly, the four noted that sharing Black narratives as a Black author often involves digging into the past—either historically or personally. To explain the “origin story” in dystopian fiction, Richardson spoke candidly about her limited knowledge of Black issues because of the erasure of Black history from the Canadian education system.

“In Black History Month, we talk about [Abraham] Lincoln, [Martin Luther] King [Jr.], emancipation, and slavery [...], but that is a narrow lens of history,” Richardson said. “We need to do a better job of showing who we are [...] because our existence is not just based in slavery.”

The authors shared their thoughts on how to reframe Black histories and present-day narratives so as to more accurately depict a wide array of experiences.

“More Black people need to tell Black stories,” Ekwuyasi said.

“In Nigeria, on the continent, in the Caribbean, Black people are telling Black stories [....] We’re not a monolith.”

On multivocality, ReidBenta went on to explain the difficulties she encountered trying to transcribe Patois and accurately portray Toronto’s Little Jamaica neighbourhood when writing Frying Plantain.

“I didn’t want to be seen as being the voice of the neighbourhood [...], blanketing Black experience together,” Reid-Benta said. “I wrote what I felt was right.”

As the discussion came to a close, the authors spoke about the reception of their art. More recently, Ekwuyasi’s novel Butter Honey Pig Bread was shortlisted for CBC’s Canada Reads and Reid-Benta was selected to head the 2021 Giller Prize Jury. Martis is working on a project about Black and racialized jurors, and Richardon is currently writing a sequel to Gutter Child.

The four authors left the panel with a bold message for the future of gender equality—to write, to take on that active voice in reshaping and reinforcing what one sees and believes, and to continue supporting Black and intersectional voices beyond Black History Month.

‘To All the Boys: Always and Forever:’ Cute, but incredibly shallow Poorly written and produced, the teen drama lives up to its modest expectations India Blaisdell Contributor To All the Boys: Always and Forever is exactly what viewers want out of the final instalment of the acclaimed rom-com trilogy: A cheesy and soapy teen romance drenched in nostalgia and drama. The film follows protagonists Lara Jean Song Covey (Lana Condor) and Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) through the end of their senior year as they head off to college—their biggest challenge yet. Peter, arguably the only character Centineo will ever be able to play well, has been accepted—surprisingly—to Stanford on a Lacrosse scholarship. Lara Jean’s acceptance to Stanford is still pending. But do not worry: Her safety schools are UC Berkeley, UCLA, and NYU. What happens next is beyond predictable.

“Fingers crossed, I get into Stanford, and we never have to be this far apart again,” Lara Jean writes in a letter to Peter while on a trip to Korea.

Beyond its unremarkable plot, To All the Boys: Always and Forever remains true to the characters developed in its pre-

vious instalments, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) and To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020). It is a perfect teen love story, complete with some great Top-40 songs, montages every 10 minutes, strangely placed but pretty intertitles and transitions, endless references to past rom-com greats such as Say Anything… (1989) and Romeo + Juliet (1996), and a flashback sequence over its end-credits akin

to The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn–Part 2 (2012). Lara Jean and Peter are undeniably in love and Condor does a wonderful job with the otherwise mediocre script. As such, To All the Boys: Always and Forever is perfect material for a casual Friday night movie with friends.

However, for bona fide romcoms lovers such as myself, To All the Boys: Always and Forever leaves much to be desired. Genre

Lara Jean admits her wish for movie romance is childish before being given the most generic, fairytale ending a rom-com can muster. (nbcnews.com)

classics like 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) or When Harry Met Sally… (1989) continue to be celebrated for their well-written scripts, complex characters, and dynamic conflicts. In To All the Boys: Always and Forever, the central conflict does not develop in any way beyond its initial setup. The script is burdened by incredibly clichéd lines and clunky dialogue, along with infuriating subplots like Peter and Lara Jean’s quest to find their perfect couple’s song. Thus, the few moments of genuine substance are left critically underdeveloped: Viewers never learn enough about Peter’s strained relationship with his dad; Lara Jean feels disconnected from her Korean heritage due to her mother’s death, yet Always and Forever never provides a resolution to these subplots.

On top of all the problems in the script, the film’s garish yellowygreen colour grading throws off its cutesy aesthetic.

But by far, the most glaring issue is the film’s unintentional dramatic irony. Lara Jean is obsessed with having her life play out like a movie. She already has the fake dating trope from the first film and truly believes that

she will be with Peter forever.

The setup would be perfect for a simple rom-com, if not for the film’s insistence that Lara Jean accept the reality that her life is not like a movie. The film’s final monologue perfectly outlines this contradiction, when Lara Jean admits her desire for movie romance is childish before being given the most generic, fairytale ending a rom-com can muster.

“We’re not like those other couples,” Lara Jean confesses.

“We’re Lara Jean and Peter.”

Implausibly, Lara Jean moves to NYC and starts a brand new life away from everything she has known, yet the film wants us to believe Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship will nevertheless work.

To All the Boys: Always and Forever would have been far more realistic if both Lara Jean and Peter had matured enough over the course of the story to end their relationship amicably, remain friends, and start fresh chapters of their lives. This ending would be a big departure from Jenny Han’s bestselling novel, Always & Forever, Lara Jean, but the alternative is an ironic, simple-minded film that undermines its own message.

A petrified stream of consciousness

Content Warning: graphic imagery

Vomiting,

Fear can really humble us.

In the face of something that terrifies us, we are driven to confront the cause. This can help us survive––it is the body’s way

of protecting us.

Unfortunately, fear can also be completely removed from any legitimate danger.

My fear, like those of others, has been a weakness that has paralyzed me, and continues to limit me.

It is often difficult to pinpoint where a given fear originates, but I remember one particular day in grade school that plays out in my mind as if it were a silent film.

From the mind of a self-determined emetophobic Ruobing Chen Design Editor

I was with my father at an information session, listening to coordinators discussing the secondary institution and program I was applying for. We

were sitting off to the side in a room crowded with people, each of them displaying emotions somewhere between boredom and eagerness.

During the middle of the talk, my father began snoring beside me, earning us a few dirty looks, and out of embarrassment I shook him awake.

Barely a minute passed before I heard the snoring again and I realized that something was wrong. I sprang out of my seat in the middle of the presentation as I saw that he had started to throw up obscene amounts of blood and vomit—enough to scatter the entire crowd to the edges of the room.

I recall that even though I had watched the ambulance carry him out on a stretcher, what had just occurred did not dawn on me until after I arrived home in my friend’s car, like a morbid rush of adrenaline.

emetophobia [eme·to·pho·bia] noun

A fear of vomiting.

One with emetophobia tends to avoid activities that may to oneself or others vomiting.

Although fears may plant their roots early on in our lives, one rarely realizes the degree to which they manifest until much later on.

It seems as though the more something is dutifully avoided, the more it tends to appear around you—rather, you notice it more frequently, and every encounter stays ingrained within your psyche. I have seen my cat hack out hairballs,

listened to friends say they are about to throw up, I often cannot help but picture myself and those that I love having to go through these terrifying experiences, but they are just transient memories for them.

and heard tales of my nausea from chemotherapy.

Even for me, it is hard to understand why I fear just another natural bodily process; it is lonely having a niche phobia.

grandmother’s

In theory, vomiting is something that protects us, as does excreting any other wasteful materials from our body. It is unavoidable and oftentimes necessary.

I like to think that the fear of throwing up protects me too. It has led me to be more attentive to my health and personal hygiene––my fear of being sick has prevented me from contracting as many illnesses as I might otherwise have. It has also made me more mindful of my diet so that my stomach is less likely to be upset, and has even helped me dodge some of the most perilous elements of McGill’s drinking culture.

But standing in front of the sink the morning after a night of hypocritically drinking to the verge of vomiting helped to sober up both my hangover and my inner thoughts. If I were really so terrified, I doubt that I would have placed myself into a situation where there was a chance that I’d throw up.

Now, I have finally grasped the situation: I do not want this fear anymore, because even though it might protect me in some ways, I want to live life without having to worry about something that I cannot control.

I want to be able to drink with friends without being overly cautious of every sip; I want to hold back someone’s hair and comfort them, hunched over a porcelain rim; I want to take care of a sick loved one to my full capacity.

Perhaps it would really just take facing my fear once— vomiting once—to be able to experience life without it holding me back.

Still, that day has not yet come, and I will cower until it does.

10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2021

‘Minari’ makes the personal feel universal

A24’s newest film is a deeply touching portrait of family and dreams Michelle Siegel Contributor Minari, the latest offering from production company A24, presents a complicated yet touching portrait of a South Korean immigrant family through a holistic lens. The film follows the Yi family, who try to establish their lives on an Arkansas farm during the 1980s.

The story, written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, is a semi-autobiographical portrait of his early family life and upbringing.

While David Yi (Alan Kim), the youngest child of the family, is Chung’s proxy character, the film does not take place solely from David’s perspective—it switches between the perspectives of David, his strong-willed and determined father Jacob (Steven Yeun), and his patient but suffering mother Monica (Han Ye-ri). The arrival of Monica’s mother, Soonja (Youn Yuh-jung), creates a subtle wrinkle

A24’s newest film, Minari, is a deeply personal tale, yet it brings the audience closer because of its homely honesty rather than creating a distance of perspective. (Variety.com)

in the fabric of the narrative, and she quickly develops into an integral and beloved companion to the children.

Every member of the cast is phenomenal in their roles, but Yeun, Youn, and Kim stand out. Yeun in particular gives a controlled and nuanced performance, treading the delicate balance between nurturing his family and fulfilling his own ambitions. This is highlighted in the many scenes where Jacob and Monica fight over their family’s living situation. On one night, the two come to blows over Jacob’s decision to move the family as a hurricane passes through the state. While Monica believes that the best thing for their family would be to move back to California and regain stable work, Jacob insists that it is best for them to stay so that the children can see him succeed. Jacob parallels other iconic cinematic patriarchs, such as Walter Younger in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, who is forced to reconcile his personal goals and dreams with the greater needs and desires of his family.

The film somewhat neglects the eldest daughter Anne (Noel Kate Cho) as a character, presumably because she is not old enough to provide an impactful perspective as the adults in the film do. This is one of Minari’s few missteps, as the exclusion of Anne feels like a missed opportunity for a further exploration of the siblings’ relationship. Besides this slight narrative hole, Minari comes together in virtually every other aspect: The entire cast has natural chemistry and sells the differing perspectives and relationships within the family dynamic. The film’s score, composed by

Emile Mosseri, is also a perfect undertone to the film, sounding at once hopeful, whimsical, and melancholic.

Although some may find the plot slow and uneventful, the quiet struggles and mundane routines of the family are far from boring. The authenticity woven through Minari unveils the subdued calamity of the family’s trials and tribulations. Chung’s semiautobiographical work is filled with love and respect for his story—Minari never appears as a sanitized portrait of immigration, opting instead to depict Chung’s recollections of his childhood and his current perception of his parents’ experiences in that setting.

The real magic of Minari is the universality of the story. The film is deeply personal to Chung, yet its intimacy allows the audience to experience its shared truths. The story’s themes are relatable in many regards, whether in reference to the immigrant experience, the sometimes grave and other times humorous antics of childhood, or the broader notions of failure, family, and faith. Even viewers who are oblivious to the symbolism of the minari plants that David and Anne plant with Soon-ja will be moved by the tenderness and determination of the Yi family.

While Chung’s story may not specifically reflect that of every person who watches Minari, the heartfelt emotions and strong relationships between the family members make the movie an unforgettable experience.

Minari is available for viewing on A24 Screening Room as of Feb. 12. It is scheduled for VOD release on Feb. 26.

Hanorah Virtual Concert

Attend a virtual concert by Montreal singer Hanorah, hosted by L’Anti Bar and Spectacles.

Feb. 24, 8-9:30 p.m.

Online, $13-30

Ouverture d’OASIS immersion

Discover art and photography exhibitions featuring David StJacques, Alexandra Strélinski, Émile Roy, and more.

Feb. 25, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Palais des congrés de Montréal $22-30

Four Hundred Souls

Join Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Dr. Keisha N. Blain, in conversation with Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss the book “Four Hundred Souls.”

Feb. 24, 8 p.m.

Online, Free

Des Esprits Des Images: Montreal Film Premier and Talk Intro to figure drawing with Montreal’s top figure models at Place Des Arts.

Mon. and Wed. in Nov and Dec, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Tickets $16.93

Celebrating Black artists from Montreal’s music scene Music is indebted to these four game changers and innovators

Backxwash takes listeners into her beautifully horrific world. Beyond being an extraordinary, once-in-alifetime talent, Backxwash is also pretty funny on Twitter, offering quips on motivational speakers and insights into her wildly inventive creative process.

Vanessa Barron, Katia Lo Innes, Deana Korsunsky & Matthew Molinaro A&E Editor, Managing Editor, Staff Writers Montreal is home to a famously vibrant music scene, one that is indebted to Black culture and music.

Black musicians have made major contributions to the local music community, especially in the realm of jazz in the 20th century and continuing in all genres today. In honour of Black History Month, The McGill Tribune’s Arts & Entertainment staff highlights four notable Black musicians from Montreal who made great music.

Hanorah If Amy Winehouse and Snoh Aalegra had a “voice-child,” it would be Hanorah. The texture of her vocals is the aural equivalent of feeling silk and lace in one sweep of the hand. Committed to a graceful and empowered vulnerability, Hanorah’s lyrics could easily stand alone as poetry. Yet, the lively tempo of her music does not succumb to the emotional gravity of her lyrics. Hanorah’s music, while seemingly grounded in soul, is also not confined to it. “Long

Harold “Steep” Wade (1918-1953)

Steep Wade was a legendary jazz musician who performed at Café StMichel in Little Burgundy. (ville.montreal.qc.ca) Road,” for instance, with its steady, sauntering beat and guitar instrumentals, has the faintest twinge of country combined with pop-soul hybrid vocals. With an indomitable voice and poignant lyricism, Hanorah, without a doubt, should be on your playlist.

Backxwash A longtime fan-favourite of Montreal’s underground community, Zambian-born Backxwash should be

on everyone’s radar, and for good reason. Snagging the Polaris Prize in 2020 for her album God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It—effectively achieving the highest honours available to Canadian artists—Backxwash is at the indisputable forefront of not just hip-hop and rap, but the very state of contemporary music production. Layering aggressive flows on topics ranging from gender identity, racism, and witchcraft over warbling industrial beats,

Wade was a legendary Canadian jazz musician in the 1930s and 40s, sharing his musical gifts on the piano and saxophone. Born to a musically disinclined family in Montreal, Wade combined his self-teaching and study under Milton Smythe to successfully navigate the then-duelling classical and jazz styles. He played alto saxophone for Myron Sutton’s Canadian Ambassadors and later performed on the piano with Louis Metcalf’s International Band at the Café St-Michel.

As a member of Wilkie Wilkinson’s Boptet, Wade helped create Canada’s first known bebop recordings. At Café St-Michel, Wade befriended and mentored a young Oscar Peterson, extending his own legacy in jazz through his mentee—Peterson would continue to become one of greatest jazz pianists in music history. Despite

racial tensions in music in the postDepression era affecting his commercial and recording abilities, Wade’s deep devotion to music brought him respect as one of the greats of Montreal’s growing jazz scene.

Kaytranada If you’ve ever attended Igloofest, Osheaga, or any house party in the Milton-Parc neighbourhood, there’s a good chance you’ve grooved along to Kaytranada’s beats. Born in Port-au-Prince and raised in Montreal, the DJ/producer and 2016 Polaris Prize winner has a signature sound that is warm and reserved, but always danceable. There are no dull moments on either of his two LPs, 99.9% and Bubba, and his 2013 Boiler Room performance continues to live in infamy as both a stellar DJ set and as a fascinating documentation of club social dynamics. While Kaytranada’s drum beats vary in complexity and tempo, their pitch sounds hollow and deep, giving the digitally produced dance tracks an analog feel. Combined with airy, warping synths, an always-moving bass line, and killer vocal features, Kaytranada has mastered the perfect formula for producing Grade-A Bops.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 11

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2021

Housing crisis in Inuit Nunangat undermines healthy ageing in Inuit elders The health of Indigenous elders are compromised by living conditions in the Arctic Namrata Rana Contributor Healthy ageing is unique to each individual and culture. In Western cultures, for example, healthy ageing is measured by physical, emotional, and social well-being. In Inuit culture, ageing is also linked to spirituality, strong familial connections, and community ties.

Social determinants of health (SDH) in non-Indigenous ageing, such as a person’s sex, race, marital status, socioeconomic status, or access to services, have also been strong predictors of ageing well.

However, in the Arctic, SDHs are influenced by colonialism and racism: Inadequate housing and living conditions in Inuit communities worsen their mental well-being and impede Inuit elders’ healthy ageing. In 2018, 52 per cent of Inuit in Inuit Nunangat were living in overcrowded homes, where over one third of these homes required major structural repairs.

A series of studies led by Marie Baron, a research coordinator and PhD graduate of community health at Laval University, in collaboration with McGill researchers, investigated the perspectives of

Inuit elders on healthy ageing and how it relates to the social and living conditions of the Arctic.

“The importance of culture and being close to the land [where the Inuit fish, hunt, and ski-doo] helps the ageing population keep their identity and age in a dignified manner,” Baron said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

“However, the hidden homelessness and a lack of homes adapted to the needs of an older population negatively impact the well-being of Inuit elders.”

The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s 2016 plan highlights that only 20 per cent of housing in Nunavut is privately owned. The majority of the population resides in subsidized housing and nearly 3,000 more houses are still needed to provide appropriate living conditions for all members of the Inuit community.

“It is very expensive for the government to build and maintain houses in the Arctic,” Baron said.

“A single house can cost up to half a million [dollars] and with the added political issues stemming from systemic racism, an easy compromise is yet to be found.”

In addition to the prolonged housing crisis, the study also re-

Life expectancy of Inuit is 10 years less than the non-Indigenous population of Canada. (Marie Baron) ported that older Inuit adults felt unsafe in their current homes. The infrastructure of these homes often ignores the accessibility needs of elders. For example, rooms built facing the furnace are a fire hazard, a risk that is exacerbated by the physical limitations of the elderly.

“Something as simple as stairs can become a mental and physical barrier for the elderly,” Baron said.

“The solution is simple, [as] a ramp can provide adequate transportation and is also very affordable. But, unlike the cities we are used to, Inuit communities wait [until] summer for their orders from the south to arrive by boat, increasing the demand for more local solutions.”

Making existing homes safer and more accessible for Inuit elders can have profound effects on their

health and well-being. With the desire to stay connected to their families and the land, the introduction of basic services, like free bus lines to a picnic cabin on the land, can make elders feel more connected to their heritage while strengthening their sense of community. Developing multigenerational housing on hills from where traditional land is visible can reinforce their Inuit identity.

“We need to assimilate to [Inuit elders’] realities in order to provide them with the comfort of ageing and the dignity that each person deserves,” Baron said.

Access to basic necessities continues to be a common theme undermining health among Indigenous populations, with adequate housing being the most immediate priority. Other needs include improving interpersonal connections with their kin and increasing involvement with the community on the land. Health policymakers can begin by implementing small changes in the current living standards of Arctic communities, like providing ramps to help residents descend stairs. Significant reform must come from the government as well as a willingness to prioritize the needs of Indigenous people.

Teaching spinach to send emails

Spinach can be used to inform scientists of pollutant levels in soil Youssef Wahba Staff Writer Although plants are living things, they are usually inanimate and incapable of communicating anything but their need for water.

However, through the use of nanotechnology, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found a way to initiate communication between plants and humans. With this emerging technology, spinach, known for its high iron content, can now send emails to warn scientists about climate change.

Researchers injected the spinach leaves with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)—a strong yet very light allotrope of carbon. As their name suggests, SWCNTs are nanoparticles that are almost 50,000 times thinner than a human hair and formed by rolling thin sheets of graphene into cylinders. The carbon nanotubes in engineered spinach can then detect harmful compounds or pollutants in the soil. The technology was originally created to test for explosive compounds, known as nitroaromatics, and is one of the first developments in the emerging field of plant nanobionics.

David Juncker, professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at McGill, studies how nanotechnology can be used to manipulate cells, proteins and tissues.

“Nanobionics refer to the integration of nanoscale artificial structures into living systems, [and] in this example, [into] singlewalled carbon nanotubes into spinach plants,”

Juncker wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “The general idea of bionics is to enhance biological function thanks to artificial structures, and in this case, they are materials at the nanoscale in plants.”

The carbon nanotubes in the engineered spinach are illuminated with infrared light, which is then emitted back, forming an image that acts as a reference for a nanotube not yet bound to any compounds. Chemicals present in the soil will make their way up to the leaves and bind to the carbon nanotubes, causing them to reemit the infrared radiation in a different manner, forming a different image.

A small computer connected to the infrared camera then indicates the difference between

the image formed and the reference. Once it does so, the computer automatically sends an email to the researchers signalling the presence of the target compound.

This technique can be used to detect compounds and pollutants in the soil such as nitric oxide, which is formed as a result of combustion and contributes to climate change.

Although only two plants—spinach and thale cress—were tested, the procedure could be applied to any other plant species.

Nanobionics, however, come at a high cost.

“SWCNT[s] are expensive to make, and here are functionalized with a molecule that binds the chemical,” Juncker wrote. “They are

Carbon nanotubes are over 100 times stronger than steel. (Reem Abdul Majid / The McGill Tribune)

likely very expensive [and] need to be externally introduced, which would not allow for broader use. But the concept could be replicated with biocompatible materials, and even with materials produced by the plant themselves thanks to genetic engineering.”

Plant nanobionics can also increase plant productivity. For instance, certain nanoparticles could be injected into plants to increase their absorbance of solar energy, leading to a faster rate of photosynthesis. Farmers can also detect specific compounds in the soil to help them determine the exact amount of fertilizers or pesticides they need to use.

“This is an example where they take advantage of the material to create a visible change in response to chemicals found in explosives, which could help locate them,” Juncker wrote. “At large scale, this could be useful to detect explosives or other ground chemical[s] based on satellite imagery, similarly to how Roman ruins can be identified based on changes in the vegetation colour when they grow atop shallowly recovered structures.”

This is not the only technical application of spinach. In the past, scientists struggled to find a material that would replace platinum as a catalyst for fuel cell reactions. However, a study conducted by American University found that an engineered version of spinach is actually more efficient at sparking reactions than platinum. This discovery marks an eminent step towards clean energy dependency as fuel cells could replace the conventional internal combustion engine.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2021

12 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Spotlight on Black scientists at McGill and beyond

Black people continue to be underrepresented and overlooked in STEM fields Madison McLauchlan & Shafaq Nami Science & Technology Editors Despite the important equity work done by various organizations, Black people continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields and academia. In honour of Black History Month, The McGill Tribune spoke to five up-and-coming Black researchers in a variety of scientific disciplines.

Dr. Myrna Lashley Dr. Myrna Lashley is an associate professor in McGill’s Department of Psychiatry and an adjunct researcher at the Lady Davis Institute. For more than 30 years, she has advocated for Black Canadians through equity and inclusivity work.

After coming to Canada from Barbados, Lashley faced overt racism in Canadian academia and experienced loneliness from being the only Black person in her department.

“I came to realize that I was not alone; my feelings were real and realistic and that I had a duty to do what I could to help others,” Lashley wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “However, those issues are overlaid with a thick layer of societal pain and pressure which are what we now refer to as ‘determinants of health’.”

Throughout her career, Lashley has focussed on the intersections of racism and mental health, leading her to consulting work at multiple levels of government. In 2017, she authored a report exposing the extent of racial profiling in Quebec’s police force.

Lashley believes that universities should rework their hiring policies and course offerings to represent BIPOC not only on paper but also in practice.

“In addition, professors need to be trained to understand that in some classes they are continuing to teach authors who may have had and practiced racist ideologies,” Lashley wrote. “Not examining that truth could lead to BIPOC students feeling further dehumanized and ostracized.”

Peter Soroye Peter Soroye is a PhD student at the University of Ottawa who is focussing his research on conservation biology. Last year, his work on the drastic impact of climate change on bumblebee populations was published in Science, one of the highest-impact research journals in the world.

As a child, Soroye was fascinated by the natural world. This early interest, coupled with the current climate crisis, inspired his career choice.

“As I got older, I realized that we were destroying the world around us and making species disappear,” Soroye said in an interview with the Tribune. “I thought if I want to see all of this [nature], I have to help keep it around.”

Soroye is passionate about encouraging young BIPOC to participate in STEM fields through initiatives he has helped to develop, such as the CSEE BIPOC Library.

This project hopes to improve BIPOC representation in science classrooms across

A 2016 survey found that white men and women still make up 96 per cent of leadership positions at U15 universities. (Jinny Moon / The McGill Tribune) the country. “[Me] and Professor Steven Heard created the idea of these grants that would help shine a light on researchers from historically excluded communities that are doing really brilliant ecology and evolutionary research,” Soroye said.

As president of UOttawa’s Biology Graduate Student Association (BGSA), Soroye has co-authored a Graduate Student’s Guidebook to help students navigate their graduate school journeys. Often, first-generation students are not provided with sufficient resources to juggle the emotional, financial, and academic costs of pursuing a graduate education. “[At] every step, from my way through undergrad to now, friends and colleagues who are Black or people of colour leave the program,” Soroye said. “It’s [as if] they’re being pushed out.”

Dr. Emily Choy Emily Choy is a postdoctoral fellow at McGill University and Environment and Climate Change Canada working in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences.

In November 2020, she received the prestigious $20,000 L’Oréal Canada For Women in Science Research Excellence Fellowship.

Choy has dreamed of being a zoologist since she was a child. Her love of nature and animals inspired her to pursue conservation efforts and to combat climate change.

“I spent most of my childhood at my grandparents’ cottage on Canal Lake in Bolsover, Ontario, where I spent hours catching fish, frogs, [and] snakes, and feeding chipmunks, red squirrels, whitebreasted nuthatches and black-capped chickadees,” Choy wrote in an email to the Tribune.

Choy is currently researching the impact of climate change on Arctic marine animals and how prey dynamics might affect the behaviour of predators. Her work has involved frequent travel, such as trips to study ecosystems on Devon Island and billed murres on Coats Island in Nunavut.

Choy has also been to the Northwest Territories, where she studied beluga whales. However, her proudest achievement is her partnership with Inuvialuit communities as part of a beluga health community-based monitoring program.

Choy is passionate about STEM outreach and education, believing that anything can be achieved with perseverance.

“You just have to push forward and pursue what you are passionate about,” Choy wrote. “Don’t get discouraged and remember, there is a lot of failure in science, but the only real failure is giving up.”

Dr. Kevin Hewitt Kevin Hewitt is a professor in Dalhousie University’s Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science.

Initially, he studied biology at the University of Toronto because his mother, whom he credits for his success, wished for him to become a medical doctor. However, he switched paths after he discovered his love for physics.

In his molecular lab at Dalhousie, Hewitt studies biomedical applications for Raman spectroscopy, a light scattering technique that allows qualitative and quantitative analysis of molecules. One such application under development at the Hewitt lab is a technology for the fast and inexpensive detection of liver fat content.

“These results will guide transplant surgeons in deciding whether the liver is safe to use for transplantation, leading to fewer discarded livers, shorter waitlists for liver transplantation and better quality of life for many individuals with end-stage liver disease,” Hewitt wrote.

Hewitt has also been involved in many STEM outreach programs, founding the Imhotep’s Legacy Academy, a STEM outreach program for junior high to university African Nova Scotian students. He advises youth hoping to pursue STEM fields to seek out organizations such as the Canadian Black Scientists Network and connect with others who share similar interests.

“Form your own group to provide support for one another to reduce that sense of

isolation,” Hewitt wrote. “Get involved in your community; it will give back to you many times over what you put in and provide you that support that will lift you up to achieve your goals.”

Dr. Anita Brown-Johnson Dr. Anita Brown-Johnson is the newly appointed chief of family medicine at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), as well as an assistant professor of family medicine in McGill’s Faculty of Medicine.

Brown-Johnson was raised by her grandmother in Jamaica before continuing her studies in Montreal. A high school teacher sparked her interest in pursuing medicine as a career.

“I was sensitized at an early age to many complex challenges faced by the elderly,” Brown-Johnson wrote in an email to the Tribune. “This bird’s eye view, coupled with a passion for mathematics and the sciences, inspired my early curiosity in the healthcare field.”

In 2020, Brown-Johnson was the recipient of the Woman of Merit award for her achievements in the field of geriatric medicine and humanitarian work. Her new leadership role has allowed her to oversee clinical and teaching activities, and implement Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) initiatives at McGill’s Faculty of Medicine.

As a physician and researcher, she prioritizes efficient care transitions, which seek to reduce the time spent by patients in transition-care units and the number of readmissions to the hospital.

Brown-Johnson emphasizes the importance of seeking out mentorship and believing in one’s abilities when striving towards success.

“Do not be discouraged if at first you do not succeed,” Brown-Johnson wrote.

“Perseverance is key. Take time to discover your true passion. Believe in your abilities and never give up. I hope that my journey will help to convince young people from historically under-represented communities that anything is possible with commitment and hard work.”

STUDENT LIFE 13

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2021

‘A Bite of History’ explores food and culture within Black communities Panellists discussed the discovery of ancestry through food Lilly Lecanu-Fayet Contributor Continued from page 1.

“Veganism has been so whitewashed and boxed in as limiting, eating only salads and smoothies,” Bentham said.

“There is a huge history of veganism all over the world before it came to North America and became narrowed. There can be a gentle process in a vegan lifestyle that I am trying to implement in my cooking.”

Bentham sees cooking and eating as a form of meditation with profound healing benefits that come with being present and listening to her body. For her, food has been a key pathway towards not only physical but emotional healing, helping her to connect with her Guyanese roots.

She and Vézina agreed that using all senses while cooking and eating is crucial for people of African descent hoping to reconnect with their heritage.

“Farming is a healing practice,” Vézina said. “Farming and the connection to the land has been a way for me to learn more about my background as a Black person, but also touching the earth and the land has a powerful healing effect.

The relationship with the land as people of African and Indigenous descent is the

Bentham believes the internet is a great place to find resources on how to connect with ancestral heritage through food. (closedloopcooking.com) story of displacement and trauma. That is why it is so important to reconnect with the land.”

Les Jardins Lakou is a farming project that Vézina founded in 2019, focussed on growing indigenous African crops. As a farmer, he is interested in optimizing the nutrition and sustainability of the food he

produces. He explained how industrialized agriculture in developed countries can deplete the soils of nutrients, resulting in less nutritious food. Mass-produced foods can lack micronutrients that would normally be found in produce. As such, artisanal farming uses practices that not only protect the land, but also produce

more nutrient-rich foods.

“For people in developing countries, globalization has led farmers to change to industrial agriculture tailored for the export market instead of subsistence, so people start buying their food in supermarkets because they are no longer farming their own,” Vézina said.

Food exists at the crossroads of cultural, social, and biological needs, and when the foods that a community eats begin to change, so can its people.

Mazaniello-Chézol’s research examines the potential health consequences of introducing a western diet to those living in developing countries, which include an increased prevalence of diseases like obesity and diabetes. But the people are not to blame for these problems––in countries where processed food is quickly becoming the cheapest and easiest option, individuals are often forced to make difficult health decisions when it comes to their diet.

“Food should not be a burden and people should not be made to feel guilty for not having access to healthy and sustainable food,” Mazaniello-Chézol said. “Food should always be something you like to work with because it is a social tool. Food is all about embracing culture and ancestry and getting your hands busy.”

How to spice up nights under curfew Non-Netflix plans for monotonous nights Lucy Keller Staff Writer While Montreal’s lockdown restrictions were partially lifted on Feb. 8, the citywide curfew persists. After months of binge-watching the same Netflix originals and rewatching classic series, the monotony can be unbearable. As nights spent alone or with roommates blur together, many students are searching for ways to spice things up after a long day of studying. The McGill Tribune has compiled a list of at-home activities to help switch up students’ nightlife and spark some joy during these cold evenings.

1. Take advantage of online events Whether students are looking to get involved in the McGill community or the broader Montreal context, they can find a wide array of virtual events hosted on Zoom or similar platforms.

Just recently, the AUS Event Planning and Involvement Committee (EPIC) organized a virtual dating night for Valentine’s Day and is currently planning a St. Patrick’s Day event in collaboration with the Science Internal Committee (SIC). Students can

visit either committee’s Facebook page for more information.

Gina Spiridaki, U3 Arts and cochair of EPIC, spoke with The McGill Tribune about the success of their virtual events and plans for future activities.

“We want to give the McGill community the ability to connect despite the challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic,” Spiridaki said. “Our next event will be a virtual Montreal bar crawl with the SIC and it is going to be super fun.”

There are even more events to choose from for students hoping to break out of the virtual McGill bubble. Ranging from free Masterclass events to Nikon photography tutorials, there are endless classes and events hosted online to keep students busy. In a local context, the free events section of Eventbrite is a great place to find online events hosted by Montrealers, as is the Events tab on Facebook.

2. Invest in a deck of cards In today’s digital world, it is easy to forget how entertaining and time-consuming it is to play cards. From solo games such as Solitaire or its variant Devil’s Grip to group games such as Cabo or Palace, hundreds of op-

tions are easily adapted for students who live alone or with several roommates. While fun sober, try spicing up a card game night with a cocktail or a drinking game for a surely eventful night.

There are many entertaining ideas online; however, tweaking the rules to an existing card game with friends is also a great option for those willing to muster up the creativity.

3. Cook through the recipes in a cookbook Inspired by the 2009 hit movie Julia and Julia, cooking through a cookbook can be a combination of fun, tiresome, and gratifying. Whether you choose more complex cookbooks such as Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat, or a more simple student oriented one such as The Ultimate Student Cookbook, you’re bound to find a great option for your taste, budget, and skill level.

Cooking is also an easy and delicious way to learn about different cultures, especially during a time when students cannot meet new people due to COVID19 restrictions. Whether students hope to master the skill of making dumplings or concoct the perfect stew, there are hundreds

McGill organizations like EPIC are running evening events for students stuck at home. (bbcgoodfood.me) of recipes available to students online. Different recipe websites cater to a variety of cooking priorities: For budget-friendly recipes, check out Budget Bytes; for beginner recipes, check out Bon Appetit’s Basically; and for recipes fit for food science enthusiasts, check out Serious Eats.

4. Take a digital museum tour Since the onset of the pandemic, museums across the

world have struggled to keep their doors open. To adapt to the new normal, many museums have created virtual exhibits including behind-the-scenes tours and in-depth talks. While many of the tours are included as a part of monthly memberships, there are many world-renowned museums and local gems, like the Canadian Museum For Human Rights, Manitoba, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, and Montreal Museum of Fine Arts offering free visits.

14 STUDENT LIFE

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2021

Ghost kitchens: How Livia Sweets has stayed afloat during the pandemic Livia Cafe launches online alter-ego Livia Sweets amidst pandemic Antoine Guimbal Contributor Just over a year ago, Livia Café was a vibrant, bustling, and health-driven coffee and matcha bar. Their Peel St. location had become a go-to spot for matcha-lovers and an indispensable part of the Montreal food scene, welcoming both office-workers on lunch break and students looking for a place to study.

In March 2020, however, Livia Café was forced to close temporarily as the government implemented stayat-home orders across the province. The industry froze as restaurant groups, chains, and smaller independent businesses were no longer allowed to host their customers in-house, and the consequences were dire: 10 per cent of Montreal restaurants have permanently closed since the pandemic began, with around half at risk of shutting down for good.

The new restrictions forced restaurants with the means to stay operational to adapt. Among them is the Instagram-worthy bakery Livia Sweets, Livia Café’s sister company. Their business model: A ghost kitchen and e-commerce.

Ghost kitchens are delivery-only restaurants: Before COVID-19, the model offered attractive economic benefits for business owners, reducing costs by limiting the need to hire service staff and provide a physical space for customers. During the pandemic, however, ghost kitchens have become the norm.

Frustrated with the limited pastry options on delivery services, Livia Sweets owner David Dayan saw a place for bakeries on the e-commerce market. Knowing they could eliminate substantial costs by operating out of one of its parent group’s other restaurants, Ryu, the project was brought to life.

Established in April 2020, Livia Sweets is unlike Livia Café in a key way. While the café is driven by health-consciousness, the bakery embraces decadence with a vast array of desserts that can help bring a little more joy to birthdays, anniversaries, and other milestone celebrations dampened by the pandemic.

“The bakery was launched with the intention of flipping the culture from the Livia Café,” Victoria Alexander, the marketing manager for Dayan’s restaurant group, said. “Despite the pandemic, people still deserve the fun.”

Livia Sweets aims to prioritize its customers’ interests and demands. Sporting the same logo as the café, Livia Sweets’ brand pays homage to neighbouring Montreal cafés, restaurants, and pastry shops. Their selection of lively, colourful cakes on its website is reminiscent of Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar. The bakery has also worked

Livia Sweets is surviving the pandemic as a ghost kitchen.

(Elissa Dresdner / The McGill Tribune)

hard to eliminate food waste.

Third-party delivery services such as UberEats or Doordash offer a client-friendly platform, but charge businesses a substantial 25 to 30 percent fee from every order. As a result, some large chains have launched their own delivery services, and other restaurants have turned their waiters into drivers or ultimately decided not to offer delivery at all.

“Our biggest challenge was to find a logistical way to become profitable,” Alexander said.

Their hybrid e-commerce model, including thirdparty applications and an in-house delivery platform, proved to be the best solution. Customers can order from the bakery’s rotating menu through Uber Eats and DoorDash for delivery, or directly from their website for orders to be picked up between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

By offering a selection of menu items on delivery applications, the online pastry shop hopes to relieve the cravings of its clientele five days a week. Simultaneously, their one-day-a-week, in-house delivery model provides the bakery with the flexibility to optimize the week’s baking schedule by planning deliveries in batches.

“We have been encouraged by the success of Livia Sweets, and we have begun exploring additional e-commerce opportunities, such as the delivery of at-home matcha kits from the Livia Cafe,” Alexander said.

Livia Sweets’ success using the ghost kitchen model exemplifies the resourcefulness that food-service businesses have used to survive during the pandemic, and might also foreshadow a long-term shift in the way restaurants operate. In the future, students can expect to see more ghost kitchens on their delivery apps, as the model has proven itself to be a flexible and economical alternative to in-house dining during these uncertain times.

Ask Ainsley: How do I maintain connections with peers while distance learning?

Keeping in touch with friends from on-campus classes and parties Dear Ainsley, With most of my days spent indoors without the usual hustle and bustle of campus life, I am finding it difficult to stay in touch with acquaintances. On-campus classes and parties were what brought us together, so it’s been harder to maintain relationships in their absence. What can I do to stay connected with my peers?

Sincerely, Missing In-person Acquaintances (MIA) Dear MIA, The absence of social gatherings will inevitably mean less interaction with your acquaintances. Naturally, this makes it challenging to maintain these relationships. First of all, it’s important to recognize that these are unprecedented times, and that you are bound to have fewer opportunities to socialize. However, social media and other online platforms are powerful tools that can help you maintain some of these connections.

To begin, try to play an active role in planning online get-togethers. Try inviting a group of friends from past in-person classes for a Zoom party. There are many online multiplayer games that you can play to spice up these gatherings, like skribbl.io, an online multiplayer Pictionary-style game. Zoom is a

Online platforms like Discord can help students connect with individuals who share common interests. (The Atlantic) great way to catch up with one another, and bring some laughs to an otherwise isolated day. I recommend inviting a large group so that there is plenty to talk about and catch up on, as this can help to avoid potentially awkward one-on-one chats.

You can also try keeping in touch with your peers via stories on Instagram or Snapchat. Sharing your thoughts and opinions by responding to social media posts can be a great conversation starter––you may be surprised at how many people will appreciate your comments. This will keep your name fresh in their

minds and help to maintain your relationship even while campus activities are on hold.

Reaching out to people who post thought-provoking content on their stories often leads to interesting conversations that can educate you on new topics while developing your relationships with acquaintances.

Joining online social groups on Facebook, Discord, or other social media can help students both connect with people they already know and even meet new people with shared interests. Nowadays, it is easy to see where people are ‘hanging out’ online through posts that they share publicly. You can use this

information to find groups that interest both you and your peers. While they may not be the same as in-person alternatives, chatting online can help alleviate the pressure to make a good first impression and help to break the ice.

Lastly, you can use social media platforms to reach out to classmates directly.

Many of them may also be feeling isolated, and sending a Zoom direct message or reaching out to start a group chat or Facebook group can add to the online learning experience while helping you develop study groups and lasting friendships. These platforms can be key to maintaining your old relationships as well as forming new ones. Be optimistic, and take advantage of the internet’s highly accessible communication tools.

It is important to realize that the transition to remote learning means that many aspects of your social life will also be taken to the web. While the social distancing measures currently in place are temporary, there are still many ways to keep your friends and yourself engaged online in the meantime. You can even use the new reality to your advantage to connect with people in ways you may not have in the past. Remember, your peers are likely just as interested in maintaining a relationship with you as you are with them. Don’t hesitate to make the first move.

Best of luck, Ainsley

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2021

Champions League update: Predictions for the round of 16

SPORTS 15

This UCL campaign is highlighted by the next generation of stars Karan Kumar & Reza Ali Contributor, Staff Writer

Papu Gomez to Sevilla does not help. Even though this Real Madrid side is weaker than usual, they are still in second place in La Liga and have a strong core of stars like Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, and Toni Kroos. The Madrid side has a tendency to play well under manager Zinedine Zidane in the Champions League, and it should be no surprise to anyone if they deliver a convincing victory in this tie.

The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is back. Round of 16 play began on Feb. 16, and four of the eight teams have played their first leg. After Feb. 24, all the first legs will be complete. The round of 16 consists of two legs, and the team that wins on aggregate score advances. The McGill Tribune brings its predictions for the round of 16.

Manchester City vs Borussia Monchengladbach Manchester City are currently on the top of the Premier League, 10 points ahead of Manchester United, who reside in second place. Recent performances in the Premier League have been excellent, with Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan, and Bernando Silva all scoring goals.

Borussia Monchengladbach deserve credit for placing amongst the top four teams in the league and earning a Champions League spot this year with tough competition in the Bundesliga. They are currently seventh and have won two of their last five games. However, it is unlikely the German side can advance to the next round with the current performance of Manchester City. The Manchester City Manager, Pep Guardiola, has never won a Champions League title with the team, and this could be the season it happens.

Bayern vs Lazio Bayern were dominant in the last UCL campaign. They won 11 straight games before eventually becoming champions. Incredibly, the same team is mostly intact, with the exception of holding midfielder Thiago Alcântara, who joined Liverpool. Nonetheless, players such as Robert Lewandowski and new signing Leroy Sane mean Bayern is still performing at full strength.

Lazio, on the other hand, do not boast the same type of dominance. They are currently in seventh place in Serie A, and if they continue their current streak they will not qualify for the Champions League next year. Having a striker like Ciro Immobile makes the Italian side impossible to rule out, but this tie looks to be a shoo-in for the German giants.

Chelsea vs Atletico Madrid In his short time as the manager of Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel has proven himself in the Premier League, winning four out of the last six matches in the league. How-

Barcelona vs PSG Catalan giants Barcelona lost 4-1 in a dismal first leg to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). PSG looked strong under manager Mauricio Pochettino, even without star striker Neymar and winger Angel Di Maria. Mbappe’s hat trick only boosts the French striker’s confidence going into Camp Nou on Mar. 10 for the second leg. Barcelona are an aging team with vulnerable defence, reliant on the experience of Messi, Busquets, and Pique. PSG are a relatively younger squad, with a manager who almost won the Champions League with Tottenham Hotspur in the 2018-2019 season. Even with an away goal and home advantage going into the second leg, it is unlikely that Barcelona will recover a three-goal deficit and advance to the next round.

Midfielder Marcel Sabitzer led Liverpool in an impressive win against Leipzig, but errant plays on defence have muddled their path to victory. (Sports Illustrated; CNN International) ever, the Champions League is a different tactical game altogether.

With players like Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic, Tuchel has the firepower at his disposal to defeat any defence in the world if he can get the best out of his players.

With star strikers Diego Costa and Luiz Suarez, Atletico Madrid will be tricky opponents, as they currently lead in La Liga, six points ahead of Real Madrid with one less game played. Due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions on U.K. flights to Spain, the first leg to be played at Atletico’s home stadium has moved to a neutral location in Bucharest, Romania. With this change, Chelsea might edge ahead of the Spanish team with a home game advantage in the second leg.

Liverpool vs Leipzig Liverpool won the first leg of this Champions League tie. Both sides had many opportunities to take this game by the scruff of its neck, even though the eventual 2-0 scoreline does not reflect it.

Leipzig’s Dani Olmo hit the post five minutes in, and Liverpool

keeper Alisson Becker saved a breakaway opportunity all before the first goal of the game.

Marcel Sabitzer has been an engine in midfield for Leipzig this year. Unfortunately, it was his errant back pass that played Liverpool forward Mohammed Salah through on goal, who made it 1-0.

Salah’s partner on the wing, Sadio Mane, also capitalized on a defensive mistake from Leipzig, bringing the score to 2-0. Despite a convincing win, this tie is far from over. Liverpool have not been at their best, and, most importantly, they are missing centre backs Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez. It is hard to imagine Liverpool fumbling this lead, but with emergency centre backs starting, anything is possible.

Juventus vs Porto The first leg result between Juventus and Porto was an unexpected one—Porto defeated Juventus 2-1. The game had some defining moments, the first goal scored

by Porto, a result of a Juventus defensive mishap, and Ronaldo being denied a penalty in extra time. The

Porto defence contained Ronaldo, who has an impressive record of scoring 134 goals in 175 appearances in the Champions League.

Overall, Juventus’ offence was unimpressive with only five out of 12 attempts on target. However, Frederico Chiesa’s away goal for Juventus may be crucial in deciding who advances to the next round.

Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo faces the challenge of a one-goal deficit in the second leg on Mar. 9.

With an away goal and home advantage for Juventus, either team can advance to the next round.

Real Madrid vs Atalanta Real Madrid are the most successful club in UCL history, with 13 titles to their name. Understandably, Atalanta cannot compare to that feat in the slightest. Last year was their first season in UCL, but they shocked everyone when they advanced to the quarterfinals. This current Real Madrid team is not as dominant as previous lineups, but Atalanta are no longer having the same success they had last year either, and losing star midfielder

Dortmund vs Sevilla The first leg ended in a 3-2 Dortmund win. It took only seven minutes for Sevilla to open the scoring with a deflected strike from winger Suso. Yet, it was Dortmund that eventually took over, led by young striker Erling Haaland. Haaland assisted the equalizer and then scored Dortmund’s second and third goals of the game. The 20-year-old Norwegian now has a remarkable 18 goals in 13 UCL appearances. The Spanish side did fight back, however, with Luuk De Jong netting a consolation goal with six minutes left before added time. This goal gives Sevilla a lifeline going into the second leg in Germany.

Dortmund have not been great domestically, but netting three away goals going into the second leg means they should be able to finish this tie in Germany and advance to the quarterfinals.

The Champions League round of 16 fixture is a delight for every soccer fan, as one witnesses the top teams in Europe play one another. This year’s fixtures are no different, with clubs like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and PSG battling to advance to the next round. The league this year is dif-

16 SPORTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2021

A look into the storied life of McGill’s Phil Edwards

The Olympic medalist became the first Black medical graduate at McGill Adam Menikefs Staff Writer In the celebration of Black Canadian figures, McGill is lucky to boast one of Canada’s greatest track athletes and medical graduate, Dr. Phil Edwards, as an alumni.

Edwards was born to a family of 13 children in Georgetown, British Guiana in 1907. After dominating track events in high school, he moved to the United States in 1925 to attend New York University (NYU). Edwards drastically improved as a sprinter under the guidance of his NYU coaches, competing in the U.S. Nationals for multiple years and winning the 880 yards event in 1929.

In his college years, Edwards proved to be an Olympic-calibre athlete. However, he could not compete with the American track and field team, as he was required to compete for a country within the British Empire. At the time, Canada was within the Empire and manager of the Canadian Olympic track team Melville Robinson recruited Edwards for the 1928 Summer Olympics. With Team Canada, Edwards earned a bronze medal with his 4x400 metre relay

team.

Edwards arrived at McGill following the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics to pursue a medical degree while simultaneously leading the McGill Track & Field team. During his time with the track team, Edwards led McGill to six consecutive championships—five while he served as captain. Edwards went on to set multiple McGill and Canadian track records en route to numerous individual Canadian interscholastic championships.

Unhindered by his commitment to schooling and collegiate athletics, Edwards continued to dominate internationally. At the 1932 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, Edwards captured an astounding three bronze medals with Team Canada, finishing on the podium for the 800 metre, 1,500 metre, and 4x400 metre relay races.

After becoming the first Black man to graduate from McGill University with a medical degree in 1936, Edwards competed in the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics.

Edwards impressed once again, earning his fifth Olympic bronze medal by finishing third in the 800 metre race.

This medal was especially significant, as the games occurred

under the gaze of the Nazi party, only three years prior to the start of the Second World War. Many athletes, particularly Black competitors, faced racism and were viewed as inferior by the host nation’s leaders. Edwards, along with famous American sprinter Jesse Owens, battled through this racism, successfully placing on the podium and making an athletic statement of equality during a time of entrenched racial discrimination.

To end his spectacular year, Edwards became the first person to earn the Lou Marsh Award, given annually to Canada’s most outstanding athlete.

After interrupting his medical career to serve as a captain in the Canadian Army during the Second World War, Edwards earned a graduate medical diploma at McGill University, becoming a specialist in tropical diseases. He continued his work at McGill’s Royal Victoria Hospital by specializing in parasitology and chest diseases, including tuberculosis. Edwards also took part in humanitarian expeditions. In 1960, Dr. Edwards joined a threemonth Red Cross mission to help the Congo strengthen its medical system after gaining independence.

Dr. Philip Edwards, nicknamed the “Man of Bronze”, was Canada’s most-decorated Olympian for many years. (Wikimedia Commons) Edwards passed away beside his three daughters and wife in 1971 and currently rests close to McGill campus at the Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal.

Edwards was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and McGill’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and entered the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame eight years afterwards. Additionally, every year since 1972, the Phil

A. Edwards Memorial Trophy is presented to Canada’s most outstanding track athlete. Looking back on Phil Edwards’ legacy, his impact and recognition at McGill and in Canada remains tremendous to this day. A pioneer for Black Canadian athletes and medical professionals, Edwards reached astounding levels of excellence that inspired many generations to follow.

Point-counterpoint: Are eSports really sports?

The ongoing debate that has divided the world of gaming Adam Burton, Sarah Farnand & Sophia Gorbounov Sports Editors, Managing Editor eSports: Competitive, coordinated, and strategic true sports When video games became popular in the 1970s, games like Pong and Atari swept the nation by storm. Players everywhere gathered at local arcades to compete on consoles the size of refrigerators that could do little more than render a cluster of bouncing pixels. Since then, video games have come a long way: Computers have become faster, game developers have gotten more creative, and consumers have demanded higher quality options. In 2020, video game revenue netted 179.7 billion dollars, more than the global film and North American sports industries combined.

While video games were traditionally marketed towards children, they are now a market-dominating force with an extremely competitive e-sport scene. Although many argue that eSports should not be considered real sports, this belief is being proven wrong as the industry develops. One of the most common

arguments against eSports is that they do not require any physical prowess to compete, but this fails to acknowledge the seemingly inconceivable reaction times and fast-twitch muscle movement that takes years of practice to develop.

Strategic play is another component of eSports that is often dismissed. Team planning, evasive maneuvering, and advanced meta-analysis are put to the test throughout the gaming world.

Games like League of Legends, Valorant, Dota 2, and Overwatch have all fostered competition that has filled arenas throughout the world.

With the skill and determination required to succeed in eSports, it is hard to deny that it is a real sport. During the COVID19 pandemic, the market share for competitive video games has only risen and is expected to continue rising to match that of the world of “real” sports. eSports are a skill, but not a sport Video games do not usually come to mind when one thinks of daily exercises. The MerriamWebster dictionary defines a sport as a physical activity engaged

eSports are a multi-billion-dollar industry that attract millions of users around the world (G Fuel) in for pleasure. While playing a video game requires skill and some coordination, it does not incorporate enough physical aspects to be a sport.

Although there is strategy involved in video games, board games like chess or card games like Solitaire also require strategy, but are not comparable to sports.

And although, like sports, gamers can improve their skills with training, playing an instrument also requires practice and training, which still does not make it a sport.

Sports require full-body

movements and coordination, not just finger and hand movements.

And while it is possible to move your whole body while playing a video game, it is not usually required to be successful. It is completely possible—and common— for people playing eSports to sit in front of their TV or computer with a bag of chips and move the controller with one hand while snacking with the other. In this way, not only is there no physicality involved, but playing video games often is also unhealthy, whereas sports are proven to improve

health and well-being. eSports and other forms of competitive gaming takes a toll on the mind and the body, but in a different way than regular sports. Playing sports competitively or recreationally can leave the whole body tired and help build muscle and lose fat.

After playing sports, one’s mood is boosted, and the mind is clearer. eSports simply do not give these results.

Playing video games for hours on end gives the body nothing but headaches, grogginess, and irritation. eSports are competitive similar to the way that chess is competitive: It does not require physical exertion, and does not provide health benefits in the way that physical sports do. eSports could be considered an art form like playing the violin or a game like checkers, but not as a sport.

Editor’s pick Ultimately, when considering the inherent physical nature of most sports, eSports cannot confidently be categorized the same way. While it remains true that video games and competitive gaming require high levels of skill and critical thinking, their lack of exertion rules eSports out as a sport.