The McGill Tribune Vol. 40 Issue 8

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 2020 | VOL. #40 | ISSUE #8

McGILLTRIBUNE.COM | @McGILLTRIBUNE

Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

SPORTS

SSMU representatives deserve compensation

Turn on, tune in

Know Your Athlete: Sam Tremblay

PGs. 8-9

PG. 5

PG. 15

(Brian Schatteman / The McGill Tribune)

The Tribune’s declassified pumpkin disposal guide

PG. 7

Unresolved issues with Workday HR system leave hundreds of TAs unpaid AGSEM files several grievances after McGill violates collective agreement Sequoia Kim News Editor A variety of issues have persisted since McGill’s Human Resources (HR) system transitioned from Banner to Workday in August 2020. Eight weeks into the Fall 2020 semester, hundreds of McGill employees—teaching assistants (TAs) in

particular—experienced delays in payment, and some have still not been paid at all. McGill staff have brought the Workday HR system under scrutiny after numerous allegations of payroll issues, technical glitches, information transfer difficulties, and stalled hiring processes have endured into October.

McGill employees encountered issues with Workday

Exploring the linguistic mosaics of Montreal bilingual speakers

almost immediately after its implementation on Aug. 4.

After receiving multiple complaints about Workday in early September, the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) launched a survey to track potential violations of McGill and AGSEM’s collective agreement (CA).

PG. 2

Campus Spotlight: McGill Recreational Dance Company

Researchers find that Montreal bilinguals switch languages depending on social context

McGill RDC offers wide variety of free online dance classes

Madison McLauchlan Staff Writer

Maya Mau Staff Writer

Montreal is a oneof-a-kind city for several reasons: It has a vibrant nightlife, an incredibly rich history, and an amalgamation of diverse cultures. Yet, nothing in Montreal is as iconic as the role of language

in shaping the city’s unique culture. As most Montrealers speak both French and English, casual conversation can be a mix of words and phrases taken from both languages.

Although linguistic research in Montreal has mostly focussed on French speakers, the content of what Montrealers say in

their conversations has, until now, received little scientific attention.

A recent study from the McGill Department of Psychology provides insight into which language bilinguals choose to speak while engaging in various conversation topics.

PG. 7

Finding the time to stay active under regular circumstances is difficult, but finding ways to exercise in the middle of a global pandemic poses an entirely new, and more daunting, set of problems.

That’s why the McGill Rec-

reational Dance Company (RDC) is offering free, virtually accessible dance classes to the McGill community. In non-pandemic times, the McGill RDC is committed to bringing a variety of dance styles to McGill students at a minimal cost and without the commitment of a full semester of classes. The club is man-

aged by a dedicated executive team. Among them is co-president Amy Kulle, U2 Science.

“Our executive team is made up of McGill students who come from a variety of different dance backgrounds to teach a choreography class in a different style each week,” Kulle said.

PG. 11

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 2020

NEWS

Unresolved issues with Workday HR system leave hundreds of TAs unpaid AGSEM files several grievances after McGill violates collective agreement Sequoia Kim News Editor A variety of issues have persisted since McGill’s Human Resources (HR) system transitioned from Banner to Workday in August 2020. Eight weeks into the Fall 2020 semester, hundreds of McGill employees—teaching assistants (TAs) in particular—experienced delays in payment, and some have still not been paid at all. McGill staff have brought the Workday HR system under scrutiny after numerous allegations of payroll issues, technical glitches, information transfer difficulties, and stalled hiring processes have endured into October.

McGill employees encountered issues with Workday almost immediately after its implementation on Aug. 4. After receiving multiple complaints about Workday in early September, the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) launched a survey to track potential violations of McGill and AGSEM’s collective agreement (CA).

Interim Grievance Officer at AGSEM Jessica Rose explained that AGSEM identified payroll issues because a number of TAs were missing from the union “dues list” in September. McGill’s dues list functions as a monthly payroll report for AGSEM. “There are 400 unique individuals missing from our dues list [from September 2020], accounting for 415 TA positions,” Rose wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

“That’s at least 400 TAs who have not been paid. Based on hiring numbers in previous years, I would estimate that there are at least 450 TAs who are not being paid currently.”

Rose explained that certain faculties and departments experienced a higher number of payroll and hiring issues.

“There are at least 16 departments in which more than half of the TAs have not been paid,” Rose wrote. “In 10 of those, 100 per cent of the TAs have not been paid.”

Of the 10 departments that did not receive payment in September, two were in the Faculty of Engineering and eight were in the Faculty of Medicine.

Article 17.03 of the CA states that all TAs must receive their first payment by direct deposit within 30 days of starting their contract, but many TAs, for unknown reasons, are being issued physical cheques from McGill’s HR department. Kiersten van Vliet, President of AGSEM, explained how this violation has impacted TAs not currently living in Montreal.

“There are some people who are being issued cheques [...] but they are located somewhere else in the world, and their cheque is going to their Montreal address,” van Vliet said. “For people who weren’t able to access the Workday system and update their address, [the cheques] just get returned to [the HR office]. So they are paid according to Workday, but the cheque is locked in a building.”

When either party—AGSEM or McGill—violates the collective agreement, a grievance may be filed to either the TA’s respective department chair, or the entire HR department to resolve the issue. Rose explained that AGSEM is currently filing several grievances.

“We currently have four collective and individual grievances related to various issues stemming from this, including

AGSEM has received over 200 responses on their survey launched in September. (Agsem.ca) late pay [...], payment by cheque [...], unpaid work from the summer semester, and lack of access to Zoom Pro,” Rose wrote to the Tribune.

While McGill has not yet responded to any of the grievances, AGSEM hopes to claim compensation consistent with McGill’s own late fee structure for tuition.

“When you are late paying your tuition, you have to pay a late fee and interest,” van Vliet said. “So what we are trying to claim is a late fee and interest for every employee who has not been paid.”

One TA in the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill, who wishes to remain anonymous, described his experiences with a Workday technical issue: Despite being hired, Workday registered his position as being ‘terminated’.

“Communicating with [the Human Resources] department is highly inefficient,” the TA wrote. “I contacted [the] HR of my faculty/department first, [then] the McGill HR on Sept. 8 [....] Then, after another two weeks, on Sept. 22, they told me ‘we realised that many employees cannot log in and our Workday team is working on fixing this issue’ [....] After that, I heard nothing from them.”

The TA’s technical issue was resolved on Sept. 25, yet the paycheck issues persisted.

“I missed my first paycheck, which should [have been] paid on Sept. 15 [....] The paycheck is still missing, and I am still [in contact] with McGill HR department to deal with this issue,” the TA wrote.

The problems with Workday have also impacted other McGill employees beyond those protected by AGSEM’s union, like casual teaching support workers, tutors, and remote learning assistants. A graduate student, who also wishes to remain anonymous, described their experience as a tutor.

“It’s been three weeks [...] and I still haven’t gotten into the [Workday] system,” they wrote to the Tribune. “So, in this time duration, I could have worked. I lost that opportunity.”

The ineffficient Workday system has also retroactively affected workers who were employed throughout summer 2020. One undergraduate student, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that they have not yet been compensated for

The McGill administration said that there were no payroll system issues as a result of the transition to Workday, citing that 12,000 McGill employees were paid accurately on the first pay run. (Workway.com)

a research position they held over the summer.

“The fundamental reason [why I wasn’t paid] was because I wasn’t in the system before Workday [was implemented], nor during the switch,” the student said. “There was no record of my time cards [or employment].”

The undergraduate student said that they had been in correspondence with McGill’s HR department since early September, exchanging over 10 emails to obtain their compensation.

Earlier in October, 132 professors, TAs, and course lecturers signed an open letter expressing their frustration over the persisting complications with Workday, urging McGill to find solutions promptly. On Oct. 20, Yves Beauchamp, Vice-Principal (VP) Administration and Finance and Christopher Manfredi, Provost and VP Academic sent an email to all McGill staff, writing that 1,450 TAs, 1,000 course lecturers, 300 casual and student research assistants, and close to 800 casual employees had been successfully hired and paid through Workday.

Rose believes that the number of Fall 2020 TAs McGill listed in the email is incorrect.

“According to our data, there are 1,569 unique individuals working as TAs, and at least 1,625 TA positions,” Rose wrote to the Tribune. “Factoring in missing data, it is likely that we have over 1700 TA positions and over 1600 unique TAs.” Van Vliet is concerned that those 150 to 250 TA positions are still unaccounted for in McGill’s number of paid employees, because their hiring status is still suspended on the Workday system.

In an email to the Tribune, Beauchamp and Manfredi said that McGill’s HR team is aware of the various Workday concerns and is working to resolve the issues.

“Approximately 150 of these new hires are still pending in Workday,” Beauchamp and Manfredi wrote to the Tribune.

“Resolution of these cases is the team’s highest priority. A further 700 of these new hires experienced an initial delay in pay, which has since been corrected. Investigation of the cases indicates that about half of them are attributable to isolated technical problems and/or to patterns of misunderstanding or repetition of certain errors by users.”

Van Vliet noted the Workday complications have also burdened local administrators tasked with resolving the various technical issues.

“There is all this added pressure [for administrators] to learn a new system [...] and there are so many issues that have to be solved case by case, [so] it’s just a very slow and agonizing process,” van Vliet said.

Rose remains unsatisfied with Provost Christopher Manfredi, Provost Yves Beauchamp, and Assistant VP Diana Dutton’s implementation and handling of the Workday system.

“When an institution makes standing up for your rights this exhausting, it’s a sign of bad faith,” Rose wrote. “I don’t want to downplay how much this affects other employee groups as well, but [...] this is not just how McGill treats its employees—this is how McGill treats its students, and then they turn around and ask us to pay them [tuition and fees].”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 2020

NEWS

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Protestors remember victims of police violence and call for SPVM budget cuts Annual vigil takes on new form with renewed calls to defund the police

Signy Harnad Staff Writer Over 200 protesters gathered to call for the defunding of the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) on Oct. 24 in a demonstration organized by the Defund the Police Coalition and Justice for Victims of Police Killings. This demonstration marks the 11th annual Justice for Victims of Police Killings vigil to honour the lives of victims of police violence in Montreal.

The demonstration began with speeches delivered at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park in the Plateau-Mont-Royal district, before the group embarked on a three-hour long march west along Saint Joseph Boulevard. The energetic crowd continued south on Park Avenue, before turning eastward on Sherbrooke Street. The march ended nearly four kilometers south of the initial post at the Place des Festivals.

As they walked the crowd chanted “no justice, no peace, defund the police,” while playing music that pays homage to Black and Indigenous artists on personal devices. Speakers at the demonstration read aloud the names of victims of police killings across North America, including Bony Jean-Pierre and Breonna Taylor, who were murdered in 2016 and 2020 respectively.

The Defund the Police Coalition, formed in June 2020, has released a list of 10 demands for the SPVM, including a call for a 50 per cent reduction of its current budget of $662 million and a reallocation of those funds to underfund-

Activists gathered in front of the Montreal police pension fund building, which manages the retirement funds of approximately 4,000 former police employees, to denounce police violence during an annual vigil that has occurred in October in Montreal since 2010. (Signy Harnad / The McGill Tribune) ed community groups.

Elijah Olise, one of the organizers of the demonstration, emphasized the need to view the Defund the Police movement as one not solely focused on dismantling the police force, but also on reinvesting in communities across Montreal.

“Upholding peace through fear is not the right way to achieve an ideal society,” Olise said. “When you see that youth are plagued with housing issues, a lack of jobs, and a poor quality of life, in [communities] like Montreal North [and] Little Burgundy, [they] are then

pushed to do these crimes. Once you provide resources to empower communities, you don’t need to police them.”

One activist, a graduate student in the Faculty of Science and member of Socialist Fightback McGill who wished to remain anonymous, grounded the history of police brutality in the rise of capitalism.

“When we look at [how] the police as an institution was incorporated into municipalities in today’s society, we see that it is just a reformed version of slave patrol,” the student said. “This is the same police that harassed gay

a n d trans activists at Stonewall in 1969.

The institution keeps reforming itself, but [this is] only treating a symptom of capitalism, not actually addressing the underlying issue.”

After a summer of historic civil unrest and with the U.S. presidential election fast approaching, some say that these protests are more important than ever. Jake Russell, an American citizen living in Montreal, linked the Defund the Police movement to the current political climate in the U.S., demanding a model of humanity over criminalization.

“We need to reevaluate how the police function in our society,” Russell said. “A lot of Americans do not agree with that xenophobia, racism, and sexism [....] The approach to societal problems should be harm reduction. The War on Drugs is a complete and utter failure.

Drug addiction should be treated as a public health issue, rather than [punished via] the police.”

Jessica Quijano, a rally co-organizer, is a Montreal activist who coordinates justice initiatives including the Iskweu project at the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal. She described how demonstrations serve to provide a therapeutic channel for those grieving loved ones lost to police brutality.

“I think [marching] changes the consciousness of society,” Quijano said. “It’s important that families who have lost someone see that people are in support of them, and it’s healing for many to see people go out to the streets to stand for them.”

SSMU’s Special Referendum unsuccessful after 15 per cent quorum not met SSMU reports lowest percentage of voters since 2015 in recent referendum

Ella Milloy Staff Writer The Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) 2020 Special Referendum failed to reach the required 15 per cent quorum needed to ratify proposed changes to the SSMU constitution. The referendum’s polling period ended on Oct. 16 with a voter turnout of 12.8 per cent, marking the lowest turnout since 10.6 per cent during the 2015 Winter Special Referendum. As a result, the Society will re-examine the methods used to increase student engagement.

On Sept. 5, SSMU’s Judicial Board (J-Board) responded to the Board of Directors’ appeal regarding the suspension of their judgement of the SSMU 2020 Constitution. The J-Board ruled that the ratification of the amended Constitution in the Winter 2020 referendum was invalid because the French version of the document was not made available during the polling period. The Judicial Board gave SSMU until Nov. 1 to hold a special referendum to ratify the 2020 Constitution and its supporting documents but because it failed to meet the 15 per cent quorum, the proposed version was not adopted.

SSMU will reinstate the 2017 Constitution as of Nov. 1, as ruled by the Judicial Board. After restoring the constitution, SSMU will be forced to restructure the Board of Directors and the Legislative Council and remove representatives from Theology, the Francophone Affairs Committee, the Indigenous Affairs Committee, the Equity Committee, and the Macdonald Campus Students’ Society (MCSS).

During the Legislative Council meeting on Oct. 22, SSMU President Jemark Earle discussed further changes.

“One representative from the inter-residence council, one senate caucus representative, and one environment

representative [will be added to Council],” Earle said.

“Additionally, the Executive Committee will be voting members of council. [This will] remove the joint BoardCouncil session.”

In contrast, the 2018 Winter Referendum saw the highest percentage of voter turnout in almost 14 years, largely due to student interest in voting for a Fall reading week. However, since then, student engagement in SSMU Elections and Referenda has been on a steady decline every semester since Winter 2018. Many students, including Arts Councillor Chip Smith, are concerned about the low voter turnout.

“This is a referendum,” Smith said. “It’s a campaign [....] I know that [voting] is the most important thing [during a referendum]. Frankly, there was no real get-out-tovote in this campaign, so my question is, what did the executive do to get turnout? What deals were made to stu-

SSMU reports only 3,117 votes in the 2020 Special Referendum.

(SSMU / Facebook)

dents? What was used? Were there Facebook posts? What was the role of the executive in that?”

The Student Engagement Plan, approved by SSMU in April 2020, outlines ways in which certain communication practices could improve participation in student government. The plan suggests tabling, flyering, and classroom announcements as the best methods to engage students.

The Student Engagement Plan finds that emails and social media posts do not allow for direct engagement with the student body. With the Fall 2020 semester entirely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, effectively reaching students has been challenging. “[SSMU’s communication practices] were probably one of the reasons [why the referendum failed],” Earle said. “Maybe our communications were not as strong as they were in the past. I know there were several ads put out on [SSMU’s] Instagram and on Facebook. I don’t know how far those [ads] reached.”

Tasked with reviewing SSMU’s governance bodies, the Comprehensive Governance Review Committee (CGRC) will continue to work on creating a more accessible SSMU. As a committee of the Legislative Council, the CGRC meets biweekly. Chair of the CGRC Lauren Hill met with the committee for the second time on Oct. 23 and will be making recommendations to improve SSMU’s practices and broaden general engagement with student governance at McGill.

“I can’t guarantee that [the Constitution] will be brought up again [in the same way], but it will definitely be a discussion point moving forward,” Hill said. “What I suspect will occur is that we are going to go through all of the changes that were originally brought forward to be changed [for] further consultations to see if that’s still the desire of the student body.”

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NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 2020

McGill student urges School of Social Work to support Sipekne’katik Nation The EDDII’s strategic plan for 2020-2024 will be presented for a vote on Oct. 28 Kate Addison News Editor On Sept. 18 Canadian news outlets began to report on a dispute between settler fishermen and members of the Sipekne’katik First Nation in southwest Nova Scotia.

Settlers have destroyed property and physically intimidated members of the Sipekne’katik First Nation over their right to fish lobster. The settlers’ disregard of Indigenous treaty rights is one of many acts of colonial violence against Indigenous Peoples that have been reported in recent months.

On Feb. 20, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) released a statement in opposition to the Canadian government’s oppression of Indigenous Peoples, though McGill’s administration has remained silent. McGill’s inaction inspired Cody Martin, U2 Social Work, to author a call to action urging McGill’s School of Social Work to condemn the inhumane treatment of First Nations people across Canada.

“I thought about this [call to action] over and over [and] how I would approach [it],” Martin said. “It came down to telling the faculty, [...] ‘it’s time to practice what you preach,’ [ in social work], we learn about the

The faculty of social work recently released a statement condemning the death of Joyce Echaqaun. (Andrew Vaughan / Canadian Press) core of ethics, competency laws, the different historical relations with social work, and how [social workers are] supposed to be advocates at the political front.”

In his letter sent to the McGill School of Social Work’s Equity Diversity Decolonization Indigenization Initiative (EDDII), Martin recommended the adoption of several actionable items into the EDDII’s upcoming 20202024 strategic plan, which will be presented for a vote at the Oct. 28 School Council session. These recommendations include the release of a public statement in support of Sipekne’katik First Nation rights, the

development of an anti-discrimination code of conduct for McGill’s School of Social Work, and the integration of 94 calls to action established by the Truth and Reconciliation Committee into the EDDII’s plan. Martin hopes that the implementation of these initiatives will foster a more equitable environment for McGill’s Indigenous students.

“I want to see McGill start honouring their words of action,” Martin said. “They talk about creating space [...] for the Indigenous population and people of colour, they talk about creating all these spaces [carrying out] justice, but, at the end of the day, where are these spaces?

Out of the 40,000 enrolled students at McGill, there’s a population of [only about 150 self identifying] Indigenous students.”

Introduced in the spring of 2020, the EDDII replaced the Equity Committee, a 2016 initiative that was created following a universitywide survey about equity on campus.

While the committee was intended to help foster equity at McGill, it faced structural challenges when implementing change.

“Some of the objectives developed out of the equity survey were achieved, such as [the formation of] a collective space from which to launch activism around equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) issues,” the EDDII wrote in a collective statement to The McGill Tribune.

“However, the committee structure proved a barrier to collective action.”

The implementation of the new EDDII initiative prompted an overhaul of the former Equity Committee.

For the past six months, members of the McGill community have been consulted on how equity principles can have a greater impact at McGill.

“The results of this [consultation] process are [the creation of the] EDDII,” the collective wrote. “[The EDDII] is a [...] collaborative

structure to support and track the implementation of [an] actionable strategic four-year plan to achieve the integration [of] the principles of equity, diversity, decolonization, and Indigenization throughout our school.”

With the recent controversy surrounding James McGill’s colonial history and McGill’s billion-dollar debt to the Six-Nations community, Catie Galbraith, U3 Geography student and Vice President of Events for the Indigenous Students Alliance, feels that McGill can do more than releasing a public statement.

“McGill should absolutely be taking a stance against colonial violence, [but McGill] needs to go beyond just issuing statements,” Galbraith said. “It should take the form of financial reparations and support to communities and working to address their own colonial legacy.”

Renee Corbiere, U3 Arts, is an Indigenous student who feels that McGill can do more to further knowledge on Indigenous issues at the university.

“There’s not so much the school can do to completely remove racism from the country, but what they can do is ensure that their students are educated on [Indigenous issues].”

McGill Senate discusses Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism The Senate considered implementing an independent Black Studies department Maya Abuali News Editor The McGill Senate discussed McGill’s Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism in their second Senate meeting of the academic year on Oct. 21. Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Christopher Manfredi and Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) Angela Campbell released the 44-page plan on Sept. 30. Composed in consultation with the Black Student Network (BSN), the plan aims to institutionalize anti-racism efforts and resources across campus.

Following the opening remarks of the senate meeting—which was hosted on Zoom and streamed on Youtube Live—Senate members were split into 10 break-out rooms and tasked with producing reports on aspects of the plan, delegating questions to the different groups. The questions targeted issues such as institutional support for Black students, alleviating the burdens of Black student activists, expanding the faculty recruitment network, and addressing the barri-

A motion was passed to rename the McGill Aids Centre to the McGill Centre for Viral Diseases. (Jasmine Acharya / The McGill Tribune)

ers within McGill’s hiring processes to encourage applications from a more diverse pool.

The Students Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) of University Affairs Brooklyn Frizzle spoke on behalf of group one, which was assigned a question about which action items members of the McGill community should prioritize to address antiBlack racism, research, knowledge, and experiences. Frizzle spoke about the need for administrative support for groups working against anti-Black racism on campus.

“For decades, really, students have been pulling a lot of the weight in terms of anti-racism on campus,” Frizzle said. “Any working groups [that] are established [...] are going to need a fair amount of administrative support and institutional access in order for them to succeed without depending on the labour of unpaid students. A couple of things we wanted [to be] delineated were what exactly [...] this support [is] going to look like, and who will be responsible for [it].”

Frizzle emphasized the importance of amplifying Black voices on campus.

“We want to prioritize support and representation for not only the advocacy but the mental health and wellbeing of Black students,” Frizzle said. “This not only includes [their] representation both on campus and in governance but also anti-racism education.”

After the Senate discussed the reports brought forward by each group, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier opened the floor for further conversation on the plan. Arts Senator Darshan Daryanani inquired about the issue of instituting a Black Studies department, referencing item four in the “Research and Knowledge” component of the plan. The plan states that the Black Studies program will enhance the African Studies department, rather than be created as an independent department.

“Since the 1970s, [the BSN has been] demanding for a Black Studies department,” Daryanani said. “So [...] why hasn’t this been part of the plan, and [instead] simply an enhancement of the African Studies program?”

Manfredi responded to these concerns, claiming that the Senate believed it was important to prioritize the immediate provision of re-

sources to the African Studies department. Item four in the plan lists two annual budgets to enhance financial support for the department.

“African Studies already exists, so what would be the relationship between the already existing African Studies program and any new initiatives that the university might support?” Manfredi said. “I think it’s also important to point out that academic programs emerge from the faculties. They are not driven from the Provost’s office.”

MOMENT

Senator Manfredi addressed Item two in the plan, which denotes what will happen with the James McGill statue by the end of the bicentennial year.

Manfredi noted that the plan includes the relocation of the statue and the installment of a plaque in its place, and emphasized the importance that the institution speaks truthfully about its history.

SOUND BITE

“What our group discussed was the lack of specificity in terms of funding and the fact that [the goals stated in the action plan] really do not compensate for the demand of a Black Studies department. So we hope that the university will prioritize a plan to fund an entire Black Studies department, and to make sure that the engagement of black scholars is there for such work.” - SSMU Arts Senator Darshan Daryanani

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 2020

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

News Editors Kate Addison, Pascal Hogue & Sequoia Kim news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Jonah Fried & Kennedy McKee-Braide opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editors Sophia Gorbounov & Ronny Litvack-Katzman 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 Caroline Shelton photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editors Sarah Ford & Alexandre Hinton multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Benjamin Alexandor & Sasha Njini webdev@mcgilltribune.com

OPINION

SSMU representatives deserve compensation Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President University Affairs Brooklyn Frizzle recently submitted a motion that would have placed a proposed non–opt-outable SSMU Representatives fee to pay SSMU representatives on the Fall 2020 Referendum ballot. SSMU tabled the motion until Winter 2021, and some elements of the fee are still being refined. Still, it is already clear that, to meet SSMU’s pay equity scale requirements, the fee will likely have to be substantial.

Considering that McGill students have historically rejected many proposed fees and base fee increases, the Representatives Fee may be dead on arrival. Moreover, students are notoriously apathetic about SSMU elections, and student government is prohibitively unpopular because many students find it elitist and controversial. In this context, asking for a significant fee increase—let alone one to pay SSMU leaders—may invite a torrent of backlash from students.

Nevertheless, student disinterest in SSMU must be overcome.

SSMU works tirelessly to provide essential services to students— services which many students not only take for granted, but, in

OFF THE BOARD

Copy Editor Jackie Lee copy@mcgilltribune.com Social Media Editor Marie Saadeh socialmedia@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Marilie Pilon business@mcgilltribune.com

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

STAFF Maya Abuali, Jasmine Acharya, Sepideh Afshar, Reza Ali, Margaret Askey, Zoe Babad-Palmer, Eve Cable, Rory Daly, Ella Fitzhugh, Defne Gurcay, Signy Harnad, Lucy Keller, Deana Korsunsky, Erika MacKenzie, Maya Mau, Madison McLauchlan, Adam Menikefs, Ella Milloy, Naomi Mirny, Matthew Molinaro, Shafaq Nami, Respina Rostamifar, Brian Schatteman, Noah Vaton, Josephine Wang, Xiaotian Wang, Margaret Wdowiak, Lowell Wolfe,Wendy Zhao

CONTRIBUTORS Sabri Conde-Yassin, Ibani Kapur, Lilly Lecanu-Fayet, Michelle Siegel, Isabella Vella

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Jackie Lee Copy Editor A classical music fan even as a child, I went to my first symphony at 11 years old. Just before the conductor began his elusive dance, he cued a single, collective breath—an upbeat, as I would later learn. That instance was electric, the orchestra and audience anticipation alike generating a tangible energy felt through the hall. Suddenly, music coloured the air, players moving in tandem. I listened, enraptured. And after the thrill of the performance, epic as a raging storm and tranquil as a dew-covered petal—another silent beat, and then thunderous applause. I fell in love.

many cases, are necessary because the McGill administration fails to provide them. It is incumbent upon SSMU to make a good case for paying its representatives, but it is equally imperative that students support a fee to compensate student leaders.

By not paying councillors, SSMU may be violating its own labour policies. In 2017, it adopted a policy against unpaid student labour, and executives, remunerated staff, commissioners, and coordinators are salaried.

Yet student senators and faculty representatives are not paid, even though these positions are often as demanding as some salaried positions. Officially, they are expected to work between four to seven hours a week, though this is rarely the reality. After all, this figure assumes that meetings do not exceed a couple of hours, whereas they almost always do, and it does not factor in additional hours spent preparing documents, debating policies, participating in student activism, and tending to other aspects of the job. As a result, some attest to working exorbitant hours while also balancing full course loads and other commitments.

This pressure, which often takes

a toll on their mental health, is only exacerbated by the financial sacrifice some students make to volunteer to serve.

Although some may argue that the skills and experience obtained on the job are worth more than a paycheck, the lack of compensation presents an insurmountable financial barrier for many students.

This barrier deprives SSMU of a vast reservoir of talent, diversity, and perspectives, limiting student government to the few who can afford to work part-time without pay. Compensation, then, is not just fair, but a prerequisite for a more accessible, equitable, and representative student union.

If SSMU moves to pay student representatives, it must be transparent about the source of the funds, and it must not divert funds from vital services, such as its mental health resources. It must also proceed cautiously, as proposing an additional fee may obstruct the SSMUnion’s collective bargaining efforts. Representative positions are not unionizable, and SSMUnion is already asking to raise the base SSMU fee. As a result, the Representatives Fee would require a separate question, increasing the likelihood that students would

5

EDITORIAL reject them both. This would be completely counterintuitive to fostering a more egalitarian labour environment.

To get any fee passed, SSMU must not only campaign relentlessly, but also show students why they should be investing their money in the union at all. Years of controversy have absconded its actual purpose: From academic advocacy to the SSMU Daycare, mental health resources, the Midnight Kitchen, and other services, SSMU supports the study body where the administration fails to do so. And when McGill’s governing is unjust, SSMU is there to advocate for students.

SSMU’s shortcomings ultimately stem from the administration’s reluctance to support students, which strains SSMU’s resources and simultaneously increases the need for them.

SSMU is important, and it must effectively show students why. It is profoundly unjust that student representatives are not paid for their labour, but if SSMU wants students to foot the bill, they must show students why compensating their representatives will make their union more fair and accessible.

To play or not to play I started learning to play the cello in seventh grade in my middle school’s strings program.

Encouraged by my teachers, I applied and was admitted to a specialized arts high school. I was not an accomplished player; rather, through instruction and hard work, I cultivated my skills alongside my peers. In many ways, music shaped my identity: I fostered friendships with stand partners, built my self-confidence, and found my community. With each mid-performance smile shared with friends across the stage, I was tapped into the orchestral magic that had first resonated with me years earlier.

Halfway through high school, however, I realized that I could not be a professional musician. I enjoyed the creative and community elements, but the constant rehearsals, lessons, and practice sessions were tedious.

Though manageable, if I planned to audition for music programs, my playing calibre and practice intensity would need to increase significantly. Looking forward, I could see that such rigorous obligation would taint my passion if I were to bind myself to my cello as a livelihood, and a mixture of self-doubt in my abilities and fear of commitment rendered that

avenue unattainable.

In deciding to let go of professional expectations, I was free to do what I wanted. Despite my senior year being chock-full of music-related responsibilities, the pressure to perform well came from a need to do my best for my teachers, peers, and my own standards, without future stress looming over me. This meant I could dedicate more time to academics and chamber groups that I could play in for fun. It also gave me time to prepare for my very first Royal Conservatory exam, a metric by which many Canadian music students gauge their skill level. Completing it would be both concrete proof and a fitting capstone of my progress.

After scheduling the date in June, the summer months became a flurry of frantic practicing, and, just days before moving to Montreal, I completed the gradeeight exam, ending my cello career.

Well, not quite: I still played at home, for my family and myself. I did feel a significant loss, though, even knowing that I couldn’t bring my instrument with me to university. Besides missing the camaraderie of rehearsals and the excitement of concerts, I also lost my callouses, which I had

built up over six years—a physical reminder that this new identity I would forge myself would not revolve around music.

I know this all sounds dramatic. I’m incredibly privileged to have had these opportunities, and I’ll always be grateful.

Regardless, leaving something you love, even intentionally, will always be bittersweet.

Although we’re told to “follow our dreams,” sometimes it’s best to separate a personal interest from a career—adhering to impossibly high standards should not impede your ability to enjoy your craft. In choosing to not pursue music professionally, I redefined my creative passion to one influenced by internal motivations rather than external pressures. It is a conscious decision not to monetize your every interest; it will still always be worth it to find fulfillment in the arts, no matter your age, skill level, or commitment. Be the architect of your own joy, and support artists who share theirs with the world. Professional musicians continue to inspire me: Every time I watch a live performance, experiencing an orchestra weave pure magic from a seat instead of the stage, I fall in love all over again.

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OPINION

COMMENTARY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 2020

Kamala Harris’ refusal to be interrupted sets an empowering example for women

Sepideh Afshar Staff Writer Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States, faced off against current Vice President Mike Pence in the vice-presidential debate on Oct. 7. Harris is a woman of colour and the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants. When facing constant interruptions from her Republican counterpart, Harris sent a powerful message to young girls and experienced women in academia alike: Women must be heard and taken seriously.

Harris demonstrated that she is a strong who will not tolerate men interrupting her by using the phrase, “Mr. Vice-President, I’m speaking,” every time Pence tried to interrupt her. By invalidating Pence’s constant interruptions, Harris showed that disrespecting women in professional settings must end.

In contrast to Pence’s attempts to derail the conversation, the phrase “I’m speaking” served as a respectful way for Harris to assert herself. While some took to social media to call the repetition of the phrase to be obnoxious, it was its constant iteration that gave it so much power. “I’m speaking” was an inoffensive way for Harris to regain control without catering to the stereotype that women are overly emotional. A double standard undeniably exists between men and women in politics: When male politicians get angry, society characterizes them as tough and decisive, but when female politicians show any emotion, they are criticized for being too emotional. A

COMMENTARY

2019 study by Georgetown University showed that 13 per cent of Americans believe that men are better emotionally suited for politics than women. During the debate, Harris asserted herself in a way that did not further perpetuate this stereotype.

The way Harris firmly managed ill-

represented. Representation is key to encouraging more women to become involved with politics. Research shows that as female politicians gain more seats in the U.S. House and Senate, more women plan on running for office. This positive feedback loop holds true in Canada as well. Seeing women publically stand

Senator Harris has been subject to a number of racist and sexist attacks since her campaign began.

(Patrick Semansky / Associated Press) mannered behavior from Pence set a stellar example of a woman standing her ground for women in all disciplines, especially in politics, where young girls do not often see themselves

up to mistreatment from men empowers young girls to stand up for themselves and shows them that they should not tolerate disrespect. At school, women hesitate to speak up when they

are being spoken over. Interruptions in class discussions, work settings, and personal lives are constant hindrances to women every day.

Women at McGill are no exception to being interrupted by men. Whether in conferences or in class, some women feel that they have to justify their place at McGill, despite having earned their spots. While this is common in discussion-based fields like political science, such experiences worsen in other maledominated fields, such as engineering. A study co-written by Brian Rubineau, an associate professor in the Faculty of Management, found that many female engineering students are pushed out by a hyper-masculine culture in which women are regarded as less intelligent.

Female politicians are faced with multiple obstacles, but for women of colour, these barriers are exacerbated. Harris’ confidence and resilience shows the world that she knows she deserves the space and platform she has worked her entire life to claim, and that she will not allow anybody to take that away from her.

Women in academia deal with this every day, and constantly have to prove that they deserve to be there alongside men who take up more than their fair share of speaking time. Harris’ words resonated with many women, and, hopefully, men too will learn to make space for women’s voices. The act of interruption is not always malicious, but when directed by men towards women in such a context, is invalidating in a way that men will never experience. As women like Harris work to have their voices heard, men need to start listening.

Solidarity in Montreal must outlast COVID-19

Rory Daly Staff Writer The Montreal Student Initiative for COVID-19 Response and Relief, a McGill student-led mutual aid group that formed during the pandemic, shut down on Oct. 1. Along with delivering material goods, such as food and prescriptions, to people in need, the group also organized virtual social events to connect their communities.

According to the former leaders of the organization, the group was forced to dissolve after their most significant donor withdrew funds and they lost

access to their main distribution hub.

However, as the various organizations referenced in the resource document shared in their final Facebook post show, mutual aid in Montreal continues.

While many mutual aid organizations formed as a response to the pandemic, they could continue to play an important role in supporting vulnerable communities in the future. As Montreal faces various social issues, including a growing unhoused population and shaky job security for its residents, community-focused aid organizations must be maintained after the pandemic.

Mutual aid occurs when, in the

The pandemic has made it difficult for vulnerable Montrealers to safely access essentials like groceries and medication. (Amanda Northrop / Vox)

face of a common issue, those who are more privileged within a community support those who are more vulnerable.

This can take many forms, from simply donating cash with which to purchase basic human resources, to volunteering, and even to babysitting for working parents. Citizens are responsive to this sort of organizing; one Montreal mutual aid Facebook group has at least 17,000 members. The emphasis is not on serving for the sake of social status, but instead, on taking care of one’s communities through direct aid and outreach.

Despite the benefits that these organizations provide, many groups have formed specifically as a response to inequities exacerbated by COVID-19.

It is important to emphasize that the work of these groups is necessary even after the pandemic, and ensure that they do not wither away or become dormant until the next crisis appears. As small, local, and personal forms of direct action, mutual aid organizations excel at supporting the communities that need them most in a way that charities often cannot due to shortages of staff or funds. Black communities in Canada and the United States have practiced mutual aid for a long time due to this reach.

Research suggests there is a reason that many mutual aid organizations are taking up much funding and media coverage during this crisis: People are

more likely to donate when faced with a specific individual or group than they are when facing a more distant or less identifiable cause. So when one’s local community is in need, one is far more likely to give, especially in the face of something as impactful as a pandemic.

Montreal is currently facing unemployment issues alongside the COVID-19 pandemic. The Quebec unemployment rate remains twice as high as it was at the start of the year, and economists are warning that the economic impact will likely continue past the outbreak.

Homelessness remains a significant issue, with half of the province’s unhoused population living in Montreal, including a disproportionate amount of Inuit.

Unlike the virus, turning one’s back to the community and simply staying isolated inside will not make these difficult situations disappear.

But, mutual aid can help to blunt their impact, allowing Montreal communities to take care of their own. There is no doubt that some groups directly related to COVID-19, such as groups providing childcare for those in hospital, will not be necessary when the pandemic is gone. However, the spirit of solidarity that the virus has fostered cannot be allowed to dissipate as well. Mutual aid groups must stay active and local groups must remain engaged for the benefit of the less fortunate in Montreal.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 2020

7

Exploring the linguistic mosaics of Montreal bilingual speakers

Researchers find that Montreal bilinguals switch languages depending on social context

Madison McLauchlan Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

Participants were asked about 21 subjects ranging from news to culture, as well as which language they used to discuss each subject in various environments, including school, work, home, and their social lives. Remarkably, none of these communicative contexts showed the same number of topics or pattern of language use.

Mehrgol Tiv, a Ph.D candidate studying experimental psychology at McGill and lead author of the paper, explained how a novel application of an existing methodology was used to analyze participants’ responses.

“Often, when we conduct research studies in the cognitive sciences, we do so in a laboratory, where many of the elements that make up the real world are controlled or not taken into consideration,” Tiv wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

“We adopted network science as a robust tool to represent the real-

Young Montrealers make up a linguistically diverse demographic, especially those enrolled in universities. (Simon Blais / Radio Canada) world complexities of language use.”

Network scientists use mathematical tools to map the strength and frequency of connections within datasets, which are then represented as visual models. This method has diverse applications across scientific disciplines, from tracking COVID-19 transmission to mapping neurons in the brain.

Using this framework, Tiv and her colleagues calculated the total number of conversation

topics across different situations, how often the topics overlapped, and which language was used to discuss them. The subjects of each conversation were then visually represented as individual units, called nodes, which form links within the network model to other topics of conversation.

Researchers use lines of differing thicknesses to estimate the rate of co-occurrences between two or more topics. When translated into a graphic, these colour-coded nodes and links describe a complex

network of speech patterns.

“The content of conversation makes up the collective discourse, which can tell you a lot about the goals and values of a group of people or a society,” Tiv wrote. “It answers a different set of questions than studying how people speak.

Many of [these questions] are social in nature.”

Researchers surveyed 115 university-age participants, who completed questionnaires about their language use and conversational patterns in different areas of their lives. The results demonstrate just how dynamic bilingualism in Montreal really is.

No two communicative settings showed the same distribution of French versus English, suggesting that language use is connected to social and contextual cues.

According to the study, bilinguals use their dominant language across a broad range of conversation topics and within a greater number of contexts, including at home, school, and work. In contrast, they found that participants engaged in discussions on a more narrow range of topics

in conversations held in their nondominant language.

The focussed, repetitive environment of many workplaces could explain why participants reported speaking mainly in their dominant language and about fewer topics. Social settings, which tend to invite dynamic conversations with larger groups of people, showed the most variation in both conversation topic and language use.

The study’s findings are consistent with a linguistic theory called the complementary principle, which proposes that bilinguals tailor their language use in different social situations. This is certainly the case in Montreal, where fluency in both French and English can greatly improve job opportunities.

“There is a lot going on linguistically in Montreal,” Tiv wrote. “It’s the culmination of historical forces like colonialism, modern-day immigration, and a host of other social factors which give rise to Montreal being a unique place to study bilingualism.”

The Tribune’s declassified pumpkin disposal guide

Eating and composting pumpkins can reduce food waste in landfills Kaja Surborg Managing Editor Every year in early October grocery stores across Montreal, much like the rest of North America, place large bins full of bright orange pumpkins outside their shops, and every year customers buy them all up. The market for pumpkins and pumpkinrelated activities, like hayrides and farm visits, has grown in recent decades. In 2001, Canada planted 5,700 hectares of pumpkins, squash, and zucchini; by 2017, there were more than 6,400 hectares of land growing these fall staples. Come Nov. 1, however, consumers are frequently left with rotting pumpkins in dire need of disposal.

Simply tossing a pumpkin in the garbage can have negative consequences on the environment. The addition of food waste to municipal solid waste (MSW) leads to anaerobic decomposition in landfills. Anaerobic decomposition occurs when organic materials break down in environments without oxygen—the bottom of a landfill, for example—producing methane gas along with carbon dioxide and water vapour. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is about 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide in accelerating climate change, and 20 per cent of Canada’s methane emissions come from its landfills.

Twenty per cent of Canada’s methane gas emissions come from landfills. (Caroline Shelton / The McGill Tribune) There are, however, ways to keep pumpkin husks out of landfills.

The first is, hopefully, the most obvious: Eat the gourd. Pumpkins that have not yet started to rot are still perfectly edible. These squash contain a wide range of essential nutrients, including vitamins A and C, potassium, and iron. There are a variety of flavourful options for preparing this delicious autumn vegetable. Try

making a wholesome and warming pumpkin soup, or roast your cucurbit with other vegetables for a delicious side that is easy to keep in the fridge for later.

In the weeks leading up to Halloween, many people may have left their carved pumpkins outside as decoration, where exposure to the elements and Montreal’s squirrels are likely to make the pumpkin signifi-

cantly less appealing to eat. Pumpkin decorations are an autumnal mainstay, but that does not mean the whole vegetable has to go to waste.

When scooping out the stringy innards of a pumpkin to carve a spooky face in the side, save the seeds for later. Separate the seeds from the tissues and wash them off before drying. Then, toss the seeds with seasoning of your choice and roast them for

a tasty harvest season snack.

Eating as much of the pumpkin as possible should be the first step in keeping them out of landfills, but if molten pumpkin carcasses are still left over on doorsteps, eating that rotten flesh becomes a deeply unpleasant thought. This is not an excuse to throw those sad, orange racoon snacks in the garbage. Make sure to compost these pumpkin remains, either through Montreal’s municipal compost collection service or in an at-home compost heap. Checking neighbourhood specific compost collection instructions and days is simple and can help keep food waste out of landfills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from MSW. Every year, the average Canadian household loses $1,100 in food waste. Planning meals––and edible decoration use––in advance can help individuals save money and ensure nutritious vegetables like pumpkins do not end up contributing to the ongoing climate crisis. Participating in fun holiday traditions, such as pumpkin carving, is still possible without the mindless consumption and waste that the commercialized versions of holidays often promote. A little extra planning and effort can make this Halloween special and memorable, especially with parties and spooky social gatherings off the table this year.

Turn on, tune in Modern radio in the streaming age Vanessa Barron, Arts & Entertainment Editor August 2017: I’m driving into downtown Montreal for the first time, not as a tourist, but as a resident and student at McGill University. As I cross the Jacques-Cartier bridge after a 10-hour car ride from rural Pennsylvania, I turn on the radio just in time to catch Chumbawamba’s 1997 hit single, “Tubthumping”: “I get knocked down / but I get up again!” It’s just the song I needed to quell my college anxieties and driving fatigue, defining the moment with a click of a button.

As a medium, radio is prone to serendipitous moments such as this one. Each second of a radio show is unique to time and place, making what you end up listening to all up to chance. There is a certain amount of risk that you won’t know (or even like) the song a station will play next, yet there is the possibility that the next track will be one of your favourite songs ever. The uncertainty and discomfort inherent to radio listening may be an unfavourable choice for a young audience used to on-demand music through streaming. Radio listenership numbers have decreased in recent years, yet the roots of modern media, such as podcasts, live streams, and playlists, originated from the radio. In order to survive, radio has a lot to learn from our generation; in turn, we can learn a lot from radio, too.

Ironically, when commercial radio was first introduced in the 1930s, record companies predicted that it would end physical media, which at the time consisted almost entirely of phonograph records. Half a century later, on Aug. 1, 1981, MTV launched, and the first music video they played was the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star,” heralding a new contender in the music scene. And yet, 40 years later, the radio is still around, outliving the heydays of music television and newer innovations in physical media, like cassettes and CDs. After nearly a century of radio, the industry has so far successfully adapted to many technological changes in order to survive.

Alex Moskos, music department coordinator for McGill’s student radio station CKUT 90.3 FM, has witnessed the shift from physical records to digital files and internet broadcasts in the radio industry during the last three decades. In his experience, change isn’t always bad news for radio—in fact, sometimes change is welcome.

“In the early 2000s, we used to get three mail bins a day filled with parcels with CDs,” Moskos said. “And honestly, that took so much volunteer power back in the day to keep track of everything that came in. Now [we receive] a handful of CDs per day.

[Digital programming] requires a lot less of that.”

In its 30 years of existence at McGill, CKUT’s student team has changed its approach to radio. As a generation that did not grow up regularly listening to the radio, the current student DJs use their airtime differently than their predecessors.

“There’s a tendency with younger people who grew up with social media and grew up with different forms of self expression [to be] more comfortable oversharing and talking about their feelings on the radio,” Moskos said. “Some older listeners complain, but too bad for them.”

Aside from a different conversational approach, this generation of radio producers operate their programs non-traditionally, opting for downloaded playlists rather than physical media. Sometimes, students host broadcasts on Facebook Live and Twitch streams while on air. This approach combines old and new media, but in the process, radio loses some of its mystery and charm.

“I think we live in a culture that’s too reliant on our visual sense,” Moskos said. “[In traditional radio,] you, as the person producing the radio show, do not see your audience. And from the audience’s perspective, you do not see the person making the radio show. It’s a completely [auditory] experience. You use your ears entirely to do it. ” The lack of visual elements and having to wait to hear song titles without knowing what will play next may make radio listening less appealing for younger audiences accustomed to streaming services. Aside from simply changing the station, the lack of control can be uncomfortable compared to the limitless options of Soundcloud or Apple Music. Radio listeners are exposed to content that they, or their Spotify algorithms, wouldn’t normally pick, leaving more room for variety.

The rise of streaming has consequently reduced the ubiquity of radio devices in recent years. Some car companies have dropped AM radio from their dashboards entirely, and Apple has not included FM transmitters in iPhones since 2015. Some speculate that this is done purposefully—radio is completely free, so it competes with streaming and music downloading platforms. But radios are handy, especially in emergencies when the internet or cell towers may not work. With more frequent natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, now might be the perfect time to own one.

Design: Chloe Rodriguez / The McGill Tribune

July 2020: I am alone in my Montreal apartment because I’m too anxious to travel home for the summer. To cope with my newfound isolation, I started listening to Montreal radio stations on an old alarm clock that I discovered in my closet. It’s good background noise, and the voices keep me company in my solitude.

Radio is a good antidote to loneliness. For starters, a real person is curating the music for the listeners, not an algorithm. There’s a great deal of talking on many stations by people a few miles away from you. In movies, radio DJs dedicate songs to the romantic leads; sometimes the radio is the reason people find each other, like in Sleepless in Seattle. In a sense, radio is perhaps an archaic form of social media, allowing people to reach out and connect across expanses of space.

A popular modern-day successor to the radio talk show is podcasting. Gretel Kahn, B.A. ‘19, is a researcher at CBC Radio Montreal who initially started working in radio because of her interest in podcasting.

“I’m a regular 20-something-year-old, [so] I didn’t wake up every single day to turn on the morning radio and listen to the news,” Khan said. “But I was a huge podcast person, [particularly] news podcasts, so I thought that might be similar. Now that I work in radio, it’s something that I’ve fallen in love with.”

One of the differences between a podcast and a radio talk show is the approach to the audience: Podcasters talk amongst themselves, so you feel like you’re listening in, leading to an often parasocial experience. On the other hand, radio hosts talk more directly to the listener. Additionally, Kahn noted that the length and detail of an online podcast differ greatly from a standard segment on CBC Radio. “[With] podcasts, you can work on one episode for a very long time and go into great detail,” Kahn said. “Podcasts are able to really dive into a specific issue for as long as they’d like, [whereas] we’re trying to cover a lot of issues in one show. We have to do one episode every single day, and we have three hours of air to fill with what we think would be of interest to Montrealers and to our audience. It is more than what meets the eye.”

As a newcomer to an old industry, Kahn has learned a lot from her time at CBC, including an appreciation for journalistic standards and the medium itself. Although she predicts that the future of radio will see a shift to largely online platforms, the fact that FM radio is free increases its potential accessibility.

“Radio is still relevant to a lot of people,” Kahn said. “[It’s] perhaps one of the most accessible types of media, especially for the elderly, people that cannot access the internet, or [people whose] eyesight is not the best. They can always tune into the radio and get informed on what’s happening. Just as any other media platform or journalistic platform, the radio still has a place today.”

One of radio’s most remarkable qualities is its presence in everyday gadgets, as most cars and alarm clocks have an FM transmitter. The future of radio, however, requires a younger generation to embrace the platform with all its flaws and unique characteristics. In return, radio needs to adapt for a younger audience.

September 2020: I’m lounging on the grass in Parc La Fontaine with my closest friends. We’re eating brie with baguette; the sun is setting—life is as good as it gets during a pandemic.

I brought along my new portable radio, relieving me of the pressure of crafting the perfect queue for the evening. I find a station that’s playing a horrendous mashup of LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It” and PSY’s “Gangnam Style.” We bask in the glory of this hilariously bizarre 2012 throwback and enjoy it nonetheless.

Although many modern media elements evolved from radio programming, listening to the radio today may not feel modern. This is both an advantage and disadvantage.

Nostalgia can be a powerful tool: In an era in which contemporary technology invades our privacy constantly, it is comforting to go back to the media associated with simpler times. This nostalgic quality is sometimes incorporated into modern music production, like in “Telegraph Ave” by Childish Gambino and “Late Night” by GoldLink. Spoken radio introductions give the music a timeless effect and a softer, “background noise” ambiance. Although radio has no physical attributes, it creates a romantic image, something lost in time, for the listener.

Throwback-themed music sets and classic rock stations offer comfort and familiarity, but there is an undeniable lack of fresh music on the frequencies, including contemporary stations. It’s a tricky balance for radio stations. Listeners like the music they know, but does it keep them interested? To compete with the algorithms of recommendations on Spotify and YouTube, radio stations should play up what algorithms don’t have: Personality.

Paul Orasanu, U4 Engineering, studies music technology and is an avid music and podcast listener. Still, he rarely listens to the radio—not an uncommon combination for Generation Z. However, Orasanu sees potential in the work of student radios like CKUT because of, not in spite of, their unconventional programming.

“Occasionally, I’ll tune into CKUT when I’m driving because they play some really weird stuff I wouldn’t hear otherwise,” Orasanu said. “[Even though] we now have curated playlists and recommended podcasts on streaming apps, I appreciate stations like CKUT where people play specifically chosen music that doesn’t normally get the attention it deserves, and I think that would be really sad to see gone.”

For radio as a whole, Orasanu does not have high hopes for the longevity of the industry; it depends entirely on its success to adapt to the internet, but a shift to online content costs money, which may be difficult for smaller stations. Despite these costs though, online content offers features that cannot be seen elsewhere.

“The appeal of podcasts for me is the fact that they’re available on-demand, and the appeal of a livestream is the chat interaction,” Orasanu said. “A [traditional] radio show mixes the two with none of the parts that appeal to me.”

Online stations can easily incorporate these elements that appeal to a younger audience like playback, song titles, and chat windows, while still keeping the basics of radio production intact. Montreal-based online radio station n10.as takes a fresh approach to classic programming by incorporating a chatroom and links to DJs’ Soundclouds on their Windows 2000-themed website.

The future of radio is uncertain, but there are glimmers of hope in the latest generation of broadcasters and DJs. Striking a balance between new and old is tricky, but the radio industry has consistently proved that adapting to significant changes is both possible and necessary. For a contemporary audience, radio provides a refreshing break from over-personalized streaming services. Learning to embrace the mystery of the airwaves allows modern audiences to engage with a broader scope of content, as well as their local communities. Just as tuning into a station requires embracing the unknown, the producers of tomorrow must forge ahead into the endless future potential of radio.

10

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 2020

CRISPR-Cas9: The gene editing tool that has revolutionized molecular biology The Nobel Prize-winning discovery explained

Ibani Kapur Contributor It all began with bacteria: The observation and It all began with bacteria: The observation and study of these single-celled organisms in the early 1980s allowed scientists to get a glimpse of the bacterial genome. In bacterial DNA, researchers found a class of repetitive nucleotide sequences, which they called Clusters of Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, or CRISPR. This finding was the basis of what would become CRISPR-Cas9, the gene editing tool that won this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded to Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier and Dr. Jennifer Doudna, who began their work in 2011.

Like human cells, bacteria have the ability to recognize invading pathogens that attack their DNA. Unlike human cells, which have a variety of ways to kill viruses or inhibit their replication, some bacteria incorporate a part of the virus genome into their own DNA, using it as a guide to detect DNA from similar viruses during subsequent infections. These viral segments are known as “spacers” and are integrated into the bacteria’s CRISPR sequences for later use.

The other component of the CRISPR system is Cas9, a bacterial enzyme that cleaves foreign DNA marked by CRISPR sequences. If the bacterial cell detects the same virus a second time, a copy of the viral DNA is transcribed to the Cas9 enzyme, giving it a molecular “clue” of what to search for in the cell. Once it matches the clue sequence to the invader’s DNA, Cas9 acts like a pair of scissors, cutting the viral DNA and

preventing reinfection.

While working with one bacterial species, Charpentier found RNA sequences which play a key role in the cleavage mechanism of CRISPRCas9. In collaboration with Doudna, they succeeded in recreating the Cas9’s genetic scissors in a test tube, showing that upon fusing an RNA transcript (also called a “guide RNA”) with Cas9, they could develop a simplified system that reproduces that same cleavage mechanism.

Over the next 10 years, Charpentier and Douda refined their method of gene editing, allowing them to excise and insert DNA sequenc-

es of their choosing. In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Dr. Yann Joly, a bioethicist and assistant professor in McGill’s Department of Human Genetics, commented that their discovery would revolutionize the idea of gene editing.

“Charpentier and Doudna used this knowledge about an obscure bacterial immune mechanism (CRISPR) and transposed it into a tool that can simply and cheaply edit the genomes of everything living organism: Human, animal, or vegetable,” Joly said.

The advantage of this method is that it enables not only cutting, but also the pasting of

In November 2018, researchers in China announced that they had “created” the world’s first genetically altered babies using CRISPR-Cas9. (Lily Padua / The New York Times)

new DNA sequences at the site of the excision.

Guide RNAs can also provide a template for repairing broken DNA. “Many genome editors existed before CRISPR, but using them was time consuming, cumbersome, and expensive,” Joly said.

A technology that has the power to edit the genetic makeup of humans raises ethical concerns.

“Because CRISPR-Cas9 is so easy to access and use by anyone with [any] scientific knowledge, it means that the technology is also vulnerable to misuse by biohackers and bioterrorists,” Joly said. “Given potential limitations and [possible] side-effects of the technology, along with the potential for editing the germline, the consequences could be far reaching. Such misuses are also very difficult to prevent through traditional ethic[s] policies and regulations.”

One current debate discusses the extent to which CRISPR-Cas9 should be regulated in clinical research involving human subjects. Although there are legal implications, this discovery has potential for revolutionizing the field of gene therapy and targeted medicine. Regardless, CRISPR-Cas9 still has a long way to go, both mechanically and ethically, before its use can become widespread.

“The potential [uses of CRISPR-Cas9] in medicine and agriculture [are] extremely promising but the technology still needs a lot of fine tuning,” Joly said. “Research and experiments on computer models and animal models [remain important to understanding] off-target effects, [such as] mosaicism and unknown long-term effects.”

Following gut instinct to reimagine digestive health in the digital age

New startup ‘Phyla’ provides remote personalized care to patients with gut diseases

Shafaq Nami Staff Writer Digital technology has advanced more rapidly than any other innovation in human history. Many aspects of daily life have already shifted online, and with the advent of wearable fitness tracking technology, it is not hard to imagine a future where access to all types of health care is possible with the tap of a screen.

On Oct. 14, Montreal Digital Spring, a non-profit organization whose primary goal is to boost digital intelligence, hosted a talk as part of MTL Connect 2020: Montreal Digital Week, their annual flagship event. Luca Cuccia, the co-founder and CEO of Phyla, a digital health company that merges artificial intelligence and microbiomic technology to improve gut health, gave a talk titled “Gut Health in the Clinical Space.”

Gut health is directly related to achieving a balance of the gut microbiome, the bacteria living in the gastrointestinal tract of humans. Changes in the gut microbiome caused by a number of factors such as genetics, diet, lifestyle, stress, and age can lead to metabolic and gastrointestinal dis-

orders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Both IBS and IBD are chronic diseases, meaning they are not curable but can instead be managed with long term care and therapy.

According to Cuccia, the medical industry is not geared towards helping people with chronic diseases who need care on a day-to-day basis. Despite growing public interest in the gut microbiome, little has been done to update diagnosis and monitoring procedures and improve the treatment of diseases of the gut.

“Everyone on the Phyla team either knows someone or is directly impacted by IBS [or] IBD. We understand how difficult it is for patients. It can take up to five years to be diagnosed, during which patients must endure severe symptoms such as bleeding and weight loss,” Cuccia wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

For patients suffering from IBS and IBD, Phyla aims to track their health on a daily basis through two main methods: An application that tracks their disease and lifestyle metrics via self-evaluations, as well as a microbiome test kit shipped to their homes. Disease

The name Phyla (singular : Phylum) refers to a level of taxonomic classification and is a tribute to the company’s roots in the study of the microbiome. (Sabri Conde-Yassin / The McGill Tribune) tracking allows Phyla’s algorithm to identify triggers that cause flareups and address problems as they arise, rather than when symptoms and complications become severe. “[Our] focus is diagnostics and disease monitoring [...] to connect how a person is feeling and what they are saying to what’s actually going on in their body,” Cuccia said during his talk.

The underlying cause for the

same disease may differ in individuals. Coupled with existing research in the field, user data will allow Phyla’s algorithm to better understand the different causes of IBS and IBD through personalized medicine to ensure that the right treatment is being provided in a timely manner.

“The research linking IBD and [the gut] microbiome still requires lots of work but is currently one of the most exhaustively researched ap-

plications of microbiome science, meaning that there is a large amount of data available in this field for us to train our algorithms,” Ryszard Kubinski, co-founder and CSO of Phyla, wrote in a message to the Tribune.

With large corporations like Facebook, Twitter, and even DNA testing companies such as 23andMe recently facing backlash for selling user information, privacy can be a huge concern with any technology that stores personal data. The team behind Phyla is currently constructing a secure data processing and storage framework. To optimize data processing while preserving user anonymity, they use a combination of differential privacy and homomorphic encryption, which allows manipulation of encrypted data without having to decrypt it first.

Phyla is currently preparing for a beta release of their application. In the future, they plan to expand the tool to help patients suffering from other diseases linked to the gut microbiome, such as type 2 diabetes, liver cirrhosis, and metabolic syndrome.

“IBS and IBD are just the beginning [....] In the future, we hope to address as many of these [diseases] as we can,” Kubinski wrote.

STUDENT LIFE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 2020

11

Halloween costumes for the upper half of your body

Freaky frocks for all your Zoom Halloween party needs Lucy Keller, Alaana Kumar, Leyla Moy, Katia Lo Innes Staff Writer, Student Life Editor, Student Life Editor, Managing Editor As Zoom continues to pervade every aspect of life, Halloween is proving to be no exception. Although there won’t be the chance to romp down St. Laurent in a pair of Dollarama bunny ears this year, you can still dress up and be festive. While not optimal, Zoom filters can

add a whole new layer to Halloween costumes, providing students with a fun way to creatively “dress up” on a budget. Members of The McGill Tribune’s Student Life Section compiled some of their favourite DIY Halloween Zoom looks for students to try.

Vaccine costume: Lucy Keller Talk about the prospect of having a vaccine for COVID-19 is unavoidable—whether it’s friends fretting over when it’ll be developed, or

listening to the disastrous U.S. presidential debates about the vaccine, it has been the focal point of many recent conversations. While seemingly complicated, a waist-up vaccine costume is quite easy to make. Simply use an old white shirt and mark the dose increments to look like a syringe, and tape or glue grey construction paper on top of a winter hat in the shape of a needle.

A vampire from Twilight: Alaana Kumar A traditional Halloween vampire could be too simple for this unique Halloween.

Luckily, Zoom filters provide the perfect opportunity to finally live out your middle school fantasies and join the cast of Twilight.

Simply wear a v-neck white or black t-shirt, straighten your hair, add a snapback and pack on the body glitter. Make sure to put those Zoom backdrops to good use by placing yourself at a baseball field on a dark and cloudy day—oh, and use those Zoom sparkles, because you can never have too many.

Abraham Lincoln: Alaana Kumar

Even though Halloween can’t be in person this year, there’s plenty of room to be creative with virtual costume parties. (Eve Cable / The McGill Tribune)

This year, Halloween falls during the U.S. presidential election campaign—talk about a spooky season! If you’re looking to get a little political, look no further than the U.S. president with arguably the most iconic style: Abraham Lincoln. Head to the craft store and get yourself some black markers and

cardboard to fashion together a top hat, along with a fake beard. Don’t worry if the hat is out of the frame because as far as your audience can tell, you’re just that tall.

Newscaster: Leyla Moy For this simple costume, lean into the limitations of your camera angle and the chaos of the 2020 news cycle. Wear your blandest semi-professional shirt and frame yourself from the waist up. Keep the background clear to add in a generic picture of a globe or a stock photo of the Montreal skyline. Throughout the night, swap your background out for images relevant to the conversation—or to really bring down the mood, take inspiration from the actual news and provide constant updates on world issues.

Breakout Room: Katia Lo Innes Nothing strikes more fear into the heart of a McGill student than being placed in a Zoom breakout room. Create an outline of a computer screen to poke your head through, and then attach two to three other similarly sized squares around you. In the respective squares, add people you wouldn’t want to be caught in a breakout room with, like an old hookup or your academic rival. To fully commit to the costume, only wear it for 20 minutes. Spend the first five minutes making awkward small talk, then go completely silent, blinking awkwardly. If anyone tries to talk to you, “turn off your camera” by running to the washroom to watch TikToks on your phone.

Campus Spotlight: McGill Recreational Dance Company McGill RDC offers wide variety of free online dance classes Maya Mau Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

“Since there is something new each week [and] there is no requirement to attend every class, our club works well with students’ [and instructors’] workloads.”

Now that courses are remote, the McGill RDC has been providing dance classes for free, as hosting sessions on Zoom is significantly cheaper than renting rehearsal spaces. The club plans on continuing to offer free classes for as long as McGill classes stay remote. Since all of the executive board members teach classes, the RDC exposes students to a large variety of styles, with a few recent classes including contemporary, tap, and musical theatre. The variety of classes make attending accessible to a wide range of students.

When the COVID-19 pandemic halted campus life in March, all clubs were faced with uncertainty. However, the McGill RDC did not allow the obstacles that came with lockdown to prevent them from sharing their love of dance.

“Offering online classes was a simple decision,” Kulle said. “We knew we couldn’t just cancel all our classes, since dancing can have a big positive impact on

mental health, and we wanted to continue to provide this resource for our members, especially considering the times.”

Classes begin with around 10 minutes of warm-up that includes cardio and stretching. The rest of the time is used to teach a dance number that is choreographed by the teacher. By the end of the class, attendees will have learned approximately one minute of choreography.

In addition to Zoom classes, the club offers exclusive programming on their social media platforms. Beyond promoting their events on Facebook and Instagram, McGill RDC uses these platforms to engage daily with their members and the broader McGill community. On “Move Mondays,” they post simple athome and apartment-friendly workouts.

“Why Dance? Wednesday” posts provide information about the history of different styles of dance, such as the history of hip hop. On “Technique Fridays,” an executive will share tips on how to strengthen a particular technical skill, such as balance.

Though McGill RDC has established a regular weekly programming schedule, they are constantly looking for new ways to bring dance to students virtually. One upcoming event is a Virtual Dance-AThon, which McGill RDC will be hosting on Nov. 8 in collaboration with Alegria Contemporary Ballet Company, K-Rave,

Because all RDC executives teach classes, the club is able to offer a wide variety of styles to students.

(The Wall Street Journal) and Mosaica Dance Company, three other dance clubs at McGill. For $10, students will have access to unlimited classes on a wide variety of dance styles offered by executive members of all four clubs. Half of the event’s proceeds will be donated to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater Montreal, a non-profit organization that creates and supports mentorships for youths.

“Although these are definitely not traditional ways of sharing our love of

dance, we believe it is important to stay active and move both for physical and mental health,” Kulles said.

McGill RDC has put a lot of work towards finding innovative ways to continue sharing their love of dance during tumultuous times. Their commitment to bringing dance to their classmates stuck at home speaks volumes about the resilience and optimism of the McGill student body to not let COVID-19 get in the way of their passions.

12 STUDENT LIFE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 2020

What your Zoom background says about you

A not-so-deep analysis of how you present yourself in the virtual world Lilly Lecanu-Fayet Contributor Decorating comes with added stress this school year, as Zoom University often allows classmates a glimpse into your home. If you are obligated to turn your camera on in class, trying to score extra face time with your professors, or wanting to show off your new pair of blue-light glasses, you may find yourself curating your background to please the audience. The McGill Tribune has compiled a non-exhaustive list of possible backgrounds and how they reflect your personality.

Blank wall A blank wall is the perfect blank slate for office hours with your professors, job interviews, or meetings. Showing a blank wall allows other people to project any assumptions about you, for better or for worse. It can leave them thinking you are professional and put together, or wondering if you just haven’t had the time to decorate at all. Perhaps, you’re embarking upon a minimalist, waste-free lifestyle. The blank wall is an overall crowd-pleaser because it isn’t distracting, although definitely better if used sparingly.

Door A door background is gutsy, but not too gutsy. There is a barrier between your meeting and the chaos of your home, but the barrier can be broken down at any moment by a cohabitor who forgot you were going to be on a call.

Putting your door directly in the background screams: “This is the plainest surface in my

room.” Your fellow classmates will love placing bets on how long it will be before someone inevitably walks in and gets all wideeyed when they realize that they’re interrupting your highly important video chat.

Bookshelves Politicians, public figures, and even some professors have their bookshelves as their backgrounds. You are none of those things.

Bookshelves are the perfect background for the pseudo-intellectual in your tutorial who tells the professor how the difficulty level was perfect for the assignment that you desperately struggled on. Be better than that.

Decorated wall The curated photo collage on your wall is great to flaunt in specific classes. For your art history class, show off the $7 Matisse print you got at the poster sale. Displaying nature posters in an environment class might just make you a friend when someone slides into your private messages in the Zoom chat to compliment your decor. Exhibiting your taste in posters or artwork has become the newest form of self expression now that no one can flaunt their latest fits on campus.

Whole bedroom Showing off your whole bedroom in the background is the ultimate flex. Really, only the people who truly have their lives together can manage to keep their rooms immaculate enough to do this. It’s the perfect way to intimidate your classmates while impressing your professors. All your snoopy peers want

Given that students can no longer judge each other’s full outfits in class, Zoom backgrounds are really all we have to fulfill our curiosity. (Xiaotian Wang / The McGill Tribune) you to know that the fairy lights above your bed look cute, and that they complement the hanging planters really well!

Outdoor area You’re either one with nature or you’re just sitting on your balcony. Either way, good on you for trying to get that vitamin D. In all seriousness, sometimes you really cannot do Zoom calls from inside your home, and outside is a great alternative. Everyone in the southern hemisphere should join calls from outside, so the rest of us in Montreal can experience the nice weather vicariously through you. Many thanks in advance.

Green screen effect You’re fake, but at least you’re embracing it. Everyone knows you’re not actually in an 18th century-style study, but if that’s what you need to believe to get through the day, then go ahead. Green screen people rule the Zoom chats along with whole bedroom people, so thanks for asking the clarifying questions, but kindly pipe down, because waiting for the prof to answer you is slowly killing the rest of us. Maybe if you hadn’t spent 10 minutes at the beginning of class sorting out your green screen, you would have caught that the exam is not, in fact, on Thursday.

Redefining the Witch

The witch has shape-shifted through history as a symbol of strength Wendy Zhao Staff Writer Beyond the obligatory appearances on TV, the witch is a pervasive figure, taking on different forms throughout history. Her classic imagery—black pointed hat, broomstick, old haggard face, and unsavory wart—is a staple of Halloween festivities. In contemporary popular culture, witches have appeared as archetypal fairytale villains, teenagers in coming of age stories, and even as violent matrons overseeing a dance school. As modern witchcraft is on the rise, she might even be a friend or classmate. To understand the witch’s complex evolution, however, we must return to her origins.

One of the first historical accounts of witches is in the biblical story “The Witch of Endor,” where a witch summons a dead prophet’s spirit to help King Saul achieve victory in battle. In ancient Greece and Rome, authorities of magic used sorcery to prevent unwanted storms, bring rain for agriculture, or increase wealth. Before the 14th century, witches were not seen as inherently demonic, but as merely possessing a special relationship with divine forces that allowed them to concoct spells and connect with the supernatural.

In the middle ages, however, the popular European perception of witchcraft was transformed into dangerous anti-religion, threatening patriarchal Christian societies and traditional female roles. Witches were believed to conspire on the Sabbath to have orgies, worship unholy images of various animals, and feast on the roasted flesh of unbaptized babies. Beliefs of women flying in the night, their minds held captive by the devil, instilled fear in medieval peoples.

The stereotypical image of witches riding broomsticks reflects anxiety surrounding those trespassing the barriers of

domesticity.

The witch craze was stimulated by the publication of Malleus Maleficarum in 1486, a guide that taught inquisitors and judges how to identify, interrogate, and condemn witches.

The book asserted that an inherent lack of intelligence in women made them defenseless against the devil’s seduction.

Apart from the Bible, the book sold more copies in Europe than any other continent until 1678.

Since the beginnings of English literature, writers have been fascinated by the character of the witch. Tropes of devilish, mysterious women trace back to antiquity, such as in

Throughout history, popular depictions of witches have reflected fears of feminine power and independence. (gutenberg.org)

the tale of Hecate, the Greek goddess associated with magic, witchcraft, the moon, and necromancy. In Macbeth, a trio of devilish witches deliver dual prophecies that incite the play’s conflict, while in Morgan le Fay, Geoffrey Monmouth’s witch is portrayed as a healer, seductress, and royal enemy.

Despite her various forms and shapes, the witch epitomizes female independence, yielding insuppressible power, her madness never submitting to those who fear it. The witch is a powerful icon of rebellion and autonomy—not only women, but also people of colour and individuals in the queer community have turned to modern witchcraft, disempowered and frustrated by dominating systems of governance.

“Being of mixed heritage, I find myself trying to incorporate elements from my various ethnic and cultural backgrounds,” Devon Ellis-Durity B.A. ‘20 (Concordia University) wrote in a message to The McGill Tribune. “What got me interested in witchcraft was the ability to work with the elements and further my connection with nature. Witchcraft has allowed me to further align with my morals.”

Modern witchcraft is multifaceted, its inherent openness welcoming to everyone regardless of background. Ultimately, being a witch in the 21st century is to engage in a hallowed practice that connects the individual with the earth and their community.

“When I first started learning about witchcraft, it was introduced to me as something which has no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way, that everyone practices, values, and relates to it differently,” Mitzi Ellemers, U2 Arts, wrote in a message to the Tribune. “It is very forgiving in this sense. Personally, my relation to witchcraft is about solidarity, oneness, and reverence for the earth and all natural elements and a sisterhood with the people who I practice with.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 13

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 2020

Chasing Thunder Road

The fabricated nostalgia of Bruce Springsteen Matthew Hawkins Contributor Loss is hardly a new subject for Bruce Springsteen: Many of his most popular songs surround this absence from arena anthems like “Born in the USA,” to heart-wrenching ballads of dying dreams like “The River.” His new album, Letter to You, returns to this well once again, but with a far more personal and honest tone than his previous work. Many of Springsteen’s classic tracks tell stories of a narrator coping with a world that they feel is leaving them behind. Shuttered factories, highways that never slow down—if you’re the main character of a Springsteen song, you’re probably not all that happy about it.

But Springsteen himself has never lived the life he sings about, and he doesn’t hide it either. In Springsteen on Broadway, his (almost) one-man-show, he confesses to the audience that he never held a nine to five job at all. He’s played this character for more than 50 years, and he plays it well.

Letter to You feels different in its reflections. When Springsteen sings about a young man’s dreams, they’re specifically his. When he reflects on his life and career, just as he does in The River, it’s not about a construction worker chasing a feeling, but rather a reflection on his younger years of playing the dive bars of the Jersey Shore circuit. Springteen conveys his loss musically rather than just lyrically—though he does

that plenty, especially in his closing song “I’ll See You in my Dreams.” The deaths of Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons, longtime members of Springsteen’s backing band E-Street, can be felt by their lack of musical presence. The band hasn’t ditched Federici’s and Clemons’s organ or saxophone altogether, but when they are used, it feels tasteful and reverencial without the risk of careless replacement.

What struck me during my first listen of the album in full was how little I related to his stories. Sure, I grew up in New Jersey and occasionally spent time in Asbury Park, but I never had a garage band or spent teen nights on the beach and boardwalk. And yet, Springsteen has completely mastered one emotion: Nostalgia. It is universal across his music, and appears strikingly in Letter to You. The longing in Springsteen’s lyrics reaches out from his life to his listeners, forging a necessary intimate connection. Just this once, the master of crafting nostalgia will let you into his own.

This pull towards a past that is not my own fascinates me. I’m 21 years old, in school, can’t legally drive, and I’m not a rockstar, yet I feel a strong emotional connection towards Springsteen’s music.

Many of my closest friends feel the same as I do, and while we influence each other’s music taste to some extent, loving Springsteen is something we’ve all arrived at independently. Although his music can

The Boss’ latest album ‘Letter to You’ is a masterpiece of E-Street proportions. (independent.co.uk) be easily dismissed as “dad rock,” younger audiences surely enjoy his music for another reason.

One of my favourite songwriters, Glen Hansard, has advised hopeful songwriters to write about something specific and personal so that people will relate to it.

It’s a bit counterintuitive, but perhaps that is what’s at play here. Springsteen doesn’t just create the longing from nowhere—the intimacy in his stories brings out a nostalgia that is dormant inside us. By writing these immensely personal stories, even if fictitious,

Springsteen allows us to attach our worlds, our meanings, and our stories to them. This may even be behind the dedicated young people of colour and 2SLGBTQIA+ people who are becoming ever more present within the fan base.

Letter to You is a masterpiece of E-street proportions. It tugs on the heart, it puts the roar of a stadium in the listeners ear, and above all, it reminds listeners that we all have a capacity for longing that doesn’t just span a half-century career, but also connects us to our most empathetic selves.

The Evangelical Crux of the Bachelor franchise

The Bachelor franchise is filled with drama, but lacks religious diversity Michelle Siegel Contributor “Bachelor Nation,” as the viewership of the sprawling ABC franchise affectionately refers to themselves as, watched in awe and elation during last season of The Bachelorette, when Hannah Brown dramatically sent home Luke Parker—the season’s villain—during week seven. The two had bonded over their shared Christian faith, and Parker had told Brown that he would not want to continue with their relationship if she had slept with any of the other men on the show, as he thought that it was not something a Christian woman should do. Before sending him home, Brown reprimanded Parker, bluntly telling him that, “I have had sex, and honestly, Jesus still loves me.”

Although this was one of the first times in The Bachelor’s 24 seasons that sex had been so explicitly discussed on camera, it was just one of the many instances where the franchise highlighted its deep evangelical Christian roots.

The franchise, which began in 2002, has led to an empire of spinoffs and fan-made media. Each season follows a man or woman who

parses through roughly 30 contestants until they pop the big question to the winner. In more recent years of the show, the lead bachelor or bachelorette is selected from the group of contestants in the previous season, allowing the producers to develop their personality and build a narrative for them over the multiple seasons. Often, their characterization is built on idealized American evangelicalism.

Christian leads and contes-

tants have been a routine staple of the franchise: Former contestants Sean Lowe, Jake Pavelka, and Emily Maynard have all been open about their faith. It is interesting to note that the focus on Christianity has only increased as the seasons have progressed, moving past the franchise’s reputation as tawdy low-brow reality TV into the realm of moralism. Not every contestant has been Christian, but on a television network that professes to be

Most viewers of the show can acknowledge that it doesn’t really represent reality, but feel that the show can still be unrealistic whilst representing more than just wealthy, white Christians. (time.com)

secular, the celebration of Evangelicalism and absence of any other faith is striking. It would be remiss of the show to discount contestants by blocking them from expressing their core beliefs, but the disproportionate exposure of evangelicalism is especially conspicuous given the franchise’s nearly two decades on-air.

Pushing the Christianity of contestants could be a ploy to appeal more to the show’s established audience. A 2019 study revealed that the primary audience of The Bachelor is situated in Southeastern and Midwestern America, with hotspots of viewership in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Oklahoma—all of which have Christian populations ranging from 79 to 84 percent. It makes sense that the show would prominently feature Christianity to appeal to these demographics.

However, the logic of appealing to core audiences has seemingly become a crutch for the franchise to use as an excuse for their multifaceted failures in diversity.

The Bachelor franchise has been rightfully criticized for its lack of overall diversity, especially during the past year by audiences and online groups like the Bachelor

Diversity Campaign. The lack of religious, racial, and cultural representation is symptomatic of the show’s systemic discriminatory structures, as people from different religions have stories and practices that would not fit as neatly into the franchise’s limited culture lens. Of course, a reality show will never truly reflect the real world, but that doesn’t mean The Bachelor franchise must limit itself to the fantasy it portrays.

The issue is not simply that every lead of the show has been Christian, but that other faiths are erased and unmentioned. In a Huffington Post article interviewing a number of former contestants about The Bachelor franchise’s lack of diversity, Season 13 bachelor Jason Mesnick discussed how his Jewish heritage was ignored in his season. He revealed that many scenes with Jewish traditions were filmed for both his season of The Bachelor and his televised wedding, but none of it ever aired.

It was made abundantly clear this past summer that it is time for The Bachelor franchise to change.

Along with racial diversity, religious plurality is a paramount trait that must be featured in the future of The Bachelor.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 2020

14 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

What we liked during quarantine: Horror edition

The spookiest movies for your quarantine movie night Michelle Siegel, Deana Korsunsky, Vanessa Baron, Katia Lo Innes Contributor, Staff Writer, Arts & Entertainment Editor, Managing Editor Midterms, elections, pandemics—there’s a lot to be scared about right now. But living in a red zone for the past month, confined indoors, and toiling through online university has only made these spooky movies even scarier. Now is the perfect time to take a break from real world scares and enjoy The McGill Tribune’s favourite quarantine horror movies.

Coraline, Michelle Siegel Coraline (2009) brings a double dose of quarantine themes—not only does the stopmotion claymation film invoke the isolation and boredom of Parks and Recreation’s “Re-

We may be stuck inside, but at least not with virtual demons and flesh-eating zombies. (netflix.com)

quiem for a Tuesday,” but it also details the lengths that individuals will go to escape the boredom of being stuck at home. Coraline follows a young girl who, often left alone by her work-from-home parents, discovers a seemingly perfect alternate universe behind a tiny door in her family’s new home. However, she soon learns that the new world and the family behind it are not who they appear to be. Similar to the daily monotony of pandemic life, even Coraline’s brief foray into town is dreary and disappointing, as Coraline faces a new and sinister reality: Ugly school uniforms. This imaginative tale is scary for its younger intended audience and for university students who may enjoy revisiting this classic Halloween flick.

Saw, Deana Korsunsky For the optimal balance of scares and creative plotline, Saw (2004) rises above all other horror movies. The film’s principal story is about two men who wake up chained in a disgustingly vile bathroom, a mysterious corpse between them. Clueless as to how they got there, the men play a recording of a voice that assigns one of them a mission: Kill the other before time runs out. Disclaimer: Saw is bloody and gruesome, and your roommate may call you a psychopath for enjoying it.

Regardless, the film does not simply rely on gore alone to entertain; its intricate storyline and chilling plot twist create thrilling suspense that will captivate any viewer. Saw is an opportunity to sit back, enjoy a horror film, and say to yourself: I may be stuck inside my apartment, but at least it’s not a filthy bathroom in which I have to commit murder.

REC, Vanessa Barron REC (2007) is a quintessential quarantine horror movie. The Spanish found-footage movie follows a reporter and her cameraman filming a news segment about firefighters when they’re called over to an apartment building to investigate a woman going totally feral and biting police officers in the neck.

We’ve all been there, am I right? Without warning, the building is sealed off from the outside, and the reporter, cameraman, and tenants are trapped inside with a deadly disease that makes people eat each other. A skillful combination of the zombie and found-footage genres, REC builds dread that accompanies the claustrophobia and paranoia inherent to quarantine.

Unfriended, Katia Lo Innes Now that we live in the virtual dystopia of online classes, watching Unfriended (2014) is a gleeful and innocent return to a past internet: When the worst part of turning on your computer was not being forced into a breakout room, but having a drunk video of you defecating yourself on Facebook. Unfriended is primarily concerned with the spooky world of cyberbullying. The most unsettling part of the movie is that it seems to exist in a world where Skype is a reliable video-calling platform. Unfriended doesn’t quite get to the heart of what actually makes the virtual world terrifying and foreboding nowadays, like its pervasiveness and ability to exacerbate mental illness. Nonetheless, it does ask the silly question: What if your Facebook friend was actually a demon?

‘State of Denial’ TNC’s first play of the season will be presented as a radio show.

Oct. 29 - Nov. 6

‘This is a Play’ & ‘Life is a Dream’

Players’ Theater returns this semester with its double feature production, brought to you via Zoom.

Oct. 29-31 PWYC

COVEN Drag Show The Diving Bell Social Club presents the second edition of its Halloween Drag show and explores the horrors of the patriarchy.

Oct. 31, 7-11 p.m.

3956 Boul St-Laurent 20$

Bohemian Night: Portraits of life

Concordia invites poets and video artists to virtually share their work about love, exile, and cultural divides.

Oct. 31, 7-9 p.m.

Free

Ryan Murphy’s misguided progressivism

TV giant’s attempts to subvert norms end up reinforcing the status quo Erika MacKenzie Staff Writer In the last decade, Ryan Murphy has been a singular force to be reckoned with in the world of television. Murphy has written, directed, and produced some of the most celebrated contemporary TV shows and films, including his humble beginnings with Nip/Tuck, to the attention-grabbing anthology American Crime Story, the critically acclaimed series Pose, and more recently Ratched.

Murphy has become popular due in part to his exploration of overlooked subject matter and valorization of marginalized communities. Despite advocating for diversity and inclusion in popular media, Murphy has not always succeeded in giving nuanced portrayals of the communities that he purports to champion. It is important to remember that misogyny, transphobia, and ableism can emerge in supposed diverse spaces, and equally, in popular queer media.

As a gay man, Murphy has made bounds in the television industry; however, this has unintentionally resulted in audiences and critics permitting him to continue to produce laughs and shocks at the expense of degrading non-white and female characters. Yes, Murphy is a trailblazer, but he is not exempt from the same mistakes that previous showrunners and network executives have made.

Emerging in the early 2000s when television shows with heteronormative white narratives like Gilmore Girls and One Tree Hill were the norm, Murphy changed the television landscape with Glee, which ran from 2009 to 2015. Glee received both critical and popular praise for being one of the first mainstream teen serials to prominently feature gay, lesbian, and transgender characters, people of colour, and disabled char-

Murphy’s more recent projects show a greater deal of sensitivity and nuance toward their portrayal of marginalized characters. (nme.com.jpg) acters.

While Glee brought then-ignored stories to light, it exploited its characters’ identities for derivative narratives and diversity points. For example, Kurt, an openly gay, musical theatre-loving student, was portrayed as stereotypically ef-

feminate and beholden to character development limited solely to his sexuality. Most of the issues that Kurt encountered in the first couple of seasons revolved around his sexuality. Namely, Kurt was bullied for being gay by football jock David Karosfky, who himself struggled to come to terms with his sexuality. This victim trope prevented Kurt, Karofsky, and Glee’s other queer characters from rightfully having realized narrative arcs.

Beyond shallow writing, Murphy engages in shallow casting practices, using actors who do not identify as members of the communities their characters belong to. From ignoring calls for racial diversity to selecting able-bodied actors to play disabled characters, Murphy’s casting choices reveal just how little thought is put into crafting substantial narratives for marginalized communities.

Yet, the stories Murphy presents are vitally important.

The Normal Heart is a brutally honest, painful, and powerful depiction of the AIDS crisis in New York in the 1980s.

Pose tackles poverty and homelessness among 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, transphobia, as well as racism and sexism in corporate America, with a respect and sensitivity that was often absent in Murphy’s earlier work. Both these stories are self-reflexive, a key characteristic that Murphy’s previous shows lacked.

Murphy takes on challenging topics that are ambitious for even the most thoughtful and sensitive television writers. It’s important to acknowledge his representational shortcomings, as his popularity influences both his young viewers’ attitudes and perceptions and the practices of other television writers and producers. Murphy’s more recent projects show a greater deal of sensitivity in their writing and casting, giving hope that the prolific producer has grown along with his projects.

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The seven spookiest curses in sports Digging into the legends of old to uncover the most spine-chilling sports hexes Adam Burton, Sarah Farnand, Zoe BabadPalmer, Reza Ali Sports Editor, Sports Editor, Staff Writer, Staff Writer

games. Philadelphians learned their lesson, and remain appropriately vigilant of William Penn.

Superstition and sports go together like tricking and treating.

Over the years, various fan bases and players have had luck bad enough to make them look beyond the grave in search of the source of their sports woes. With Halloween right around the corner, The McGill Tribune lists seven of the spookiest curses to ever plague the sports world.

Since its inception in 1999, Madden NFL has carried with it a dark scourge on the athletes that graced its front cover. The curse made itself known in 1999 when the first athlete to be featured on the cover, Garrison Hearst, led the San Francisco 49ers to the playoffs, only to suffer a horrifying ankle injury that kept him from playing for the next two years. The very next year, one of the greatest running backs of all time, Barry Sanders, suddenly announced his retirement from the league immediately following his Madden 2000 cover announcement.

The curse has continued to this day, afflicting players as successful as Drew Brees, Michael Vick, and Adrian Peterson. Headed into the 2020-2021 season, we’ll see if the curse continues with Lamar Jackson, this year’s Madden cover athlete.

The Curse of William Penn In 1985, construction began on a skyscraper currently known as One Liberty Place in downtown Philadelphia. By 1987, it was the tallest building in the city.

This, however, broke a long-held tradition of no building rising above the statue of the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, that was attached to City Hall, beginning the curse of William Penn.

No major Philadelphia sports team would win a championship for 20 years. In 2007, a beam was added to City Hall, making the William Penn statue the tallest structure in the city once again. A little over a year later, the Phillies won the 2008 World Series in five

The Madden Curse

The Curse of the Colonel The Curse of the Colonel has affected the Japanese Central League’s Hanshin Tigers baseball team since 1985. Hanshin fans were celebrating a Japan Championship Series victory by pulling lookalikes

of the Tigers’ players from the crowd of supporters and having them jump into the Dōtonbori River. However, as there was no lookalike of American MVP Randy Bass available, the Tigers’ devotees decided that a nearby statue of KFC mascot Colonel Sanders would do, and launched it into the river. The Colonel cursed the Tigers from his watery grave, which affects the team to this day. Although the statue was later recovered, his left hand and glasses remain missing, dooming the Tigers to 10 last-place finishes in 18 seasons and defeat in the 2003, 2005, and 2014 Japan Series.

The Curse of The Bambino Perhaps the most famed sports curse, the Curse of The Bambino, began in 1918 when the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $125,000.

The curse continued 86 years until the Red Sox came back from a 0-3 deficit to the Yankees in the 2004 World Series. Boston sports fans were so desperate to break the losing streak that they put a baseball cap on top of Mount Everest, pushed a piano formerly owned by Babe Ruth into a pond, wrote books, and renamed streets.

While it’s unclear what broke the curse, it clearly worked. Since 2004, the Red Sox have won three

more championships, while the Patriots have won five NFL titles, the Celtics have claimed one NBA title, and the Bruins brought home one NHL title.

The New York Knicks Valued at $4.6 billion, the New York Knicks have been the most valuable franchise in the NBA for the past five years due to their huge fan base and storied past. Despite this, the Knicks haven’t managed to win an NBA championship since 1973. In the nearly five decades that have followed, the Knicks have been astonishingly abysmal, only flirting with success in the Patrick Ewing era of the 1990s. James Dolan took ownership of the Knicks in 1999, and since then, Knicks fans everywhere have cringed and despaired at a seemingly neverending series of bad decisions.

For Knicks fans, there seems to be no end in sight. Despite boycotts, and chants for Dolan to “sell the team,” ownership seems steadfast in their never-ending quest to drive the franchise into the ground.

The 40 Year Olympic Curse Starting in 1940, the Olympics seem to have a curse that reappears every 40 years. The 1940 Olympics, set to take place in Tokyo, had to

Ever since the Hanshin Tigers sunk a statue of Colonel Sanders, he has haunted their team from his watery grave. (Sarah Farnand / The McGill Tribune)

be cancelled due to World War II. Forty years later, many countries boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow in response to Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan. Now, in 2020, 40 years after that Cold War incident, the Tokyo Olympics were deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This pattern has many people, including Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, convinced that the world’s biggest multi-sport event is cursed.

The Billy Goat Curse In 1945, Chicago Cubs fan William Sianis snuck his pet goat Murphy into the stands of Wrigley Field. After seven innings of successfully hiding his livestock, Sianis and Murphy were discovered and security guards removed them from the stadium. As he was dragged from the stands, Sianis shouted that the Cubs would never win a World Series. Sianis’s words carried weight, apparently, as the Cubs failed to win a world series until 2016, a full 108 years after their last title in 1908. Attempts to lift the curse included the delivery of a goat head, the enlistment of help from a Greek-Orthodox priest to douse the field in holy water, and a local restaurant encouraging Chicagoans to go vegetarian in an effort to appease Murphy the goat.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 2020

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Learning to love exercise

Turning physical activity from a chore into a reward Sarah Farnand Sports Editor With cold weather looming and assignments piling up, getting out to exercise can feel like a daunting task. Physical activity is a vital part of both mental and physical wellbeing, yet it can often have negative connotations. One problem is the common perception of exercise as a punishment, rather than a reward. This idea often stems from individuals’ issues with body image and lack of self-love that can become compounded in university with the concept of the “freshman 15” and the toxic culture surrounding food. Some people will need more concrete resources than just a change in mindset, but for many, inspiration or a shift in thinking is often all it takes to learn to love to exercise.

Working out should never be a punishment for eating too much or for looking a certain way. Instead, it should be a tool to destress and enjoy the power of the human body.

“Many women hate to work out because we’ve been taught to do it for the wrong reasons,” Michelle Segar, a behavioural psychologist at the University of

Michigan, said in an interview with Elle.

While Segar focusses her research on women, this idea is important for any gender.

Workouts should be about getting stronger mentally and physically, not about losing weight. Exercise can also be a great way to get outside and enjoy the fresh—or in Montreal, often freezing—air.

While many students use their lack of time as an excuse for not exercising regularly, time management is often the real culprit. Every day, block out at least 30 minutes to engage in some physical activity. Since exercising increases productivity, after a workout, one can more efficiently accomplish tasks for school, making up for the time spent exercising.

To fully enjoy working out, pick an activity that is fun and engaging. Physical activity is not only running or lifting weights.

A workout could be as simple as a brisk walk with a friend.

During this time when most students spend the day stuck in their apartments, getting out— when regulations allow—and going for a walk with a friend can be a great way to get steps in and simultaneously blow off

some steam. For the days when leaving the apartment is not an option, dancing to music is a fun and easy way to get your heart rate up and improve your mood.

As the weather turns colder, the possibilities for exercise do not have to dwindle, even in Montreal.

Ice skating, cross-country skiing, and snow-shoeing are wonderful socially distant exercises to try.

The McGill Outdoors Club is a convenient resource for rentals and opportunities for physical activity.

One of the best ways to improve cardiovascular health is running. Running can be painful at first, but it can also be fun. If possible, invest in a pair of proper running shoes to avoid leg injuries.

The best approach to running is to start small; don’t expect to be Usain Bolt when starting out. Try running for five minutes, and if that feels easy, try 10 minutes and keep increasing your time running until it becomes difficult again.

The key to running is consistency.

Even if it is only 15 minutes per day, routinely running will make it easier and less painful. Another way to make the idea of running more palatable is to put together a playlist of inspiring, upbeat music and try running to the beat of your

Getting outside for exercise is beneficial for both mental and physical health.

(Kaja Surborg / The McGill Tribune) favourite tunes.

On top of exercise, there are simple ways to lead a more active lifestyle. Instead of sleeping through that 8:30 a.m. Zoom class, try standing for its duration.

When going to the grocery store, walk the whole way instead of taking public transport or driving. Use the stairs instead of the elevator when possible. Even cleaning your house or apartment

can count as physical activity.

Forming a healthy and positive relationship with exercise can be difficult.

However, by making an activity fun and taking pressure and expectations away, it can become something to look forward to.

Working out for personal growth and happiness rather than to fit societal expectations is incredibly empowering.

Know Your Athlete: Sam Tremblay

Men’s Hockey Captain Sam Tremblay speaks about leadership and future plans Adam Menikefs Staff Writer Although the 2021 season has been cancelled and training in quarantine is far from ideal, McGill Men’s Varsity Hockey Captain Samuel Tremblay remains committed to the success of the team and sees teamwork as a key factor in future accomplishments. As the leader of a storied program, he understands the responsibility that comes with success.

“I care so much about the success of the team and I always try to see the big picture, which is winning another championship,” Tremblay said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “I’d do anything to win again and people know that, which, I think, might be a big reason why I’m in this [leadership] position right now.”

Although Tremblay recognizes the guiding role he must play as the team’s captain, he knows that his leadership is only possible with the help and trust of his teammates.

“There are just so many different ways you can be a leader, and, to be honest, I wouldn’t be in this position here without the guys surrounding me,” Tremblay said.

“Leading is a team effort. You can be the best leader in the world, but if you don’t have good followers around you, I truly believe you’re not going anywhere.”

Sam Tremblay looks to play professional hockey in Europe after graduation. (Sam Tremblay) Tremblay credits his mentality of sharing the team responsibilities to past McGill Hockey leaders. “[In] my first year, I had the privilege to play with Pat Delisle-Houde, our captain that year, and since then he [has been] like a mentor [to] me,” Tremblay said. “In terms of leadership, he seemed always in control and always had an answer [....] During second year, I lived with former McGill Captain Nathan Chiarlitti, and Jan Kaminsky, [who was a] former assistant captain [....] I got to learn from two great leaders and mentors who were very different from Pat, but just

as good. These past captains were the ‘glue guys,’ and they just made everybody feel part of the team with their energy.”

The team was determined to return better than ever for the 2020-2021 season, but the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for some players to stay focussed and motivated as many facilities shut down and the upcoming season was cancelled.

“At the beginning [of the season], it was pretty challenging,” Tremblay said.

“Everything was closed, and I was not motivated at all to train at home. I actually hated it. It was hard mentally, but I got

to bike more and enjoy being outdoors.

Outside of training, I usually spend time with the guys, though that was not possible.

However, I was able to spend more time reading and playing the guitar.”

Tremblay expressed his disappointment regarding RSEQ’s decision to cancel the upcoming winter season, but understands that it is a necessary measure to ensure the safety of staff, players and the community.

“It’s obviously very frustrating because we’re trying to stay in good physical and mental shape,” Tremblay said. “At the end of the day we [have] to follow the rules and try to protect each other, so I respect that.

It’s just very upsetting.”

Tremblay graduated with a B.Sc. in Kinesiology in the Spring of 2020, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in biomechanics, making him eligible for a final season in the McConnell Arena.

However, Montreal and McGill are not the end of Tremblay’s hockey journey.

“When my [master’s] is done, I’ll head overseas to play professional hockey and travel the world,” Tremblay said. “It’s one of my dreams to go play in Europe. [I will] put a bit of money [aside] while traveling the world, and in a few years, I’ll come back here to work in biomechanics or in hockey.”

With a future full of possibilities, Tremblay is excited for what his final year has in store.