The McGill Tribune Vol. 36 Issue 25 by The Tribune

NEWS Year In Review

SSMU End of Year Executive Reviews PGSS End of Year Executive Reviews

8-9 10-11 12

OPINION Lighten up, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just McGill

STUDENT LIVING Carving a new beginning in the face of rejection

Viewpoint: How I Transferred to McGill

The Mysterious World Beyond Roddick Gates: Apprehension in the face of New Beginnings From Second Cup to Milton B

21 22

Science & Technology 26

New study reveals that magnets can improve memory

McGill alumnus develops one-handed surgical knot-tying method

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT from the viewpoint: digital spring at the mccord museum

SPORTS Athletics Awards

THANK YOU

Editor-in-Chief Julia Dick editor@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Natalie Vineberg nvineberg@mcgilltribune.com

The McGill Tribune would like to thank all the contributors who have been involved with the paper this year. Without contributors, the paper would not be possible, and the editorial team is grateful to all of you who have put in the hard work and dedication to help us produce content for the McGill community. Every part of the paper, from the pitch to the final edits, is touched by Tribune staff and contributors, photographers, designers, web developers, and illustrators. We know the challenges of being involved at McGill, and the difficulty of balancing extracurricular engagement with academic work. We recognize your achievements and thank you sincerely for all your work. For those who are graduating, best of luck embarking on your “new beginning.” We hope that the experiences you’ve had with us at the Tribune will carry into your future. For those who are returning in the fall—whether you contributed for us once in the year or every week, we hope that you will continue to be part of the Tribune. The McGill Tribune provides fair and accurate coverage to the McGill community. In addition to this work, it seeks to provide a positive learning experience to students who are interested in journalism. Even for those who do not pursue a career journalism, the Tribune is a close-knit community that offers the opportunity to learn important skills, including communication, writing, audio and visual editing, illustration, photography, design, and web development. Our motto may be “Curiosity delivers,” but the unwritten second pillar of the paper is “collaboration.” As the Tribune takes a break from printing its weekly issue over the summer, the editorial board would like to encourage anyone who is interested to get involved over the summer months. The editors will be working on online content throughout this period, and would encourage you to contribute whenever you can. If you would like to get involved with any of our sections, either in the summer or in September 2017, email editor@mcgilltribune.com for more information.

STAFF

Andy Wang Alexandra Gardiner Alexandra Harvey Alissa Zilber Ariella Garmaise Arman Bery Ava Zwolinski Ceci Steyn Cherry Ng Christopher Li Cordelia Cho Daria Kisleva Domenic Casciato Elli Slavitch Eric Noble-Marks Flaminia Cooper Gabriel Rincon Hannah Taylor Izze Siemann Julia Métraux Justine Touchon Madeline Kinney Margaux Delalex Morgan Davis Nicole Spadotto Patrick Beacham Rebecca Zhuang

CONTRIBUTORS Adam Melnyk Alana Bertin Alex Sirois Alexia Martel-Desjardins Alice Shen Alicia Jia Amber Hord Andries Feder André Morin Angelina Giordano Anna St-Clair Annabelle Schofield Anthony Kuan Antoine Senkoff Arvaa Balsara Astha Agarwal Avleen Mokha Ayanna de Graff Ben Simon Benji Taubenblatt Brigitte Pawliw-Fry Cam Cash Cassandra Lee Catherine Morrison Catie Futhey Charlotte Hings Chelsea Chen Cherry Wu Cheyenne Cranston Christopher Buddle Clare Fogarty

Claudia Leung Clemence Auzias Connor Spencer Courtney Wright Daniel Braz Daniel Galef Daniel Griffin David Cohn David Naftulin Declan Embury Demaris Oxman Diana Little Dr. Andrew Potter Dylan Adamson Elaine Patterson Elias Blahaceck Ella Benedetti Ellen Owsowitz Ellie Solloway Eloise Haliburton Emilie Slotine Emily Heer Emily Huang Emma Carr Emma Gillies Emma Hameau Erica Stefano Erin Dwyer Erin O’Neill Evan Thomas Eve Fiertag

Gabrielle Dutra Gibran Haque Grace Bahler Grace Hebert Greta Hoaken Grey Gunning Gustina Giordano Hana O’Neill Hannah Downard Helen Wu Jacqueline Casson Jake Cruickshank Janine Xu Jeannie Richardson Jen Wang Jennifer Lockerby Jin Lee Jonas Cohen Jordan Foy Jordan Gowling Josh Fichman-Goldberg Julia Briand Julie Guichard Kate Lord Kellen Jibb Lanya Feng Laura Oprescu Legal Information Clinic at McGill Leila Mathy Liam Kirkpatrick

Liz Willcock Maddie Murray Makoto Wakabayashi Margherita de Castro Marie Labrosse Marie-Agnes Claverie Matthew Schilling Maya Koparkar Micaela Wiseman Michael Kalman Michaela Jones Michelle Hahn-Baker Michella Takamori Miguel A.V. Principe Muna Tojiboeva Myriam Driss Natalia Malinowski Natalie Wong Natasha Michaeloff Nathan Drezner Neha Rahman Nicholas D’Ascanio Niklas Kaemmerer Oceane Marescal Omar Arafeh Ozanay Bozkaya Paige Mysliviec Palma Gubert Paul-Enguerrand Fady Phi Khanh Hoang Raseel Ghoul

Rebecca Dillon Riddhi Sukhi Rime Abdallah Robin Nyamekye Saif Cheval Sam Min Samuel Cordano Samuel Lottes Sam Rose Sara Gruszczynski Sean Taylor Selwynne Hawkins Shelley Lin Sophie Brozozowski Stephen Gill Sunny Yang Sydney Page Tanveer Ahmed Tara Allen-Flanagan Tristan Sparks Uzair Khan Victoria Flaherty Vivek Gidla Wasif Husain Weiyu Dang Wendy Tran Zapaer Alip

Managing Editors April Barrett abarrett@mcgilltribune.com Nicholas Jasinski njasinski@mcgilltribune.com News Editors Holly Cabrera, Sara Cullen, Calvin Trottier-Chi news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Jackie Houston & David Watson opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Lydia Kaprelian scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Living Editor Audrey Carleton studentliving@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Selin Altuntur & Evelyn Goessling arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Joe Khammar & Aaron Rose sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Domitille Biehlmann & Daniel Freed design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor Lauren Benson-Armer photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editor Noah Sutton multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Clare Lyle webdev@mcgilltribune.com Daniel Lutes online@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Areni Nicoghosian copy@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Mingye Chen business@mcgilltribune.com Advertising Executive Zain Hussain ads@mcgilltribune.com Publisher Chad Ronalds

TPS Board of Directors

Mingye Chen, Julia Dick, Audrey Carleton, Shrinkhala Dawadi, Arman Bery, Clare Fogarty, Arden Li

Tribune Office

Shatner University Centre Suite 110, 3480 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 0E7 T: 514.398.6789

The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Société de Publication de la Tribune, a student society of McGill University. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of The McGill Tribune and the Société de Publication de la Tribune, and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. Letters to the editor may be sent to editor@mcgilltribune.com and must include the contributor’s name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted only to the Tribune. Submissions judged by the Tribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or solely promotional in nature will not be published. The Tribune reserves the right to edit all contributions. Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff. Please recycle this newspaper.

The TPS Board of Directors is holding its Annual General Meeting on Saturday, April 8 at 2:00 p.m. in the Tribune oﬃce (SSMU 110). All undergraduate and post-graduate members of the TPS are welcome. The TPS is currently accepting candidates for its Board of Directors for 2017-2018. Positions are: Student Representative, Post-Graduate Representative, Contributor Representative, and Chair. Candidates must be registered at McGill for Fall 2017 and Winter 2018. Board members meet at least twice a month to discuss the administration and policy of the Society. To apply, please send a statement of intent to chair@mcgilltribune.com by April 5 at 11:59 p.m.

NEWS

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

‘It doesn’t matter because it didn’t happen on campus’ Code of Student Conduct to be revised in September 2017

Shrinkhala Dawadi & Julia Dick Contributor & Editor-in-Chief Content warning: This article contains descriptions of physical violence that may be disturbing to some readers. On the night of Sept. 18, 2015, two McGill students went to a party in the Plateau, not a far walk. They were told about it by another friend, and decided to go after Blues Pub—the Engineering Undergraduate Society’s on-campus bar. It was a standard night at the start of the semester, and Anna* felt excited about her future. Would she apply to medical school or pursue a graduate degree? Would she look for a job or go travelling? As it is for any student in their final year, the future seemed wide open. On their way to the party, Anna and her roommate were harassed by a group of four or five men who began to catcall them as they walked by St.-Laurent. “I yelled something along the lines of, you know, ‘F off, leave us alone,’ as I have become accustomed to yell when men catcall me [....] And then one of them yelled very distinctly in a British accent, ‘Bitch, come here and suck my dick,’ and they were right behind us [....] I’ve been catcalled before, but this was like really aggressive. I would not normally engage to this extent. They were right behind us, so my roommate and I turned around and I had this kind of short verbal confrontation with this guy with a British accent.” The confrontation ended when Anna and her roommate broke away to take another route to the party. She described it as a typical McGill party, people streaming in and out of the apartment, and an indoor walk-up to the party itself. Anna’s roommate was the first to enter. Before she could follow up the stairs, Anna was blocked by the same man with the British accent who had catcalled them earlier. She later learned that this individual’s name is Conrad Gaysford, a current McGill student. At first, she didn’t realize that this was the same person, but when he demanded that they speak outside, she recognized him. She stepped back and asked what he wanted. “[I] distinctly remember there [were] two of them, [and Gaysford] just basically started screaming in my face [....] And initially I found it funny, to be completely honest with you. I laughed at the idea of someone yelling at me for having responded to being catcalled [....] At one point, he asked me to hit him. That’s when it really clicked that this [was] a dangerous situation and we [needed] to diffuse this and get out of here [....] I shrugged, put my hands behind my back, and said, ‘I have no intention of fighting a man twice my size, this is not happening. I’m sorry for yelling at you.’ I distinctly remember [telling myself], ‘You need to swallow your pride and get out of here, like who cares about the principle?’ [....] He said, ‘No, admit you’re a stupid bitch first.’ At which point, I was like, that’s never gonna happen. I’m literally never gonna do that. And then he punched me in the face as hard as he could in the lower left side of my jaw. Knocked me out cold right away. I fell back into the street.” Unconscious, she fell back, striking her head on the pavement. “When I woke up on the ground I had no idea how long I was unconscious for [....] I was alone, I didn’t know who the people were that found me, I don’t know who called the ambulance. I don’t know anything really about that period of time, which is really unsettling. And I immediately started vomiting, which I later learned [was] from the impact on my head. And when I opened my mouth, I felt my jaw, [...] and immediately it clicked like, oh, that person knocked my lights out.” Her roommate came down from the party after the ambulance was called. When she realized that it was Anna in the ambulance, she managed to get in, and together they went to Hôpital Jean-Talon. The hospital performed an X-Ray and a CT scan to determine that there weren’t any major breaks or bleeding. Anna was given a pamphlet with information on traumatic brain injuries, and was told to come back if she experienced any of the symptoms described. She went home the next day, still vomiting and bruised from the assault. “I don’t know how to describe that feeling of shame. Like it was my fault. And that day I was like, ‘If I’m ok tomorrow, I’m not telling a soul about this.’ And I still don’t understand why I felt that way.” At the prompting of her family, Anna and her roommate went to the Montreal police, who initially said that they would be unable to help without the name or another way of identifying the attacker. At first, Anna was disheartened by the police’s response, but eventually used social media to identify him. Through Facebook, they found out that he was enrolled at McGill. After providing the police with this information, they agreed to investigate. Three days after the assault, the severity of Anna’s symptoms had increased. She was vomiting, in severe pain, and unable to sleep or attend classes. The Montreal General Hospital diagnosed her with a concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), and provided a referral to a brain injury clinic. She was put on two weeks of bed rest and told to remain in environments with low lighting and minimal stimulation. “At the end of [those] two weeks, I was improved but still having these persistent symptoms [....] I didn’t understand why I was having insomnia, didn’t understand why I was still vomiting, and I attributed it to anxiety. Like my anxiety about school, about what happened, I was having nightmares about him [....] And this kind of carried on to the point where [...] it’s like mid-October, I’ve been not really eating, not keeping things down. I’ve lost around 15 pounds.” Her voice broke for a moment, and she paused before going on. “Sorry, okay. Uh, it was so bad. And I realized I needed to go to the university [....] And I was so relieved to see that [Gaysford] was a McGill student because my immediate thought was ‘Thank God, if the police don’t come through for me, McGill will. Like, they’re pro-survivor, they’re going to help me,’ like I genuinely felt relief.” *Name changed at request of the student.

Timeline Sept. 18, 2015

The assault occurs and Anna is taken to Jean Talon hospital

Sept. 19, 2015

Anna is discharged from Jean Talon

Sept. 20, 2015

Anna and her roommate file a police report

Sept. 21, 2015

Montreal General Hospital provides diagnosis of MTBI

September 2015

November 2015

Anna meets with then-Dean of Students Andre Costopoulos Following Gaysford’s arrest, Anna goes back to the Dean of Students

January 2016

Anna withdraws from McGill University as advised by her doctor and is admitted to outpatient rehabilitation program

May 2016

Anna enrolls in a summer course at the University of Western Ontario

September 2016

Anna re-enrolls at McGill and takes 16 credits

November 2016

Anna takes the conditions of Gaysford’s release and the restraining order to Dean of Students Christopher Buddle

News

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

Total out of pocket cost to date: $8,000 Ambulance: $136.44 Lost tuition after withdrawing from classes in Fall 2015: $1,582.45 Flight home mid-semester in Fall 2015: $850 Foregone rent on her apartment after withdrawing from McGill: $675 per month, $2,700 overall Physiotherapy treatment for her neck injury and concussive symptoms: $1,045 Psychotherapy as prescribed by her specialist at Parkwood Hospital: $2,560 Botox treatment every 3-4 months to treat migraines: $852.10 per treatment Frequency modulated (FM) hearing system to assist with attention and cognitive issues resulting from the concussion: $4,000

Anna was told that the university was unable to initiate proceedings because the assault had not taken place within the McGill context. Later, in November 2015, Gaysford was arrested by the Montreal police, and formally charged with assault causing bodily harm and criminal harassment. The police also filed a restraining order against Gaysford on Anna’s behalf. Shortly after this, Anna went to the university for a second time, informed them of Gaysford’s arrest, and asked if formal disciplinary procedures could be initiated against Gaysford. Once again, she was told that the university was unable to take action. Anna’s symptoms did not improve as the months went by. Over the 2015 winter break, she saw a local physiatrist, a doctor who specialized in brain injury. “[The doctor] essentially sat me down and was like, ‘Look, you’re not going back anytime soon. You need to drop out, and you’re going to pursue full-time rehabilitation at home.’ And out of everything that had happened in the past four months, that was the worst thing because there was no end date [....] I was not going to finish my degree. I was not going to apply to medical school like I wanted. I was not going to do grad school, I was not going do any of those things because I could barely get myself to the bathroom.” Anna withdrew from full-time classes in January 2016 and was admitted to the brain injury outpatient rehabilitation program at Parkwood Hospital in London, Ontario. “I have a very hard time explaining how devastating it was to go from four months prior, trying to think of what path would be best suited for me, [...] and then suddenly I’m sitting at this desk in a hospital being told the most effective way to get my groceries without getting lost in the grocery store, without forgetting what’s on my list. And the really awful part is that was really happening to me. I tried to get groceries at Provigo—a grocery shop that I’ve been going to for four years—and I got lost [....] And it was compounded by the fact that he was still here. He was still here. He was going to classes, no problem, and I was sitting in a hospital in London and he had had very little repercussion.” Over the summer, Anna recovered enough to take a class at the University of Western Ontario. The process of having to learn how to study with postconcussive syndrome was excruciating. She had to re-build her tolerance to stimulation, studying five minutes at a time. Studying for too long would leave her vomiting, dizzy, and sick. It was a long process, but she gradually increased her tolerance. Ultimately, she finished the course at the top of her class. Determined to graduate as soon as possible, Anna re-enrolled in full-time studies at McGill in September 2016. The weeks leading up to her return to full-time studies were extremely challenging to her mental health. “The anxiety about coming back, being alone at school, knowing he was here, seeing him on campus, knowing that [...] there was little recourse. There was like no one for me to go to other than just calling 911 if something were to happen [....] It completely took over and I had a really horrible depressive episode [....] I don’t even identify with that person because it seems so far removed from who I am [....] At the end of August, I saw a psychiatrist and I had to be medicated for my mood because it was completely out of control, and I’m thankful for that because it helps keep me steady now, I guess.”

The Courts In March 2016, Gaysford pled not guilty to all charges. As such, the case moved to trial proceedings, and Anna was summoned to court in April to testify as a witness. Anna described the proceedings leading up to the trial as extremely labour intensive on her part. Her prosecutor asked her to compile as much medical documentation of her condition and treatment following the assault as possible. At the April hearing, the defence objected that they had not had enough time to review the prosecution’s evidence, and the hearing was postponed to May 2016. Gaysford did not appear for his court date in May. After reaching out to the court herself, Anna was told that Gaysford was out of the country. Because of his absence, the hearing was postponed for the second time to September 2016. After returning to school, Anna attended the next court date in September, almost a year to the day since the assault. While she was not called to be a witness, she wanted to make sure that he appeared in court. Ultimately, the attorney for the defence asked to postpone the case. The defence was granted a postponement until Nov. 25, 2016, and then until Nov. 29, 2016. Thirteen months after his arrest, and after four postponed hearings, Gaysford admitted guilt before the court on Nov. 29, 2016. The McGill Tribune acquired audio of the court proceedings, a portion of which is quoted below. The first person to speak is Elizabeth Corriveau, lawyer for the prosecution. The presiding Judge is the Honourable Louise Baribeau. Corriveau: It’s instigated by the group of young men, which Mr. Gaysford is a part of [....] It began with insults. Calling names like ‘bitch,’ ‘suck my dick,’ back and forth. The girls respond as well. They end up at the same party without knowing [...], where they see each other again, and to which, then Mr. Gaysford will ask [Anna] if she will fight him [....] She places her hands behind her back saying that she doesn’t want to fight him. And out of the blue, he will punch her to the jaw and she will fall to the pavement and hit her head. The injuries, your honour, are quite serious and severe. She will be diagnosed with brain trauma, severe concussion, a fracture to her jaw [....] She will have amnesia, she will have to stop her studies for quite some time. At this point, there is a discussion over auxiliary facts of the case. Gaysford’s defence attorney states that Gaysford does not recall Anna placing her hands behind her back and saying that she will not fight him. The Hon. Baribeau reads out the conditions of Gaysford’s release. Hon. Baribeau: Mr. Gaysford you heard the facts? Gaysford: I did, yes. Hon. Baribeau: And you admit that that’s how all of this happened? Gaysford: I agree with it, your honour. The sentencing hearing is postponed until May 26, 2017 in order to allow Gaysford to graduate from McGill. In navigating the process of filing a police report and testifying as a witness in the Municipal Court of the Ville de Montreal, to attempting to find recourse within the university, Anna has felt disheartened. “I believe so much in these institutions on the outside, right, you believe McGill is pro-survivor, they’re going to be there for you, [...the] justice system is going to be there for you, you have evidence, you did the right thing, you went to the police. But really [...] you have to bring so much with you. I feel like I’ve been building my own case this whole time, collecting evidence [....] I have entire files on my computer dedicated to, like, my medical expenses, this, this, this. It’s like its own full-time job that’s taken over part of my life.”

McGill Context Anna spoke with Andre Costopoulos, then dean of students, at the end of September 2015, and he told her that there wasn’t much McGill could do because the assault had happened outside of the McGill context. The McGill context outlines what situations and events McGill university has jurisdiction to oversee and take disciplinary action on. Typically, the McGill context encompasses McGill property as well as any classes McGill may hold as a part of a field-studies program. Events organized by student clubs and associations off-campus are not typically considered within the McGill context, although the McGill administration has made recent efforts at expanding the context to include these types of events. Costopoulos offered to notify security and have a disciplinary officer (DO) meet with Gaysford to discuss voluntary conditions, where Gaysford would agree to not interact with Anna on campus or be near her. A year and a half later, her frustration with this outcome was palpable.

NEWS

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

Anna spoke with Andre Costopoulos, who was then dean of students, at the end of September 2015, and he told her that there wasn’t much McGill could do because the assault had happened outside of the McGill context. The McGill context outlines what situations and events McGill University has jurisdiction to oversee and take disciplinary action on. Typically, the McGill context encompasses McGill property as well as any classes McGill may hold as a part of a field-studies program. Events organized by student clubs and associations off-campus are not typically considered within the McGill context, although the McGill administration has made recent efforts at expanding the context to include these types of events. Costopoulos offered to notify security and have a disciplinary officer (DO) meet with Gaysford to discuss voluntary conditions, where Gaysford would agree to not interact with Anna on campus or be near her. A year and a half later, her frustration with this outcome is palpable. “I told him what happened and he didn’t give me the response I expected [....] I really thought that there would be more, [....] I had to reschedule meetings with [Costopoulos] to go back and be like, this is not enough. Let alone all these physical issues I’m having, if I can get to class to just get notes, I don’t want to because he’s somewhere on campus [....And the conditions] are all on a voluntary basis, this is the university meeting with him and being like ‘Hey, we heard you assaulted this girl, do you mind staying out of Wong? Do you mind?’” In 2015, Anna found out that Gaysford had a class in the Rutherford Physics Building, where she also had a class. She asked Costopoulos if Gaysford could be prohibited from entering the building, but was told that the university was unable to enforce such a restriction because they could not disrupt Gaysford’s academics. Ultimately, Anna withdrew from the class she had in Rutherford. Anna’s starting corresponding with the administration in the final year of Andre Costopolous’ term as Dean of Students. When she returned to McGill in Fall 2016, Christopher Buddle had been appointed as dean. When asked to comment on Anna’s case, Buddle stated that he is unable to comment on specific cases due to the university’s privacy policies. He explained the process that his office goes through when they receive a notification of an event on campus involving a breach of the Code of Student Conduct. “There’s always a discussion of the context early on because in some cases it’s very clear that the situation is, let’s say on university property, between two students, and I would normally, if they want to file a formal complaint, move that onto the disciplinary officer, and then we would have a formal process,” Buddle said. “[....] In situations that are less clear, typically there’s a discussion around the context, around what happened, and around the applicability of the code to the particular situation.” According to Buddle, the conversation around the code has changed in recent years, particularly in regards to the scope of the context. “It’s something that we’re continually working on because we recognize that it’s difficult in some cases to understand what the context is,” Buddle said. “[....] Normally it’s a conversation, it’s understanding the parameters of the case and having a discussion around the reporting structure, and the discussion always also includes an opportunity that a student can follow external processes with the police, for example.” McGill publishes an annual report on harassment, sexual harassment, and discrimination prohibited by law. The 2015-2016 report noted that 39 instances of complaints had been recorded in that year. Four complaints were formally resolved, five were informally resolved, and the remaining 30 complaints were not pursued beyond the inquiry stage or were withdrawn. Angella Campbell, associate provost (Policies, Procedures, and Equity), explained why the vast majority of complaints do not reach resolution procedures. “It is often the case that people inquire about processes and options as to how to proceed if they have a matter of concern,” Campbell wrote in an email to the Tribune. “Formal processes are but one option, and that is why it’s logical for many cases not to go beyond the inquiry/informationgathering stage.” Out of the four complaints that underwent formal resolution proceedings, three were categorized as founded. The report notes that disciplinary measures were pursued for Anna’s complaint. At this stage in the complaint resolution process, an assessor will conduct an investigation into Anna’s complaint to decide whether it is founded or unfounded. Campbell described the difference between these two categories. “This occurs pursuant to an investigation conducted by an assessor,” Campbell wrote. “[....] When the assessor concludes that sufficient evidence has not been adduced to establish that the conduct in question constituted harassment, sexual harassment or discrimination prohibited by law as these terms are defined by [McGill’s Policy against Sexual Violence].” Following updates to Anna’s case in Fall 2016, she went to see Buddle with the conditions of Gaysford’s the details of the restraining order and the update that Gaysford was admitting to the charges. “I took this information to him and I took this restraining order, and he essentially said like, you know these are the confines of the McGill context and that we need to try to figure out a way that, you know, I can be successful and limit my contact with him, but there is no [...] recourse available. He did offer that we could have a disciplinary hearing, we could follow that route, but I said at this point, like, what’s the point? What’s the most a disciplinary hearing could offer? Voluntary conditions? I already have a formal restraining order, right, so he agreed to voluntary conditions again.” Even after consultation with Buddle and a formal restraining order, Anna has struggled to share the campus with her attacker. The university informs Gaysford which areas to avoid and when, but even these must be agreed upon. If he ever violates the conditions of the restraining order, it is up to Anna to contact security services or the police. “It’s cruel that I’m in this circumstance and with all of this, all these things that I have to deal with [...] I also have to rub shoulders with him [to graduate]. Like, I don’t think anyone could understand what that does to you without having experienced assault of some kind, or some kind of trauma like that. I saw him the night before an exam, [...] which is objectively stressful and difficult on its own, and now I get to spend the entire night having nightmares about what happened to me. That’s what it does. That’s not abnormal at all. That’s a perfectly normal response to that kind of trauma.” Anna reflected on what it’s been like to return to the same university that her attacker attends. “He’s on campus, [...] he’s just completely unaffected, and here I am taking a fistfull of medication [...] three times a day, wearing a hearing aid in class, writing accommodated exams. Like, there’s no part of my life that has not been affected by this. Then I have to deal with the court case, and then I have to deal with the university, and it genuinely felt like I had to build my own argument for any kind of recourse. And I feel like I have so much evidence [....] Endless medical records. Real physical issues that I’m going to have to deal with for the foreseeable future, and it doesn’t matter because it didn’t happen on campus [...], which is absurd. It’s fully absurd.” The Code of Student Conduct, last revised in 2013, is up for revisions in September 2017. “I’m sharing this because I want a positive outcome. Placing blame on any one person or institution for my experience doesn’t serve anyone. Instead, I want to identify where we can improve,” Anna wrote in an email to the Tribune. Belonging to an institution like McGill comes with a clear commitment to academic integrity, but I believe it should include an understanding of personal integrity, on and off campus. A violent crime is a violent crime, regardless of geographical location. The student code is ours to modify as we see fit, and as an academic institution, we need to identify when our actions are insufficient. When we’ve failed our students. And when we need to change for the better.” Gaysford did not respond to the Tribune’s requests for comment.

Court Proceedings November 2015

Dec. 2, 2015

March 26, 2016

Gaysford is arrested at McGill University Gaysford pleads not guilty Gaysford formally enters plea of not guilty

Sept. 19, 2016

Anna attends Gaysford’s court date

Nov. 29, 2016

Gaysford admits to the facts as presented in court

May 26, 2017

Date of Gaysford’s next appearance in court

News

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

SSMU to develop Sexualized and Gendered Violence Policy

Will collaborate with the CDN to combat rape culture on campus Domenic Casciato Staff Writer On March 23, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) announced plans to hold an open forum on April 11 to discuss the creation and implementation of a SSMU Gendered and Sexualized Violence Policy (GSVP). The creation of the GSVP was proposed after former SSMU vice-president (VP) External David Aird resigned following allegations of sexual assault and gendered violence. Aird stepped down on Feb. 22 following a statement released by the Community Disclosure Network (CDN) that claimed that Aird had performed acts of sexualized and gendered violence prior to and during his SSMU term. Additionally, a second SSMU executive, President Ben Ger, resigned on March 9 after allegations of gendered violence were brought against him. The announcement also stated that current and future SSMU executives will now be trained on how to respond to disclosures of sexual violence. Additionally, SSMU opened an anonymous feedback form and will work with CDN on a longterm action plan for confronting sexualized violence within SSMU. VP Student Life and Acting President Elaine Patterson admitted that the implementation of the university’s current Policy against Sexual Violence (SVP)–which was approved by Senate on Nov. 23–has been slow, but is nonetheless important. “There are concerns about [...] how long it is taking to implement [the SVP] and advertise it to students,” Patterson said. “[....We need a policy because] there are students who have been in positions of power who now have allegations against them of gendered and sexualized violence [....] A policy

specifically tailored by SSMU and for SSMU is ideal in those scenarios.” The CDN will advise SSMU during the development of the GSVP and at the open forum. On March 27, the CDN released a second statement emphasizing that the GSVP should be pro-survivor and easily accessible to students. In an interview with The McGill Tribune, a member of the CDN explained the organization’s role in creating the GSVP. The member requested to remain anonymous. “SSMU is relying pretty heavily on [the] CDN [...] because they just don’t have the structure to deal with [creating a policy],” the member said. “[....] The new ideas for protocol and what exactly needs to happen needs to come from the survivors in our community [rather than SSMU or admin].” CDN will lead a number of initiatives in addition to its collaboration with SSMU, including three closed focus groups, starting on March 28, for survivors of sexualized violence to provide input on the SSMU GSVP. Beginning in April and continuing into next year, CDN will also organize roundtable discussions and workshops with student-led groups to address disclosures of sexualized violence. “We’ll facilitate [training] on anti-oppressive policymaking, the frameworks of pro-survivor work, how to properly deal with disclosures, and some of the language around some of these things,” the member said. According to Patterson, SSMU currently has no formal avenue for reporting and addressing sexualized and gendered violence. The CDN member explained that the only way to remove someone from the Executive Committee is through a General Assembly (GA). In order to avoid publicly identifying survivors at a GA, complainants’ only other option is to disclose

CDN will hold closed focus groups with survivors as part of consultation for future SSMU policy. (Hannah Taylor / The McGill Tribune) to the SSMU Board of Directors (BoD). In Fall 2016 two student groups, NDP McGill and McGill Against Austerity (MAA), became aware of allegations against Aird before SSMU, but were unable to remove Aird from office without identifying the survivors. In an email to The McGill Tribune, Cole Eisen, NDP McGill representative, wrote that the absence of a reporting mechanism that preserved survivor anonymity protected Aird’s tenure at SSMU. “A clear, [survivor-oriented GSVP] coming from SSMU would benefit NDP McGill by providing our organization with a mechanism to remove offending members, respect the desire for anonymity on the part of individuals coming forward, and decouple holding positions of power within student organizations from the policy’s implementation,” Eisen wrote. “NDP McGill seeks a clearly defined complaint mechanism, assurances those who hold positions of power in SSMU will not be above the policy, and a victim-first orientation that consults those affected at each decision-making juncture.”

Floor fellows to vote on tentative agreement with McGill

Agreement to improve wages and job security Domenic Casciato Staff Writer On March 23, the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE) reached a tentative agreement with the McGill administration regarding the employment of floor fellows. AMUSE Unit B represents floor fellows and has been bargaining with the university since October 2014 on floor fellow salaries, values, and job security. AMUSE members will meet at a General Assembly (GA) on April 6 to vote on the approval of the tentative agreement. If AMUSE members vote to approve the tentative agreement, negotiations between the university and AMUSE Unit B will come to a close. According to AMUSE President Claire Michela, the tentative agreement will create an hourly wage of $13.15 for floor fellows and establish a letter of agreement about floor fellow values, including harm reduction, anti-oppression, and respect. The agreement will also enhance job

security and ensure that floor fellows will not immediately lose their room and board in the case that they are fired. The GA will determine whether floor fellows who were employed between 2013 and 2016 will receive remittance for their unpaid hours, in addition to the terms of the agreement. McGill floor fellows initially filed with the Commission des Normes du Travail (CNT) for back pay in 2013. Despite the CNT ruling in favour of the 2013 complainants, the university refused to provide floor fellows with remuneration and appealed the ruling. Back pay complaints, in combination with disputes over their wages, values, and job security, led floor fellows to unionize and join AMUSE in Fall 2014. A tentative agreement was reached and drafted on Dec. 6, but the administration subsequently withdrew from the contract. AMUSE filed an injunction with the Superior Court of Quebec, claiming that McGill was in violation of Quebec labour laws, but the injunction was denied by the court, leading AMUSE and

McGill to re-enter negotiations. If the latest tentative agreement is approved, floor fellows who were employed between 20132016 will receive up to 30 per cent of their original claim, depending on the year of their employment. AMUSE members will vote on both the tentative agreement and the settlement of back pay claims as a combined package. “The settlement that we came up with may or may not be accepted by [floor fellows], but it’s all or nothing now that we’ve come to the [collective agreement],” Michela said. “[....] It’s conceivable that someone might think that [the settlement] wasn’t enough.” Isabelle Oke, vice-president Floor fellow at AMUSE, consulted with floor fellows on March 30. “[There is] excitement that something is happening, but also a lot of wondering where other people are at,” Oke said. “Because this involves so many people, and a lot of people who have already graduated, it’s hard to have one way of communicating about how people are feeling about this.”

AMUSE negotiated a back pay settlement for former floor fellows. (Lauren Benson-Armer / The McGill Tribune) Despite the variety of interests and demands involved in the tentative agreement, Oke is confident that the vote will pass. “From what I’ve gathered, people are taking this in as a full agreement,” Oke said. “They’re taking it in for what it is, which is something that is resolving back pay and the next three years of working conditions.” In an email to The McGill Tribune,Shuaibo Huang, U3 Arts and a floor fellow at the Carrefour

Sherbrooke residence, wrote that he plans to vote ‘yes’ during the upcoming GA. “I am very disappointed that our current working condition is illegal,” Huang wrote. “I and many other floor fellows would [like] to see the [floor fellow] values, which McGill has already agreed upon, to be reflected in the final collective agreement [....] This is one of the key reasons why I am voting ‘yes’ in the incoming GA.”

20162017 Year in

Review

February

NOVEMBER SEPTEMBER

McGill Counselling & Mental Health merger SEPTEMBER

Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Education launches The Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Education was launched on Sept. 22 by Provost and Vice Principal (Academic) Christopher Manfredi. Its mandate is to propose initiatives aimed at integrating indigenous perspectives into academic curricula and research, as well as improving the retention and recruitment of indigenous students and faculty. The Task Force has hosted open forums to discuss its progress and gather input from members of the McGill community. Its final report will be made in June 2017.

In September 2016, McGill combined Mental Health Services and Counselling Services into a single service. Students no longer choose counselling or mental health services, but rather proceed through a single booking process for evaluation by an intake clinician, and are then directed to the appropriate service for their needs. The new “stepped care model” is meant to shorten wait times and increase the accessibility of services. Initial concerns were raised over the decrease of student autonomy in choosing a service, as well as student awareness of the new process. In December 2016, former director of the unified Counselling and Mental Health Services Nancy Low was suspended, allegedly due to resistance related to the new model. On March 31, 2017, the student-run McGill Mental Health Working Group released an open letter outlining concerns with the stepped care model. The working group’s chief criticisms included the lack of student and staff consultation in the implementation of the model, the reduction of specialized services, and inefficient allocation of clinical resources.

NovemberMarch

AMUSE strike and negotiations Services across campus were disrupted on Oct. 29, when the Association for McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE) went on five-day strike. AMUSE is a labour union that represents more than 1,500 casual and temporary employees on campus. The strike came following AMUSE’s efforts to renegotiate its collective bargaining agreement with the university, which expired in April 2015. Their main negotiation demands included equal treatment of casual workers, accurate job descriptions and pay, seniority and benefits for casual workers, a living wage, and improvements to the Work Study job posting system. On Jan. 9, AMUSE finally secured a new collective agreement with McGill. While the new agreement did not meet all of their demands, it was nonetheless a major step forward for the union and its relationship with McGill.

McGill passes Policy against Sexual Violence On Nov. 23, McGill Senate unanimously approved the Policy against Sexual Violence. It was passed by the Board of Governors (BoG) on Dec. 1, 2016. In September 2016, the administration released a draft of the policy, which was based on feedback collected from various groups on campus. The draft was the result of a consultative period that had taken place as of April that year. Following the release of the draft, the administration collected feedback via an online form. The university had previously rejected the policy proposed by the Sexaul Assault Policy Proposal (SAPP) group in April 2016. The draft policy was initially met with criticism for not having sufficient focus on anti-oppression. The final policy is considered survivor-focused and will address sexual violence on campus through education, survivor support, and the creation of the Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support, and Education (O-SVRSE), which opened on March 27.

David Aird Resignation and CDN

David Aird stepped down from his position as SSMU Vice-President External on Feb. 22, 2017, following a statement released by the Community Disclosure Network (CDN) calling for his resignation. The statement brought to light Aird’s alleged history of sexual harassment and sexual assault, highlighting the testimonies of survivors of this violence. The CDN came together as a network of survivors and allies who aimed to provide anonymous channels of disclosure for those who were threatened by Aird. Aird released an official apology via his Facebook account, which was deleted along with the account on Feb. 23. SSMU President Ben Ger maintained that he was not aware of the severity of the allegations against Aird, and that complaints of harassment made in October 2015 against Aird were dealt with internally, through a series of ‘check-ins.’ SSMU VP University Affairs Erin Sobat corroborated this account, stating that removing Aird would have been too difficult without an official allegation of sexual assault. The handling of this situation was met with severe criticism from many SSMU members, especially after student groups NDP McGill and McGill Against Austerity came forward stating that they had removed Aird from their executive teams due to similar instances of sexual violence.

FebruaryMarch

Igor Sadikov debate Controversy erupted on campus after Arts Representative to the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and Board of Directors (BoD) member Igor Sadikov tweeted “punch a zionist [sic] today” on Feb. 6 on a personal account. The comment led many students and the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) to call for Sadikov’s resignation. Sadikov initially ignored the requests, and votes to impeach him at the BoD and the AUS subsequently failed. The SSMU Executive called for Sadikov’s resignation on Feb. 17 after a meeting between the Executive and Principal Suzanne Fortier and other members of the administration. The timing of the meeting drew allegations concerning administration interference in SSMU affairs. On Feb. 23, Sadikov resigned from his position on the BoD. He then resigned from SSMU Council on March 8, after allegations of abusive behaviour in a previous relationship surfaced online.

March

Laval commits to divesting from fossil fuels

On Feb. 15, 2017, Université Laval became the first Canadian university to declare its commitment to divesting from fossil fuel-related companies. This action came after pressure from a student campaign called “ULaval sans fossiles,” which had garnered support from much of the Laval student body, as well as the David Suzuki Foundation. The historic decision reinvigorated discussion around McGill students’ own divestment campaign, Divest McGill. Divest McGill first submitted a call to divest from fossil fuels to McGill’s Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) in Feb 2015. On March 17, 2016, McGill’s Board of Governors decided not to divest, based on CAMSR’s report which stated that actions of fossil fuel companies themselves did not cause “social injury,” and that divestment would not be an impactful movement against climate change. After Laval’s decision in 2017, CAMSR met again while Divest McGill held a protest outside.

March

Ben Ger Resignation On March 9, SSMU President Ben Ger resigned from his position, citing personal reasons. At a Legislative Council meeting later that day, it was revealed that Ger had been the subject of allegations of gendered violence. The remaining SSMU executives acknowledged that Ger’s own history of gendered violence had made him improperly equipped to handle the allegations against Aird. As with Aird, Ger’s responsibilities were divided up among the remaining executives, and SSMU VP Student Life Elaine Patterson was made Acting President.

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

SSMU

END OF YEAR REVIEWS

The McGill Tribune Editorial Board reviews the 2016-2017 Students’ Society of McGill University and Post-Graduate Students’ Society executives on their performance. Although these summaries intend to review the executives’ entire terms, not all information received regarding each executive was published due to space constraints in the paper. In its editorial discussion, the Tribune evaluated each executive based on feedback from student councillors and input from the executive team itself. In previous years, the Tribune has given grades to the executives based on feedback from councillors and the discussion of the editorial board. Given the extraordinary circumstances facing the SSMU executive team this semester, in which period two of the executives resigned, the Tribune decided that it would be inappropriate to do so this year.

Vice-President Student Life & Acting President: Elaine PattersoN Following the resignation of former president Ben Ger, Vice-President (VP) Student Life Elaine Patterson assumed the role of Acting President. Despite the added workload and this semester’s controversies, Patterson has risen to the occasion and is overseeing the groundwork for the SSMU Gendered and Sexualized Violence Policy (GSUP). Prior to assuming the presidential portfolio, Patterson organized successful Activities Nights in both the Fall and Winter semester despite limitations due to construction on McTavish and the elimination of the student staff Activities Night Coordinator position. With a club moratorium in place for the entirety of her term, Patterson worked to make existing clubs more financially and spatially stable. Despite this effort, transparency about the mandatory transition from club status to independent student group (ISG) status that was applied to certain clubs prior to Patterson’s term was lacking. Additionally, Patterson did not appear to place enough emphasis on the mental health aspect of her portfolio, especially considering that the McGill Counselling and Mental Health Services (MCMHS) underwent significant changes this year. Although she organized Mental Health Awareness Week and provided institutional support for services, such as the Peer Support Centre, more advocacy could have been done on the students’ behalf, as the changes to MCMHS continue to present challenges for students. Despite these shortcomings, Patterson has remained approachable and dedicated to building re-

lationships with SSMU members and groups within SSMU. Her unfailing energy and candor has been an asset to the SSMU executive team. By maintaining positive relationships with existing SSMU clubs and services, Patterson has paved the way for more efficient club management in the upcoming year. Despite increased responsibilities, Patterson continued to demonstrate patience and a willingness to hear student concerns,

Vice-President Internal: Daniel Lawrie VP Internal Daniel Lawrie has organized a variety of successful events this year. Some of the highlights of his term include Faculty Olympics, which drew over 800 participants over the course of five days and was very well received. Lawrie also coordinated 4Floors, which was subject to underwhelming turnouts in recent years. Lawrie grew its attendance to around 1,000 attendees and the function mostly received positive feedback. Moreover, Lawrie promoted Life After Your Degree (Life AYD) events, such as dining etiquette workshops, CV workshops, and LinkedIn Headshot sessions to improve SSMU’s involvement with practical concerns of its membership.. In hopes of better protecting students, Lawrie worked alongside the Office of the Dean of Students to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the administration to have the McGill Code of Conduct apply to events within the VP Internal’s portfolio, such as 4Floors and Frosh. Still, Lawrie insufficiently advocated for the development of non-drinking focused activities while overseeing Frosh plans. At the end of the 2015-2016 year, the responsibility of managing the First-Year Council (FYC) was moved to the Internal portfolio. While he gained experience in event planning throughout his term, Lawrie struggled to play an advisory role for the FYC. His failure to adequately guide the Council and to fully make use of its budget resulted in the FYC being a largely ineffective body for representing and engaging firstyears. Lawrie attributes the high open rate of the SSMU listerv this year to his inclusion of animated GIFs and catchy titles in emails. However, this method of increasing engagement by reducing the content of listservs has been criticized for being exclusionary. Lawrie oversaw the SSMU Website Redesign project. The new site, which aims to provide easier access to information regarding student societies, will be launched in the upcoming year.

END of the year review

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

END of the year review

Vice-President Finance: Niall Carolan At the end of the 2015-216 term, VP Finance & Operations was divided into two new positions: VP Finance and VP Operations. Much of VP Finance Niall Carolan’s portfolio occurs largely behind the scenes of SSMU activity, and he has worked hard to tighten the SSMU budget. Having entered the position facing a $90,000 deficit, Carolan has helped bring SSMU to a surplus that will reach near $400,000 by the end of the 20162017 fiscal year. A significant portion of this surplus will be invested in SSMU human resources and departments that will better serve the student body. Additionally, following the resignation of the VP External and President, Carolan assumed several responsibilities from each portfolio, including a position on the McGill Board of Governors (BoG) and negotiations for the 2017-2021 Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the university. A large part of Carolan’s success in bringing SSMU into a financial surplus entailed holding regular meetings with SSMU department managers and operations directors, using weekly sales reports and monthly rollup reports, and seeking external corporate sponsorship for SSMU. Yet, the latter action was controversial, sparking debate among the student body after advertisements were placed around the SSMU Building and used during Activities Night, which critics argued were distracting from the student clubs that were present. Carolan worked to streamline the funding process for clubs, services, and groups by allowing clubs to apply for multiple funding sources within the same application and purchasing new funding software. Further, Carolan achieved better financial transparency for SSMU by separating staff salaries, executive salaries, and operational staff salaries. He also budgeted a Financial Assistant to the VP Finance for the 2018 operating year and established a Social Responsibility Investment Fund for the upcoming year. Though Carolan’s time on the SSMU Executive Committee was successful, he was often difficult to reach and unavailable to students and the student media. However, his changes to the budget led to what Carolan reports to be the largest operational surplus on record.

Vice-President Operations: Sacha Magder At the end of the 2015-216 term, VP Finance & Operations was divided into two new positions: VP Finance and VP Operations. VP Operations Sacha Magder began the year with the Crash Pad program, a successful initiative that provides a safe place in the SSMU Ballroom for commuter students to stay overnight. Magder’s other main accomplishment was improving SSMU MiniCourses. Although Fall 2016 numbers were similar to the numbers in the previous year, in Winter 2017, MiniCourses revenue increased from $6,214 to $15,635. Magder attributes this success to more active marketing and emphasis on professional skills courses, such as a popular new graphic design class. Both Gerts and Sadie’s have also made financial improvements. Parts of large events, such as Carnival, Science Games, and Engineering Games, were held at Gerts as opposed to off-campus establishments. Further, Sadie’s revenue doubled and this year’s deficit is predicted to be 30 to 50 per cent smaller than last year’s. Yet, Magder’s rebranding efforts for Sadie’s were unimpressive and it is unclear how much of the increase in business was simply the McTavish construction rerouting students through the SSMU Building. The sustainability objectives were moved to the VP Operations portfolio last year. With regards to this mandate, Magder brought sustainability representatives from different faculties together in a Cross Campus Sustainability Council. Plans are underway for sustainability checklists, sustainability education, and sustainable Frosh suppliers. It has taken time for Magder to communicate and implement his ideas, such as the plan to put up Aboriginal artwork in SSMU and the SSMU Courtyard Garden Project. How much of this is the result his portfolio being new and how much can be attributed to recent disruptions within SSMU have yet to be determined, but what is clear is the creativity and energy that Magder puts into his work.

Vice-President University Affairs: Erin Sobat VP University Affairs (UA) Erin Sobat approached the position with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm this year. He delivered on multiple campaign promises, including a successful Know Your Rights campaign, and increased the visibility of the UA portfolio via social media with a new website. Sobat also played an important role in developing and passing the university’s Policy on Sexual Violence in the Fall, building on the wish of his predecessors and working to bring the work of other student groups to bear in negotiations with the administration. In the second semester of his term, however, Sobat was often complicit in the poor handling of SSMU controversies. Sobat also developed a monthly UA listserv, which provided updates on developments in student advocacy resources, projects, and research. Sobat put a SSMU policy on unpaid internships into motion, pursued a centralized model for academic accommodations administered by faculties instead of individual professors, and made progress on revising tenure guidelines to include a mental health training requirement. In the equity portion of the UA portfolio, Sobat helped produce guidelines for a formal policy on equitable hiring at McGill, with first training session held at the end of March. Progress on this issue was delayed after SSMU President Ben Ger’s resignation in March, but significant groundwork has been laid for implementing a policy in the future. Work on equitable governance reform was also pushed back with Ger’s resignation. Sobat worked on developing a baseline equity training workshop to accompany the Academic Integrity Tutorial on Minerva, a project that will continue into next year. Aside from Sobat’s many successes on the student advocacy and equity portions of his portfolio, some of his actions this year betrayed the lack of adequate internal procedures within SSMU for dealing with disclosures regarding executives and SSMU staff. Sobat faced criticism for his support of former Arts Representative Igor Sadikov after his controversial tweet on Feb. 6. Sobat also failed to reveal former VP External David Aird’s weekly “check-ins” in the Fall semester. Sobat acknowledged that he knew about allegations of gendered violence against Ger ahead of time, but did not share them with the other SSMU executives–they were only made public after Ger’s resignation.

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Wednesday, april 5, 2017

pgss

Secretary-General: Victor Frankel

During his tenure as Secretary-General, Victor Frankel worked closely with PGSS commissioners, SSMU, and the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS) on the McGill administration’s Policy against Sexual Violence, which was implemented in September of this academic year. Frankel has also been a tireless advocate for environmental justice at McGill, working with McGill’s Office of Sustainability toward the goal of carbon neutrality by 2021. In general, Frankel used his position on the McGill Board of Governors (BoG) to push for his vision for McGill to become a leader in sustainability and to voice the interests of Divest McGill, despite being surrounded by administrators who opposed the group’s mandate.

END OF YEAR REVIEWS

Frankel’s involvement in projects important to PGSS members is notable. He served as a PGSS consultant during the streamlining of Mental Health services undertaken by McGill. Frankel has also continued to be a vocal and active member at PGSS Council, and has been involved in drafting many of the motions presented. Additionally, Frankel’s colleagues commend his ongoing advocacy for social and climate justice. Concerns have been raised, however, that Frankel has prioritized passion projects to the detriment of other areas of his portfolio. In line with this concern, Frankel has also been criticized for a general lack of organization in managing the other PGSS executives. Still, Frankel has been approachable and supportive as SecretaryGeneral and has shown sincerity in listening to criticism.

the substantial success of her portfolio. Her collaboration with over 50 groups and clubs on campus has also improved the graduate student community, as these groups became more visible to the membership. Anadolu successfully organized and promoted a diverse array of successful events—notably Graduate Orientation in Fall 2016—and focused on enhancing accessibility and inclusivity. In addition to planning social events, Anadolu also organized events that assisted graduate students in practical matters, such as through legal information and student rights sessions. Anadolu developed a system for collecting and utilizing feedback from participants in order to inform event-planning decisions. Further, her emphasis on promoting health and safety at events is a significant step for the Society and improved participation at events. She ensured that each PGSS event had at least three different options for safety, including but not exclusive to the McGill Emergency Response Team (MSERT), DriveSafe, and Security personnel. In general, Anadolu demonstrated incredible energy and passion in her portfolio, which has manifested in a more connected graduate student body.

Financial Affairs Officer: Mina Moradi

External Affairs Officer: Jacob Lavigne

As Financial Affairs Officer, Mina Moradi has reportedly been available to discuss financial issues. In comparison to the vague information available on PGSS finances last year, Moradi made the fiscal state of PGSS somewhat clearer. Yet, there is contention regarding how much of that clarity is the result of her work, and how much can be attributed to external events and other executives. Fortune favoured PGSS finances this year. The costly legal battle with the Canadian Federation of Students of 2010 over the validity of PGSS’s referendum to disaffiliate was resolved in February. Additionally, although McGill’s Fall 2016 decision to reclassify postdoctoral candidates as university employees will mean a loss of about $180,000 in membership fees in the future, postdoctoral candidates still paid fees for the 2016-17 year. It is troubling that Moradi has not, as of yet, implemented adequate solutions for future years. Moradi is largely at fault for lack of communication. She started the year well with a thorough report to PGSS Council finalizing prices on events and working with the SecretaryGeneral and Student Life Coordinator to allocate funds to Macdonald campus. She did not attend her second report, which was presented by the Secretary-General and largely focused on the financial impact of McTavish construction. Moreover, although Moradi states that one of her responsibilities is keeping the Legislative Council updated on financial realities, much of this burden appears to have fallen on the Secretary-General and the former Financial Affairs Officer, who answered questions instead of Moradi at a Council meeting on Oct.19 2016. She did comment on the motion to create the Innovation Commissioner position, but when asked how PGSS would pay for a new commissioner, Moradi only suggested a referendum to increase membership fees to enable the new commissioner to host events. Overall, there is not much information on what Moradi has accomplished, and that is an issue in itself.

Internal Affairs Officer: Mina Anadolu

Mina Anadolu has been highly collaborative in her approach to the Internal Affairs position, which has contributed to

External Affairs Officer and incoming PGSS SecretaryGeneral Jacob Lavigne focused much of his work this year on representation at inter-university organizations, including the Quebec Student Union (QSU), the Association for the Voice of Education in Quebec (AVEQ), and the soon-to-be-dissolved Fédération Etudiante Universitaire du Québec (FEUQ). Lavigne lobbied the university on multiple issues, including access to medical data in Quebec and advocating for student input in the design of the Royal Victoria Hospital if McGill manages to acquire it. He also pursued a variety of innovation-related initiatives. Lavigne served on the Board of Directors and, as Secretary of FEUQ, he ensured that the organization’s research findings and funds are distributed to PGSS as it dissolves. He represented PGSS as an observer at both QSU and at AVEQ and participated in the creation of thinkGRAD, a think tank for graduate research and development with representatives from graduate student associations from across Canada. Lavigne served as the president of the Quartier de l’Innovation Student Working Group and led its transformation into the now fully student-led Quartier de l’Innovation Students’ Society (QISS). The group aims to raise awareness of and access to the Quartier de l’Innovation. This year QISS raised over $5,000 to fund their activities, including four seminars where dignitaries such as the speaker of the Montreal City Council and the director of the Smart City initiative presented. Lavigne was also instrumental in establishing an Innovation Commissioner position and Innovation Committee at PGSS, and sat on the university’s Innovation Steering Committee. Lavigne’s established contacts and experience working with members of the administration will prove useful as he transitions to the role of Secretary-General at the end of his current term. He is currently producing a report advising PGSS to continue observer status at only one of QSU and AVEQ in the future.

Member Services Officer: JennyAnn Pura

Member Services Officer JennyAnn Pura spent the majority of her term focusing on the renewal of the PGSS Health and Dental plan and working closely with the Health Commis-

sioner. Pura aided in passing two referendum questions concerning an increase in the services provided by the plan. By focusing primarily on becoming familiar with the system, Pura was better able to bring about concrete and achievable suggestions for change. Additionally, Pura was committed to supporting the families of PGSS members. She made an effort to improve access to higher quality childcare for members with children. To this end, Pura created and managed the Study Saturdays program in collaboration with SSMU VP Student Life Elaine Patterson, and launched a campaign for a holiday gift exchange for student parents. In addition, Pura created the Member Services Committee, which currently consists of one member. Continuing as Member Services Officer, next year Pura will build on the groundwork she laid in her first term. After gaining familiarity with her position this year, she aims to follow through with the projects that were set in motion. Pura said she wants to focus her efforts on populating the Member Services Committee. In line with her work supporting the families of PGSS members, she has also considered organizing a workshop for students living away from their primary support network. Over the course of this year, Pura has earned praise for her ability to effectively communicate and negotiate on the Health and Dental plan. With a year of successful initiatives under her belt, her next term as Member Services Officer promises to be a fruitful one.

Academic Affairs Officer: Nicholas Dunn As Academic Affairs Officer, Nicholas Dunn has done an adequate job of maintaining the responsibilities of his portfolio. Dunn worked on the implementation of the McGill Policy against Sexual Assault by maintaining clear communication with SSMU, the Equity Commission, and PGSS members. He also advanced the Milestones Project, which helps graduate students keep track of the time to completion of their degree, and made progress on this.

Dunn made some effort to include the MacDonald Campus Graduate Students’ Society (MCGSS) in PGSS activities by holding workshops on the MacDonald campus. This was not enough to maintain positive relations with MCGSS, however, as MCGSS members recently voted to express their interest in exploring ceding from PGSS. His commitment to increasing member involvement in PGSS committees was apparent through Dunn’s consistent outlining of available seats and the purpose of committees. Despite notoriously low student involvement in PGSS governance, PGSS committees were well staffed under Dunn. Dunn also encouraged members to be more involved in university governance by advertising opportunities to engage with members of the administration. Moreover, Dunn successfully coordinated revisions to the Charter of Students’ Rights, which will go to Senate for approval in May. Although he wishes he would have done so sooner, Dunn was able to schedule consultations with the Dean of Libraries to discuss the future budgeting of the Library Improvement Fund. These consultations, the successful recruitment of committee members, and his continuation of work on long-term increased graduate student funding from the university will be an advantage for the incoming 2017-2018 Academic Affairs Officer.

opinion

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

Bad Blood: Changing the conversation around menstruation Myriam Driss Contributor

“You’d think all women do is clean and bleed,” was the line that resonated with me as I read Gillian Flynn’s psychological thriller Gone Girl. Despite the fact that the shedding of the uterine lining is a natural, normal, and healthy process that half of the world’s population experiences, menstruation is frequently stigmatized. In the article, “Bad blood: the taboo on talking about periods is damaging lives,” Rose George points out that we have “5,000 euphemisms for menstruation, but we still can’t talk about it openly.” Menstruating people are trivialized due to an overall ignorance towards their experiences, from misunderstandings of simple anatomy to the misconception that women are the only people on the gender spectrum who menstruate. It is important to recognize that menstruation stigma remains prevalent for a number of individuals and not just women. Many individuals who identify as men, nonbinary, or genderqueer also experience the physical effects of menstruation. To recognize

this, language is a powerful tool. Uncoupling femininity from menstruation is essential, as it breaks the connection that has been used to make sexist assumptions about women, while at the same time shedding light on the experiences and needs of sexual minorities who menstruate. Peer Health educators at Healthy McGill Maeve Botham and Mackenzie GingrichHadley emphasized the importance of conversation: Menstruation stigma can be reduced by framing it in a positive light and by using inclusive language in discussions. It is important to remember to avoid phrases, like “feminine hygiene,” and to opt for “menstrual hygiene,” to make sure language is inclusive. In addition to broadening discourse around the topic, improving accommodation for and increasing awareness of the needs of menstruating individuals are necessary to normalizing menstruation. These steps can relieve some of the negative connotations attached to menstruating individuals, and

Thinking before you speak in a digital age Gabriel Rincon Columnist

The comment sections of online articles offer a variety of contributions, ranging from bigotry to thoughtful insights. Of course, the purpose of comment sections is to foster productive discussion on the article at hand, which, unfortunately, sometimes does not happen. Different publications are considering ways to referee discussions on their sites, which raises questions concerning freedom of speech. However, one solution–a new software by NRKbeta that administers a quiz on the subject matter of the article before users can comment–has the potential to improve existing comment section policies. To address the issue of unruly comment sections, different publications have adopted a variety of policies. For example, Motherboard– the Science and Technology section of Vice media–has done away with their comment section entirely. Politico takes a less extreme approach, and simply removes comments that are profane, abusive, or illegal, like threats or plagiarism. A fairly original method is being tested by The Seattle Times where they have private groups for paying subscribers where they can debate without interruption by Internet trolls. Regardless of the policy pursued, publications should be committed to protecting freedom of speech, while also promoting productive conversation and discouraging echo chambers. Failing to adhere to the principles of freedom of speech would be hypocritical on

behalf of the free media, and it is a publication’s responsibility to make sure the conversations it creates are productive. The three policies mentioned differ in the degree to which they respect these principles. Motherboard’s policy, for instance, is the most problematic. Of course, respecting freedom of speech does not mean any site has to give individuals a platform to spew nonsense. However, Motherboard’s policy of not letting anyone share their thoughts or criticism on the article page, but only through the arduous process of letter-writing, is not in the spirit of fostering conversation as it occurs in the digital age. Instead, the policy is likely to shelter the publication and its readers from differing opinions and help create echo chambers. A similar problem is found with The Seattle Times’ approach. A private comment section restricted solely to paying subscribers has the potential to generate mostly homogenous opinions, and create echo chambers rather than productive conversation. Politico’s policy is probably the most reasonable of the three. It respects free speech and diverse conversation within reasonable limits. But, the policy can be improved upon with respect to fostering productive conversation. Useful conversation on a subject requires informed opinions, as well as enough disagreement to create a clash of ideas. On the latter point, the most Politico can do to facilitate diversity of

therefore dismantle the stigma around menstruation. On Oct. 20, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) passed a motion to provide free menstrual products to students, which brings to light the importance and the daily impact of menstrual health on its students while emphasizing that SSMU supports its students, both emotionally and financially. Additionally, students can purchase not only traditional menstrual products, but also reusable ones such as cloth pads and menstrual cups through the Shag Shop. This not only comprehensively provides for the needs of those who menstruate but, by offering a choice between a variety products, it opens up a discourse about the diversity of menstrual hygiene methods that exist. When addressing menstruation stigma, the conversation must acknowledge the variety of experiences of menstruation. The conversation must extend not only to women, but to all menstruating people across the gender spectrum. It is important to remember that not all women menstruate and that individuals of all genders can menstruate. In addition to adequate physical accommodation, appropriate and inclusive language is necessary to create a community that supports all menstruating individuals, while forming the platform necessary to eliminate menstruation stigma. opinion is to open up the conversation to readers on the webpage. When it comes to generating more educated opinions, NRKbeta’s software can help. Administering a brief quiz to people on the article they are commenting on ensures that those frequenting the website have at least read the article. Thus, the software will help weed out Internet trolls and may even help mature people’s opinions before they comment. It is possible that once reading the article, the would-be commenter realizes they were wrong or refines their opinion, sparing the comment section from their nonsense. The software could also potentially take the edge off of more aggressive comments–taking the extra 30 seconds on the quiz means an extra 30 seconds to think an opinion over, and likely moderate it. Some may argue that the software amounts to a form of censorship–however, this is unreasonable. Making sure users have read the article before they comment is not an ideological test, and presents a barrier to the exercise of free speech only insofar as it requires people to learn something about the topic at hand before they speak. Far from constituting censorship, the software has the potential to return some degree of civility and productivity to online discussions. If people are made to read what they are commenting on, it will create more informed discussion, which can make conversations genuinely useful. Sites can now do this, to some degree, by using NRKbeta’s software. Giving up on discussion forums or closing them off to outside opinions is against the spirit of free speech and creates echo chambers. The Internet has the potential to foster a public good through productive conversation, and publications have the potential, if not the responsibility to help that conversation flourish.

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

OPINION

Why McGill should extend its shuttle hours Emma Gillies CONTRIBUTOR

Home to the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, which offers majors such as Bioresource Engineering, Nutrition, Environmental Biology, and Agronomy, the Macdonald Campus is a small slice of McGillian greenery on the waterfront of Ste-Anne-deBellevue. However idyllic this setting may seem, as a student at the Macdonald campus it can be difficult to feel like a part of the McGill community. Many downtown students have little to no idea what the Macdonald campus is, and Mac students often confine themselves to the West Island when they could interact more with their peers downtown. While Mac offers small class sizes in a picturesque setting, students often want to experience the downtown Montreal as well, and going between McGill’s two campuses can be a struggle. The bus ride is free, takes about 40 minutes, and offers Wi-Fi access, however, the shuttle only runs from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. An extension of the shuttle to 8 p.m. every weekday is needed. Extending the shuttle hours is important because of events, classes, and club meetings that take place after 6 p.m., and would help bridge the noticeable divide

between the two McGill campuses. After the shuttle service ends at 6 p.m., students must take the infamous 211 bus, which is a 90-minute ride. Because of this constraint, I often find myself not attending certain events downtown due to time and money. Many students have classes on both campuses. Some classes end as late as 7:30 p.m., which means that these students miss the last shuttle. Club meetings and events, which are difficult to organize during the day due to busy class schedules, often take place in the evening. Furthermore, more shuttle rides would make the probability of missing the shuttle due to student overflow much lower, a relief for students who commute to and from Mac every day. Advisors stress that extracurriculars are important and that students should be involved as much as possible. For me, this means participating in things that I find worthwhile and important, which are often clubs and events that often take place at both campuses. Mac has a good array of clubs, but they are mainly major-specific and applicable to the campus, including areas such as nutrition, environment, agriculture, and engineering. The downtown

campus, however, with a much larger student body, offers more cultural, volunteer, and other niche opportunities for involvement. Going to an event or club meeting downtown in the evening, capitalizing on the wider range of activities, means planning my whole day around it because of the 3-hour round trip via the bus and metro. I chose not to take a Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Minicourse downtown this semester simply because it ended at 7:30 p.m. While the shuttle extension would be especially beneficial to Mac students because they would be given the opportunity to expand their interests and try new things downtown, the extension would also benefit downtown students. Not only would club organizers be able to tap into the Mac campus student body for new members; there are quite a few clubs and events at Mac that downtown students can partake in, such as the McGill Wildlife Association, the Out of the Garden Project, and Happy Feet. A two-hour extension of the shuttle would give Mac and downtown students alike a greater opportunity to explore all that McGill has to offer. Further, keeping both Mac and downtown students better informed about both campuses is necessary to bridge the disconnect between the two student bodies. The issue of finding adequate funding cannot be ignored, but should be examined and negotiated with student wellbeing in mind: Extending the shuttle hours by two hours would be hugely beneficial to the McGill community.

EDITORIAL: Searching for McGill pride School spirit at McGill is elusive concept. McGill students lack the hallmarks of typical university pride, like packed varsity games and roaring homecoming events. Attendance at McGill varsity games is notoriously low, and our homecoming is a far cry from the raucousness at other universities. That isn’t to say that McGill pride doesn’t exist–it just manifests itself differently. It doesn’t stem from a star quarterback, or a rowdy tailgate party. Instead, it comes from the shared day-to-day experiences of McGill students , and the diversity of smaller communities that they build during their time here. It’s natural to want to attach a sense of pride to the post-secondary experience. For better or worse, university catches people at their most vulnerable–on the cusp of adulthood and often living alone for the first time, armed only with a student card and a couple of course packs. It’s a phase of life in which students’ identities are still solidifying. Their university experience inevitably colours that process. For some students, McGill isn’t a

distinctive aspect of their identity. It’s simply the campus that they walk through to go to class, get their degree, and then move on through life. For others, their time at McGill is distinctive for negative reasons. It’s no secret that McGill puts its students through the ringer. Whether by maneuvering the infinite regress of Service Point, or just trying to get up McTavish in one piece, many McGill students seem to emerge from graduation more like scarred veterans than anything else. For those still fighting the good fight, it can feel like the institution isn’t here to help students, but to simply churn out exceptional individuals–the next generation of remarkable doctors and engineers and entrepreneurs. For those that aren’t already remarkable in this measurable way, it’s easy to get left behind. McGill expects everything of its students, yet seems to offer little to help them succeed. The McGill degree is an uphill battle; however, it’s also a shared battle. There is a sense of camaraderie on campus drawn not just from the struggle of six-hour cram

sessions or navigating Minerva, but from the common values that daily hurdles foster. McGill constantly challenges its students, and literally invented pain. Suffice to say, McGill students are accustomed to fighting to survive, and this scrappiness extends beyond the classroom–McGill students are conditioned to be critical of the world around them. There is a culture of activism on campus, and of actively, constantly seeking positive change. When McGill students are confronted with injustice or incompetence, whether at the level of student government or the administration, they identify it as such–and, often, push to make it better in constructive ways. This productive criticism is integral to our brand of school spirit. Moreover, while McGill itself may not offer adequate care or support, much less a sense of pride, students find these things in the people they encounter, and in the communities they join. At other universities, school spirit often revolves around a common, unifying experience, like a winning football team. McGill doesn’t have a single focal point like

that. Rather, it offers a range of smaller clubs, teams, and organizations. Between hacking competitions and frat houses, tightly-knit faculty and departmental associations and cultural societies, there’s a seemingly unlimited variety of niche groups at McGill. It’s through these smaller groups that students find the sense of belonging and connectedness that McGill, as a larger, more distant entity, lacks. It’s through these groups that students build their own McGill experience–and their own version of McGill pride stems from that experience, rather than from the institution as a whole. McGill school spirit may be difficult to pin down, but that doesn’t mean it’s nonexistent. It exists in the passion and dedication that McGill students exude, whether applied to their studies or to a worthy cause, and in the sheer diversity of communities that make up “McGill students.” It’s hard to find a single definition of McGill pride because there isn’t just one–McGill school spirit is a sum of experiences as diverse as the students that go here. And that’s something to be proud of.

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

opinion

The rationale behind feeling Holly Cabrera News Editor

When at a crossroads, one may turn to confidants, religious texts, philosophy, or even the dubious self-help book section in search for answers to the problems of life’s minutiae. Along this vein, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) has become my latest interest in popular psychology. Its dichotomies based on Jungian theories can be read as mindlessly as a daily horoscope prediction and yet, the test is reportedly used by 80 per cent of Fortune100 companies when recruiting. For this reason, some professionals even take pride in their assigned label and include their personality type on their LinkedIn profiles. According to the MBTI, one dimension of someone’s personality can be characterized by contrasting two styles of managing one’s emotions: Thinking and feeling. In competitive, result-oriented academic environments like McGill, students who possess ‘feeling’ type traits are often undervalued. From a young age, one is taught to keep emotions in check in the public sphere. Later in life, this defence mechanism is given a less provocative name: Professionalism. Those who don’t conform to the mold of a stoic leader are automatically viewed as erratic and unfit to manage others, since they apparently aren’t in control of themselves. ‘Hot-headed,’ ‘irrational,’ and ‘fragile’ are all terms peers may throw at those who let slip their

humanity. Feeling types’ sensitive dispositions are associated with weakness and they can be quickly written off as being too ‘soft’ to undertake leadership positions. However, individuals prone to taking the wellness of others around them as seriously as a ‘thinker’ would evaluate data are equally capable of navigating the turmoil of a workplace. In the face of conflict, thinking types will rationalize when approaching a dispute. To them, establishing the absolute truth takes precedence over emotional casualties; logic drives their decision-making in an attempt to keep outside influences and internal biases at bay. Still, not everyone systematically uses pro-con lists or empirical facts to make up their mind. Others have the natural ability to assess the impact of actions on group dynamics. Enter the feeling types: the emotionally expressive peacemakers of the world, those who favour diplomacy over delivering harsh truths. Whereas thinking types excel at spotting logical inconsistencies, feeling types are more concerned with the nuances of human thought. They attribute more weight to the values, perspectives, and overall well-being of others, when reaching a decision. Because emotion is often presented in opposition to rationality, it can seem foolish to value others’ momentary reactions. Make no

‘Lighten up, it’s just McGill.’ Mingye Chen

Business Manager My time at McGill has been bittersweet. As someone who came to the university right after the 2012 Quebec student protests, dissatisfaction with the administration was at an all-time high. While most current undergraduates have either forgotten or not experienced that era of McGill, that undercurrent of dissatisfaction remains. Oddly, now that I look back at my time here, I no longer feel the dissatisfaction that plagued me for so long. Perhaps it is just nostalgia, but I find myself remembering my frustrations with amusement and fondness. My earliest memory at McGill was participating in Rad Frosh in the Fall of 2012. I was underage at the time, so I chose to participate in an alternative frosh rather than a wet one. As it turned out, I only attended the first day of Rad Frosh before tagging onto Arts Frosh events for the rest of that week. The main reason for this was the tone of Rad Frosh that year—within the context of the recent student strikes, it was extremely critical of McGill. I remember reading their orientation brochure, which declared that “James McGill was a slave owner” and criticisms of the administration. The irony did not escape me; I was a first-year excited to begin my time at McGill, and yet my introduction orientation seemed focused on the school’s problems. I remember wondering why these people attended McGill if they were so dissatisfied. I was bemused, and would soon

become familiar with that feeling. The next absurdity came quickly–Fall 2012 was the year of the McTavish flood. At the time, Montreal was undertaking extensive construction on McTavish (sound familiar?), and crews had accidentally breached the McTavish Reservoir, quickly flooding lower campus. Memorably, Engineering students created a makeshift dike to protect their beloved McConnell building, and students holed up in various libraries to wait out the flood waters. Living in Upper Residence at the time, several of my friends took unwanted baths while trying to cross the river that had engulfed Robert-Bourassa Boulevard. However, these events were all overshadowed by the now infamous Flood Girl. Her falling and eventual acceptance of defeat encapsulated the universal weariness felt on campus that day. Flood Girl has heightened her myth by maintaining anonymity, and is symbolic of all students by capturing the absurdity of McGill in a uniquely relatable way. After the flood, Winter semester exams arrived. The McGill gym was unavailable due to construction, and so finals were held at the Scotiabank Theatre. Looking back, it was completely ridiculous. We were given food trays that slotted into the drink holders to use as desks, and were crammed into theatre rooms shoulder to shoulder. There was no way to maintain space between students and no way for invigilators to do

mistake, feeling types can be rational beings. The key difference between them and ‘thinkers’ is where they base their logic. It just so happens that others’ sentiments are the fundamental premise of feeling types’ reasoning. Their behaviour isn’t intended to be a form of manipulation; rather, it is what they consider the most effective and, hence, most logical way of achieving their goals. Naturally, university presents students with a series of scholastic and personal challenges to overcome. The stakes are higher, emotions are amplified, and briefly losing sight of the utility of one’s Liberal Arts–or dare I write–STEM degree, is very likely after threading through the nth wave of midterms. There is pressure to consistently perform outstandingly in a setting where classmates can just as easily be seen as competition. And yet, students should not feel that their propensity for one pattern of thinking over another makes them any less suited for any academic or professional challenges that lie ahead. Being in tune with one’s emotion and with those of others alleviates the periods of self-doubt that may arise throughout one’s studies. Since college can’t be experienced in a vacuum, exercising empathy is vital for effectively communicating our thoughts in a manner that others will understand. Whether one participates in a Political Science conference or collaborates on a marketing project, engaging with peers and professors is inevitable. In these circumstances, those who are more aware of their with their emotions and with those of others have an edge over empirical purists.

their jobs. If you made the mistake of sitting in a center seat, you could forget about leaving until everyone else was done. The lighting was movietheater quality–dim at even the highest setting. Whatever expectations I had of university, they did not include leaving an exam while passing people in line to see the new Hobbit movie. Exam implementation continued to be a source of incredulity at McGill that year. While the Fall 2014 semester saw the gym reopened for exams, amusingly, an exam session in the Fieldhouse was interrupted by a fire alarm two hours in. Students were evacuated and many had the foresight to grab their phones on their way out. While officials scrambled, opportunistic students looked up answers and went over their notes. The administration chose not to address the problem or schedule a new exam. Perhaps they realized it would be a logistical nightmare to force a retest, or perhaps they lacked the resources to organize one. Whatever their reasoning, everyone appreciated the ridiculousness. I could write a dissertation on the ridiculous things I have witnessed while at McGill. I have learned that sometimes the best way forward is to handle things as they come and laugh along the way. Sure, dealing with the seemingly endless nonsense at McGill can be frustrating, but postMcGill life is sure to be equally ridiculous. Now that I am leaving McGill after five too long yet too short years, I can finally appreciate the absurdities of McGill with a light heart. And let’s be honest— McGill probably takes itself seriously enough for all of us.

a walk through redpath museum By Nicholas Jasinski, Managing Editor Photos by Christopher Li

History

“The Governors have heard with the greatest gratification the announcement by Mr. Peter Redpath of his intention to erect and complete a Museum for the University for the safekeeping of the collections of the University in Geology, Mineralogy, Paleontology, Zoology, Botany and Archaeology,” read the minutes of the March 27, 1880 meeting of the McGill Board of Governors. Today a visual anchor of McGill University’s downtown campus and a popular destination for a quick and enlightening break between classes, the Redpath Museum also houses a world cultures (ethnology) collection that boasts the second largest assemblage of Egyptian antiquities in Canada. In addition to these displays, the museum is home to six labs where scientific research is done every day. The museum’s collection includes early hominid skulls, samurai armour, dinosaur fossils, shrunken human heads, and the largest collection of seahorses in the world–although only a few are actually on display. Less than a tenth of the museum’s holdings can be seen by the public, with the rest stored in the basement, off-site, or loaned out to other museums. Construction for Redpath, which is the oldest building in Canada built specifically to be a museum, began on Sept. 21, 1880. Peter Redpath, a prominent 19th-century Montreal businessman and industrialist, provided the $140,000 required to finance the museum’s construction. One of McGill’s greatest benefactors, Redpath earned his fortune from his family’s sugar refinery on the Lachine Canal. Redpath provided the financing for the Redpath Library, as well as many other gifts to the university. Along with his wife Grace, the Redpaths bequeathed over $500,000 to McGill in the second half of the 19th century–the equivalent of tens of millions of dollars in today’s money. These donations laid the foundation for McGill to become the worldrenowned institution it is today. When the Redpath Museum opened on Aug. 24, 1882, the majority of its collection came from the personal holdings of McGill’s longest-serving principal, Sir John William Dawson. One of the foremost Canadian scientists of his day, Dawson was born in Nova Scotia in 1820 and came to McGill in 1855. Dawson hit the ground running, converting McGill’s curriculum from a classical education based on the study of ancient texts, Latin, and Greek to the newly-invented “liberal arts,” which included many topics in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. “Dawson came and he was this enormous burst of energy,” Peter McNally, Director of the McGill History Project, explained. “He had these wide-ranging interests in everything scientific [....] Science became a respectable topic of study. [Before the 1850s], science had never been on a university curriculum and it was considered something you did, it was a pastime, a hobby. It was fun, it was interesting, but what use could it possibly be?” In addition to modernizing the curriculum, Dawson took advantage of a major economic shift occurring in Montreal in the 1850s. The city grew from a primarily commercial centre—at the intersection of arriving immigrants from Europe and the point where furs, logs, and other goods from Ontario and Quebec were shipped overseas—to become an industrial city, a transition that was accompanied by a boom in Montreal’s population.

“The Canadian industrial revolution began in Montreal in the 1850s along the Lachine Canal,” McNally said. “Dawson coming at that time was crucial [....] This was a moment when all this new money was being created with all this industrial development and the Redpaths were right at the height of it.” Dawson invited Peter Redpath to sit on the Board of Governors of McGill and attracted many other wealthy industrialists to contribute to the university. The influx of funds allowed Dawson to revolutionize the university’s academic offerings by adding the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Engineering. By the time Dawson stepped down as principal in 1893, he and Redpath had become close personal friends and McGill had become known as Canada’s leading university with a renowned faculty and many strong benefactors. The first president of the Royal Society of Canada, and the only person to have ever held the presidencies of both the American and British Associations for the Advancement of Science, Dawson’s reputation as a scientist was immense. Naturally, he attracted suitors from other universities wishing to add him to their faculties. In 1880, after 25 years at McGill, Dawson was considering moving to Princeton University, but Redpath was eager to keep Canada’s leading intellectual and the man responsible for building McGill into an internationally acclaimed university. At a banquet celebrating the 25th anniversary of Dawson’s principalship, Redpath announced his intention to build a museum to house Dawson’s collection of fossils, rocks, minerals, birds, and butterflies. Evidently, Redpath’s plan worked: Dawson would spend another 13 years at the university, working out of the sole office in the Redpath Museum building. Today, the Redpath museum is administered by McGill’s Faculty of Science and is free to visit for McGill students and members of the Montreal community. The museum’s labs are an active site for research at McGill and family workshops are held on weekends to fulfill the educational aspect of the museum’s mandate. The Redpath Museum Society is a student club that leads tours of the museum, plans lectures and films, and travels to elementary in Montreal to educate students Zikomoschools Smith, Sports Editor about the museum and its exhibits. The club’s last event of the year, “Freaky Friday: DJ and Dinosaurs,” will be held on April 7 and will feature a talk by paleontologist and Museum Director Hans Larsson, followed by food, drinks, and dancing on the museum’s main floor.

George the Gorilla

Looming over the staircase between the second and third floors of the Redpath Museum stands a proud and intimidating Silverback Gorilla named George. At five foot six inches tall, 450 pounds in weight, and with an arm-span of eight feet four inches, George is hard to miss. The gorilla was acquired in the 1938 Congo Expedition, a university-sponsored excursion by group of McGill professors that brought back 7,000 entomological specimens, 400 ornithological samples, and mammals, including chimpanzees, antelope, okapi, and George the gorilla. In 1940, with a large portion of McGill’s male students and faculty fighting in the Second World War, financial difficulties nearly led to the closure of the Redpath Museum. The McCord Museum, which belonged to McGill at the time, had been

forced to close earlier that year and the Redpath Museum was next in line. But then George was put on display. He proved to be such a popular attraction for Montrealers that the museum was able to stay open for the remainder of the war. Unfortunately for George, he is not entirely anatomically complete in his current form as he is missing one rather important feature. According to Vice President of the Redpath Museum Society Lauren McAusland, in the mid-1950s, three McGill students in lab coats sauntered into the museum and asked the director if they could borrow George for their research. The director gave them his permission and the students left with the gorilla. The next morning, George was discovered in the Three Bares fountain next to the museum with the entirety of his genitalia missing. How these pranksters were able to borrow him so easily is unknown and the location of George’s manhood remains a mystery to this day. Another mystery is how the students were able to move the 450 pound George and lift him onto the fountain without attracting too much attention. When the museum rearranged their exhibits in 1955 and moved George to a different display, it took 10 men and required the use of rollers to transport him, in what was called “Operation George.”

Dawsonite

Sir William Dawson’s collection, which formed the basis for the original contents of the Redpath Museum, included a multitude of geological specimens from across North America. It is fitting, then, that during the excavation for the construction of the Redpath Museum, a new mineral was discovered. Composed of sodium aluminium carbonate hydroxide with the chemical formula NaAlCO3(OH)2, the mineral was named Dawsonite in honour of McGill’s principal. “Dawsonite is found all over the world, you can find it anywhere, but the type location is right here, where we are right now,” said Zoology Technician Anthony Howell, at the Redpath Museum. “Literally, the Redpath Museum on McGill University campus is the type location for Dawsonite.” The type location for a mineral is the location where it was first identified. All future samples of the mineral are compared to that original sample. Dawsonite is a white, slightly transparent crystal. The commercial form of Dawsonite, called Carbaldrate, is used as an antacid.

Beluga Whale

At the end of the last ice age about 12,000 years ago, melting glaciers created an inland sea that covered most of what is now central Quebec and a large part of Eastern Ontario. Known as the Champlain Sea, the body of water covered over 55,000 square kilometres from Ottawa to Quebec City and was home to many creatures, including fish, seabirds, walruses, and even beluga whales. The remains of a beluga whale were discovered in Montreal in 1895 in a brickyard near the current site of the Jacques Cartier Bridge, under what is now Papineau street. “So the [brickyard notifies] the Redpath Museum that as they’ve dug up clay, they’ve uncovered some bones,” Redpath Museum Science Outreach

Coordinator Ingrid Birker said. “Edward Ardley, curatorial assistant at the museum, heads down there and he excavates all these sub-fossiliferous elements. They’re not completely mineralized because they’re not very old.” Ardley proceeded to clean and assemble the bones into a nearly complete beluga whale skeleton. He used a plumber’s lead pipe to thread, straighten, and fortify the whale’s vertebrae and backbone, and piano wire was used to hold the ribs and other bones in place. Ardley published a paper about his research on the specimen in 1905. The beluga has been on display at the Redpath ever since. “It’s a beautiful piece,” Birker said. “It tells a great story of not only the post-glacial sea, but it tells a story of preservation [and] our local natural heritage. This would have been a prized skeleton at the time.”

Darwin Letter

In a letter dated Jan. 19, 1872, the naturalist and father of the theory of evolution Charles Darwin wrote to Sir William Dawson to thank him for sharing his research on some of the earliest terrestrial, vascular plants from approximately 280 million years ago. “My dear Sir,” Darwin wrote. “I am greatly indebted to your kindness for having sent me your valuable memoir on the fossil plants of the Devonian and Upper Silurian formations. When we remember our state of knowledge only a few years ago, it is wonderful that a monograph should have been published on the plants of these ancient formations. With much respect, I remain dear Sir, yours faithfully & obliged, Charles Darwin.” Some of the samples to which Dawson referred in his research are on display beside the case that holds Darwin’s letter. The plants lived around the period when the first life began to appear on land with the earliest amphibians. “Dawson was the leading microscopist, he was the only person in the entire country who could actually section a fossil or a living plant cell or animal cell, mount it on a glass slide, parse it down, mount it under a scope, [...] and look at it and understand what he was seeing and write about it,” Birker said. “He wrote hundreds of papers. He was definitely the first person to describe the earliest terrestrial, vascular plants.” Although Darwin and Dawson corresponded frequently and shared their research on paleobotany with each other, the two men never met and Dawson remained a strict opponent of the theory of evolution throughout his life. “Dawson was very religious so he disagreed a lot with the theological implications of Darwin’s theory of evolution,” McAusland said. In fact, part of Dawson’s original designs for the museum’s displays were to show his doubts about evolution. “Dawson was one of the great antievolutionists of his period and so the collections that were put together initially were to propagate his vision of what happened,” McNally said. “He was a scientist and a paleontologist and he discovered these specimens that he knew went back millions of years. He was just not convinced that everything happened through an evolutionary sequence.”

Opposite page left: The Darwin Letter Opposite page right: Beluga whale skeleton Above from top: George the Gorilla, seashell specimens, Dawsonite, a Theban mummy, and a polar bear

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT CLASSES ENDING?

student living

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

Carving a new beginning in the face of rejection Students share their stories of opportunities lost and found Catherine Morrison Contributor The wounds of rejection cut deep, especially when they come by surprise. Because the end of the school year is a time when many McGill students are waiting to hear back from jobs, internships, and graduate schools, it can be comforting to know that many people are facing the same struggles. According to Guy Winch, author and psychologist, the feeling of rejection is often associated with the feeling of physical pain, as these experiences activate the same areas of our brain. Though this is a time to be optimistic about future plans, denial from jobs, internships, and schools is common and leaves many students feeling discouraged. Starting university is an incredible new beginning, however, determining which university to attend for undergraduate or graduate studies leaves many students grappling with rejection from their first-choice school. Eliza Snodgrass, U0 Arts, dealt with this before deciding to come to McGill for her undergraduate degree. It was particularly difficult because she became very attached to a school to which she was ultimately not accepted. “I had fantasized about what I would do once I got [to my first-choice school, the University of Southern California (USC)] and

had put so much emphasis on how important it was for me to go there,” Snodgrass said. “I truly felt like I deserved to get in because I worked so hard. I really tried to show them how much I wanted to go there and how much I cared, I mean, I slept in the T-shirt every single night.” Snodgrass explained that the pain of that the reactions of others were more painful than what she was experiencing herself. “[My friends and family] kept asking me how I was doing and for some reason everyone kind of expected me to be more upset than I was,” Snodgrass said. “It made sense, but I think people’s reactions were almost harder to deal with than the actual rejection.” In dealing with the disappointment of not being accepted, it’s important to remember the silver lining in every outcome. In Snodgrass’ case, she is now loving Montreal and has adopted many leadership roles, such as VicePresident (VP) External of McConnell Hall residence council and Student Ambassador at McGill. Rejections of all kinds are difficult to deal with, but they are always more difficult when they come from a community a person is already involved in that he or she trusts and cares about deeply. This type of rejection is much more personal, as it causes someone to doubt themselves, their abilities, and their circle of friends or colleagues. In the case of

Sofia Harrison, a first-year Science student at the University of Toronto, she experienced these feelings after being rejected from a position at her childhood summer camp. “I had known of many people who had not been asked to return as counsellors, but had never imagined myself to be in that position,” Harrison said. “So after my tenth amazing summer at camp, I was completely bewildered when I received a letter indicating that I was not chosen to follow the only path I had only ever imagined myself taking.” Both Harrison and Snodgrass’ stories demonstrate how much harder rejection can feel when one is not expecting it. For Harrison, the aspect of jealousy towards those of her friends who got the opportunity she wished to have made dealing with it the hardest. “One of the hardest parts of the day I got rejected was the buildup,” Harrison said. “All day I had been getting texts and snapchats from my friends getting in and telling me to rush home to open up my letter. We were all sure I would get in. Once I got home and opened the letter only to see I had been rejected, I felt like a failure, and I felt like I would lose all my friends.” Although Harrison’s experience was jarring and difficult to overcome, it forced

(Elli Slavitch / The McGill Tribune) her to find her own new beginning. She has spent her past two summers working at an art camp and now can’t wait to return for her third. “I think it’s important to maintain a good outlook and know that everything happens for a reason,” Harrison said. “[....] I can’t let the fact that I didn’t get a position working there ruin a whole lifetime of memories for me.” Although rejection can feel heartbreaking, it is a way to break free from what is expected and open ourselves up to new beginnings. Maybe not getting what we’ve planned is meant to remind us that the world is so much more than just one single path. Rejection is a way to gain a new perspective, to reflect on ways to improve, and to eventually grow thicker skin. In this sense, it’s important to remember that people’s defeats do not define who they are as a person, but help them evolve.

Viewpoint: How I transferred to McGill Flaminia Cooper Staff Writer Transferring to a new university is not a decision to make on a whim. If you are coming from outside of Canada, as I was, it can be an even bigger challenge, but I am proof that transferring is feasible, and that it can be the best decision of your life. I applied to McGill on Dec. 1, 2015, only two months after I started studying at the University of Surrey. Surrey was my safety school, as I hadn’t been accepted to any of my top choices in the UK. It’s a smaller university of 15,000 students, located about 30 minutes southwest of London. Overall, Surrey was a great university, but from my first day there were several factors that made me question my choice to spend the next four years of my life there. The University of Surrey states that it guarantees on-campus accommodation to all first year students; however, I wasn’t given this opportunity because I had applied to Surrey at the last minute, and all accommodation was full by then. I ended up living in a hotel

for the first month of university, which caused me to miss out on a lot of opportunities to meet people and settle into this next stage of my life. I joined a few societies and the volleyball team, but felt like neither the students nor the university took either of them very seriously. My courses were interesting, but weren’t very challenging, so I found myself wasting my time more and more as the year went on. After two months of feeling like I was on autopilot, I realized how unhappy I was, and decided I needed a new start. I reapplied to some universities in the UK, and— on a whim—branched out to McGill as well. I’d be lying if I said that my transfer to McGill was easy once I’d applied. McGill makes it painfully obvious that transfer students are only admitted if there is space left in each faculty, and even then only if you show extremely high academic standards. When transferring, most places ask for both your high school and university grades, so maintaining a good GPA is vital to be able to be accepted elsewhere.

Another problem I faced was the timing of my application. My final exams at Surrey were in June, but by mid-May I still hadn’t heard back from McGill and needed to know whether to withdraw from Surrey or register for next year’s courses. At that point, I called Service Point, academic advisors, and any other relevant numbers I could get hold of almost every day. My persistence eventually paid off, and I believe it helped me stand out among other potential transfer students. My parents were extremely supportive throughout the process. When I told them about my negative experience at Surrey, they were sympathetic, but wouldn’t let me drop out for the rest of the year and apply somewhere else, which was my initial plan. Instead, they suggested I apply to transfer and use my time at Surrey to boost my transfer application. Dropping out without a good reason isn’t reflected well in university applications, whether you are a transfer student or not. Motivations for transferring

Transferring universities can be a difficult process, but for many it’s the right choice. (Courtesy of Flaminia Cooper) vary case-to-case. Some students may thrive in a quieter environment with fewer people and less academic stress. Others may feel that they aren’t being challenged enough and are frequently bored. Social settings are also worth considering: How easy has it been to make friends or feel comfortable at your current school? The best thing to do is pinpoint why you are unhappy where you are currently, and decide whether uprooting your life to start again will be worth it. It is a huge decision to make, and you have to be confident that you have more to lose by staying at your current university than by moving to someplace new. I’m much happier at McGill than I was at Surrey. I prefer the busy city life to the quiet British

countryside, my courses are more demanding, and I am never bored with the wide variety of extracurricular activities available on campus. If I had to give one piece of advice to students looking to transfer—either to or from McGill— it would be to follow your instincts. I knew that deciding to transfer would be the biggest decision of my life up to that point; there were plenty of obstacles in the way, such as application timing and moving to a new continent, that could have easily stopped me. Despite everything, I persevered. In the end, you are the only person who truly understands the situation you are in. If you are unhappy, you owe it to yourself to change your life.

student living

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

Tackling Digital Clutter:

Why it matters and how you can do it Avleen Mokha Contributor When I started studying at McGill, I could not have anticipated the amount of digital clutter I would amass in my time here. My laptop was my go-to device; it served as my notebook, my planner, and my coursepack all at once. But by the end of my second semester, I was hardly functional. If I needed to pull up a document, I would have to wade through multiple files and folders before being able to access it. My productivity declined because my mind, like my digital space, was cluttered. While we are quick to declutter our workspaces and our rooms, for today’s student, it’s equally important to tackle digital clutter. The following tips may help you develop a new attitude toward your digital space as you prepare for your new summer job or the coming school year. 1. Identify what matters The most important part of tackling digital clutter is to know what is and isn’t clutter. Do you really need seven versions of the CV you made in your senior year of high school? Probably not. On the other hand, it is probably crucial to archive your term papers. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, “When was the last time I needed this exact file?” If you can’t come up with a clear answer, scrap the document. 2. Perfect your organizational system A thorough organizational system will keep your digital surroundings tidy. You can arrange your schoolwork by week or organize it by course—or both. For non-school related files, simple categories should do the trick: make a folder for

careerrelated files a n d organize y o u r m e d i a into ‘music,’ ‘movies,’ ‘TV shows,’ and so on. The idea is to be aware(Daria Kiseleva / The McGill Tribune) about the reason each file occupies the space it does. Consider things such as, ‘Can this file be grouped with similar files? Is there a sub-category in my system to which it better corresponds?’ Measure this by considering how you would access the file if someone asked you to pull it up. If you intuitively think of the current location it is in, then you have found the right place for the file. If you are able to imagine another place, move the document. A quick way to ensure that your system remains organized throughout the semester is to set a personal limit on the number of folders or files allowed in a certain location and to use the limit as an incentive to keep things organized. Remember, your system is yours alone, so don’t be afraid to tweak these suggestions until you find what works most effectively for you. 3. Develop a cleaning routine Rachel Aust, renowned lifestyle vlogger, recommends having daily, weekly, and monthly objectives for decluttering in order to successfully break down cleaning

into more manageable portions. Try it out by assigning two minutes every night to remove unimportant files from your desktop. Every week, clear out your Downloads folder and delete irrelevant emails. At the end of the month, take fifteen minutes to sort files and transfer them. By developing a clear routine, you will not only be able to tackle clutter efficiently, but also integrate decluttering into your daily habits. 4. Use cloud storage services Minimalism is about identifying and keeping things that make you happy or are important to you and removing those that aren’t. You can upload files that aren’t of immediate importance to storage drives such as iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox, and subsequently delete them from your computer. Unlike external hard drives, most of these services are free up to 15 GB of storage. An additional benefit is that these services tend to have their own smartphone apps, making files in cloud storage accessible from your phone or your tablet. 5. Don’t forget about your phone or tablet The Photos folder on your mobile device can rapidly fill up with photos, memes that your friends sent you, or screenshots of conversations. Keep this under control by deleting images from your photo collection once or twice a week. This way, you can curate the memories that matter and free up storage on your phone. Apps are also important. Not only does an excessive number of apps slow down your device, but reducing the number of apps you have will make your user experience more purposeful. See if you can sort apps that you use for similar purposes—such as social media and photography—into folders to help you navigate your device with ease.

The mysterious world beyond Roddick Gates Pressure to attend grad school leaves some feeling apprehensive about the next step Miguel Principe Contributor As the end of the year approaches, many McGill students will venture out of the world of undergraduate studies. Yet even after convocation, many choose to return to university, this time for graduate school. While going to grad school can be a fun and rewarding experience, social pressure to earn postgraduate degrees and the burden of adulthood leave many students feeling apprehensive about this decision. One such voyager into the land of graduate studies is Claire Motyer, U3 Music. She has recently been accepted to a Master’s program in Performance Science across the pond at the Royal College of Music in London, England. While this is an exciting new prospect, Motyer worries if she can both financially afford and emotionally handle more schooling. “[The fact that I have] already been in school for four

years and doing another degree right away is what is holding me back a bit,” Motyer said. “It can be draining for me not to take some time off. I’m not worried about the program I would be in, I think the program I chose is a good fit for me and I’m excited about that. It’s more aspects like living in London, overseas and far away, and the financial [aspects].” Melanie Greenwald, U3 Arts and Science, is also ready to graduate this semester and head into more schooling. Though her post-grad arrangements are not quite set in stone, she plans to return to her hometown on Long Island and study at a graduate school near her parents’ home to save money. For Greenwald, the deflating value of an undergraduate degree is pushing her to attend grad school; however, she worries that finishing a Master’s degree will still not be enough to help her find stable employment. “I’m worried about not finding a job with just a

bachelor’s degree,” Greenwald said. “Or even with a Master’s degree, which is what I’m going for. It’s asking yourself, ‘How am I going to find a job?’ [....] I feel that in the 60s, [since] everyone got a high school degree, [people were] like, ‘Now we have to go to college [to compete….]’ It’s really bad for people who can’t afford that [because] university is expensive.” There’s a lot to worry about when getting a Master’s degree in modern society. On top of the fatigue of completing more schooling comes the fact that in North America a bachelor’s degree is perceived similarly to how high school diplomas were once viewed—a basic necessity. According to a 2014 article in the National Post, 51 per cent of Canadian adults have at least a bachelor’s degree, but many post-secondary graduates earn less than the national median. This is because the saturation of degree-holders have forced many employers to increase

their qualifications. Low-paying jobs that used to only require a high school diploma now require a bachelor’s degree or more. Yet, according to the same article, a Master’s degree earned immediately after university can make job applicants seem overqualified, despite having no job experience. This leads to many Master’s graduates who are either unemployed or underemployed, making it difficult to pay off even the $27,000 average debt owed by bachelor’s graduates. These realities can cause a lot of apprehension for those pursuing even higher education. Despite the many factors that can make one hesitant about attending grad school, the Washington Post found that a Master’s graduate who acquires a job earns more than a bachelor’s graduate on average in the U.S. There’s also the fact that for some, going into a field one is passionate about gives excitement and hope about what lies beyond the bounds of Strathcona or Burnside.

“I really find it very appealing going to London since it’s a new environment, [...] so I’m really excited about the abroad aspect, experiencing a different city and being able to travel around there,” Motyer said. “I’m hopeful about expanding my network and meeting new people. Also, I’m really happy that I’m doing this [program because] it’s something I really like and am passionate about.” Ultimately, the apprehensions of going to grad school are rooted in the pressure to be successful and live a stable life. “[In the end], I just want to be stable, financially stable, living in harmony, and being happy,” Greenwald said “Maybe in a romantic relationship, maybe having a family. That’s too far in the future. Definitely, I want to be financially stable and in a house where I don’t have to depend on my parents and I’m happy working and doing what I’m doing for a living.”

student living

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

From Second Cup to Milton B

A new beginning for the Milton-Parc cafe Janine Xu Contributor In February 2017, the 24-hour Second Cup on rue Milton and Avenue du Parc boarded its walls and announced its permanent closure. For 12 years, it served as more than just a coffee shop. With a high percentage of McGill students living in the Milton-Parc community, the cafe was a cozy study space during exam season, wheree students flooded tables with notes and laptops during late hours. McGill students were shocked by the closing of Second Cup, with many voicing concerns on social media. Their primary worry was about losing a late night study space, as the Second Cup was one of the few coffee shops open for 24 hours. “Wow that was an institution,” commented Reddit user holistic_water_bottl. “Where am I gonna go now when I need to finish a term paper the night before[?]”

According to Jack Ahmed, former owner of the Second Cup, the main reason that the store closed down was due to issues with licensing. “There were disagreements [with corporate] that didn’t have anything to do with this location,” Ahmed said. “I used to own several Second Cups. [Basically], they gave me a high bill for renovations, which was not agreed upon [....] So, I said, ‘I can’t do this,’ [....] One by one, my [Second Cups] came up for renewal, and they didn’t renew me. [The Milton-Parc one] was the last Second Cup [left], and they didn’t renew me.” In the end, however, Ahmed is much happier. He believes he now has the freedom to pursue a business model that aligns with his interests. Shortly after hearing the news from corporate, he decided to open a new store in the place of the old Second Cup, a selfdescribed ‘urban cafeteria’ named Milton B. “I’ve been in business for the last 30

years,” Ahmed said. “Now, I can go ahead and do what I’ve always been dreaming about, creating my own brand.” Since Ahmed has been running the Second Cup on Milton for the last 12 years, he cites his familiarity with the Milton-Parc community in helping him develop his idea for the 24 hour café. For Ahmed, his interests in ecology and sustainability are shaping Milton B’s business model and brand. “I’m trying to cater to the community [and also express my love for the environment],” he said. “What better way to represent the [neighbourhood] than the actual name? [.…] The ‘B’ in Milton B stands for the bumble bee, [which are] incredibly important [in terms of the environment].” Basing his model on sustainability practices, Ahmed plans to buy local food. Rather than buying milk from Natrel or Quebon, both of which are large conglomerates, Ahmed says he intends to

purchase milk from small dairy farms in the Eastern Townships. Additionally, Ahmed now has the opportunity to expand his menu options and give customers a space to grab a coffee or study while providing fresh, locally sourced food. “The food from Second Cup was coming in packaged from outside,” he explained. “We are going to prepare everything on hand, [although] not from scratch. [I] call [Milton B] an ‘urban cafeteria’ because [there will be] a lot more food options.” Though Ahmed admits that he would have kept the Second Cup had the corporation renewed his franchising license, he is still incredibly happy with the work he has done on Milton B. “A franchise model is very rigid,” Ahmed said. “There’s no flexibility in what you can do. But [closing down and starting again] has allowed me to use my creativity and express myself.”

arts & entertainment

Vince Staples

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

dazzles with Life Aquatic Tour at the Corona Theatre

Staples’ performance vacillated between tense stoicism and furious catharsis. (Lauren Benson-Armer / The McGill Tribune) Dylan Adamson Contributor It hasn’t taken long for Vince Staples to carve out his lane in the West Coast gangsta rap scene. After a slew of teenage mixtapes, as well as a few features on early Odd Future releases, Staples broke through to the mainstream hip-hop consciousness with his 2014 EP, Hell Can Wait. His approach was uncompromisingly hard-nosed; his ear for eerie, driving beats was staggering. When Summertime ‘06 dropped in 2015, Staples’ sprawling, 20 track opus left few doubters in the hip-hop community. 2016 saw the release of yet another universally lauded EP, Prima Donna, delivered alongside an experimental short film. To say the least, it’s been a busy three years for the 23-year-old artist. His recent work has found him delving into more sonically experimental directions, but his brand has never strayed from his signature gritty, realist roots. On Saturday, March 25, ahead of his forthcoming Big Fish Theory album release, Staples brought The Life Aquatic Tour before a crowd of understandably stoked Montrealers. With the lavish Corona Theatre filled to sweaty capacity, the rapper could do no wrong as he ran through selections from across his oeuvre. Crowd-surfing

bodies soared across the swaths of wide-eyed fans; a churning sea of millennial hip hop heads bouncing side to side, feeding off Staples’ abundant charisma. Staples’ presence commanded more than enough attention to fill out the space. He stood alone on an empty stage, foregoing audacious rap fashion in favour of a simple black hoodie. Although cool in demeanour, the performance was marked by a gripping sense of volatility. Slower songs, including Summertime ‘06 cuts “Lemme Know” and “Birds & Bees,” were delivered with Staples’ trademark hard-nosed stoicism, his gaze fixed on the back of the room. More familiar cuts, however, burst this tense, restrained atmosphere into furious catharsis. Staples demonstrated the ability to leap between registers from verse to verse, rendering his song structures and flow refreshingly unpredictable. Favourites such as “Prima Donna” and “Blue Suede” saw the rapper explode into three dimensions, bouncing across the stage as if in the midst of the mosh pit sprawled out before him. In keeping with the Life Aquatic theme, Staples’ performance was backed by a tri-panel projection screen showcasing brilliant, atmospheric shots of underwater life, alongside the occasional bubbling skull, as well as a few scenes from the streets of his hometown, Long Beach, California. The supremely tranquil imagery of the

sea creatures provided an eerie juxtaposition to Staples’ aggressive, street savvy bars. Huge, luminous goldfish trespassed slowly across the stage, but instead of David Attenborough’s affable narration of the proceedings, Staples held his mic aloft while legions of hungry fans yelled in chorus, “Bitch you thirsty please grab a Sprite.” Perhaps even more prominent than this visual juxtaposition, the concert was repeatedly permeated by total blackness. Between uproarious bangers and more low key selections, the lone figure on stage was subsumed by darkness, disappearing into the chaos of the evening. Like the titular character of Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, and like the marginalized individuals populating many of Staples’ songs, the concert teetered on this exhilarating, terrifying brink of nothingness throughout. Although it can be somewhat jarring to witness a primarily white audience chant, “I ain’t never ran from nothin’ but the police” in unison with a black performer, Staples’ confidence and sheer charisma on stage skirted any trace of hesitancy, creating an entirely immersive spectacle. In the voluminous Corona Theatre, alternately bathed in the glow of sparkling sea creatures and total darkness, we were part of Staples’ universe—if only for a brief, thrilling moment.

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

Artist Spotlight: Sloast Art history student takes art to the streets

Ariella Garmaise Staff Writer Instead of hibernating in McLennan, the student artist known as Sloast has spent her graduating year steadily building up a fan base. With 1,300 Instagram followers, her support is strong and growing. She was featured in The Market Cooperative in the Students’ Society McGill University’s (SSMU) ballroom where she first started selling her artwork, and her stickers can be seen floating across laptops on campus. She was even contacted by the University College London (UCL) to participate in their “Homeless Period Project,” an organization that provides impoverished individuals with access to menstrual products. Despite this growing notoriety, Sloast remains relatively anonymous and chose to omit her real name for this interview. While her artwork is scrawled across Montreal’s walls, signs, and street posts, Sloast is first and foremost a student, on the verge of recieving her degree in Art History. Apart from a professor who allowed to submit a painting in place of a final essay, Sloast creates mostly outside of the classroom. She experiments with a myriad of mediums, including painting, drawing, and printing stickers. Particularly interesting is her venture into street art. “You don’t have to be anyone to do street art—you just have to go and do it. It’s very opportunistic, and very democratic,” she explained. While she reveres the art form, she also recognizes the ways in which it is problematic. “Street art is a process of gentrification,” she said. “It’s a way to bring tourists into the city, and raise rent prices. It brings

the elitism of the gallery into the streets. The city pays for the murals to be here. Street art is supposed to be subversive, but how can it be subversive if the city wants it here?” Insightful and self-aware, this criticism extends to her own privileged position, one that she readily acknowleges. Sloast describes the financial and emotional support her parents have given her as invaluable, and is cognizant of the advantages her privelege affords her. “I’ve never had an issue with the cops, and being white has helped with that,” she explained. “I’m not seen as threatening.” Sloast’s mindfulness is a driving creative force. While not overtly political, her pieces are a reaction to a long Sloast experiments with several mediums, including paint and printing precedent of white, male artists—a history she has studied stickers. (Photo courtesy of Sloast) throughout her degree. Her tag, “Eye see you,” gives women agency. São Paulo, Brazil to teach and make art. “It is an active female gaze,” Sloast said. Despite the stress, Sloast looks forward to the creative Sloast’s work is broadly influenced by feminism, freedom graduation will bring. spirituality, and the natural world, and she finds a nexus between “Art for me has been a great way to de-stress and relax, these themes both aesthetically and thematically. Her pieces which makes it less statement or political based,” she explained. blend together inorganic pinks, purples, and blues in psychedelic “I hope once I’m out of an academic mindset that I can [channel] patterns, sometimes incorporating a woman’s face and body, that critical energy into my art, as opposed to my papers,” other times merely abstract. At the moment, she looks to Hesitant to limit herself to a permanent address or ecofeminism for inspiration. profession, Sloast has not envisioned a concrete future for “I am interested in Mother Nature as a living entity,” Sloast herself. Nonetheless, Sloast is ambitious and brave. Just as she mused. has done throughout her years at McGill, she is likely to continue As she enters her final month of university, Sloast is carving unique opportunities for herself. overwhelmed by the onslaught of final essays and exams, just “I know if I keep working, more opportunities will come,” like her peers. However, she is also planning where the next Sloast said. “I have a lot of faith and courage in myself.” phase of her creative journey will take her, looking to travel to

From the Viewpoint: The future of fashion at the McCord Museum steady bass heartbeats into the cavernous showspace. Some artist in their underwear is twisting into yoga poses in front of a mirror under muted red lamps. This is the future of fashion, ‘After Hours Fashion Tech’ highlighted technological innovation in fashion. bitches. (Hannah Taylor / The McGill Tribune) T h e McCord Virginia Shram Museum of Social History presented “After Contributor Hours Fashion Tech” last Thursday night. The exhibit was a one-night-only technological I’ve only just walked into “After Hours extravaganza highlighting the beginning Fashion Tech,” an exposition on fashion of the “Printemps Numérique” (Montreal technology at the McCord Museum, when an Digital Spring), Montreal’s 2017 theme for usher slaps a futuristic white watch on my wrist the city’s annual slew of summer festivals. and a bartender thrusts an almond-lavender gin Scanning the showspace, I notice that I can get cocktail into my hand. I’m equipped, buzzed, holographically fitted for a bra or, for men, a and ready to maneuver this dense crowd full suit, which seems slightly incomparable, mingling underneath similarly mobile spinning but whatever. A knee-high shelf in the centre geometric neon lights while DJs pump of the room displays half a dozen impossibly

high heels designed to look like surf-caught seashells and sparkling cliffs. Some have feminist mantras etched into the heels’ wedges. I immediately wish I had worn heels of my own so that I could easily see over the crowd, to where people are getting fancy mini-burgers. The ultra-modern aspects of the exhibition stand in sharp contrast to the newest temporary exhibition, the Expo 67 (running until October 2017)—a collection of hostess dresses and other colourful outfits hailing from the year 1967. It’s somewhat unclear how much the interactive elements of tonight are meant to work with the Expo display, but patrons tired of the loud DJ hide deep in the maze of pastel suits, swirling their cocktails. While the exhibit is itself visually lush, to my chagrin, nothing about it is interactive besides a spacesuit-clad mannequin that flushes with LEDs when someone walks in front of a hidden camera in the lapel. I ask for a demonstration, but the museum employee informs me that it’s broken at the moment; remarkably poor timing, considering it’s not a permanent part of the Expo. Some woman in a virtual reality (VR) headset is stumbling around a cleared semicircle, using her arms to paint a 3-D dress. I try the headset after her, marvelling at the level of detail in my vaguely dress-like creation. Two minutes later, however, I have to step back to make space for the next Picasso fashionista.

Again, I wish that this were a permanent part of the Expo 67 collection, since this Cinderellaesque single night of stylistic innovation would serve a as a greater inspiration for the masses if it could stay. It seems the primary purpose of this event is networking, given the clusters of tightly packed people clinking glasses and wearing glowing watches, but the friend who accompanied me tells me the usher accidentally registered my synchronized watch under another person named Virginia. I will take time now to apologize to that Virginia for using my watch’s insta-contact-swapping powers to swiftly maneuver an awkward dude in a suit trying to flirt with me. I cut him off—one press of the watch’s single button, and both of our watches light up in apparent synchronization, allowing me to politely leave the conversation. What an unexpectedly awesome side benefit. Please ignore that automatic email from a certain clingy “Claude,” Virginia. Ultimately, it’s unfortunate that this exposition will not last beyond tonight, as it would be an excellent addition to Expo 67 and no doubt the VR experience would draw visitors. But if this display of technological innovation in fashion is a mere example of what to expect for the festival scene this summer, then the coming months are bound to be exciting and explosively colourful.

arts & entertainment

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

A Roundtable Discussion on Kendrick Lamar’s New Album

“

By: Eric Noble-Marks, Jordan Foy, Dylan Adamson, Gibran Haque, and Zikomo Smith

sound like? Do you think your hopes will be fulfilled?

Kendrick Lamar shook the hip-hop world to its core last week with the release of new single “The Heart Pt. 4,” which hinted at a release date of April 7 for the rap regent’s forthcoming new album. With rumours swirling of a new single to be released that very night (“Humble” was indeed dropped to much fanfare shortly after we finished recording), five of McGill’s biggest Kendrick diehards sat down to discuss our hopes and expectations for the album. Note: the following conversation has been edited for duration and clarity

ZS: To be honest, I’m not really sure. I thought it was interesting how he switched up the beat on “The Heart pt. 4” like he was doing a cypher or a freestyle, but it doesn’t give me any indication about where he’s going to go.

Eric Noble-Marks: First of all, what are you hoping the new album will sound like?

GH: I’ll be happy if he goes over some Southern screwed and chopped instrumentals. That’d be super interesting. At this point, he can go towards so many directions sonically that you never know what he’s going to do.

Zikomo Smith: Sonically, I’d love him to explore some of the sounds we heard on untitled unmastered, particularly tracks two and seven, which were massive standouts for me. I don’t want him to do anything too complex like on To Pimp a Butterfly (TPAB), but something a little more accessi–ble. ENM: See, I’m on the other side. I want him to go more experimental and out there. Gibran Haque: Even untitled was just B-sides from TPAB. I don’t think he’d want to make the same album three times in a row. Jordan Foy: Totally, but I do hope there’s that underlying complexity where it’s a concept album and there’s a lot to sink your teeth into conceptually. That’s what I really like about Kendrick Lamar as opposed to other artists. Dylan Adamson: I feel like I don’t need the afro-futurism angle of TPAB again. I found that sound immediately accessible, but what I really thought made the album have lasting power was the lyrical density. All the different themes of blackness, sexuality, Christianity, and coming of age gave it staying power for me. untitled unmastered had a lot of bangers though, so I guess I could have it both ways. ENM: What do you think the album will

ENM: What little we’ve got to go on is pretty vague. Producer Syk Sense, who’s apparently heard the album, says it’s going to sound like a mixture of L.A. and Memphis production so I think it’s safe to say this is going to [be] a harder album in terms of production style.

ENM: I just hope he doesn’t make an album of just bangers. I think he can do more than that. DA: Well, would you classify Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (GKMC) as that? Like end to end, that’s pretty much bangers, but it’s still a ridiculously complex album. ENM: See, I don’t think that’s in the same league as TPAB. DA: The beats on GKMC were less developed. At times on TPAB, the narrative elements were interesting but almost overwrought in a way that can be distracting. GH: I was actually a really big fan of that. Like when we found out he was talking to Tupac at the very end, that was awesome. Right now, he’s the best at telling a story and making it well-realized within the context of the album. JF: That’s true. Now you’re seeing people like Drake, Future, and the Weeknd are making huge albums designed to get streams. On More Life, you can pick and choose what songs you want to listen to, but Kendrick’s albums have to be listened to from beginning to end. ENM: Let’s talk politics. Kendrick went

really political on his last record and things have Kendrick Lamar surprised fans with the release of his latest single on March only gotten worse 23. (Madeline Kinney / The McGill Tribune) politically. He can’t really go more political than he’s been in ENM: Mike WiLL Made-It is a more the past, but do you guys want a Trump versatile producer than people give him credit for, too. diss album? ZS: I don’t really want to hear him talk about Trump at all on this record. I’m not sure what new information he’s going to reveal unless he actually knows what the Russians are doing. I’m not sure if that’s going to bring something fresh to the table. I want to see him go personal, with political elements within that. It would be cool to hear more about his relationship with God, for example.

DA: Yeah, I mean he produced Beyoncé’s “Formation,” which had a crazy beat.

ENM: Do you guys see him going in a gospel tinged, Chance the Rapper-ish direction then?

ZS: Yeah, it’s good to see someone taking shots at Drake. As good as Drake is, he’s not that proficient at what he does.

JF: I hope not, I didn’t like Colouring Book.

ENM: Regardless of your opinion of him, I think we can all agree that Drake does not want a feud with Kendrick Lamar.

DA: I feel like Kendrick’s a lot more complicated than Chance. I can’t see him spouting these unanimously positive lines. ENM: You don’t want an entire album of “I,” which is what that would be. JF: If he does go in that direction, I think it’ll be part of the broader narrative of the album. Same with Trump. ENM: Let’s talk about the new single that is supposedly dropping tonight [March 30]. It’s rumoured to be produced by Mike WiLL Made-It, which is a surprising choice for an artist of Kendrick’s stature. What do people think of Kendrick working with a more traditional producer? GH: I don’t see a problem with it. He’s showed in the past that he can work with producers like that.

JF: I think there’d have to be some kind of compromise between Mike and Kendrick. If it’s Kendrick it’s generally not super traditional. GH: Are we not going to talk about how he’s taking shots at Drake and Big Sean?

JF: Kendrick would kill him. DA: I don’t even want Kendrick to be feuding with Drake. There are better ways to spend your time. GH: Even worse would be a Big Sean beef. That’s pointless. He’s just kind of discount, dollar store Drake. I wouldn’t mind one call out verse though. ENM: Yeah, mostly though, I just hope this record is different than what he put out before and different than what’s out there. GH: It will be. DA: It’s a testament to his consistency that none of us are even worrying that it could be, like, bad. GH: Kendrick always finds a way.

Sci tech

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

Everything you wanted to know about blobfish but were afraid to ask Discovery of blob-like fish captures attention of mainstream media Izze Siemann Staff Writer Ever pictured a cross between Squidward from Spongebob and a grumpy English Bulldog? If not, look at a picture of the infamous “blobfish” and wonder at the mysteries of life. According to the New York Daily News, the blobfish, or Psychrolutes marcidus, was voted “World’s Ugliest Fish” by the Ugly Animals Preservation Society in 2013. Since this crowning achievement, the blobfish has floated into the hearts of an adoring fan base through a series of memes, and children’s books: The Blobfish Book and Pink is for Blobfish There have even been “plush blobfish” manufactured to bring the bubblicious-pink, squishy fish into the arms of adoring children. During last year’s U.S. presidential election, the blobfish became increasingly famous. Pictures of the gelatinous animal were compared to President Donald Trump—the two sharing striking physical similarities. In one photo, an innocent blobfish had Trump’s orange hair photoshopped onto its

head, further affirming the uncanny resemblance between the two in the eyes of the Internet. “Mr. Blobby” has other look-alikes, many of which were highlighted during the fish’s exhibition at the Australian Museum’s Ichthyology Collection. “Schoolchildren were encouraged to leave mash notes [at the museum’s Blobfish display case],” Franz Lidz wrote in Smithsonian Magazine. “The most memorable: ‘You remind me of my teacher.’” But who are these creatures under their crotchety countenance? As it turns out, scientists know relatively little about the blobs. “[Scientists] fear the blobfish, which can grow up to 12 inches, is in danger of being wiped out by overfishing in its south eastern Australian habitat,” author Andrew Hough wrote in a 2010 article published in The Telegraph. The species are now on the endangered species list. Lidz writes that scientists in New Zealand and Australian first discovered the species around the Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands while exploring submarine habitats. This benthic—or bottom-

The blobfish has won over the hearts of many with its human-like features. (Erica Stefano / The McGill Tribune) dwelling—fish lives up to 4,000 feet below sea level on the ocean floor. In fact, the pressure of the water provides their bodies with structural support, rather than having a swim bladder, or developed muscles and skeletons. Their bodies, less dense than the water around them, allow the fish to float along the sea floor without a swim bladder—the organ that allows most fish species buoyancy. In reality, blobfish only really move when they need food and

can’t get it while sitting still—much like university students on a Sunday morning. As eloquently written by Michael Hearst in Unusual Creatures, “Blobfish, blobfish, JELL-O of the sea—Floats upon the bottom, lazy as can be.” Contrasting against human beauty standards, the blobfish body’s gooey composition and lack of a swim bladder evolved as an adaptation for survival in the deep ocean.

“A lot of fish with swim bladders caught in deep waters and then [brought] up [to shallower waters] have their guts pushed out of their mouths, essentially because they can’t get the air out of their swim bladder fast enough,” Dr. Andrew Hendry, professor in the McGill Department of Biology and researcher at the Redpath Museum, said. “I don’t know of any fish that [change composition in changing pressure levels] with as much aplomb as the blobfish.” Because of the extreme pressure, Mr. Blobbly looks like a regular fish on the ocean floor. “Why [is...] the world [...] too hard on the blobfish?” Colin Shults asked in an article for Smithsonian Magazine. “Because if we put [humans] 4,000 feet below the water [their] organs would be crushed and [they’d] probably be turned into some sort of paste. Meanwhile the blobfish would just look like...well...a fish.” Little else is known for certain about the blobfish. Nevertheless, its influence on the laughs and smiles worldwide have made it the most iconic fish of the 21st century.

New study reveals that magnets can improve memory McGill research sheds light on link between magnets and brain performance Omar Arafeh Contributor Desperately looking for new ways to cram for upcoming exams? Researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) of McGill University have discovered a way to improve sound memory performance in the brain using magnetic pulses. The researchers of the study, published on March 23 in Neuron, asked study participants to perform auditory memory tasks while their brain activity was monitored. Participants listened to pairs of short melodies, which were either the same or had slight pitch changes, and had to identify a change in the pattern. It was previously known that a network of neurons in a region of the brain called the parietal stream played a role in auditory memory.

However, prior to this study, the role of theta waves in this brain region had not been understood. By using two types of brain scanners called magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG), the MNI researchers were able to detect pulses of theta waves in the parietal stream when the study participants performed auditory tasks. “We identified that in this very region there was a certain rhythm of theta waves that was strong when the task required the involvement of working memory,” Dr. Sylvain Baillet, a co-senior author of the study and Professor in the Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Biomedical Engineering, explained. To further explore the relationship between theta waves and auditory memory,

the study proceeded to expose the theta waves to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) while performing the same set of tasks. The researchers predicted that TMS would stimulate and enhance the theta waves in the parietal stream, which in turn would improve working memory. Before the stimulation began, the researchers programmed the TMS exposure to correspond to the rhythm of the theta oscillations. While being induced with TMS, the participants performed the same memory tasks, but this time with increased improvement. Interestingly, the theta activity in the brain predicted the participants’ performance, according to Philippe Albouy, the study’s lead author. “This means that the more theta waves the brain is generating, the better the participants are at

their tasks,” Albouy said. It was also crucial that the TMS pulses were in sync with the theta oscillations. “The benefits in terms of performance [were] observed mainly for the rhythmic stimulation only,” Albouy clarified. “This makes a link between ongoing theta oscillations and [the potential] to modify the rhythm of those oscillations to boost participants’ performance on a given task.” To verify their theory, the researchers repeated the experiment, but this time with nonrhythmic magnetic pulses. This did not result in any improvement in memory, highlighting the fact that the rhythmic magnetic pulses were key. Interestingly enough, the TMS machine itself produces a certain sound when activated. This led some researchers to believe that

it may be possible that the sound itself improved memory; however, this was quickly disproved. The implications of this study may lead to more research on the benefits of TMS on not only auditory memory performance, but vision, perception, and learning, as well. Additionally, it may even have clinical applications, such as aiding Alzheimer’s—a disease that damages neurons and memory in the brain. However, Albouy and Baillet temper speculations of future TMS treatments and insist further research must be done. This study only proved the effects of TMS on short-term auditory memory. The next step for the researchers is to test the long-term effects of stimulation to determine if plasticity in the brain tissue can be altered to improve memory in the long run.

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

Sci tech

McGill alumnus develops one-handed surgical knot-tying method

New technique offers surgeons a higher degree of flexibility Rebecca Zhuang Staff Writer McGill alumnus Farah Na’el Musharbash has created a new method to tie surgical knots that only requires the use of one hand, which can be greatly advantageous to a surgeon. After attending McGill University from 2012 to 2015, Musharbash began medical school at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He worked closely with the Dean of Medical Education Dr. Michael Awad in developing this technique. An article and a video of the new method was published online and in the medical journal, The Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. “It’s a new one-handed method for tying surgical knots, where one hand is completely free, except at the end to help tighten the throw,” Musharbash explained. The majority of suture ties require the use of two hands, and one-handed surgical knots can offer a higher degree of flexibility for a surgeon. This technique allows the other hand to perform a task away from the surgical site, such as maintaining pressure

on an organ, which is especially useful in situations when a surgeon may not have an assistant. While there were one-handed knot variations that existed prior to Musharbash’s method, he found that in practice they actually required both hands. This prompted him to look closely into different knot tying techniques and it took a couple of months before his method was created and finalized. Although the knot is actually quite straightforward, Musharbash believes that its simplicity is what makes it special and innovative. “As students, sometimes we don’t have the resources for a big lab,” Musharbash said. “[But] you have these simple ideas, and [most] of them are not going to end up giving you anything, but if you follow through [on] enough of them, you’ll come up with one or two things that are new.” As a physiology major at McGill, Musharbash was involved extensively in research. He worked in a biomedical engineering lab with Professor David Juncker and in mathematical research with Faculty Lecturer Sidney Trudeau.

“Getting involved in research gave me the right building blocks and way of thinking […] to succeed in med school,” Musharbash said. While Musharbash believes that it was his research experience at McGill that helped adequately prepare him to face the challenges in medical school, taking leadership roles also helped him develop essential skills in communication, organizing, and turning his ideas into reality. Musharbash is a co-founder of the non-profit organization Heart4Heart at McGill, which aims to provide heart surgeries for children in developing countries. “It’s not just about how well you do in the books, but rather, how well you communicate, how well In his first year of medical school, McGill alumnus Farah Na’el you’re organized, and if you can Musharbash developed a one-handed suture technique. make things happen,” Musharbash (publishing.rcseng.ac.uk) everything at once. said. “Never lose sight of your priorities,” As for advice for prospective medical students in undergraduate programs, Musharbash said. “[….] And the number Musharbash recommends having a one priority [should be] your studies. Have realistic balance between academics and that taken care of before you delve into lots extracurriculars, as students often try to do of other things.”

Why we procrastinate

Explaining how the brain procrastinates and tips to overcome it Oceane Marescal Contributor “The deadline is a week away—I’ll just do it tomorrow.” For many, this phrase has become the all too familiar reasoning to put off an assignment in exchange for a more relaxing night spent watching Netflix. However, as finals approach, those who left studying to the last minute will start regretting their decision to procrastinate and may wonder why they would do such a thing in the first place. Why do we procrastinate?

When we are faced with an unpleasant job to do, the brain weighs its two choices. The first option, listen to the prefrontal cortex and finish whatever task needs to get done. This “thinking” part of the brain recognizes future consequences and knows that a few days from now we will regret putting the task off. The second option would be to give in to the limbic system and enjoy the small, immediate outburst of endorphins produced by participating in more pleasurable activities. Often, the brain will choose the instantaneous burst of pleasure that procrastinating gives us because of the dominant nature of the limbic system. How can we overcome procrastination?

1. Eliminate distractions. The prefrontal cortex requires effort to be kept on task. Any distraction that causes a loss of focus makes it easier for the limbic system to win the The urge to procrastinate arises from the way the brain battle. While studying, try to close all unnecessary browser makes decisions. Two parts of the brain, the limbic system tabs, stay off social media, and shut off your phone until you and the prefrontal cortex, are in constant competition for are done with what you have to do. Small baits can tempt the control of the decision-making process. Of the two, the brain and increase the chances of procrastination. limbic system is the one to blame for procrastination 2. Reward yourself for completed work. Study for habits. As one of the most primitive parts of the brain, it an hour, then reward yourself with a 10-minute break. Once controls basic emotions, such as pleasure and pain. The the brain starts expecting a reward for overcoming a difficult limbic system is always “on” and is dominant to other task, it will be easier to get into the habit of getting work done. parts of the brain. It is also rich in opioid receptors that Studying by intervals also helps increase focus, which in turn sense endorphins, such as dopamine and serotonin. The strengthens the prefrontal cortex against the pressures of the binding of an endorphin to its receptor in the limbic system limbic system. is what drives emotions of happiness. 3. Self-impose deadlines. Besides pleasure, another The limbic system is balanced by the prefrontal Try studying with a timer to overcome procrastination. emotion that the limbic system feels is pain. When a deadline cortex—the part of the brain that compels us to complete a (Ceci Steyn / The McGill Tribune) approaches, the stress of meeting it creates a feeling of “pain,” task. The prefrontal cortex is involved in the higher order thinking that separates humans from other animals. Regrettably, it is weaker than the limbic which overrides any feeling of pleasure that the brain would gain from procrastination. system and requires constant effort on our part in order to function. This means that as soon as Although less effective than an external deadline, self-imposed deadlines create the same effect and can help you finish work. we lose focus on a task, the prefrontal cortex falters and the limbic system takes over.

Sci tech

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

Food for thought What did it mean to call food ‘nourishing’ in the 18th century?

Dr. Rebeca Earle from the University of Warwick discussed the evolution of nutritional science. (Lauren Benson-Armer / The McGill Tribune) Daria Kiseleva Staff Illustrator Today, individuals who wish to commit to a healthy diet will find no shortage of scientific data to ground their choices. However, as we scroll past yet another study about the nutritional merits of the latest fad diet, it may be instructive to look back on the time before the modern paradigm of nutrition was established. On March 30, University of Warwick Professor Dr. Rebecca Earle delivered a presentation, sponsored by the McGill Department of Latin & Caribbean Studies, about the meaning of “nourishment” in

18th century Europe. In that period, dietetic knowledge was increasingly sought as a means to foster national strength and prosperity. “This collective prosperity of the political whole depended on the energy and vitality of the individual,” Earle explained. “[….] Poorly fed peasants would not engender vigorous and robust children and underfed scrawny soldiers would scarcely protect the kingdom from military assault.” Although the word “nourishing” often appeared in 18th century discussions of food, scientists could not yet explain what exactly makes a food nourishing,

much less quantify nutrition. In response to recurrent problems with food supply, charitable associations established soup kitchens that provided “poor soups” to those most in need. In the quest for efficiency, premiums were offered to individuals who could invent the most nutritious soups at the lowest cost. Earle cited a famous example of a soup comprised of barley, potatoes, salt, vinegar, and croutons created circa 1800 by Count Rumford, who scrutinized the diets of the residents of a poor house in an effort to optimize his product. In a report, Rumford calculated the precise costs of preparing the soup, but provided no quantification whatsoever to support its nutritive qualities. Instead, some promoters of “poor soups” would determine the portion sizes of their products by offering them to needy families and soliciting feedback on their subjective nutritional satisfaction. In a similar vein, a contest of nutritional superiority between wheaten and oatmeal breads was argued on the basis of appearance and robustness of its consumers. “The common people in Scotland, who are fed with oatmeal

are in general neither so strong nor so handsome as the same rank of people in England, who are fed with wheaten bread,” wrote the Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations in 1776. English writer and social investigator Frederick Morton Eden had a different take. “Handsomer and more muscular men are not reared in any part of the British dominions, than those countries where the oatmeal diet is predominant,” Eden argued in 1797. Without scientific data, scholars relied on spotty qualitative observations. “Ultimately, 18th century savants were obliged to rely on the evidence of experience because they had not elaborated a single widely acclaimed paradigm that accounted for a food’s ability to nourish,” Earle said. This changed in the 19th century when nutritional energy was finally quantified in the unit of a calorie and knowledge about nutrients became more conclusive. While this scientific progress enabled large scale programs of dietary intervention in populations, Earle remarked that it

also created a psychological shift in the humanitarian paradigm. “The recognition that consumers were in some way qualified to assess their own diets diminished,” Earle said. “[….] Indeed, a diet guided by gustatory pleasure was viewed as almost totally inimical to good health because the taste was likely to seduce the eater into the consumption of unhealthy and nutritionally irrelevant food stuffs. The opinions of eaters were not just irrelevant when it came to determining whether a food was nourishing—they were a positive hindrance.” Earle went further to propose a parallel between the evolving conceptions of nutrition and poverty. “Poverty [as conceptualized in the 19th century] is a condition created by the irresponsible neglect of the impersonal economic forces that shape human existence,” Earle said. “You might argue that poor nutrition is caused by willful disregard of scientifically established dietary advice. From this perspective, the principles of economics are no more subject to personal opinion or individual negotiation than are the carbon requirements of a fully grown man.”

Explaining tocophobia

Fear of childbirth vs. fear of spiders: Is there a difference?

Erin Dwyer Contributor Everyone is afraid of something, or at least that’s what we’re told. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 8.7 per cent of the adult population suffers from a phobia, or a “marked and persistent fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation.” The good news is that it’s widely accepted in the psychiatric community that common phobias—even in the most severe cases, affecting 1.9 per cent of the population— can be successfully treated with cognitive and behavioural therapy. Most research on phobias has been done on the fear of spiders, flying, snakes, germs, and other relatively common and well-known phobias. But what about the phobias that we don’t have a name for, or newly-recognized phobias? Can established therapy methods be expanded to treat less explored phobias, such as the fear of pregnancy and childbirth? According to Assistant Professor Dr. Tuong Vi Nguyen of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), the solutions to a fear of giving birth, called tocophobia, and

the fear of spiders, called arachnophobia, are surprisingly aligned. “We have a high-risk population at the MUHC and there were a lot of women with severe birth trauma,” Dr. Nguyen said. “And during their second or third pregnancy, [she] could have post-traumatic stress disorder that manifests through the fear of childbirth, and that is tocophobia.” In addition to this secondary type of tocophobia, Dr. Nguyen also came across a different variety that didn’t require previous traumatic childbirth experience. “There are also women with primary tocophobia, women who have never been pregnant or given birth,” Dr. Nguyen said. “They were so fearful of giving birth, they would avoid the whole pregnancy experience.” Currently, there is limited research about the prevalence of tocophobia and its causes. However, Dr. Nguyen estimates that, based on the studies she has seen, approximately 20 per cent of women have a moderate fear of childbirth. “And six to 10 per cent of them will be dysfunctional because of it,” Dr. Nguyen added. ”One of my patients said she was so

disgusted that she wasn’t able to go see her pregnant friends or family. So that completely cuts you off from big transitions in the life of friends and family, really leading to social dysfunction.” It was clear that Dr. Nguyen and her colleagues at the MUHC needed to address the high volume of women contacting her about their experiences with tocophobia. “At this stage at the MUHC, we are really thinking of establishing the basics of what we can offer these women, how we can improve this condition,” Dr. Nguyen explained. Tocophobia is unique because, for the people who suffer from it, they must face their fear on a regular basis. “People who are very afraid of planes, or spiders, or snakes, they have phobias similar to tocophobia,” Dr. Nguyen said. “But in their case, if you live in Quebec it’s pretty easy to avoid [these things], so it’s easy for them. But, if you’re really phobic about giving birth and you want children, that’s a real problem for you.” Tocophobia is similar to other phobias in that it is likely to be responsive to cognitive behavioural therapy. Through gradual

Dr. Nguyen estimates that 20 per cent of women have at least a moderate fear of childbirth. (Daria Kiseleva / The McGill Tribune) exposure to pictures and videos of childbirth, women can improve their psychological state when exposed to triggering subject material. Despite individual psychotherapy programs having demonstrated the most effectiveness in treating phobias, the MUHC has focused on developing group therapy programs because they are the most costeffective method.

Sports

(Photo courtesy of Daniel Aponte)

More than just memories

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

Love for baseball in Montreal still burns hot

André Morin Contributor Walking into any Montreal metro station on the evening of March 31, many commuters were probably confused to see the unfamiliar sight of baseball fans. Draped in Blue Jays blue and white with smatterings of the old Expos colours, fans packed onto the subway to head to see the Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates face off in the final spring training series at the Olympic Stadium. Those who showed up early witnessed a pre-game ceremony honouring former Expos outfielder Tim Raines—a fan favourite and recent addition to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Joining him on the field were several of his old teammates ,including Bill “Spaceman” Lee, Warren Cromartie, and Jeff Reardon. The crowd went wild for Raines as he entered the field in a golf cart. A video tribute, highlighting moments from his time with the Expos, and he was awarded a base with the number 808 on it—a representation of his stolen base total. After Raines threw out the ceremonial first pitch, it was time to play. It may only have been a preseason game, but to onlookers, it might as well have been late October. Every Blue Jays hit or spectacular defensive play was met with raucous applause, and every

time Montrealer Russell Martin stepped into the batter’s box, cheers rained down from the stands. Though the game ended in an anticlimactic 1-1 tie, the fans showed that baseball fandom still lives in Montreal. It should prove only a matter of time before the MLB returns to La Belle Province. The excitement from the fans did not go unnoticed by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, who told reporters Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin with first base coach Tim Leiper. (Lauren Benson-Armer / The McGill Tribune) that he is open to the idea of bringing baseball back to Montreal. Outside that Montreal and Mexico City were his housed the Expos from 1977-2004, but is of the commissioner’s office, The Canadian two personal frontrunners for expansion outdated and was never a suitable home Press announced that a group of investors in teams, but that the league has some problems for the team. The reality of the situation is Montreal have met the demands laid out by the it needs to address before thinking about that it would require a new multi-million league for the return of a MLB team to the city. adding another team. Both the Tampa Bay dollar downtown stadium to entice the MLB Last year, two Montreal businessmen, Stephen Rays and Oakland Athletics have stadium to bring baseball back to Montreal. The Bronfman and Mitch Garber, publicly revealed issues that need to be resolved, and having investors are also aware of this and scouted their commitment to bringing back an MLB Montreal as an option in its back pocket various potential locations and designs for a team. Bronfman’s father, Charles, was the allows the league to put pressure on these new stadium fitting this criteria. Montrealers have proven that baseball majority owner of the Expos from the team’s cities to invest in new venues. The lack of an acceptable stadium is still alive; whether or not these plans formation in 1968 until 1990, when he sold the is also one of the main barriers to a new materialize is up to the MLB, investors, and team to a consortium of local investors. Last summer, Manfred told reporters Montreal team. The Olympic Stadium the Quebec government.

An unlikely journey to Cooperstown Baseball nerds get Raines into the Hall Erich Rothmann Contributor It was a long journey for former Expos left fielder Tim Raines— from the end of his playing days in 2002 to finally walking out onto the Olympic Stadium turf on the evening of March 31 as part of the 2017 MLB Hall of Fame class. With 2,605 career hits, a .294 career batting average, and 808 career steals, Raines is undoubtably a Hall of Famer. However, his path to Cooperstown was unlike any other. In 2008, Raines’ name first appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot. Five years after his final at-bat, Raines received 24 per cent of the vote, 51 per cent below the three-quarters he needed to be inducted. The following year, things went from bad to worse for Raines who saw his Hall of Fame stock fall to 22 per cent, leaving him with essentially no chance of ever making it into the Hall. If Raines had 400 more hits to get him to the arbitrary 3,000 plateau, he would have been a first ballot Hall of Famer. However, making contact and being a threat on the basepaths were not Raines’ only skills. He had an eye that rivaled the best in the game and he knew how to take a walk. He managed to get on base at a prolific rate and could go from first to second with remarkable speed. To baseball geeks, Raines’ absence from baseball immortality was absurd, considering that if a third of his career 1,330 walks were bunt singles–essentially having the same effect as a walk—he would have reached 3,000 hits and easily made it to Cooperstown.

Luckily for Raines, a childhood Expos-fan-turnedsportswriter made it his life’s mission to get Raines into the Hall of Fame. Montreal’s Jonah Keri began contacting every Hall of Fame voter to make Raines’ case. The argument was simple: Raines Tim Raines honoured in Montreal on Friday night. (nhl.bamcontent.com) reached base 3,977 times in his career–more than Hall of Famers Tony Gwynn, Roberto Clemente, “I hope that this note will help nudge you toward voting Eddie Matthews, and Brooks Robinson–he was one of the scariest leadoff hitters of his era and, according to one advanced for Raines,” Keri signed off the letter. “[...] Thanks for your baseball metric, he is the sixth-greatest left fielder in baseball consideration! Jonah.” And it worked! Of course Raines was the happiest when he history. Of course, he also won two World Series with the Yankees in the mid-90s. Though his résumé might be missing got the call from the Hall of Fame after receiving 86 per cent of those flashy multiple-of-ten milestones, to Keri, assuring his the vote, and Keri was certainly second, celebrating at home as he watched his childhood idol make the Hall. hero’s place in the Hall of Fame was paramount. Of course, Raines certainly deserves most of the credit as Slowly, things began to change for Raines. In 2010 he saw an uptick in his Hall of Fame votes, reaching 30 per cent and he was the one standing in the batter’s box making the plays, crossing the 50 per cent mark in 2013. In his penultimate year on however as one Hall of Fame voter wrote, “I give Jonah Keri the ballot, he received 70 per cent of the vote, still 5 marks away. credit for carrying the torch. He is right. There is no good reason The following year, his last on the ballot, Keri made his plea Raines isn’t in the Hall.” Now after nine years toiling on the Hall public, writing an open-letter to Hall of Fame voters, insisting of Fame ballot, both Raines and Keri will head to Cooperstown for the induction ceremony in July. Raines should be in the Hall.

sports

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

Martlet hockey assistant coach Alyssa Cecere. (icehockey.wikia.com)

Redmen football wide reciever coach Ryne Bondy. (radio-canada.ca)

Redmen hockey assistant coach Dave Urquhart. (hockeytime.net)

The path back

McGill alumni love for athletics comes calling Patrick Beacham Staff Writer “[Attending McGill] was the most life-changing experience for me,” Redmen wide receiver coach Ryne Bondy B.A. ‘13 said. “The experience I had in Montreal, at McGill, was so amazing that it made me want to stay, so I wanted to try and create that culture as well for the current players.” Assistant coaches are an integral part of any sports team and, while long-term job-security might not be in the cards for many of these coaches, all have a common desire to help their athletes reach their full potential. At McGill, there are a few recently-graduated former athletes who chose to stick around Montreal and work with the next generation of Redmen and Martlet athletes. Bondy, former Martlet hockey player Alyssa Cecere, and former Redmen hockey player Dave Urquhart now all serve as assistant coaches for their former teams. The most profound thread between these coaches is a deep connection with the team and the school they once played for, but their backgrounds are diverse. Bondy played multiple sports before settling on one as a McGill varsity athlete. “I literally played anything I could,” Bondy said. “But football was probably the [sport] I was most passionate about, I even played during the summer for a couple city teams as well.” For Cecere, the assistant coach of Martlet hockey, McGill was part of her life long before she applied to the university. “My mom had worked in athletics when I was young,” Cecere said. “I had McGill in the back of my head ever since I was a kid.” However, McGill does not call to everyone. Some, like Urquhart, had to reach out to McGill themselves. “For me, it was a little more serendipitous,” Urquhart said. “I sent out packages to two Canadian schools, and McGill was one of the two, and I had a response from [former Redmen hockey head coach] Marty Raymond, who was here [before current head coach Kelly Nobes], and that’s how I ended up at McGill.” Playing on a McGill team means different things for every player. Most loved the team camaraderie, but for players in sports like football, where large rosters always means an influx of new players, the connection goes even deeper. “We were a huge recruiting class,” Bondy said. “We had

about 30 or 40 guys, all freshmen, [and] there were 10 of us in New Rez together, so we had a strong support system there.” Naturally, as this group grew to become team leaders for the next generation, the time came to return the favour for a new rookie class. “As a freshman player comes in, we set them up with a third- or fourth-year player who’s their mentor, someone who’s in the same program,” Urquhart said. “When you get in your third and fourth year, you’re already in a phase of your hockey career where you’re not only playing to improve your game, but you’re also looking at improving the people around you.” Mentorship programs are not uncommon in McGill sports and the upperclassmen who take up these roles do so with intense commitment. “It was something that we took to heart,” Cecere said. “We always wanted the younger players to have direction, but also want to be in that position one day to be able to lead the younger group.” Since there are plenty of former McGill athletes with leadership experience and a passion for teaching, it makes sense for the team to reach out to alumni when a coaching vacancy appears. Often, teams will wait a few years before bringing in an alumnus to coach; however, in some cases, the spot needs to be filled immediately. When he was asked to be a quarterback coach for Redmen football in 2012, Bondy had not yet graduated and had just finished his last season as a player. “There’s a lot of coaches out there that are kind of scared to maybe bring in a coach right away, as soon as he’s done playing, because he’s friends with a bunch of the guys on the team,” Bondy said. “I think it wasn’t really an issue having played with a lot of those guys or being friends with them, I think it really helped and it was much easier to coach those guys.” In other cases, alumni who later became coaches spent time away from the university to shape their careers. These graduates put everything on hold to come back. Between graduating in 2011 and being appointed an assistant coach in 2014, Cecere had played for the Montreal Stars, coached at Dawson College, and held multiple jobs as a

physical education teacher. “When this [coaching job] came up, it kind of closed some doors,” Cecere said. “It closed my playing career, it closed my teaching at that time, but it kind of put everything into one.” Assistant coaches also have to deal with uncertainty in their career–these positions are not permanent. Many coaches only stay for a few years and spend their time preparing for their next professional step; however, coaching is a profession where it is nearly impossible to know what that next move will be. “Whether it takes me elsewhere, I don’t know,” Cecere said of her future. “It’ll depend on what other doors are open, what other options there are.” Assistant coaching is not usually meant to be a permanent job. It is often a stepping stone for those aspiring to a higher sports career. Yet, some former players come from halfway around the world to coach for their old programs: Urquhart was playing pro hockey in Italy when he was offered the position at McGill. “My last year, we won the Italian championship,” Urquhart said, “The assistant coach who was with Kelly [Nobes] before [...] left to take a job in the QMJHL, and Kelly called me about this job opening up.” With two years left in his five-year contract in Italy, Urquhart took the job and came back to Montreal. Being able to give back to future generations of Redmen hockey players and to stay connected to McGill were crucial factors in his decision to return. “I look at the people, I look at the players in the dressing room and I know they’re all going to be stars at whatever it is they decide to do, whatever field they end up in,” Urquhart said. “I feel like it’s pretty special being able to be a part of their lives and the development of these people that are gonna be leaders in whatever field it is they end up in.” When athletes come to McGill, they often enter without a specific place in the McGill community and their teams become their connection to the university. With these deep-rooted ties to athletics, former players often don’t think twice about returning because they want to give back to the program that gave them so much as players and came to define their university experience.

Sports

(Photo courtesy of Daniel Aponte)

Western Conference

NBA playoff predictions

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

eastern Conference

Gabriel Rincon Staff Writer

Team to beat: Golden State Warriors

When a team is fortunate enough to have four All-Stars and two former MVPs on their roster, they are the obvious team to beat. While they fit this description, Golden State also has something to prove this season. After losing three straight games to the Cleveland Cavaliers in last year’s finals, the Warriors are on a crusade to avenge their mishap. Barring a miracle, the San Antonio Spurs are the only team that have a chance to stop Steph Curry and company from making their third straight finals appearance.

Dark horse: Oklahoma City Thunder

Team to beat: Cleveland Cavaliers

Even though the Cavaliers have been struggling lately, there is no doubt that point guard Kyrie Irving and forward LeBron James will hit their stride come playoff time. James is in it for championships, not regular season accolades. His “resting” during the season may have cost the Cavs some wins, but in the process he made sure he was healthy for the postseason stretch. Forward Kevin Love and guard J.R. Smith have both been dealing with injuries that have contributed to the team’s recent slow-down, but both are now back and healthy. Barring injury, there’s no reason the Cavs shouldn’t repeat as Eastern Conference champions.

Full disclosure: This author predicted the Thunder would miss the playoffs halfway through the season. However, an important lesson has been learned; don’t underestimate Russell Westbrook. If anyone can carry a decent team to the semi-finals with sheer willpower, it’s Westbrook. The Thunder front office orchestrated a heist of the Bulls’ roster at the deadline and added front court depth and outside shooting in exchange for a handful of peanuts. The Thunder certainly won’t be eliminated in the first round and may surprise in the second. It all depends on whether the team gets the fifth or sixth seed.

With John Wall and Bradley Beal in the backcourt, the Wizards have two of the best guards in the game. The dynamic duo has led Washington to unexpected regular season success after a disappointing 41-41 2015-2016 season. The often overlooked forward Otto Porter Jr. has been lights out this season and established himself as a viable third scoring option for Washington. With wing Bojan Bogdanovic bolstering the bench, the Wizards have the potential to be playoff sleepers in the East.

Biggest disappointment: Utah Jazz

Biggest disappointment: Toronto Raptors

It’s time for the Jazz to come back to reality. They had a great season and small forward Gordon Hayward and centre Rudy Gobert are talented players, but neither of the two stars are truly elite. Their offence is secondto-last in the league in scoring and third-to-last in assists this season. It would be a different story if power forward Derrick Favours had finally had his long-awaited breakout season, but he’s averaging a lowly nine points per game. Expect a first round exit from Utah.

NHL Playoff Predictions

Dark horse: Washington Wizards

Last year’s Raptors made it to the conference finals, so expectations are high on this side of the border. However, the cataclysmic meteor hanging over the Raptors right now is how effective All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry will be coming off of wrist surgery on his shooting hand. While the Raptors did improve their roster at the trade deadline with the addition of power forward Serge Ibaka, neither Lowry nor star guard DeMar DeRozan play well off the ball, limiting the amount Ibaka can be incorporated into the offence. Ultimately, their over-reliance on Lowry and Derozan makes them prime candidates for a second round exit.

Stephen Gill Contributor

Team to beat: Washington Capitals

Team to beat: Chicago Blackhawks

Dark horse: New York Rangers

Dark horse: Edmonton Oilers

It has become a tradition for the Capitals to underachieve in the playoffs, always entering among the favourites and then falling short. Still, Washington has proven to be in a class of its own this season. They racked up wins and outscored opponents at a ridiculous rate on their way to securing the East’s top seed. Veteran forward Alexander Ovechkin continues to lead the charge, but has received plenty of help from his supporting cast. All in all, the Caps have a long history of strong regular season performances, but in the midst of such a dominant season, the 2017 Capitals don’t resemble a typical choking Washington team. Victims of an unbalanced playoff system, the Rangers might enter the playoffs as a wild card team despite boasting one of the conference’s best point totals. They also flaunt one of the league’s best road records, which bodes well for a team that will likely be seeded lowest in every playoff round. A balanced scoring attack like New York’s will be hard to stop, especially with the entire roster near full strength. In the net, Henrik Lundqvist has declined, but another dominant playoff stretch wouldn’t surprise anyone. Teams would be foolish to dismiss the Rangers as just another wild card.

Biggest disappointment: Pittsburgh Penguins

Hopes and expectations are high as Pittsburgh shoots for its secondstraight Stanley Cup. They have improved upon their regular-season record from last season while topping the league in goals scored. However, the Penguins will compete against the league’s best division in their first two playoff rounds, so they’ll have to get past four top teams in order to repeat. Additionally, the roster is nowhere near full strength with injuries plaguing both star and depth players. After last season’s performance, standards will likely be unrealistic for Sidney Crosby and the hobbled Pens as they fight through a stacked playoff lineup.

The usual suspects stand atop their conference once again with familiar faces across the roster. Left wing Artemi Panarin has broken out as a lethal offensive weapon alongside stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Despite some regression from Corey Crawford in goal, Scott Darling gives the Hawks flexibility at goaltending if Crawford can’t turn it around. Years of deep playoff runs provide the team with stability during hard times that would cause lesser teams to fold. With talent, playoff experience, and solid health across the roster, the Blackhawks are clear favourites in the West. Centre Connor McDavid has poured in an MVP-calibre season and catalyzed a grand turnaround in Edmonton. Forward Leon Draisaitl joined McDavid to form a devastating one-two punch on offence while contributing to a top-ten defence on the other end. Despite placing near the middle of the conference table in points, the Oilers enjoy one of the highest goal differentials. The Pacific Division exhibits parity to a striking degree, as four teams lie within just a few points of one another. Fans shouldn’t be too surprised if they see McDavid help his team claim the fiercelycontested crown.

Biggest disappointment: Minnesota Wild

Not long ago, the Wild were the class of the Western Conference, carrying a stellar 41-14-6 record through February. As March began, however, so did an incredible drop in the Wild’s performance. Minnesota fans have found their team stuck in a month-long rut, with just four wins to show for an entire month’s collection of games. The sinking Wild will have to turn their performance around quickly if they hope to make it past the first round.

sports

Wednesday, april 5, 2017

2016-17 McGill Tribune Martlets Awards

Team of the Year: Martlet Basketball The 2016-2017 Martlet basketball season was the perfect underdog story. In the first half of the season, the team posted a 3-5 record—including a 70-40 lashing at the hands of the Laval Rouge et Or. The Martlets managed to rally to finish second in the regular season and fought through two competitive playoff games to be crowned RSEQ champions for the sixth consecutive year. In their previous four appearances at the CIS National Championships–now called the U Sports National Championships–the Martlets recorded a couple of fifth-place finishes and managed to break into the semi-finals twice. This year, after their worst regular season record since 2010, the Martlets went undefeated in the tournament and captured the elusive Bronze Baby Trophy—awarded annually to the national champion—for the first time in program history. It was a fairytale ending for the Martlets. In a zero-tohero, started-from-the-bottom-now-we’re-here turn of events, the team made Martlet history and wholly deserve recognition from the McGill community. Female Athlete of the Year: Alex KissRusk (Martlet Basketball) This season, Alex Kiss-Rusk won it all. She was absolutely essential for Martlet basketball, leading the team in minutes played and consistently posting team-high performances in scoring and rebounding. The 6’4” centre from Beaconsfield, QC was selected to be a first team all-star and the RSEQ Defensive Player of the year after ranking first in the conference in rebounds and blocked shots. She was the league-leader in double-doubles and managed double-digit rebounds in six conference games.

(mcgillathletics.com) After proving instrumental in her team’s conference victory, Kiss-Rusk continued to dominate at the U Sports National Championships. The best athletes are those who elevate their play in big games and Kiss-Rusk certainly rose to the occasion: Three games, three double-doubles, and three game MVP awards. To cap off her incredible season, she led the Martlets to their first-ever national title and collected tournament MVP honours. Martlet Rookie of the Year: Tricia Deguire (Martlet Hockey) It’s hard to believe that Martlet hockey netminder Tricia Deguire is a rookie. In her first season at McGill, Deguire

displayed consistency and maturity beyond her years and was nothing short of phenomenal as the starting goaltender for the Martlet hockey squad. Deguire started 18 regular season contests and finished the season with a sterling 0.930 save percentage. Deguire was named Rookie of the Year by both the RSEQ and U Sports delegations and a first team all-star in the RSEQ conference. At the U Sports National Championships, she turned away 63 shots in three games, averaging a 0.955 save percentage. After allowing only one goal in the quarterfinal round, Deguire registered a crucial shutout against the top-seeded UBC Thunderbirds to secure her team a spot in the championship match, where they eventually succumbed to the University of Alberta Pandas in double overtime. Coach of the Year: Ryan Thorne (Martlet Basketball) Martlet basketball bench boss Ryan Thorne has received plenty of well-deserved recognition throughout his coaching career. He is fresh off the completion of his 14th season as head coach at McGill and has an overall record of 280-183. Since 2009, his squad has won six RSEQ titles. Though the results of past years are undeniably impressive, Thorne’s success with the Martlets reached new heights this season. His squad started slowly, hampered in part by the loss of starting forward Jennifer Silver, who was sidelined by a broken hand for most of the regular season. But Thorne was able to inspire the team to fight its way to the RSEQ championship, where the Martlets defeated the Concordia Stingers by a score of 63-51. Then, under Thorne’s steady leadership, the Martlets travelled to the U Sports National Championships, where they were crowned national champions—a program first for McGill basketball.

2016-17 McGill Tribune Redmen Awards Team of the Year: Redmen Baseball Redmen Baseball was dominant from start to finish this season, posting a 15-1 regular season record and cruising through the postseason to clinch the team’s thirdstraight CCBA national championship. In the first round of the CCBA playoffs, the Redmen conquered the Montreal Carabins to advance, claiming the first and third games of the best-of-three series. In round two, they swept the Concordia Stingers to win the CCBA North conference. Then, they broke out at the national championship, scoring 37 runs while allowing just 11 in the five-game tournament. In the final game, starting pitcher Simon Brisebois was lights-out for the Montreal Carabins, but, tied 2-2 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, first-year catcher Christopher Stanford took a 1-0 fastball over the left-centre field wall to walk-off with the championship. Head Coach Jason Starr deserves a lot of credit for the squad’s success and for never letting them rest on their laurels throughout the year. Redmen Athlete of the Year: Spencer Bromley (Redmen Lacrosse) Redmen lacrosse attacker Spencer Bromley continued his streak of excellence this season. He led the CUFLA East Division in goals scored and was third in overall points. His efforts helped secure first place for McGill going into nationals. The senior captain was announced as a CUFLA AllCanadian, along with teammates midfielder Emile SassoneLawless and defender Bradley Hofmann. Bromley is no stranger to superhuman feats, scoring six goals in a game on two separate occasions. The first occurred on Oct. 16 during a 15-8 smackdown of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, with the second coming the following week against the Queen’s

Selwynne Hawkins Contributor

Aaron Rose & Joe Khammar Sports Editors

Seinet-Spaulding’s space-eating presence netted him the RSEQ Defensive Rookie of the Year award. At the McGill Football Awards Gala on March 25, he was given the Students’ Society Trophy for McGill Team MVP, the Friends of McGill Football Trophy for Best Defensive Player, and the Charlie Baillie Trophy for most outstanding team player. He is only the third freshmen in McGill history to be awarded the Students’ Society Trophy. Seinet-Spaulding’s continued dominance on the field bodes well for a McGill team that finished the season 4-4—Redmen football’s best record since 2006. Head Coach Ronald Hilaire has the team moving in the right direction and having a game-breaking young talent like Seinet-Spaulding makes his job that much simpler. Coach of the Year: David DeAveiro (Redmen Basketball) In his seventh season with the Redmen, Head Coach David DeAveiro led his squad to their fifth consecutive firstplace finish in the RSEQ regular season. With a roster full of veteran talent, the squad cruised through the conference (mcgillathletics.com) playoffs, beating the Laval Rouge et Or before clinching gold with an 82-65 beatdown over the UQÀM Citadins. Gaels. Despite losing their starting point guard Kendrick As a sign of his continued success, Bromley was the first McGill athlete ever drafted by the National Lacrosse Jolin to an upper-body injury late in the season, the Redmen League (NLL). He was selected 48th overall in the fifth round managed to remain hot, heading into the U Sports National by the Saskatchewan Rush—a fitting end to the university Tournament as the third seed. After a heartbreaking 72-69 loss last year in the first round against the University of Calgary career of the best lacrosse player in McGill history. Male Rookie of the Year: Andrew Seinet- Dinos, McGill was determined to exorcise their first-round demons and advance. Against a strong Manitoba Bison squad, Spaulding (Redmen Football) This 300-pound monster established himself as not the Redmen jumped ahead early and never looked back, only the best rookie, but the best defensive tackle in the RSEQ. downing the Bison 63-53. Though the squad lost in the second Freshmen Andre Seinet-Spaulding’s penchant for pushing the round to the eventual national-champion Carleton Ravens, the team’s fourth-place finish ties McGill’s best finish in 40 years. pile rewarded him with 29 total tackles and 3.5 sacks.