The Tribune Vol. 43 Issue 13

The Tribune

o s i i t r y u C

Vol 43, Issue 13 Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University thetribune.ca | @thetribuneca

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

Table of Contents NEWS 3-5

STUDENT LIFE 15-16

SSMU & PGSS MIDTERM REVIEWS 6-7

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

OPINION 8-9, 14

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 20-21

PHOTO SPREAD 10-11 FEATURE 12-13

17-19

SPORTS 22-23 HIGHLIGHTS 24

McGill Professors, Librarians, and Staff support students’ democratic endorsement of the “Policy Against Genocide in Palestine”

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n Nov. 20 2023, the students at McGill University voted overwhelmingly in support of the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) “Policy Against Genocide in Palestine.”

This result reaffirms the student body’s willingness to stand up for principles of justice in the world, in this case an urgent human rights crisis, in which McGill University is implicated as an educational institution and a community. We look forward to seeing SSMU implement this policy, which was approved by a huge 78.7 per cent majority of student voters, with an unprecedented voter turnout of 35 per cent.

Generations of students at McGill University have spoken out about justice in Palestine. This is the latest iteration of their principled stand and comes at a time when solidarity with and support for Palestine and the Palestinian people is urgent and pressing. Passing this referendum question also articulates a strong rebuke to the McGill University administration over its continued inability and unwillingness to engage with the Palestinian issue in a fair and impartial manner. Indeed, as students have rightly pointed out, our University’s public statements, as well as its extensive financial entanglements with the Israeli weapons industry, bely any claim to “impartiality” on issues related to Palestine.

In adopting this policy, SSMU has acted in accordance with the clear letter of its constitution, specifically that “[t]he Society commits to demonstrating leadership in matters of human rights [and] social justice…”

Contrary to allegations by the University’s administration, adopting a policy against the crime of genocide is in line with SSMU’s obligations to respect universal principles of human rights and human dignity in general.

In opposing genocide, a violation of human rights as such, SSMU did not discriminate against or single out any specific nation, ethnicity, or religion.

Neither is SSMU in violation of any of the rights of any particular McGill student groups, as alleged by some pro-Israel organizations. The Policy clearly targets corporations, institutions, and donors complicit in acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine, the gravity of which has already been emphasized by countless human rights organizations, international organizations, legal experts, and scholars around the world.

We are confident that the student union will implement the Policy in full accordance with its constitutional obligations, as it is already doing with its other existing Policies.

By initiating and voting for this referendum, students at the university are exercising their academic freedom and democratic right to free speech. We are proud that the students at the university where we work take informed, principled stands on issues of pressing importance in the world, and that they hold the university administration—and all of us— accountable for our public stances and investment decisions, challenging us all to be better.

We hold that no individual belief or inclination should outweigh the urgent necessity to prevent and condemn the unique and categorical wrong that is the genocide and the ethnic cleansing of an entire population.

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Signed: Ahmed El-Geneidy, School of Urban Planning, Faculty of Engineering Alanna Thain, Associate Professor, Department of English Alex Blue V, Assistant Professor, Department of Art History and Communication Studies, Faculty of Arts Alia Al-Saji, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy Allan Greer, Professor Emeritus, Dept of History and Classical Studies Allison Gonsalves, Associate Professor, Department of Integrated Studies in Education Anaïs Salamon, Associate Librarian, Islamic Studies Library Andrea Miller-Nesbitt, Associate Librarian, Schulich Library of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Engineering Anna Shah Hoque, Adjunct, Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies Anna Torvaldsen, Course Lecturer, Department of English Aron Lee Rosenberg, Faculty Lecturer, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, Faculty of Education Audrey Coussy, Associate Professor, Département des littératures de langue française, de traduction et de création Barry Eidlin, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology Bassam Abdulkarim, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Professor, Department of Oncology Bassam Khoury, Associate Professor, Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education Calev Litvack, Course Lecturer, Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies Catherine Leclerc, Associate Professor, Département des littératures de langue française, de traduction et de création Colin Scott, Professor, Department of Anthropology Daniel Schwartz, Assistant Professor, Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Della Maharajh, Student Affairs Administrator, Dept. of Political Science Derek Nystrom, Associate Professor, Department of English Diana Allan, Associate Professor, Institute for the Study of International Development and Department of Anthropology Doaa Mansour, Alumni Relations OfficerUniversity Advancement Edward Dunsworth, Assistant Professor, Department of History and Classical Studies Ehab Lotayef, IT & Technical Services Manager, Electrical and Computer Engineering Emine Sarigollu, Associate Professor, Desautels Faculty of Management Emmanuel Tabi, Assistant Professor, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, Faculty of Education Erik Martinez Kuhonta, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science

Erin Cole, Research Manager, Faculty of Medicine Frederick Kingdom, Professor, Faculty of Medicine Gordan Samoukovic MD, FRCSC, FRCPC, Associate Professor of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Gustavo Ferreira, Faculty Lecturer, Department of Art HIstory and Communication Studies, Faculty of Arts Hye-jin Juhn, Associate Librarian, McGill Library Ipek Türeli, Associate Professor, School of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering Jamal Saghir, Professor of Practice, Institute for the Study of International Development, Faculty of Arts James Martin, Professor, Department of Medicine Jay Ritchie, Course Lecturer, Department of English Jayne Malenfant, Assistant Professor, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, Faculty of Education Jeehee Hong, Associate Professor, Department of EAS and Department of AHCS, Faculty of Arts Jeremy Tai, Assistant Professor, Department of History and Classical Studies Jessica Ruglis, Associate Professor, Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education Jill Boruff, Associate Librarian, Schulich Library of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Engineering Jonathan Sterne, Professor, Department of Art History and Communication Studies, Faculty of Arts Kaleem Siddiqi, Professor, School of Computer Science, Faculty of Science Kate Shaw, Student Affairs Administrator, Department of Equity, Ethics and Policy Katheryne Morrissette, Course Lecturer, Department of English Kevin Manaugh, Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Bieler School of Environment Kristin Norget, Professor, Department of Anthropology Lara Braitstein, Associate Professor, School of Religious Studies Louigi Addario-Berry, Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics Madhav G. Badami, School of Urban Planning and Bieler School of Environment Malek Abisaab, Associate Professor, Department of History and Classical Studies and Institute of Islamic Studies Margaret Levey, Faculty Lecturer, School of Continuing Studies Mathew Hannouche, MD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine Mayada Elsabbagh, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine Michelle Hartman, Professor, Institute of Islamic Studies

Michelle Marquis, Student Affairs Coordinator, Department of Economics Nelly Bassily, Equity Employment Advisor, Equity Team Omar Farahat, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law Pasha M. Khan, Associate Professor, Institute of Islamic Studies Paul Zsombor-Murray, Associate.

Professor, Mechanical Engineering Philip Howard, Associate Professor, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, Faculty of Education Prashant Keshavmurthy, Associate Professor, Institute of Islamic Studies R. Nanre Nafziger, Assistant Professor, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, Faculty of Education Rachel Kiddell-Monroe, Professor of Practice, Institute for the Study of International Development, Faculty of Arts Reghan J. Hill, Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering Renee Sieber, Geography, School of Environment Richard Shearmur, School of Urban Planning, Faculty of Engineering Ridha Joober MD, PhD., Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine Roberta La Piana, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine Rosalie Bélanger-Rioux, Faculty Lecturer, Department of Mathematics and Statistics Rula Jurdi Abisaab, Professor, Institute of Islamic Studies Samer Faraj, Professor, Desautels Faculty of Management Sandra Teresa Hyde, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology Sara Abdel-Latif, Assistant Professor, Institute of Islamic Studies Sarah Riley Case, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law Sarah Turner, Professor, Geography Setrag Manoukian, Associate Professor, Institute of Islamic Studies and Department of Anthropology Shaheen Shariff, Professor, Faculty of Education Shokry Gohar, Faculty Lecturer, Institute of Islamic Studies Shaun Lovejoy, Professor, Department of Physics Steve Jordan, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education Subho Basu, Associate Professor, Department of History and Classical Studies Susan Ballinger, Faculty of Education Susan Gaskin, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering Tara Alward, Student Affairs Administrator, Faculty of Arts Vrinda Narain, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law William Clare Roberts, Associate Professor of Political Science Ylenia Olibet, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of English

An injunction against the Policy Against Genocide in Palestine has delayed ratification Shani Laskin News Editor

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oughly one hundred students disrupted the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Board of Directors (BoD) meeting on Nov. 30 to voice their support for the Policy Against Genocide in Palestine.

Students questioned executives faceto-face on the Society’s decision to consent to an injunction against the policy—a decision that has paused the policy’s ratification until at least March 25, when the case will be heard in court.

The Policy Against Genocide in Palestine passed with 5,974 students—78.7 per cent of nonabstaining voters—casting a “Yes” vote in SSMU’s Fall Referendum.

The injunction was filed on Nov. 21 by an anonymous McGill student with support from B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish service and advocacy organization. On Nov. 23, the Quebec Superior Court issued a safeguard order, leading SSMU to pause the Policy’s ratification.

McGill’s administration has also resisted the Policy, telling SSMU that it would “sharpen divisions” and is thus a violation of SSMU’s constitution—making it a violation of the Memorandum of Agreement between SSMU and the university.

Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) McGill held a Student Rally Against Genocide on Nov. 30 to reaffirm their support for the Policy. The rally began at 5 p.m. outside of the Arts Building and included speeches emphasizing the students’ commitment to Palestinian liberation and the Policy. An SPHR McGill representative who wished to remain anonymous asserted that they believe that the injunction stands in the way of the democratic process.

“Legal warfare is an attempt to diverge us from our path by using law and biased regulations and bureaucratic procedures designed to repress and undermine any Palestinian student activism,” the representative said. “McGill, SSMU, and Canada have clearly spoken: Democracy is conditional and not applicable when we are speaking for Palestine. This establishes a dangerous model for student democracy and activism in Montreal, a precedent that SPHR McGill rejects and vows to pursue.”

Before 6 p.m., the protesters

moved from the Arts Building to the lobby of the University Centre, where the SSMU BoD meeting was taking place metres away in the SSMU offices. The meeting began with the BoD answering a presubmitted question about what steps they would take to “make sure that [...] student democratic action is upheld and respected.” The question also asked how SSMU would ensure communication of their stances regarding the Policy. In response, SSMU Vice President (VP) Student Life Nadia Dakdouki explained that SSMU communications are ultimately intended to avoid causing confusion.

“We only really communicate final decisions [....] If there’s something being discussed that is not finalized for [...] legal considerations, it is not useful in the sense that it will only cause more confusion,” Dakdouki said. “So I know there’s been concerns in the past week, but it’s really just because everything has been moving so fast, and we’re doing our best to be as transparent as we can within the bounds of legality and confidentiality.”

According to SPHR McGill, SSMU had notified the group the morning of the meeting that no student observers would be allowed to attend the public session of the meeting to ask questions—which SPHR McGill cited as a “break of [SSMU’s] normal procedure.” In lieu of attending the meeting in person, SPHR McGill says that they were allowed to ask one question over Zoom. When the group asked a second question, SPHR McGill claims that SSMU “forcibly muted” them, after which organizers led protesters into the BoD’s meeting room.

SSMU executives asserted that they did not intend to silence students’ voices in an email to The Tribune.

“The Speaker chose to move members attending the public session online in order to accommodate the large number of people wishing to attend and ask questions,” the SSMU executives wrote. “At the discretion of the Speaker (and in accordance with our standing rules), because of the large quantity of questions, the procedure for question period was that each person should ask one question, then get back in line should they have another question to allow others to ask their own questions.”

SPHR representative leads ralliers in chants. ( Mason Bramadat / The Tribune )

“The member started asking their second question, and the Speaker intervened to clarify that the member would have to raise their hand (on Zoom) and wait their turn in the queue to ask their next question. The member was muted so that the Speaker could clarify the rules of question period and to take the next member’s question. There was no intention to stifle the voices or questions of members.”

The BoD meeting adjourned as protesters chanting “Free, free Palestine” crowded the meeting around 6:30 p.m. In the BoD meeting room, the protesters confronted the SSMU executives and board members about the injunction. According to a representative from SPHR McGill, none of the SSMU executives were present at the injunction hearing, a claim which no SSMU executive denied. SSMU President Alexandre Ashkir told ralliers that SSMU was not happy with its previous legal counsel, and has since hired new legal representation.

He also voiced his opinion that students should be upset at the legal process, not SSMU.“I respect the effort, I respect the rally [...] but the reality is we’re stuck in legal fuckery and instead of protesting the courts and protesting the people suing us, you’re protesting us,” Ashkir said.

A student asked, “If the struggle was to find lawyers who would stand up for us, why not be in the room and hold them accountable?” The executives began to answer but were interrupted by the students’ many questions that followed.

Next, a member of Law Students for Palestine at McGill (LS4PM) condemned SSMU’s agreement to the injunction, saying that by doing so, SSMU’s lawyers knowingly paused the ratification for months. They also asked why SSMU did not accept help from LS4PM, despite their offers.

Ashkir replied saying that SSMU had indeed used LS4PM’s assistance to find new legal counsel and thanked the organization.

LS4PM did not reply to The Tribune’s requests for clarification and comment by the publication deadline.

In an email to The Tribune, SSMU stated that it had already begun interviewing law firms by the

time LS4PM reached out. SSMU said that it nonetheless took advice from LS4PM on what firm they would recommend. By the time they heard back, SSMU had already chosen Sibel Ataogul from Melançon Marceau Grenier Cohen, which was also LS4PM’s recommendation. “While our decision was made independently of LS4PM, their offer of legal help was appreciated and considered,” the SSMU executives wrote.

In response to further questions, Ashkir explained that while SSMU had not yet met with their lawyers to discuss strategy, they intend to defend the Policy in court. After Ashkir reiterated SSMU’s support for the Policy, the protesters moved back to the lobby of the University Centre, with Ashkir joining the rally.

Back in the lobby, Ashkir requested to make a speech to the crowd. He started speaking but attendees quickly interrupted him by shouting questions about the injunction. One student asked again why Ashkir was not present for the injunction hearing. Ashkir responded that he “didn’t have the time,” prompting cries of “Shame” from the crowd.

Isaiah, a representative of Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) McGill who asked for only his first name to be used, shouted, “In less than two months, more than 15,500 people are dead. How do we have until March?” to which Ashkir responded, “We don’t. All we can do right now is [...] work around a legal case that is [...] pinning us down.”

Another student began chanting “The students, united, will never be defeated,” which eventually gained traction among the crowd.

The rally ended with more speeches, including one from IJV McGill.

“I hope [SSMU] recognizes that the overwhelming support and the voice of the students isn’t just a vote or a number, it’s a real thing,” Isaiah said in an interview with The Tribune. “We brought hundreds of students here today to mobilize and make our voices heard in real life.

They have a responsibility to step up to defend the [...] mandate from the students right now. And we’re going to keep pushing them until we see that happen.”

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Students walk through the doorway of the SSMU BoD meeting. (Mason Bramadat / The Tribune)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

Hundreds of ralliers flood SSMU BoD meeting, call for Society to uphold student democracy

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McGill, Concordia, and UQAM call for solidarity among students Galia Pakman Lily Cason At the Y-intersection, McGill Arrojo Managing Editor students gathered around a banner & Contributor that read “Squarely in the red,

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ed felt squares dappled McGill’s Y-intersection on Nov. 30, as students gathered to once again protest the Quebec government’s proposed tuition hikes for English-speaking universities.

The hikes, announced on Oct. 13, would nearly double fees for outof-province students at schools like McGill and Concordia from around $9,000 to $17,000 annually.

The proposal would also increase international students’ tuition fees to a minimum of $20,000 per year.

According to the Quebec government, the increased fees would go toward funding French-language universities, and the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) has stated that the change is a response to the threatened state of the French language in the province.

McGill has claimed that these hikes would severely jeopardize the university, and has announced an immediate hiring freeze in an attempt to combat the financial impacts. In university-wide messages, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini has decried the hikes, stating that they would have far-ranging impacts “from a drop in the number of students and important revenue losses, to devastating consequences for some Faculties and a suspension or re-evaluation of some major infrastructure projects.”

According to La Presse, the CAQ is now considering implementing a 33 per cent increase for out-of-province students rather than the original near-doubling of fees. The minimum of $20,000 per year for international students would be maintained.

The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), the Quebec Public Interest Research Group at McGill (QPIRG McGill), QPIRG Concordia, and the Concordia Student Union (CSU) collaborated to put on a week of activities and events related to the tuition hikes leading up to Thursday’s protest.

On Nov. 27, a petition signed by over 33,000 people was sent to the National Assembly, demanding that the Quebec government rescind the proposed tuition hike.

Carrément dans le rouge”—a phrase that protesters popularized during mobilizations in 2005 against proposed changes to loans and bursaries for students. The red squares have made multiple comebacks since 2005, including during 2012 student strikes that successfully dissolved proposed tuition hikes. At Thursday’s protest, organizers again handed out red felt squares along with informational flyers to encourage passersby to join the rally.

Protestor Hannah MarderMacPherson, U2 Science spoke to The Tribune about why she feels that the CAQ’s measures are problematic and threaten the accessibility of education in the province.

“There’s so many students who are working really hard, have got great marks, who have the potential to go off and do great things, who just won’t be able to afford going here [....]

I think that’s problematic in a lot of ways, because we already have a huge disparity in terms of wealth and class, especially with access to education,” Marder-MacPherson said.

Many of the individuals protesting were from programs that are disproportionately at risk if the government’s proposed hikes go into effect, including the Schulich School of Music and varsity teams, as both have a large number of out-ofprovince students.

Joseph Liang, U1 Music and Music Undergraduate Students’ Association VP Internal, voiced his fears for the future of the Music program if the proposed tuition hikes were to go through.

“The faculty council meeting [...] projected that we’d lose a ton of funding, we wouldn’t be able to hire new staff, the proportion of graduate students would increase and undergrads would decrease,” Liang said. “I’d like to be able to keep the music school alive because it’s a really vibrant program and we like the way that it contributes to the scene of Montreal cultural life.”

The Tribune spoke with SSMU Vice President (VP) External Liam Gaither at the Y-intersection. Gaither voiced frustration over the lack of

NEWS | news@thetribune.ca

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

Students take to the streets to oppose Quebec government’s proposed tuition hikes

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McGill, Concordia, and Bishop’s students also protested against the tuition hikes one month ago, on Oct. 30. (Maïa Salhofer / The Tribune )

Events such as workshops, town halls, and banner painting took place in the days leading up to the protest. (The Tribune)

student consent in the government’s proposal and explained why the students’ union seeks to mobilize students around accessible education.

“We’re really mobilized on this because we have mandates that continue from the last time that tuition came under threat in 2012 and 2015, and even 2005 and before that,” Gaither said. “Mandates at the SSMU are basically twofold: One is we oppose [non]consensual tuition hikes in any form, and we believe in the work towards free education— that is the eventual goal.”

Gaither expressed that a 33 per cent tuition increase, while smaller, is still unacceptable.

“This is how the CAQ rolls, this is very classic: they put out a massive number, and then they’re like, ‘Okay, maybe we’ll just do it a little bit,’” Gaither said. “They’re hoping that we back off, they’re hoping that we don’t take further action, they’re hoping that we drop our arms now, but we’re not ready to do that, we’re going to continue pushing, because the mandate is not to only let education increase by 30 per cent, the mandate is to fight for free education.”

Shortly after speeches came to a close, the crowd moved toward Sherbrooke to meet with Concordia students that organizers had coordinated with.

As the crowds representing each university merged at the Roddick Gates, The Tribune spoke to Robin Moore, BSc’ 23, who is from Montreal and expressed what he saw as the futility of the CAQ’s proposed tuition changes.

“I don’t think [the tuition hikes] are an effective measure, because the students will just go to schools elsewhere in Canada, and it takes away the opportunity to bring in more people to actually learn French and get engaged in the Quebec culture,” Moore argued. “So if anything, it just takes away the opportunity for [the Quebec government] to expand the French population base in Canada.”

In the merged crowd of about 150, students and professors alike from both universities held signs and banged on pots and pans with spoons as music played. “Solidarité avec les étudiants” was a common chant as the group proceeded down

Sherbrooke. “I am Quebecoise and even I am affected,” read one sign.

The Tribune spoke to Concordia students in the crowd; among them was Hannah Jackson, External Affairs and Mobilization Coordinator for the CSU. She reaffirmed the importance of mobilizing against the proposed tuition hikes, and pointed to the ripple effects that the proposal would cause within universities and throughout Montreal.

“A lot of grassroots activist groups—like Solidarity Across Borders, that fight for the rights of undocumented immigrants—they get funding from the universities, they get funding from QPIRGs, they get funding from student grant applications, and so actually, what we reduce [in] the budget of the university will also reduce the budget of the student unions. We will reduce the budget of these fee levies, and then also all of the grassroots community groups that rely on that funding to exist will also be affected,” Jackson said.

Jackson also spoke about the roughly 1,000 Concordia students who are currently on strike over the proposed tuition hikes. Ryan Assaker, a student in Concordia’s School of Community and Public Affairs, is one of them. His department voted to strike from classes on the day of the protest, and has planned for an additional three-day strike from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3.

“I’m a Quebec resident, French is my first language, but [...] these measures are austerity hidden behind language rights. It’s not it’s not actually about language rights.”

Assaker said.

The protest ended at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), where UQÀM students greeted the Concordia and McGill protesters and welcomed them inside the auditorium for more speeches and warm drinks. “[The proposed tuition hikes are] going to affect [...] the entire fabric of Montreal as a city,” Jackson said. “Because a lot of the vibrancy comes from the multicultural nature of the city, and also the people who come from other places and work and study and contribute to this beautiful city and this province.”

Defendants consider appealing decision to reinstate the archaeological panel Jasjot Grewal & Caroline Sun News Editors

by the settlement agreement’s mandate to provide the Mothers with all archives and medical records related to the former RVH. he Kanien’kehá:ka Kahnistensera Mohawk Mother Kahentinetha was (Mohawk Mothers) appeared at the first to speak before Justice Gregory the Montreal Courthouse for a five- Moore. She reminded the court that under hour case management hearing on Dec. 1. articles two, three, and four of the settlement The hearing came as part of the Mother’s agreement, McGill, MUHC, and the Attorney ongoing investigation into McGill’s New Vic General of Canada are bound to provide Project site, where they fear that there may expedited access to their archives and records. be unmarked Indigenous graves. The Mothers She alleged that MUHC refused to share their argued that the defendants—including archival records on medical experiments on McGill, the McGill University Health Indigenous children, which she believed to be Centre (MUHC), the Société québécoise des direct evidence of denialism. infrastructures (SQI), the Royal Victoria “[The archives] is where all the Hospital (RVH), the Integrated University information is of what they did to our Health and Social Services Centres (CIUSSS), children, to our people. It’s all there, it’s all the City of Montreal, and the Attorney in the archives,” Kahentinetha said in an General of Canada—were refusing to abide interview with The Tribune after the hearing.

The lawyer representing MUHC and RVH argued that MUHC has a right to patient confidentiality and that while MUHC wanted to assist in the investigation, they could not as confidentiality laws prohibited them from providing all patients’ records.

The lawyers also explained that the medical records are only searchable by patient number, not by age or ethnicity, Over 180,000 boxes of files from McGill and the Attorney General of Canada meaning that would need to be transferred to historians (Caroline Sun / The Tribune )

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researchers could not search for Indigenous patients on the database.

Julian Falconer—the lawyer for the Office of the Independent Special Interlocutor, Kimberly Murray—asserted that the settlement agreement allows the defendants to override “confidentiality concerns” without consent from the patients.

He further expressed that he felt the notion of collaboration and reconciliation between the two parties had “utterly disappeared,” with credible historians working on the case being at a standstill due to limited or no access to archives.

Falconer ended by stating that the refusal to provide full access to archives is the second breach of the settlement agreement by the defendants, the first being the defendant’s disbandment of the court-mandated expert archaeological panel, which Justice Moore ruled to reinstate on Nov. 20 after a case hearing on Oct. 27.

In an interview with The Tribune after the hearing, Falconer revealed that the Mothers were made aware that the defendants were considering appealing the court’s decision to reinstate the archaeological panel during the hearing. “[McGill] was told that they made an agreement to be guided by a panel led

by Indigenous-led best practices, and their response was to fire that panel,” Falconer said.

“When a judge brought to their attention the error of their ways, their response is to appeal to that Judge. Does that sound like reconciliation to you?”

Philippe Blouin, anthropologist and associate of the Mothers, pointed out that appealing the court decision will take more financial resources from McGill and will

lead the investigation away from protecting Indigenous graves.

“The money that they are going to spend on the appeal is money from the Canadian [and] Quebec public and from McGill students, that they’re going to use against using the best practices to find unmarked graves on those lands,” Blouin said in an interview with The Tribune. “It’s going to cost them way more than abiding by the recommendation of said panel.”

McGill explained in a written statement to The Tribune, that they have chosen to appeal to obtain further clarity on how to proceed with the investigation, and that some of the legal fees will be drawn from students’ tuition.

“McGill is seeking leave to appeal the decision that Justice Moore rendered on Nov 20. to obtain some clarity on the decision and ensure there is a clear path forward with respect to the archaeological work taking place on the site,” McGill wrote. “The University’s expenditures related to legal matters draw on the University’s operating funds. That budget is built from a range of revenue sources, including tuition and government grants.”

Kahentinetha revealed that to her knowledge, since Justice Moore’s ruling to reinstate the panel, the defendants have not taken any action to contact the members of the panel to reassemble them, all while work continues on the New Vic site. McGill confirmed in a written statement to The Tribune that they have not reached out to the members of the panel since Nov. 20.

Justice Moore adjourned court without a decision, stating the date of the next hearing will be decided via email between him and the parties involved.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

Mohawk Mothers appear in court, discuss archives and records related to New Vic site

The Tribune Explains: Quebec’s public sector strikes and what they mean for students Government struggles to respond as strain on public sector services increases Jules Pissembon Contributor

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and expressed confidence over the current dynamics of the negotiations between the unions and Quebec government.

“The public will continue to support us.

Right now, if I were in government, I’d be more nervous about public support for the government than for the workers,” Enault said. “The balance of power [between the union forces and the Quebec government] is very good. It hasn’t been this good for years.”

Nikolaev, U2 Arts, VP Finance of the History Students’ Association (HSA), and President of the McGill Polish Students’ Association (MPSA), believes that these strikes are affecting all students at McGill, as the entire Montreal community is feeling more strain in its public service sectors.

“The Quebec public sector strikes affect McGillians and their access to services such as healthcare, which already had long wait lists and waiting periods,” Nikolaev wrote.

“This can seriously affect McGillian’s health, mental wellbeing and time management, and having all this happen right around finals season is all the more stressful.”

All Front Commun unions will convene their governing bodies on Dec. 18 and 19 to take stock of the situation.

How do the strikes affect McGill and its community?

In a written statement to The Tribune, McGill media relations officer Frédérique Mazerolle explained that while Quebec public sector strikes do not directly affect McGill employees, the strikes may affect staff’s private lives.

“It is conceivable that [the public sector strikes] could have consequences for the professional performance of McGill employees, particularly in terms of managing family obligations,” Mazerolle wrote. “In these circumstances, the University encourages employees to communicate their needs and challenges with their immediate supervisor.”

Premier François Legault tweeted about an impending economic boom A n t o n i n a in the province during the strikes. (Nell Tov / The Tribune)

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are proposing a three-year contract with annual salary increases linked to the rate of inflation. These increases would raise salaries ith 800 schools closed indefinitely, by two per cent in the first year, or $100 a CÉGEPs shut down, almost a week, followed by an increase of one per cent thousand surgical procedures a year until the third year. postponed, and operating rooms limited to 70 per cent capacity, Quebec’s public sector What are the recent developments of the strikes are clearly causing disruption. But strike? what are the origins of this strike? And how On Nov. 29, after a “constructive” does it impact students? meeting with Sonia LeBel—the minister responsible for Government Administration Why are public sector workers striking? and President of the Conseil du trésor—failed Nearly 570,000 Quebec public sector to make any major headway, the Front workers have joined forces to demand higher commun announced seven new strike days, wages and better working conditions. Four from Dec. 8 to 14, and affirmed that the next unions spearheaded the mobilization—the step would be an unlimited general strike.

Confédération des syndicats nationaux The FIQ will follow, with strikes from Dec. (CSN), the Centrale des syndicats du Québec 11 to 14. The FAE commenced an unlimited (CSQ), the Fédération des travailleurs et strike on Nov. 23 and seems determined not travailleuses du Québec (FTQ), and the to give up. The stated aim is to sign a principal Alliance du personnel professionnel et agreement before the holidays, hence the technique de la santé et des services sociaux growing pressure on the government.

(APTS)—who have come together to form the Front commun, representing nearly How has the public responded to the 420,000 workers. strikes?

The Fédération interprofessionnelle de Even as Quebec residents are la santé du Québec (FIQ) and the Fédération experiencing impacts directly from these autonome de l’enseignement (FAE), strikes, locals overwhelmingly support this represent an additional 80,000 and 65,000 mobilization. According to a SOM poll public sector employees respectively; both of conducted between Nov. 17 and 20, 78 per which have decided to negotiate separately cent of Quebec residents support the public from the Front commun, but are also on sector strikes, compared to only 12 per cent strike. supporting the government’s approach.

The Front commun demands higher In an interview with The Tribune, wages and stronger benefits, as employees’ François Enault, first vice-president of the living conditions have been severely affected CSN, explained that the public sector can by the rising inflation. To achieve this, they continue to rely on public support for strikes

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

SSMU President: Alexandre Ashkir Ashkir ran on a platform focused on policy reform, increased accessibility of SSMU support and resources, and transparency. While Ashkir has little to point to in terms of achieving these goals, he says that this is due to his position requiring that he prioritizes supporting all other executives. He also said that many of his goals, such as reforming SSMU policies, take longer than a semester to accomplish. Although he has yet to make policy changes, he is working with the Governance Reform Committee to create clearer and more institutionalized policies within SSMU. He aims to finish these projects by the end of the year or to set out a work plan for his successor. Ashkir has been able to slightly expand the SSMU Grocery Program, which his predecessor Risann Wright launched, and hopes to integrate it within a larger coalition of food accessibility programs on campus. One of Ashkir’s biggest accomplishments of the semester has been the steps taken toward increasing SSMU’s transparency. At the beginning of the year, he spearheaded a meeting with student media and created more accessible and reliable avenues for contact. He plans to increase transparency, hoping to regain student trust and engagement with SSMU. Overall, Ashkir has made good progress on his goals given the time constraints; however, as he goes forward, having more specific plans would be an asset to himself and his constituents.

2023-2024 EXECUTIVE MIDTERM REVIEWS

VP Finance: Amina Kudrati-Plummer

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Following the resignation of former VP Finance Alice Fang in Aug. 2023, SSMU held a by-election resulting in the election of KudratiPlummer on Oct. 20 with 60.6 per cent of the vote. Kudrati-Plummer underwent two weeks of training and only officially assumed the position on Nov. 13. SSMU had to divide the responsibilities of the VP Finance position between the other executives prior to Nov. 13, meaning that Kudrati-Plummer is still consolidating her responsibilities in the role. Kudrati-Plummer has a clear vision for reforming SSMU’s internal accounting processes. Improving financial transparency within SSMU is her main goal, an endeavour she believes is crucial to restoring the student base’s faith in the governing body.

She also hopes to develop cost-saving programs for students to alleviate financial stressors and re-evaluate the SSMU’s internal accounting process, specifically concerning tracking services and budgets. Regarding complaints from SSMU clubs about difficulties accessing their finances, Kudrati-Plummer explained that this is due to issues with the Royal Bank of Canada—SSMU’s bank—that SSMU cannot directly control. She further explained that this went unaddressed before she stepped into the position, as immediate tasks such as re-budgeting and SSMU’s financial audit needed to be prioritized. With improving the current banking system as her top priority, Kudrati-Plummer will hopefully be able to address this pressing issue next semester. The Tribune sees these goals as critical, especially given the SSMU’s claims of “financial peril” that prompted the request for a 71 per cent base fee increase in the fall referendum. The Tribune hopes that Kudrati-Plummer will emphasize financial transparency and accessibility in the coming months.

MIDTERM

The Tribune’s editorial board presents its midterm reviews of the Students’ S (PGSS) executives. Tribune editors researched and communicated with each exe accomplishments. Editors with conflicts of interest abstain

VP External: Liam Gaither VP Student Life: Nadia Dakdouki s

Going into this position, Dakdouki sought to boost engagement with SSMU, increase clubs’ visibility, and ultimately improve students’ and student groups’ experiences interacting with the Society. Her biggest challenge so far has been initiating new projects while both she and SSMU have been overloaded with work. That said, she put together a very successful Activities Night, organized an Activities Night Lite, and created a Clubs Guidebook. She has also maintained good communication with students via office hours, event advertising, emails, and the Vice President (VP) Student Life Instagram. Additionally, Dakdouki is helping to develop a financial how-to guide for clubs, creating a SSMU insurance guide for students, and starting a student volunteer program at the SSMU daycare. In the winter semester, Dakdouki plans to run more club events and will bring back Mental Health Action Week.

She is also looking into creating a relaxation area on campus, as well as new mental health services with Keep.meSAFE that would be tailored to students affected by the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

As was mentioned in her campaign, she hopes to increase in-class announcements and student group tabling. So far, Dakdouki has made strides in bolstering student groups while mental health and family care, which are also under her portfolio, seem to have been given less attention; this will be resolved if Dakdouki accomplishes what she has planned for this upcoming semester.

VP University Affairs: Lalia Katchelewa The VP University Affairs is responsible for facilitating relations between the SSMU and the McGill administration, supporting and furthering equity and student advocacy as well as fostering academic innovation in the library. During her campaign, Katchelewa emphasized advocating for food security, menstrual health, and supporting student advocacy. However, she has only been able to partially stick to these goals, mainly strengthening food security initiatives on campus. A significant hurdle Katchelewa has faced is the bureaucracy and power structure of the McGill administration. In the second part of her term, Katchelewa hopes to further press the administration to take action on several critical issues facing students—especially food insecurity. She aims to foster collaboration between faculties as well as other institutions by organizing an inter-faculties summit and cooperating with the Concordia Student Union. Similarly, Katchelewa would like to double down on student outreach. She emphasized the need to be more accessible and visible on campus and proposed tabling at football games to better engage with the community. She says that the “corporate aspect” of the SSMU, as she calls it, often conflicts with its union role, and that she has been working towards striking a just balance between both. As her portfolio encompasses crucial political components, such as sitting on the Indigenous Affairs Committee, the Francophone Affairs Committee, and the Black Affairs Committee, her lack of clear accomplishments and attention to these matters is concerning. The Tribune urges Katchelewa to increase transparency on the equity and advocacy initiatives and support she provides to students.

Gaither’s main priority going into this position was to ensure that SSMU would be able to continue supporting groups on campus and aiding in student mobilization efforts. He cites the creation of the Community Solidarity Fund fee—a $1 opt-outable fee that feeds a discretionary fund for social justice-oriented individuals and groups—as External Affairs’ biggest accomplishment of the fall semester. To promote offcampus volunteering opportunities, Gaither revived the Community Engagement Day, which took place on Oct. 26 and featured around 30 organizations from the greater Montreal area. An important part of Gaither’s work has focused on mobilizing students against tuition hikes. On the week of Nov. 20, a successful petition calling for the cancellation of tuition increases for outof-province students that he participated in writing gathered more than 30,000 signatures and was sent to the Quebec National Assembly. This work will carry into the coming months, with an emphasis on building a better sense of student solidarity on campus. The External Affairs department will also bring forward two policies next semester: A food security policy to make the issue more actionable by executives and a union solidarity policy to provide the department with an official mandate to work with unions on campus.

VP Sustainability and Operations: Hassanatou Koulibaly After serving as last year’s VP Student Life, Koulibaly returned to the SSMU executive team this year, taking on the newly-reinstated VP Sustainability and Operations role which has not been filled since 2017. She ran on a platform that promised a thorough and thoughtful reestablishment of the role’s portfolio, an expansion of MiniCourses, and ensuring clubs follow the SSMU sustainability mandate. Koulibaly returned to SSMU prepared; although she effectively trained herself in this renewed role, she has been responsive and proactive. Already, she has laid the groundwork for athletic insurance in the SSMU building, a Gerts ambassador program starting in the Winter term, and auditing SSMU spaces to ensure clubs can operate.

While Koulibaly is clearly on top of the operations aspect of her role, she had less precise action plans for integrating sustainability into executives’ portfolios.

VP Internal: Jon Barlas As part of the VP Internal mandate of community and communication, one of Barlas’ main priorities throughout his campaign was to increase the accessibility of SSMU events by breaking away from their traditional alcohol-centred parties. In line with this goal, he organized two highly successful dry events: A Friday the 13th movie night and a thrift flip. In addition, he has worked to increase SSMU’s accountability by holding weekly travelling office hours in the Arts Undergraduate Society, Management Undergraduate Society, and Engineering Undergraduate Society offices. This has allowed Barlas to meet executives and students alike and answer their questions about SSMU. Barlas has also worked to improve alumni relations, which he did not feel were well-handled by previous VP Internal Cat Williams, by sitting on the McGill Alumni-Student Engagement Council and working with the Scarlet Key Society.

Overall, Barlas is performing well in his role. Going forward, he aims to continue planning accessible events in collaboration with interfaculty organizations and hopes to create a SSMU Wiki, inspired by the EUS Wiki, to share resources with students.

Society of McGill University (SSMU) and Post-Graduate Students’ Society ecutive before leading an editorial board discussion on the executives’ work and ned from discussing, writing, and editing relevant reviews.

PGSS

Secretary-General: Satish Kumar Tumulu

Financial Affairs Officer: Faezeh Pazoki

Tumulu has been the PGSS Secretary-General since June 24 and is in charge of representing PGSS to other university bodies, including the McGill Senate and Board of Governors, overseeing the PGSS governance documents, and chairing the executive committee. He entered the position concerned that students were not able to get in touch with their PGSS representatives when they needed to and believes that PGSS has successfully improved communication with constituents during his tenure. Tumulu sees funding as one of the most pressing issues facing post-graduate students—PGSS’ recentlypublished 2022-2023 McGill Graduate Student Funding Report states that 88 per cent of McGill graduate students make “less than a sustainable income”—and advocates for better funding and grant opportunities for post-graduate students.

He also meets with the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill—which is currently bargaining with McGill over a new collective agreement for teaching assistants—to stay up to date on their work. Next semester, Tumulu has important goals to tackle: He hopes to increase attendance at the Feb. 7 General Meeting (GM), as this semester’s GM did not reach quorum, to tackle structural issues within the Society, and to potentially simplify the insurance process for students. Tumulu’s goal of increasing funding and grant opportunities for post-graduate students is crucial; The Tribune urges further coalitionbuilding and the wielding of Tumulu’s spots on McGill’s highest governing bodies to better students’ working and living conditions, and to hold the university administration accountable.

As Financial Affairs Officer, Pazoki has undertaken responsibilities pivotal to the organization’s financial health. Pazoki’s overarching goals have focused on optimizing the PGSS budget for equity and inclusion, notably implementing transparency measures such as including monthly budget actuals in her council reports. Her accomplishments this semester include successful crowdfunding for travel awards and need-based bursaries, demonstrating effective budget management without resorting to fee increases. Challenges, such as navigating the effects of inflation as well as Memorandum of Agreement negotiations with Macdonald Campus Graduate Student Society, were met with careful planning and collaborative approaches. As her term concludes in December 2023, Pazoki is prioritizing a seamless transition for the incoming Financial Affairs Officer. It is imperative that the transparency Pazoki has created through tangible action continues under the next Financial Affairs Officer.

External Affairs Officer: Ansley Gnanapragasam

The Internal Affairs Officer is in charge of organizing and marketing PGSS events in response to constituent feedback, overseeing the PGSS orientation, communicating with Post-Graduate Students’ Associations, and recruiting to PGSS committees. García recently assumed the role on Nov. 6 and has been focused on going through student feedback and brainstorming events in her first weeks on the job. Next semester, García hopes to run events with a focus on environmental, financial, and social sustainability and is particularly focused on finding ways to better immerse post-graduate students in the university community. While she is still in her first weeks on the job and knows she still has a lot to learn—for example, about student unions’ advocacy around tuition hikes—García’s commitment to catering to students’ needs, listening to feedback, and sustainability are admirable.

Member Services Officer: Sabrina Yusuf The PGSS Member Services Officer manages services offered to PGSS members and issues related sustainability. They are responsible for the Grants Program, the Member Legal Defence Fund, the Health and Dental Insurance Plan, and the PGSS annual handbook. At the start of her term, Yusuf hoped to bring back services that had been cut during the pandemic and strengthen the PGSS’s health and dental insurance coverage.

However, she came into her role not knowing the full extent of how nuanced insurance is, and found it challenging to find an option that balanced the need for more complete coverage with the need for affordability. Even without any changes, the insurance plan has become more expensive annually for the past few years because of the sheer volume of claims that have been put in, especially those related to mental health. Yusuf has been looking into ways to prevent students from needing to put in so many claims, including the possibility of offering different providers to provide telehealth psychotherapy—making it not only less costly but more accessible to students in general. Yusuf has also been involved in PGSS’s transition from Desjardins to a new insurer, GreenShield, which she noted was not as smooth as the team would have liked. In this process, she noticed the need for transparency with PGSS members, and has been working to keep members informed on the switch, why they made it, problems that arose and their solutions, and any other updates. As a part of this initiative, she helps run a town hall focusing on the insurer transition, which PGSS publicized through their listserv, flyers, their website, and presidents of different Post-Graduate Students’ Associations.

Yusuf wants to focus on improved transparency within the Society for the rest of her term. She also works directly with the BIPOC Coordinator, the International Student Caucus, and the Mental Health Coordinator in supporting students affected by ongoing geopolitical crises.

University Affairs Officer: Racchana Ramamurthy As University Affairs Officer, Ramamurthy takes on a host of responsibilities to ensure that graduate students’ voices are heard at all levels of the university. Coming into the semester, Ramamurthy’s main priorities included improving graduate student funding and rectifying issues with supervisors—both of which she has made significant progress on. Her biggest accomplishment to date is her success in garnering the McGill administration’s acceptance of the recommendations detailed in the 20222023 McGill Graduate Student Funding Report, developed by the Funding Working Group. The accepted recommendations include providing students who receive external awards with a 10 per cent increase in funding, encouraging supervisors to provide cash advances for conference fees and speeding up reimbursements, and working towards ensuring that all students receive the provincial minimum wage rate.

Ramamurthy strives to educate constituents on the avenues available to them to address issues with supervisors, including using the required progress tracking system to report bad conduct by supervisors. Ramamurthy has also done an impressive job advancing the interests of graduate students within the university administration and moving forward, she hopes to address communication issues that have led to a lack of recruitment for university committees. Given her success on the funding front, recruitment should be a priority in the upcoming semester to ensure that all student voices are represented.

2023-2024 EXECUTIVE MIDTERM REVIEWS

As External Affairs Officer, Gnanapragasam aims to enhance the organization’s involvement in provincial and federal political affairs.

His noteworthy accomplishments include fostering ties with other student unions, like the Concordia Student Union, and exploring PGSS re-joining the Quebec Student Union.

Gnanapragasam has initiated discussions on student and research funding, with a potential town hall with a Member of Parliament in the works. His main priorities for the upcoming semester are continuing ongoing projects and establishing “interdisciplinary inter-university sessions,” such as a case competition across various Quebec universities. Gnanapragasam explained that PGSS avoids taking firm stances on global political issues, such as the ongoing conflict in Gaza, to avoid stoking tensions among a diverse student population. Ongoing and future initiatives include addressing French translation costs and exploring collaborations with other universities while balancing both francophone and anglophone student needs. Looking forward to the next half of his term, Gnanapragasam emphasized careful planning as he is diligently working on completing the projects that he has undertaken to ensure that all McGill graduate students feel adequately represented. Overall, Gnanapragasam’s work to build connections and improve funding is important, but The Tribune calls for PGSS to reconsider its position on political statements and take a stand for human rights when geopolitical crises arise.

Internal Affairs Officer: Cindy García

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

M REVIEWS

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

Campus Conversations: Curiosity On preserving childhood curiosity Lulu Calame Contributor The greatest tragedy that comes with adulthood is that it is no longer acceptable to be freely curious.

I grew up on a small island on the eastern tip of Maine, and my greatest victories lay in the discovery of a washed-up buoy or the bobbing purple head of a lion jellyfish under the downtown fishing pier. These discoveries were to no end but my own excitement, and I never wished them to be anything more.

But with growing up comes an awful social expectation that the world’s mystery should melt away and be replaced with a logical curiosity in only the things that hold productive value. Whether that be a degree, a career, or a salary—curiosity is no longer serendipitous, but mechanized. It is no longer appropriate to be curious with justification of its productivity––and this product is never just whimsical pleasure.

I often wonder, being only on the edge of adulthood, when I might cease to find a frozen puddle worth stopping for. I am already saddened that I no longer jump inside an elevator to see if my head will hit the ceiling, or that I have stopped running outside in the morning to test whether last night’s snowfall is powder or packable—always hoping for the latter, because every sledding hill needs a jump. I am sure that my eight-year-old self, for whom there was nothing more important than such explorations, would be shocked at the indifference ten years have brought; and I am scared further still for what ten more years might take.

Such unabashed curiosity requires a vulnerability that adults have sadly been trained to avoid, but which should be preserved at all costs; it honors the unpredictable, the odd, and the subtly beautiful. It makes me sad that an adult’s destination is such an imposition that they no longer stop to watch an ant carry a twig twice its size down the sidewalk.

Allowing oneself to be freely curious, and, for even ten seconds, to commit one’s thoughts wholly and unapologetically to something as small as an ant, holds an importance that the grown-up world has forgotten.

Curiouser and curiouser: Dogs, dildos and discovery Jayda Smith Staff Writer I need to do something more interesting than just studying before I die. A jarring thought that might lead some to hop on a plane to Europe and others to start training for a marathon, but one that led me to attend animal therapy in the Healthy Living Annex of the Brown Building––the beginning of a series of curiosity-led escapades.

Animal therapy is where I met Bau. Bau is an adorable Bichon who skillfully performs his duties as a therapy dog. I laughed as Bau executed various athletic manoeuvres; he sat, laid down and danced bipedally. Animal therapy wasn’t the only engaging thing the Annex offered. Across from where I sat was a store called The Shag Shop.

It sells affordable and inclusive sexual health products, including, but not limited to, menstrual cups and adult toys.

Shame had stifled my curiosity and prevented me from visiting

Changing majors and career paths

OPINION | opinion@thetribune.ca

Sophia Micomonaco Contributor

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Last week, I attended a conference on campus for women students interested in finance. As someone who considers changing majors weekly, the thought of choosing a career is one of my biggest sources of anxiety.

I signed up for the conference wondering if finance could be my new calling.

I would consider myself a “big-picture person,” partly because of this anxiety. I view every possibility as if it will affect me in fifty years’ time. I judge new ideas intensely and make a plan for outcomes A, B, and C (with subsections). In the past I have decided on plans and then strongly stuck to them, like when I thought that I was going to major in philosophy. I signed up for philosophy courses and realized that I didn’t really like them, but I stuck it out because I was fearful of losing the path I had temporarily chosen. When these courses didn’t go

before, but now that I was only a few feet away, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity. Somewhere between nervousness and indecision, I found her. The Double Dancer: A purple toy that boasts three speeds of increasing vibration and “dual flickering teasers” (whatever that means). I tried not to look too embarrassed as I cashed out and hurriedly stuffed the device into my backpack. It was my first time buying such a toy, but embarrassment was a small price to pay for a new experience. Needing one last adventure to end the day, I took a trip to the farmer’s market in the SSMU building. My most remarkable find was a book: “Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti.”

This tale featured a famous trickster spider from Ashanti folklore. Though the tale originates from West Africa, I know Anansi intimately. In Belize, my home country, we learn of Anansi’s hijinks around the same time we learn our multiplication tables. It touched me that culture was strong enough to have preserved Anansi across thousands of miles, depositing him safely from West Africa to Belize.

From just one day of exploring my curiosities, I found therapy dogs, sex toys, and home, all on one campus. What else might I find if I ask more questions? Exploring my curiosities turned into self-care and self-discovery, and it all started with a dog.

as well as I had hoped, I tried again with more subjects, repeating this cycle of confusion and dissatisfaction in the pursuit of the “perfect” subject area for me.

The conference featured successful women in finance as its speakers, some who did not hold finance degrees––just like me. Participants asked a range of questions and many of the speakers unknowingly provided very similar answers. When asked what they were looking for in an internship candidate, the most common response was “curiosity.” A lot of the women said that it was okay to change careers, and that one’s past decisions wouldn’t be a waste. If you were curious about something, even if it ended up being the wrong fit for you, at least you tried.

This provided me with a lot of reassurance, because my attempts to plan for one kind of career were dwindling. The week before the finance conference I was planning for my career in public relations… or mediation… or both. I don’t know if I’m going to work in finance, but now I at least know that I’m interested as I am with so many other things. This time, I’m going to accept that I don’t have a plan yet—because it’s better to be curious than resistant.

Palestinian artists will not be silenced on campus and in liberation

The Tribune Editorial Board

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ince the recent escalation of violence in Gaza and the West Bank, artists worldwide are raising their voices in solidarity with Palestine, advocating for a ceasefire amidst dire violations of human rights and mass destruction of Palestinian land. In parallel, a disturbing pattern of censorship and backlash, particularly targeting Palestinian artists, jeopardizes their careers and silences their critical voices. For the Palestinian liberation struggle, art not only expresses beauty and community but also powerfully and politically documents and preserves history. The narratives woven through the strokes of a brush, the verses of poetry, or the frames of a film document the lived experiences of a community grappling with constant mass atrocity. We cannot let them be silenced.

Within various industries,Palestinian and proPalestine artists have been stripped of opportunities to showcase their work. Wanda Nanibush, an Indigenous art curator, left her position at the Art Gallery of Ontario following criticisms of her since-deleted social media posts in support of Palestine.Citing “heightened sensitivities related to the Israel-Hamas conflict,” Toronto’s Royal Ontario

OFF THE BOARD

to Israel. Police arrested three protesters following the event, prompting more than 1,800 writers and publishers, including Sarah Bernstein––the winner of the Giller prize–– to sign a letter calling for the charges to be dropped. With Scotiabank and Indigo having great power in the Canadian literary industry, their ties to the IDF severely threaten authors’ freedom of expression and Canada’s vibrant literary plurality.

In spite of industry resistance, the artistic community’s responses to these incidents indicate mass collective support. Letters of solidarity for targeted proPalestine artists and protesters underscore the crucial need to resist censorship, uphold freedom of expression, and support artists conveying authentic narratives amid genocide.

The Orientalist gaze reduces the identities of Palestinian and Arab people to stereotypes, echoing patterns seen in the suppression of Palestinian artists. Denying Palestinians self-representation allows mainstream media to construct dehumanizing narratives devoid of emotion.

Palestinian art is a vital form of resistance, offering a crucial avenue for autonomy and self-representation in the face of mass cultural erasure and counteracting sensationalized

narratives.

Despite advocating for academic freedom, McGill not only falls short in standing against censorship, but also actively enables it.

The suppression of anti-colonial thinkers and the lack of support for Palestinian human rights advocates means that institutions should reevaluate their stance on freedom of expression when it comes to Palestine. In acknowledging the limitations of mainstream discourse, universities must use their resources to ensure a diverse and nuanced understanding of cultural and political conflicts.

Students, staff, and faculty must support Palestinian artists by recognizing the importance of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divest, and Sanction movement and engaging with Palestinian art on and off campus. The suppression of Palestinian art aims to control and manipulate the historical narrative. By stifling the voices of those who live under the realities of Israeli occupation, censorship seeks to rewrite the history of a people.

We must challenge censorship, promote critical engagement, and recognize art’s power to shape narratives and foster empathy. McGill students must make the walls of our university echo with the vibrant hues of artistic resistance, ensuring that no voice is lost to the shadows of erasure.

What to do if you can’t be an astronaut

Chloé Kichenane Opinion Editor

’ve always wanted to be an astronaut. When I was seven, I begged my mom for a telescope, convinced that the €40 plastic lens would equip me well enough to pierce through the polluted Parisian sky and uncover the secrets of the universe. I never got the telescope, and so naturally, I never became an astronaut.

Carrying the weight of this professional failure at such a young age was incredibly distressing. Years passed, and as I slowly mourned the loss of a life spent in space, while the calls of the job market only became louder. I needed

to find something else. At eleven years old, I finally decided: I was going to be a journalist. After all, I liked asking unnecessary questions and writing stories about everything and nothing, so why not?

Well, dear past-me, here’s a few “why nots.” My parents get credit for most of them, and sadly, part of me can’t even disagree. When I come home to visit, conversations at the dinner table go to the tune of how will you make money to start a family?, journalism is a dying industry and AI will take your job, or —my personal favourite— feminist girls like you should be in science. Yet here I am at twenty years old, having failed modern feminism and writing about it for my university’s newspaper. Nine years after abandoning space exploration, I still want to be a journalist.

Journalism never came to me as a revelation. I found myself wavering among choices, swinging back and forth between a career in diplomacy, publishing or the music industry until eventually, journalism was the only thing that stuck—a blessing and a curse. As I see many around me facing an existential crisis, uncertain

of the life their future job may bring them, I sometimes envy them. Truly, I often wish I didn’t know where I was heading. In French, we say journalism is a “métierpassion,” or a job you need to do with passion—but passion doesn’t pay the bills.

With every local paper shutting down or falling into the hands of another conservative billionaire, with every new team of reporters being laid off or every ad that pops up as I read my articles— my heart sinks a little. I think to myself, “Democracy does not die in darkness, it dies behind a paywall.”

My worries are not simply about the industry itself. Our collective attention spans are getting shorter, and we mostly consume news in concentrated shots of information. How can we produce compelling stories that hold the powerful accountable, if no one has the bandwidth to read them? Is there a future where people have the time to read past the headline? I don’t have the answers to any of these questions, and frankly, I’m not sure I want to know anyway.

Despite this, my hope for journalism is undeterred and I still pine for a future in it.

I’m well aware that student journalism is its own comfortable bubble, where being overworked and underpaid is not an immediate reality. Maybe that’s precisely the reason why I still have so much hope—it’s a tiny window into what professional journalism could be, in a better world.

Every time I open a new issue, my doubts about the future seem to go away as my eyes glide over the freshly printed paper. There is a new generation out there that still understands the importance of writing people’s stories, of speaking truth to power.

But I realize now that it doesn’t really matter whether I’m right or wrong because, truth is, I don’t have a choice.

It’s probably too late for me to become an astronaut, and journalism is the only other option that checked all the boxes on my list of job requirements. Looking back, I’m almost glad my mom never bought me the telescope. I no longer want to see the pale blue dot we live on from a distance. I prefer to zoom in as close as possible on what’s going on around me–– to ask questions, write stories and uncover new kinds of secrets.

Editor-in-Chief Matthew Molinaro editor@thetribune.ca Creative Director Mika Drygas mdrygas@thetribune.ca Managing Editors Lily Cason lcason@thetribune.ca Arian Kamel akamel@thetribune.ca Tillie Burlock tburlock@thetribune.ca News Editors Shani Laskin, Jasjot Grewal, & Caroline Sun news@thetribune.ca Opinion Editors Chloé Kichenane, Liliana Mason, & Monique Kasonga opinion@thetribune.ca Science & Technology Editors Ella Paulin & Athina Sitou scitech@thetribune.ca Student Life Editors Abby McCormick & Dante Ventulieri studentlife@thetribune.ca Features Editor Harry North features@thetribune.ca Arts & Entertainment Editors Dana Prather & Suzanna Graham arts@thetribune.ca Sports Editors Anoushka Oke & Julie Ferreyra sports@thetribune.ca Design Editors Drea Garcia & Sofia Stankovic design@thetribune.ca Photo Editor Mason Bramadat photo@thetribune.ca Multimedia Editors Anna Chudakov & Alyssa Razavi Mastali multimedia@thetribune.ca Web Developer Jiajia Li webdev@thetribune.ca Copy Editor Matthew Adelberg copy@thetribune.ca Social Media Editor Sainka Walia socialmedia@thetribune.ca Business Manager Sophie Smith business@thetribune.ca

TPS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ghazal Azizi, Ella Gomes, Shani Laskin,Eliza Lee, Matthew Molinaro, Jacob Northfield, Ella Paulin & Sophie Smith

STAFF Ella Buckingham, Roberto Concepcion, Kellie Elrick, Maria Gheorghiu, Ellie Griffiths-Barnhart, Naomi Gupta, Charlotte Hayes, Eliza Lee, Madigan McMahon, Jayda Smith, Solenne Trequesser, Isla Vaillant, Eliza Wang, Katherine Weaver, Abby Zhu

CONTRIBUTORS Isaiah Albert-Stein, Alex Alikakos, Isobel Bray, Lulu Calame, Zoe Chapman, Marc-Antoine Johnson, James Knechtel, Yejin Lee, Sophia Micomonaco, Galia Pakman Arrojo, Jules Pissembon, Charlie St. John, Maïa Salhofer, Nell Tov

TRIBUNE OFFICE 3480 McTavish, Suite 110 Montreal, QC H3A 0E7 - T: (519) 546-8263 The 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 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 Tribune, its editors or its staff.

opinion@thetribune.ca | OPINION

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Museum (ROM) proposed changes to a PalestinianMuslim display created by four Palestinian women. The display, part of a travelling art exhibit, depicted Palestinian burial rites.

Refusing the alterations, two of the artists, Sameerah Hosam Ahmad and Malak Kanan, engaged in an 18-hour sit-in at the ROM, forcing the museum to walk back its decision and allow the exhibit without any changes. Stepping outside of Canada, Palestinian author Adania Shibli was set to receive a prestigious literary award at the Frankfurt Book Fair for her novel Minor Detail on Oct. 20.

LitProm, the German literary association that organizes the prize, publicized that the award ceremony was cancelled “due to the war in Israel.”

The violent arrests of protesters targeting Indigo, Canada’s largest book retailer, further illustrate this literary censorship. Concerns have been raised regarding Indigo CEO Heather Reisman’s involvement with the Heseg Foundation for Lone Soldiers––an organization that she co-founded to provide scholarships and funding for non-Israeli Jews volunteering to serve in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Protesters also interrupted the Scotiabank Giller Prize ceremony, criticizing Scotiabank’s role as the third-biggest shareholder in Elbit Systems––an arms company that supplies weapons

T EDITORIAL BOARD

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

EDITORIAL

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

Fall 2023: Capturing Curiosity

Highlights from The Tribune’s photo section

Mason Bramadat Solenne Trequesser

Abby Zhu Maïa Salhofer

Abby Zhu

PHOTO | photo@thetribune.ca

Abby Zhu

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James Knechtel

Mason Bramadat

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

Abby Zhu

Mason Bramadat

Jay Lauzon Mason Bramadat

Jimmy Sheng

Abby Zhu

photo@thetribune.ca | PHOTO

Maïa Salhofer

Maïa Salhofer

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We who ran The McGill Daily

Uncovering McGill’s history of Black student activism and journalism in the ‘90s Written by Matthew Molinaro, Editor-in-Chief ; Design by Drea Garcia Avila, Design Editor

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n the summer of 1993, Bajan student Melanie Newton was on break, keen to take up a new post as Culture Editor at The McGill Daily. Newton, who studied German and British imperial history after switching majors from French and Spanish, wanted to get more involved in highlighting Black struggle, both in the classroom and across the world.

Newton knew intimately how white supremacy took shape at McGill. Before running to be an editor, she wrote her first piece for The Daily in 1992, “Realism or Racism?” critiquing her psychology professor and his decision to stand by a racist and infantilizing film of Black Americans that he showed to the class.

After confronting the professor with some classmates, Newton ran into her friend David Austin who told her to write for The Daily. She never looked back.

The politics of Newton, Austin, and the number of Black writers taking the pen would be meteoric. The day that she ran for an editor position, two protests broke out: One at Montreal’s South African consulate after Chris Hani’s assassination, the second from Zionist students angered

by The Daily’s stances.

Fresh off the semester and her successful run for editor, Newton had picked up a copy of Guyanese anticolonial intellectual Walter Rodney’s 1969 The Groundings with my Brothers. Rodney’s manifesto recounts the 1968 Congress of Black Writers, held in McGill’s Union Ballroom. Around Thanksgiving, Montreal and Canada very briefly became the centre of Black Power in North America. Yet, the media offered no substantive coverage, reproducing the white imperialist distortion of Black radical thought—with one exception.

“Of course, the white press of Canada did not see fit to talk about those points,” Rodney wrote. “I think I saw it only in The McGill Daily.”

Newton learned then that no other paper but the one she and her collaborators worked for had reported on this piece of Black history. Austin, by this time an incoming Features Editor, took it further, poring over bound volumes of The Daily to read about the connections between campus journalism and Black radical activism.

The Daily’s reporting in the 1960s, however, was not without its controversies. In a letter two days after the Congress titled “We used to get along so well,” writer Barry Katz compared Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) to Hitler, igniting debate about the role of white liberalism in Black movements.

The following day, reporter Ed Horka’s news piece, “Black nationalism has white roots,”covered Robert Hill’s lecture on Frantz Fanon. It concludes, “Ultimately, [Hill] said, the Black man will succeed where the white man has failed.”

A week after the Congress, The Daily covered the Jamaican government’s

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decision to bar Rodney from returning to his family. Reporter Robert Wallace interviewed Congress co-chair and future Prime Minister of Dominica Rosie Douglas, who said, “We have a crack in the system now. We must do everything possible to widen it not only on the student level but on the mass level.”

Wallace’s journalism is crucial, but it reveals the limits of an editorial board that waits to report on colonial and racial violence rather than taking a stand against it. How might Black editors and anti-oppressive journalism have changed the story and this history? How did they ‘widen the cracks’ in a white journalistic system?

Fast forward 25 years to 1993: Black McGillians saw no hope in deliverance by white editorial boards. The 25 years since Rodney praised The Daily did not see Black liberation spurred through the paper’s progressive politics. Unable to take race and culture as foundational to politics, campus papers would not serve Black students, Indigenous students, diasporic students, and students of colour.

Alongside massive global uprisings, racial violence in Montreal, the end of the Cold War, and settler colonialism from Kanehsatà:ke (Oka) to South Africa to Palestine, the rediscovery of this piece of The Daily’s history emboldened a cohort of Black editors, writers, and contributors to speak truth to power. This group of Black McGill students were poised to usher in radical change.

Like Newton, Coordinating News Editor for The Daily Cherie Payne was a student of the history of social movements, and was no stranger to making history herself. In 1982, in her hometown of Vancouver, Payne was the first Black person to attend her school.

Ottawa-raised Patricia Harewood felt personally and politically enriched upon coming to McGill, where she joined the Black Students’ Network (BSN) and the Shakti womanist collective. Her older brother, Adrian Harewood, was a soccer player turned Daily contributor. For a short time, he also did the layout for (and recommended Payne to) The Tribune. The Harewoods’ parents were educators who regularly wrote for the Black Canadian newspaper Contrast.

The very friend who encouraged Newton to join, David Austin, had moved between England, Canada, and Jamaica.

A competitive basketball player, he eventually settled on McGill. These were ordinary students who would take extraordinary actions.

Speaking with these five alumni reminded me of the 90s’ uniqueness. The cohort I spoke to all mentioned one another and fondly remembered each other’s work. Each uplifted the bold voices and auras of their many collaborators—Mebrat Beyene, Astrid Jacques, Ahmer Qadeer, Azim Hussain, Rima Banerji, Audrea Golding, Ted Runcie, Chantal Thomas,

and Mariame Kaba, among others. These students inherited Rodney’s struggle in Montreal. As I look 30 years ahead to 2023, we still have significant work to do on campus to write for liberation. I joined The Tribune in 2020 as the only Black writer and editor.

Canadian journalism has a white supremacy problem, and campus journalism must do everything in its power to combat it.

established by Richar “So we conspired, i orchestrated. We had about it. We were in would have been diffi out that the face of dramatically.”

We must remem preceded us asserte they infused their co and possibility of Bla moved from the pag have read dozens of from this time. Haiti w content, as were Afr politics, both here in M This broader cohort wrote, edited, and org all amid police killing rising student debt, sovereignty, and struggle. Harewood issues were on the ag “To be broader, there was a desire t I don’t mean that in inclusion, and diver in fundamentally worldviews, differen ways of seeing issu paper, so [it] wasn’t find somebody who’s or ‘let’s find a couple ” Harewood said in an Tribune. “The McGil progressive paper. It there was room for what kind of society w for example, capitali about socialism and into articles, and sha ideas. [...] [T]he coh about, not everybod but they would have a in exploring those iss

In the aftermath of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements of the 60s, the 90s at McGill show us the need to maintain our history and seize every opportunity for change. But, to practice anti-oppressive student journalism was not so simple, as Culture Editor Patricia Harewood explained to The Tribune.

“The hours that were put in to produce what was produced and the fact that it was so constant, right? There was so much copy. And the reason why I say that is the work in and of itself was not easy,” Harewood said. “The issues that we were tackling in the paper were not issues that [were] easy, and people read the paper. So there was no consensus on campus [....] You know, people today talk about, ‘oh, we have to be comfortable in our uncomfortable conversations.’ We were way past that, way past. The paper sat in what I would call discomfort and disruption all the time.”

Harewood and Newton were vocal participants in McGill campus politics, especially surrounding the Shakti womanist collective’s multiracial, feminist coalition politics, student democracy, and tuition hikes. Austin recalled to me the urgency of mobilization from the BSN’s perspective a few years before The Daily’s transformation.

“After my first year of being a [BSN] coordinator, we started to feel that the environment that The Daily had was not always very welcoming. There was this alternative kind of anarchistic left-speak, but in practice, there was a lack of understanding and appreciation of the issues that were being raised around race and politics. [....] So a few Many of the st of us got together [...] and we showed up overlapped at the through the elections. The same thing together, cared for on happened at CKUT. We had organized each other’s families. under the auspices of the Black Bloc, “The four years [

Campu transition those yea moment c horizon, a future, a b for Black s As Adrian it was a “possibility time of m […] a Blac Renaissan

rd Iton,” Austin said. it was planned and d lots of conversations n a climate where it ficult [...] but it turned f The Daily changed

mber how those who ed their place, how ontent with the hope ack life, and how they ge into the world. I f issues of The Daily was a beacon of their rican and Caribbean Montreal and abroad. t gathered together, ganized crucial work, g Black Montrealers, questions of Quebec the antiapartheid situated how those genda. , when I say that to have more voices, n the narrow ‘equity, rsity’ way—I mean, having different nt ideas, different ues, reflected in the just ‘Okay, let’s, let’s from the Caribbean,’ of racialized people,’ n interview with The ll Daily was a very t was a paper where discussions around we want. Questioning, ist ideologies, talking d incorporating that haring those kinds of hort that I’m talking dy was homogenous, also been progressive sues.”

The Tribune an amazing time of joy, a feeling that you were really reaching your full potential.

And also, just the way you’re 30 years removed from the 90s, we were 30 years removed from the 60s. And so we really felt like, ‘Okay, this is the fruition of all those civil rights fights.’ They really laid the groundwork, and we are here to capitalize on the foundation that they built,” Payne said.

The office was more than just a workspace; it served as a lively centre of deliberation, peace, and planning. Writers like Payne fondly remembered the joy and the music playing as the editorial team handcrafted each daily issue. Austin recalled casual gatherings, and Newton noted how the hazy air from nearby Gerts would occasionally invade the space. The collaborative and interdependent culture was crucial in forming this generation.

The fight for Black studies and the expansion of African studies raged on campus as Black artists, intellectuals, and thinkers graced the pages, the collegiate life, and the experiences of these writers.

Patricia discussed her coverage of George Seremba’s play Come Good Rain and her interest in the conditions of the Black diaspora, while Austin and Adrian brought up influences like Spike Lee’s Malcolm X and visits from Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Julius Garvey at McGill.

Even if the students did not agree with speakers or their commitments, campus conversations propelled, framing this cohort’s critical understanding of politics.

For Austin, this atmosphere required that journalists properly engage with all forms of media and activism.

“It didn’t feel like work, it felt like we were bringing the world that was outside the walls of McGill into the newspaper that was then going back out there in the world. And I have to tell you this that,

you know, we had people that were not students picking up copies of The Daily, regularly to read during that time. I don’t mean just the Black History Month issue.”

History palpably entered the room with these students, who were among the first Black editors at a McGill campus paper.

“There was really a sense of it being a moment, we were quite aware of that. It was just a couple [of] years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, you know, and it was this moment of transformation. That felt fragile, as well, but also quite extended,” Newton said in an interview with The Tribune. “It wasn’t so clear what the world was going to be like. The end of apartheid in South Africa. The Peace Accords in Israel-Palestine, when there was this real sense of a window of possibility that doesn’t feel the same now.”

Payne also sensed this transformative change. Her realization came when Newton, then Coordinating Editor, observed that they might be the first two Black women to run a paper in the country.

“That’s when it hit me that, actually, this is quite huge. This is quite huge,” Payne said. “The way it manifested in the paper is that during Black History Month, we would dedicate an entire issue where every single story had to do with Black issues, politics, culture, as a celebration of Black history. But also, we were aware that that was an artificial and [...] a little bit insulting sort of segregation. And so we had a lot of Black writers at the paper.

[We] interspersed stories throughout the year as a natural way to tell stories, because why wouldn’t you? You’re telling human stories, and Black people are part of it.”

This period, as Patricia described, was marked by fluid engagement with BSN and a harmonious integration of activism

FEATURE

and journalism, not just about diversifying content. Newton emphasized embracing activism “in the most capacious ways,” warning against taking progress for granted and stressing the history of struggle and reversal.

Adrian, who is now a professor at Carleton’s Journalism and Communication school after a 20-year career at the CBC, underscored the sentiment. We should not equate, he explained, advancing a particular position as a journalist with asking questions, making informed journalistic decisions, and framing stories in ways that allow the reader to make up their mind.

“I came to journalism from activism. [...] Journalism was about trying to change the discourse. It was about bringing light to dark spaces. [....] It was trying to counter a lot of the misinformation and also disinformation,” Adrian said. “So we entered journalism to disabuse people of certain misconceptions that they might have had about people who look like us or people who talk like us or sounded like us.

We were trying to also show that another world is possible, trying to imagine different ways of being [...] where, as C. L. R. James would say, every cook can govern, right, that everyone has a place at the table, that regardless of your station, that you have a story to tell.”

Thirty years on, their efforts still resonate—and the work continues. We are not past this history; it is a call to action.

These students’ radical imaginations shifted McGill, Montreal, and Canadian journalism. Their collaboration created Black worlds, put anticolonialism on the front page, and indexed activism, community, and change. The responsibility to uphold and advance this legacy is ours. Our campus and future depend on it.

us was in n during ars. The created a an open blueprint students. n put it, time of y here, a movement ck nce.”

tudents who wrote e BSN, socialized ne another, and knew . [of undergrad] were

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

To Bixi or not to Bixi?

Monique Kasonga & Liliana Mason Opinion Editors Bixi is my religion - Monique If taking out your first Bixi is an unforgettable experience in itself, riding one also comes with endless benefits. For starters, the convenience is unparalleled.

With hundreds of stops all over the city, you can always find a bike and a place to drop it off. While having your own bike can admittedly have its advantages— like the freedom to customize it to your preferences—the consequence of having to find somewhere to lock it is cumbersome enough.

Here’s a simple, everyday scenario: You need to get to a restaurant to meet friends in 10 minutes. Walking will take you 25, and biking will take you eight.

But wait, you won’t be going back to your place afterward; you’ll be heading to a bar, which you need to take the metro to get to. Thinking of walking? Don’t even bother—the table has ordered their dinner already, and they are all wondering when you’re going to finally download the app.

By temporarily renting a bike, you’ll be freed of the responsibility of carrying one around all night and you’ll be on time for your dinner.

Significantly cheaper than a student metro pass, Bixi allows you to explore the city in unparalleled ways. Tucked away next to the Bixi stop you parked at is your new favourite Mile-End coffee shop (and let’s face it, you’d never make it to the Mile-End from Milton-Parc by foot.)

Bixi’s infrastructure is a powerful force in the city’s transportation dynamics, alleviating traffic congestion and enhancing urban mobility by reducing reliance on private cars. Bixi’s city-wide station system ensures accessibility for a diverse range of residents, bridging transportation gaps and fostering a more equitable urban environment. Bike-sharing services like Bixi not only revolutionize transportation but also contribute to Montreal’s identity as a sustainable, healthy, and accessible city. If you ask me, there’s no better way to get around than by Bixi-ing—and I will die on this hill––the same hill I biked up with ease, using an electric Bixi.

Down with Bixis - Liliana The Bixi bike is a staple of the Montreal landscape, much like the ever-present For the first time ever, Bixis will be available year-round with the company introducing 1,500 construction cones and pothole-filled one-way regular BIXIs with studded tires and non-slip pedals for the winter months. roads that permeate the downtown. Many (Mason Bramadat / The Tribune) Montrealers have come to associate Bixis as an integral part of their identity, making system not only does this culture a disservice, customer service, and malfunctioning the ugly, clunky bikes a centrepiece of their but flat-out embarrasses it. equipment. Complaints range from bikes personality…little do they know how much Since it first entered Montreal in being un-maintained and barely usable to better life could be. Bixi bikes are antiquated, 2009, Bixi has faced complaints from small overcharging as a result of loopholes that heavy, and an overall stain on Montreal’s independent bike shops and rental agencies are unclear to outsiders. otherwise thriving bike scene. who have been forced to shut down as a Personally, I have a vendetta against Montreal has long been a city known for result of their competition. In 2011 alone, Bixis. I think they’re heavy and bulky, and its strong biking culture, with over 900 km of three independent bike stores reported severe the first time I rode one, the experience bike paths, much of which is regularly cleared impacts on their business as a result of Bixis. was marred by heavy winds that almost of snow to facilitate biking all throughout the After bike rentals fell from 250 to just 10 pushed me into Sherbrooke traffic, cold, dark winters. This culture has flourished per year, Roberto Rosenbluth shut down a prompting an angry old lady to yell at since 1975 when activists Robert Silverman location of his store Bicycletteries JR. me for riding on the street. Personal bias and Claire Morissette founded Le Monde Bixi also receives a consistent aside, the Bixi system is deeply flawed à Bicyclette to fight for bicycle-friendly stream of bad reviews from customers and is an affront to the beauty that is infrastructure; however, the modern Bixi complaining of hidden fees, shameful Montreal’s biking culture.

Compassion, inclusivity, and respect is impossible without divestment from genocide Isaiah Albert-Stein Contributor Content Warning: Mentions of antisemitism, Islamophobia, violence, rape and death

OPINION| opinion@thetribune.ca

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n Nov. 9, I spoke on behalf of McGill’s pro-Palestine Jewish students at a rally organized by SPHR McGill in front of the Arts Building. Within hours, I received anonymous threats that included my full name, which I had never shared publicly.

This slew of hateful and disturbing messages included “Isaiah supports the r*pe and murder of Jews” and far worse. These words attacking me as a “self-hating Jew” left me fearful of what the in-person consequences could be.

In an encounter with several members of oncampus Jewish groups, one pro-Israel student said to me “remember that we know who you are.”

When it comes to feeling unsafe at McGill over pro-Palestine activism, I am in no way exceptional. For years, students have faced threats, verbal and physical harassment, doxxing, and blacklisting for speaking in support of Palestinian human rights. Yet, rather than responding to these students’ activism and demands, McGill capitalizes on individual students’ experiences of harassment to detract from a much more significant issue: We are currently witnessing a genocide, and our university is complicit.

As of Dec. 4, Israel has killed more than 15,500 people in Gaza according to the Associated Press, and destroyed nearly half of the homes in the region, bombing hospitals, churches, mosques, and schools.

Claiming “self-defence” as a response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks places this violence in a vacuum. It disregards the forced resettlement and murder of thousands of Palestinians during Israel’s founding in 1948 and the continued settlement and occupation that many major human rights

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been quoted by Israeli media stating, “I am the only one who will prevent a Palestinian state in Gaza and [the West Bank] after the war.”

(Tillie Burlock / The Tribune)

organizations such as Amnesty International designate as apartheid. Pro-Israel activists perpetually weaponize the trauma of the Holocaust to justify unchecked violence against Palestinians, manipulating the growing threat of worldwide, supremacist antisemitism to further Zionist aims––all with continued financial and ideological support from Canadian institutions.

In the face of such unprecedented violence, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini and the McGill administration claim that the university’s mandate prevents them from addressing “geopolitical crises.” McGill’s refusal to stand against this obvious affront to human rights is both unconscionable and deeply dishonest, as the university’s endowment includes more than $20 million invested in companies that provide

arms and surveillance equipment to Israel and financial support to the violent settlement of the West Bank.

The McGill administration chooses to focus on “antisemitism and Islamophobia” on campus, framing both activism and harassment as motivated by hate and religious bigotry, rather than as responses to an urgent humanitarian crisis. Stated measures to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus perpetuate both the antisemitic notion that Judaism is intrinsically connected to the actions of the Israeli state and the racist generalization of Arab communities as singularly Muslim and intolerant to other religions. Furthermore, when the administration misconstrues proPalestine activism as antisemitic and falsely projects claims of violence onto peaceful student rallies, they encourage the very “tensions” they condemn.

The fixation on local experiences exacerbates a fear for personal safety, purposefully shifting attention from Gazans’ immediate danger to largely unfounded threats of violence in North America. This portrayal directly foments the harassment and intimidation that we see at McGill and other college campuses and has encouraged senseless violence in Canada and the United States. In Burlington, Vermont last weekend, three 20-year-old Palestinian college students were shot while walking down the street wearing keffiyehs. This week, one of the victims bravely reminded those concerned for him that his suffering is part of a much larger story of Palestinian oppression and resistance.

By now, I am well acquainted with the risks that I, along with many other activists both at McGill and elsewhere, face in our criticism of Israel and our support for the victims of its violence. However, I am also aware that the threats we face pale in comparison to the genocide Israel is perpetrating against Palestinians; their voices and suffering must be the focal point of any activism fighting against the state of Israel.

Yet, as student safety continues to permeate conversations regarding Israel and Palestine in North America, students cannot expect to feel fully protected while attending an institution that actively funds violence around the world. The reality of activism is that it makes people feel unsafe as it functions with the very goal of threatening the comfort of the status quo. McGill must understand that in a moment where the Israeli government threatens to “eras[e] the Gaza Strip from the face of the earth,” we must be uncomfortable. McGill can try to shut down campus activism and willfully ignore its complicity in Israeli violence, but our university community strongly, clearly, and overwhelmingly stands with the liberation of Palestine.

A glimpse into the outstanding academic habits of one McGill student Katherine Weaver Staff Writer

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ost of my mornings start within the healthy range of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Today I woke up peacefully around 11 a.m., primed for another day of academic indifference.

I listen to my body and give it all the beauty sleep it needs. After all, how you present yourself at a school such as McGill is by far the most relevant indicator of success.

In that vein, I take the next 45 minutes getting ready. McGill is a

runway; it's imperative that I look classy (without looking like a finance bro), accessorize uniquely (without going all out Plateau-y), and try hard, but look effortless.

Around 11:45, I’m finally set, and if I do say so myself, I’m pretty proud of this outfit. Blue Adidas Spezials to match my blue, asymmetrical sweater, and thrifted grey dress slacks. Plus, I even curled my bangs today.

My first class is at 11:35, so I grab my tote bag and head out the door.

WHAM! Striding down my steps onto the

Note from the models: They’ve never actually had 4.0 GPAs. (Zoe Chapman / The Tribune)

sidewalk of Milton, I immediately slip on a monstrous ice patch hidden underneath a pile of nice, brown Montreal slush. Before I know it, I’m face-up on the sidewalk, my hands, behind, and ego badly bruised.

My tote bag has taken off, skidding full-speed down the street. I consider getting up and chasing it but quickly consider the consequences—Slush Girl, they’ll call me. The incident will go viral on YouTube, and I’ll be the subject of Spotted: McGill posts and Tribune articles for decades to come. No, thank you. No recovering from that. I call off my 11:30 class and scramble right back up to my apartment.

It's not as if class would’ve served me much anyway. After all, my usual seat during chem class in Leacock 132 is the table. You know. The table.

Plush chairs, no one behind you to judge your 90-minute Pinterest scroll, and excellent proximity to the lecture hall doors for easy last-in, first-out access.

If you don't know Leacock 132 has a table, chances are you are in fact not a 4.0 student.

For the next few hours, I heal from the horror of this morning’s slip-up by practicing some much-needed self-care: Some online shopping, a facial with my aloe mask and Jade Gua-Sha, and a midday snooze seem to do the trick.

Around 3:30 p.m, I head over to campus with one goal—start my history paper. I skip on over to Schulich, first

grabbing my obligatory 'little treat' from Dispatch, fifteen dollars worth of toast and coffee.

An hour later, I head back home. I feel drained but proud of the work I did.

Not only did I finish The Washington Post crossword, but I mapped out every single possible schedule option for my next three years on Visual Schedule Builder, I perfectly curated my LinkedIn profile, and I created the Google Doc for my essay.

Later that evening, I head to Bar des Arts with some friends. The theme is Snug as a Bug, so naturally, I dress up as a sexy cockroach. A few Sleemans deep, I ditch my friends to go on a side-quest and investigate the large crowd outside Leacock 132.

I spot my blissfully-unaware-of-theLeacock-132-table friend in the crowd.

After listening to her spatter off her usual “I’m so nervous,” and “I’ve barely studied,” and “I only got a 52/55 on the practice exam,” I come to the sobering conclusion that the big event of the evening is, in fact, my forgotten Chem midterm.

I actually learned a lot from my adventures in academic indifference: 1) Benzene rings are very hard to draw under the influence 2) A 25 per cent midterm is practically nothing (I’ll easily make it up with the final) 3) Snug as a Bug actually meant dress in PJ’s, but damn, do I make a super cute cockroach

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

A day in the life of a 4.0 student

A comprehensive guide to finding the perfect winter coat The secrets to staying warm but fashionable this winter Charlie St. John Contributor

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s the fall semester comes to an end, the infamous Montreal winter begins, and your attire may feel incapable of warding off the December chill. If so, you are primed for a new winter coat.

The search for a good jacket can feel daunting, especially for first-year students who may have never experienced a winter quite like Montreal’s. Any good coat encompasses more than just functionality—the style matters too, and getting it right can elevate your winter look to the next level while keeping you warm.

Here are a few tips on what to look for—and what to avoid.

Where to look Montreal has plenty of amazing options for coat shopping. A ten-minute walk from McGill’s downtown campus will take you to St. Catherine Street, where you’ll find stores like Simons, Sports Experts, Uniqlo, Arc’teryx, and The North Face.

The revenue in the 2023 coats and jackets market in Canada amounts to about $1.32 billion USD. (Solenne Trequesser / The Tribune)

If your budget is tight, walk over to St. Laurent Boulevard, where you’ll find great options at thrift stores and vintage shops like Eva B, Empire Exchange, and le Chaînon.

If you’d rather order a winter jacket online, look for brands that can ship within Canada to avoid hefty import fees.

It’s safe to say that nobody looks forward to the cold of a Montreal winter, but with a well-chosen jacket, even an unpleasant trek to your 8:30 a.m. class will feel more like a cozy holiday stroll.

student life@thetribune.ca | STUDENT LIFE

How to get started The key factor in determining a coat's quality is its ability to keep you warm. This depends mainly on the material of the coat. So, which material is the best for ensuring cozy comfort?

In an interview with The Tribune, GQ Style Editor Noah Johnson gave some advice on what to look for.

“For a jacket, always go for down. It’s got the best warmth for its weight, by far,” Johnson said.

The more insulation, the better, so look for anything thick enough to withstand cold and wind and trap heat. It’s always a good idea to make sure the down is ethically sourced. Some good options are The North Face and Patagonia, which are certified to the Responsible Down Standard.

If you’re not a fan of down, Johnson offered some good alternatives.

“Go for wool, or better yet, cashmere if you can swing it,” he explained.

Aside from down, these fabrics are the next best option in terms of warmth and are always stylish.

If you enjoy the snow, look into brands like Burton, Arc’teryx, and Helly Hansen that carry more water-resistant jackets meant for winter sports and extreme weather.

Avoid slimmer puffers and vests, which still have insulation but aren’t enough to withstand Montreal’s far-below-freezing temperatures. If you like to accessorize, choosing a jacket with extra pockets is useful for added storage, but if hats and scarves aren’t your preference, a parka-style jacket will provide added head warmth.

For those who want more than just upper-body warmth, you may be in the market for a longer style that helps keep your legs warm, in addition to your torso.

“I always like a winter coat to fit a bit oversized—I just think it looks cooler and it makes sense to give yourself maximum layering options,” Johnson explained.

If you’re looking for something classic and reputable, the iconic North Face Nuptse and Uniqlo’s Seamless Down Parka are great options. If your price range is a little more flexible, go for even higher-quality brands like Woolrich, Canada Goose, and Ten c. Bear in mind that the average-priced winter jacket is still in the $100 to $200 range. A quality coat is never going to be cheap, but a hefty price tag isn’t necessarily something to be afraid of.

“I think a winter coat should be an investment,” Johnson explained. “Buy the absolute best one you can afford, and expect to wear it for as long as it fits you.”

A good coat maintains its quality for years, so it’s better to spend more on a long-lasting coat than to buy a cheap one that has to be frequently replaced.

“If you're really strapped for cash or unsure about finding the right style,” Johnson added, “Just go to an army [or] navy store and find some vintage military field jacket or peacoat. You can't go wrong with either of those.”

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

Location, location, location: How to find your perfect neighbourhood A crash course on Montreal student neighbourhoods Alex Alikakos Contributor

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a slightly greater distance. The distance to and from campus allows you to enjoy a refreshing walk before you’re locked into a day of classes.

You can also experience living outside of the McGill bubble.

Home to some of the city’s oldest known food and drink institutions, the Plateau is home to an array of new coffee shops, boutiques, bakeries, and supermarkets, providing a blend of historical charm and modern conveniences.

The lower Plateau’s artsy atmosphere renders it a desirable, albeit still relatively pricey, location to live.

ooking for an apartment in Montreal is no easy feat for McGill students new to the city. The unrecognizable postal codes and streets mix together to form a jumble of numbers and letters. This challenge is magnified for students when the perceived perfect apartment often hinges solely on its proximity to the university. But, the area surrounding your future apartment is just as significant as its amenities. The atmosphere of the neighbourhood influences your daily life, so finding the perfect location can be different for everyone.

Griffintown Griffintown is known amongst Milton Parc Montrealers as an up-and-coming district.

If your top priority is proximity to campus, Developers have recently begun the construction then Milton-Parc is the ideal choice. The allure of of many new residential buildings. While this being within a five-minute walk to most McGill creates many a modern living environment, it buildings is particularly enticing during the bone- also contributes to the problem of gentrification. chilling winter months, though this proximity Located only a 15-minute metro ride to does come at a cost—housing in the area can be campus, it’s an easy walk to downtown and Old relatively expensive compared to other areas in Port. Despite its prime location, Griffintown Montreal. may not exude the same vibrant atmosphere as Milton-Parc is a densely student- other neighbourhoods due to the impact of high populated area, meaning that there are various development on the community. Nevertheless, student-centric cafés and businesses. However, it compensates with a different type of appeal, this vibrant energy has a downside, as there focusing on contemporary living and accessible may be heightened noise levels during student pathways, making it a pragmatic choice for those events such as Frosh Week. Yet, for most, this is seeking a balance between urban convenience outweighed by having all the essentials within a and a quieter escape. couple of blocks, allowing for time saving during peak exam season.

Saint-Henri If you’re looking for a neighbourhood Le Plateau-Mont-Royal outside of the McGill bubble, then Saint-Henri Located roughly a 25-minute walk from is definitely one to consider. This area is packed campus, the Plateau offers the best of McGill at with small parks and beautiful walking and

Downtown Montreal was named the “coolest” neighbourhood in Canada, beating neighbourhoods in other global cities like Toronto and Vancouver. (James Knechtel / The Tribune)

bicycle paths that line the nearby canal, making it the ideal location for those who love taking walks close to home.

Home to the year-round Atwater market, Saint-Henri offers the best of local and gourmet food and products. This neighbourhood, characterized by its mix of iconic Montreal institutions like the market and contemporary developments, captures the essence of Montreal’s dynamic urban landscape.

truly encapsulates Montreal’s dynamic and lively atmosphere. Via metro, you would have a convenient commute to campus in under 25 minutes. What sets the Village apart is its affordability, with rents more budget-friendly than neighbourhoods such as Milton-Parc.

The Village harbours a predominantly young demographic, who fill the array of cafés, restaurants, shops, and bars located in the neighbourhood. The Village stands out The Village by offering a lively community for those The Village, although slightly farther looking to embrace the city’s spirit beyond away from campus, is a neighbourhood that the campus boundaries.

Leaving laptops at the door

Why some professors have decided to make their classes tech-free Galia Pakman Arrojo Contributor

STUDENT LIFE | studentlife@thetribune.ca

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f you were to walk around any undergraduate large lecture hall and be a fly on the wall, how many students do you think would have something unrelated to the course material open on their screen?” Aaron Erlich, a professor in McGill’s Political Science department, wondered out loud. It was not a rhetorical question, and he waited to give his own estimate until I’d hazarded a response. “‘A lot’ is probably a good answer.”

Erlich’s POLI 311 lecture hall is one of few on campus that are peculiarly silent— not from a lack of discussion, but void of a sound so familiar that most of us probably no longer give it a second thought: The murmur of keyboards clicking as students type their lecture notes. In these courses, professors have decided to ban the use of devices in their classrooms altogether, in favour of a “tech-free” environment.

What has driven professors to implement such policies?

First on their list was the ever-present possibility of distraction offered by our devices.

“We live in an age where attention is a premium and distraction is easy,” Erlich reflected. “Your attention is monetized and everyone wants to get [it], so it’s very easy to lose.”

And with limited time per class, the professors interviewed by The Tribune expressed that every minute matters, as do the perceived pedagogical benefits of handwriting notes.

Samuele Collu, an anthropology professor, argues that transcribing

For Collu, being tech-free is not about paying attention at every moment of class, but “learning how to tune in and tune out using your own imagination.” (Abby Zhu / The Tribune)

lectures word for word—a habit encouraged by typing—is an impediment to learning, which requires filtering and reorganizing information.

“If I gave them a laptop, they’d be writing down every word I say,” Collu laughed, adding, “[It’s] kind of like this delusional idea that if you write down everything that has been said, you will understand more [....] But to learn is to transform, it is to synthesize.”

For Collu, having a tech-free class also gives students an opportunity to briefly step away from technology— sometimes the only moments in

their lives where they are completely disconnected from their screens and notifications.

“Because we’re always so wired into technology [...] even to have one hour of your time or one hour and a half of your time without [it] already creates a massive difference,” he argued. “It just changes your way of being present in the classroom.”

Cristiana Furlan, a professor in McGill’s Italian Studies department, has held tech-free classes since 2017. She noted the heightened connection and quality of teaching she feels she can offer

to students who comply with her policy.

“Maybe I’m putting it in too strong a way, but it’s like a barrier somehow,” she said, referring to students who, despite her rule, continue bringing their laptops to class. “I feel like they are interacting more with the screen than with me.”

Particularly in language classes, Furlan noted the importance of forging a space where students can be vulnerable, fully present, and learning from one another—an environment which, she argued, is improved by leaving technology at the door.

“Computers do not facilitate talking to each other, asking questions to each other [...] interacting with each other,” she explained.

All of these professors also aim to make their tech-free policies work for all students. Exceptions to the nodevices rule are included in Erlich’s syllabus, and students who require this accommodation, he noted, have been treated with respect by their peers. Collu’s strategy has been to carefully select various note-takers in each course, who upload their detailed notes to MyCourses after every class.

He also offers lecture recordings and individualized office hours to students who require extra help.

Collu, Furlan, and Erlich all noted that, while initial resistance to their policies could be intense, by the end of the term most students got used to the change. “[They’ll tell me they] can’t believe how good it has been to be without technology,” Collu said. “It’s a threshold that needs to be passed.”

EllaBuckingham, Charlotte Hayes & Kellie Elrick Staff Writers

TV Shows Best

Bottoms - Charlotte This knock-out raunchy comedy took the internet by storm as director Emma Seligman and actor Rachel Sennott teamed up for their second collaboration.

Bottoms tells the story of two best friends, PJ (Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri), as they start a fight club to try to lose their virginities to cheerleaders. The cast’s impeccable comedic timing and swoon-worthy chemistry are a perfect match for the hilarious yet surprisingly gory script, making this modern twist on the typical teen comedy format an instant classic of the genre. Seligman and Sennott’s mission of creating queer representation in a space that has long been lacking was a smashing success.

Worst

Toxic Gossip Train (Colleen Ballinger) - Kellie In a sea of notes-app celebrity apologies, short videos that feature them sitting on the floor, surrounded by expensive (but neutral-toned) furniture, usually wearing white clothing, pausing to wipe dry tears, talking of shame and accountability and giving videos all-lowercase titles—Colleen Ballinger stands out for making her case through a 10-minute-long ukulele song (entitled “hi.”). “Toxic Gossip Train” was a ham-fisted—albeit creative—way to shirk responsibility for the numerous allegations made against Ballinger (which include sending suggestive messages to underage fans, blackface, and sending unsolicited nude photos of Trisha Paytas to fans). The song includes lines such as “not a groomer, just a loser,” and interjections of something that might be spoken-word poetry.

Though, to her credit, she has left the comments section on.

The Bear (Season 2) - Ella Avoiding the sophomore slump attributed to most sequels (I’m looking at you, Madagascar 2), season 2 of The Bear manages to retain the first season’s hype. The series allows for the exploration and growth of supporting characters: Pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce) travels to Denmark to learn new pastry techniques from Chef Luca (Will Poulter), while Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) confidently steps into her role as the new sous-chef back in Chicago.

This season sees Carmy (Jeremy Allan White) with a love interest which—to be honest—he is not prepared Worst to handle, but in a refreshing way that is true to life.

Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey - Kellie Critics are lauding it as one of the best follow-up seasons In 2022, Winnie the Pooh entered the public in a long time, and that’s not just due to Jeremy Allan domain. In 2023, he entered Hell. The premise of Winnie White’s chokehold on the Internet. the Pooh: Blood and Honey is this: Christopher Robin has left for college, and without the young man around to bring them food, the animals starve—and resort to cannibalism (they eat Eeyore first, but keep his tail to use as a whip). Pooh and Piglet proceed to chloroform young women, run people over with cars, and strangle Christopher Robin’s wife. I don’t consider these spoilers because I doubt anyone is going to watch it (the film’s only redeeming quality is an underlying message about keeping in touch with your childhood friends). Still, it could be a good watch if you don’t like your childhood, and/or hate nature.

(23.wikiuser / Wikimedia Commons)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

The Tribune presents: THE BEST AND WORST OF 2023

Celeb moments Best (themoviedb.org)

Succession (Season 4) - Charlotte Both timely and timeless, modern Shakespearean epic Succession aired its fourth and final season this spring to a rapturous reception. Featuring cutting social commentary on the state of American politics and media, as well as an ensemble cast’s tour-de-force performance, this final season solidifies the show’s place in the pantheon of greatest shows of the 21st century. A heavyweight in today’s water-cooler chatter, discourse on X, formerly known as Twitter, Succession’s conclusion leaves a definite void in the sphere of monoculture television viewing. With multiple Emmys, Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG) awards, and Golden Globes under its belt, this is hopefully not the last time we’ll see the faces of the Roy children and their associates on our screens.

(themoviedb.org)

Songs Best

Josh Hutcherson Whistle edit - Ella The Josh Hutcherson “Whistle” edit, for all those out of the loop, first originated in 2014 and featured a thirst-trap-like photo of Josh Hutcherson with the song “Whistle” performed by Joel Merry (a cover of Flo Rida’s iconic song “Whistle”). In November, the edit resurfaced from the depths of the Internet with the recent release of Five Nights at Freddy’s (dir. Emma Tammi), in which Hutcherson stars. It seems as if the Internet caught on (helped by the new release of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes)—yet again—to the beauty that is Peeta the bread boy in The Hunger Games franchise.

(Madelgarius / Wikimedia Commons )

Worst

Submarine explosion- Kellie This summer, the world held its breath waiting for news of the Titan (the submarine is the celebrity), prompting discussions around submersible safety, social class, memes, the Titanic, memes about the Titanic, an international search, and a larger reflection upon what stories we choose to sensationalize. Experts eventually determined that the submarine imploded, killing everyone on board instantly, and that the trip was, well, quite stupid. But who cares about billionaires—why did it surface over other stories about suffering?

At some point, the conversation shifted to how frustrating it was that all anyone could talk about was the stupid submarine while the boatloads of refugees drowning every day failed to get our attention—but of course, that was exactly what we did; we talked about the Titan and moved on.

arts@thetribune.ca | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Rush (Troye Sivan) - Ella It’s giving electro-pop-meets-late-2010s-dancetracks. It’s giving pounding lights and masses of people, hands in the air, jumping so hard the floor shakes. While “Rush” by Troye Sivan is not in any way revolutionary as a pop track, it does deliver on what it set out to do: Be the biggest party hit of the summer. Nominated for both Best Pop Dance Recording and Best Music Video at the 2023 Grammy Awards, it also won Sivan Best Solo Artist Worst at this year’s ARIA Music Awards. Sivan has cemented The Idol - Kellie himself into the hearts of Gen Z with hits such as “My Sam Levinson and The Weeknd’s joint passion My My!” and “Youth”; Rush simply continues this trend. project, The Idol, couldn’t quite hit the right notes.

It’s visually stunning, but that’s part of the problem. Not Strong Enough (boygenius) - Charlotte It deals with ugly topics but attempts to make them As their most streamed song, “Not Strong Enough” beautiful—is glamourizing pain ever truly honest? The is the stand-out track off of boygenius’ debut studio Idol, tried to be too many things at once: A commentary album the record. The country-pop-inspired track works on the toxicity of the music industry, a sordid tale of as a direct response to Sheryl Crow’s 1993 hit “Strong corruption, an exploration of predators, publicity, Enough” with the refrain “not strong enough to be your pop culture, pop stars, pornography—and it ended up man,” reversing Crow’s hook to profess their uncertainty becoming everything it tried to criticize. It’s ultimately about love. Bandmates Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, hard to tell whether it’s an indictment of how young and Lucy Dacus each take a solo verse, showcasing their women are treated in the music industry, or a fantasy uniquely impressive vocal stylings while embodying a that’s a little too real. variation on the anxieties set up in the chorus. With a propulsive guitar melody and lyrics that you can scream Films on a long drive, “Not Strong Enough” is a perfect piece of Best sonic catharsis.

Barbie - Ella Did I learn all of Barbie’s “most profound” revelations in a first-year Gender Studies class? Yes, yes, I did. Just had to get that off my chest. Now that I’ve given my critique of Barbie, let’s dive into why this movie was such a success. Not only was it the highestgrossing movie by a female director at the domestic box office, critics say it elegantly combines mainstream funin-the-sun adventure with cutting satire and sociallyconscious undertones. Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Ryan Gosling’s (Ken) performances were picture-perfect, and the impressive world-building and attention to detail, especially in the background sets of Barbie world, is cause for applause.

Cillian Murphy eats cheese to cope with writers’ strike Charlotte While the SAG strike had many actors wishing to get back on press tours or in front of the camera, Cillian Murphy took the opportunity to adopt the habits of a mouse. The Oppenheimer star reportedly spent his strike time lying down on the couch eating cheese. Can we blame him? Between this summer’s “Barbenheimer” frenzy and what is sure to be a long awards campaign, the star did what McGill students do between midterms and finals— completely ignored his work and responsibilities in favour of some much-needed rest and relaxation.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

‘A Haunted Girl’ is a soul-stirring take on mental health and a hero’s journey This father-daughter team uses horror to create a sense of catharsis Charlotte Hayes Staff Writer Mentions of suicidal ideation and mental illness.

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our years ago, in a hospital cafeteria, Ethan Sacks (BA ‘94) sat waiting for visiting hours to start in the pediatric psychiatric ward. As his mind turned over, he wrote down, “The fate of all life on Earth depends on a girl who doesn’t know if she wants to live,” which would later become the tagline for A Haunted Girl. The new independent comic series, coauthored by Ethan and his daughter Naomi Sacks (U1 Arts), chronicles the journey of 16-year-old Cleo as she navigates the challenges of returning to school after being hospitalized with severe depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. On top of the troubles of fitting back into her old life, she starts to see visions of ghosts, leading her to question what’s real and what’s a figment of her imagination. With the first issue published on Oct. 11, this four-part paranormal thriller expertly balances a page-turning supernatural adventure with the real experiences of teenagers facing major mental health crises. The Tribune spoke to Ethan and Naomi about the comic’s conception and creation, as well as their hopes for the role it can play in the lives of young people facing similar challenges.

A Haunted Girl has an intensely personal origin.

In a letter included at the outset of the first issue, Ethan describes this scene in the hospital cafeteria, years ago, waiting for his daughter (and now co-author) Naomi, who was seeking treatment for depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideations. Although the initial idea came from Ethan, Naomi’s involvement with the project grew through her recovery, culminating in her official co-authorship of the comic. She told The Tribune that there wasn’t necessarily a moment in which she became involved; rather, it was a gradual process.

Ethan wanted Naomi to see herself within the story—the characterization of Cleo needed to feel reflective of her own experiences. When describing the process of collaborative writing, the duo explained that Ethan tackled the supernatural and action-based scenes and Naomi handled everything to do with therapy, recovery, and navigating high school.

“It’s almost like internal demons and external demons,” Naomi jokes, pointing at herself and then her dad.

When asked what books they read or movies they watched in preparation for writing the comic, Ethan said that horror movies became critical texts for uniting his portion of the work with Naomi’s. He specifically highlighted The Exorcist, both for its obvious themes of connecting the supernatural to a medical context and for its creative usage of the parent role.

“For me [The Exorcist,] was a touchstone [...] Sure, there’s a demon and there’s all that imagery, but it’s also [about] a parent who can’t help their child,” Ethan said.

Ethan worked closely with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to ensure that the comic wasn’t perpetuating any harmful tropes or stereotypes. He wanted to avoid potentially stigmatizing mental health issues and presenting language that could be triggering to a vulnerable audience. To help with this, A Haunted Girl received a sensitivity reading from the organization. Additionally, AFSP resources are listed in the back of each issue, providing techniques for coping with stressful situations and those in immediate distress.

Ethan and Naomi hope that the comic can incite readers, particularly teenagers, to seek the help that they may need.

A Haunted Girl is a thoughtfully written and beautifully illustrated comic that demystifies an issue that is so rarely authentically portrayed—especially in the comic medium. It is unafraid to use the language of therapy and destigmatizes asking for and getting help. At

Ethan Sacks is a former Tribune staff writer (1991-1994).

(Ethan Sacks)

the same time, the language isn’t clinical. This messaging, immediately juxtaposed with the creepy supernatural elements, creates a heartwarming yet enthralling read.

The mission statement is clear: To inspire those whose struggles mirror Cleo’s as they go on their own hero’s journey.

‘A Haunted Girl’ is available in bookstores across the country. Issue #3 will be released on Dec. 13.

‘Saltburn’ is a cinematic scrutinization of opulence and obsession Emerald Fennell’s latest movie proves the Jacob Elordi Renaissance is upon us Sofia Stankovic Design Editor Spoilers for Saltburn.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | arts@thetribune.ca

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pulence. Drugs. Midnight strolls. A hedge maze. Far too many shots of bathtubs.

Welcome to Saltburn, Emerald Fennell’s latest cinematic endeavour.

Known for her bold feature-length directorial debut, Promising Young Woman, Fennell’s newest film takes a more ironic journey, enlisting a stellar cast to portray an “eat the rich” satire filled with twists and turns at every corner.

The film takes place in 2006 at Oxford University where scholarship student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) struggles to assimilate with his privileged peers, whose legacies, family names, and substantial donations guarantee their admission. Oliver befriends popular and charismatic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), who appears sympathetic to his plight. Their friendship takes on an imbalanced, obsessive quality, blurring the boundaries between love and companionship. Stirred by compassion for Oliver’s familial struggles, Felix extends an invitation for him to spend the summer at his family’s lavish estate—Saltburn.

Saltburn’s opulence initially overwhelms Oliver, yet even as he slowly embraces it, unease permeates the locale. The audience must immediately confront the discomfort of witnessing Oliver’s excessive indulgence and the

intricate ways by which he inserts himself into the fabric of the Catton family. Saltburn, with its grandeur and intricate nuances, transforms into a microcosm of the subtle interplay between class, friendship, and personal identity.

The brilliantly performed satire skillfully dissects the themes of wealth and extravagance. Through Oliver’s eyes, Fennell peels back the mystique behind each character, gradually revealing the true nature of the individuals populating this world of riches. The cast truly elevates the film to its full potential, allowing for hilariously dark moments to enhance the film’s humour. Felix’s mom, Elsbeth Catton (Rosamund Pike), is electrifying in her cheerful cruelty; Pike’s line deliveries and incisive descriptions are a genuine delight, showcasing the amused detachment often associated with affluence. Moreover, Elordi flawlessly embodies the character of Felix, expertly toeing the line between the seemingly unattainably affluent youth and the grounded, relatable best friend. The on-screen chemistry between Elordi and Keoghan is undeniably compelling, adding a gripping dimension to their characters’ dynamic.

Fennell adeptly navigates the delicate task of presenting visually uncomfortable scenes while blending cinematography, colour palettes, and sound design to enhance the overall narrative impact. Several scenes leave the viewer grappling with conflicting

emotions through an interplay of repulsion and self-reflection.

Moreover, the cinematography and framing are expertly done. The film was shot in an unusual 1.33:1 aspect ratio, giving the viewer the impression that one is seeing more than they are meant to. This fosters a sense of intrigue, prompting the audience to engage more deeply with the visual nuances of the story—as if one is living in Saltburn with Oliver.

Complementing this visual prowess, the soundtrack impeccably aligns with the narrative, serving as an auditory guide to the characters’ emotions and enhancing the overall cinematic experience.

The film carefully weaves its narrative tapestry to build anticipation and tension, but unfortunately, the conclusion falls short in terms of narrative coherence and a well-structured plot. Despite the film’s earlier success in building suspense, the concluding scenes diminish the overall impact of the storytelling.

The resolution dissipates the heightened intrigue surrounding the main characters, culminating in an ultimately predictable ending. Nevertheless, Barry Keoghan’s performance remains effortlessly captivating until the closing credits. His methodical character exploration prompts the viewer to reflect on the broader implications of extravagance and privilege in contemporary society. In this way, the film succeeds

Director Emerald Fennell’s latest film distinguishes itself through its cleverly crafted characterizations and Barry Keogan’s standout performance. (themoviedb.org)

in sparking contemplation that transcends its narrative shortcomings.

Ultimately, Saltburn leaves a lasting impression by masterfully blending together visual and

auditory elements, providing an immersive experience that transcends the boundaries of conventional storytelling.

Saltburn’ is now playing in theatres.

Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” cover reignites debates about discrimination in country music Ella Buckingham Staff Writer

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racy Chapman’s “Fast Car” recently hit the No. 2 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100, winning Song of the Year at the 2023 Country Music Awards. I know what you’re thinking; no, it’s not 1988 again. A cover of the hit, released by country music artist Luke Combs on his newest album “Gettin’ Old,” has been garnering these accolades. Additionally, it has won Combs “Single of the Year” (CMA Awards), hit No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart, and was recently certified platinum. While Combs’ success is impressive and spotlights Tracy Chapman thirty-five years after the song’s release, critics are torn over what this means given the discriminatory nature of country music. Some are uneasy about Combs’ achievements as a white man gaining so much attention for covering a queer Black woman’s work.

Tracy Chapman has been quoted saying she never expected to find herself on the country music charts, and Black country music artists have been striving to get there for decades. Radio stations playing the music of predominantly white male country singers have exacerbated this struggle. A study from the University of Ottawa found that within the country music genre, the ratio of spins for male to female artists was 9.7:1.

Another study conducted by SongData showed that between 2014 and 2020, artists of colour only received 4.8 per cent of country music format’s airplay. Both of these findings emphasize the strong bias toward white and male artists within the genre.

Despite the country music community’s whiteness, Black artists are integral to the fabric of the genre.

Historically, both the African-American and white communities in the Southern United States played “country music”. Its origins were largely influenced by African-American and Native American communities;

enslaved peoples began the first string bands, and the blues—one of country music’s hallmarks—was an invention of African-American communities. Some credit the banjo as originating from West Africa, and a Kanaka Maoli teenager, Joseph Kekuku, created the steel guitar. Even the lyrics of country music have their origins in enslaved people’s spirituals, hymns, and field songs—all predominantly Black sources. Important early Black country artists include Lesley Riddle, who shaped the genre of modern country music primarily through his collaborations with the Carter Family, and Arnold Shultz, who was integral to Travis Picking’s development.

Country music began to be marketed along racial lines in the Jim Crow era, as the industry divided it into two categories: “Hillbilly” and “race.” While both of these terms are problematic, the “different” categories have the same roots. White country music, labeled as “hillbilly,” was specifically targeted toward the expanding white middle class in order to bring respect as well as profits to the genre. Eventually, this turned that demographic into the stereotypical audience of country music known today.

The marginalization of Black voices and influence has continued to the present. Mickey Gurton, who has fought to be recognized in the genre for over ten years, became the first Black female country music star to perform at the Grammys in 2021, singing her hit single, “Black Like Me.” Up until that point, radios excluding women artists and artists of colour afforded her little air time in order to present her music to the public. Since her Grammy performance, however, her songs have amassed millions of streams on both YouTube and Spotify.

While “Fast Car” was not originally a country music song, its popularity in the genre as a cover by a white male artist is cause for scepticism, especially considering the genre’s history of marginalization. As consumers, advocating

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

Where Do I Begin? Country music artists of colour and the industry

The discussion around whether Lil Nas X should be considered a country music artist after his release of “Old Town Road” (ft.

Billy Ray Cyrus) brings up similar concerns. (Zoran Veselinovic / Wikimedia Commons)

for marginalized voices to be given airspace and monetarily supporting these artists are small but effective ways to work toward larger social change. We must interrogate how we represent country music and whose voices we centre at both the individual and industry levels.

Goodreads Choice Awards prioritizes sameness over diversity

Goodreads removes Children’s Fiction, Poetry categories in favour of “Romantasy” Isobel Bray Contributor

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Goodreads was launched in January 2007, making 2023 its 16th anniversary.

(Sofia Stankovic / The Tribune)

encourage and support younger readers by bolstering the visibility of books written and published for them, who will grow up to read adult books?”

Goodreads has also been criticized in recent years for awarding predominantly white authors. Unfortunately, the stories themselves are similarly lacking in diversity: this year’s Romance lineup—one of the most popular genres—is remarkably lacking in Black and Indigenous voices, writers of colour, and 2SLGBTQIA+ stories. This issue carries over from the predominantly white publishing industry, where a lack of diversity persists from hiring to acquisitions.

Goodreads influences what works readers are exposed to, and thus, what gets published. Last year’s Goodreads Awards saw over 5.7 million votes cast. By neglecting to highlight marginalized authors and underrepresented genres, the platform prevents them from getting the exposure they need to thrive. The industry has always been demand-driven, so if people express a desire for inclusivity, we can hope publishers will circulate more diverse works. If you’re looking to diversify your reading list in 2024, instead, start with these lists from Little Free Library, or ask your friends for their recommendations. The Goodreads awards should not be your place to start.

arts@thetribune.ca | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ost people have heard of the Grammys and the Oscars, but unless you’re an avid reader, the Goodreads Choice Awards may be less well-known. Goodreads is a social media platform dedicated to books and those who read them. Since 2009, the website has hosted its annual Choice Awards, allowing users to vote on their favourite reads of the year. To qualify, the selected books must have been published within the voting year in the United States in English—although books in translation are included—and have an average rating between 3.50 and 5.00 stars. Voting happens in two rounds, opening with 20 books and cutting down to 10 in the final. This year, the voting started on Nov. 14, and the final winners will be revealed on Dec. 7.

While I don’t always vote in every category, I still search through the nominees for titles to add to my evergrowing, overly optimistic to-read list.

The categories usually encompass a variety of genres, from Historical Fiction to Horror, appealing to readers across the board. However, in an update on Nov. 12, Goodreads announced that their categories would be adjusted.

Goodreads introduced the category of “Romantasy,” a subgenre of Fantasy with a prominent romantic subplot. This addition seems unnecessary given the pre-existing categories of Fantasy, Romance, and Young Adult Fantasy. However, the logic behind this decision makes sense. Romance and Romantasy have become especially popular on BookTok, a niche literary community on TikTok. Romantasy books

typically follow Fantasy conventions but have simpler world-building—unlike many high fantasy novels—and a greater emphasis on romance, which contributes to their growing appeal.

Goodreads also decided to remove three categories: Children’s and MiddleGrade Fiction, Poetry, and Graphic Novels. This change has sparked outrage and confusion online, especially because these categories have suffered from low book sales in recent years. Additionally, recent reports reveal that kids in North America are reading less for pleasure, accompanied by a decrease in their reading scores, causing concern among publishers and librarians.

People have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their frustrations.

User pagesofhayley writes: “Removing children’s/middle grade from the goodreads choice awards is making sure a whole age group for books won’t get visibility now.” Jnetalee says: “In a year where #kidlit is really struggling with book bans, you decide to eliminate middle grade, children’s, and graphic novels from the awards categories?”

These responses are justified, given that internet trends have increasingly influenced the literary world, making it harder for less popular genres to break into the mainstream. Removing categories geared toward young readers reduces the visibility of both authors and books. As a form that encourages self-expression, Poetry’s removal is also very concerning.

Faye Bender of The Book Group, a literary agency, posted a petition on Nov. 17 requesting Goodreads to reinstate Children’s and Middle Grade and Graphic Novels. The petition states, “If we don’t

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New human imaging studies shed light on the brainstem’s functional architecture Marc-Antoine Johnson Contributor

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general integration of cognition. “[Norepinephrine] is involved in getting the brain to work together or work in a more segregated fashion,” Hansen said.

Hansen’s team also found a gradient in how the functions of the brainstems are correlated to those of the cortex. They discovered that the brainstem has more associations with the anterior part of the brain, including the frontal lobe and the anterior temporal lobe, implicated in higher cognitive functions like language, rather than the occipital lobe. The presence of this gradient implies that the brainstem might serve an important role that is usually attributed to the cortex in higher cognitive functions.

Although this paper is correlational and therefore does not prove causality, this type of research opens questions into the different functions of interaction between the brainstem and the cortex, especially surrounding the issue of consciousness. A coma is an altered state of consciousness and can provide valuable information on its nature.

“Now I don’t know if I want to go that direction, but it would be another angle to look at the brainstem in a [comatose] population instead of just in a healthy population,” Hansen said.

Hansen’s research paper emphasizes

the importance of researching the more primitive parts of brain anatomy to gain a deeper understanding of the beautiful intricacies of the human brain.

“I think we can stop thinking of the brainstem as just being a lizard brain implicated in breathing and keeping you alive,” Hansen noted. “Maybe it’s also involved in more higher-order functions that we usually attribute to the cortex.”

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ong before Francis Schmitt coined the term “neuroscience” in 1962, scientists have been interested in demystifying the secrets of the human brain. Although neuroscience primarily focuses on the functions of the cortex— the outer layer of the brain— researchers have begun to highlight the importance of more primitive brain anatomy: Namely, the brainstem. In her recent paper, Justine Hansen, PhD candidate from The Neuro, used a novel approach to pair brainstem functions with those of the cortex.

“The brainstem isn’t really looked at in vivo [in living human participants],” said Hansen in an interview with The Tribune. “Because of that, we’re somewhat biased against thinking of the brainstem as being involved in these human-specific cognitive functions.”

Most contemporary knowledge about the brainstem comes from animal studies, anatomy studies looking at connectivity, or lesion studies—lesions in the brain induce various deficits from which we can extract functions. However, many more methodological aspects make this research interesting.

Many studies examining brain functions exclusively look at the cortex.

This is the wrinkly part most people imagine when thinking about the brain.

The cortex reportedly hosts most of the mind’s cognitive functions, including memory, perception, and decision-

making.

“We wanted to extend our perspective of cortical function to the brainstem. The reason we want to do that is that the brainstem is very often overlooked in a lot of these human neuroimaging studies,” Hansen said.

The current cortico-centric view of the brain poses many constraints when looking at the purpose of certain brain circuits. This perspective disregards the potential role of the brainstem’s intricate anatomy.

“A big thing is that it’s comprehensive across the brainstem. So a lot of studies, or those already doing brain imaging studies, typically just focus on a region in the brainstem that they are interested in,” Hansen stated.

As an attempt to address some of these issues, this research also groups different anatomical brainstem areas according to their associated cortical functions. Multiple neurotransmitters are produced in the brainstem, each implicated in different functions such as arousal and awareness. These groups represent clusters of neurons producing these molecules.

Interestingly, they found that norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter downstream of adrenaline, is present across all functional groups.

Norepinephrine is implicated in various functions, including arousal regulation.

This omnipresence paves the way for many hypotheses about the role and importance of norepinephrine in the

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

Human Cognition: Moving away from the brain

Navigating the government’s guide to employing generative AI in the public sector Generative AI may not be all fun and games when it comes to public and legal matters.

Yejin Lee Contributor

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | scitech@thetribune.ca

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n Nov. 30th, OpenAI’s release of ChatGPT marked its oneyear anniversary. Within a relatively short period, this generative AI (GAI) brought tremendous changes in everyone’s lives. Between huge layoffs in administrative professions, and widespread controversies, such as the debate around the use of AI in classrooms, it seems crucial to survey the implications of such a tool.

In September 2023, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) published a Guide on the Use of Generative AI, providing an overview of GAI, along with challenges and concerns for responsible use as well as policy considerations. Researchers from McGill and the University of Toronto were invited to submit their feedback on the guide. They discussed their comments in a recent paper encompassing sociopolitical aspects of GAI while analyzing the guide’s strengths and weaknesses.

Despite assessing the guide as “fit for purpose,” the paper identifies three key pathways to strengthen it: Direction on drafting new federal legislation for more comprehensive and enforceable rules, ethical sourcing practices, and environmental impact mitigation.

The researchers emphasize the need for a more enforceable policy framework that offers greater accountability and public trust in GAI in the public sector.

Regulation of the foundational model is particularly crucial as various applications of GAI use it as a base. Pre-existing biases

are almost impossible to detect, and the harvested data used for its training ranges across public and private data, raising concerns about copyright violations.

Moreover, GAI requires extensive data input. The workers have to clean, annotate, and prepare the possibly harmful data to remove biases and graphic material for the production of ‘quality’ data. Worker protection, under the proposed ethical sourcing practices, is highly compromised.

For instance, Meta, OpenAI, TikTok, and Big Tech ignored Kenyan labour laws for their data workers in Kenya. Even though those companies are valorized for kick-starting the GAI revolution, they are infamous for hiding the extent of the harm; severe mental distress and even suicides of content moderation workers are well-documented.

“As long as the status-quo business model remains profit maximizing and shareholder-driven, the exploitation will continue,” Ana Brandusescu, PhD candidate, and Renee Seiber, associate professor, both researchers at McGill’s Department of Geography, wrote in an email to The Tribune.

According to Brandusescu and Seiber, extending Canadian labour laws to international data workers may resolve such exploitative practices.

“We have to go beyond soft law such as guidelines and standards to more concrete and consequential measures that are respected and enforced,” Brandusescu and Sieber wrote. “[Possible measures could be] prohibiting federal agencies from using certain products and services, remove offending companies (e.g., those who violate human rights laws) from

preferred vendors’ lists, and to name and “Is it worth it for one of us to have shame companies who do not comply with AI-enabled convenience if it means that rules and regulations.” three people will lose their jobs, [Internet The paper compliments the guide Protocol (IP) addresses] will be stolen, on its attention to GAI’s environmental and workers in low and middle-income impact, but suggests that it should include countries will be exploited?” Brandusescu a more comprehensive examination of and Seiber wrote. the environmental impact caused in each Now is the time to ponder what phase of GAI’s software and hardware benefits GAI brings us, whether it is lifecycle. Despite the immense amount actually being economically and socially of greenhouse gas emissions and water distributed, and pay consistent attention consumption for AI data centres, AI’s to relevant policies so that the suggestions environmental footprint often goes as above can come into effect. unacknowledged.

A more thorough guide may also encourage companies to incorporate feasible solutions, such as energyefficient architecture or carbon-awareness tools. Deep Green, a UK-based company that pairs a data center with a swimming pool to transfer the heat generated to warm up the pool, is a creative alternative to letting the heat energy go to waste.

GAI is an issue creating radical changes in numerous social areas while posing substantive harm. This issue requires a tangible enforcement of regulatory policies since a naive, hypothetical discussion about it The counterintuitiveness of Generative AI; it ultimately relies on would not propel much human labour and exploitation, not an all-round robot (Cash change.

Macanaya / Unsplash.com)

The Neuro’s Open Science symposium highlights importance of scientists’ cooperation Ella Paulin Science & Technology Editor

She gave an overview of the day’s events before handing the microphone to Christopher Buddle, Associate Provost n Nov. 30, neuroscience and data- of Teaching and Academic Planning at sharing experts came together for McGill, who spoke about open science on a day of insightful talks at The the McGill campus—both among students Neuro’s fifth annual Open Science in Action and at institutions like The Neuro. Guy Symposium. Kicking off the event, Annabel Rouleau, Director of The Neuro and coSeyller, CEO of the Tanenbaum Open founder of TOSI, expanded on these points Science Institute (TOSI), emphasized the and discussed the history of open science at growing prevalence of open science across McGill. scientific institutions in Canada.

“When TOSI was created in 2016, the “Open science is everywhere,” Seyller idea was to crystallize open science practice said. “I remind you that 2023 is the year of at The Neuro, but also as a living lab for open science.” how to, at the institutional level, adopt open science practices,” Rouleau explained.

After these opening remarks, Vincent Larivière, inaugural UNESCO Chair in Open Science and professor of Information Science at Université de Montréal, delivered the keynote address. He spoke on a variety of issues surrounding scholarly publishing, including the difficulties of publishing open-access papers, changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pressures that One of the central pillars of Open Science is that scientific predatory publishers place publications should be freely accessible, and not hidden behind on scientists. There was also paywalls. (Abby Zhu / The Tribune )

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a panel discussion, moderated by Viviane Poupon, President of Brain Canada, covering the potential of open science to accelerate drug discovery.

The afternoon spotlighted a number of different initiatives—many of which that The Neuro has sponsored—that aim to engage in and promote open science, spanning various areas, such as data sharing, open-source software, and science communication.

Gabriel Pelletier, Open Science Data Manager at TOSI and the moderator of the data-sharing session, highlighted that while these initiatives are of critical importance, implementing them is not always straightforward.

“Data sharing and knowledge sharing is key to accelerate the pace of discovery in neurological diseases and in any domain really, but also has considerable challenges,” Pelletier said in his introduction. “It’s not easy. It takes time, knowledge, and expertise.”

Nikhil Bhagwat, a computational neuroscientist at McGill, addressed these difficulties in his presentation on ParkCore, a tool for sharing data on Parkinson’s disease.

“In thinking about open science in Parkinson’s disease, we have to first accept the fact [that] it’s very hard,” Bhagwat said. “We all need more data. But the key word here is we need more open and harmonized data.”

Bhagwat explained that it was not always as simple as just sharing collected data with another scientist: Researchers need to make sure they’re both using the

same protocols and software, even the same variable names.

“What we really want is to be able to get the data and be able to use it without having to play this game of twenty questions with whoever is sharing data,” Bhagwat said.

ParkCore helps to ease this process by centralizing and standardizing data on Parkinson’s disease in one easily accessible repository.

Open science practices also include open-source software, referring to software with publicly available source code. This means that anyone can freely download it, and even build their own additions. At the next panel, researchers shared different opensource softwares with a focus on neuroscience, including a Python library called Pynapple, which collects a set of tools for neurological analysis.

The day closed with several projects for science communication, highlighting that open science means sharing knowledge not just with other researchers, but with patients and the public as well. Panelists included Cindy Hovington, host of the Curious Neuron podcast, and Stuart Trenholm, associate professor in McGill’s Department of Neurology, who is involved in an ongoing project to create an interactive neuroscience textbook called The Open Brain.

From patients to students to researchers, all of these projects are committed to sharing data, knowledge, and methods to improve the scientific process for everyone.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

Making scientific data accessible to all

Neuroscience myths and facts: Alcohol and the spectrum of human senses

Is alcohol a ‘neuron murderer’ and do humans only have five senses?

Athina Sitou Science & Technology Editor

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f you are as curious as the rest of this Tribune special issue, then this article will hopefully answer some of your burning questions about two topics that merge neuroscience and student life seamlessly: Alcohol and human senses. In this second round of myth debunking in our Neuroscience myths and facts series, you will learn whether alcohol kills any of those brilliant neurons in your brain and whether humans only have five sensory faculties. So grab a beverage of your choice and read on about how all those 5 à 7 drinks at Gerts Bar & Café, Bar des Arts, or Blues Pub may be affecting your brain.

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Do we only have five senses or are there more sensory faculties to uncover?

Without any particular nuance needed, one of alcohol’s well-known effects is its influence on the senses. Although the “five senses” model underlies the widespread belief that we have five senses—which is partly true—it is limiting and slightly biased against the rest of the human body’s sensory systems such as the vestibular

system. This restrictive model includes only the familiar basics: Touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste. But, humans can experience far richer sensory experiences and function in complex situations that engage other sensory systems. For instance, without our vestibular system and its sensory receptors called “hair cells,” we would have a much harder time maintaining our balance and not sliding down the icy McTavish street during the winter months.

Proprioception is another sense that often goes unnoticed when discussing human sensory faculties, despite its crucial role in providing us with body awareness. Without the proprioceptive system’s mechanoreceptors—sensory receptors located in joints, tendons, and muscles, students would find it extremely challenging to navigate the busy Schulich library flooded with other stressed-out McGillians and errant spinny chairs.

By acknowledging and understanding these additional senses, we gain a deeper appreciation for the marvels of human perception .

Your weekly 5 à 7 are not killing your neurons, and you have more than five senses Now that you know only excessive alcohol consumption can cause serious neurological damage, you can enjoy your next drink at peace without worrying about any of your neurons dying as long as you put safety and responsible drinking first. The SciTech team hopes that you can also further appreciate your body’s incredible sensory systems and their expansive functions, from balance to proprioception. Stay tuned for the next installment of this series next semester with myth-busting in the areas of memory, intelligence, and love through the neuroscience lens.

scitech@thetribune.ca | SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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neuroscience and alcohol consumption. For starters, having a pint or two at Gerts after an exhausting exam or stressful altercation will not destroy any neurons. In fact, taking a break accompanied by any type of drink may have a positive effect on your brain and overall well-being. While some studies have shown that moderate drinking can negatively affect cognitive health, certain research suggests that responsible drinking might also have some cognitive benefits. This cohort study of 19,887 participants from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) found that low to moderate drinking may contribute to higher cognitive abilities and lower rates of cognitive decline in middle to older aged adults. So contrary to the widespread myth that alcohol is a ‘neuron murderer,’ responsible drinking rarely leads to serious neurological damage as long as basic safety precautions are in place.

However, this myth requires extra nuance because excessive drinking can prove neurotoxic, meaning it has the potential to damage nerve cells in the brain. For example, excessive alcohol consumption— defined as five or more drinks on any day for men and four or more for women by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)–may lead to neuronal cell death in specific brain regions, such as the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex.

Chronic abuse can also pave the way for cognitive impairments affecting brain health over a longer period.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

AI writers cannot be the future of sports journalism

A return to story-driven journalism is necessary to revive the dying industry Tillie Burlock Managing Editor

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he future of sports journalism is incredibly bleak at the moment. The New York Times disbanded their sports section in July 2023, electing to rely solely on The Athletic after having bought the sports outlet for $550 million in 2022. In what was suspected to be preparation for the shift, The Athletic let go four per cent of its staff in June 2023. Amidst budget cuts, ESPN also laid off household names such as Jeff Van Gundy, Jalen Rose, and Suzy Kolber, along with 20 other on-air employees. The Ice Garden, a leader in women’s hockey coverage, had its funding pulled by Vox and SB Nation in Jan. 2023. Sports journalism needs to be revived; however, Sports Illustrated’s turn to artificial intelligence (AI) is not the solution.

On Nov. 27, Futurism reported that it discovered Sports Illustrated (SI) published several articles written by fake, AI-generated writers. These authors’ bylines contained a series of product reviews, but no other online presence, and were accompanied by for sale stock-photo headshots. When confronted with the allegations, SI deleted the content in question; soon after, a spokesperson for The Arena Group, which operates SI, stated that a third-party marketing agency produced the material as part of a license agreement that was under review. The Arena Group further stated that AdVon Commerce, the third party in question, denied that AI generated the content and claimed the fake bylines had been used “to protect author privacy.”

Sports Illustrated is no longer what it used to be. Gone are the days of iconic covers such as LeBron James’ ‘The Chosen One,’ March 1980’s ‘Miracle on Ice,’ and Dwight Clark’s ‘The Super Catch.’ The decline of the printing press has harmed sports just as it has the rest of journalism, so the desire to breathe life back into a dying industry has merit; however, AI writers in place of real people is not the way.

Many sports outlets have tried to revamp content with technology. ESPN aired an interview with Damian Lillard following his first game with the Milwaukee Bucks; fans quickly pointed out that he was not wearing the same uniform he had in the game and there was no audience in the stands.

It turns out the video had been doctored and repurposed from a 2020 interview in the NBA Bubble. On Nov. 28, the share price of the Arena Group fell almost 27 per cent on the New York Stock Exchange. When considered in light of the public response to other outlets’ AI-led missteps, maybe this is a sign that the world has no use for AIgenerated journalism.

Instead of turning to AI to fill the void left by the shifting environment of sports journalism, outlets must turn to people for real solutions. Perhaps returning to investigative journalism such as that of Rick Westhead, Grant Robertson, and Katie Strang, who diligently researched and uncovered the details of the 2018 Hockey Canada scandal. Or maybe investing in multimedia story-telling like The New York Times who used emotional, yet, heartwarming videos to vividly narrate

Gannett, an American newspaper chain, paused its use of AI-generated stories after readers began to notice major mistakes in a number of articles (Maxim Hopman / Unsplash.com)

the stories of teens with chronic traumatic encephalopathy who tragically passed away in their teens and twenties. Or maybe it is turning to journalists like Dave Zirin who ardently and unequivocally criticize the sports they love most.

The industry is struggling—there is no doubt about that. However, we must resist the urge to turn to AI as the solution. In a world where misinformation runs rampant, media outlets must lean into the potential that real journalists provide. The ability to tell

stories, connect with athletes, and speak truth to power––skills embodied by the industry’s best––must be embraced. We are witnessing a moment of crisis within Canadian sport. Day after day, journalists reveal new scandals of abuse and work tirelessly to protect athletes from similar fates. The revitalization of sports journalism must come from innovative storytelling, where passion seeps through the page and athletes’ voices are placed at the forefront––not AI writers who write of “close encounters of the athletic kind.”

Redbirds and Martlets fear consequences of tuition hike on varsity sports One third of student-athletes at McGill are out-of-province Madigan McMahon Staff Writer

SPORTS | sports@thetribune.ca

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n Oct. 13, the Quebec government revealed its plan to raise tuition for out-ofprovince and international students.

In the immediate aftermath, students flooded the streets of Montreal, protesting the proposed hike and fearing its consequences on their university experience. Shortly thereafter on Nov. 2, McGill University Principal and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini outlined the major impacts, including a drop in annual enrollment revenue that could be disastrous to smaller faculties, job reductions, and the elimination of some varsity teams.

Following several meetings with Saini and Bishop’s and Concordia University presidents, the provincial government announced that the increased out-of-province tuition cost would decrease from $17,000 to $12,000, while the cost for international students remains the same. However, McGill still expects to lose 60 per cent of its out-ofprovince students.

This loss will drastically affect collegiate sports teams. With McGill’s student body made up of 20 per cent out-of-province students and 30 per cent international students, many varsity teams are composed largely of students from outside of Quebec. As such, teams rely on recruiting students from out of province to not only fill their rosters, but fund their teams. With only level one varsity teams funded largely by the university, many level two, competitive club and recreational club teams rely on

he McGill administration is engaged in ongoing negotiations with the Quebec government in an attempt to convince them to revoke the decision to raise tuition. (Maïa Salhofer / The Tribune)

fundraising and player fees to function.

Therefore, losing players from out-ofprovince will threaten many teams’ existence. Some teams will fall in jeopardy as their rosters largely rely on out of province athletes including fanfavourites such as the Redbirds lacrosse team,McGill artistic swimming, Martlets field hockey, and McGill rowing.

Ontario-born lacrosse midfielder Luke Dawick raised major concerns about the future of McGill’s team. To him, McGill offers a great education, the opportunity to meet lifelong friends, and a chance to play a high level sport.

However, without lacrosse, Dawick likely would not have attended McGill.

Dawick explained his shock when he heard the news of the tuition increases, and that the most serious impacts will come through the amount of players they will be able to recruit in the next few years.

“Coach Soubry is going to have a harder time recruiting players outside of Quebec, and that will definitely limit the talent that we have been able to bring in the past,” Dawick told The Tribune.

This year, the team only had four Quebecers, with the rest of the 30 players coming from other Canadian provinces and the United States.

Field hockey midfielder and Vermonter Madeline Cohen, shared another perspective as her team faces a higher

risk of being cut, despite being largely self-funded.

“Knowing our status as a tier-two team and knowing how easy it was for us to be cut during COVID, that’s kind of when the realization set in,” Cohen told The Tribune.

Cohen expressed how the financial constraints would lead to a different demographic of people at McGill and how that could lead to an entirely different student experience in Montreal altogether. Considering the appeal of McGill from a prospective student, she said the choice would not be easy anymore.

“I definitely would have had to think twice and weigh the pros and cons,” Cohen explained. “It would not have been this incredible opportunity for me, it would have definitely diminished the likelihood of coming here.”

While Media Relations Officer Frédérique Mazerolle emphasized to The Tribune that no definitive decisions have been made regarding varsity sports, it is clear that if the Quebec government implements the proposed tuition hikes, McGills’ teams will be affected. The Quebec government remains hostile towards eliminating the tuition hike entirely, leaving many varsity programs in a state of perpetual uncertainty. With anglophone universities comprising the majority of teams within several RSEQ divisions, some sports may be forced to look out of province for competition, forcing the future viability of Quebec university sports into question.

Sports Editor and Martlets field hockey goalkeeper Anoushka Oke did not contribute to this article.

The Tribune Sports Section reviews the Martlets’ and Redbirds’ fall seasons Redbirds Baseball (6–5): Coming off a Quebec baseball championship victory last season, Redbirds baseball was afforded an exciting opportunity to play in the newly formed RSEQ baseball league.

Four out of the team’s five conference losses came at the hands of the UQTR Patriotes; the Redbirds were unable to solve UQTR all season long. After sweeping the best-of-three RSEQ semifinal against the Concordia Stingers, the ‘Birds lost the first game of the bestof-three final series against UQTR. The Redbirds dominated the second game 14-4 to tie the series, but McGill ultimately succumbed to the Patriotes, unable to defend the title against their newfound rival. Despite the dropoff from last season, the Redbirds will likely improve as they continue to recover from the two seasons lost to COVID-19.

must remain hopeful for the coming season. However, the disappointing showing on the field did not prevent members of the squad from standing out off the field. VP Inclusion for the Varsity Council, Ada Collins, received the OUA’s inaugural Champion of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award, the first award granted to a McGill field hockey player since 2017.

Sports Editor and Martlets field hockey goalkeeper Anoushka Oke did not contribute to this section of the article.

Redbirds Football (1–7): The Redbirds football team took home a singular win for the third straight season. After defeating Sherbrooke Vert et Or 26-14 in their home opener, the Redbirds lost each of their subsequent games by double digits––an unfortunate outcome

Martlets Rugby (1–5): After back-to-back winless seasons, the Martlets (1–5) rugby team claimed a lone victory in their season opener, defeating the Bishop’s Gaiters 22-13.

Unfortunately, the remaining five games of the season looked much like those of 2022-23 and 2021-22, with the Martlets taking four straight shutout losses and only getting back on the scoreboard in their final game. While disappointing, the Martlets made strides this season with Lauren Minns leading the way. Not only did Minns take home RSEQ athlete of the week on Sept. 6 and achieve RSEQ all-star status at the end of the season, the Martlets’ back-row was awarded All-Canadian second-team honours at the U SPORTS women’s rugby awards.

Despite the low C- grade, The Tribune is hopeful for greater success for the Martlets in 2024.

(Maïa Salhofer / The Tribune)

Martlets Field Hockey (0–10): With no win on the tally, the Martlets field hockey squad remained at the bottom of the Ontario University Athletic (OUA) standings. The 2023-24 season was once again devoid of home games. McGill has not hosted any field hockey games since the 2019-20 season, when the team made it to the postseason. With a significant proportion of the current roster graduating at the end of the 2023-24 academic year, the team

Individuals who had an outstanding season included outside-centre Martin Laval, who established the new singlegame record by converting all nine tries of the game opener. Max Bernhart, Dominic Russell, Nicolas Laine, Roberto Frascione, and Elliot Descarreaux were all selected by Rugby Quebec to participate in the New York Rugby Sevens tournament.

Redbirds Soccer (4–5–5): The Redbirds failed to make it to the playoffs once again, finishing sixth in the seven-team RSEQ league. Opening their regular season with a 1-0 loss to the UQTR Patriotes, the Redbirds oscillated between losses and ties with a few wins sprinkled in between. However, they saw some improvement from last year, doubling their win tally from the 2022-23 season’s two and losing three fewer games. At the close of the season, defender Matisse Chrétien and midfielder Nassim Kemel earned RSEQ first-team and secondteam all-star honours, respectively, while Chrétien, forward Mathis Cyr, and midfielder Nathan Yee earned allrookie honours. Chrétien was also later named to the U SPORTS all-rookie team. Despite another tough season, the Redbirds have a young team and a strong rookie base that they can hopefully build upon next season to make a bid for the playoffs.

Martlets Soccer (6–3–5): With a third-place finish, the Martlets advanced to the RSEQ semi-finals against the second-place Université de Montréal Carabins, ultimately falling 2-1. Individually, midfielder Mara Bouchard and defender Stephanie Hill were awarded U SPORTS

for McGill’s highly-touted team.

Individually, however, the Redbirds had a number of impressive performances.

Offensive lineman Alexandre Marcoux signed a deal with the Calgary Stampeders at the conclusion of the Redbirds’ season. Slotback Darius Simmons earned U SPORTS AllCanadian honours for the third consecutive season, leading the RSEQ in reception yards (611), receptions (54) and yards per game (76.4). Simmons, running back Brandon Ciccarello, and offensive lineman Michael Vlahogiannis were also awarded RSEQ all-star honours. Despite the individual successes, the lack of improvement from last years’ equally disappointing season leaves the Redbirds with yet another D. Redbirds Lacrosse (10–4): Despite only seven regularseason wins, Redbirds lacrosse stunned fans across Ontario and Quebec, swiftly qualifying for the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) playoffs after beating Queen’s University in a 9-5 sudden-death win. For the first time since 2015, the Redbirds squad made it to the final of the Baggataway Cup after putting an end to a decadesold losing streak against Guelph University in the quarter-finals. The Redbirds defeated the Carleton Ravens in the semi-final but fell to the Western University Mustangs in the finals. With thirteen hat-tricks coming from four players this season, and several players honoured as CUFLA all-stars, the 2023 season was a definite success for the Redbirds’ lacrosse squad.

(Maïa Salhofer / The Tribune)

Redbirds Rugby (4–3): After a spectacular 2022-23 season, it was always going to be difficult for the Redbirds rugby team to outdo themselves.

Nonetheless, the team still made fans roar in the stands all season long. They ended on three narrow wins, claiming third place in the RSEQ standings. The team faced UOttawa’s Gee-Gees in the semifinals, one of the only two teams against whom the Redbirds lost in the regular season. After pocketing their first-ever playoff win against McGill, the GeeGees ultimately prevailed in the finals for the first time since 2008.

All-Canadian honours. Bouchard, Hill, and midfielder Chloé Renaud were named RSEQ conference all-stars, while goalkeeper Sophie Guilmette was named to the second squad and midfielder Amélie Beaudet-Gaudette was voted onto the all-rookie all-star team. JoseLuis Valdes took home the RSEQ coachof-the-year-award in his eleventh season as head coach of the team. Marginally improving from last year with three fewer losses, The Tribune remains hopeful that the Martlets will be able to boost their offense next season and secure wins in tight matches.

sports@thetribune.ca | SPORTS

Cross Country: Despite missing star runner Matthew Beaudet, Redbirds cross country had yet another strong season while the Martlets saw great improvement from the 2022-23 season due to their significantly smaller roster.

Opening the season with the McGill Invitational, Sophie Courville finished third with a time of 22:39, spearheading the Martlets’ fourth-place finish overall. The Redbirds, on the other hand, secured first place in the men’s division of the meet, with the trio of Thomas Windisch, Noah El RimawiFine, and Jerome Jacques finishing first, second, and third, respectively. The Redbirds consistently placed in the top three at meets throughout the season, coming in first place once again at the Sherbrooke Invitational. At Sherbrooke, the Martlets captured second place, rookie Sienna Matheson leading the way with a sixth-place finish. The RSEQ Championships saw the Redbirds take home bronze while the Martlets finished right in the middle of the pack in fifth place.

Rowing: Several Redbirds and Martlets rowers got on the podium throughout the season. Their first regatta, Head of the Rideau, saw McGill take home first place in the women’s lightweight four, second place in the men’s four and in both the men’s and the women’s single, and third place in the men’s lightweight double. The men’s lightweight double then went on to win second place in the following Head of the Trent regatta. Following successful bids from their two regular season regattas, twenty McGill athletes qualified for the Canadian University Rowing Association (CURA) championship showcase meet. McGill rowers got their first medal at the CURA meet since 2014, with the duo of Jacob Lofaro and Federico Sanchez earning silver in the men’s double sculls.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 2023

Varsity Report Card: Fall 2023

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News on hikes Students decry tutoitiwn hall during SSMU Eliza Lee

HIGHLIGHT S Opinion

s ure t a Fe

Dominique Ollivier is a symptom of Québec’s long-standing corruption problem Yusur Al-Sharqi

From Alpha to Zeta: Investigating the dark side of Greek life Abby McCormick

t Life n e d Stu Bored on campus?

Try going to a random lecture Maria Gheorghiu

logy o n ech T &

Arts & Entertainment Rejection, the meaning of art, and Taco Bell Kellie Elrick

nce e i Exploring the Sc ground

breaking architecture at the “Design for the Global Majority” exhibition Eliza Wang

Sport s

rial o t i Ed

Beyond the Stands: A Tribute to Percival Molson Stadium Philippe Haddad

McGill must stand by the Mohawk Mothers The Tribune Editorial Board

Design by D Drygas, & rea Garcia, Mika Sofia Stank ovic