The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council approved the Motion Regarding Amendment to the Constitution on Feb. 13. Two items of the motion are now up for student vote on the Winter 2025 Referendum ballot: The decision to hire instead of elect the SSMU Vice-President (VP) Finance,
Lachlan DeAtley Contributor
McGill President and Vice-Chancellor
Deep Saini’s recent messaging surrounding the on-campus pro-Palestine protests against investments and ties to Israel have repeatedly characterized those involved as violent and vandalizing, leaving little mention of the intent behind their actions. His language does
and the choice to cut the SSMU VP Sustainability and Operations role entirely.
Hugo-Victor Solomon, current SSMU VP External, began drafting a motion in the Fall term to make VP Finance hired after learning that under a VP Finance with no fiscal or accounting experience who dispensed funding liberally, the SSMU went into a $1.3 million CAD deficit.
Both Solomon and SSMU President Dymetri Taylor attributed
not merely criticize the breaking of windows— to me, it paints the protestors as threats to order itself, erasing the political urgency that led to their demonstration.
This fear-mongering language—referencing mob rule, cacophony, and terror—functions to spread antagonism towards the protestors’ destruction of property, both on the night of Feb. 5, when protestors smashed the windows of various McGill buildings, and prior.
current VP Finance Pauline Jolicouer’s background in finance as a reason why SSMU has managed to achieve a $290,000 CAD surplus this year. Solomon described the prevention of disaster and positive ripple effect having a strong VP Finance has on SSMU’s operations.
“Given that SSMU does manage a portfolio of essentially $10 million [CAD], you want to have faith that someone in that position knows how to do their job, so that everyone else can do theirs,” Solomon said.
ontreal’s public transit system is at its breaking point. Ongoing weather and power disruptions to the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light-rail network, budgetary challenges within the Societé de Transport de Montréal (STM), and most recently, the looming threat of privatization of essential transit services have left users and workers frustrated. Recent plans to outsource STM’s paratransit minibus system are the catalyst for fierce opposition from union members and riders who argue that privatization will increase costs and reduce service quality for those who rely on accessible transportation. With public transit funding stagnating and private interests creeping into essential services, Montreal must make a choice: Invest in a robust, publicly-controlled transit system, or risk an unreliable, inequitable future shaped by corporate priorities. The need for sustainable public investment has never been more urgent.
(Hannah Nobile / The Tribune)
Student living at La Citadelle claims lack of support from McGill following the death of her roommate
Miscommunications and changes to accommodation complicated the student’s healing process
Daniel Mishka Staff Writer
Content Warning: Mentions of suicide
Mabel,* U0 Arts, woke up in her shared dorm room in La Citadelle Residence on Jan. 11 and realized something was seriously wrong. In the moment, Mabel wasn’t sure who to turn to. With her friend Alex,* U0 Arts, Mabel decided to go down to the lobby of La Citadelle to ask for help at the front desk. After police arrived, they found that her roommate had passed away. As Mabel tried to recover in the coming weeks, she found herself tangled in bureaucracy and felt unsupported by McGill’s response to her needs.
Alex described the man at the front desk of La Citadelle who called the police as inconsiderate and said he didn’t seem to be taking the issue seriously.
“When he called the police, he said, ‘These girls are complaining that their roommate is unresponsive in the bathroom,’” Alex told The Tribune . “He just did not take it seriously at all. [He wasn’t acting like] he was calling the police about somebody’s life. And then he was saying, ‘You guys should have come down earlier.’ He was just being so insensitive.”
The McGill Media Relations Office (MRO) did not respond to The Tribune ’s request to comment on this interaction.
When the police arrived at La Citadelle, they found that Mabel’s roommate had passed away. The Quebec coroner’s office has not confirmed the cause of death.
her belongings and had to reach out to McGill Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS) by email multiple times before she received a response.
Room 2503 had a different layout from the room she was living in before, and Mabel said she was surrounded by friends and had the space and stability she needed to start to heal. However, 10 days after she moved in, Mabel reported receiving an email from SHHS telling her she had to move out.
In an email exchange acquired by The Tribune, Mabel explained to SHHS that she thought she would be able to stay in room 2503 for the remainder of the semester.
“At the time of receiving this room, I was under the impression that this room was a permanent solution, as communicated by the Building Manager,
cluding nightmares and difficulty focusing on my studies.”
Mabel wrote to SHHS that she was distressed by the prospect of having to move into a room that had a similar floor plan to the one she woke up in on Jan. 11.
“Moving to a room with a similar setup and bathroom as my previous one would be particularly traumatic given what I witnessed there firsthand [....] Being placed in a similar environment would trigger those memories, severely affecting my mental well-being,” Mabel wrote to SHHS.
According to an email obtained by The Tribune , SHHS offered Mabel accommodation in other residences, and the option of moving into a single room in La Citadelle. However, Mabel wanted to stay in La Citadelle in order to remain close to her friends and was wary that a
me through it,” Mabel told The Tribune “She was like, ‘Yeah, I’m sorry, you just have to move out.’”
In an email acquired by The Tribune, SHHS explained to Mabel that room 2503 is not a permanent rentable space for students, and was only made temporarily available under exceptional circumstances.
The Tribune reached out to the MRO to inquire whether any steps were taken to make 2503 a workable space for Mabel to live in for the rest of the semester but was not provided any specific answers.
“As a matter of respect for the privacy of those grieving, as well as for the protection of personal information – consistent with McGill policy and in accordance with the law – we will not comment on details of services offered or rendered to any individual student,” MRO wrote to The Tribune
Mabel was connected with McGill’s Suicide Case Manager, and they spoke over the phone.
“At that point, I really didn’t want to talk about it because it was a few hours after it happened, and I just kind of wanted to, I don’t know, sit, just be able to process my feelings,” Mabel said.
Mabel told The Tribune that she never met the Suicide Case Manager in person, but they kept in contact through email.
Since her room had to be treated as a crime scene, Mabel received a key card from the Building Manager to room 2503 in La Citadelle, where she could move her belongings over the next few days.
On Jan. 11, Mabel was allowed one trip to retrieve essentials from her room. She claims she was not told when she would be able to retrieve the rest of
who assured me it would not be rented out to anyone else and stated that offering me this room was the least he could do under the circumstances,” Mabel wrote to SHHS.
Mabel claimed that prior to being offered room 2503, she was told she could consider living with a friend. She said if she had known her stay in room 2503 would only be temporary, she might have chosen the option to move in with a friend instead.
In her email, Mabel expressed her desire to stay in room 2503, saying it gave her a sense of safety she did not want to lose.
“When I moved into this room, it became a space of stability for me after a deeply traumatic experience,” Mabel wrote. “The prospect of having to move again is overwhelming and disruptive to both my academic and personal life [....] All of this combined has caused considerable physical and mental distress, in -
single room would be too isolating.
“Throughout this process, McGill administration has repeatedly assured me that they would help me with anything I need to recover from this experience,” Mabel wrote to SHHS. “The support I require is to remain in the space where I feel safe and can begin to rebuild after what I went through. This room has become a place where I can grieve and process what happened, with the support of friends. ”
In the email communications, a spokesperson for SHHS expressed their sympathies and recommended Mabel reach out to the Suicide Crisis Manager she had been put in contact with. However, they made it clear that Mabel was expected to move into a room reserved by SHHS by the end of the week, despite her concerns.
“When I reached out to [the Suicide Case Manager], hoping to hear about the situation, she didn’t really support
Six days after being told she had to live in a different room, Mabel moved her belongings into room 1803 of La Citadelle. McGill offered to provide her with boxes and tape for the move, which she refused. McGill’s response to her needs following the passing of her roommate left Mabel frustrated and questioning McGill’s care for students’ mental health.
The MRO maintained that McGill is committed to supporting students living in residences, particularly those impacted by the passing of the student on Jan. 11.
“Our principal focus is on efforts to extend concrete support to members of our campus community who were close to the deceased student,” the MRO wrote. “This occurs through our Student Wellness Hub, the Office of the Dean of Students, and the Residences team.”
For Mabel, these existing supports are not enough.
“[McGill is] such a bureaucratic system,” Mabel told The Tribune . “It’s very much a whole facade, I think, the whole support thing. They’re here to talk. They’re here for therapy or counselling, but in a situation like [this one], you need to be very much aware of specific people’s needs.”
If you are in distress, or need someone to talk to, support is available through the Student Wellness Hub. If you or someone you know needs immediate help, call 9-8-8, Canada’s suicide crisis line, or 9-1-1.
*Mabel and Alex’s names have been changed to preserve their anonymity.
McGill houses approximately 3,000 undergraduate students in its residences. (Hannah Nobile / The Tribune)
SSMU’s
VP Finance could be hired, versus elected, after the Winter
2025 Referendum
Other changes on the ballot include cutting the VP Sustainability and Operations position
Mairin Burke News Editor
Continued from page 1
Gursween Padda, VP Finance of the South Asian Studies Students Association, expressed a hired SSMU VP Finance could ensure their financial competency and timely
reimbursement for SSMU clubs and services.
“[A VP Finance’s] nucleus is really money, and making sure they’re getting the money they need to run and not go into debt,” Padda told The Tribune . “And that requires particular skills.”
The Motion Regarding Amendment to the Constitution also renames the position Vice-President Student Life to Vice-President Clubs & Services.
According to section 10.3 of the SSMU Constitution, if the referendum question passes, the VP Finance will be hired by the Board of Directors (BoD) at the same time other executives are elected by the student body. Anyone interested can put their name forward for consideration, just as in an election. Taylor clarified that either a Boardappointed hiring committee, or the Legislative Council, would look predominantly at these candidates’ ex-
perience in finance to select a VP, although Taylor reported SSMU is still deciding between “options on the table” for selecting this committee.
Padda expressed that she felt it would be best to have an external body hire the SSMU VP Finance, to avoid conflicts of interest.
“When the governing body has so much power that they can choose who’s elected or not, that’s not democracy,” Padda said.
The appointed candidate would then be placed on SSMU’s Referendum ballot for ratification by the student body, providing what Solomon termed a “veto” mechanism in case SSMU members are not in favour of the recommended candidate. If students invoke this “veto” privilege, SSMU would have to hold an additional special Referendum to appoint a new candidate, or the BoD may “delegate them responsibility of the position [without] the voting power,” according to Solomon. This would mirror Hamza Abu Alkhair’s appointment to Director of Clubs and Services in January 2025.
Taylor and Solomon described how concerns about the VP Finance role emerged alongside discussions about the VP Sustainability and Operations’ utility, following Meg Baltes’ resignation in November 2024. Both Taylor and Solomon reported that after
the SSMU by-election to establish a new VP Sustainability and Operations failed to meet quorum, executives did not experience any internal issues with portfolio management.
Solomon’s motion thus seeks to eliminate the VP Sustainability and Operations role and formally designate its responsibilities to the VP Internal, excluding building oversight, which would be delegated to the President. Taylor explained how from an executive standpoint, the VP Sustainability and Operations role is expendable, having been established in 2016 but only occupied twice since.
“Compared to all the other portfolios, the VP Internal and the VP Sus-Ops likely have, quote-unquote, the ‘least’ amount of work,” Taylor said. “They’re both kind of the halves of what makes the actual position in its entirety.”
Solomon and Taylor additionally argued for the $42,000 CAD cutting the role would save. Taylor described some potential uses as hiring a third porter for the University Centre to help extend building hours, or contracting internal security for Gert’s. The two also cited a consultation process listed in the Motion of speaking extensively with SSMU paid staff, before soliciting general student feedback in mid-January through the SSMU Instagram.
Board increases availability of bilingual grammar service, Antidote, for students SSMU BoD approves motions seeking to increase UGE funding, change executive roles
Lulu Calame Opinion Editor
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU)’s Board of Directors (BoD) debated fee increases for the Union for Gender Empowerment (UGE), purchasing access to a grammar service, Antidote, for more students, and proposed changes to the executive committee roles at their Feb. 18 meeting.
The meeting began with a public report from Parliamentarian Jessica Bakar regarding the hiring for the Nominating Committee’s Alumni Representative position.
Following the report, Director of Clubs and Services Hamza Abu-Alkhair presented the Motion Regarding the Increase of the Referral Services Fee—an opt-outable semesterly fee split among the UGE and four
other SSMU services. This change would increase the total referral services fee from $6.03 CAD per semester to $7.28 CAD, with the UGE’s share raising from $0.75 CAD to $2.00 CAD. The UGE expects this would result in a $45,000 CAD increase in revenue, allowing the group to offer a broader variety of products and keep up with rising costs.
Director and Arts Undergraduate Society President Sofia Garofolo asked why the UGE fee was going up when the Menstrual Health Project fee was also being increased.
Keith Bellec-Warrick, a post-graduate member of UGE in the Faculty of Education, responded, explaining the difference between the two services.
“There are a couple differences that are fundamental to our functioning that differentiate what the UGE offers as services and supplies versus what the Menstrual Health [Project] does,” Bellec-Warrick said.
While the Menstrual Health Project focuses exclusively on providing menstrual health products, the UGE also provides genderaffirming products, safe sex supplies, workshops, and educational
resources. Bellec-Warrick also called attention to the rising cost of menstrual health products since 2020, further justifying the fee increase.
General Manager Maya Marcus-Sells voiced her support for the motion, as well as her concern that it could be too late to include it in the Winter 2025 referendum. SSMU President Dymetri Taylor noted that there was “no guarantee” that the motion would meet the deadline even if approved.
Abu-Alkhair motioned to approve the motion and send it to McGill “expeditiously.” The motion did not, however, appear in the Winter 2025 referendum.
The meeting also saw the approval of the purchase of an additional 800 subscriptions to the French version of Antidote—a bilingual grammar software. Taylor reported that SSMU had hit the cap on the number of seats in this service, leaving about 1,600 students who had registered for Antidote barred from access.
Taylor thus proposed buying the remaining 800 additional seats for a total cost of $22,400 CAD, pulled from student support fees. Abu-Alkhair added further support for the purchase.
“It’s especially worth noting that Antidote was founded and headquartered in Montreal, so it’s a Canadian company, and it always feels good to support local tech.”
The motion passed unanimously.
VP External Hugo-Victor Solomon then brought forward a two-part motion from the Legislative Council. This motion would reduce the Executive Committee from seven positions to six by assigning the
duties of the VP Operations and Sustainability to the VP Internal, and make the role of VP Finance a hired position as opposed to an elected one.
Solomon clarified that even if the VP Finance role was appointed, the candidate would have to be selected by a hiring committee and approved by students through a referendum. Director Fawaz Halloum said that he had reservations about making the VP Finance position an appointed role, citing the difficulty in finding a sufficiently qualified candidate. The motion to add this question to the Winter 2025 referendum passed.
Moment of the meeting:
The BoD also approved the addition of the SSMU Musicians Collective (MUSCO) fee increase for the Winter 2025 referendum ballot. Abu-Alkhair noted that this fee increase would also go towards subsidizing instrument rentals to make instruments more accessible. This motion did not ultimately appear on the referendum ballot.
Soundbite:
“To have someone who’s already familiar with accounting principles, you’re looking for someone who’s in their third or fourth year, and it’s just going to be a very narrow slice of students, and we already struggled to have people run.”—Director Fawaz Halloum regarding the process of finding a qualified candidate for the VP Finance position.
(Anna Seger / The Tribune)
The next BoD meeting will be on March 11. (Ruby Reimer / The Tribune)
SSMU Executive candidates talk transparency between students and admin at debate
Neither VP Finance candidate was present
Amelia H. Clark Staff Writer
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU)’s candidates’ debate for the Winter 2025 election took place on Feb. 18, with eight of 10 listed candidates for the Executive Committee in attendance. The virtual event comes ahead of the election, which will take place from Feb. 21 to March 7. Each applicant independently answered questions submitted by current executives, student unions on campus, and undergraduate attendees before engaging in debate with their opponent.
The Vice-President (VP) Finance candidates were the first slotted to debate, but as neither Dylan Seiler nor John Vogel was present, the debate moved on to the role of VP University Affairs.
As Susan Aloudat is running for the position unopposed, the debate portion of her presentation was skipped. Aloudat explained she intends to mediate issues between the student body and McGill administration by encouraging student participation in SSMU elections
and referendums. The result of these votes, she said, creates empirical evidence of what undergraduates want, which she believes is the best tool to compel the administration to support student initiatives.
The current VP Internal Zeena Zahidah is running for re-election unopposed. She explained that she intends to navigate moments of turmoil for SSMU by prioritizing transparency between students and the Board of Directors.
Zahidah remarked that turmoil arises when student newspapers write what she claimed to be misleading headlines and articles about the student union. She cited that this could be a result of issues in SSMU’s transparency regarding their internal proceedings.
The night then turned to candidate debates as VP External hopefuls, Seraphina Crema Black and Jaanashee Punjabi, began their introductions.
Black stated that as a student senator and a Legislative Council member, she has experience advocating for students to university administration. If elected, she intends to strengthen McGill’s relationship with other universities across Canada and Quebec to form a united front against tuition hikes. She also intends to advocate for all student activist groups across campus equally, disregarding any personal preferences or biases she herself may hold.
Health Fee. (Ruby Reimer / The Tribune)
Punjabi said her experience as a Sustainability Commissioner and a member of the Legislative Council has given her insight into SSMU’s potential to create change on campus.
As VP External, she
claimed she would promote collaboration between governing bodies and advocacy groups so that SSMU may better represent students’ voices on campus and beyond.
A student submitted a question online asking how both plan to represent activist and community groups on campus to McGill administration.
“I’m very dedicated to remaining impartial, leaving my own positionality behind, and really listening to the student body,” Black said. “Whatever I believe has nothing to do with that. It is my duty to represent their opinions and their needs best.”
“I believe that communication and transparency is the most important,” Punjabi said. “Furthermore, making sure to take note of what needs to be represented at different organizational levels [...] and making sure everyone is equally heard and demands and expectations are met. It’s part of my platform, and one of the main reasons, the biggest reason, I’m running.”
Next, the two candidates for VP Student Life, Hamza Abu-Alkhair and Raihaana Adira, introduced their platforms.
Abu-Alkhair stated that his three goals as the VP Student Life would be to increase visibility and collaboration among clubs on campus, as well as simplify their logistics. He also noted that as the current Director of Clubs and Services—a role which took on the bulk of the VP Student Life portfolio amidst the position’s ongoing vacancy—he is already familiar with the responsibilities of the position.
“I’m ensuring that I’m interacting a lot with the constituents, the clubs themselves, and the people who want to apply for those clubs,” Abu-Alkhair said. “I created a rubric as well that assesses the finances [and] alignment with campus policies and a few other things which do make the [club status approval] process faster for both me and the club.”
Adira’s platform is focused on improving undergraduates’ mental health by supporting student groups and grassroots organizations
which provide resources and assistance on campus.
“I want to really focus on mental health supports and advertising resources like the Peer Support Center, because if students are struggling with their mental health, they can’t engage in other SSMU-related activities,” Adira said.
Kareem El-Hosini, who is running unopposed for VP Sustainability and Operations, then presented his platform, drawing attention to wasted spaces in university buildings and unaffordable food options on campus. This is El-Hosini’s second bid for the role as the results of his first run in the November byelection were nullified due to a lack of voter engagement.
The debate concluded with a presentation from current SSMU President Dymetri Taylor, who is currently running for re-election unopposed. His former opponent, Sarah Abdulkarim, was disqualified from the race due to a lack of administrative approval allowing her to extend her degree beyond 120 academic credits. Taylor stated that he has three main goals for next year, should he be elected: Improving governance by working with a consultant, increasing student solidarity, and creating more efficient processes for conducting business between the society and its clubs and services.
Throughout the debate, 10 students were in the audience. Taylor acknowledged this low attendance, and the low voter turn-out of past SSMU elections, in a written statement to The Tribune
“I think students who vote will already participate. The issue is that there is more general student disinterest in the electoral process,” Taylor wrote. “For example, 1,000 students have unsubscribed from receiving the simply voting emails, which is equivalent to signing away one’s right to have their voice heard. It’s, frankly, quite worrisome.”
Saville discussed African American religious history and Americ a’s first Black ordained minister Recap: Alphonso F. Saville, IV reimagines colonial American Christianity in guest lecture
Toby Izenberg Contributor
Alphonso F. Saville, IV, assistant professor of American Religious History at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, delivered a talk on Feb. 18 titled “John Marrant’s Gospel: Reimagining Christianity in Colonial America.” Hosted by McGill’s Department of History and Classical Studies, the talk centred around research from Saville’s book, The Gospel of John Marrant: Conjuring Christianity in the Black Atlantic. The book is the first full-length study of Marrant, who was America’s first Black ordained minister.
During the talk, Saville described Marrant’s life, writings, and missionary work, ex-
amining how he engaged with Christianity as both a tool for survival and a means of resistance. Saville also challenged conventional narratives surrounding early African-American religious history. Through literary and historical readings of Marrant’s autobiography, Saville drew connections between Marrant’s life story and its intersection between African and Protestant-European spiritual traditions and mythologies. Central to Saville’s argument was the notion of Conjure, a magico-religious tradition established by enslaved Africans in colonial North America. Saville explained that the pervasiveness of Conjure practices in early African-American religion exemplifies traditional African religions’ influences on early Black Christianity.
“Early Black Christianity was shaped
less by the doctrinal systems of Euro-American Protestantism and more by the rich and cosmological religions of west and central-west Africa,” Saville explained. “This African-rooted foundation is evident in the performative aspects of early Black worship, where prayer, song, and dance sermonizing often carried the cadence and intent of conjure rituals. Through these practices, congregants evoked spiritual powers to heal wounds, resist systemic violence, and enact justice.”
He cautioned against the tendency to approach transatlantic religious history primarily through Eurocentric frameworks. In doing so, he warned, one risks overlooking African American spiritual and social autonomy, as well as the profound African contributions to
the religious development of the Americas.
“America’s religious history is not a monolith,” Saville said. “It is a tapestry, woven from many traditions, stories, and perspectives. Including these diverse voices enriches our understanding of the past and equips us to address the challenges with the present.”
As he concluded, Saville reflected on the lessons that can be drawn from Marrant’s gospel.
“[Marrant’s] story is not just a historical artifact,” Saville said. “It is a mirror, reflecting the ongoing struggle for justice and the creative ways people of faith continue to fight for their dignity and humanity.”
The SSMU Winter 2025 Referendum includes questions to approve fee renewals for TVM, the Indigenous Equity Fee, and the Menstrual
Editor-in-Chief
Jasjot Grewal editor@thetribune.ca
Creative Director Drea Garcia Avila dgarciaavila@thetribune.ca
Public transit is more than a convenience: It is a fundamental service that ensures mobility, equity, and accessibility in urban centres like Montreal. Paratransit, a door-to-door public transit service for people with disabilities, is particularly a lifeline for many residents such as seniors and people who use mobility aids and cannot access standard bus and metro services. The ability they provide to move freely, easily, and safely within communities offers numerous benefits. Paratransit provides wider access to services and employment opportunities, while also playing a crucial role in combating social isolation, especially among the elderly. Currently, over 12,000 people rely on paratransit daily. Although taxis— which make up 90 per cent of paratransit trips—are already privatized, the STM’s decision to outsource a portion of its publicly-operated minibuses
marks a dangerous shift toward deeper privatization. The STM has framed this move as a cost-cutting measure, but privatization in public transit has historically led to diminished service, higher costs for customers, and reduced accountability of the companies who own the transit services.
Beyond immediate accessibility concerns, this decision reflects a broader trend: When public services are privatized, they cease to be goods accessible to all. Private companies are not accountable to residents in the same way that tax-funded institutions are, giving them the opportunity to prioritize profit over community needs.
Meanwhile, 2,400 STM maintenance workers have overwhelmingly voted in favour of a strike mandate, signalling deep unrest over the direction of transit funding and labour conditions. Workers have repeatedly raised alarm bells about the consequences of increased subcontracting— when jobs are outsourced, employees lose union
Ella Paulin Managing Editor
CONTRIBUTORS
Ilooked on, half horrified, half intrigued, as she set the timer for 10 minutes. Trying to hide my disgust, I attempted to confirm that this wasn’t some kind of strange mistake, a careless slip of the finger on the time selection wheel: “Did you mean to select 10 minutes, there?”
“Yeah, of course,” she responded, matter-of-factly. “That way, all the water cooks out, and the noodles get nice and soft. If you add the seasoning packet first, the flavour soaks in while it boils.”
As a two-minute (or maybe three, if I get distracted) ramen-boiler, I was flabbergasted, but I decided
protections, wages stagnate, and working conditions deteriorate. Accessibility is not just about transit users, but about workers’ rights. Poor working conditions disproportionately impact employees with disabilities, mental health concerns, or other barriers to employment. If transit jobs become precarious, who will ensure the transit system runs efficiently, safely, and reliably? As such, even small acts of privatization can have a far-reaching and detrimental ripple effect for workers and customers alike.
Additionally, given the incompatibility of sustainability with financial profit under capitalism, private companies unfortunately have little incentive to invest in green transit solutions. Without aggressive public investment, Montreal risks entrenching an environmentally unfriendly dependency on cars—which are themselves inaccessible to many due to disabilities or expense—instead of advancing sustainable, collective transportation solutions.
Montrealers, too, must take an active role in supporting and
advocating for public transit. The government needs to see that there is a demand for well-funded, publicly-operated transportation. Consumer power matters—if we want strong public transit, we need to use it, support it, and defend it against privatization.
Students, in particular, have a responsibility to push back against transportation’s privatization. If you can afford a transit pass, pay for it—fare evasion only weakens the system. In addition, McGill itself must explore ways to subsidize or provide free transit passes, a practice that many other universities have already adopted. This would not only ease financial burdens on students and faculty but encourage more people to rely on public transport over cars.
Public transportation is a public good. Without proper investment and protection from privatization, corporate profit motives threaten this right to accessibility. The government must be held accountable, and we must continue to demand a transportation system that works for everyone.
A struggle meal, among friends
after a few minutes that we could probably still be friends. Tolerance, after all, is crucial in such polarizing times as ours.
At this point, the party was winding down, and the remaining guests were transitioning from tipsy to hungry. My friend’s ramen boiling—misguided as it may have been—set off something of a chain reaction. The smart thing to do would probably have been to boil a large pot of water and cook the packets all at once, but as it happened, a steady stream of people began preparing their own bowls of noodles, each one slightly different from the last. Whether it was boiling the water on the stove or using a kettle, cooking the noodles for two, three or four minutes (or, alas, 10…), adding vegetable bouillon or soy sauce or sriracha, or a host of other minor tweaks, everyone had their own routine—and everyone was convinced theirs was the best.
While I was shuffling around the kitchen, avoiding the paths of these impromptu ramen chefs (it is, after all, impossible not to be in the way in a student’s kitchen), a whole world of instant ramen variations was revealed to me. I took on the role of observer, discovering details that had been lurking just beneath
the surface, hidden in each of our solitary, late-night culinary pursuits. Instant ramen is the ultimate “meal of least resistance,” scarfed down at the kitchen counter between essays, or between parties.
In his essay “Unzipping Mr. Rabbit,” Rob Percival writes about the way ultra-processed foods such as instant ramen disconnect us from traditional, tangible, and communal ways of preparing meals: “They are made for mindless consumption [....] We eat them alone or on the move. They are pre-prepared and prechewed.”
Percival, in the end, decides to hunt and skin his own rabbits. While I don’t think my landlord would appreciate that, Percival’s ideas about taking time to physically prepare and give thanks for our food—and, crucially, to do this together resonate with me. A well-planned soup can feed eight people for the cost of one UberEats delivery, and there’s no better place for a good conversation than over a simmering stew, with the snow falling outside and a cup of tea in your hand.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to get around the fact that cooking takes money and time, and it is so easy to pay the 80 cents, take the five minutes,
and eat in the dark, accompanied only by the glow of your half-written essay.
In A Sand County Almanac, Wisconsin naturalist Aldo Leopold echoes Percival’s concern, writing, “There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other is that heat comes from the furnace.”
While I love Leopold, my midterm tomorrow morning precludes me from the noble labour of chopping my own firewood, and I fear that rent on a farm in the Plateau may be beyond my price range. The strange thing about our modern, industrialized context is that chopping your own firewood is a luxury, rather than a money-saving act of selfreliance.
But I don’t think that’s the whole story: Cooking in community can drastically reduce the cost of groceries per person, while building bonds and strengthening social support networks at the same time. Three years of cooking for others in university has convinced me that it is not just an indulgence, but a necessary act of resistance in a society that pushes people to cook their instant noodles in three minutes, and eat them in two.
Celine Li, Daniel Miksha, Ella Gomes, Jasjot Grewal Katie Lau
TPS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Alex Hawes Silva, Amelia Clark, Asher Kui, Annabella Lawlor, Bianca Sugunasiri, Bianca Tri, Daniel Miksha, Daniel Pyo, Ethan Kahn, Jamie Xie, Luken Castañeda Garces, Mahin Siddiki, Mairin Burke, Olivia Ardito, Reuben Noam, Samathar Senso, Sarah McDonald, Tamiyana Roemer, Zain Ahmed.
Aiqing Qiu, Anna Seger, Ariella Morgan, Eliot Loose, Lilly Guilbeault, Nour Khouri, Ruby Reimer, Ryan Dvorak.
President Deep Saini owes McGill students more than his own partisan renditions
Saini’s brief mention of the university’s resolute stance on Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) regarding the State of Israel hints that the property damage stood for more than vandalism; however, his critical language suggests the contrary.
These evident biases in the frequent messages to the McGill community beg the question of the president’s obligations. On the one hand, he speaks on behalf of the administration, representing those at whom the damages were directed. However, he is also addressing the McGill community directly, and therefore owes his audience a comprehensive and nonpartisan truth that avoids the demonizing language he employs. In the latter regard, Saini’s rhetoric strays far from the mark.
Given the growing antagonism between the administration and the protestor body, Saini’s rhetoric only fosters further division, rather than bridging the divide. His duty, rather than offering his own vision of the protestors, should be to service the broader McGill community with information and resources such that individuals may draw their own conclusions. His position as President of McGill means that his language does not merely inform the McGill
COMMENTARY
Haleh Cohn Contributor
Wcommunity—it actively influences their perception. When such communication is dismissive of the central motivation behind the political activism it condemns, Saini’s audience must contend with the blurred lines between fact and presidential opinion. Saini thus fails his presidential duty to the McGill community, which notably demands a leadership role in promoting McGill’s broad well-being. In assuming such a role, he obligates himself to each constituency of the university—the administration, the faculty, and the student body—in equal part. As such, his commitment to community well-being calls for constituents who are, if not in agreement, then in decorum; Saini’s harsh rhetoric definitively harms this presidential ideal.
This is not to say that Saini ought to promote the protestors’ actions as noble or well-meaning. On the contrary, doing so would fail his imperative in equal measure to his reductive condemnations. Rather, the notices Saini issues to the McGill community are obliged to fact and incontrovertible truth—or as close to this as such a memo can manage. That is, it is his imperative to present the community not with an argument, but the firm basis on which his audience may construct one, be it for or against those in question. The president’s current language, describing the Feb. 5 protestors as violent vandals, disrupting peace and education, serves
no purpose but to curate the information reaching his audience, and thus influence student-held views; or perhaps it only serves to alienate the student body. His rhetoric reminds me of what I saw in the mainstream media, demonizing proPalestinian protestors rather than truly listening to their demands, engaging with their arguments, and walking a moderate line between the parties in dispute.
This being said, it is crucial that students turn their attention to the motives behind Saini’s presentation of student protest. As it stands, Saini presents the McGill community with a highly curated and reductive view of events focused on the physical destruction of property
while ignoring the pressing message behind the protests. This stands firmly against the McGill community’s right to unambiguous, axiomatic truth on which to form its own decisive opinion. As such, his imagery and language deserve at once criticism and skepticism. Indeed, Saini’s communications—while riddled with notions of antagonism and presumption in line with the administration’s ongoing use of disparaging language surrounding the BDS goals—are not to be completely neglected. However, they cannot be taken as a source, nor even a cross-section, of truth. Rather, Deep Saini’s words are best regarded as they are: Another divisive, albeit reputed, man’s opinion.
As non-profit Autism Speaks closes operations in Canada, the federal government must learn from their missteps
advocates and stakeholders when implementing recommendations.
hen the federal government unveiled its new Framework for Autism in Canada strategy last year— following years of activism demanding a plan to address disparities—the reaction from families impacted by autism was strongly critical.
Opponents argued that the new autism strategy lacked two essential ingredients: Dedicated funding and firm deadlines. This news coincided with the decision of the nonprofit Autism Speaks (AS) to close its Canadian operations last month, this time eliciting celebration from many in the autism community.
AS had long ago gained a reputation as a controversial organization. Its original mission was to find a “cure” for autism, and in later years it ran offensive advertisements and indulged the idea that vaccines may cause autism—a theory that experts have repeatedly proved to be false.
Now, in a decisive moment where critics are calling for the federal government to establish better support for those in the autism community, AS’s missteps should act as guidance towards more effective and comprehensive federal autism support.
This starts with including the voices of those with autism. For its first decade of operation, AS did not have representation of individuals with autism on its Board of Directors. While the Canadian government purports to use a “Nothing Without Us” principle—ensuring those with lived experience are meaningfully involved—there must be a standard of continued consultation with autism
In 2024, AS allocated only 12 per cent of spending towards services and support going directly to people with autism and their families. The organization’s Canadian branch reported spending about five million dollars to connect families with resources over the past eleven years. For reference, the company has had an average expenditure of as much as four million dollars annually, since 2006. The remaining money was spent on research, fundraising, and awareness.
AS also repeatedly ignored advocates and neglected to address their complaints. In 2009, they released an ad campaign, titled I Am Autism, comparing autism to cancer and blaming autistic children for their parents’ failed marriages. After aggressive backlash, AS removed the clip and promised to shift away from negative, fear-based messaging. However, they continued to produce content with the same harmful tone, framing autism as a tragic condition. In 2019, their 100-Day Kit for parents of newly diagnosed autistic children mentioned the stages of grief for those who want their children to “get better.” While the toolkit does contain useful material to help parents adjust, it also attributed spousal arguments to displaced anger about autism, and included a parent testimonial comparing their child’s diagnosis to that of leukemia. Autism is not a fatal disease.
Now, the autism community in Canada is speaking up about its disappointment with the federal framework, which lacks substantial initiative for support for those with autism and their caregivers. The federal government
needs to address their disappointments—both from AS and from the government’s own past failures—and deliver a detailed plan that avoids repeating these past mistakes.
The government’s excuse for its insufficient autism support resources has been largely attributed to jurisdictional squabbles, as they cite the fact that healthcare is under provincial control. Quebec released an action plan on Autism Spectrum Disorder for 20172022, which was generally comprehensive but also lacked clarity on enacting measures. No specific updated action plan has been released since.
In recent years, AS changed its mission statement, apologized for its harmful ad, appointed members with autism to its board, and stopped funding research casting doubt on vaccines. But its response was belated. While AS Canada claims public perception was not a factor in its closure, the damage was done and it was clearly too late to make amends.
To operationalize their new strategy, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has established the National Autism Network, setting aside six and a half million dollars over five years. As this sum gets carved out, the
Canadian government should note the failures of AS to prioritize services. They need to avoid following in their footsteps by dedicating sufficient amounts to reducing diagnosis wait times, opening up spots in group homes, and improving access to education.
There’s still time, however, for the federal government to get it right.
Autism Speaks Canada launched operations in 2006. (Eliot Loose/ The Tribune)
McGill’s faculties and departments are estimated to send over eight million emails to students, alumni, and employees every year. (Daniel Miksha / The Tribune)
McGill athletes strive for victory in playoffs
Swim, men’s hockey, women’s volleyball, and track competed over the past week
Last week was a milestone for McGill Athletics as several teams competed in playoff games and meets, striving to move onto future playoff rounds or to surpass their season bests.
McGill Swim RSEQ conference championship:
The men’s and women’s swim teams dominated their respective competitions on Sunday, Feb. 16, both taking home their fifth consecutive Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) titles.
The swim teams did not just win: They left their competitors in the dust. The Martlets came in first with 996 points—a more than 250-point lead over the second-place finishers, the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) Gee-Gees. Women’s swimming also saw 28 podiums, winning 13 gold medals, seven silver medals, and eight bronze medals. The team took home gold in all five relays in the competition.
The Redbirds similarly cruised to victory, coming in at 952.5 points, a whopping 367 points ahead of the second-place uOttawa. They secured 13 golds, nine silvers, and nine bronzes, adding up to 31 podiums overall.
While the conference sweep was a collective effort, some swimmers stood out from the pack, with Elizabeth Ling and Loïc Courville-Fortin being named the RSEQ athletes of the week. During the championship, Ling took home six gold medals. Meanwhile, Courville snagged five golds, and broke both the McGill and RSEQ records in the 200-metre individual medley.
Nineteen athletes per team have qualified for the U SPORTS Championship and will head to Toronto on March 6 to round out their impressive season.
Redbirds Hockey OUA quarterfinals:
McGill Men’s Hockey took to the ice Wednesday, Feb. 19 for the first game of a best-of-three Ottawa University Athletics (OUA) Quarterfinal series against the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes. The Redbirds secured the victory 2-1, bringing them one step closer to an OUA Championship.
The fight was far from over as the two teams matched up again on Feb. 21. The Patriotes managed to slip one past Redbird goalkeeper Alexis Shank only 109 seconds after the starting whistle. Shank took this as a personal hit and only allowed 1 out of 31 shots in for the remainder of the game. Rookie Maxime Pellerin turned the match around with 4:40 left in the first period when he tied it up with a wrist shot. Left winger Stephane Huard kept this momentum going, taking a quick shot to bring the Redbirds up 2-1. However, the Patriotes fought back and tied the game 2-2 at the end of the first period—a goal that would be their last of the game.
Mathieu Gagnon and William Rouleau— who recently brought home gold at the International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Games—each added a goal to make the score 4-2. This score remained until the Patriotes opted to remove their goalie and put six men on the ice with five minutes left, which allowed Redbirds’ Pellerin to tally
Martlets Volleyball RSEQ semifinals: Martlets Volleyball faced up against the Université de Montréal Carabins in the first of a three-game semifinal series on Feb. 21 at the Centre CEPSUM. The fourth-ranked Martlets were successful in their aim to bring down the top-seeded Carabins in the matchup, which ended in a 3-1 victory for McGill. Elyssa Lajmi, who has been a powerhouse for the Martlets this season, led the team with 15 kills and 2 aces. Rachel Leduc and Sandrine Methot also had impressive performances, scoring 11 and 8 kills respectively, to bring the Martlets the victory.
However, with a first-round win in a best-of-three series, it is only too easy to get comfortable. The Martlets fell to the Carabins the following day at Love Competition Hall in a battle that went to five sets. The game was truly a team effort by the Martlets, as it was the first time this season that five players achieved double digits in scoring—Lajmi put up 17, Leduc had an impressive 16.5, Charlotte Chouinard-Laliberte helped out with 15.5 points, and Emilia Grigorova and Methot each added 11 points to the scoreboard. Despite this, the match went to the Carabins, who had a 15-9 victory in the fifth set.
In the third and final series game at Centre CEPSUM on Sunday, Feb. 23, both teams looked for a spot in the RSEQ Championship series. Though the Carabins were victorious in three straight sets, it is a testament to McGill’s perseverance that in the second two sets, the game got closer and closer. While the first set went to the Carabins 25-17, the second set went 25-20 to the Carabins, and the final set was a nail-biting 26-24 Carabin victory.
Track and Field RSEQ Championships: McGill competed in the RSEQ Championships on Feb. 22, with the Martlets placing third while the Redbirds placed second out of ten teams. Athletes competed in several events, many with the hopes of qualifying for U SPORTS championships.
The Martlets secured two gold medals, with Julie Bortolato placing first in the pole vault and Rebecca Warcholak winning the triple jump. Vanessa Lu Langley scored a silver medal in the 60-metre hurdles, matched by silver medals from both the 4x200-metre and 4x800-metre relay teams. The 4x400-metre relay team placed bronze, as did Kaelie Sanogo in the pentathlon.
For the Redbirds, gold medals came from Luca Nicoletti in the 300-metre, Sacha Dernoncourt in the 1000-metre, Robert Gerstner in the long jump, and the 4-800-metre team who had previously broken the school record in the uOttawa Winter Classic. The 4x200-metre and 4x400-metre relay teams each clinched a silver medal, as did Ben Gates in the 600-metre, Samuel Hepworth in both the 1000-metre and the 1500-metre, and Kilty McGonigal in the heptathlon. To top off the Redbirds’ thirteenmedal tally were bronze medals from William Sanders in the 300-metre and Gerstner in the 60-metre and triple jump.
his second goal of the game on an open net and seal the outcome of the playoff series in McGill’s favour.
This impressive win has upset the standard of the OUA playoffs, as UQTR has won
the OUA Championships for the last three years. This victory sets the Redbirds up well as they head to the semifinals against their well-known rivals, the Concordia Stingers, on Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Between March 6 and March 8, qualifying athletes will compete in the U SPORTS National Championships in Windsor, BC. All athletes who won a gold medal at RSEQ Championships automatically qualify for a spot at Nationals.
The volleyball semifinals were Rachèle Béliveau’s last games as head coach. (Hannah Nobile & Armen Erzingatzian / The Tribune )
Knit, purl, knit, exhale
We sat on the comforter in her bedroom, the winter rain drumming on the window. Under the loop, wrap it around, and pull it through. Under, wrap it around, pull it through. Again. This is the way my mother taught me to knit. Over time, the words have faded into my fingers, and the once-vivid memory of learning has exiled itself to my muscles.
If I’m being honest, I’m not a particularly brilliant or speedy knitter. I prefer using simple stitches, and my scarves still turn out squarish or small. But for me, kitting isn’t about the product; it’s about the process. Years after my mother’s lessons, I still pick up a scarf project over the summer to chill out after stressful work days. When doing readings for school, I still knit to give my hands something to occupy themselves with so I can concentrate on the texts. I noticed that the simple repetitive motion of drawing the yarn back and forth is relaxing, meditative, and a way to channel my fidgeting so I can focus.
I wondered if I could unravel other crafters’ stories with fibre arts and see if there is something unique with the needle and thread as a tool for de-stressing and concentration. One consensus was that the slow and gradual repetition is calming—like hearing the predictable splash of a wave on the sand or the low beat of the bass in R&B music.
“[Crochet] is continuous. I don’t have to look at it. I don’t need to think. My brain can just relax,” Evi Missios, Vice President of the McGill Knitting Club, said in an interview with The Tribune.
Noa Garmaise, U2 Management, who has knitted since the age of six, echoed the sentiment: “I think just the repetitive nature of it is very relaxing for me.”
Research backs this up.
“A lot of stress-reduction activities are simple, repetitive things,” said Blaine Ditto, a professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill.
The same response is triggered by other relaxing activities, like watching a video of a tortoise chomping on a banana, listening to our favourite song on loop, or going on a walk and feeling the rhythm of our feet pressing on the pavement. With knitting, people experience the effects of calming through repetition in two distinct ways: A distraction from negative thought patterns and a form of tactile stimulation allowing us to better engage with our environment.
Between midterms, work deadlines, and growing political concerns in my hometown of Washington, DC, I’m often consumed by day-to-day worries. As a student, my life is a constant muddle of coloured chunks on Google Calendar and pages of to-do lists. While stress responses are normal, they’re supposed to fluctuate, surging occasionally to help us manage imminent physical threats and respond to urgent situations. However, ruminations on the future and anticipatory concerns
can lead to high levels of continuing stress without a productive outcome.
“People are running scenarios a lot,” Ditto said. “One of the strange things about the stress response is that, in addition to running into the stresses of everyday life, people are sort of creating stress by trying to anticipate and solve problems in advance [….] While taking your mind off of current and possibly future issues, you’re just sinking into this slow, relaxed breathing state.”
When I knit, the turning of the needles over and over between my fingers and the gradual counting of stitches pull me away from my worries and into the present because I’m able to be immersed in my hands instead of my head. The tactile nature of fibre arts provides a sharp contrast to our intangible anxieties. The rhythm of the stitches parallels the slow, relaxed breathing that comes with untangling ourselves from the busyness in our head.
In re-centering ourselves in the present moment through tactile repetition, we also practice mindfulness. As David Dunkley, an associate professor of Psychology at McGill, noted in an interview with The Tribune, mindfulness can apply to any activity that allows us to focus in the moment.
Fibre arts are also unique in that they are portable and easy to bring out in a pinch.
“I keep my knitting and crochet in my bag, so if I’m feeling kind of stressed I can pull it out and, right where I’m sat, I can start destressing right away. I bring it to bars, I bring it to class, I bring it everywhere,” said Jess Sekora, Primary Rep of the McGill Knitting Club.
“If I’m really stressed, like if I have three assignments due this week, I don’t care,” Missios shared. “I would still take out two hours during my day [to crochet] because I knew it would help me. I could just chill for a second and not have to worry about what I have to get done.”
Doing fibre arts doesn’t have to fully cut us off from the world; it can actually tie us into it. I have to remember whether I have to knit or purl, but I’m still able to engage with my surroundings. In class, the mindless repetitive motion is grounding, letting me listen to my professors unob -
Written, designed, and embroidered by Mia
exhaleUsing fibre arts to de-stress and re-focus
structed by distractions on my devices.
There is an ongoing scientific debate about the correlation between fidgeting and focus. For example, a 2024 review study published in School Psychology Review finding significant variation between individuals in the efficacy of fidget toys, with no overall positive correlation between fidgeting and focus. However, studies recognize the different ways people find to self-regulate: Kathrine Isbister, a professor of Computational Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz, writes in The Conversation that, “Psychology research about sensation seeking tells us that people often try to adjust their experiences and their environments so that they provide just the right level of stimulation.” Acknowledging that much of the support for fidgeting in focus and relaxation is anecdotal, she emphasizes the importance of trusting people’s personal experiences and allowing them to dial in their sensory input to suit their needs.
For many, including myself, the fibre arts are an aid to consume and absorb information. Garmaise said that, while knitting, she likes to listen to a podcast, and when she was younger, she would read. Missios said that she crochets while watching television. Sekora was knitting a rather intricate hat during our conversation.
For many fibre artists—especially for those who use it while listening to music or looking at screens—knitting and crochet act as a buffer against pure online consump -
Helfrich
tion because they’re still productive activities. We’re not only giving ourselves a tactile repetition that calms us, but—unlike going for a walk or playing a game—we’re also creating something useful and lasting.
“I just found myself being on my phone too much and my screen time being high. I felt sluggish, I just didn’t feel good. And then when I started crocheting, I felt like I was actually productive with my life,” Missios said.
Instead of feeling frustrated or unfulfilled by looking at screens, I’ve gained a sense of accomplishment because I know that I’m producing something that takes effort, patience, and skill. Students, whether for assignments or in relationships, often fall into perfectionism, which sets unachievably high standards. When I knit, the emphasis is on growth, my standard being only to continue manipulating the yarn and improve over time.
“[Through knitting and crochet], I’ve learned patience and letting myself make mistakes. Knitting takes a while, but you really have to let yourself go through the process of it, of creating. There’s no deadlines. It’s just a craft, and it’s not going to be perfect,” Sekora said.
Like many art forms, the community around knitting and crochet is incredibly tight-knit and welcoming. Historically, knitting has not just been an idle hobby, but a way to come together as an act of personal and political expression, especially for women. When I was a kid, my mother brought me and my sister to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, a pastoral event to peruse yarns, pet sheep, and meet other knitters, shepherds, weavers, spinners, and dyers. The fibre arts community doesn’t just encompass those with needles and hooks but all levels of the art, from animals to manufacturers to our homes. At McGill, the Knitting Club has fostered a space to connect and teach other knitters and crocheters, bringing a slice of the community to our campus.
“I mostly don’t even do it for the crochet itself. I was having a hard time finding a friend group at McGill, and then when I came across the Knitting Club, I was like, ‘These people are like me,’” Missios said.
When I knit, I am usually not among other knitters, instead working on a piece while in class, listening to an audiobook, or watching a show with my roommate. Yet, this practice started with my grandmother, then my mother, then me. The skill has been passed through my family generationally, and I now use it to ground myself and relax. Knitting is a thread that connects me to my family, my community, the physical world, and a sense of calm amid my knotted thoughts. When you don’t know what to do with yourself, start with a stitch.
Game changers on and off the field—the stories of four Black Canadian women athletes
Star athletes, both historic and current, continue to push boundaries
Ethan Kahn Staff Writer
Black athletes have consistently pushed boundaries in both sport and civil rights to further opportunities for others. In many cases, the success or popularity of a sport can largely be attributed to the hard work and dedication of Black competitors. It is especially crucial to recognize the contributions of these trailblazers during Black History Month, to fully acknowledge their impacts. Alongside the modern superstars growing their respective sports, it is equally important to thank past athletes who may not have been as popular or well-known during their time, but whose advocacy has led to greater opportunities for modern Black athletes.
Kingston, Ontario’s Aaliyah Edwards may only be a 22-year-old rookie, but she has proven that she can hang with the best. The sixth overall selection in last year’s WNBA draft by the Washington Mystics, Edwards was Team Canada’s youngest player at the Tokyo Olympics at 18 years old, and was a two-time U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-American during her time at the University of Connecticut. Her community in Kingston remains incredibly important to her. This past summer, she ran a co-ed basketball development camp in Kingston intended to inspire young hoopers across the province. The camp helped athletes realize that their basketball dreams may be reachable.
Some athletes have the chance to shine, only to have the opportunity to compete on the world stage swept out from underneath them. What sets them apart is how they respond. While Canadian Sports Hall of Fame inductee Barbara Howard’s time in the spotlight may have been short, her 40 years off the track are the greatest part of her lasting legacy. Howard first gained attention when, in a time trial, she set a mark in the 100-yard dash that was good enough to break the Commonwealth Games record.
In 1938, Howard became the first woman athlete of colour to represent Canada in an international sporting competition. However, she never got the opportunity to compete again, as the Second World War derailed plans for future competition. Undeterred, Howard returned to Vancouver to teach at an elementary school for four decades. She continued to break barriers, being the first member of a visible minority to be hired by the Vancouver School Board.
Sarah Nurse has become one of the biggest hockey superstars in the nation. A decorated forward with two Olympic medals and five World Championship medals for Team Canada, Nurse is a dominant force for the Toronto Sceptres in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). Few athletes can claim as much responsibility for their sport’s success as Nurse. As the creator of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association, Nurse was part of the team that founded
the PWHL itself, an incredible achievement. She then joined the executive committee for the league’s labour union, advocating for her fellow PWHL athletes.
Like Nurse, Angela James had no equal on the ice. The current crop of PWHL stars owe much of their success to James, a women’s hockey pioneer. In a time when women’s professional hockey leagues were few and far between, James showed her true dominance on the international stage. She won four World Championships as the team captain, and was one of the first three women to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In her international career, James recorded 33 goals and 21 assists for a total of 54 points. She was inducted into the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2021.
These athletes should be lauded for their continuous efforts to grow women’s athletics across the board. Their influence in their sports, coupled with their advocacy away from the playing field, makes them perfect role models for young athletes. James and Howard did not receive nearly enough attention in their playing days, and their inductions into the Canadian Sports
The Tribune’s sports highlights of the week
Huge hockey headlines for McGill and Canada
Zain Ahmed Staff Writer
International: Canada clinches the 4 Nations Trophy
In a finish that perfectly encapsulated the spirit of international hockey, Team Canada secured a pulsating 3-2 overtime victory over Team USA on the back of a show-stopping finish from number 97, centre Connor McDavid. In the stands and across the country, the crowd went wild.
Carving their route to the final, Canada defeated Finland 5-3 and Sweden 4-3 in two back-and-forth showstopping games, but fell short 3-1 to Team USA in their last preliminary fixture. Within nine seconds of the opening buzzer, both Brady and Matthew Tkachuk—brothers from the U.S.—as well as Brandon Hagel of Canada saw the sin bin for dropping their gloves and letting the fireworks rip. Canada could not come away with victory—that is, until the final.
Canada centre Nathan MacKinnon kicked off the scoring in the first period with a nifty wrist shot that nestled into the back of the net. Shortly after, though, USA enforcer Brady Tkachuk tapped in the puck to level the score. The back-and-forth affair saw momentum swings that kept fans on the edge of their seats, with neither team able to establish more than a one-goal advantage throughout regulation time. Midway through the second period, defenseman Jake Sanderson hurled the puck at goal, and it flew in off a slight deflection for
a 2-1 lead for the USA. Every shot and every save seemed to echo with championship implications. And that is exactly how it went, with USA centre Sam Bennett shelving an assist from right winger Mitchell Marner to tie the game up in the latter stage of period two.
In the end, it took sudden death overtime to separate the evenly matched sides, with Canada finding that extra gear when it mattered most. With the clock creeping down, at the eight-minute mark of overtime, Team Canada found a moment of brilliance. Fans had their hearts in their mouths as McDavid screamed up the ice to get in position in front of the net. Marner’s hard work in the left corner of the USA defensive area culminated in a smooth flick pass back into the middle of the ice to McDavid, who controlled the puck, pulled back, and released his shot. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The puck crashed into the net, and Canadians all around the world unleashed a collective cheer.
After a tumultuous month for Canadians in the political sphere following threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, this win was momentous, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remarking to the U.S.: “You can’t take our country—and you can’t take our game.”
McGill: Redbirds hockey wrestle a win in the quarter-finals
In a tense quarter-final matchup, the fourth-place McGill Redbirds Hockey secured a crucial 2-1 victory over the fifth-ranked Uni-
versité du Québec à TroisRivières (UQTR) Patriotes in Laval on Wednesday night. Right winger Charles-Antoine Dumont emerged as the hero, netting the game-winning shot with just over three minutes remaining in regulation.
The game, which started 40 minutes late due to a shattered glass pane during warmups, showcased McGill’s defensive prowess as they nullified the UQTR attack through each period. Although neither team scored within the first period, forward Alexandre Gagnon opened the scoring midway through the second period, asserting his dominance and swinging momentum in McGill’s favour.
Away days always come with a bit more than what meets the eye, and this game was no smooth skating. UQTR’s forward, Felix Lafrance, evened the score on a power play late in the second, and after a serious battle in the UQTR defensive end, Dumont’s clutch goal off a rebound from centre Xavier Fortin sealed the win for the Redbirds. Goaltender Alexis Shank stood strong with 21 saves, giving McGill their fifth win in six meetings with UQTR this season.
Hall of Fame show a renewed effort in ensuring that their legacies are preserved forever. For Nurse and Edwards, their work away from competition may be the most important aspect of their careers, and should be given an enormous amount of credit for being a driving force in the popularity of women’s sports.
The Redbirds proceeded to capitalize on
their lead with a dominant 5-2 victory away at Trois-Rivières, sweeping the series and skating proudly into a league semi-final series against Concordia Stingers starting on Feb. 26. Earlier this season, the Redbirds lost to the Stingers 1-3 in a regular season faceoff and 3-7 in the Corey Cup. A high-stakes week lies ahead as the team hopes for redemption and a shot at the final. Fly Birds!
In 2024, there were nearly 90,000 Black NCAA studentathletes, a 19 per cent increase across the past decade. (Zoe Lee / The Tribune)
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the first hockey game played in Montreal, on March 3, 1875. (Zoe Lee / The Tribune)
CogSURF connects minds, empowering the next generation of cognitive scientists McGill undergraduate students develop Montreal’s first undergraduate Cognitive Science forum
Michelle Yankovsky Contributor
The Cognitive Science Undergraduate Research Forum (CogSURF), Montreal’s first undergraduate-led conference of its kind, will host its inaugural event on Feb. 27 at the University Centre. This event aims to showcase undergraduate talent and break down the barriers to open science for undergraduate students across Montreal. With over 340 registrations, CogSURF will offer a day filled with presentations, networking opportunities, and showcases of research disciplines across the cognitive sciences.
Le Thuy Duong Nguyen, a U3 student in McGill’s Honours in Cognitive Science program and executive chair of CogSURF, began developing the conference in July 2024, where she assembled an executive board of undergraduate students from McGill.
“I personally found my passion for science and research through going to open conferences,” Nguyen said in an interview with The Tribune . “This was really a big mission of mine—to create something that would be accessible to all levels, universities, and disciplines to converge at one big event.”
Maria Lagakos, CogSURF’s executive co-director of partnerships and fellow U3
Honours in Cognitive Science student, explained some of the difficulties in the early stages of developing CogSURF.
“We really did this from the ground up,” Lagakos said in an interview with The Tribune . “As undergraduate students, we’ve had limited experience with conferences [....] It’s a little bit harder usually for undergrads to get involved in these largescale conferences.”
Nguyen also discussed the development of CogSURF’s slogan: Connecting Minds, Making Waves.
“It’s been a really fun experience coming up with our slogan, which is really integral to our mission,” Nguyen said. “The
logo itself has been a long process in the making. We went through so many iterations, and converged on this one where different waves represent different disciplines that are converging at this one conference.”
The event will open with a speech by Nguyen, followed by a presentation from keynote speaker Nancy Kanwisher, a professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT.
“[Kanwisher] is my absolute role model and scientific hero,” Nguyen expressed, reflecting on how Kanwisher presented at one of the very first conferences Nguyen attended, sparking her interest in cognitive science research.
Afterward, there will be a flash talk session, where undergraduate students showcase their research in three-minute thesis-style presentations. Following lunch, CogSURF will hold a poster presentation session where 30 committee-selected undergraduate students will present their innovations, after which another flash talk session will take place. The day will also include a panel discussion featuring experts from a wide range of disciplines and institutions, including Ian Gold, Karim Jerbi, Doina Precup, Stevan Harnad, and Charles Reiss.
Eating sustainably, one DISH at a time Helping consumers make more informed food choices
Antoine Larocque Contributor
Given that around 26 per cent of mortality cases in Canada are attributable to dietary choices, and that the global food system is responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, researchers are exploring ways to balance nutritional value with sustainability. McGill scientists have recently developed a consumer-focused approach that could pave the way for improving both individual dietary habits and the sustainability of the broader food system.
Ebenezer M. Kwofie, an assistant professor in McGill’s Bioresource Engineering Department, and his collaborators developed Dashboard for Improving Sustainable Healthy (DISH) food choices—a digital application designed to guide consumers in making informed food purchases.
“The platform’s goal is to provide people with the information on nutrition and the environment, [so] they get to make a choice on what they want to buy,” Kwofie said in an interview with The Tribune
He also emphasized the importance of consumer autonomy.
“We think that that is the first step in making that transition to a sustainable, healthy diet: Having a system that is not intrusive, having a platform that provides the information but still leaves the choice to the consumer is critical,” Kwofie said.
Unlike other applications, DISH presents nutritional and environmental information in a way that is easy to understand. It employs a five-star scale and a red-green colour-coded rating system, ensuring that key information is presented at the time of purchase without requiring significant cognitive effort.
“If we can provide a tool that people would engage in at the time they are making the decision, maybe we might have a better outcome,” Kwofie said.
Early findings support this idea. To evaluate the platform’s impact, Kwofie and his team recently conducted a study to evaluate how DISH influenced consumers’ choices at a cafeteria at the University of Arkansas. Participants received two meal options: A beef-based burger, rated as slightly healthy and unsustainable, or a plant-based burger, rated as moderately healthy and sustainable.
Among the 90.2 per cent of consumers who initially intended to buy a beef-based burger, 56.9 per cent reported a shift in purchasing intention in favour of the plant-based burger, with 83 per cent citing DISH’s environmental and nutritional information as the key factor influencing their decision.
The results suggested that presenting clear, accessible information to consumers can effectively encourage healthier and more sustainable food choices.
“While the goal is not to make everybody move from animal to plant [diets], we believe that by providing the data […], if we can get
“I think we have top-notch speakers. This is my ideal panel scenario, and I’m really excited for it,” Nguyen said.
The closing ceremony will then announce the award recipients, and to commemorate the evening, CogSURF will host a ‘5 à 7’ networking event at the McGill Faculty Club.
Benjamin Lévesque-Kinder, a thirdyear undergraduate student in McGill’s Neuroscience program and executive codirector of partnerships at CogSURF, spoke about the future of the organization.
“Right now we’re hosting [CogSURF] at McGill, but we would really love to see it hosted by UdeM, Concordia, and UQÀM, in a way that most conferences do, where they jump around [locations],” Levesque-Kinder said in an interview with The Tribune . “The host institution brings their own perspective and intellectual background into it.”
The executives emphasized the importance of inter-university collaborations, which they believe is essential for CogSURF to become an annual conference attracting students from across Canada and beyond. CogSURF serves as an important step for undergraduate students to get involved in open science research, increasing accessibility and transparency in the cognitive sciences field.
The study found that women were more inclined than men to shift towards a plantbased meal after using the DISH application. (Leanne Cherry / The Tribune )
more than half of the people to start thinking about what they are eating and how it influences their health, how it influences the environment, and if we can begin that discussion and make people even question their own choices, that’s a big win,” Kwofie commented. “Just wanting everybody to move is not realistic.”
The researchers hope to expand DISH beyond university cafeterias, ultimately aiming for implementation at provincial, municipal, and even national levels. In the meantime, they are refining the application based on user feedback and testing it with a broader menu and a more diverse range of participants.
The team is currently testing an upgraded version of DISH at the Café TWIGS and The Ceilidh at McGill’s Macdonald Campus, as well as in off-campus locations such as
supermarkets. They are also studying its effectiveness in Montreal across different age groups, including middle schoolers and older adults, and eventually hope to do the same in immigrant communities.
“If we can target even more young people and make [the environmental and nutritional information] in a form that they can understand […], we think that we might get a healthy eating culture in the near future, which is the target of this whole research,” Kwofie said.
Kwofie and his team aim to launch a McGill-wide version of the DISH application by Fall 2025. In the meantime, those interested in making healthier, more sustainable food choices can explore DISH for Research, another platform developed by the team, which is expected to be available later this winter semester.
The James Webb Space Telescope cost over $10 billion USD. (Lilly Guilbeault / The Tribune)
Fairies square off against lords in ‘Iolanthe’
McGill Savoy Society presents 61st annual Gilbert and Sullivan show
Ella Paulin Managing Editor
From Feb. 14-22, the McGill Savoy Society brought Gilbert and Sullivan’s 1882 comic opera, Iolanthe , to life at Theatre Plaza. The show follows young shepherd Strephon (Matthew Erskine, BA 2022), and his beloved Phyllis (Aniela Stanek, U0 Arts). After he joyfully announces their engagement, a few wrinkles become apparent: She is a ward of the state, and he is just a lowly shepherd (even if he is secretly a fairy). When the engagement is rejected by parliament, he does what any halffey suitor would do, and calls in his mother’s company of fairies. The company—that apparently is the collective noun for fairies—in turn does what any company of fairies would do, and infiltrates the British House of Peers.
“What makes Iolanthe special is its magic,” Erskine told The Tribune “It’s a show about fairies, half-fairy, half-mortal shepherds, and sneering peers. It’s just imbued with such magic and wonders.”
The story unravels from there, by turns tragic and comic, chronicling the rising and falling fortunes of our starcrossed lovers.
“Iolanthe is a really amazing op -
eretta because it threads that line between a really great comedy and also some dark and tragic bits that you don’t see in a lot of comic operas,” Michael Quinsey, BA 2022 and Stage Director of the production, commented. “You have some nice dark music that’s a lot of fun to work with, and on top of that, there’s some huge energetic ensembles that are just so much fun to put together on stage.”
Unfortunately for Strephon, while he is scheming how to gain permission for the engagement, Phyllis spots him with his fairy mother—who looks much younger than she really is—and assumes that he is flirting with her.
“She’s a girl’s girl. I feel like she’s very in love with both herself and Strephon,” Stanek said about her character. “She’s in her own little world, [...] but by the end of the show, she’s become a lot more accepting of other people.”
A particularly energetic turning point comes towards the end of the first act, as Strephon is inducted into the House of Peers, as part of the fairies’ master plan. In an eerily current turn of events, our hero is suddenly vested with complete control to both make and approve laws. But fear not! Rather than slashing foreign aid budgets, he directs his unbridled executive power towards the noble aims of more lenient sentencing for criminals and support for the poor.
Unfortunately, even the satisfaction of a well-implemented social welfare policy is not enough to fill the woman-sized hole in Strephon’s heart, and he pines after Phyllis hopelessly.
As it turns out, Strephon is not the only one pining away—the Lord Chancellor (Samuel Valentim-Gervais) also has eyes for Phyllis. When she rejects him (and all of her other suitors, for that matter), the Chancellor spirals into despair, delivering a truly impressive patter song on a timeless theme: Bedrot. Reassuringly, it seems that even the Victorians couldn’t get out of bed, as he bemoans his unrequited love with his faithful teddy bear.
Fairy Queen (Ashley Bissonnette) collaborates with the House of Peers to revise all necessary rules in order to save Iolanthe’s life, approve the marriage between Strephon and Phyllis, and pair up all the rest of the fairies with parliamentarian partners.
The second act culminates with an aria from Strephon’s fairy mother, Iolanthe, strikingly moving after the comedic first act, in which she sacrifices her own life in a selfless plea for her son’s marriage rights. Luckily for the characters, her tragic sacrifice is brief, and the
With all of the conflicts simultaneously resolved by the Fairy Queen, whose bouncy incompetence is a perfect equal and opposite to the pomp and circumstance of the Lords, they all dance off stage in a fittingly whimsical finale for a thoroughly whimsical production.
Iolanthe was onstage at Theatre Plaza from Feb. 14-22
and every emotion beyond from their apt audience Players’ Theatre’s ‘Do You Feel Anger?’ is a sardonic satire of human fallibility
The
cast elicited
anger, laughter,
Bianca Sugunasiri Staff Writer
It’s easy enough to show empathy to those who deserve it. But how on earth do you feel empathetic when you’re in a crappy little office, with your autocratic boss breathing in your ear that he doesn’t “only love piss charts” but also his niece?
Do You Feel Anger? by Mara NelsonGreenberg chronicles an empathy coach’s fruitless attempts to inspire compassion in an office of debt collectors convinced that empathy is a type of bird. The cast of Players’ Theatre’s Winter 2025 production of the piece (dir. Emma Qian), showcased juvenile anger, misogyny, and outright insanity through astonishing control of facial and physical comedy. The show transported audiences back into the aforementioned conference room where Sophia (Ellie Mota, U3 Arts) struggles to be empathetic towards everyone without endorsing the poor behaviour that is perpetuating the misogynistic status quo. Rapidly delivered dialogue rich with impassioned intonation punctuates the scene, revealing to the audience the complex emotions behind the characters’ words.
From lights up to curtain, audiences were immersed into a world so close to reality it was a little discomforting. Seven chairs, two tables, a file cabinet, day-old coffee, and a baseball bat were nearly all that made up the simple set, yet the actors’ interactions with them brought them vividly to life. The
prop bird that soared over the office, still mistaken as literally being empathy, showcased the crew’s design creativity. Qian revealed in an interview with The Tribune that the laborious ideation of this effect began with chucking a stuffed bird across the stage.
Not only did the actors deliver strong performances in the drab office, but—with help from the stage crew—they managed to pull off a seamless quick-change that turned the stage from a crappy office into a crappy bathroom. All aspects displayed clever design, from the functional stall doors to the misogynistic hangman graffiti on the walls. In an interview, Stage Manager Juliette Levy-Gay, U1 Arts, told The Tribune that this setting bears an alarmingly realistic message in being the only space in the office where the women’s true feelings could be expressed without sexualization.
Each costume reflected the characters’ essences, from Eva (Gabrielle Germain, U3 Arts)’s puffed-sleeved innocence to Howie (Maya Kanitkar, U4 Science)’s “daddy’s yacht” quarter-zip sweater. Sophia’s costume change from slacks to a hyper-sexualized skirt punctuated her building estrangement from her values.
The actors built off the setting and costuming groundwork to turn the office into a maelstrom of mid-life crisis and shameless emotional misconduct. Mota navigated a slow decline from patient placation to a break into self-destruction, her soft-spoken voice interrupted by comparatively jarring outbursts of frustration that climaxed with a terrifying wielding of a baseball bat.
Germain took full advantage of microexpressions to convey her character’s complexity. Although her breathless, frantic way of speaking, nearly never finishing her sentences evoked X, the highlights of her performance were the silent reactions of her countenance to the misdeeds around her. The tears glimmering but never quite falling from her eyes, the stiff upper lip of someone struggling not to break, and a jittery leg under the table externalized her inner distress beyond the power of words.
Darcy Blaik, U1 Education, as Jon, mastered the subtle mannerisms of a sleazy boss that are never quite fireable but just enough to make everyone uncomfortable. His ever-present Cheshire grin, tendency to lean into every woman he speaks to, and strange habit of laying himself across the table—very “draw me like one of your French girls”-style—undoubtedly made everyone in the audience feel the anger
Kanitkar was a hurricane and an audience favourite. Their commitment to physical comedy sold their performance, from kicking a chair so hard that it 360’d in the air to—what I imagine was improv— biting into a prop apple and ripping it fully in half with such vigour that near-
ly everyone in the scene broke to join the audience in laughter.
A special mention to Elias Luz (U0 Arts), as Old Man, who despite only being onstage for five minutes, had the entire audience doubled over with his raspy but somehow screeching monologue about being left on the playground.
This Players’ Theatre performance had audiences feeling everything but anger. Although unfortunately, Howie never did discover that empathy was in fact not a bird, Do You Feel Anger? implored audiences to question how they exhibit empathy, and the consequences of taking it away.
Do You Feel Anger? played from February 18 to February 21 at Players’ Theatre.
William Schwenck Gilbert and Arhur Sullivan collaborated on 14 operas between 1871 and 1896. (Ian Woo / Savoy Society)
Director Emma Qian wishes to take “a baseball bat to gendered scripts” and call on us to feel the spectrum of our emotions, but also to hold one another accountable. (Danica Friss Wilson / Player’s Theatre)
News of a policy change comes out of the Blues
Rest assured, students from all faculties remain welcome at Blues Pub
Auxane Bussac Student Life Editor
Blues Pub is one of the several student-run bars on campus, providing cheap beverages, delicious food— the grilled cheese is top-tier—and entertainment. While Blues is run by the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS), it has made the McConnell Engineering Building basement a classic Friday night pit-stop for students from all faculties. One of Blues’ distinguishable features is that it offers live musical performances from bands and DJs, creating an authentic vibe and welcoming environment—which might explain the reaction of students after being hit with news of an amendment to Blues’ policy.
On Feb. 11, Instagram was turned upside down when Blues announced that only students with a Faculty of Engineering McGill ID would be allowed entry. Engineering students would still be allowed two 18+ guests. The announcement resulted in a swift public outcry from unhappy students. While the rationale behind the decision was not made public, students speculated that overcrowding at Blues may have been a driving factor.
Pinak Ghosh, a recent graduate from
Queer
the Faculty of Engineering and a regular at Blues for years, commented on the bar’s crowd evolution since the pandemic.
“I remember the first Blues back from COVID, during E-Week Feb. 2022. Since then I’ve been a regular [....] When I first went it really was just engineers, only the graduating students really had an attachment to Blues [....] Since they introduced live music many more people from other faculties started coming,” he wrote in a statement to The Tribune
Though the spacious McConnell basement’s circular area can fit a large crowd, it has its limits. According to Álvaro Tomassoni, U2 Engineering, the growing popularity of Blues has recently led to overcrowding issues that could explain the introduction of the policy—though he considers it a bit extreme.
“The lineups at Blues have gotten significantly longer than what I’m used to, especially compared to last year [....] I don’t think [Blues] should be closed to other faculties of course, but I think there should be an order of people who can go in first,” Tomassoni said in an interview with The Tribune
The following day, Blues Pub deleted its initial publication and subsequently
posted another announcement apologizing for the policy change, revoking it, and stating that the upcoming Friday night Blues would continue as usual, with no priority for engineers. They also announced the formation of a working group “in order to better hear the engineering community.” While some cheered on student activism, others highlighted how quickly things can escalate on social media. The comments on the initial announcement were filled with students sharing their opinions—both support for the policy and critiques of its consequences were expressed blatantly.
Other student bars on campus took this as an opportunity to promote their own activities. On the same day, Bar des Arts (BdA), 4à7, Detention Den, and MUSA Bar posted a joint statement in a humouristic video intended to “condemn [Blues Pub’s] protectionist policies” and welcome students from all faculties to attend their events.
Though the ban was lifted, the overcrowding issue remains salient. Tomassoni offered a potential solution which would allow Engineering students to take advantage of their priority access while still ac-
commodating students from other faculties—therefore making everybody happy.
“I think a good idea to [prioritize people in Engineering] would be to make it so that from 4 to 6, which is happy hour, [...] you can only go in if you’re an engineer and you can have one guest. And then from 6 p.m., it’s open to everyone else,” he suggested.
Looking forward, the creation of a working group will foster discussion about other ways to manage Blues’ crowd, allowing students’ voices to be heard and Blues to remain a welcoming environment for all. As Blues’ second commandment states: “Thou Shalt Bring Engineers and Friendgineers Alike.”
McGill’s Black History Month event calls for year-round activism
Panelists discuss the importance of collective responsibility
Tamiyana Roemer Staff Writer
Black History Month is a time to reflect on, honour, and uplift Black voices—but the work does not stop when March begins. This was the core message of Queer McGill’s Black History Month event, where attendees were encouraged to consider how they can support and celebrate Black communities every day of the year.
Held in the University Center on Feb. 18, the event featured a mini-market showcasing Black-owned businesses and artists, followed by a panel discussion with community leaders and activists. Panelists spoke on allyship, systemic issues, and the intersections of Black history and 2SLGBTQIA+ culture.
Panelist Joan Lee, president of the West Island Black Community Association, highlighted the importance of community attendance.
“When there’s events like this, people need to really come out and celebrate each other,” Lee shared. “Come to the event and learn: Learn about different ways of life, learn about different cultures.”
Panelist Lee-Anne Millaire Lafleur, owner of Caribbean restaurant Resto Palme and mother of three, further highlighted the need for collective responsibility, noting that conversations about systemic issues should not fall solely on the Black community.
“I have to have a conversation with my boys about [how they have to act when they] meet a police officer, [but] if we real -
ly want change [...] everybody has to have that conversation with their sons,” she explained. “Our community has to know our history, [...] but for the future, it can’t just be us [....] If my sons are out with other boys who aren’t Black, those boys need to understand that their actions could have consequences on my sons because of the system we live in.”
Jaqq Strapp, a performer and writer, noted the significance of Queer McGill’s event—not just because it celebrated Black History Month, but because a non-Black group organized it.
“Something about this event that I want to bring forth is the fact that those that organized it are not Black, and the fact that there was still intention to actually put together a Black History Month [event is] pretty significant,” he said. “What happens [often] in February is that everything gets dropped on the shoulders of Black people, and it can actually be, in all honesty, a very tiring month for us.”
Strapp asked the audience members to internalize a key question, encouraging attendees to reflect on their role in meaningful allyship: “How can I be more inten -
tional with including and not tokenizing Black people 365, or 366 if there’s a leap day, days a year?”
Anushka Manoj, U3 Arts and one of Queer McGill’s Events Coordinators, acknowledged the historical lack of BIPOC representation within the organization.
“Historically, Queer McGill has been dominated by white people within the queer community who come from more privileged communities, so as women of colour, when [Valeria and I] got elected, our whole agenda for this year was to do more for marginalized communities [...] at McGill,” she told The Tribune
Valeria Muñoz, a Master’s student in Educational Leadership and another Events Coordinator for Queer McGill, echoed this sentiment in a statement to The Tribune
“This is not a one-off thing—this is something deeply rooted in what we should all advocate for,” Muñoz wrote. Manoj and Muñoz also planned a South Asian Pride Film Festival on Feb. 23, featuring four South Asian short films by queer filmmakers. Looking forward, they hope to continue sparking conversations about race, queerness, and activism beyond designated heritage months.
Queer McGill’s Black History Month event was more than a celebration—it was a call to action. By fostering conversations on activism, allyship, and intersectionality, the event emphasized that Black history and voices should be uplifted all year round, not just in February.
Blues Pub is a cash-only establishment, you can find an ATM in the entrance of the McConnell Engineering Building. (Eliot Loose / The Tribune)
Black History Month was officially recognized by the U.S. government in 1976 and by the House of Commons of Canada in 1995. (Armen Erzingatzian / The Tribune)
Flipping the lens: A look at the influencers of McGill University Interviews with Anna Bistour, Amanda Round, and The Potential Dropout
Bianca Tri Staff Writer
The number of social media influencers has ballooned in recent years, with TikTok alone reporting over a million creators. But which McGillians are joining the trend? Who among the student body documents campus construction, fieldhouse exams, and library crash-outs? The Tribune interviewed three students who post their daily lives—and more—online, getting to the heart of what compels them to share their stories with the world.
Sheng Qi, U4 Engineering, known online as The Potential Dropout, began his page as a way to cope with the struggles of being a STEM student. He started posting day-in-the-life videos and comedic content in Fall 2021, during his first semester at McGill. In an interview with The Tribune , he explained how his first video sparked his career online.
“I was filming my calculus final and having a mental breakdown,” Qi said. “The next day, the video had half a million views.”
Similarly, Anna Bistour, U2 Arts, garnered unexpected success overnight.
“I started posting [on TikTok] during COVID and doing short videos on YouTube,” Bistour said. “When I went to the U.S. [on exchange], I thought it would be cool if people were interested in what I do.
I was sitting in the airport, [and] when I arrived in the U.S., a video I posted reached 500k views.”
Bistour—who came to Canada from France—makes content sharing her daily life in North America with her inquisitive French followers. However, she emphasizes that her overall goal is to uplift students worldwide.
“I aspire to make relatable videos, so I answer a lot of questions and show people
what they want to see about North America—then America, now Canada—so that they can have a closer idea of what life is [like] as an international student,” she said.
Amanda Round, a first-year Master of Science student, who became known for her educational videos on different university programs in Canada, expressed a similar goal.
“I was super type A as a student so when I was looking at programs I went out and talked to alumni and professors and I had all this random knowledge and I wanted to fill that gap,” she shared.
While Qi started with relatable content, he has also dabbled in more educational videos, including chemistry tutorials on YouTube. He also launched his own tutoring and events start-up, which is currently in the hiring phase. In his interview with The Tribune , he mentioned Khan Academy as one of his dream collaborations.
Bistour was also interested in pursuing collaborations.
Round spoke about her upcoming side account, where she plans to explain pertinent science topics to the Canadian public.
“I’m trying to do content related to scientific literacy and trying to make these topics, which are important to the Canadian public, accessible,” Round said.
When asked to share some wisdom for anyone interested in starting a public media account, Bistour warned that TikTok can often be a black hole of endless scrolling. However, she appreciates the platform for the community she’s made on it, and the impact you can make on others by using the app.
“Social media is a tight-knit group. I’ve met a lot of people on it,” Bistour said. “Especially people from France [who] have become interested in McGill. One girl told me that she got here because of me, so it’s very rewarding. I know I’m not the only one who does that, but it’s really cool to connect and have shared experiences.”
Round gave a few words of encouragement for anyone aspiring to share their perspectives online.
“I encourage you to get on social media and create content,” Round said. “Only you can communicate in your own way. If you have something to say, you should do it.”
“I’ve always been into studying and school […], so my dream collaboration would be with an organization like UNESCO,” Bistour said. “School takes up a big part of my life, so I want to show people that it’s cooler than it sounds.”
Student of the Week: Khadijatu-Dimalya Ibrahim
A student’s journey to fostering Black Muslim representation and unity on campus
Malika Logossou Student Life Editor
Khadijatu-Dimalya Ibrahim is driven by a simple yet powerful belief: Change starts at home. Before tackling global issues, she prioritizes uplifting and supporting those immediately around her. A U2 student in Software Engineering and Islamic and African Studies, Ibrahim is a source of positivity and kindness, dedicated to leaving a lasting impact on and off campus.
As co-founder of the Black Muslim Association (BMA), Ibrahim has helped create space for Black Muslim students to find community, education, and selfempowerment. Her impact has not gone unnoticed; this year, she received the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec (CCIQ) Memorial Award, which honours the six men who lost their lives during the 2017 Quebec City mosque attack. The award recognized her work advocating for Muslim inclusion, particularly for Black Muslims.
Ibrahim’s advocacy began well before her time at McGill. As President of Dawson College’s Muslim Student Association (MSA), she led initiatives combining activism and community care. In 2021, she spearheaded a bake sale that raised $4,000 CAD for the Nisa Foundation, a non-profit organization providing shelter, financial assistance, and resources for Muslim women and families in need. Ibrahim also hosted an event called “Try the Hijab,” inviting non-Muslims to experience wear-
ing the hijab to challenge misconceptions and humanize the experience of women wearing the hijab.
Her desire to embrace intersectionality and create spaces for others to do so in a world that often forces compromise led her to co-found BMA at McGill.
“It’s wanting to balance both of my identities without having to forego any of them,” she shared with The Tribune . “In certain spaces, it’s more my ethnicity that takes precedence; it just so happens that there are some activities I can’t do. There is a cognitive dissonance where you pick, [and] either leave your faith at the door [or your ethnicity], and I wanted both activities that deal with my faith and people that look like me too.”
Through the BMA, Ibrahim seeks to educate Black Muslim students about their rich history, culture, and religion, all while challenging stereotypes around African culture. The association hosts events fostering unity and support for Muslim communities in Montreal, including a recent food drive on Feb. 1 for the Sister Sabria Foundation. While she aims to challenge anti-Muslim prejudice, her primary focus is on building a strong community for Black Muslims on campus, with hopes of expanding her reach internationally, particularly to the U.S. and African countries.
“Black spaces are important for ourselves —for us, by us,” she told The Tribune . “We really want to [...] allow people to enjoy who they are.”
However, her work is not limited to
the Black Muslim population. While balancing academics and extracurriculars, Ibrahim also finds time to volunteer at the Bilal Islamic and Cultural Center of Quebec in Montreal, organizing local events to strengthen bonds and representation.
Receiving the CCIQ Memorial Award on Jan. 3 was deeply meaningful for Ibrahim. It highlighted the importance of remembering the 2017 tragedy, combating Islamophobia, and humanizing Muslim communities. Ibrahim shared how her father, a devout man who attends mosque each morning, is constantly subject to the lingering fear of Islamophobic violence.
“I saw my dad in these men. And, even if I didn’t see my dad in these men, they are human lives,” she explained.
Appearing on CityNews Montreal to discuss her award was another milestone in her advocacy, allowing Ibrahim to reach an audience beyond social media.
Looking ahead, Ibrahim hopes people take away from her experience that university degrees, personal interests, and
even hobbies can play an important role in helping local communities and creating cultural spaces.
“University is the only place where you’re sheltered but also an adult. You can easily protest, and while it can be a process where you are lonely, university makes you navigate with [like-minded people],” she said.
Ibrahim’s work exemplifies the power of leadership and self-empowerment. By embracing her intersectionality and challenging the barriers that come with it, she has created a space for others to do the same.
“The main point is [...] equipping us with the knowledge we need to be proud and confident whether it comes to our culture or our faith as well.”
In 2020, Vanessa Barron wrote an article about McGillian vloggers. Unfortunately today, both of the interviewees are no longer active. (Zoe Lee / The Tribune)
The Black Muslim Association was first conceived in 2022. (Khadijatu-Dimalya Ibrahim)
WINTER 2025 SSMU Executive Endorsements
The Tribune’s Editorial Board presents its endorsements of the candidates for the 2025-2026 Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Executive Committee. Editors researched and communicated with each candidate before leading an Editorial Board discussion on the candidates’ qualifications and vision for their prospective roles. Editors with conflicts of interest abstained from discussing, writing, and editing relevant reviews.
President
Dymetri Taylor
Taylor’s second run for election, after one year of holding the President position, centres on three core tenets: Governance, identity, and fiscal situation. He plans to update the governing SSMU documents and delegate some of the powers of the SSMU Board of Directors (BoD) to the SSMU Legislative Council, allowing the latter to receive reports, authorize spending, and more, in an effort to allow for a democratic and comprehensive decision-making process. To create a stronger campus-wide community, Taylor will focus on orientation week for first-years, planning an introductory SSMU presentation for all first-years, encouraging them to get involved with university governance, and increasing campus engagement with student bodies. Fiscally, Taylor hopes to save money by combining the VP Internal and VP Sustainability and Operations positions. He wants to use this money to host more events, such as a carnival or re-instating Frosh dinner. He wants to work toward divestment from weapons manufacturing through the Board of Governors (BoG) but states that it’s a matter of phrasing the proposal in a way the BoG can approve. Taylor additionally has plans to improve institutional memory, voter turnout, and administrative relations—all through better record-keeping, freshman engagement, and public emphasis on student concerns.
Endorsement: Yes, with reservations to Dymetri Taylor
The Tribune endorses Taylor for a second term. He has concrete plans to increase student democracy and allow for more students to hold decision-making powers. Taylor’s year of experience holding the position has given him the institutional experience to effectively and seamlessly improve governing documents and increase student engagement. However, The Tribune is wary of Taylor’s approach to student calls for pro-Palestine activism and divestment from Israeli weapons manufacturing. While he claims he has plans to continue working with the BoG to draft a divestment proposal—an area where his institutional memory could prove an asset—in his one year in the role, he has not taken any concrete steps toward this. Furthermore, he must work tirelessly to gain back the trust of the student community regarding upholding student democracy, given recent calls for his impeachment. He must be honest and open with the student body of SSMU’s constraints, and take a firmer stance in support of student activism.
VP Finance
John Vogel
Vogel cites experience with administrative financial work, which he deems the key focus of VP Finance. He hopes to sustain current VP Pauline Jolicouer’s eradication of SSMU’s deficit, while also improving administrative efficiency: A lack of which has previously caused delays to SSMU approving funding applications and
club bank accounts. This would allow Vogel to maximize financial allocations to campus activism and local community groups, in collaboration with VP External. As the SSMU member who moved to impeach President Taylor in December 2024, Vogel reports no concerns about their collaboration if both are elected to the incoming executive team. Vogel further states that his motion to impeach was symptomatic of longstanding structural problems with SSMU, which he stated are not VP Finance’s focus. He commits to publicly advocating for progressive political movements supported by a student majority that highlight these issues with SSMU’s governance, particularly the right to Palestinian liberation.
Dylan Seiler
Seiler’s campaign centres around improving financial accessibility, transparency, and efficiency within SSMU. A key issue he aims to address is the understaffing of various Finance committees, such as the Funding Committee, which has caused delays in club and service funding. By properly staffing these positions, he hopes to reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies. To promote transparency, he would release monthly financial expenditure reports and push for financial discussions to be held in public sessions rather than private ones. Dylan also prioritizes increasing accessibility to financial resources for student services, which currently lack direct access to their bank accounts. Drawing on his experience in the Music Undergraduate Students’ Association (MUSA), where he turned a $6,000 CAD deficit into a $5,000 CAD surplus by cutting unnecessary costs without reducing services to students, Dylan believes his financial expertise and governance experience set him apart from other candidates.
Endorsement: Yes, with reservations to Dylan Seiler
The Tribune endorses Seiler’s campaign for VP Finance. The VP Finance position requires extensive experience with large budgets and navigating bureaucratic barriers, which Seiler has demonstrated experience in with his work at MUSA. His close collaboration with the current VP Finance, Pauline Jolicoeur, provides a strong foundation for and assists in a smooth transition to the work he would be taking on next year. Furthermore, Seiler’s McGillfocused campaign emphasizes transparency and accessibility by centring concerns of students, particularly regarding insurance coverage, club and service budgets, and SSMU expenditures. However, both Seiler and Vogel’s failures to appear at the SSMU candidates’ debate on Feb. 18 raise concerns over how committed they are to earning students’ votes.
VP Sustainability & Operations
Kareem El Hosini
El Hosini’s platform prioritizes the reallocation of space within the University Centre to better serve students’ needs. In particular, he intends to
implement procedures for determining which clubs and services are in spaces appropriate to their needs, and consider reassigning space to provide offices for clubs that are currently on the waitlist, or provide larger offices for clubs that would benefit from them. He is also interested in finding ways to better utilize the two cafeteria spaces and the bookable rooms in the University Centre. Beyond the allocation of space, El Hosini hopes to improve transparency and communication through channels like an anonymous feedback form. In the area of sustainability, El Hosini has proposed providing more support for SSMU’s community garden.
Endorsement: Yes, with reservations to Kareem El Hosini
The Tribune endorses El Hosini for VP Operations and Sustainability. El Hosini’s experience in operations and logistics from previous engineering internships would be an asset in the role. Further, The Tribune appreciates his commitment to ensuring that space in the SSMU building is allocated fairly and efficiently—although The Tribune urges him to implement a robust consultation process involving all potentially affected parties and stakeholders. It is crucial to ensure that decisions about space allocation are made carefully and equitably, and that the SSMU building is accessible and welcoming to all students. Additionally, El Hosini’s platform remains unchanged from his previous run in the Fall 2024 SSMU By-Election, the results of which were nullified because it did not meet quorum requirements. The Tribune encourages El Hosini to consider ways to develop his intentions for the role, in particular in the areas of student engagement and sustainability.
VP Internal
Zeena Zahidah*
Zahidah’s campaign focuses primarily on strengthening ongoing and traditional events such as Four Floors and Faculty Olympics, as well as placing more emphasis on the structure of the committees—namely the First Year Council. She wants to reinvigorate SSMU’s presence on campus and emphasize to students that SSMU is student-led and representative of the student body.
*Zahidah did not respond to communication from The Tribune, so we were unable to ask her questions and evaluate all aspects of her campaign.
Endorsement: No to Zeena Zahidah
Despite Zahidah’s experience in the role, as she is the current VP Internal, her lack of responsiveness and dedication to the role concerns The Tribune especially as her responsibilities as VP Internal will increase if the role of VP Sustainability and Operations is cut. Her goals for the upcoming school year were vague, despite having had a year to hone them. Executive hopefuls, both incumbents and newcomers, ought to be able to actively express a clear vision and passion for the role. If elected, The Tribune encourages Zahidah to increase her presence and responsiveness within the role, and clarify her aims for the next
academic year.
VP External
Jaanashee Punjabi
Punjabi has served as Sustainability Commissioner at SSMU and currently works as VP External for the McGill Environment Students’ Society. She has demonstrated strong leadership and a deep understanding of the importance of student engagement within both university structures and broader community initiatives. Her advocacy efforts span across various social justice causes, including collaborations with organizations like UTILE, ECOLE, and the McGill Office of Sustainability. Additionally, her involvement in municipal-level youth advocacy showcases her ability to engage with external groups and strengthen ties between SSMU, student unions across Quebec, and other universities. Punjabi’s platform is built on the goal of expanding student representation at the municipal and provincial levels, and has a proactive approach to fostering collaboration with external organizations.
Seraphina Crema Black
As the VP External of MUSA, a member of the Legislative Council, and a student senator, Black attests that her past experience advocating for students’ interests has prepared her well for the responsibilities of VP External. Among Black’s priorities for the role is to strengthen SSMU’s ties with other student unions across Quebec to fight against common threats—such as tuition hikes. Stressing the need for SSMU’s engagement beyond McGill, Black looks to maintain strong ties with the MiltonParc community and continue collaborating with UTILE on housing initiatives. Black also aims to build on Hugo-Victor Solomon’s work of engaging the student body through email and social media communications, as well as onthe-ground tabling on campus. Black believes that proactive engagement of student groups and transparency with constituents will create a trusting relationship with the student body, enabling her to best advocate for their needs. Black aims to maintain a neutral stance on the genocide in Palestine and to represent students’ interests based on referendum votes, rather than personal views.
Endorsement: Yes, with reservations to Jaanashee Punjabi
While she expresses strong commitments to student movements, Indigenous advocacy, and Palestinian solidarity, Punjabi’s plans for translating these commitments into actionable policies remain vague. The Tribune believes that while Punjabi’s commitment to student activism is clear, the VP External role requires a more structured and detailed plan of action for students at all levels. Moreover, The Tribune holds that unlike Black’s proposed platform, the VP External role demands a greater commitment to anti-oppressive, anticolonial politics, and that Solomon’s tenure demonstrated that support for Palestine and advocacy for SSMU’s constituency can, in fact, go hand-in-hand.
WINTER 2025 SSMU
Executive Endorsements
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The Tribune’s Editorial Board presents its endorsements of the candidates for the 2025-2026 Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Executive Committee. Editors researched and communicated with each candidate before leading an Editorial Board discussion on the candidates’ qualifications and vision for their prospective roles. Editors with conflicts of interest abstained from discussing, writing, and editing relevant reviews.
VP Student Life
Raihaana Adira
Drawing on experience on the Arts
Undergraduate Society (AUS) Legislative Council, Financial Management Committee, the Dean of Arts Committee on Student Affairs, among involvement in departmental student associations, Adira is making her second bid for an SSMU executive position. She previously ran against Taylor for president in a by-election. This time around, she says she wants to focus on student services, mental health, and club funding. Her platform for VP Student Life has four key components: Addressing mental health, accessibility, supporting student groups, and advocating for affordable food options on campus. Specific actions within these goals include advocating for McGill to reinstate floor fellows in the residences, establishing a mental health task force, streamlining club approvals, and advocating for more studentrun food options on campus.
Hamza Abu Alkhair
Currently serving as Director of Clubs and Services, Abu Alkhair has effectively taken on many responsibilities of the vacant VP Student Life role. He aims to strengthen McGill’s sense of community by improving event promotion and cultural club integration and advocating for centralized platforms, in person and online, to enhance visibility. He also prioritizes increasing awareness of student services, including photography services offered by the McGill University Photography Students’ Society and free meals provided by Midnight Kitchen, through accessible information hubs. To address room booking inefficiencies faced by clubs outside the SSMU building, he proposes a streamlined venue booking system with an up-to-date contact directory. Additionally, he calls for revamping the SSMU website and replacing mandatory in-person workshops for club executives with self-paced training modules. Drawing from his leadership experience as former president of the Arab Students’ Network (ASN) and involvement in student governance, Abu-Alkhair is committed to improving accessibility, engagement, and transparency within SSMU.
Endorsement: Yes, with reservations to Hamza Abu Alkhair
Abu Alkhair’s plans to improve event promotion, bolster club accessibility, and revamp SSMU’s website address key issues facing McGill students. His experience as Director of Clubs and Services and the president of an SSMU service gives him a leg up with a strong understanding of the role and has allowed him to develop
relations with clubs, services, and independent student groups. Abu Alkhair’s proposals to simplify room booking and enhance communication between student groups demonstrate his commitment to improving campus life and knowledge of the unique avenues available to VP Student Life to achieve these goals. However, his platform lacks a clear strategy for student mental health, a central aspect of the role.
Thus, while The Tribune believes Abu Alkhair is a strong candidate, we urge him to prioritize a comprehensive mental health plan and outline concrete steps to ensure diverse student groups are represented.
VP University Affairs
Susan Aloudat:
As the VP Events for the ASN the last three years, Aloudat is now shifting her focus to the SSMU University Affairs portfolio. Running unopposed, Aloudat’s platform is based on three main priorities: Creating space to actively listen to students’ needs by instituting an opendoor policy, being transparent around her work by maintaining the VP University Affairs blog, and organizing workshops to brainstorm solutions for students’ concerns. Aloudat wrote to The Tribune that her platform is purposefully “malleable” as she intends to shape her priorities around student needs once in office. She explained that she wants to start community consultations with SSMU services as they have their fingers on the pulse of the McGill student community and then extend to individual students.
Endorsement: Yes, with reservations to Susan Aloudat
The Tribune appreciates Aloudat’s commitment to listening to student concerns and shaping her actions based on constituent consultations. While Aloudat is a suitable candidate for the role, The Tribune encourages her to be more specific and ambitious in her plans for the VP University Affairs portfolio. This executive position is heavily involved in advocacy, research, and promoting equity; juggling these responsibilities is no small task. Therefore, The Tribune recommends that Aloudat find strategies to determine policy priorities early on so that she can actively work toward those goals during the year. Further, the VP University Affairs has one of the few student seats on the McGill Senate—a key leverage point in advocating for students to the administration. The current VP University Affairs, Abe Berglas, has set a high standard for how to effectively and consistently advocate for students through this governing body. Aloudat should consider how she can make the most of this opportunity.
Constitutional Amendments
The Tribune’s Editorial Board presents its endorsements for the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Winter 2025 referendum questions.
Editors researched and discussed the questions before voting on each endorsement. These endorsements reflect a majority vote of the editorial board, with editors who have conflicts of interest abstaining from pertinent questions.
Question 1:
Amendment to the Constitution - Section 1.3: Yes
If passed, this motion would revise the Constitution’s Preamble interpretation clause, shifting from describing the Preamble as an “integral part of the Constitution” to stating that the Preamble is not to be interpreted as obligating SSMU legally or contractually. Given past lawsuits based on petty interpretations of the Preamble’s language, SSMU is seeking to save legal fees and prevent the overuse of the Preamble as a tactic to hold the Society to an unrealistically high standard. While voters should be aware that this amendment reduces the Constitution to a procedural document, effectively removing any binding statement of purpose or intention from the document, The Tribune ultimately endorses a “Yes” vote for this motion due to its potential to free up SSMU’s time and funding for oth er projects.
Question 2:
Do you agree to the merge of the VP Sustainability and Operations with the VP Internal, saving the SSMU $43,000: Yes
If passed, this motion will remove the position of Vice-President (VP) Sustainability and Operations, saving the SSMU $43,000 CAD. The role’s responsibilities of Sustainability and Operations will be reallocated to the President and the VP internal, respectively. The position entails managing the use of space in the SSMU building. However, the Society found that its duties are redundant, with many of them overlapping with existing positions within the SSMU. The Tribune endorses a “Yes” vote for this motion as it will relieve pressure on the Executive Committee by reducing the financial resources needed to compensate Executive Officers, ultimately leaving extra funding for other initiatives.
Question 3:
Do you agree to making the VP Finance position into a hired position, focused on experience?: No
This motion aims to designate the VP Finance as a position hired by the Board of Directors instead of being elected through the same process as the other Executive Officers. This risks reducing student voices within the Executive Committee hiring process, opens up the possibility of the position remaining vacant, if membership does not approve of the appointee. Given low voter turnout in recent by-elections, The Tribune is not confident the position would be adequately filled. Furthermore, it would further decrease the number of elected candidates on the Board who are directly accountable to students, further hindering SSMU’s democratic process. The Tribune endorses a “No” vote to this amendment.
To see the rest of our endorsements for the SSMU Winter 2025 referendum questions, visit our website: www.thetribune.ca
