The McGill Tribune Vol. 40 Issue 12

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2020 | VOL. #40 | ISSUE #12

Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

McGILLTRIBUNE.COM | @McGILLTRIBUNE

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Can we have an extension, please?

Pushing away from prejudice

Plastic planet: Challenges in creating a greener world

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(Defne Gurcay / The McGill Tribune)

Fortunes for Solidarity foresees a brighter future pg. 7

Debt-Free Degree campaign mobilizes students to fight for financial support SSMU encourages students to participate in the financial aid campaign Respina Rostamifar Staff Writer The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) announced its participation in the Debt-Free Degree campaign on Nov. 3, joining a coalition of eight other student unions that collectively represent over 250,000 undergraduate students in

Canada. Since then, SSMU has encouraged students to voice their concerns on student debt by writing postcards to their local Member of Parliament (MP) through www.debtfreedegree.ca.

Led by the Undergraduates of Canadian Research-Intensive Universities (UCRU) and the University Students’ Council at Western University, the campaign intends to advocate for increased financial support from the Canadian federal

Redbird name fails to bring unity to McGill Athletics

McGill makes underwhelming name change after more than a year of deliberation Adam Burton, Sarah Farnand and Kaja Surborg Sports Editors & Managing Editor On Nov. 17 McGill announced a new name for the men’s varsity teams: Redbirds.

The long-overdue announcement came more than a year after an initial email from the office of Principal Suzanne Fortier, sent in April 2019, which stated that McGill would be dropping the slur formerly used

as the name for the men’s varsity teams.

The message stated that the teams would be known as “McGill teams” for the 2019-2020 athletic season, during which time a committee would decide on a new name.

A summary of proceedings of the naming committee accompanied the announcement of the new team name, offering members of the McGill community a bare minimum level of insight into the decision making process.

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government for post-secondary students.

The coalition includes the Alma Mater Society of University of British Columbia, the University of Manitoba Students’ Union, the McMaster Students’ Union, the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union, the University of Toronto Students’ Union, the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University, and the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association.

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Chinese students allege marginalization after SSMU statement on Hong Kong SSMU pledged their support for Hong Kong protestors in a statement with MSHK Maya Abuali News Editor On Nov. 16, following the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU)’s Nov. 7 email condemning the detainment of 12 Hong Kong nationals by the Chinese government, an anonymous group of students started a petition calling on

SSMU to retract its statements on social media pledging support for Hong Kong student protestors.

The initial email was a joint statement between McGill Stands with Hong Kong (MSHK), a student organization that supports the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, and SSMU, which urges the Canadian government to

demand that the 12 detained prodemocracy nationals be released immediately to Hong Kong to stand trial. In addition, SSMU and MSHK implored students and community members at McGill to demand that the rule of law and freedom of speech be maintained in Hong Kong and attached resources to take action for the cause.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2020

Debt-Free Degree campaign mobilizes students to fight for financial support SSMU encourages students to write postcards and participate in lobby week Respina Rostamifar Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

The coalition aims to advocate for two financial support measures: A two-year grace period on all Canadian student loans and a doubling of investments in the Canada Student Grants Program.

Mackenzy Metcalfe, chair of the UCRU, explained why the organization chose student financial aid as a central demand of the campaign.

“Students in Canada face significant financial barriers in their pursuit of higher education,” Metcalfe wrote. “The average amount of student debt in Canada is $28,000, which burdens students as they enter the workforce and begin their lives upon graduation [....] This campaign is important because investments in students are really an investment in the future. We will make up tomorrow’s workforce, and increased funding in student financial aid will undoubtedly see exponential returns.”

Metcalfe encouraged students to take part in UCRU’s upcoming federal lobby week taking place from Nov. 23-27, where the coalition will be meeting with MPs to highlight students’ concerns.

“SSMU will be attending UCRU’s lobby week, along with the other UCRU schools, where we will elevate these concerns of students to Members of Parliament and advocate on issues including increased

student financial aid, supports for Indigenous students, increasing research opportunities for undergraduate students, and supports for international students,” Metcalfe wrote.

considering the financial instability caused

by COVID-19.

“Navigating financial barriers has always been difficult for post-secondary students,” Osso said. “With COVID-19, how-

The UCRU is asking the Government of Canada to increase the 2019 Canada Student Grants levels by $1,200 per student for the 2021 federal budget. (Evan Cohen / Bloomberg.com) Olivia Osso, U3 Arts, spoke to The McGill Tribune about the coalition’s attempts to increase public awareness and financial support for post-secondary students, especially

ever, these difficulties have an added layer of uncertainty. Will recent graduates be able to gain employment right away? So many people are already losing their jobs after years

of stable employment. Increasing the grace period for student loans and doubling investments are a few things that the federal government can do, but it would only be a start.”

SSMU Vice-President External Affairs Ayo Ogunremi explained the future goals of the campaign in regards to student involvement at McGill in an email to the Tribune.

“The McGill administration isn’t exactly an ally to students on issues of student fees,” Ogunremi said. “McGill students, however, can form solidarity networks and build grassroots capacity to challenge the structure of university financing [....] Our Policy on Accessible Education and Academics recognizes that our advocacy on student tuition always needs to be looking towards eventually eliminating tuition and ancillary fees [and seeking] alternate financing structures which do not place the burden on students.”

Ogunremi outlined the accomplishments of the current campaign so far, stating that UCRU representatives have been communicating with key government actors.

“The effects of the campaign are difficult to tell so far, but I think you could say there have been small wins,” Ogunremi said.

“The campaign is growing in attention across the country and UCRU representatives have been able to push these points with key federal ministers like the Honourable Mona Fortier, Minister of Middle-Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance, and the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth.”

McGill Senate responds to petition for extended winter break

An email sent on Nov. 20 stated the administration is considering an extension

Margaret Askey Staff Writer Jules Barbe, U2 Arts & Science, shared a document titled “Petition for an Extended Winter Holiday” on Nov. 10, asking the administration to consider extending the current 12-day break.

Since then, the petition has garnered over 9,000 signatures. During a Nov. 18 Senate meeting, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier announced McGill’s official response to the issue, saying a decision would be reached at the Dec. 2 Senate meeting.

Barbe began the online petition after observing the adverse emotional and psychological toil the online semester has had on his peers.

“I kept seeing on social media, mainly [on] Reddit, how hard the semester was for my fellow students,” Barbe wrote in an email to the Tribune. “[It has been] very hard on students and professors alike. It’s very easy to [...] see first-hand how students were impacted by online school [its] many challenges. ” Barbe believes that McGill’s inaction on the issue is only exacerbated in comparison to other Quebec institutions that have already implemented a longer holiday. “[E]veryone seemed completely defeated, especially seeing how other universities were getting a longer break themselves,” Barbe wrote.

“Nothing’s [going to] change if we don’t try anything.”

On Nov. 20, a MRO McGill Communications email announced the administration’s intention to vote on extending the Winter 2021 semes-

ter at Dec. 2’s Senate meeting. Barbe expressed enthusiasm that his efforts have seemingly resulted in action from the administration. “[The] announcement from the admin that they are sincerely planning to extend the break [...] is a very good response [...], and I’m looking forward to the decision they will make,” Barbe wrote. “This definitely made me more hopeful.”

Vice-President of University Affairs of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Brooklyn Frizzle helped disseminate the petition after Barbe reached out to SSMU. Frizzle explained to The McGill Tribune that it was important for SSMU to endorse the petition because they are an organization meant to advocate on behalf of the student body. “[The petition] gained traction immediately after its release and the next logical step was to ask the Executive Committee to endorse the petition on behalf of SSMU, which we hoped would add some legitimacy to our efforts,” Frizzle wrote.

“More broadly, this is an issue that students feel incredibly strongly about, and it just made sense for SSMU to put some force behind the petition.”

Frizzle explained that extending the break would benefit students who are feeling frustrated and burnt out by the online semester.

“Students need a break—it’s that simple,” Frizzle wrote. “We’re overworked and underequipped to deal with such a chaotic and emotionally taxing semester. An extra week off is the least the university can do [....] I think faculty need this break as much as we do, not only to rest but to prepare.”

Frizzle responded to the university’s official

The petition comes shortly after Concordia announced it would extend its Winter break to Jan. 13 and subsequently end its second term a week later in April 2021. (Leanne Young / The McGill Tribune) consideration of an extended winter break, voicing their concerns with the process ahead.

“The fact that it took an emergency Senate motion [...] on top of a petition with nearly 9,000 signatures for the university to even formally acknowledge the possibility of extending the break is telling in and of itself,” Frizzle wrote.

“My concern [...] is that if the university does end up announcing an extended break, they’ll do so without acknowledging the tremendous amount of student labour [involved].”

At the McGill Senate meeting on Nov. 18, Fortier did not provide a concrete explanation of the administration’s current plans.

“There was a motion submitted [Nov. 17] asking Senate to defer the start of the winter term by one week,” Fortier said. “We are actively exploring the possibility of adjusting the calendar of dates in order to postpone the beginning of classes in the winter term.”

Fortier acknowledged the need for an expedient decision-making process.

“We know it is very important for us to make a decision on this matter very soon, but [...] we [need to] take the time needed to make a considered decision,” Fortier said. “We’re expecting to bring a motion to Senate on this matter in two week’s time, [on Dec. 2].”

NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2020

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Senate approves Fall Reading Break and discusses limits of academic freedom

The university’s administration acknowledged the academic toll of remote learning Kennedy McKee-Braide Opinion Editor Following a campaign led by students since at least 2018, the McGill Senate approved a motion to establish a Fall Reading Break for the Fall 2021, 2022, and 2023 semesters during its meeting on Nov. 18.

In Fall 2021 and 2022, the break will consist of a two-day extension to the Thanksgiving weekend, for a total of five days, including the weekend. In 2023, the extension will be for three days, with plans for a longer break in the four subsequent years. Unlike other universities and colleges, the break will not last an entire week until at least 2024.

Gillian Nycum, university registrar

In the Winter 2018 semester, 96.6 per cent of students voted in favour of a fall reading week.

(Liam Kirk Partick / The McGill Tribune)

and executive director of Enrolment Services, recognized the work done by students in establishing the break.

“This was an initiative that really came out of student advocacy,” Nycum said. “[It was] a collaboration between staff, faculty, and students to engage in consultations to come up with a proposal for a Fall Reading Break.”

Nycum also acknowledged why the decision took several years, citing disagreements on how to best reorganize the academic calendar.

“This isn’t a new conversation,” Nycum said. “Earlier conversations about how to make space in the Fall calendar for the Fall break didn’t lead to agreement on how to maintain contact hours.”

The Senate also addressed a set of questions put forward prior to the meeting by student senators regarding Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier’s Oct. 26 message on Academic Freedom and Inclusiveness. The statement was inspired by recent controversy at the University of Ottawa, which sparked debate over the limits of academic freedom and the need to protect BIPOC students on university campuses.

Some students and student groups, including the Black Students’ Network (BSN), took issue with Fortier’s failure to condemn the use of racial slurs in lecture halls or other academic contexts at McGill and demanded an apology for the statement.

The questions’ preamble noted ambiguities in McGill’s policies regarding the limits of academic freedom, and the questions themselves highlighted concerns

regarding lack of transparency in how exactly the university plans to maintain a respectful environment within the classroom.

Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Christopher Manfredi argued that academic freedom cannot act as a license to engage in misconduct under any McGill policy. In response, Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President University Affairs Brooklyn Frizzle noted the limits of his answer.

“Many of the university’s policies which govern conduct come with the caveat that they cannot be applied to restrict academic freedom,” Frizzle said. “[Senator Manfredi] mentioned The Policy on Harassment and Discrimination Prohibited by Law, which specifically states that it cannot be applied to abridge academic freedom.”

Neither Manfredi nor Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) Angela Campbell were clear regarding how they intend to address such ambiguities to protect marginalized students.

Arts Senator Darshan Daryanani asked Manfredi why the university would not ban the use of offensive words before a student is hurt by their use. In response, Manfredi argued that such a solution would not be productive.

“Trying to construct an a priori list of words that are banned in the classroom, even if we can identify many words whose utterance in a classroom setting would be unlikely to be justified, would be a mistake for the university,” Manfredi said.

MOMENT OF THE MEETING When discussing the Principal and Vice-Chancellor’s statement on Academic Freedom and Inclusiveness, SSMU Arts and Science Senator repeatedly asked Senator Manfredi whether McGill would condemn the use of racial slurs in lectures. He failed to answer the question on McGill’s behalf but acknowledged that he could not imagine a situation where such language would be appropriate.

SOUNDBITE “Something that has become clear to us, as it has become clear to all universities, is that Fall 2021 is unlikely to look like Fall 2019. The pandemic is unlikely to have left us completely. But at the same time, it cannot [look like] Fall 2020. The toll it is taking on people is too high, and it calls on us to figure out how we can achieve more interactions while keeping our community safe.” Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier.

Chinese students allege marginalization after SSMU statement on Hong Kong SSMU pledged their support for Hong Kong protestors in a statement with MSHK Maya Abuali News Editor Continued from page 1.

The petition was posted on change. org nine days after the email statement was sent to the McGill community and directly addresses the SSMU Board of Directors and executives. The anonymous authors of the petition expressed their concern that the email sent out by SSMU was discriminatory towards mainland Chinese students at McGill.

“We feel that, as a minority group, mainland Chinese students’ voices are unheard and that the Chinese students are under-represented and marginalized in student affairs,” the petition reads. “It is extremely inappropriate for SSMU to make a biased statement like this in the wake of the 2nd wave of COVID-19 [....]

It is an attempt to shift people’s attention from the ongoing pandemic and student benefits to another country’s domestic affairs, which indirectly put the Chinese community in a dangerous position for people to blame.”

Joey Li, U3 Engineering, was one of the authors of the petition, which he states was written by a group of volunteers. Li told The McGill Tribune how the petition

A motion to retract SSMU’s statement has been drafted by a group of Chinese students for the next Legislative Council meeting. (Leanne Young / The McGill Tribune) came about.

“A lot of Chinese kids spontaneously took to WeChat to discuss this issue,” Li said. “I could feel they were deeply upset and wanted their voices heard.

Eventually, a group of us decided to create this petition so that others would have a channel to express their frustration.”

MSHK affirmed their respect for the right to use petitions to express dissent as a form of civic discussion, just as they hope that students respect their organization’s right to respond to the petition.

“The distress experienced by those who signed the petition is not unshared

by Hong Kongers who have long felt their voices have not been represented, both in the lower relative number of students, as well as the absence of outspoken student associations,” MSHK wrote to The McGill Tribune. “In the end, we hope this will start a long-overdue conversation about China-HK relations on campus as long as all sides respect the principles of evidence-backed civil discussion.”

In an email to the Tribune, SSMU Vice-President University Affairs Brooklyn Frizzle responded to the petition on behalf of SSMU’s Executive Committee.

Frizzle explained the

responsibility the executives feel to speak out against injustice in solidarity with their members, as outlined in the leadership pillar of the SSMU constitution.

“It is with that commitment in mind that the Executive Committee decided to share a message of solidarity, drafted with McGill Stands with Hong Kong,” Frizzle wrote. “This statement falls in line with a long history of taking political stances that align with SSMU’s core values. As such, we maintain our support for students and protestors in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Taiwan alike.”

Frizzle emphasized that executives at SSMU will continue to support the Hong Kong democratic movement and Chinese students at McGill.

“We respect the right of our members to speak out against actions or statements they disagree with— provided these dialogues are mutually respectful and inclusive,” Frizzle wrote.

“Regardless of any petitions, letters, or messages denouncing the actions of the SSMU, we will continue to advocate for Chinese students and condemn the rising anti-Asian racism associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Both the Hong Kong Student Network and the McGill Chinese Students’ Society declined to comment.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2020

SACS hosts the second installment of Fall 2020 Speaker Series Dr. Jackie Cheung discusses ethical questions surrounding AI and deep learning Ella Milloy Staff Writer The Student Association of Cognitive Science (SACS) hosted an hour-long virtual panel to discuss the challenges, successes, and future opportunities that the field of artificial intelligence (AI) presents. The Nov. 19 event was the second installment of the 2020-2021 Cognitive Science Speaker Series hosted by SACS. The speaker, Dr. Jackie Cheung, is an assistant professor at McGill University’s School of Computer Science and a core member of the MILA Research Institute. Cheung lectured on the implications of AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) in settings where these technologies interact with humans. Drawing from his research on machine learning and predicting language, Cheung provided the audience with an in-depth look at the ethical questions that arise from the use of AI and NLP technologies.

Cheung emphasized the importance of avoiding stereotypical biases in common practices like searching for results online or ranking job candidates. “[A] study looked at the representation of gendered [third-person] pronouns [in AI systems and] at how much these models think that there is an association between [a] pronoun and some words related to occupations,” Cheung said. “This is a problem [because] now, we are not just using these [AI] systems to analyze data in the abstract.

We are now using them to make decisions.”

Cheung covered various other topics during his lecture, including the science behind AI technologies and the differences between AI, machine learning, and deep learning. He also described examples of successful AI technologies used in practice like IBM’s Watson and Deepmind’s

Diving into the complex topic of Artificial Intelligence, Dr. Jackie Cheung discussed the implications of AI technologies in the contemporary world. (Kathryn Leci / The McGill Tribune) AlphaGo Zero, which have defeated humans in games like Jeopardy and Japanese Go. The end of the lecture focussed more heavily on the ethical questions that surround AI, including how researchers can effectively employ AI systems for social good.

Cameron Cherif, U3 Arts and Science, elaborated on what she enjoyed the most about Cheung’s lecture.

“His talk was really informative, as he has covered not only what AI is about, but also its weaknesses and the ethical challenges it entails, while also debunking some myths that people commonly assume [...] about [machine learning],” Cherif said. “He’s a phenomenal lecturer, and I enjoyed the throwback to COMP 424 [Artificial Intelligence].”

One of SACS’s goals is to ensure that its events are accessible to the general public. Léo Tronchon, U4 Arts, shared his thoughts on the accessibility of the panel’s subject matter.

“The talk given by Professor Cheung was, I believe, accessible for most people,” Tronchon said. “It covered the recent advances in AI and some of the [ethical] limitations encountered today [....] Since [machine learning models] are used extensively on the internet, where polarization is already problematic, I feel like [it’s] an important issue.”

Dr. Elizaveta Solomonova, a postdoctoral fellow in McGill University’s Department of Psychiatry, will host the next installment of SACS’s Speaker Series, which is being held during the first week of December. In the Winter 2021 semester, SACS will be hosting a cognitive science panel with four confirmed speakers to discuss the most relevant topics within the contemporary field of cognitive science. In an email to The McGill Tribune, VicePresident Academic of SACS Héctor Leos explained the importance of the Speaker Series panels for the McGill student community.

“These lectures are a great opportunity for students in and outside the program to learn about the research that is being done at their university, and to understand why an interdisciplinary study of the brain and the mind is so important,” Leos wrote. “This lecture was initially scheduled to occur last winter, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, it had to be cancelled. We’re happy that Dr. Cheung [agreed] to deliver his talk once again this semester.”

Students interested in the Student Association of Cognitive Science can find out more about future events via the association’s website and Facebook page.

Tribune Explains: McGill’s New Vic Project

OPINION

Despite controversies, the project is on track to finish as soon as 2028 Ella Fitzhugh Staff Writer After the site was decommissioned in 2015, McGill has launched a proposal to renovate part of the Royal Victoria Hospital to create a state-of-the-art research, teaching, and learning hub dedicated to Sustainability Systems and Public Policy.

The project was named the New Vic Project, and construction on the old Royal Victoria Hospital is planned to start in January of 2023.

What is McGill looking to achieve with the New Vic project?

with a focus on sustainability in both the buildings’ laboratories and classrooms.

McGill is renovating only part of the Royal Victoria site and is working under the Societe Quebecoise des Infrastructures’ (SQI) oversight.

Dean of the Faculty of Science and Academic Lead of McGill’s New Vic Project Prof. Bruce Lennox and Director of Community Relations Carole Graveline hope that the project will foster increased collaboration between students and professors,

The Royal Victoria Hospital’s history Since its founding in 1893, the old Royal Victoria Hospital, on the corner of Pine and University Ave, has been dedicated to providing medical care and healing. The Hospital’s goal of healing extended beyond its patients; its founders wished that the site would be used to heal society and the planet through medical research and education in perpetuity. The hospital, which housed the hospital, has since been decommissioned, and it is currently being used as a COVID-19 isolation unit for those who are homeless and either infected with the virus or awaiting their test results. The hospital will operate this way until Spring 2021. In 2018, Quebec announced they would cede part of the site to McGill and were also granting $37 million to help fund the renovation plans.

Community feedback and student concerns over the project

Proposed buildings will have naturally-cooling green roofs for people to lounge on with an outlet to climb Mount Royal. (Elissa Dresdner / The McGill Tribune)

Some students, however, are skeptical of the project’s supposed sustainability. In a Nov. 16 roundtable between the McGill adminis-

tration and student media, students juxtaposed the project’s ethos of environmental consciousness with McGill’s investment in fossil fuel companies and questioned whether this presented a contradiction. Lennox believes the New Vic Project still stands in tandem with the university’s commitments to environmentalism and climate change mitigation through research.

“I don’t see a contradiction,” Lennox said. “Many of the touchpoints and eventual outcomes of research in sustainability have to do with energy use. There is a tremendous commitment in sustainability research at McGill to redirect energy use from all of its conventional sources, but those conventional sources aren’t just for energy use, they’re also for materials.”

During the roundtable discussion, students also spoke to the concern that the decision to partake in a project could potentially disadvantage Montreal’s unhoused population. Lennox said that McGill did not have jurisdiction over the parts of the hospital that are currently being used as shelters.

“The buildings that we are currently designing for McGill occupancy, eventually ownership and then occupancy, do not include the Women’s Pavilion, the Ross Pavilion, and the Heresy,” Lennox said. “It’s my

understanding that the Ross Pavilion is being used for these groups, so it’s out of our jurisdiction, and that building will remain under the control of the SQI past the completion of our project.”

Anti-privatization September protests On Sept. 4, local residents and some McGill students demonstrated outside the old Royal Victoria Hospital out of concern that the hospital could be sold to private developers.

Protesters claimed that discontinuing the hospital as a shelter for the unhoused population could present adverse impacts on the community by hiking up rent prices in the surrounding area and pricing out low-income residents.

When will the construction on the old Royal Victoria Hospital start?

Lennox explained that details on the project are largely unknown to the community thus far. He hopes that upcoming information sessions and greater communication between the McGill community, students, professors, and members of the New Vic Project team will clear up controversies on this issue. Construction is slated to start January 2023.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2020

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

News Editors Maya Abuali, Kate Addison & Sequoia Kim news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Jonah Fried & Kennedy McKee-Braide opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editors Sophia Gorbounov & Ronny Litvack-Katzman scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Life Editors Alaana Kumar & Leyla Moy studentlife@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Kevin Vogel features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Vanessa Barron & Jonathan Giammaria arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Adam Burton & Sarah Farnand sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Ruobing Chen & Chloe Rodriguez design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor Caroline Shelton photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editors Sarah Ford & Alexandre Hinton multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Benjamin Alexandor & Sasha Njini webdev@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Jackie Lee copy@mcgilltribune.com

OPINION

Can we have an extension, please?

Students received an email on Nov. 20 from Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Fabrice Labeau announcing that the start of the Winter 2021 semester will likely be delayed.

Extending the holiday break, which would have only been 12 days for students whose finals end the last day of the exam period, will allow students and staff alike to recuperate after a strenuous, unprecedented online semester. Although the announcement has sparked optimism among students, the administration stalled on the issue for several weeks. From student petitions to swifter and similar decisions by other institutions, including the University of Toronto (UofT) and Concordia University, the urgency of extending winter break has long been obvious.

Although it is important to maintain university governance norms, the fact that a final decision will not be made until the Dec. 2 Senate meeting cannot simply be excused as a result of procedural convention.

McGill’s apparent impotence is both symptomatic of persistent academic austerity and a direct result of bureaucratic blockage that continuously chokes

OFF THE BOARD

Social Media Editor Marie Saadeh socialmedia@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Marilie Pilon business@mcgilltribune.com

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

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

CONTRIBUTORS Elissa Dresdner, Sara Eldabaa, Ibani Kapur, Miya Keilin, Jinny Moon, Michelle Siegel, Sabri CondeYassin

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Sarah Farnand Sports Editor No one wants to learn that they have cancer, but when I was 12 years old, that is exactly what my doctor told me. I was diagnosed with Basal Cell Carcinoma, a nonfatal chronic skin cancer. Although it is one of the most common types of skin cancers, it is exceedingly rare in children. For me, the cancer came in conjunction with Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome, which is a genetic condition characterized by jaw cysts. By the time I left high school, I

progress at this supposedly trailblazing university.

McGill’s foot-dragging on the issue will inconvenience international students who choose to return home for the break. After all, many will need to quarantine for 14 days upon their return, and any who would now like to return home in light of an anticipated break extension will have to delay their plans for every day that McGill continues to postpone publicizing its new break timeline.

Practical considerations aside, by not prioritizing developing an extension plan sooner, McGill has disregarded student and staff wellbeing.

The break period after the Fall 2020 semester was originally four days shorter, a significant oversight considering the seemingly glaring mental health concerns that would predictably arise from an online semester.

Moreover, even in a normal year, burnout rates run high towards the end of the semester, and the mid-year break allows students, professors, and teaching assistants to reset and focus on personal, physical, and mental health. Now, the pandemic has exacerbated the anxieties that already dominate academic

life, fomenting a mental health crisis so bad that the Quebec government has retroactively invested millions of dollars in services to assuage it.

Of course, extending the break period is not a simple logistical matter. Administrators have countered calls for an extension, arguing that they would need to make up for it by shortening the winter semester finals period, as international students and others who have leases that end in May could be forced to simultaneously juggle exams and changes in living arrangements. They have also expressed concerns that students from some departments would not be able to meet accreditation requirements. Even so, these arguments should not trump the health imperatives of recovering from the semester. Besides which, more preparation time would benefit professors and staff, who will need time to adjust the academic calendar and course schedules to McGill’s changing and inconsistent policies—especially considering that McGill has pledged to expand in-person instruction next semester.

It is also difficult to believe that administrators are

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EDITORIAL seriously concerned about the impact on international students or accreditation problems when other universities with significant international student populations, such as UofT, have already lengthened the period by a week. Concordia made its decision even earlier, although its international population is admittedly smaller. It is not unreasonable to question why McGill cannot be equally flexible. Nor is it unfair to lament that McGill does not appear to value the welfare of its students and staff when its peer institutions clearly seem to appreciate them more—not least while McGill purports to be a leading university.

McGill students can use a break to prepare for another arduous semester. Although the fall term is nearing its end, remote course delivery was beset by McGill’s innumerable inconsistencies.

Winter will be no different unless administrators enshrine transparency in their policies and expediency in their actions, to make McGill a refuge for student Martlets rather than leaving them to flounder in bewildering blizzards of miscommunication and indifferent inconsideration.

The good things about having cancer had undergone three major jaw surgeries and five operations to remove cancerous tumors. At the time, I was so embarrassed about my scars that I told people at school that they were hockey injuries. I didn’t want people to know that I had “old-people” cancer—that seemed so lame.

The average age of patients with my condition in the waiting room had to be over 80. And while cancer at any age is unfair, these patients had lived their lives spending too much time in the sun, and now they were paying the price for it. I did not understand why I had to as well.

Being told at 12 years old that you can’t spend any significant time in the sun was pretty much the worst thing the doctors could have told me. My parents were just glad that my life was not ending, but to me, my life was as good as over. I loved the outdoors and nature, and a life spent almost entirely indoors seemed like the exact definition of hell. However, with the help of my doctors, I would eventually discover that my life was far from finished.

While I am supposed to avoid being outside when the UV

index is high, with the help of a little SPF 50, I was able to do basically everything I had been doing before. I ran competitively and played soccer outside, and I still enjoy hiking and swimming in the Adirondacks. I learned to appreciate the nighttime, and I love bonfires and night walks.

I just have to budget my time in the sun during the day like money—if I overspend, it will cost me.

As I grew up, I learned to not be ashamed of my syndrome.

Unsurprisingly, no one wants to make fun of the girl with cancer, and being open about my situation has strengthened a lot of my connections with family and friends. Being the youngest patient at the office also had its benefits. The nurses loved having someone young to care for. When I first started going to doctor’s appointments, they would always compliment me for not complaining like their senior patients. Every time I go in for an appointment, I look forward to seeing my favourite nurse, Sue, and talking about hockey and travelling. The elderly patients are also always sweet to me. We are all there

for the same reason, and it is unpleasant for everyone.

Another special thing about my syndrome is how much doctors and researchers are still learning. Because my condition is rare, with my permission, my doctor would take pictures of my skin to show his dermatology class. Although at first I felt a little like a guinea pig, I realize now that these photos could help advance the medical field. Before the pandemic, whenever I had an appointment, my doctor would always bring a medical student in to learn about my cancer. As someone interested in medicine myself, the idea that I could contribute to dermatological discoveries is exciting, to say the least.

I have always hated the idea of finding the good in everything because, with some things, there are just no good parts. And with many cancers, I stand by that statement. However, in my case, I find myself extremely lucky.

Although surgeries and radiation are not fun, and avoiding the sun can be a hassle, I have a newfound appreciation for shade, for sunsets, and for seniors.

6

OPINION

COMMENTARY

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2020

Alarmism about the extinction of French is alive and well

Sara Eldabaa Contributor On Nov. 13, the Journal de Montreal published a synopsis by journalist MarieLise Mormina about her investigation into the language customers were being greeted and served with in retail stores and restaurants.

The full report, which was published the next day, brought Montreal’s ever-present language debate back to the forefront of the news cycle. Mormina concluded that francophones should be worried about the state of French in Quebec. However, this study’s only real contribution to the language debate is the reinforcement of alarmism surrounding the alleged extinction of French in the province.

All the stores Mormina investigated in Montreal were located in the downtown, Griffintown, and Old Port areas, which have large English populations because they are located within the financial district and feature other major tourist attractions. Also, some stores were selected because they had a predominantly English website or social media presence. Therefore, she cannot conclude that most employees choose to greet customers exclusively in English when she specifically sought out anglophone stores. This sampling method is biased; all stores should have been chosen randomly. She did this to exaggerate the problem of the extinction of French.

According to Statistics Canada’s Focus on Geography Series, 41 per cent of Montreal employees spoke only French at work in 2016 while seven per cent spoke only English.

Mormina’s report, on the other hand, states

COMMENTARY

Under the Charter of the French Language, Bill 101, French is the sole official language in Quebec.

(Brian Schatteman / The McGill Tribune)

that 19 per cent of employees could not speak French which is much higher than seven per cent, even if assuming that employees that spoke only English in StatsCan’s survey could not speak French.

Clearly, the French language is not nearly as threatened as Mormina contends. She details the “distressing” situation in Victoria’s Secret downtown Montreal location, where multiple employees greeted her exclusively in English, speculating that their employees are “afraid” of speaking French because they might be reprimanded. Despite the magnitude

of this allegation, on which she fails to elaborate, it is clear that Mormina is fishing for any morsel of information that could be magnified to support her argument.

Nowhere in the synopsis does Mormina mention that all 24 businesses she visited on the north and south shores of Montreal greeted her exclusively in French. In fact, she does not highlight these businesses at all.

She also omits the eight stores she visited in Griffintown. Instead, she only presents the results of the regions that only greeted her in English.

She framed the article to incite fearmongering, and unfortunately, many fell for it, including Quebec Premier Francois Legault and Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante.

Legault retweeted Quebec Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barette’s post, in which he says that it is unacceptable to be unable to receive service in French. Plante’s tweet about the report reflects this same sentiment.

Mormina’s report has also inspired responses from other journalists. Josée Legault, a journalist from the Journal de Montreal, used the report to lament the state of French in Quebec. She titled her article “I won’t speak French,” even though none of the employees Mormina confronted are known to have said this. One said that they do not know how to speak French, which is quite different and fundamentally changes the nature of Mormina’s claims against Montreal’s anglophone and bilingual communities.

While the first is a refusal to accommodate the French language, the latter emphasizes an inability to do so. This phrasing reflects the victimization narrative that French Quebecers use to justify their militant pursuit of French dominance.

The purpose of articles like Mormina’s is to shock, not to inform. Yes, Quebec is the only French-speaking region in North America, but catastrophizing the disappearance of French, especially when such claims are unjustified by the data presented, is erroneous at best. Quebec should focus on fostering cooperation between Montreal’s anglophone and francophone communities by not attacking the true linguistic minorities within Quebec with xenophobic ideas and practices.

Communication through Facebook is no longer ethical

Rory Daly Staff Writer In early 2018, The New York Times reported on a leak of close to 50 million Facebook users’ data—the most significant breach of data privacy at the company ever. According to a cache of documents, Facebook user data had been improperly disclosed to Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting corporation which used the information to aid political campaigns within the U.S. and Canada. As the scandal broke, legislators began to take notice. Congress summoned Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and the Canadian federal privacy watchdog took legal action against the company. Two years later, they face another challenge related to the scandal, as two Canadian Facebook users are filing a class-action lawsuit against the company. In the context of these privacy violations, student organizations must try to limit use of the social media platform, as there is no ethical justification for risking the data of students or the organizations themselves.

The Canadian and U.S. cases are not the only examples of litigation against Facebook regarding the Cambridge Analytica scandal. But even

in these high-profile cases following the scandal, little was done to remedy what led to the leak in the first place.

In the American case, the Federal Trade Commission fined Facebook, but the offending company did not have to commit to any action, such as limiting its ability to share data. Even new digital policies currently being drafted in the European Union (EU) have a limited scope, aiming only to allow room for smaller competitors to avoid a Facebook monopoly rather than attempting to strengthen the General Data Protection Regulation itself—the core of EU privacy legislation.

If institutions as significant as national governments refrain from heavily policing sites such as Facebook, then students can achieve little through protest against these megacorporations and their executives. A recent example of this is the Summit Learning platform, an online learning tool backed by Zuckerberg. Having pushed the system since 2014, student protests from within a school using it in 2019 had little success. That is not to say that calls for regulation are unnecessary or unimportant, but that simply calling for regulation does not provide an immediate solution for the data vulnerabilities exposed in recent years.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to avoid using Facebook as a student at McGill. Not only do most student organizations use it in some capacity, but many McGill faculties, departments, and services use the site as well, including Campus Life & Engagement.

Going beyond that, many students use Facebook Messenger for personal or semi-formal communication—in fact, that is how I communicate with my editors at the Tribune. But the fact that so much common infrastructure relies on Facebook does not mean student leaders should use it out of habit.

While it may seem cumbersome to move to other platforms, it is a necessary step, and may not even be as hard as it seems. For some groups, email is a simple and easy solution that does not require much work. Even McGill cites listservs as a great promotional tool. From personal experience, it is often easier to read a well-formatted list of events than it is to dig through a Facebook page for information. To be fair, the vast majority of McGill clubs and organizations, including the Students’ Society of McGill University, use listservs already. But in that sense, they have already proven their utility— and moving to an already tried and tested platform as the primary form of

With over 2.5 billion monthly users, Facebook has become a communication staple.

(Arshaaq Jiffry / The McGill Tribune)

messaging would reduce the chance for miscommunication.

In addition, for virtual gatherings and communication during the pandemic, various other platforms have been developed in recent years that could be of use. For example, the McGill Trivia Club and the McGill Debating Union use Discord. The transfer may be jarring, and students may not appreciate the changes in the moment. However, continuing with Facebook out of convenience shows a disregard for students’ personal data and reinforces reliance on the platform.

STUDENT LIFE

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2020

7

Dispatch Café reopens in McConnell Engineering building

Staple café is back to serving up coffee and toast at McGill’s downtown campus Leyla Moy & Alaana Kumar Student Life Editors For students still frequenting campus, former food haunts have stood conspicuously empty over the remote semester. Among them was Dispatch Café. Located in the McConnell Engineering building, Dispatch opened in 2014 as the brand’s first brick-and-mortar location. On Nov. 11, Dispatch Café welcomed students and faculty for the first time since the suspension of on-campus activity in late March.

“We launched [without] toast in week [one] in order to run lean and curb our waste while we observed what new traffic patterns will be,” founder Chrissy Durcak wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

“Thanks to the support of [the] McGill community that came out in our first week [we brought back toast in the second week.]”

For many first year students, the café is not only close to residences but also serves as a great option for coffee and meals on the residence meal plan: The McConnell Engineering location is the only Dispatch Café in Montreal to take OneCard as a payment method.

This feature, along with its prime location, makes the café a beloved spot for students.

Dispatch is also an example of the city’s vibrant local coffee roasting scene, located right on campus. Montreal is home to many micro and nano coffee roasters that purchase beans at the source and roast locally. Durcak identifies Dispatch within the third wave of

the coffee movement. The term “third wave coffee” was coined by Trish Rothgeb in 2003, and defines waves of coffee over time, with each wave marking an innovation on the last. The first wave came in the early ‘60s, as coffee became widely accessible and mass-produced by brands like Folger’s and Maxwell House. Large specialty coffee companies like Starbucks were

Dispatch Coffee began as a coffee delivery service before opening its first brickand-mortar store in McConnell Engineering. (montreal.eater.com)

emblematic of the second wave, which elevated coffee from utility to luxury through a focus on the beans’ origins and novel espresso preparations. The third wave defines modern coffee shops like Dispatch, that seek to create artisan, aesthetically beautiful, and traceable coffee experiences.

“Dispatch was Montreal’s first cold-brew delivery service (by bicycle), and then its first coffee truck,” Durcak wrote. “Since then, Dispatch has opened three cafés across Montreal.”

Like most third wave roasters, Dispatch is committed to lessening its environmental impacts through their sourcing and business practices.

“At Dispatch, we prioritize buying coffee from regions and farmers that lack the most infrastructure[,] resources, and access to market to encourage the sustainable development of their businesses,” Durcak wrote. “Many of the coffees we serve on campus are from repeat relationships—for example, we are about to launch one coffee from a farm in Ethiopia called Kossa Geshe that we have purchased for four years now.”

To reduce its environmental

impact, Dispatch Café uses biodegradable packing for retail coffee bags, composts coffee grinds and food waste, incentivises customers to bring and buy reusable mugs, and roasts its coffee with an afterburner to emit less pollution into the air.

In the interest of transparency, all Dispatch coffee is traceable online and, as of September 2020, through a QR code attached to each bag.

For those who are not spending time on campus, brewing coffee at home can help to replicate the comfort of a warm cup at a favourite café. Dispatch explains many common brew methods step-bystep on its website, though Durcak advises students to tweak the ratios of coffee and water to their liking.

“It doesn’t take much to make great coffee at home,” Durcak wrote.

“Great beans from good sources that are freshly harvested are paramount to a good cup, as is grinding fresh (if you can).”

Dispatch is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the McConnell Engineering lobby. The building is currently open to students and faculty.

Fortunes for Solidarity foresees a brighter future

Participating restaurants to distribute fortune cookies with anti-racist messages Lucy Keller Staff Writer Since the onset of the novel coronavirus, there has been a spike in acts of racism toward East Asian communities across the world. Anti-Asian racism has greatly affected Montreal’s Chinatown and has stressed the community, which was already struggling due to the loss of tourists from the pandemic. Whether this stigmatization is sparked

by Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric in referring to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” or the constant circulation of misinformation, Chinatowns around the world have experienced a significant drop in visitors and an increase in acts of hate.

To combat the decrease in customers and the uptick in racial profiling, Bill Wong, treasurer of the Montreal Chinatown Development Council, created Fortunes for Solidarity. The initiative was launched only a month after the Chinese Association of Montreal, the Montreal Chinatown Development Council, and The Center for Research-Action on Race Relations called for a $1 million relief fund due to the significant drop in business in the neighborhood.

The goal of Fortunes for Solidarity is to assuage the racism plaguing the neighborhood with sweet treats. A dozen restaurants, bakeries, and bubble tea spots in Chinatown will be handing out 5,000 fortune cookies with positive messages and a discount code until the winter solstice on Dec. 21.

Edmond Ku, co-owner of Restaurant Dobe & Andy, believes that this initiative will help to bring tourists and visitors back to the neighborhood.

“We wanted to join this [Fortunes for Solidarity] to try to send a positive message about the situation we are in,” Ku said in an interview with the Tribune.

Anti-Asian racism in Montreal has risen this past year, as some Asian students at McGill have noticed. Stephanie Zhou, U3 Science, told the Tribune that she has experienced rising levels of discrimination.

“On the way home from the grocery a couple of weeks ago I was just crossing the street with a mask on and a woman on a bike yelled at me that I had taken away her freedoms,” Zhou said.

During the early months of the virus, the historic gates that mark the entry to Chinatown were vandalized. In more incidences of vandalism in recent weeks, many store fronts have been broken into, and the community continues to be unjustly blamed for the virus. Sherry Ao, president of the Montreal Chinatown Development Council, told The McGill Tribune in an interview that Montreal’s Asian communities feel attacked.

“I have personally not dealt with any racism because I have started driving to my office in the morning, but I know many people who have been told to go back to their country,” Ao said. “I know of a young girl who is only 13 who was walking on Sherbrooke [Street] in front of McGill and was hit by a French Canadian. He called her names, hit her, and she even fell to the ground.”

While City Hall’s Deputy opposition leader Francesco Miele and councillor Marvin Rotrand have both made statements denouncing these acts of hate, they still continue to happen.

The fortune cookies contain messages to combat discimination, reminders to respect and follow the government’s COVID-19 guidelines, and quotes nudging customers to visit Chinatown. Some examples included: “The wise practice social distancing, not racial discrimination,” and “Discrimination hurts; solidarity cures.” Additionally, the fortune cookies have a 10 per cent discount code towards participating businesses on the back of the fortune.

“It is important to not be afraid of us,” Ao said. “If people get to know us, the fear of getting the virus from us will go away because we are all afraid of the unknown. The virus is [infectious and frightening], but we didn’t create it. We have to [...] follow the guidelines given by the government, and wear masks.”

Montreal’s Chinatown has recently been the target of vandalism.

(Defne Gurcay / The McGill Tribune) Montreal’s Chinatown is rich with community, culture, and delicious food for students to enjoy. A trip to Chinatown could serve as a great study break and a way to support locally owned Montreal businesses during these difficult times.

As detailed on The Center for Research-Action on Race Relations website, restaurants participating in Fortune for Solidarity include: Chatime Chinatown, Ding Xiang Dumplings, Restaurant Beijing Inc., Pâtisserie Harmonie, Restaurant Cuisine Cantonaise, Pâtisserie Coco, Restaurant Chez Maxim Oriental, Restaurant Le Vent Doux, Restaurant Fung Shing, Restaurant Dobe & Andy, and Fleurs et Cadeaux.

Photographs: Aidan Martin / The McGill Tribune

Creating space in Montreal’s skate scene Aidan Martin, Creative Director For a culture that is built on subverting the conventional, the skateboarding community must strive to create more diverse spaces.

What is largely depicted in popular magazines and videos disregard the reality of the skate scene. While there are companies and media working to increase visibility, more recognition must be given to femme-identifying, queer, and non-white members of the community.

Although there is a need for structural changes through sponsorships, media, and financial support within the industry, there have been safer spaces emerging around the world to address this lack of representation and establish equal opportunities. Companies like The Skate Witches, Meow Skateboards, and Glue Skateboards, among others, have been founded out of this absence to improve representation without tokenizing skaters by simply fulfilling a quota. Instead, these groups aim to showcase skateboarding from a more realistic and inclusive perspective.

While these issues are universal, Montreal is lucky to have a more inclusive skate scene with individuals who are actively creating these spaces—especially for those who are new to skating, feel intimidated or unsafe at parks, or are looking for a community to share how special skateboarding is. These are some of the women who have greatly impacted my experience skateboarding in Montreal.

Erika Hornecker “I actually feel less comfortable skating on the street [than back home in Strasbourg]. I think because there’s such a big skate culture here there’s also the drawbacks of that [....] I’ve never heard anybody explicitly [say] ‘Oh that person is a poser’ or whatever but I feel a lot less comfortable cruising around here than I do back home. Whenever I’m just holding my board and not skating and walking, I get so anxious because I’m like ‘I know how to use it’ [....] It’s crazy because I have never once thought that [somebody is a poser] when I’ve seen someone carry a skateboard but for some reason, I feel like people would think that about me. That’s why I bike everywhere.”

“I’ve noticed a lot more non-straight white men skating lately, at first mostly on the internet but now going to parks and stuff. I think that’s really awesome.”

“For instance the [Daisys] skate event we went to [...] people [cheered] for tricks that would be considered basic beginner tricks, but it’s nice to have that kind of support around.”

“I think that there [are] people making an effort to [create] communities for the non-majority in skateboarding which I think is really, really sick. I mean Montreal’s really awesome, I love it. It makes such a big difference to go into a park and have people that you know that you can turn to and ask for advice.”

“Before I started watching ‘Girl Skate Network,’ my only exposure to skate culture was through this PS2 game I had called ‘Skate’ and it was all male characters, and you’d occasionally see videos of guys doing these insane tricks. I think because of that, it felt very unattainable. But with new creators sort of making [videos] that are just them hanging out and skating and doing more humanely possible things, it’s definitely more reassuring to see that.”

“Annie Guglia would organize this [monthly skate]. I used to go to them pretty regularly. They were super fun. I was getting to talk to a pro skater which was really cool. I’m a big fan [of Annie]. I asked her to teach me how to heelflip the other day and she was like, ‘Man I suck at heelflips, I hate them, I try to avoid them at all costs,’ and I was like, ‘Yo! I suck at heelflips too.’ I feel like as far as pro athletes go, skateboarders are some of the most approachable ones.”

“Dude, the number of dreams I have where I’m doing the sickest shit, and [then] I wake up [is a lot….] I honestly think you can manifest a trick. I definitely believe it, because I hadn’t been able to do [frontside 180s]. I’d been trying for the past year and there was always something wrong with what I was doing. I just watched so many videos of people doing them and I had dreams where I was, amongst other things, doing frontside 180s. I was doing 5050s down stuff, and the whole time in the dream I [thought], ‘Wow I didn’t know I could do all this, it’s so easy.’ And then, I went to the park, like, two months ago and landed one and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s how it works.’ You just think about it really, really hard and you envision yourself doing it and you just do it.”

“Skating is so fun that it doesn’t really matter [....] No one tries a trick and lands it on the first try, you know? You need to start somewhere and that start is failure.”

Frédérique (Flor) Guay, Daisys’ Founder

“[The] goal [of Daisys] is to represent minorities, creative and innovative people, share personal stories and discuss the mental and emotional benefits that stem from skateboarding and arts.”

“I started skating [at] Van Horne and joined Les Vagabonnes. Les Vagabonnes is a women-led community of skateboarders based in Montreal that started over 15 years ago. I was introduced to some skaters at the park including Frédérique Luyet, one of [the founders of] Les Vagabonnes [....] The level of skating blew my mind [....] It was so powerful. Something I had never seen before. It came clear to me that we needed more visibility.”

“I was deeply in love with skateboarding. Despite the progress being made, the skateboarding scene remained a big picture of white male leaders and I wanted bigger changes.”

“As a woman who always was called ‘a tomboy,’ I really felt like I was engaging with a community who could understand me. The feeling you get when you meet a community that support[s] you and your authenticity despite differences, I wanted to share this feeling with others, who might have felt the same way.”

Design: Chloe Rodriguez / The McGill Tribune

“One day, we all got together to skate. Fred showed me the new camera she had just received as a gift [....] I remember the moment like it was yesterday. I was having one of the best days of my life. We were all sitting on the ledge by the Van Horne bowl with Dina, Frédérique Luyet, and Veronica and I told them, ‘This, this right here is truly something. I want to make a zine. I want to showcase women’s skateboarding and the creativity behind it. Let’s share this. Let’s talk about this. Let’s open about wellbeing and community.’ They all supported my idea.”

“Within a few months, a diverse and inclusive community was gathered. The zine was released in the fall along a video premiere we had filmed over the summer. The zine ended up being the first womxn’s skate zine ever made in Montreal.”

“We had the chance to work along Vans and hosted art workshops and skate sessions. With the help of Rollin Skateshop and many [others], we collected unwanted gear and donated new and used equi pment to those in need. We wanted to create and use space to push for diversity. We wanted to provide a platform to espouse inclusivity, positivity, and unity. To this day, Daisys is still the most loving family I have yet been in. We are working together to help and build self-awareness and self-esteem. We want to normalize communications and want you to feel the space you are allowed to use and grow within the skate community.”

Liesl VanWyk “From an outside perspective, [skateboarding is] still definitely male-dominated, very intimidating, and a very scary atmosphere [....] Being the only girl at the skatepark sucks a lot of the time. But on the fl i p side, it’s really awesome.

It seems l ike it’s really cool to be part of the community at a time right now where things are kind of shifting and being in the middle of it while that’s happening.”

“Being a queer woman in the skate scene is really cool because, I don’t know about other areas, but in Montreal so many of the people in the woman skate scene are queer and it’s cool to just have that environment where everyone is just chill ing and having fun [....] It’s kind of l ike a double-edged sword of being a woman, a queer woman, [which] has been a disadvantage at times because [the skate scene is] so intimidating, but now I feel l ike there’s so much benefit and its just such a cool community and to be a part of that.”

“The skate scene in Montreal is better than my wildest dreams. It’s crazy that I feel l ike I have such a sense of community and a group of people that I can skate with during a pandemic [....] It’s just so inclusive and positive and heartwarming, I don’t know. It’s so weird, l ike is this a dream? Like what is happening?” “[Skateboarding has] taught me [to] invest in myself, [to] not be so hard on myself, and [to] just be okay with progressing at whatever rate I’m progressing at. Knowing

that if I put in the effort and the time in doing something that is really hard and seems impossible at the time, and I just keep on working at it, then

eventually I just can do it [....] The

sky is the l imit [....] It’s just been

such a great tool for my mental health.

I notice such a direct correlation between how much I’m skating and how well I’m doing mentally.”

“I keep skating because if I don’t skate, I’ll l iterally die. My favourite thing about skateboarding is having an outlet for all of my energy, both physical and creative energy, and having a way to connect with people [....]

With skateboarding, I feel l ike I have that release and l ike, ‘Ok, I’m here with my board, it’s just me and I can do whatever the fuck I want to do.’ I don’t know man, it’s so therapeutic, it’s fucking crazy.”

Annie Guglia “When I started skating, we didn’t have social media or YouTube to get inspiration from. It took me two years after I started skating to see a video part from a woman (Vanessa Torres) in the movie ‘Elementality’. Two years! Social media really democratized visibility in skateboarding and I think that’s why we’re seeing such a big growth of women [and] non-cis white men in skateboarding right now.” “[G]rowing up I had a group of girls to skate with. We called ourselves The Skirtboarders, and I know how important being part of this group has been for me, so when I had the platform to do so around 2014, I started organizing girls skate meet-ups, and that initiative evolved into Vans monthly meet-ups, which evolved into safe spaces for anyone who wants to skate/learn how to skate through Daisys Angels.”

“In 2016, I was finishing my master’s right about the time when it was announced that skateboarding would make its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games. I wasn’t sure what to think about it at first.

Skateboarders in my time had a dominant discourse about hating corporations trying to enter and change our sport [or] subculture, [such as] Nike [and] the Olympics. I still went to our first Canadian championships in 2018, just to see [...], and I won, which opened doors for me to start the qualifying process for the Olympics. In parallel, I started seeing bursaries for contests becoming equal because of the Olympics, a huge growth in visibility for women in skateboarding and also [those] from countries that were [previously] ignored, as well as an impressive amount of new skateparks being built. I realized that this ‘mainstream’ wave of attention would probably be good for skateboarding after all.”

“Physically, [skateboarding] keeps me moving. Socially, it’s my community and my lifestyle. I met most of my friends through skateboarding, I travel for skateboarding, it’s the reason for 90 per cent of my social interactions if I’m being honest. Mentally, it’s just a great self-development tool. It teaches resilience, patience, perseverance, trust, confidence, risks, which then translates into other aspects of life.”

Videos: & s r e d r a o ateb Adidas k S y b e ’ t i p r o u t o S v Fa es, ‘One r r o T a s s e n a r and V e k a B o e L lue : G y b Erika ’ T U M Marbie, ‘S g n i d d n r a a o c b e li i t a M Sk y, Chris o Video r r r e u b E u a s r d t r S a o r b kate Credits’ S : s e Flor: Che r t e n h e s T e r d P n g, ‘Vans boards a Skate elfino and Daewon Son a D rria a m Liesl: Fabian a S d n a hite ark Suciu M , x o n K

by Shari W m illani, To V y k n a r F : Day Job’ Annie r u o Y t i u rd, ‘Q Breva

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STUDENT LIFE

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 24 2020

MUSTBUS seeks to make travel easy and affordable for McGill students Student-run bus service aims to connect Montreal with New York, Boston, and Toronto Maya Mau Staff Writer Last year, Alexis Zhou, U3 Arts, envisioned starting a student-run co-operative transportation service on the East Coast for McGill students. Zhou, disappointed in her experiences with New York City’s Port Authority Terminal and the Toronto Bus Terminal, hoped to satisfy a demand for affordable transportation among McGill students. Along with Matteo Trulli, U3 Management, Zhou founded McGill University Student Transport (MUSTBUS) to provide

students with affordable transportation to major North American cities, including New York, Boston, and Toronto.

“Our immediate goal is to expand the college experience at McGill to really include Toronto, Quebec City, NYC[,] and Boston as a part of the McGill experience,” Zhou and Trulli wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

“Our ultimate goal is to link universities in Eastern Canada and [the] Northeastern United States that are poorly served by intercity transportation and allow their students to go places for cheap.”

To bring their idea to life, Zhou and

The co-operative was inspired by co-founder Alexis Zhou’s disappointment with her own travel experiences, alongside a growing demand for affordable student transport. (facebook.com)

Trulli’s team worked to obtain legal non-profit status and gauge interest. In February 2020, they ran a pilot route and sold tickets to and from New York City for $30 each.

“The February 2020 pilot trip went very smoothly,” Zhou and Trulli wrote. “The trip sold out pretty quickly and we were at capacity.

We chose New York City because it is the largest metropolitan area in North America and it is [six] hours away. We were like, why not [?]”

This “why not?” attitude sums up the MUSTBUS project. After all, McGill students wanted better access to other North American metropolises, and there was no reason why they could not make it happen themselves. Since that pilot trip to New York City, MUSTBUS has done extensive research to make their program as efficient and accessible as possible. Part of this involved establishing a relationship with the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU).

“To make this possible, [we] needed [to conduct] extensive research on the industry, [and work on] negotiation[s] with bus companies and SSMU,” Zhou and Trulli wrote.

“We were only now able to go onto the SSMU referendum after pitching multiple ideas [....]

We first thought of registering as a SSMU club but then it didn’t work out. We decided to rather focus on becoming our own legal entity so that we can operate more efficiently and really, just

[give] everybody the opportunity to travel.”

On Nov. 13, MUSTBUS announced that the referendum on the continuation of the program passed, with 85 per cent of students voting in favor of the project’s continued development. The co-operative plans to propose a small, opt-outable fee next semester that will fund the service in order to keep it affordable, though this fee was not associated with the most recent referendum.

The passing of the referendum was very exciting for Zhou, Trulli, and the entire MUSTBUS team. Though, like many other organizations, MUSTBUS has been forced to put operations on hold due to the pandemic, the organizing team is still planning ahead for the post-COVID-19 future.

“We’re not operating any buses during the pandemic, but we’re continuously strengthening and building our organizational capacity and preparing to offer the best travel experience for the upcoming year,” Zhou and Trulli wrote.

Once it is safe to travel and the COVID-19– related public health regulations are lifted, MUSTBUS promises to continue their mission to make inter-North American travel accessible for McGill students for years to come.

Students can keep up with new MUSTBUS developments on Facebook and the MUSTBUS website.

Pan-Asian Collective amplifies voice of Asian student communities McGill group seeks to empower Montreal’s Asian students Josephine Wang Staff Writer For many McGill students of colour, finding inclusive and welcoming spaces can be a struggle. A lack of safe spaces can perpetuate climates where racialized students do not have the chance to build a more equitable, inclusive environment. Pan-Asian Collective (PAC) is a new community on campus that creates platforms for Asian voices in conversations that often exclude them.

In an email to the The McGill Tribune, PAC’s Communications Bottomliner Lavanya Huria, Events Bottomliner Yuan Kelly, External Affairs Bottomliner Chris Lau, and Communications and Events Team Member Chandni Patel explained how PAC started, as well as ways the organization is trying to call out and dismantle harmful norms.

“PAC started [just over a year ago] with a few friends talking about feeling like there wasn’t a space that existed at McGill for Asians to explore their identities,” Huria, Kelly, Lau, and Patel wrote. “We talked about wanting a space by and for Asians that centred learning, connecting, and showing up for our own communities, as well as others.

These conversations led us to our first iterations of PAC.” With the COVID-19 pandemic,

there has been a significant rise in anti-Chinese sentiments that many students have experienced firsthand.

At the same time, anti-Asian racism is often dismissed due to the false assumption that all Asian people are successful and well-adapted.

“A couple of us were really scared to leave our apartments alone, and some chose to avoid going outside altogether,” Huria, Kelly, Lau, and Patel said. “This was around the time a Korean man was stabbed in NDG. The pandemic has really brought to light an antiAsian sentiment that has always existed but has been somewhat obscured, in part due to the [m]odel [m]inority [m]yth that has granted Asians, particularly East Asians[,] a sort of conditional belonging—a peace that can be taken away at any moment, as we saw with the onset of the pandemic.”

In response to these rising tensions, PAC has spoken out against xenophobia.

“It was important for us to use PAC as a platform to speak out against this racism using our collective voices,” Huria, Kelly, Lau, and Patel said. “PAC released a statement back in March about anti-Asian racism and violence [....]

Attacks against Asian people and businesses are still happening and we would be grateful if non-Asian people gave more attention to this

The pandemic has highlighted a latent anti-Asian sentiment in Montreal that groups like PAC hope to combat by creating spaces that uplift Asian voices. (facebook.com) [....] We encourage fellow Asians to stay informed about and show up for other communities that need public support right now, namely Black and Indigenous communities on Turtle Island.”

Additionally, PAC is taking direct action to support Asian and marginalized community members.

During Asian Heritage Month in May, PAC hosted open mic events

to uplift Asian voices and connect the Asian community. PAC also collaborated on events with the Indian Students’ Association and the Union for Gender Empowerment on intersectional aspects of Pan-Asian identity, like being queer and Asian.

Currently, PAC is hosting a giveaway to garner support for struggling small businesses in Chinatown. PAC is also working

on collaborations with the Black Students’ Network, Students for a Free Tibet, and Anakbayan Montreal on the topics of long-term activism and self-determination in Asia.

Still, Asians face challenges both within their communities and in a broader context. The aforementioned model minority myth can push them out of discussions on race and prejudice.

Additionally, Asians are often targeted by companies to fulfill workplace diversity.

“The multitude of identities, ethnicities, cultures[,] and histories that exist under the Pan-Asian umbrella are hardly represented in mainstream media,” Huria, Kelly, Lau, and Patel explained. “When we are [represented], it’s often in stereotypical and harmful ways.”

PAC empowers Montreal’s Asian communities by promoting meaningful engagement in Asian history and culture in a manner that recognizes the diversity of Asian experiences. As Asians have largely been excluded from Western media and history, PAC offers students a space to be themselves without being burdened by the expectation that they represent an entire culture.

Students can follow PAC on Facebook and Instagram to get involved or to hear about their updates, events, and resources.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2020

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‘Dash & Lily’ is a blooming love story with a splash of Christmas spirit By emphasizing the courage of vulnerability, the show puts a twist on a tired genre Naomi Mirny Staff Writer Imagine you’re in New York City during Christmas. The streets are streaked with bright lights, festive carolers, buzzing street markets, and fluffy, white snow. You enter the Strand Bookstore to escape the winter chill, and inside, you spot a red leather notebook, tucked away near J.D. Salinger’s works. Do you open it?

If you’re anything like one of the protagonists of Dash & Lily, you do. Released on Netflix on Nov. 8, this eight-episode miniseries follows two young people—cynical, brooding Dash (Austin Abrams) and bubbly, bright Lily (Midori Francis)—who develop a romantic relationship without ever meeting but solely through passing a red notebook between one another. As the days count down to Christmas, Dash and Lily dare one another to explore new places and try new things, placing the notebook in a new location each time. In a Sherlockian game, the two run through New York City, from an abandoned Grand Central Station to Jewish punk concerts, pushing each other out of their comfort zones, changing each other for the better.

Both characters are as multidimensional as they are engaging and relatable, largely due to the skillful acting of the leads and an adept writing team. Francis particularly impresses with her outstanding range, making a character that could have easily appeared saccharine and overbearing a sweet, intelligent firecracker.

One of the particular strengths of Dash & Lily is that it places a great emphasis on courage, and prioritizes a sense of adventure above any cliché-laden ideas of surface-level attraction prevalent in the rom-com genre. By doing so, Dash & Lily reveals the importance of being open to new experiences when entering a relationship and trusting the magic of a deep, emotional connection.

Two outstanding episodes are those directed by Pamela Romanowsky, “Hanukkah” and “Cinderella,” which pay homage to the fairy tales Alice In Wonderland and Cinderella. Romanowsky’s fantastical nightmare sequence of Lily descending the proverbial rabbit hole into an underground punk concert is particularly striking in its grotesque artistic vision and ingenious manifestation of social anxiety. Other episodes are visu-

ally clean, impressively switching between the festive grandiosity of Manhattan streets and the quiet intimacy of the students’ interactions.

Despite its heart of gold, the show is spotted with pitfalls. Certain plot points do not make much sense at all, such as a scene where Dash scrolls through Instagram hashtags to find his friend—leading the viewer to wonder whether the writers had ever been on Instagram.

Other examples include a scene in which Lily’s brother breaks up with his boyfriend for going on a twoweek vacation and one where Nick Jonas randomly pops up to give advice to Dash. Most offensive of all, however, is when Dash’s exgirlfriend rents out a museum to use as a saucy hookup spot, and it is implied they have sex on a priceless museum artifact.

While the show’s cast represents a diverse array of identities, some of the supporting figures are overlooked by the writers. A glaring example of this is the “Black Best Friend” trope, filled by Dash’s bizarrely-named best friend Boomer, who seems to have no purpose outside of helping Dash. While Boomer is shown to have a family, he lacks any romantic interests or genuine friends other than

Full of cinematic shots of New York City in winter, a refreshingly diverse cast, and a clever insight into young love, Dash & Lily is an escapist and thought-provoking treat. (primetimer.com) Dash. He works as a tool to further the plot, always being on hand to spot Lily, consult Dash, and literally drop everything he’s doing in the middle of a work shift (at a Pizzeria, with a line waiting) to run 45 minutes to pass a hint along to Dash.

Still, despite the naïveté and the suspension of disbelief that the

watcher must have in order to buy into the show, even the most cynical of viewers will be charmed into holiday-magic believers after eight episodes. Full of cinematic shots of New York City in the winter, a refreshing cast, and a clever insight into young love, Dash & Lily is both an escapist and thought-provoking treat.

Taylor Swift will never ever be silenced, like ever Swift’s ownership struggle is common but uniquely unfair Michelle Siegel Contributor When news broke in summer 2019 that Taylor Swift’s former label, Big Machine Records, was sold to Scooter Braun, Swift and her legions of fans publicly expressed their outrage over the distribution of her work. For approximately $300 million USD, Braun had bought the master recordings of her first six albums without giving Swift the chance to retain her own music.

In a lengthy Tumblr post, Swift stated that the only opportunity she had been given to buy back her masters was by releasing six additional albums with Big Machine, effectively keeping her stuck under the label she had been signed to since she was 14 years old. Knowing that Scott Borchetta, the former owner of Big Machine, was likely to sell the label, including the ownership of her masters, Swift signed with Republic Records rather than renewing her contract with Big Machine. Braun being the buyer added salt to the wound because of his alleged bullying of Swift over the course of several years.

The concept of artists not owning their master recordings seems odd and counterintuitive, but it is common in the music industry. Whoever owns the master recordings has control over their use and will gain profits from sales, streaming, or other use of the music in the future. Although the artist is rarely the only person involved in the production and recording of a song, it still remains fundamentally odd that artists usually

do not have the majority of the rights over the music that they create. For young artists, it is even harder to recognize the future implications of not owning your own intellectual property.

In a public statement on her Twitter, Swift revealed that her team had tried to enter negotiations with Braun previously to purchase her masters, but were informed that he would only start negotiating if Swift signed a strict non-disclosure agreement to

never publicly say anything negative about Braun again. This condition, albeit bizarre and unnecessary, is part of a larger malpractice in the music industry, with artists like Swift needing to bring the issue to the court of public opinion in order to call out the tremendous greed of the owners.

On the surface, Swift’s lack of ownership over her masters is not a unique position—other recording artists like Drake, Katy Perry, and Ariana Grande do not own

Taylor Swift’s fight to own her masters has once again made headlines, begging the question of whether or not the struggles she has faced to try to earn them are standard for the industry or unfairly leveraged against her. (cheatsheet.com)

their masters, while independent artists such as Chance the Rapper and Frank Ocean, who create and release music without signing to major record labels, own all of their work.

But for Swift, she can only own her masters if she is locked into an unfavourable contract or silenced by a man with whom she has bad blood.

Swift’s story speaks to the larger cloud of sexism that hangs over the entire music industry. Male producers and record label owners are perfectly content to profit off of female artists’ hard work, as long as they maintain the upper hand in terms of control, power, and money. While Swift has the option of negotiating with the owners of her masters, it comes at the cost of her being silenced and obedient to men who have never treated her as an equal. This would be degrading for any female artist, but is especially shocking given Swift’s widespread success and stature as a musician.

Swift revealed that she has started the process of rerecording her first five albums, which will allow her to gain back the rights to her work. This development is not often carried out by artists who do not own their master recordings, but given the irregularities of Swift’s ordeal, it seems only fitting for the situation to conclude this way. Although it’s a potentially happy ending for Swift, the overall implications of the situation are troubling—if Taylor Swift is unable to gain ownership of her masters as a 10-time Grammy Award winner, pop culture icon, and leader of a worldwide legion of fans, then who can?

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2020

Margaret Atwood and Lorna Crozier discuss cats, poetry, and widowhood

Drawn & Quarterly virtually launched the Canadian poets’ new works Lowell Wolfe Staff Writer On Nov. 19, esteemed Canadian poets Margaret Atwood and Lorna Crozier read from and discussed Atwood’s new poetry collection, Dearly: Poems, and Crozier’s autobiography, Through the Garden: A Love Story (with Cats). Broadcast over Zoom through Montreal-based bookstore Drawn & Quarterly, the two writers discussed cats, deceased husbands and poetry’s uncanny connection to flesh-eating zombies.

“I didn’t get going as a poet until the late ‘70s,” Crozier said. “I grew up as a poet reading the wonderful Margaret Atwood and I have to say that I was so privileged to [have been] able to read Canadian poetry and [discover] strong women writing poetry who came from my country.”

Both poets grew up in rural Canada. Atwood’s childhood involved spending time in Northern Quebec with her father, an entomologist, and Crozier’s was spent on a farm in Saskatchewan. They elaborated on their relationship with the natural world, and especially animals, and how these themes appear in their poetry.

Crozier elaborated on how her poetry used cats—even featured in its title— as a motif to explore some of its emotional weight.

(Xiaotian Wang / The McGill Tribune)

“We lived on a farm for 10 years, and we had a lot of animals,” Atwood said. “[It was] up-close and down-dirty.”

Crozier described how her poetry uses cats as a motif to carry some of its emotional weight. In Through the Garden, Crozier reflects on her relationship with her late husband and Canadian poet, Patrick Lane, and how cats were important to their relationship. In 2019, Lane died of a heart attack at age 79. Crozier still has their cats, who comfort her after the loss of her husband.

“In our 40 years together, Patrick and I shared our lives to find cats,” Crozier said. “I believe that cats like to be named after poets, by the way.

Although when I told Al Purdy that [...] he just about threw me out because he didn’t like cats.”

Likewise, Atwood’s poetry features cats, such as the poem “Ghost Cat,” which Atwood read aloud during the event. The poem’s speaker is Atwood’s recently deceased cat who wanders through her house at night, blindly searching for a place to sleep.

Atwood and Crozier also found commonality in their humble bookmaking process. Pointing to a desk drawer in her office containing her poems, Atwood spoke about how she writes fragment poetry, which she then conjoins to create a larger work.

“What’s in there is a lot of holograph manuscripts because I write in longhand,” Atwood said. “But my handwriting is really bad, so I can’t always read what I’ve written. Part of the process is the Rosetta Stone interpretation of what it is that I might have possibly meant.”

Crozier and Atwood compared their similar methods of creating a poetry anthology, which involved piecing together individual poems into a larger work on their office floors.

“When I have a file that’s spilling out, I then say, ‘Maybe there’s a book here,’” Crozier said. “I lay the poems on the floor, and I crawl around on my hands and knees and say, ‘This poem would like to sit by this poem and this one by that one.’”

Responding to an audience member’s question on what she valued in poetry, Atwood delved into why she found it so important.

“It is the journey with the poet on a trail that’s made of feeling as well as meaning,” Atwood said. “A poem is not just an intellectual meaning. It’s not reducible to that.”

Yes! 6

Annual festival with a diverse program of both low-budget and star-studded films.

Nov. 28, 4p.m.-10p.m.

Online $5

Bob Ross Paint Night Unwind with the McGill Political Science Students Association

Nov. 26, 8pm Online Free

Black Music In Quebec Evening of live and recorded musical entertainment hosted by the Black Community Resource Centre.

Nov. 28, 7pm Online Free

2nd Anniversary COVEN Drag Show

Attend a virtual performance of drag kings and queens and celebrate the 2nd anniversary of their show, COVEN. Nov. 28, 9pm Online $5-$50

‘Approximately Close’ evokes the magic of in-person performances Ballets Jazz Montreal provides a performance that dazzles the senses Erika MacKenzie Staff Writer On Nov. 19, Ballets Jazz Montreal dance company performed Approximately Close—Quand le temps n’est presque plus, choreographed by Ermanno Sbezzo. The performance allowed dancers to express themselves safely during a disappointing season. In the midst of the pandemic, online performances have struggled to recreate the magic of set designs, costuming, lighting, and other important elements of live performance. Approximately Close was an exception to this shortcoming, as it was a fully produced performance filmed on stage, making it reminiscent of the live experiences that audiences remember so vividly.

Ballets Jazz Montréal is known for precision, technique, and effortless execution in their performances. Though the company focusses on contemporary dance, all their dancers receive professional ballet training, and guest choreographers are given creative freedom to develop their artistic skills with some of the most talented dancers in the

country.

Approximately Close skillfully used a variety of props, costume changes, and lighting effects to emulate the changing mood of each number. Some numbers were whimsical and playful while others had a more intense and urgent feeling to them. The show opened on an eerie dimly lit stage with one man skipping rope, another riding a small tricycle, and a woman dressed as a clown. In the background, a lone swing swayed in the breeze while a couple kissed under strobe lights. This strange and creepy introduction successfully grasped the audience’s attention by evoking a scene from a circus of a bygone era.

As the dancers moved in sync, their energy and attention to detail was undeniable: The dancers articulated each movement of intricate choreography with controlled precision. Powder was used as a prop throughout the show which, in combination with the bright spotlights, created an ethereal echo of the dancer’s movements. Many numbers also featured flashlights, forming dynamic light beams on

Ballets Jazz Montreal is known for their precision, technique, and effortless execution in their performances. (facebook.com_lesballetsjazzdemontreal) the stage.

The use of props and lighting effects can sometimes distract from the performers, but Approximately Close’s production effectively enhanced the focus on the dancers.

The dancers’ simple costumes, composed of black slacks and neu-

tral add-ons, invited the audience to decipher the feeling of the piece based mostly on the choreography and effects. One group number used music with a heavy bass line and red lighting to create a sense of urgency, matching the expressive and energetic choreography.

The emotional final duet depicted the experience of caring for a loved one who is physically or mentally unwell. In one moment, the woman dancer carries the male dancer to depict the burden that many feel they place on their loved ones when they are suffering. The dancers moved as one unit with impressive synchrony. The piece ended tragically as the woman picked up the man’s limp body that could no longer bear his suffering as the stage, which was covered in snowflakes, faded to black.

Approximately Close was a much-needed spectacle that evoked the in-person mysticism that audiences have missed from live performances. Props, lighting, and music successfully accented the dancers’ technical precision and energy. The show provided a sense of comfort for many struggling through the isolation of the pandemic. Approximately Close was a beautiful moment of unity between creatives, keeping the arts alive.

The full performance of Approximately Close is archived on YouTube free of charge.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2020

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Picture this: The illustrious world of medical illustration Medical drawing is a highly skilled and essential industry

Ibani Kapur Contributor Before writing was used as a means for communication, ancient civilizations relied on pictorial representations of objects, which included visual representations of medical concepts. Medical illustrations date back to 15,000 BCE, and have continued to evolve over time. Over the course of many millennia, advancements in art and technology have accelerated the field of medical illustration.

Today, the industry represents a small yet diverse group of medical professionals who are trained in both medicine, specifically the study of anatomy, as well as media and visual communication.

Jean-Paul Acco, a former medical illustrator at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, spoke about his experience in the field over the last three decades. “[My] role as a medical illustrator [was] to try to make things understood,” Acco said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “Back in the ‘90s, [medical] students would explain their project to me and I would then make the illustration.”

Being a medical illustrator often demands working with other professionals like writers, photographers, and filmmakers toward the holistic communication of complex concepts. Medical illustrators work with photographers when documenting surgical procedures to detail or enhance the part of the body or procedural aspect they wish to portray in their illustrations.

Dr. Nancy Posel, director and co-founder of the Patient Education Office at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), believes medical illustrations are essential to improving patient care.

“For [many] patients, the issue is one of literacy,” Posel said in an interview with the Tribune. “[Medical] literacy levels in North America are very low. Therefore, if you are doing illustrations, [...] do it from a pedagogical perspective and keep it very simple. [Patients] simply need to know how they can best take care of themselves.”

Numerous studies have shown that visual aids help patients better understand medical information that doctors otherwise provide verbally.

Posel recognizes that, depending on the audience, communication styles differ.

Medical illustration targeted for patient understanding would look very different from diagrams geared toward educating doctors.

Acco spoke to the heightened importance of medical illustration for understanding symptoms and diagnoses in times of crisis, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Although most people are aware of public health guidelines concerning COVID-19, misinformation

and disinformation can prevent individuals from attaining a complete understanding of how the virus affects their physical wellbeing. Unable to see the damage that the virus can do to their bodies, it can be difficult for patients to understand its potential complications.

Medical art and illustration have realized the potential of visual communication since they make the unseen visible. Illustration can also bridge language barriers by

The very first anatomical illustration was found in a prehistoric cave, where a mammoth was depicted with a leaf-shaped dark area representing the heart.

(Fine Art America)

communicating vital information as well as dispelling fears for audiences who speak a different language than their physicians.

“Images are needed to expand one’s comprehension,” Posel said.

“They need to understand what could happen.”

Acco spoke to how illustration can help to prevent miscommunication and lack of compliance with public health directives. In depicting COVID-19 and its effects on the body pictorially, many who look past mask ordinances may think again before doing so.

“This is why you need the mask,” Acco said, as if speaking directly to the viewers of his drawings. “This is why it helps you. You want everyone to understand one thing.”

The transmission of medical information through visual media remains an essential communication tool between medical professionals, their colleagues, and their patients, not unlike early practitioners of millenia past. With the growth of digital media and improvements in the tools available to artists, medical illustrators will continue to imagine new ways of visualizing the body and its many ailments.

Tracking devices are revolutionizing the study of remote wildlife Professor Kyle Elliott explains how biologging monitors animal behaviour Madison McLauchlan Staff Writer The movement patterns of migratory birds, especially those that travel vast distances, are often hard to track. This makes these species difficult to locate in the wild and even harder to study. Biologging, which involves attaching tiny tracking instruments onto animals to observe their location and behaviour, has emerged at the forefront of wildlife research. The ability to study birds and mammals across oceans and in remote areas is essential to revealing how the ecosystem-level effects of climate change are impacting animal behaviour.

On Nov. 12, McGill’s Redpath Museum hosted a Cutting Edge Lecture given by Kyle Elliott, assistant professor in Natural Resource Sciences at McGill and Canada Research Chair in Arctic Ecology. The talk, hosted

by Ingrid Birker, Public Program and Education Coordinator at the Redpath Museum, provided a glimpse into the rapidly expanding field of animal tracking.

Elliott first introduced the devices that are used to record information about

Geolocators show that climate change is forcing seabirds, like the Gyrfalcon, to stay further north during the winter. (Sabri Conde-Yassin / The McGill Tribune) an animal’s movement. Geolocators and GPS loggers are used to pinpoint the exact location of individual birds in their habitat. While some devices use light signals from the sun to determine the animal’s geographical coordinates, others communicate location through radio signals.

Location data gathered from these devices have helped scientists uncover previously unknown behaviours of many species. Researchers had previously assumed that Arctic falcons flew south to the tundra in winter;

however, geolocator devices have shown that they are in fact seabirds, spending their winters on the northern sea ice.

Elliott emphasized that advances in commercial GPS technologies have had a large impact on the capabilities of ecologists to conduct field research.

“This consumer pressure [of microelectronics] is fundamentally changing how we can study wildlife,” Elliott said.

In fact, some devices used in biologging are accelerometers, which

effectively track movement the same way most smartphones do. These devices measure acceleration on three different axes to create a threedimensional representation of the organism’s movement, whether it is standing, running, or flying. Some advanced models can even provide data about heart rate, like a Fitbit, to measure how much energy an animal is exerting while hunting.

Despite the advances in research capabilities provided by biologging, there are drawbacks to equipping animals with these gadgets. Adding extra mass to an already small organism could compromise their ability to survive by increasing the energy required to fly or swim.

To alleviate this risk, scientists are working to miniaturize these devices.

According to Elliott, monitoring seabirds is an innovative way of gaining insight into related species that we know less about, like the Arctic cod.

“We can track seabirds and use that [information] to track prey spatial distribution, which should be useful to create marine reserves and to understand marine pollution,” Elliott said.

When seabirds dive to feed on cod, tracking devices provide researchers with information about the location and clustering of the fish.

This information can be used to locate hotspots and ensure these habitats are conserved.

“That’s an example of how we can use geolocators to figure out where [seabirds] go, what habitats they’re using and where they may occur in the future,” Elliott said. “Now we are trying to see what behaviour can tell us about the ecosystem.”

In his current research, Elliott is studying the impact of climate warming on the health of Arctic ecosystems. The loss of Arctic sea ice combined with heat waves have forced seabirds to work harder for less nutritious food sources, impacting their fitness and that of their offspring.

Eliott concluded his talk by reiterating how biologging technologies are paving new opportunities for the study of wildlife in the field.

“We are living in this golden age of biologging,” Eliott said. “We can now track animals in almost real-time to find out where they’re moving, even with species we never thought would be possible.”

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2020

Plastic planet: Challenges in creating a greener world

Exploring the implications of the Canadian proposed single-use plastic ban Margaret Wdowiak Staff Writer With every passing day, the Earth takes another step towards becoming a plastic planet. Plastic has infiltrated every habitat across the globe, from the high seas to the soil beneath cities. In an effort to address the gargantuan problem of plastic pollution, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada party have proposed a single-use plastic ban. By 2021 at the earliest, the Liberal Party intends to ban plastic bags, straws, and cutlery.

For environmental scientists and conservation biologists, this ban is a welcome intervention given the scale of plastic pollution, which has become one of the most pressing environmental issues worldwide. With production of plastic products accelerated after the Second World War, plastics have only become increasingly prominent in our daily lives, though the world’s ability to deal with plastic waste has fallen behind. Single-use plastics, which account for 40 per cent of plastic products produced every year, are a big part of this problem. Their convenience has led to a throw-away culture that is partly responsible for the world’s current inability to deal with plastic waste. Most of these single-use products are not recycled and many more are improperly discarded.

Dr. Audrey Moores, an associate professor in McGill’s Department of Chemistry, specializes in material chemistry and specifically green chemistry, the synthesis and catalysis of environmentally benign agents that can break down environmental pollutants and reduce their negative impacts.

“In Canada only nine [per cent] of all plastics produced are recycled,” Moores wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

“The vast majority of Canadian plastic is land filled.”

The plastic products that are improperly disposed of often end up in river systems that then carry plastic waste towards the ocean.

“Canada alone is responsible for 46,000 million tons of plastics being released to the environment every year, which is a staggering number,” Moores wrote. “It is considered that eight million tonnes of plastics leak into the ocean on a yearly basis [worldwide], and the number keeps going up.”

Once at sea, ocean currents transport waste around the world. During this process, mechanical and chemical forces break down these plastics to form microplastics, tiny plastic pieces fewer than five millimetres in length.

“Microplastics are either manufactured as small plastic particles or they originate from the degradation of larger plastics—both single-use and recycled forms,” Dr. Anthony Ricciardi, a professor in McGill’s Department of Biology, wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “Research over the past two decades has revealed a wide range of effects on animal reproduction, growth, and behaviour.”

These microplastics, which are often found in our oceans and freshwater systems, are particularly harmful for wildlife. Studies on a number of fish species have demonstrated that exposure to microplastics stunts growth and alters behaviour patterns. More-

In Canada, around 57 million plastic straws are used daily. (Adobe Stock) over, research shows that large quantities of plastics enter the bodies of fish through feeding and respiration.

“Plastic fibres, microbeads, and fragments are frequently found in the digestive tracts and tissues of freshwater and marine animals,” Ricciardi wrote.

Once they have entered an animal’s body, microplastics can cause serious damage. These fragments can block the digestive tract of some species, leading to starvation.

Microplastics can also leach chemicals that cause neurological damage into the bloodstream.

Given the scale of the plastic pollution problem and the harmful effects these products inflict on nature, a plastic ban is a prospect welcomed by many.

Checkout bags, straws, cutlery, and food packaging made from plastics that are difficult to recycle are only some of the items included in the ban. However, other singleuse plastics such as milk bags, garbage bags, and snack food wrappers were not included.

The government said the ban did not target these products because of the lack of affordable and readily available alternatives. Other items were left off Trudeau’s plastic blacklist because of a lack of evidence for their negative environmental impact or because they have been deemed too important to warrant a halt on manufacturing. Such items, like disposable masks, will continue to be allowed because they serve an essential purpose.

This crackdown on single-use plastics is part of a wider nationwide strategy to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030.

Reactions to the Liberals’ proposed elimination of some plastic products were mixed. Some business groups voiced concerns over the financial impacts and the increased costs that small businesses could face when pivoting to more environmentally friendly options. While many environmental groups welcomed the news, others pushed for a more intensive ban. Other non-governmental organizations, such as Greenpeace Canada, called for the ban to be more encompassing, forcing pollution-emitting corporations to take more responsibility for the lifecycle of their products and the waste they produce.

A 2019 report found that 90 per cent of Canadians supported stronger regulations on plastics and 70 per cent were in favour of a single-use plastic ban. However, support has dwindled amidst the pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic, public endorsement for stronger regulations has fallen to 79 per cent and support for a ban has fallen to 58 per cent. The pandemic also set back progress by increasing plastic use and making priceconscious individuals and businesses more wary of expensive environmentally friendly packaging. Moreover, many respondents preferred personal protection equipment made with disposable plastics over alternatives.

Concerns over the single-use plastic ban are to be expected, given its societal impacts.

This ban will have extensive ramifications for business practices.

“The ban on single-use plastics will force consumers and companies alike to develop solutions for products that can be reused as opposed to disposed of after use,”

Moores wrote.

Dr. Theo van de Ven, a professor in McGill’s Department of Chemistry, commented on the initially high expense of possible alternatives.

“Initially, [alternatives will have] a higher cost to the consumer, but as new materials are being developed, the cost will come down,” van de Ven wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

Apart from changes in production, increased social awareness of the environmental repercussions of plastic waste is another impact of the ban. Even small bans of single products such as plastic straws have forced people to acknowledge the futility of single-use plastic products and encouraged individuals to re-evaluate their habits.

Above all, they provide concrete paths for countries to strive for a sustainable future.

A ban on plastic products of the magnitude proposed by the Liberal Party could magnify this phenomenon.

Despite reservations that the plastic ban does not go far enough, or that it circumvents humanity’s underlying pollution problem, the changes that it enforces are a necessary first step towards Canada’s greener future. Unfortunately, however, Moores does not believe it will address the larger issue of creating green alternatives to plastic products. “[The ban] will not solve the bigger picture plastics question,” Moores wrote. “[...] We do not recycle enough plastics, and we [first] have to overcome technical challenges to be much better at that.”

SPORTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2020

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Canadian football faces increased obstacles after 2020 CFL season cancellation Professional and collegiate football players in Canada discuss the difficult decision Adam Menikefs Staff Writer In August 2020, the Canadian Football League (CFL) cancelled the 2020 season due to financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many senior officials in the league attempted to prevent the cancellation and a committee worked in the weeks leading into September 2020 to possibly salvage the lost year with a shortened season held in Manitoba. However, the federal government did not grant the league any financial support, a decision that effectively ended any possibility of the CFL resuming play this calendar year.

Despite a significant loss of revenue with the formal cancellation, the league has maintained a positive vision for the future, striving to preserve the world’s second largest professional football league.

“We are absolutely committed to 2021, to the future of our league and the pursuit of our vision of a bigger, stronger, more global CFL,”league commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement following the government’s decision.

However, earlier in the year, Ambrosie had warned that a cancelled season could jeopardize the future of the CFL. This announcement left many involved with the league worried about the stability of its organizations moving forward, particularly those that have witnessed the importance of the league to football in Canada.

Nelkas Kwemo, raised in Montreal, is currently a linebacker for the Toronto Argonauts. Drafted 18th overall by the Argonauts in 2018, he has remained with the club ever since. Kwemo attended Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, where he had an impressive career as a Gael. He earned a spot on the 2018 first team U-Sports AllCanadian roster.

Kwemo described the

(Brent Just / Getty Images)

As Quarterback for McGill University, Dimitri Sinodinos has taken advantage of the team’s unique relationship with the Montreal Alouettes, securing an internship and participating in their training camp. (McGill Athletics) difficulties that the cancelled 2020 season brought upon his own life and the lives of teammates, coaches, personnel, and staff who have shared a bond with the linebacker.

“The cancelled season was heartbreaking for so many people who depend on the league to provide a living for themselves and their families,” Kwemo said in an email to The McGill Tribune.

“Many players, whose contracts are contingent on games being played, are forced to make ends meet with the amount provided through the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy or find other jobs.”

Thankfully for Kwemo and most of his fellow Canadian teammates, their university careers also led to undergraduate degrees, giving them opportunities to pursue jobs outside of the gridiron. The impact of their education has been strengthened by initiatives taken by the CFL Players’ Association to partner with Canadian universities and employers to further the

education and work experience of student athletes. These initiatives include internships, work-study placements, and networking opportunities.

Kwemo has taken advantage of the temporary hiatus, working at Barometer Capital Management, a hedge fund in Toronto. He plans to further his career in investment banking at Scotiabank in January 2021.

“My personal goals are a mixture of business, finance and [media] upon retirement from football,” Kwemo wrote. “To meet these goals, I am putting myself in a position to have as many options as possible on the way out.”

When asked about the uncertainty of both his professional football career and the CFL moving forward, Kwemo was optimistic, although he understood that many issues remain unresolved.

“I am confident the current management team is doing all they can to secure the future of the CFL, but there [is] still lots to be decided,” Kwemo said. “A new Collective Bargaining Agreement is one of the top priorities in the future and multiple big questions still need to be answered. What are the circumstances which players will be asked to play in the coming years given the league’s financial position? What measures will be taken to prevent the spread of COVID amongst players, coaches and fans? All this still needs to be sorted out while we wait.”

The uncertainty of the league’s position moving forward has raised some concerns for ambitious Canadian football players who have seriously considered playing professional football in their future.

Despite an unknown future, many

remain motivated in their pursuit of a professional football career.

Rasheed Tucker is currently one of the top running backs in U SPORTS football and remains a key piece of the Queen’s University Gaels offence following his impressive second campaign during the 2019 season. Tucker was born in Ajax, Ontario, and played for two programs that have produced Canadian football talent at various levels: The Upper Canada College Blues in high school and the Durham Dolphins in the Ontario Provincial Football League.

“Playing professional football has been a dream of mine since I was about 10 years old,” Tucker wrote in an email to the Tribune. “I have definitely put thought towards spending some time in the CFL after my collegiate career. The financial viability of the league is a very complex situation, though after chatting with CFL players, I do not expect the league to go anywhere.

football.”

Reflecting on a challenging and uncertain semester, Tucker understands the mindset many Canadian football players share moving forward.

“Everyone [who is] hungry to make their dream a reality knows [that] they must work harder than ever,” Tucker wrote. “Increased challenges just require increased efforts, and I believe that all the true competitors out there that really deserve a [CFL opportunity] will still find a way to earn it.”

At McGill, the effects of the league’s closure have been felt on campus. The Montreal Alouettes have historically hosted their home games at Percival Molson Stadium, with fans regularly gathering at Douglas Hall and Jeanne Mance Parc before kickoff. Sharing the same stadium has granted many unique opportunities for the McGill Redbirds football team.

“It is great to share our stadium

(Queens Athletics) I hope the league will recover from the challenges created due to COVID-19, and as such, I plan to remain optimistic and stay steady on my future athletic aspirations.”

Tucker’s football career in Canada has been positively impacted and influenced by engaging with players and coaches from the CFL. These experiences have led him to understand the league’s impacts on all levels of football in the country and its necessity in developing homegrown talent and NFL stars.

“In terms of [the] high school to university football transition, athletes coming from high school programs with coaches who had professional football experience were many steps above the average rookie when it came to schematic understanding,” Tucker wrote.

“Personally, my high school coach Christian Heffernan was a former CFL and [U SPORTS wide receiver] and this made a world of difference. The recycling of knowledge with the next generation makes a huge impact and is critical to the advancement of Canadian

with the Montreal Alouettes,” Dimitrios Sinodinos, starting quarterback for McGill wrote in an email to the Tribune. “Sometimes our head coach Ron Hilaire will have a CFL player visit us at practice and give a speech to the team. Every summer the Alouettes would host events for kids to come practice football for the day at Percival Molson.”

On a personal level, Sinodinos has taken advantage of McGill’s connections to the Alouettes.

“I have had the opportunity to really get close to the team last year when I was selected by the Alouettes for the QB internship program, which allowed me to participate in their rookie training camp as one of their quarterbacks,” Sinodinos wrote.

Sinodinos, Tucker, and Kwemo all feel it is important to continue to persevere and work through the pandemic. Their outlook is a testament to the fact that Canadian football at all levels across the country will persevere through the current difficult times.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2020

SPORTS

Redbird name fails to bring unity to McGill Athletics

McGill makes underwhelming name change after more than a year of deliberation Adam Burton, Sarah Farnand and Kaja Surborg Sports Editors & Managing Editor Continued from page 1.

One notable section explained the reason behind the choice to maintain separate names for the men’s and women’s teams.

“During the consultations and in the submissions that it received, the Committee noted that Martlets was the name that generated the highest number of negative feedback (i.e., individuals asking explicitly that the committee not choose Martlets),” the summary read. “Several men’s varsity teams expressed that they were against the idea of choosing Martlets, citing a respect for and admiration of the Martlets’ history, and a desire not to encroach on that legacy.”

The summary does not mention whether any women’s teams objected to their male counterparts using the Martlet name, which is a notable omission, considering that it is their legacy that was supposedly under threat.

In explaining how the name Redbirds, specifically, was chosen, the summary suggests that the school’s existing links to the name were a significant factor in its selection.

“Red birds can be seen on the McGill coat of arms (as Martlets are mythical red birds),” the summary read.

When it came time to select a specific name, however, the committee appears

to have placed their careful respect for women to the side. Per the committee’s own statement, Martlets are a subcategory of red-coloured birds, which inadvertently positions the men’s teams as the standard or default for sports, and the women as a category within that. This problem is pervasive across sports and competition levels, with one notable example being the NBA and the WNBA. While it is unlikely that this was a conscious decision on the part of the committee, it certainly calls into question the sincerity of those who opposed a unified name for the mens’ and womens’ teams out of respect.

Immediately following the announcement of the Redbird name, students took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the new moniker, with several tweets highlighting the continued unnecessary gendering of the team names. Others pointed out that the Redbird name does not put much distance between the racial slur that the teams formerly used and the new brand that they are hoping to build.

The announcement also featured a complete lack of acknowledgement of the years of organizing and activism carried out

by Indigenous students. McGill has never credited the #ChangeTheName campaign and the students who organized it, including the Students’ Society of McGill University Indigenous Affairs Committee, for their work. In 2019, when announcing that the university would no longer use the former

An email to the McGill community on Nov. 17 announced that the men’s varsity teams would henceforth be called the Redbirds. (Jinny Moon / The McGill Tribune) epithet of the Redbirds, Fortier named the chairs of the Working Group on Principles of Commemoration and Renaming, and even a past McGill principal whose speech she quoted in her statement. The message never mentioned student efforts or their organizers.

McGill University’s administration

has a habit of ignoring student demands until it is no longer convenient to do so. Years of organizing by groups like Divest McGill resulted only in a decision to “decrease the carbon footprint of investments,” and the university’s handling of the renaming has followed in this tradition of doing the bare minimum.

MLB must do more than Instagram posts to celebrate Kim Ng Ng makes history as first female GM to lead MLB team Miya Keilin Contributor Kim Ng became the first female general manager of a Major League Baseball (MLB) team when the Miami Marlins hired her on Nov. 13. With 30 years of experience and six League Championships, she is one of the most overqualified individuals to ever be hired as a general manager.

Her accomplishment garnered a tremendous amount of attention, both in and out of the baseball world, largely because it resonated with many groups of people.

Ng’s hiring is a victory, because front offices are not designed to allow people who are not white men to rise to powerful positions—or even enter the building in the first place. Another woman, another person of colour, has broken a glass ceiling in an industry dominated by white men. As an Asian-American woman, especially one that loves baseball, thinking about Ng fills me with so many emotions: I feel proud, inspired, represented, worthy, and powerful.

The league, teams, and other baseball-affiliated individuals and

organizations should absolutely celebrate Ng and her historic achievement. Baseball social media accounts like MLB and the Marlins team posted a stream of quotes, artwork, and videos about Ng in the last week, and she more than deserves the attention. However, it was frustrating to see organizations make these posts without

recognizing that they themselves play a historic role in keeping people like Ng out of baseball. Since the beginning of baseball, they have built and continued to uphold a culture that makes it challenging for minorities to be hired in positions of power. By failing to acknowledge this, these organizations are doing a disservice to her and every person

Kim Ng will enter the 2021-22 season as the first woman to head an MLB franchise. (MLB Photos)

she has inspired along the way.

2020 has been the year of performative actions for MLB. The Black Lives Matter protests in May and June reopened conversations on discrimination against Black people within baseball; MLB took part in these conversations reluctantly. On Opening Weekend, opposing teams held a long piece of black fabric, a seemingly performative gesture highlighting the league’s inadequate efforts to support its Black players.

Even with COVID-19, MLB failed to make genuine efforts. They paid for ads and campaigns to show appreciation for frontline healthcare workers, urging fans to take the pandemic seriously. However, when it came down to their bottom line, the league was all too willing to throw their respect and gratitude out the window and invited 11,388 fans into Globe Life Field to cheer—and breathe—together.

So when organizations posted Kim Ng quotes and images on their social media accounts, I also want to know what concrete actions they are going to take next. I want to know how, from the top down, they are making systemic changes to public messaging, hiring, and

combating internal racism and sexism. I want to know how they are going to make sure the next Asian-American woman doesn’t have to be as overqualified or wait as long as Ng did to get the job they earned. I want to know what they are doing to ensure that men like Brandon Taubman are not welcome in baseball.

The best way for baseball to honour and celebrate Ng is to uproot the deeply ingrained culture of sexism and racism in the sport and finally live up to the ideal that baseball is for everyone. This responsibility does not rest solely on the Marlins, MLB, or any other single organization. The response from major league organizations to Ng’s historic achievement cannot simply be articles and tweets about how “awesome” she is. It is in spite of MLB that Ng rose through the ranks and was finally hired as a general manager. Her grit, hard work, and intelligence is remarkable; however, she is not the only woman who has ever possessed these qualities. I’m so excited that Kim Ng is finally getting her shot. I just hope that many more will soon get theirs too.