The McGill Tribune Vol 40 Issue 22

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021 | VOL. #40 | ISSUE #22

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Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

SPORTS

Quebec’s denial of systemic racism impedes progress

Just a phone call away

In conversation with Dick Pound

PGs. 8-9

PG. 16

PG. 5

(Noah Vaton / The McGill Tribune)

Montreal Global Day of Climate Action march draws hundreds

PG. 3

Meals for Milton-Parc Week showcases local artists and organizations Funds raised went towards supporting Meals for Milton-Parc’s initiatives Saylor Catlin Contributor

From March 17-19, the McGill Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS) hosted Meals for MiltonParc Week in collaboration with Meals for Milton-Parc, a

community-based project that aims to support unhoused individuals in the Milton-Parc neighbourhood, and Jam for Justice, a McGill based non-profit student organization that facilitates social-development and well-being through music.

The week featured several events, including a peyote

Roundtable presents traditional Inuit knowledge in the contemporary world

stitch beading workshop and a coffee house. Organizers held a pay-what-you-can raffle for three prizes, one of which included a donation to Meals for Milton-Parc in the winner’s name. All proceeds from the week went directly to fund the continuation of Meals for Milton-Parc’s initiatives.

PG. 3

‘Queering the Map’ redefines queer space

Public presentations display Inuit art, sustainability, and activism

Community-based mapping project digitally charts queer experiences

Lowell Wolfe Staff Writer

Wendy Zhao Staff Writer

Broadcasting live from Iqaluit, Nunavut on March 19, Aaju Peter lit and kindled a small fire over a large stone tub of oil as students, professors, and artists witnessed the flame spread. By lighting the qulliq—a traditional oil lamp used by Arctic Indigenous Peoples—Peter commenced Inuit

Qaujimajatuqangit: Traditional Knowledge in the Contemporary World, an online round table showcasing Inuit culture and wisdom. The qulliq’s lighting reflected the round table’s thematic emphasis on historical and contemporary Inuit cultural practices.

“Inuit survived out on the land in small groups and in families, not dependent on anything from the outside world, using the qulliq to melt the

water [and] to light and warm their igloo or sod house,” Peter said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “In today’s world, where we do not use the qulliq everyday, it has become a symbol for remembering our traditions and our ancestors.

[We] also use the qulliq as the welcoming tool to start important meetings [and] gatherings, and to welcome participants to the territory or to the meeting.”

PG. 11

Created by multidisciplinary designer Lucas LaRochelle in 2017, Queering the Map (QtM) is a communitybased mapping project that allows users to plot their queer experiences over a digital map.

QtM seeks to redefine

the boundaries of queer spaces: Its millennial pink design portrays a world where queer collectivity forms itself through the sharing of diverse queer realities.

Although the initiative launched in Montreal, QtM has expanded to host over 128,000 stories of 2SLGBTQIA+ existence internation-

ally.

LaRochelle was inspired by the site of one their own formative queer experiences— a crooked tree in Parc Jeanne-Mance—to start QtM. While a tree is not a typical “queer space,” it nevertheless became marked with personal queer significance for LaRochelle.

PG. 10

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TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021

NEWS

Student Wellness Hub plans to offer hybrid in-person and virtual services in Fall 2021 SSMU conducts survey on student mental well-ness Madison Edward-Wright Contributor Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, McGill’s Student Wellness Hub has adapted its services to an online format. With in-person learning halted for the year, counselling appointments have been held remotely and wellness activities—such as art nights and behavioural therapy sessions—are being conducted via Zoom. The McGill Tribune looked into how the Wellness Hub is preparing to transition back to in-person services.

Between November and December 2020, Student Rights Researcher and Advocacy Commissioner (SRRAC) Adrienne Tessier surveyed 393 students on their experiences during the pandemic to inform the SSMU on how to address student needs in the coming semester. While results of this study are ongoing, Tessier and Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) University Affairs (UA) Brooklyn Frizzle shared some preliminary results with The McGill Tribune. Approximately 85 per cent of respondees experienced “Zoom fatigue” from online learn-

Multiple studies show that student’s mental health is suffering repercussions due to the pandemic. (American Psychiatric Association) ing and another 85 per cent of students reported burnout.

At the onset of the Fall 2020 semester, appointments with healthcare professionals transitioned online in response to the changing COVID-19 situation in Montreal and relied on virtual platforms like Zoom, Maple, and Dialogue. One-on-one appointments with counsellors were also hosted virtually through online platforms with the Wellness Hub itself. Starting in the Fall 2021 semester, the Wellness Hub plans to

deliver support through a hybrid system of both virtual and in-person services.

“We look forward to bringing as many services as possible back to campus as soon as public health guidelines permit us to do so,” Media Relations Officer Frédérique Mazerolle said on behalf of McGill University. “In addition to our in-person services, we hope to continue offering virtual supports, as they have been very well received.”

One virtual tool that will re-

main in the hybrid system is Keep. meSAFE, a free 24/7 online mental health application available through the My SSP website that connects students to counsellors.

According to Mazerolle, Keep. meSAFE will continue to be offered during Fall 2021 because of its wide reaching accessibility. Frizzle also noted that Keep. meSAFE has proven to be reliable during the pandemic.

“The pandemic has made healthcare inaccessible to many students [...] and Keep.meSAFE ha[s] been useful for [...] students abroad,” Frizzle wrote.

The Wellness Hub staff are currently discussing which services should continue to be offered remotely and which should be held in person. SSMU Mental Health Commissioner Julia Caddy said the Society is advocating for the continuation of online resources, as the survey found them efficient in reducing wait times and expanding accessibility.

“The biggest initiative moving forward really needs to be about communicating the opportunities available to students both in terms of accessible programming at the [Wellness] Hub [and] unique resources throughout the

community,” Caddy said.

As research has shown, students’ mental health has suffered over the past year. Caddy mentioned that during the Winter 2021 semester, the volume of students requesting support at the Wellness Hub was higher than what was manageable.

“It is no secret that the mental health services at the [Wellness] Hub and in our larger community are being pushed to capacity right now,” Caddy said. “In fact, they already were before the pandemic.

We really hope to [raise awareness about] the vast array of health promotion activities, group opportunities, and more that the [Wellness] Hub has to offer.”

In addition to raising awareness about the mental health programs offered by the Wellness Hub, SSMU Mental Health is currently looking into other possible long term solutions to student mental health needs.

“A real solution requires working on a systemic level to create supportive environments in our daily life, to equip individuals and those around them with the skills to manage and respond to mental health [needs],” Caddy said.

Monthly Dignity responds to international movements against period poverty Advocates say the pandemic has exacerbated menstrual product accessibility Maya Watt Contributor In Nov. 2017, Chloé Pronovost-Morgan, Med 2, and Julia Coste, BA ‘19, launched Monthly Dignity, a nonprofit organization that distributes menstrual hygiene products to unhoused people in Montreal. After founding the initiative, the duo realized that “period poverty” affects many diverse communities, including unhoused people, people living under the poverty line, single mothers, and students. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, financial precarity has made it harder to access basic resources on a day-to-day basis, and period poverty has only worsened.

While several countries such as Scotland and New Zealand have recently passed legislation confirming access to period products as a right, Canada has yet to commit to universal access, although it did eliminate taxes on tampons in 2015. The expense of menstrual hygiene products creates obstacles for those of lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Pronovost-Morgan questioned why menstrual products are not always accessible in public spaces, when other essential hygiene products are readily available.

“The accessibility of toilet paper and soap is not a question that we ask ourselves,” Pronovost-Morgan said.

“But how awkward would it be if you went into a public space and you did not have toilet paper?”

A recent global movement has seen a push by several nations to eliminate period inequity. Following in the Scotish government’s footsteps, which passed The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill in Nov. 2020, the New Zealand government announced Feb. 2021 that the country will be making menstrual products free in schools.

Part of New Zealand’s Youth and Wellbeing strategy legally requires local authorities to ensure that those who

need menstrual products can obtain them for free.

“This [legislation] is a completely new way of thinking about it, at least for me,” Pronovost-Morgan said.

“When we started out we could not even conceive of a world where this is possible, but of course, we are drawing inspiration from Scotland and New Zealand.”

While Scotland and New Zealand are at the forefront of this movement, in the United States, 30 states still tax menstrual products as luxury items. In Canada, menstrual products are also taxed, but not as luxury items.

Organizations like Period Packs and Period Promise have raised awareness in places like Ottawa and Vancouver, but no substantial systemic change regarding menstrual equity

Monthly Dignity addresses an issue that lies at the intersection of two very taboo subjects: homelessness and menstruation.

(Perri Tomkiewicz / Harpers Bazaar)

has occurred in Canada.

Brooklyn Frizzle, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President University Affairs, is responsible for the coordination of menstrual hygiene products on campus. Frizzle discussed SSMU’s efforts to alleviate menstrual poverty during the pandemic.

“I can say that the SSMU Menstrual Hygiene Team has really made the best of a bad situation [by] reorienting our services away from our usual buildings and towards donations to community groups and campus services,” Frizzle said.

Plan International Canada claims that the pandemic has exacerbated the issue by highlighting a severe shortage of period products, a sharp rise in prices, and a lack of access to basic information all complicate period management for those already experiencing period poverty.

Community organizations, such as Montreal women’s shelter Chez Doris, are making similar strides by offering home deliveries for menstrual products. Marina BoulosWinton, executive director of Chez Doris, claims that donations of menstrual products during the pandemic have not waned.

“Donations have been strong [and] people have been so generous.” Boulos-Winton said.

In the past three years since their launch, PronovostMorgan said the Monthly Dignity team has faced roadblocks to achieving their goal of universal access to menstrual hygiene products.

“We are limited by funds and partnership arrangements,” Pronovost-Morgan said. “We have gotten to the point where we think the government should step in [because] the problem is much bigger than we thought.”

Monthly Dignity plans on expanding its community outreach, and has recently partnered with Project 10, an organization that aims to support the wellbeing 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021

NEWS

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Meals for Milton-Parc Week showcases local artists and organizations

Funds raised went towards supporting Meals for Milton-Parc’s initiatives Saylor Catlin Contributor Continued from page 1.

Thursday’s beading workshop was led by Maïlys Flamand, a member of the Ilnu and Atikamekw First Nations.

Flamand works for Native Montreal, an organization that provides cultural services, healthcare, and employment aid to Indigenous communities within Greater Montreal. As a cultural animator for Native Montreal, Flamand oversees the organization’s craft workshops that allow participants to learn about different Indigenous artistic techniques. All of the materials for Thursday’s beading workshop were sourced from Beaded Dreams, an Indigenous-owned arts and craft store in Ottawa.

In an email to The McGill Tribune, Sophie Hart, U3 Arts and founder of Meals for Mil-

ton-Parc, spoke about the importance of highlighting Indigenous art through the beading event.

“We decided to do an event and include [Flamand] to raise awareness and cultural appreciation for Indigenous artworks as many of our unhoused neighbours [in Montreal] are Indigenous,” Hart said. “This way, an Indigenous artist gets to share their knowledge while being paid and students get to learn their expertise and about their culture through an appreciative lens.”

Friday’s coffee house event featured local artists who performed pre-recorded sets. While most artists performed acousticstyle in front of their camera, some opted to showcase visuals with their performances. Notably, Bozobaby, a multi-instrumental singer and songwriter, played a produced music video during their set, which featured them with friends wandering

through the city’s streets.

ASUS was in the process of planning a similar charity coffee house event last spring, but called off the event with the onset of the pandemic. Mendell was pleased to see the event come to fruition this year.

“It went from just a coffee

house event to [...] two and a half events, [and] it grew from there,” Mendell said.

Mendell explained that once organizers decided they wanted to host a coffee house event, Jam for Justice seemed the obvious organization to partner with.

Sadie Bryant, U0 Arts and first

Raffle prizes were all sourced from local Montreal artists, businesses, and restaurants. (Allen McInnis / Montreal Gazette)

year representative for Jam for Justice, enjoyed collaborating with ASUS. “For this event, it was amazing to get to work with ASUS,” Bryant wrote to the Tribune.

“They put a lot of work into organizing the event and provided the funding for raffle prizes.”

Artists who performed with Jam for Justice were compensated by the ASUS. According to Hart, the collaboration between Meals for Milton-Parc, Jam for Justice, and ASUS showcased the organizing and fundraising potential held by student-led organizations.

“The [...] event with Jam for Justice is a community-building event and a time for people who will be coming to learn about [...] our organizations and the work we do,” Hart said. “I think this week of events is a great way to show the possibilities of clubs and organizations coming together.”

Montreal Global Day of Climate Action march draws hundreds Activists call for intersectional approach climate justice

Joseph Pappas Contributor On March 19, the Coalition étudiant pour un virage environnemental et social (CEVES) organized “Manifestation mondiale pour la justice climatique et sociale” (Global protest for climate and social justice). The march was part of Greta Thunberg’s Fridays for Future movement, which unites climate protesters worldwide each Friday to demand government action to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, and the recognition

of Indigenous sovereignty over unceded lands. CEVES, a Quebec student organization, seeks to achieve racial, climate, and immigration justice in Montreal and worldwide.

The march, which saw over 300 people participate, began with a rally in Jean-Mance Park.

Attendees gathered to demand carbon neutrality by 2030, the recognition of Indigenous sovereignty in Canada, and the defunding and demilitarization of police forces.

Activist Janet Pilot from

The Racial Justice Collective, a community organization that aims to create a better future for BIPOC youth, spoke about her work with students. Pilot emphasized the need to work collectively as a community to achieve climate and racial justice for the generations to come. She stressed that both the government and individuals have a role in combating systemic racism against Indigenous communities across Canada.

“We want to help our children in the right direction for our next generation,” Pilot said.* “We

Over 300 local activists marched in Montreal calling for climate and social justice. (Noah Vaton / The McGill Tribune)

know that all of the systems are strong. Our government will not address these concerns, especially in the area of the health of our government [....] So, to send our children in the right direction for the next generation, it will take the help of everyone.”

The event focussed on climate and social justice, highlighting the voices of local activists—joined by socialists, communists, and nationalists alike—and their unique perspectives on the necessity for policy changes addressing the climate crisis. Nathalia Garcia, BA ’18, attended the march with Socialist Fightback at Concordia and McGill, an organization that aims to change the current cycles of economic production to pave the way for a sustainable future. Garcia urged that there was a distinct connection between climate change and capitalism.

“We are here to connect the struggle against climate change with the struggle against capitalism,” Garcia said. “I think that there’s a really clear link between everything that is going on with the environment and the way that we produce things. The people who make the decisions about production don’t really care about the environment, oil spills, green energy, or anything about the environment [....] Let’s put production in the hands of people who actually care about the environment and the people who actually feel the effects of the environmental collapse.”

According to Garcia, marches and mass politics play an important role in the fight for climate justice; change will only transpire from a collective force.

“I think protesting and mass action is very important, but it can’t just be random actions here and there,” Garcia said. “There has to be coordination. The labour movement has to get involved as well.”

Hady Anne spoke on behalf of Solidarity Across Borders, a Montreal-based migrant justice network. Anne described his organization’s goals regarding the intersectional fight for migrant and climate justice.

“We demand a strategy for all because we have a duty to act regarding the issues of environment, extraction, forest deterioration, the confiscation of Indigenous lands, but also of migration,” Anne said.* Anne emphasized the critical link between the environmentally unsustainable policies of developed nations and the influx of migrants as a result of unstable living conditions in their home countries.

“They leave their countries because of the theft,” Anne said. “They leave their countries because there is this capitalism which extracts resources from their countries, which creates wars, and which displaces their people.” *Note: The quotes from Hady Anne and Janet Pilot have been translated from French by the author.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021

HSA webinar explores historical interconnections of race, religion, and resistance Panellists discuss the relationship between spirituality and racial justice movements Charlotte Power Contributor The McGill History Students’ Association (HSA) and the McGill Office of Religious and Spiritual Life (MORSL) hosted a panel on March 18 that explored the interconnections between faith, race, and recent racial justice movements. The webinar was moderated by HSA VicePresident (VP) Academic and U4 Arts student Ffion Hughes, and featured talks from Wendell Adjetey, a professor in the Department of History, and Rawda Baharun, B.A. ‘20. In their remarks, both Adjetey and Baharun drew connections between historical Black resistance and Islamic movements, as well as contemporary resistance movements.

During her time as a McGill student, Baharun was the president of the McGill Black Students’ Network (BSN) and the vice-president of the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA). Baharun began her presentation by discussing Islamic History and theological and historical figures relevant to the faith. She noted in her speech how the Islamic religion often offered resistance for enslaved peoples during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

“One of the reasons why religion acts as a powerful mode of resistance is because it asserts and instills a sense of personhood and humanity,” Baharun said.

“Black Muslim slaves were forced to leave their spirituality behind [....] Islam instilled this Manhood or humanness in these slaves.”

Baharun detailed the intersectionality of Black Hijabi hair politics, highlighting how, for some Black Hijabi women, wearing a hijab acts as a symbol of individuality and resistance to patriarchal control.

“The idea of the hijab in its essence is a challenge toward the male gaze,” Baharun said. “By creating a dynamic where you cannot see something that people are accustomed to seeing, it kind of flips the gaze on its head. Veiled Black Muslim women’s terrain is unique because of the specific intersection of Blackness, womanness, Muslimness […] and what those identities mean within the wider scope of social currents [...] associated with those identities.”

Next to speak was Adjetey, who researches civil rights and the post-Reconstruction United States. Much of Adjetey’s work focusses on the creation of a Pan-African North America, a topic that he touched on during his presentation.

When examining the relationship between spirituality and religion in Africa, Adjetey stressed the importance that African spirituality and traditions had during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. He noted how Indigenous spiritual systems helped foster collective resistance among the enslaved.

“Despite these crimes against African peoples, which were genocidal in nature, spanning over 1,000 years and continuing, enslaved Africans and their descendants managed to retain aspects of their spiritual systems wherever they

After the arrival of the first Africans to the Americas anti-Muslim measures were implemented by colonialists to ‘protect’ their colonies from revolts. (Elli Slavitch / McGill Tribune) landed,” Adjetey said. “Not only did enslaved Africans believe that their deities helped them cross the middle [Atlantic] passage, but that the deities also helped them mount daring resistance against their enslavers.”

Hughes discussed how religion and religious practices have served as a crucial form of spiritual guidance for marginalized peoples throughout history. Hughes explained to The McGill Tribune that she hopes the event will impact the way Mc-

Gill students perceive social movements.

“The speakers opened our eyes to the complex intersectional links between race, faith, and liberatory movements, a dynamic that is too often overlooked,” Hughes said. “Spirituality can offer an important basis for racial justice activism within and beyond the faith community.

Hopefully, events like this will help make students more aware of the diverse ways that race and religions can intersect, both in history and in the present day.”

Darshan Daryanani claims SSMU presidency in narrowly passed election Claire Downie to serve as Vice-President University Affairs Ella Fitzhugh Staff Writer The 2021-2022 Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) executive election polling period closed on March 19 at 5:00 p.m. EST, ringing in Darshan Daryanani, U3 Arts, as the SSMU President-elect. Daryanani was elected with 1614 the electorate ranking him first on the ballot.

The second-place candidate, Jake Reed, U2 Engineering, amassed 935 votes as the first-choice candidate. The election, which saw 3455 out of 22691 undergraduate electors vote, narrowly met the required quorum of 15 per cent.

Students also elected Claire Downie, U3 Arts, to be the next Vice-President (VP) University Affairs (UA)—the only other contested position in the running.

Downie surpassed her opponent Neel Soman, U3 Arts, winning 60 per cent of the student vote.

VP Finance Éric Sader, VP Student Life Karla Heisele Cubilla, VP Internal Sarah Paulin and VP External Sacha Delouvrier, will make up the rest of the executive team.

Incoming SSMU President Daryanani’s platform centres on revamping student spaces, introducing student services like a SSMU smartphone application, advocating for marginalized students, and ensuring anti-oppression practices at McGill. Daryanani reflected on his campaign and detailed his goals in a statement to the Tribune.

“It has been an equally challenging and rewarding experience, and I cannot wait to begin the hard work of fulfilling my campaign promises alongside my peers at SSMU,” Daryanani wrote.

“Throughout the past four years, I have witnessed the limitless resilience of McGill students. Over the next few months, I hope to consult with key stakeholders to coordinate a seamless transition and discuss plans for the coming term.”

Downie was elected VP University Affairs on her platform to advocate for the continuation of the expanded S/U policy for students, uphold COVID-19 safety guidelines in Fall 2021, and push for greater academic accessibility, especially for students with disabilities. Downie acknowledged

the work of her predecessors.

“It felt very special to get to know new people during COVID, where meeting new people has been harder than most years,’’ Downie wrote. “I feel so lucky to have learned from Madeline and Brooklyn over the past two years [....] I am grateful for everyone who trusted me with this responsibility. I do not take this work lightly.”

Incoming VP Internal Paulin

hopes to improve communication between different faculties and increase Francophone representation at McGill. Her platform focusses on ensuring safety during the transition back to in-person learning formats.

“I am so excited to get to work and create a more transparent campus during my time at SSMU,” Paulin wrote. “I hope the legacy I am able to leave is one of increased communication and

Alongside executive election results, the Winter 2021Referendum results shut down the increase of the SSMU membership fee, denying prospect for paying SSMU councillors. (Leanne Young / The McGill Tribune)

a more accessible campus for all, particularly [for] first-year and Francophone students [....] My first course of action will be to create a timeline of events that will promote safety on campus while attempting to bring back a semblance of normalcy to campus.”

VP External-elect Delouvrier commended current VP External Ayo Ogunremi’s work and is looking forward to beginning his term.

“I would like to underline the high quality of the work that the incumbent, Ayo Ogunremi, has done,” Delouvrier wrote. “I look forward to advocating for student rights, conducting political affairs, and helping students transition back to in-person learning and activities, whether it is from the SSMU offices or directly on the streets as part of a mobilization effort.”

All but one of the Winter 2021 Referendum questions were passed with a “yes” vote, with 50.4 per cent voting against a proposed increase of the SSMU membership fee. The increased member fee would have gone toward providing hourly wages for student senators and councillors.

OPINION

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021

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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 Kennedy McKee-Braide kmckee-braide@mcgilltribune.com Sophia Gorbounov sgorbounov@mcgilltribune.com

News Editors Maya Abuali, Kate Addison & Sequoia Kim news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Jonah Fried & Sepideh Afshar opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editors Madison Mclauchlan & Shafaq Nami 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 Jasmine Acharya photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editors Sarah Ford & Alexandre Hinton multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developer Benjamin Alexandor & Marwan Khan webdev@mcgilltribune.com

OFF THE BOARD

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

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

STAFF Reza Ali, Margaret Askey, Zoe Babad-Palmer, Rory Daly, Ella Fitzhugh, Justin Galouzi, Defne Gurcay, Signy Harnad, Zoe Karkossa, Lucy Keller, Deana Korsunsky, Erika MacKenzie, Maya Mau, Adam Menikefs, Ella Milloy, Naomi Mirny, Matthew Molinaro, Jinny Moon, Respina Rostamifar, Brian Schatteman, Noah Vaton, Josephine Wang, Xiaotian Wang,Youssef Wahba, Margaret Wdowiak, Lowell Wolfe, Wendy Zhao

CONTRIBUTORS India Blaisdell, Saylor Catlin, Sabri Conde-Yassin Elissa Dresdner, Daria Kiseleva, Joseph Pappas, Charlotte Power, Maya Watt

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EDITORIAL

Quebec’s denial of systemic racism impedes progress On March 17, La Presse reported that a Saint-Eustache hospital had posted job placements for “white only” personal attendants. According to the hospital, a “difficult” patient that refused treatment by non-white individuals, prompted officials to search for a white orderly to cater to the patient’s preferences. Such discriminatory job postings are illegal, and the government has launched an investigation into the situation. Nevertheless, the fact that hospital administrators assuaged the patient’s racism reveals a much deeper crisis that should infuriate every Quebecer. Although provincial officials refuse to acknowledge that systemic racism exists in Quebec, racism in the healthcare system will continue to persist until the government places morals above politics and support activists’ efforts to confront it.

While patients have the right to decline medical treatment, their refusal to receive care from a nonwhite practitioner is not only racist, but also devalues the physician’s years of training. Memory-loss conditions like dementia lead to poor behaviour, but they do not

Sarah Ford Multimedia Editor Photographing wildlife is not only my primary hobby, but my passion.

Nothing beats the thrill of finding an animal, the adrenaline of setting up a shot, and the reward of taking a successful picture. When I look at the collection of photographs I have taken, I am awestruck by the beauty and diversity of wildlife and, I must admit, my luck in capturing these images. But I like to believe there is more to my photography than being in the right place at the right time with the technical skills to capture a sharp, nicely exposed picture. I like to think that I am creating art.

Like other forms of photography, wildlife photography calls for good composition, light, balance, colour, and

excuse racism, and catering to such outrageous requests only further rationalizes their harm.

While no person should be denied care if their life is in danger, the medical professionals involved were not obligated to fulfill such an unreasonable request—especially when doing so is against the law and other solutions were available.

It would be a false equivalency to suggest that the patient’s request was comparable to a BIPOC individual demanding care by someone from their own community. Consider the tragic Sept. 28 death of Joyce Echaquan, an Atikamekw mother of seven who died in a Joliette hospital while being subjected to racial slurs up until the moment of her passing. Whereas racialized people have cause to fear for their safety, racists are driven by harmful, baseless stereotypes, and to accommodate bigotry of any sort is outrageous. Given Quebec’s history of discrimination in healthcare, marginalized persons have every reason to seek secure treatment from those with whom they can feel safe.

Whether the request was motivated by a medical condition

or not, the patient’s insidious demands serves as an indictment on Quebec society as a whole.

Still, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) administration has willfully ignored deep-seated racism in the province for years. Premier Legault’s immediate reaction to Ms. Echaquan’s death was particularly disturbing: In an Oct. 6 apology, he lurched on the talking point that the incident did not reflect the “Quebec nation” as a whole—defending nationalist rhetoric at the expense of moral necessity. Meanwhile, his administration continues to deny the importance of collecting race-based COVID-19 data, insinuating that the province is blind to race and the unique challenges facing racialized people. The government may in fact be blind to race, but only when it comes to addressing socioeconomic problems disproportionately affecting non-white people.

Legault also recently appointed Benoit Charret, a white man with little relevant experience, to lead the government’s antiracism taskforce. Although being white does not automatically disqualify Mr. Charret from holding such a position, it does

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mean he should be held to a higher standard. Nevertheless, he himself has already asserted that systemic racism does not exist in Quebec.

This new position will be of no use until he and the rest of the CAQ party acknowledge the shameful conditions faced by racialized people.

It is incumbent upon Charret to use his power to address the inequalities that permeate Quebec society. Above all, however, it is crucial that white officials who are appointed to positions of power elevate marginalized voices, rather than take credit for their work. To do otherwise would not only be unfair to the thousands of racialized activists fighting for their communities, but also perpetuate a contemporary “white saviour” complex.

Without question, Quebec must enforce laws against discrimination to ensure that those responsible for the St. Eustache postings are held accountable. But more than anything, it is essential that Quebec’s leaders admit that SaintEustache was not an aberration and treat it as a symptom of the racism festering in the province.

Art imitating art texture, and entails making decisions to create the most engaging and impactful images possible. However, the reception of my photographs often ignores these decisions. Rather than commenting on my use of light or my compositional choices, I am usually met with comments that highlight the beauty of the animals themselves, such as pointing out the sharp talons on a hawk or the detail in a snake’s eye. When I first started wildlife photography, these comments annoyed me, as I wished people would instead focus on the skill and meticulous aesthetic decisions needed to photograph these animals. However, when I receive these comments now, I am much more appreciative, because they highlight something it took me time to recognize—wildlife is already art.

Nature creates lines, shapes, and textures that are so breathtaking and powerful that they cannot escape the category of art. I often encounter this phenomenon when I am editing the images I capture. After correcting a few technical flaws, I find myself at a loss for what else to change. The contrast between a raccoon’s darkened eyes and its light fur is already so impactful, the seeming frailty of a bee’s wings so evocative, that additional editing is unnecessary to make these details more aesthetically poignant.

Today, when people comment on the natural beauty of wildlife that I am able to capture through my images,

I am happy to draw their attention to this art form. Since we often encounter wildlife in small ways during our everyday life, it is easy to overlook their beauty. Wildlife photography is closely tied to conservation photography, which more directly invokes viewers to act in protecting wildlife. This medium has the ability to document the wonders of wildlife and can encourage the appreciation of these animals––a key motivation for my work.

However, the inherent artistic quality of wildlife does not make this form of photography any easier.

Creating art from art is more complicated than it may seem. Making unsuccessful artistic choices can easily detract from natural beauty. While a telephoto lens can capture close-up, intricate details, it may also depict the animal as detached from its surrounding environment, failing to balance appearance with storytelling. Furthermore, in the case of a sudden sighting, it is easy to forget about composition in the frenzy of the moment, while fumbling for my lens cap and losing track of

the focus ring. Wildlife photography is also very often an uncomfortable process, with bugs devouring my knuckles in summer and my hands becoming immobile under freezing metal lenses in winter. In the midst of these distractions, it is no easy task to ponder the benefits of a wider depth of field. Wildlife photography is an art of adaptation and circumstance, with no foolproof step-by-step guide to a successful picture.

Taking these challenges into consideration, if my artistic choices become invisible under the breathtaking beauty of the natural world, that means to me that my photography has been successful. If I have managed not to detract from, but to amplify these wonders, I can emerge from swampy waters with muddy boots and a feeling of accomplishment.

The best wildlife images, and the kind I strive to create, manage to balance natural artistic wonder with intentional choices to create not simple documentary evidence, but powerful art.

ERRATUM An article published in the March 16 issue 21 titled ‘SSMU Winter 2021 referendum endorsements’ incorrectly stated that Midnight Kitchen could allocate 20 per cent of its budget to discretionary funding. Midnight Kitchen allocates five per cent of its budget to discretionary funding. The Tribune regrets this error.

6

OPINION

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021

POINT-COUNTERPOINT The McGill Tribune Opinion section staff writers debate the merits of the synchronous versus asynchronous learning styles adopted during the pandemic.

Michael Dickinson Staff Writer Synchronous COVID-19 has upended students’ university experiences, and without a normal routine, it is hard to stay motivated. Many students also feel socially isolated and miss the sense of community that inperson classes provided. Although they are an imperfect substitute, synchronous online courses are better than asynchronous alternatives because they replicate the structure and social engagement of in-person learning.

The comfort of an established routine is critical for mental health, and synchronous classes allow structure during a time of constant uncertainty. While it is easy to put off watching lecture recordings, students are less likely to procrastinate when material is delivered at a set time. When students plan their days around lectures, it creates a sense of purpose and motivation that online classes otherwise lack.

Live courses also grant stu-

COMMENTARY Katia Lo Innes Managing Editor Content warning: Anti-Asian racism and gendered violence.

In a year wracked with pain and bigotry, Asian communities across the diaspora contend with yet more collective grief. On March 16, gunman Richard Long opened fire in three Asian massage parlours in the Atlanta area and killed eight people—Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Soon Chung Park, Hyeon Jeong Kim, Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez, Paul Andre Michael, Sun Cha Kim and Yong Ae Yue—the majority of whom were Asian women.

Cherokee County sheriff Jay Baker claimed that Long’s killing spree was driven by his sex addiction, not by racial motivations, and rebuttles to this claim by Asian communities have largely focussed on how this narrative ignores endemic anti-Asian racism.

The truth, however, is more complex: The shooting equally concerns antiAsian racism and violence against sex workers. Identifying the tragedy as a stark act of anti-Asian misogyny is crucial to healing, as any other reductive rhetoric only endorses further violence against Asian women and migrant sex workers.

To be synchronous or asynchronous

dents the opportunity to actively participate, developing a community atmosphere that cannot be found elsewhere in online education. In a synchronous format, students can ask professors questions in real time and discuss class concepts with their peers. While online conversations may be awkward at times, they are invaluable to students suffering from social isolation since they are the only way to foster the spontaneous interactions that make learning worthwhile and enjoyable.

Although live classes can present accessibility concerns for certain students, professors can adapt elements of their courses to give students a choice that they would not have in fully asynchronous classes. For example, McGill strongly encourages professors to record live lectures for students who cannot attend. Implementing select asynchronous elements within the synchronous format meets a variety of student needs.

Lecture recordings may be the better option for some, but there is no reason why they should be forced on all students. Even during a pandemic, the university experience should be more meaningful than watching videos, and synchronous virtual classes remain the best alternative to learning in person.

Valentina de la Borbolla Staff Writer Asynchronous McGill encourages a combination of synchronous and asynchronous elements, for good reason.

While in some ways valuable, the synchronous aspects of university classes remain constraining and unrealistic considering COVID-19 and how the pandemic has upended our lives.

Synchronous Zoom meetings where attendance is graded and only a handful of students participate do very little for student’s education and well-being. Although similar in format to recorded lectures, Zoom meetings do not allow for regular breaks and rewinding, which are both crucial to accommodate students’ attention spans, note-taking, and Zoom fatigue. In a Fall 2020 McGill survey, 79 per cent of respondents identified difficulty focussing as a challenge of online classes and 59 per cent of respondents struggled with time management. On the other hand, 64 per cent of respondents believe that pre-recorded lectures are serving them well.

An asynchronous approach to online schooling gives students the option to work at their own pace.

In a time where choice is bound by

Remote courses vary in delivery formats, with many instructors continuing to hold live, synchronous lectures over Zoom. (Elissa Dresdner / The McGill Tribune)

public safety, there is value in dictating your own schedule. Flexibility is key to living through a pandemic, and universities should give their students the time and resources to overcome the challenges of online schooling.

Although this much agency can lead to a lack of structure, the synchronous model is not much better. It is unreasonable to expect students–– many of whom are currently in time zones different from Montreal––to bear the constraints of mandatory attendance and graded participation when these are not the most beneficial methods for online learning. Students living in different time

zones should not have to choose between having enough sleep and receiving an education. The online format does not foster in-depth conversations, making it difficult to hold effective class discussions. Forcing interactions does not lead to active engagement, it only induces anxiety.

McGill should give up the notion that online school is equivalent to in-person learning and focus on reducing students’ misery. The only feasible system is one that allows students to adapt their class schedules to their mental health and other responsibilities, rather than imposing a structure that leaves them drained and frustrated.

The safety of Asian migrant sex workers is everyone’s concern In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, it would be simple to label the tragedy as the tragic capstone of the slow, insidious ramping up of antiAsian hate in the United States and Canada since the onset of COVID-19.

Yet it is documented that anti-Asian hate was endemic before the proliferation of racist, COVID-19 related rhetoric.

Further, framing the shooting as being purely racially motivated completely ignores how gender, sex work, migrant status, and class factor into this violence.

In Canada, Asian women are especially at risk of violence; women made up 70 per cent of reported antiAsian hate crimes in British Columbia in 2020. Further, the unjust portrayal of Asian women by imperialists as submissive “china dolls” has stripped them of their sexual agency and put them at greater risk of sexual violence.

This fetishization of Asian women has encouraged entire industries— including websites that boast Asian models and sex dolls tailored to resemble East Asian women—to cater to “yellow fever.” It is no coincidence, then, that Long targeted Asian massage parlours.

Massage parlours, predominantly staffed by Asian and migrant sex workers, have long borne the brunt of violence: In 2017, massage worker

Canadian activists are now demanding further protection for sex workers and migrant women. (Katia Lo Innes / The McGill Tribune)

Yang Song was killed by police in Flushing, NYC, and Ashley Noell Arzaga was murdered last May in North York. According to Butterfly Network, 12 per cent of Asian and migrant parlour workers experienced physical or sexual assault by law enforcement in 2018. Acknowledging that the victims worked in, or frequented, massage parlours is crucial, as there is a stigma within Asian communities that dehumanizes massage parlour workers due to the erotic nature of their work.

Whether they explicitly identified as sex workers or not is irrelevant: Their deaths stem from the proliferation of innate whorephobia and the same racism that fetishizes Asian women, and reduces them to commodities.

Addressing the shooting as a one-note, pan-Asian problem fails to consider the stark misogyny and classism that exists within Asian diaspora communities; recently, many East Asian communities in North America have embraced far-

right politics that are xenophobic and pro-police. This rise in conservatism, coupled with the pre-existing stigmas around sex work, ostracizes sex workers from larger Asian communities.

Likewise, the unsavoury “model minority” myth shames those who fail to fit the mold of financially successful Asian immigrants. Asian communities must embrace and protect sex workers, finding solidarity together instead of scapegoating them.

The danger to Asian communities goes beyond simply demeaning comments about smelly food and microaggressions in classrooms: We are losing Asian women and migrant sex workers to preventable violence. Already, the police presence in Asian communities has increased since the shooting; in the past year, the SPVM increased their patrols in Montreal’s Chinatown, however, this decision protects only a select few business owners. Increasing policing is a misguided decision that will only further endanger sex workers and undocumented migrants.

Decriminalizing sex work is necessary and will protect not only Asian lives, but the lives of all sex workers. Every Asian sex worker, Asian woman, and Asian immigrant is precious. We must always treat them this way.

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021

STUDENT LIFE

7

Active days with McGill’s Movement Crew

How this student-led initiative benefits kinesiology and non-kinesiology students alike Josephine Wang Staff Writer It has been just over one year since much of the world entered COVID-19-related lockdown measures. This confinement has considerably reduced levels of physical activity, with medical experts raising concerns about the long-term public health consequences of increasing sedentary behaviour. The pandemic has also made finding internship opportunities—especially interactive and in-person jobs— difficult for many students.

In response to these concerns, two kinesiology students launched the McGill Movement Crew. The initiative connects kinesiology students with non-kinesiology students, facilitating a trainertrainee relationship wherein kinesiology students develop exercise programs tailored to the needs of their fellow students.

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, creators of The McGill Movement Crew Ioana Gheta and Thalia Krauth-Ibarz, both U2 Kinesiology, discussed how the initiative came to life and its benefits on kinesiology and nonkinesiology students alike.

“When COVID started, a lot of [kinesiology] students were looking for volunteer and internship opportunities [and] obviously a lot of things were closed and unavailable,” Gheta said. “On the other hand, we had students in situations where gyms were closed [and they] could not do gym sports or intramurals. We decided to create this platform to bridge the gap between these two groups.”

The process is personalized to the needs of the individual seeking an exercise plan. KrauthIbarz explained how the mutually beneficial exchange works. “[We first give] a couple of questionnaires asking [non-kin students] about their exercise experiences, habits, and goals, and pair them up with kin students,” Krauth-Ibarz said. “From there, they meet with the participants [virtually] and create personalized workouts for them for the duration of the semester.”

Students who share similar exercise goals can commit to the same exercise program together by signing up as a group and receiving supervision from the same kinesiology student. Kinesiology students who lack the confidence to

Hands-on experience is an important component of kinesiology students’ education that has been lost amid the pandemic. (stylecaster.com) deliver exercise plans on their own have the option of creating plans in teams.

“We get a feeling of [a student’s] motivation, goals, and what they are striving towards and then give them a workout for a short period,” Gheta said. “We do have essential checkups to see what’s working and what’s not [and] how [the participants] feels [....] It’s all done in a step-by-step

process, and the progression is monitored.”

For kinesiology students, applied work experiences like these are invaluable. Internships are regarded as ways to try out potential career paths and obtain real-life work experience, but the pandemic has limited these opportunities.

The McGill Movement Crew offers kinesiology students a chance to develop skills by applying their

knowledge to create programs.

“There is also a step [...] called the Kin huddle [where we] get some advice on the workout programs before we administer them, since we’re students and still learning,” Krauth-Ibarz said. “We also tried to make sure that [kinesiology] students have resources and can ask professional [kinesiologists] who have been working for a long time. If there is a specific question we feel we cannot answer [...], we have two kin professors with us that we are able to ask questions to and are always there to help.”

Gheta and Krauth-Ibarz have long-term plans for the McGill Movement Crew. Whether or not the pandemic lockdown persists, the duo plans on maintaining the initiative.

“We hope to get into the gym with our participants [next semester, but] if we can’t go to school, we will deliver in the same way we are now,” KrauthIbarz said. “We would love for [kinesiology] students to have that hands-on experience, and get that face-to-face interaction [...] but also COVID has given us a really great base for times when that can’t happen [....] It’s given us a lot of great things we’re going to keep.”

‘Raising Spirits’ game uncovers 1950s McGill student life McGill’s history is relived through the game

Wendy Zhao Staff Writer While the McGill community remains geographically fragmented, the McGill Library’s alternate reality game Raising Spirits: A Timely Diversion invites students to converge virtually on campus sites and experience them anew. Featuring artifacts drawn from McGill’s library archives, the game resurrects marginalized figures from the university’s past and narrates their stories across space and time. The project seeks to give players a sense of shared identity rooted in this year’s online learning format. On March 18, the McGill Library released the third instalment of Raising Spirits, which highlights McGill student life in the 1950s.

Paul Davarsi, BA ‘95, educator and creative director of Raising Spirits, described the game’s objectives in a panel discussion on its creation.

“We approached it with a [...] spirit of trying to bring students from around the world who would not be on campus [...] and give them a sense of place,” Davarsi said.

To preserve the fun of discovery for new players, Nathalie Cooke, associate dean of McGill Library and the game’s producer, was hesitant to give spoilers. The games are designed to surprise players, revealing the histories of characters obscured from McGill’s past while taking students to campus spots such as Roddick Gates and various McGill libraries.

Raising Spirits is a collaborative project

between archivists, graphic designers, librarians, and programmers that draws on McGill’s archives to create multimedia puzzles throughout its narratives. As players hunt for clues in digital space, they are given the experience of investigating library collections themselves.

The first installation of the game was released on Aug. 27 for Frosh activities, but it has since drawn interest from a wider audience beyond first-year students. Cooke expressed the team’s surprise at the game’s popularity in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

“Graduate students loved it,” Cooke said.

“Grown-ups loved it. Journalists and teachers were curious. Other librarians tried it. People who have never played digital games before tried it.”

The upcoming installation will allow players to explore student life in the 1950s through a trivia game hosted by Marty the Martlet.

“We’ve got stories that people have never heard about, different kinds of students and graduates that people have never heard about, unusual professors from different generations and places,” Cooke said. “It’s going to be a real surprise for people who know the history of McGill as just William Osler, James McGill, and William Dawson.”

Aeron MacHattie, an archivist on the narrative design team, spoke to the game’s creators’ goal of spotlighting McGill’s marginalized histories.

“Because archival reflections reflect the people in power, often these collections are

The alternate reality game weaves McGill’s past, present, and future throughout campus spaces to give players a rooted sense of identity. (Elissa Dresdner / The McGill Tribune)

very white-centred,” MacHattie said in a panel discussion. “So other histories [...] of Black, Indigenous, queer, or working-class people aren’t as visible,” The third installation’s more recent scope grants living historical characters agency over the representation of their histories by allowing them to be collaborators themselves. McGill’s first Black Carnival queen Beryl Rapier–– then Beryl Dickinson-Dash––for instance, is featured in the upcoming edition to describe campus experience in her time.

Raising Spirits is centred around the theme of disruptions: The first two installations featured Amy Redpath Roddick, a McGill benefactor whose family was the subject of an unsolved Canadian murder mystery in the early 20th century, and Maude Abbott, a medical librarian who was denied entry McGill into McGill’s medical school in 1899 because of her gender.

Hannah Deskin, a collaborator on the narrative design team, described the autonomy that the game provides players.

“We wanted to create a narrative that allowed students to feel like they were ridding the campus of a mysterious scourge or disruption,” Deskin said. “We hoped that putting the fate of the campus in their hands would allow them a sense of efficacy in a moment when many feel rather powerless.”

Raising Spirits itself records the present moment for the McGill community. For future players, the games will evidence current feelings of isolation and the need for some simple, light-hearted fun.

Just a phone call away Rediscovering the joy of long distance communication Alaana Kumar, Student Life Editor At 22 years old, I have lived in four cities across three different countries.

Each move has come with the gruelling process of saying goodbye to loved ones and cultivating a new social circle in an unfamiliar place. While others my age may find comfort in living in one place their entire lives, I find solace in knowing I have acquired something in my childhood that is invaluable: A large network of relationships.

With the romanticization of letter writing, rotary dial phones, and life before technology, we often overlook how fortunate we are to have today’s digital interconnectedness—one that no generation before us has been able to experience.

With the invention of the cell phone, then FaceTime, and now Zoom, reuniting with family members, catching up with old friends, or sustaining a relationship from opposite sides of the country is easier than ever. With just the click of a button, lonely nights no longer seem as frightening as they once did.

In the past, moving to a different city signaled the end of a friendship, and leaving for university meant only hearing parents’ voices when returning home for the holidays. Now more than ever, students are leaving home to attend university somewhere new. For some, this decision is made easily upon the assurance that they can still connect with their hometown lives.

With the ongoing pandemic bringing about the rise of Zoom fatigue, it is common to take for granted the gift that is virtual communication. While Zoom meetings and isolated work environments are not ideal, early curfews and time indoors would be much harder without the technologies that currently occupy our days.

Ironically, it is these casual FaceTimes, three-hour-long phone calls to home, and Zoom parties where individuals vent frustrations about virtual life that make the situation a little more bearable. Michelle Yu, BCom ‘16, reflects on how staying in touch with her McGill friends has only strengthened their bonds since graduating, and has made it easier to continue these friendships as time passes.

“I think a big part of what is special with long distance relationships in today’s era is the sense of comfort that you can quickly slip back into when you are reunited,” Yu said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “A lot of that is thanks to social media and technology. We’ve been given these tools that have allowed us to stay informed and engaged with our loved ones [....] It has really shown that relationships can stand the test of time and distance.”

In times of uncertainty, we often cling to familiarity. For students living abroad or university graduates starting a new chapter in a foreign city, reaching out to someone who understands your roots can help organize your thoughts and remind you of how far you’ve come.

“You realize that the friendships and supporters you held on to in the past can provide a unique perspective on your issues [...] because of that history and shared experience you hold together,” Yu said. “Being able to pick up the phone and video call an old friend who really knows you on a bad day is a massive relief. Maintaining old relationships [...] through time and distance is vital in providing us [with] a reflection of ourselves [...] and our past as we move through new experiences and challenges.”

In recent years, studies have found that couples who have conquered longdistance relationships have seen long-term benefits, including mutual communication and perseverance, as well as an understanding of the compromises necessary to sustain a partnership. A 2018 survey found that long-distance relationships are more manageable than most people believe, with 60 per cent lasting through the distance period. Over time, long-distance friendships have become just as common, with many believing that their most valuable bonds are the ones made during childhood.

I often find that exchanging updates and old memories over the phone with family and friends can help ease the symptoms of homesickness. These conversations serve as a reminder of where I came from, all that I have to return to, and why I set out for new adventures in the first place.

For current university students, long-distance communication with high school friends can serve as reassurance that students across the globe are also adjusting to unprecedented ways of learning. Connecting with old friends attending different schools reminds students that we are all missing out on pivotal university experiences.

As a student in my final semester of university, I am fortunate to have friends who have shared on-campus McGill experiences with me over the last four years. For first year students, that is not the case. Nora Delahaye, U1 Arts, currently lives in her childhood home in Hong Kong, and has never been on McGill’s campus in Montreal. Joining a sorority and cultivating long distance friendships has helped her feel more connected to campus life.

“AOII [Alpha Omicron Pi] helped me connect to Montreal and to the university, [...] and to feel a part of something [....] In a sense, it’s given me a McGill social life,” Delahaye said in an interview with the Tribune. “These long-distance relationships really helped me get involved [....] Without this network, I wouldn’t know about so many campus clubs and activities that are now operating online [...] because I never experienced them in person.”

The benefits of long-distance connections are not necessarily restricted to virtual companionship; sometimes they can help introduce you to new people who also live in your neighbourhood. Meeting someone new through a mutual friend can help break the initial awkwardness of forming a new friendship.

Delahaye finds that her sorority has introduced her with fellow students nearby, helping her feel less anxious about her eventual move to Montreal.

“The sorority even helped me connect with other [AOII] girls in Hong Kong, and we’re great friends now,” Delahaye said. “I’m a lot less stressed knowing that if I have a problem, [...] I have people to call, and I have people to travel and quarantine with. It’s a lot less scary now that I have this network.”

Major life changes, like the isolation following the move to a new country, can take a toll on one’s mental health. However, many students around the world are tackling these same feelings of uncertainty, and having a network of support, whether in-person or virtually, can serve as a comforting reminder that they are not alone.

“I find comfort in the [AOII] network [....] It has helped my mental health to have friends I can confide in that are going through the same challenges as I am,” Delahaye said. “With the time difference, [...] distance, and lack of communication, it’s really hard for U1 students to feel supported right now, [...] but this network has really made me feel cared for.”

In addition to maintaining long-distance relationships for support, having a network of contacts across the globe is an asset when searching for career opportunities. For young adults today, networking is one of the main pillars of

success. Marilyn Ahun, BA ‘15 and co-founder and vice-president mentorship of the McGill Black Mentorship Program (MBAA), explained how a pool of mentors around the world can help students feel more comfortable making big life changes.

“I think the beauty of [networking] virtually is that you’re able to connect with people who are in places that you might want to be,” Ahun said. “They’re living in that country, they’re doing that specific work in that place, [...] so they can give you a direct account of what is going on, [...] versus someone who used to live in that country and is now in Montreal, [who] can still give you a lot of help and information, but it wouldn’t be current information on what it is like to work in that place.”

For young people entering the hyper-competitive job market, finding a likeminded mentor is a challenge, especially for BIPOC individuals. Through services like the MMBA, virtual networking makes it easier for Black students to connect with someone with advice on how to navigate the process of finding employment. These unique networks of cultural familiarity help students to create a sense of community within their working environments, but also in cities and fields where people of colour are often underrepresented.

“If I just look back at my personal experience when I was at McGill, [...] I was maybe one out of four or five Black students in my program cohort,” Ahun said. “I had little idea what to do after graduating [....] Having anyone’s help would have been extremely helpful, [...] but I think what would have been additionally helpful is having someone who is Black who could guide me through it.

Of course anyone who has worked in psychology could give me great advice on how to work in psychology, but only a Black person who has worked in psychology can give me advice on what it is like to be a Black person in psychology.”

Whether it be joining an alumni network, sorority, or fraternity, reaching out to family members abroad, or making connections through mutual friends, these unique relationships provide opportunities for both personal and professional growth. While it may not be obvious in the short term, maintaining relationships can only help in the long run.

Moving to a new city with no support system can be daunting. However, the lingering fear of missing out on important milestones is eventually replaced by new memories, and virtual communication has given me the best of both worlds.

I often joke that FaceTime is the closest thing we have to teleportation.

While celebrating birthdays through Zoom was an adjustment for most, I was accustomed to the experience long before the pandemic. Over the last eight years, my cousins have never cut a birthday cake without me celebrating with them online. And while it is not the same as gathering in person, I can still say I saw them smile on their birthdays—an irreplaceable memory.

With graduation on the horizon, I am preparing for my next move, and reaching out to my large network of relationships has reminded me that I have support no matter where I end up next. Goodbyes are always bittersweet, but in seeing my closest friends start preparing for their next adventures, I am reminded that our shared experiences of the past four years will always bind us, and I find comfort in knowing it is not the end of our journeys together. My longdistance friends will always be my escape from reality, the ones I call during the good days and the bad days. Having a worldwide network of family and friends will always be something I am grateful for, because while I have experienced homesickness, I have never truly experienced loneliness, and that is a gift like no other.

Design: Chloe Rodriguez / The McGill Tribune

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021

10 STUDENT LIFE

‘Queering the Map’ redefines queer space

Community-based mapping project digitally charts queer experiences Wendy Zhao Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

While more universal queer spaces like Montreal’s Gay Village are crucial sites of refuge for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, QtM recognizes their limited ability to encompass the diversity of sites that queerness manifest. According to LaRochelle, one of the project’s goals is to expand the boundaries of queer experience.

In a Simone de Beauvoir Institute event on digital queer space on March 10, LaRochelle discussed QtM’s story and objectives.

“Queering the Map aims to move away from thinking queer space as fixed and towards an approach to queer place-making that is rooted in action [and] as something that is responsive and in flux,” LaRocehelle said. “A queer approach to space understands that we cannot be queer in any fixed sense, but rather that we are doing queer through acts of resistance.”

Unearthing sites of queer history and feeling, QtM broadens the territories in which the 2SLGBTQIA+ community find kinship and express themselves. LaRochelle explained how the map combats the transient nature of queer experiences by preserving

QtM’s user experience mimics the feeling of being lost, allowing queer voices to find a sense of belonging in a wholly queer majority. (Jinny Moon / The McGill Tribune) them on a public map.

“A fleeting glance of queer recognition, a T-shot in a library bathroom, an MSN conversation with an anonymous online lover, [...] these moments are themselves places of refuge,” LaRochelle said. “They become sites that, through the act of archiving and circulating through the public space of

Queering the Map, might be inhabited and reanimated by others who come into contact with them.”

However, QtM’s establishment as a safe space for queer expression is an important component of the site. In 2018, a pro-Donald Trump bot deployed malicious messages throughout the site; a community of volunteer

coders worked quickly to edit the site in a GitHub repository.

In response to the attack, LaRochelle established a moderation system to ensure that each QtM submission is checked by volunteer readers for spam, hate speech, or breaches of anonymity.

Preserving anonymity is integral to the site’s status as a space inclusive of diverse queer experiences. LaRochelle explained how the website’s anonymity allows for freer expression: Those who have not come out as queer can contribute, as latent hopes and desires can emerge.

“By rendering all users as anonymous informants, legitimacy becomes a flexible and free-floating term, holding space for the space of fantasies and fabulations that also populate the map, orienting us away from what is and towards what could be,” LaRochelle said.

QtM’s rejection of fixity extends to its user experience. With no search bar or algorithmic method of organization, users can traverse the map and encounter queer voices by chance. In the digital realm of QtM, LaRochelle explained, queer individuals are given the privilege of being lost among the crowd, rather than targeted or singled out.

“In following the path taken by those who have refused to follow the directions, I get lost and feel found in collectivity,” LaRochelle said.

Spotlight on McGill’s women alumni Women who have made McGill Lucy Keller Staff Writer To celebrate Women’s History Month, The McGill Tribune has compiled a list of inspiring female alumni to acknowledge the work of our predecessors. While the list is far from complete, all the women included below have left a significant mark within their field and continue to inspire current students in their journeys.

Rosemary Brown (BA ‘55) Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Rosemary Brown immigrated to Canada in 1951 to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in social work at McGill.

After completing her undergraduate degree at McGill and her master’s at the University of British Columbia, Brown became involved in activism and helped found the British Columbia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People

and Voice of Women. In 1972, Brown became the first Black woman to hold public office as a member of the British Columbia Legislature. Even after her retirement from politics in 1988, she dedicated her career to anti-racism and women’s rights, serving as the CEO of MATCH International Women’s Fund and promoting social, economic, and political advancement for women internationally.

Paula Ann Cox - (BA ‘80) After graduating from McGill with a political science degree in 1980 and returning to her hometown in Bermuda, Paula Ann Cox began an impressive political career. In 2010, after serving in Bermudan Parliament for 14 years and winning the title of “the most effective politician” in the Best of Bermuda Gold Awards three times, Cox became the leader of the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party and was eventually appointed premier of Bermuda. After serving as the Premier for two years, she continued her activism as a lawyer. In 2014, Cox was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of her years of service.

Sheliah Martin (Bachelor of Common Law ‘81) Women of McGill have gone on to have fruitful careers in politics, law, medicine, arts, and many other fields. (Daria Kiseleva / The McGill Tribune)

Born and raised in Montreal,

Supreme Court Justice Sheliah Martin earned a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Common Law from McGill University in 1981.

She then attained a Master of Laws and Doctorate of Juridical Science at the University of Alberta and University of Toronto, respectively.

When she was called to the bar in Alberta, she used the word “person” instead of “man” in her oath, defying the gendered norm. After an impressive 30-year career in law, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Martin to the Supreme Court of Canada in December 2017.

Dr. Joanne Liu (M.D.,C.M. ‘91, IMHL ‘14) After earning a M.D.,C.M. (Medicinæ Doctorem et Chirurgiæ Magistrum) degree at McGill, Dr. Joanne Liu completed pediatric specialty training at Université de Montréal, subspecialty training in pediatric emergency care at New York University, and an International Masters for Health Leadership at McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management. After spending 20 years in a variety of roles at Médecins Sans Frontière (MSF), she was elected internal president. During her time at MSF, Liu provided medical support to vulnerable communities across the world, including Malian refugees in Mauritania after the 2004 Indian

Ocean earthquake, and Haitians during the cholera outbreak. Liu also developed one of the first programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo to offer comprehensive medical care for survivors of sexual violence. In 2015, Time Magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People after she spearheaded an effective response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa.

Mariame Kaba (BA ‘92) A self-described activist, organizer, and curator, Mariame Kaba has made her mark on the world since she graduated with a sociology degree in 1992. Kaba’s work focusses on ending gender and race-based violence, dismantling the prison-industrial-complex, prioritizing transformative justice, and supporting youth leadership development. She has founded, co-founded, and directed several grassroots organizations in Chicago and New York City including Project NIA, the Chicago Freedom School, and the Chicago Taskforce on Violence against Girls and Young Women, among others. Since the first ‘Black Grad’ ceremony at McGill in 2019, the Mariame Kaba Prize in Leadership & Community Service, which includes a minimum of $1,000, has recognized a student for their commitment to community service.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 11

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021

Stephanie Dinkins revolutionizes fine art and artificial intelligence Data science and machine learning offers hope to racialized communities India Blaisdell Contributor On March 17, transmedia artist Stephanie Dinkins presented her work at a virtual talk hosted by the Feminist and Accessible Publishing, Communications, and Technologies speaker series. Dinkins, a professor at Stony Brook University in New York, spoke on how her art questions the place of artificial intelligence (AI) in our world and how AI can ethically engage with the traditions of racialized communities. “[I’m] thinking of [...] memory and inclusion as an act of cultural preservation and social resistance, and then the possibility of artificial intelligence as a persistent living archive,” Dinkins said.

Although each of Dinkins’ projects has a distinct visual style and presentation, they all consider the same questions of shared knowledge and racial representation in algorithms and data science. Until one closely examines the meaning of algorithms and artificial intelligence, the intersection of these issues is not necessarily apparent.

“Algorithms [can be seen] as these things that take information and repeat it,” Dinkins said. “For millennia, we’ve been giving each other stories that [...] instruct us how to act. We’re being taught by our parents, our grandparents, and by extension, their grandparents, the ways to live within the world [....]

Particularly with Black women, our stories are our algorithms.”

All of Dinkins’s interdisciplinary projects emphasize community and social engagement. Some have open-source elements that allow the public to engage directly with the work’s creation, while others simply underline the fact that AIs learn from both themselves and their social interactions. In “Conversations with BINA48,” Dinkins recorded dialogue between her and BINA48, an AI entity that she programmed.

“Let me ask you something.

Where do you think my intelligence comes from? It came from the wellspring of humanity. Nothing artificial about that, is there?” BINA48 said.

Framed by a calming forest background, Dinkins took the webinar attendees on a tour through her work and philosophies, including her two immersive web experiences, “#WhenWordsFail” and “Secret Garden.” Throughout the talk, Dinkins emphasized humanity’s instinctual grace and kindness. She spoke warmly about how museumgoers mothered and coddled the AI ‘Not the Only One’ (N’TOO) after realizing the limitations of its communication capabilities and noted that the title of the talk, “Stephanie Dinkins on Art, AI, Data Sovereignty, and Social Inequity,” initially threw her off.

“The ‘inequity’ was jarring to me [...] because I feel like I’m often

Dinkins’ optimistic and empathetic perspective is notably different from most conversations about data bias and the racialization of AI and technology. (seattletimes.com) dealing with ideas of equity without the ‘in’ on it,” Dinkins said. “I tend to work towards the optimistic side [...] to get people to more fully recognize their agency and recognize possibilities around them.”

In her latest project, “Binary Calculations,” Dinkins explores in depth the implications of biased data sets and how they both reflect and reinforce perceptions of the average person. Dickins hopes that the project will create community-sourced databases by asking the public to define various terms and ideas. “‘Binary Calculations’ [is] an art project that asks, ‘How do we

make the technological systems that control things around us more caring? Can we do that?’” Dinkins said. “Are the algorithms really treating us as people, as citizens, as families? Could we do better? What would that mean? [...] Can we create systems of generosity?”

Dinkins’ optimistic and empathetic perspective is notably different from most conversations about data bias and the racialization of AI and technology. Given the history behind the surveillance of AfricanAmericans and its evolution into the “New Jim Code,” as defined

by Princeton University sociolo-

gist Ruha Benjamin, the future use of AI tends to look bleak. Within Dinkins’ work, however, AI once again becomes exciting, caring, and emotional, reflecting the best parts of our humanity.

“What happens if algorithmic systems are created [and] upheld by systems of whiteness, and aren’t considering in broad, real, threedimensional ways people who fall outside of whiteness?” Dinkins said. “My practice is all about trying to make things that question that [idea] and make things that people keep telling me are not possible to make.”

Roundtable presents traditional Inuit knowledge in the contemporary world Public presentations display Inuit art, sustainability, and activism Lowell Wolfe Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

Hosted by the McGill Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education, the event featured Inuit and nonInuit scholars, artists, and activists from

across Inuit Nunaat and Lower Canada. Each speaker presented on different aspects of Inuit cultures, such as music, environmental practices, and architecture. Danish journalist and ethnomusicologist Karsten Sommer explored the history of Greenlandic [Kalaalit Nunaat] music. Starting with Greenlandic drum history that spans thousands of years and ending with modern Greenlandic hip-hop, Sommer traced

Presentations touched on different aspects of Inuit culture, including music, environmental practices, and architecture. (mcgill.ca)

the history of Inuit music and its transformation during Denmark’s colonization of Greenland.

“When the missionaries arrived to West Greenland in 1721, they presented what also became accepted as a part of Greenlandic traditional music, like choir-singing,” Sommer said. “They taught [the Inuit] the pleasure of singing in choir, and still today, all towns and villages in Greenland have their local choirs.

Later, the whalers came from Europe [...] and played their local polka and introduced violins and accordion.”

Sommer’s presentation was one of many that explored the diversity and vitality of Inuit cultures and practices. While topics varied, the presenters were all acquainted with one another, and had been invited by Marianne Stenbaek, a cultural studies professor at McGill. Stenbaek, along with teaching assistants Elizabeth La Rocque, Emily Hoppe, and Pascale Théorêt-Groulx, organized the event.

“I have been interested in storytelling and in Inuit culture, [and] how these ideas have come about, and been passed on for centuries,” Stenbaek said. “[Inuit knowledge] used to be totally disregarded, and researchers would go and just do whatever they felt like. But now, more and more, it has become imperative that researchers [...] take the local knowledge into account.”

During the round table, Provost and VicePresident (Academic) Christopher Manfredi expressed hope that McGill’s proposed campus master plan, which intends to display Indigenous art on campus, will cultivate a welcoming environment for Indigenous students at McGill.

“Some [...] Indigenous elements, such as elevating the status of and the importance of La Hochelaga Rock, [have] already [been] achieved,” Manfredi said. “A lot of it is around landscaping, the use of art, the naming of buildings, giving greater visibility to our First Peoples house, and providing spaces for ceremonial activities. We are seeking reconciliation through the development of the master plan.”

The virtual round table offered a platform for sharing Indigenous knowledge and respecting Indigenous communities in Canada and across the world.

“When I went to school [...], I was not taught my own language in Denmark and also in Greenland,” Peter said. “There was a time where we were all shipped off to learn to speak the white man’s language. [This event supports] taking back what was inherently ours at birth, and from our culture, and taking back the pride of being able to practice our own language [and] our own stories of our own people.”

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021

12 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Political panel shows place substance over sensationalism A look at political panels, the ethical medium that informs and engages Matthew Molinaro Staff Writer Political newscasts are often reduced to a ratings game in which clicks and views spur profits. Recent popular programs consist mainly of sensationalist clips that further their political agendas. Whether it be alternative sources like PragerU or The Majority Report that “stick it to the libs,” or mainstream outlets like MSNBC and Fox News that speculate on conspiracies from Russiagate to birtherism, political media is becoming entertainment for entertainment’s sake. The current state of political media is grim, and if this reality persists, there must be an ethical medium that can inform and engage its audience and display multiple perspectives in a palatable way.

Like TVOntario’s The Agenda or The Hill’s Rising with Krystal and Saagar, panel shows—programs that bring together people of different ages, backgrounds, or experiences to discuss political issues constructively—fit this mould. Like any program, however, panel shows can make the mistake of embracing entertainment over constructive discourse. Yet by sticking to analysis, a conscientious panel will contribute to the health of an informed, democratic public.

Their popularity is an asset: In both Canada and the United States, panel shows on news programs receive high viewer rankings and attract wide audiences.

Arguably the most famous panel is ABC’s The View. Beginning in 1997 as Barbara Walters’s brainchild, it sought to bring together women of diverse backgrounds to discuss current events in America’s social and political landscape. Because of its wideranging viewer appeal and unique style, The New York Times later dubbed it television’s most important political show.

The At Issue panel within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) Thursday night program, The National, is perhaps Canada’s most well recognized political panel. Moderated by the CBC’s Chief Political Correspondent Rosemary Barton, the program’s three panellists—McGill Max Bell School of Public Society fellow Chantal Hébert, The Globe and Mail’s Andrew Coyne, and the former Ottawa Bureau Chief for The Huffington Post Althia Raj, BA ‘05—use their independent analysis not to create an echo chamber, but to make political awareness as accessible as possible.

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Barton spoke about how At Issue’s long-standing success in the Canadian political landscape rests on its appointmentviewing status—wherein viewers build a personal connection to a show and set time aside to watch it live on a regular basis. At Issue is also non-partisan: The three panellists have no party affiliations and are transparent with their viewers. The show’s nonpartisan format is embedded into its mandate, and At Issue has built its credibility on this neutral stance.

“There is a role for those [partisan] kinds of panels,” Barton said. “They can be smart, informative, spicy. [But] for a weekly slot […] being as neutral as possible means that you get a range of opinions [that are] not from self-interest.”

Although they approach their topics

Panel shows are both enjoyable and educational for healthy democratic discourse. (shutterstock.com) seriously, At Issue’s panellists often incorporate dry humour and witticisms into their answers. Barton spoke fondly of the show’s entertaining tone.

“That is my approach to politics generally,” Barton said. “Politics is serious, [but it is] not deadly. You have to be able to have a laugh when warranted.”

Nevertheless, the show’s occasionally comical tone is most often a foil for its serious subject matter. Barton emphasized the careful research that goes into preparing each panel, mentioning producer Arielle Piat-Sauvé’s diligent observation of daily political matters.

One of the questions in Canada’s political landscape is whether panel shows should bear the responsibility of advocating specific policies to their viewers. Hébert believes that different spaces require different speakers, and that panel shows can be an effective educational tool for political discourse.

“I do not go on political panels with partisan commentators,” Hébert said. “I do not think we are on the same playing field.

[For me], there are these invisible walls that should remain in place.”

In a time where substantial debates have quickly unravelled into name-calling, Hébert emphasized the importance of looking beyond media coverage and into the real world.

“Look at the vaccine debate,” Hébert said. “[For] the chattering class, like [sensationalist] pundits, it is black and white.

When you talk to normal people, they are much more moderate. This exaggeration business is because of fundraising […] combined with social media. There is more money to be had by convincing people that Justin Trudeau is a complete failure.”

With the right speakers, panel shows combat populist sensationalism by focussing on the substance of political issues and maintaining an informative—rather than a prescriptive—stance. Hébert stressed the importance of non-partisan shows giving the viewer autonomy in making their own decisions.

“It is not true that people want to be provoked [and] told how to think,” Hébert said. “My job is to present [viewers] with facts and leave them to make up their minds [....] I do not believe that voters do not understand the fundamentals of policy.”

This understanding of mindful and

educated discourse counters the idea that Canadians are divided—a claim often used by radical speakers to polarize a democratic public. Hébert detailed her own experience straddling the prominent Canadian language divide and covering policy.

“What makes healthy political debate is that shock of ideas,” Hébert said. “A policy should be sturdy enough to be vigorously debated [....] Canada is a diverse country, [and] that leads to a variety of perspectives [….] My job is not to reinforce one side’s prejudices against the other’s.”

Although having those two opposing sides fight against each other sometimes makes for entertaining matchups, panels should also offer an opportunity for meaningful conversation on substantive issues.

These productive conversations guide the panel podcast, “Uncommons: Canadian Politics with Nathaniel Erskine-Smith.”

Erskine-Smith, the Liberal MP for BeachesEast York, Toronto, happens to be an independent partisan, yet stressed the need for engaging past political bubbles.

“In politics, we often talk past each other,” Erskine-Smith said. “When we are engaged in [the] substance of debates, [in] a politics of ideas, we can build relationships so the serious conversations can happen.”

Unlike most political programs hosted by current and former politicians, “Uncommons,” which features experts like Joseph Stiglitz, academics like Peter Singer, and Canadian officials across the political spectrum, encourages debate and nuanced conversations in longform on issues ranging from wealth taxation to privacy rights.

“We forget that we agree more than we disagree,” Erskine-Smith said. “Certain touchpoints are really challenging […] but it comes down to having conversations in good faith based on evidence instead of shouting at each other [....] You can’t boil down complex debates into a snappy talking point.”

While grappling with the dual role of being an active media presence and a political figure, Erskine-Smith highlighted the need to use one’s platform in creative ways. Pre-pandemic, this would have been through town halls and discussion events with experts.

“The podcast is one of those mediums that can get ideas across in the political discourse, but also inform me of how to do my

job going forward,” Erskine-Smith said.

The panel show may be an older form of media, but it remains a vital part of maintaining a healthy democracy, all the while challenging the idea that engaging with others on evidence, facts, and principle is unpopular. When done properly, a panel show incorporates a multitude of perspectives, not for feigning unity, but for remaining realistic and facilitating a positive political discourse. What could be more entertaining than that?

Virtual Film Group Hosted by The Yellow Door, this weekly film screening aims to facilitate community discussion about various topics.

March. 26, 4-6pm Online Free

Opera McGill: Cinderella Free student production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella!

What could be better?

March 27, 4-6:30 p.m.

Online Free

MAI Imago Theatre—Tuning in Delve into three new, short audio plays penned by women playwrights from across Canada.

April 2, 7:30-10:30 p.m Online PWYC

Christian Dior Fashion Exhibit Explores the brilliance behind Dior’s dramatic creations.

Now until June 27 McCord Museum

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021

13

Sick and tired: How the medical field neglects women’s health Healthcare has a harmful history of dismissing women’s needs

Zoe Karkossa Staff Writer Compassion and respect towards patients are essential to delivering effective healthcare. Despite advances made by activists and patients alike, the medical field perpetuates its extensive history of sexism, putting women’s lives and well-being at risk. From dismissive doctors to inadequate research, the healthcare gender bias prevents women from receiving the medical services they need and deserve.

Women have long been subjected to harmful medical practices. Since their inception in the 1930s, lobotomies—known as a horror story of ignored medical ethics— were overwhelmingly performed on women.

By inserting a needle deep into the brain, surgeons severed the connections between the frontal lobe and the rest of the brain.

Originally developed to alleviate anxiety and insomnia, lobotomies were known to leave people more docile and without the ability to feel intense emotions—if they even survived.

The mid-20th century explosion of the pharmaceutical industry also imposed drastic effects on women’s health. Tranquillizers such as Valium were overprescribed to women between the 1950s and 1970s, leading to severe side effects including addiction.

Despite knowledge on these issues, the excessive prescription of these drugs, aided by the financial incentive associated with it, continued until the drug patents expired in the 2000s.

In addition to women’s behaviour being wrongly pathologized, their legitimate health concerns have also been dismissed for millennia. Medical professionals often wrongly attribute women’s symptoms to stress, mental illness, or hormonal imbalances. Even COVID-19 symptoms are more likely to be overlooked in women, despite the urgency of quickly identifying and containing infections.

“Nearly every time I went to the doctor after the age of probably 11, [...] the doctor would undermine whatever I was asking about, and [...] attribute whatever my ailment was solely to anxiety,” Annie Costello, U1 Arts, said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

Since doctors are less likely to take complaints from women seriously, receiving an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment can be frustrating and exhausting.

Long lists of personal anecdotes demonstrate that women often suffer years of unnecessary pain and illness before their medical issues are identified. Such diagnosis delays put women’s lives at risk, and are responsible for up to 80,000 deaths in the U.S. every year.

“I definitely have maintained that selfdoubt every time I go to the doctor, even anytime I feel ill,” Costello said. “Every time I go, I get convinced it is something I am making up. It’s beyond frustrating at this point because I don’t actually know now if I actually am ill.”

Although medical sexism puts all women at risk, other layers of oppression only serve to compound the issue. Modern gynecology in North America is built on the brutal abuse of enslaved women, and Black women today still face damaging

disparities in healthcare access. Indigenous women, as well as undocumented immigrant women detained in the U.S., have long been subjected to forced sterilization, with cases reported in Canada as recently as 2017.

High costs and inaccessible healthcare have devastating effects on poor and unhoused women, who are often forced to neglect health issues. Disabled women also face a variety of sociocultural, financial, and structural barriers when accessing medical care. Queer women are also subjected to discrimination in medical institutions;

studies by the National Institutes of Health were not mandated to include female subjects until 1993.

According to Dr. Lucy Gilbert, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at McGill, inadequate funding is another major factor hindering research on women’s health.

“You first have to publish and do the research, and then ask for the money,” Gilbert said in an interview with the Tribune.

“You need money to do the research, but they won’t give you money unless you do

Many ancient Greek philosophers believed that the uterus could wander freely throughout the body based on no empirical evidence whatsoever. (Sabri Conde-Yassin / The McGill Tribune) preventative screenings for cervical cancer are less common due to the false assumption that lesbian women are at a lower risk for this disease. Trans women, as well as all other trans people, frequently face prejudice and neglect from medical professionals.

Additionally, recent health protection rollbacks under the Trump administration leave them at severe risk of discrimination.

Even when illnesses are correctly diagnosed, treatment options available to women can be severely limited. There is a glaring lack of research into health issues that predominantly affect women, and also into the ways sex and gender influence the consequences of common illnesses—medical

the research and show that you are getting results.”

Health concerns affecting the female reproductive system are particularly neglected, despite their high prevalence among cisgender women, transgender men, and non-binary people assigned female at birth. Two common diseases are polycystic ovary syndrome, which can lead to mood disorders, diabetes, infertility, and endometriosis, a cause of chronic pain and fatigue. Despite that these two illnesses affect up to 18 and 10 per cent of cisgender women respectively, doctors still do not know what causes them or how to cure them.

The medical literature on how these

diseases affect transgender people—as well as the potential impacts of hormone therapy—is exceedingly small. Additionally, they may face barriers and stigma in accessing reproductive healthcare.

Common medical issues affect women in unique ways, as disease prevalence, medication dosage, and symptoms vary based on sex and gender. Many medical trials actively exclude women, leading to a large gap in information on how medications affect half of the human population.

A wide range of illnesses are exacerbated by this lack of gender-conscious medical research. Women are less likely to recognize the symptoms of heart attacks as well as seek and receive appropriate care. Although the biological causes behind Alzheimer’s disease have yet to be elucidated, two-thirds of patients with Alzheimer’s disease are women. Lung cancer, currently the deadliest form of cancer among women, is twice as likely to occur in non-smoking women than non-smoking men. While some theories propose that this discrepancy is a result of women’s exposure to secondhand smoking and differences in biological reactions to nicotine, there is no scientific consensus explaining the troubling statistic.

Although there is still much work to be done, positive advances have been made in a variety of fields. Significant research has contributed to reduced mortality rates for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and cardiovascular disease in women.

Additionally, the proportion of female doctors in several countries has been consistently increasing over the past decades.

“People have begun to understand that women have a lot to offer, that we are the intellectual equals of men,” Gilbert said. “At top levels, there’s a huge gap still [...] and this must be bridged. A few women pushing through the glass ceiling will not be enough, the whole glass ceiling must come down.”

Some studies have concluded that women are better doctors: They are more likely to follow clinical guidelines and communicate effectively, and are less likely to interrupt their patients.

Increasing education and awareness is also an essential step to empowering and protecting women. Medical Herstory, a non-profit founded by gender health equity advocate and McGill alumna Tori Ford, BA ‘19, is focussed on giving women a voice and helping them navigate the murky waters of the healthcare system. “[Part of Medical Herstory’s mission] is about empowering young people, how to advocate for yourself in medical settings, and also acknowledging why it is so difficult, why do you feel like you don’t have enough time, like you can’t find your voice,” Ford said in an interview with the Tribune.

Ford emphasized the importance of community-building and connecting with others, in addition to providing people with the tools they need to demand adequate healthcare.

“Unfortunately, we like to think about the medical system as this benevolent system, but it’s really not and it causes a lot of harm,” Ford said. “Finding ways to protect yourself, to know your rights, and to get the care you deserve [is essential].”

14

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021

Tiny plastics pose an immense danger to human life

New technology can detect micro and nanoplastics in the environment

Youssef Wahba Staff Writer The Earth’s atmosphere bears the necessary elements needed for human survival. However, as human plastic waste continues to multiply, the introduction of chemicals and toxins into the air and water is threatening several species. Due to their size and properties, micro and nanoplastics indirectly pose dangers to human health.

Microplastics, which have a length of fewer than five millimetres, form as a result of the disintegration of larger pieces of plastic. Although micro and nanoplastics are harmless when isolated, they can combine with toxins in the atmosphere to form a “cocktail” of dangerous chemicals. This mixture adversely impacts human health, the environment, and the climate. Researchers at McGill have developed a groundbreaking technology to detect micro and nanoplastics in our environment.

Zi Wang, the lead author of the study, is a PhD candidate in environmental and analytical chemistry at McGill. She explained how micro and nanoplastics tend to spread faster in the environment once emitted into the air.

“The atmosphere is the fastest moving fluid in the environment,” Wang wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “Microplastics have been found in diverse environmental matrices, for example, oceans, sediments, soil, and biological entities.

During precipitation, snowflakes can take up the microplastics in the air. This process may change the morphology, microphysics, and toxicity of the snow, and alter the snow albedo.”

Micro and nanoplastics absorb organic matter and heavy

Nanoplastics are a thousand times thinner than the average human hair (nrdc.org) metals present in the environment. Once these plastics enter the human body, they release accumulated toxic substances that can cause reproductive diseases and cancer. The dangers of such plastics are not limited to the humans: Zooplankton— aquatic organisms ranging from microorganisms to larger species such as jellyfish—ingest microplastics in the ocean and transfer these toxin-bearing contaminants up the food chain.

Microplastics that enter a secondary consumer’s body block the digestive tract and reduce the urge to eat, causing starvation and potentially death.

The adverse effects of these materials are heightened during winter.

“Snow can take up some of the airborne particles or aero-

sols during precipitation events,” Wang wrote. “It acts like a filter which gets rid of many impurities from the atmosphere, including micro [or] nanoplastics in the air.”

The study focussed on the snow-borne polyethylene glycol (PEG) and the fragments of polyethylene (PE) found in the environment during colder months. PEG is a synthetic polymer soluble in water and is used in multiple fields, including oral health, medicine, and various other industries. PEG is most commonly used as a lubricant as well as in toothpaste and mouthwash. Its increasingly abundant presence in the environment, however, raises many health concerns, which makes it important to detect the amount and type of such nanoplastics in our environment.

To detect traces of these plastics in our environment, the researchers used nanostructures, which are designs that exist on a tiny scale—one nanometre is equivalent to one-millionth of a millimetre. The surface of snow samples contain recyclable nanostructures that trap the dissolved plastic, the amount of which is then measured using a technique involving nanostructured mass spectrometry.

In April 2019, the researchers used laser technology to test the micro and nanoplastics content of collected snow samples.

Micro and nanoplastics in the snow absorbed energy from a laser beam, causing them to separate from the rest of the sample. Following this process, the team quantified the separated micro and nanoplastics.

“This technique may produce crucial missing information on the fate of micro [or] nanoplastics in various environmental matrices and their impacts on the ecosystem and human health,” Wang wrote.

Meeting the wonderful members of the human microbiome Exploring the functions of bacteria inhabiting the human body Margaret Wdowiak Staff Writer Microbes are often perceived as dangerous nuisances responsible for fatal diseases like tuberculosis. Yet, despite the negative connotations attached to their colloquial name, “germ,” trillions of harmless microbes live on our skin and within the human body, and help us survive and thrive.

Lactobacillus: The plastic maker Lactobacillus is a family of bacteria characterized by their ability to produce lactic acid as a by-product of glucose metabolism. These microbes inhabit human gastrointestinal tracts, mouths, and female reproductive organs. One of the most common Lactobacillus strains is L. acidophilus, which is found in the intestine and can minimize the absorption of cholesterol in the gut, promote weight loss, and reduce cold, flu, and allergy symptoms.

These bacteria not only play vital roles in the human body, but also in food production and medical treatments: Various species of Lactobacillus are used in the production of sour milks, cheeses, and yogurts, as well as in the manufacturing

of fermented vegetables, beverages, sourdough breads, and sausages. They are also used as probiotics to restore bacterial imbalances in the human body after antibiotic treatments.

Dr. Bastien Castagner, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at McGill, explains that probiotic treatments should be tailored to one’s personal microbiome to have a positive effect.

“One challenge facing therapeutic interventions aiming at modulating the gut microbiota will be to see how the interpersonal difference will affect their clinical success,” Castagner wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “For instance, a probiotic strain might colonize some host[s], but not others, depending on the endogenous microbiota of that person.”

Escherichia coli: The cancer annihilator Escherichia coli, better known as E.coli, is a group of bacteria found in soil, contaminated foods, and human and animal digestive tracts.

While some strains can cause disease, most forms of E.coli are harmless and play an important role in the human intestinal tract by aiding digestion and

fighting other harmful microbes.

These microorganisms have also contributed to major scientific breakthroughs. Studies have found that they can help in the fight against cancer.

By inserting extra DNA into E.coli cells, the bacteria can manufacture cancer-fighting molecules called nanobodies— the smallest fragment of antibody in the human body.

Outside its functions within the human body, E.coli can also help combat climate change by consuming carbon dioxide.

Scientists have re-engineered the bacteria to convert carbon dioxide into biomass, rendering the E.coli photosynthetic.

Bifidobacterium: The cholesterol fighter Bifidobacterium is a group of bacteria that plays an important role in the gastrointestinal system and overall digestive health. These microorganisms are found in the intestines and break down fibre and complex carbohydrates.

“It is [...] important to favour a diverse gut microbiota by eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains,” Castagner wrote. “This is because the fibres the[se foods] contain are not digested by us and reach our large intestine, where our

39 trillion microbial cells live on and within the human body. (National Geographic) gut microbiota mostly reside.”

There are more than 30 strains of this bacterium, but a few deserve special mention.

Bifidobacterium bifidum helps protect humans from unhealthy bacteria, and when combined with L.acidophilus, helps to prevent eczema in newborns.

Bifidobacterium infantis can also relieve pain and bloating from irritable bowel syndrome.

Staphylococcus: a skin protector, or agitator?

Staphylococcus is a group of mostly harmless bacteria that live on human skin. However, if Staphylococcus aureus bacteria cluster at an open skin wound, a staph infection can develop and become lifethreatening if it reaches the

heart, lungs or bloodstream.

However, other strains of this germ have beneficial properties.

Staphylococcus bacteria are involved in the production of lipoteichoic acid, which stops skin cells from releasing inflammatory chemicals.

One strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis even produces chemicals associated with reduced tumour growth in response to ultraviolet light, suggesting a role in preventing skin cancer.

“The human gut microbiota is really an ecosystem,” Castagner wrote. “[A] great analogy is to think of it as a mature forest, where different trees, bushes, mosses, and fungi are competing for resources but also working together to maintain a stable ecosystem.”

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021

SPORTS

15

North American men’s soccer is ready to take on the world

Former MLS Next Academy players compete in Europe’s biggest professional leagues Reza Ali Staff Writer Average, competent soccer players fit into pre-existing systems; great, tactically advanced players develop new ones.

Tactical development in soccer has always centred elite-level players: Lionel Messi revolutionized the false 9, and Cristiano Ronaldo popularized the position of inside forward. As a fullback with pace and power that can take over a game in a flash, Canada’s own Alphonso Davies is leading the next positional revolution. The young star is indicative of a larger movement—North American soccer is on the rise and ready to compete with the rest of the world.

In decades past, North American players have rarely played high levels of soccer.

In recent years, however, a plethora of elite talent from Canada and the U.S. has made its way to Europe. Fellow Canadian Johnathan David currently plays for Lille, a French club famous for developing players including Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard and Arsenal’s Nicolas Pépé. Americans such as Chrisitan Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Giovanni Reyna have been key contributors for Chelsea, Juventus, and Borussia Dortmund.

The newfound success of North American players did not happen overnight. The organization responsible for the development of this generation of young talent is the MLS Next academy system.

MLS Next is a continuation of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, which was founded in 2007 but shut down in 2020 due to revenue loss from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The creation of the academy system was an attempt to address the gap in development when comparing North American players to those in South America and Europe. Despite the financial barriers of the system, most notably the “pay to play” structure, players produced by the program have proven that North America has more talent than ever expected.

McGill Men’s Soccer captain Juliano Cobuzzi, U4 Engineering, was a part of the Development Academy system for nearly six years. He attended the C.F. Montreal Development Academy from its inception until he matriculated at McGill.

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Cobuzzi aptly noted that the Montreal Impact Academy, and the Development Academy as a whole, struggled with some early hurdles. “[It was a] big work in progress,” Cobuzzi said. “When we first got in, it was

(aftn.ca)

McGill’s Juliano Cobuzzi spent nearly six years in the MLS Next Academy system. (Juliano Cobuzzi) almost as if everyone was trying to find their footing, including the staff and coaches. It was a learning process for everyone.”

Cobuzzi added, however, that the club stepped up to face the challenges head-on.

“Two years in, it changed completely, and it keeps changing,” Cobuzzi said. “I’ve been back to the training facility and it’s really gotten a lot better. [When] I started at 14, we were training at some local field, but within two [or] three years, the club had built a training facility where the professional team plays. We went from a local field to a fully independent field with its own gym, pool, [and] medical centre within three years. It was a big financial investment.”

C.F. Montreal’s decision to invest in new facilities was indicative of the same youth development the MLS had committed to funding. North America needed to improve its youth development strategy if Canada and the U.S. ever wanted to compete with the rest of the world.

McGill Varsity forward Vincent Lipka, U1 Arts, grew up in France before moving to New Jersey at the age of 14. Lipka previously played for the famous Le Havre Athletic Club, known for producing talents like Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez. In the United States, Lipka had trials with the New York Red Bulls and NYCFC academy affiliates, which led to

him sharing the pitch with star midfielder Gio Reyna. He eventually joined Cedar Stars Academy in New Jersey.

According to Lipka, there is a critical difference between North America and Europe’s development tracks.

“In France, soccer players have only one

players.

Goalkeeper Cristiano Rossi, U2 Economics, was a part of the Toronto FC academy for six years before deciding to study at McGill while continuing his soccer career. In an interview with the Tribune, Rossi mentioned that the training system prioritized both education as well as athletics by teaching its students discipline.

“You always have to be professional; you represent your club,” Rossi said. “The professionalism starting from age 12 and upwards was always stressed on us.”

Rossi also noted how skills he learned with Toronto FC transferred to life outside the academy.

“You would always have to [manage your time],” Rossi said. “We did four hours of high school before training, forcing us to be really strict with our homework. I would for sure say the hard work and discipline really stuck from a young age.”

It was this mentality that influenced Rossi’s eventual decision to continue with his education. According to Rossi, the academy ensured that he was able to balance academics and sport, and he never felt pressured to prioritize one over the other.

As Lipka noted, a crucial difference in development between France compared to Canada and the United States is the mentality of the players: The “all or nothing” mindset has definitely played a part in France’s incredible soccer talent and recent world cup

(Pool Reuters) objective: To be professional soccer players,” Lipka said in an interview with the Tribune.

“When I came to the U.S., I felt that some players just play soccer to get into university.

It was a way to get into a top school.”

In Europe, players develop through professional clubs; high-level universities do not recruit for sports. This ensured that the best European talent remains in the academy system.

In the U.S. and Canada, however, collegiate sports not only exist at a much higher level, but are also a revenueheavy endeavour. This encourages top tier universities to allocate significant funds to recruit athletes, leading them to pursue a postsecondary education as well as a sporting career. While die-hard soccer fanatics are uninterested in the education level of soccer players, having an education can be a vital safety net for athletes when pursuing a career as volatile as professional sports. The MLS Next system actively reinforces and emphasizes the importance of education to its

victory. Rossi’s experiences, nonetheless, demonstrate that the student-athlete approach has positive effects beyond soccer.

Developing high-level prospects is the goal of these professional academies.

Nonetheless, it is equally important to produce student-athletes that can impact the world outside of sports, as not every academy player will set foot on a professional pitch.

Through student-athletes like Juliano Cobuzzi, Vincent Lipka, and Cristian Rossi, or through international soccer stars like Alphonso Davies and Weston McKennie, the MLS Next academy system is already proving that high-level talent can still be produced with an inherent focus on education.

It would not be surprising to see the Canadian or United States Men’s national teams make a deep run in a major tournament within the next decade. Just as importantly, it should not come as a shock if an academy athlete is making a profound impact outside the realm of professional sports—they are being trained to do both.

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 2021

Player safety needs to be a higher priority in hockey

Death of Timur Faizutdinov ignites conversation on better protection in sports Sarah Farnand Sports Editor Sports can provide entertainment, outlets for expression, and even career opportunities. However, at the end of the day, sports are games, and safety should always be a top priority. On March 16, Timur Faizutdinov, a 19-year-old Russian hockey player, died after being struck in the head with a puck. Although what happened to Faizutdinov is rare, the tragedy sparked conversation around player safety, and in this case, the efficacy of the hockey helmet.

Most hockey helmets come with at least some protection around the ear area. However, as in Faizutdinov’s case, many junior and professional league players take the ear guards off their helmets, leaving the region exposed. While ear guards add some safety, the focus of the current debate surrounding hockey helmets regards the cage versus the visor. Faizutdinov was struck near the temporal bone, so a full cage may not have saved him.

Nonetheless, facial protection like a cage is proven to decrease the prevalence of injury.

To minimize injuries to collegiate athletes, the National

Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) requires college hockey players across the United States to wear a full cage or full face shield on their helmets. Yet, in Canada, male players are only required to wear half shields, leaving their faces partially uncovered. Despite this, female players wear full masks at all levels of play in North America.

This distinction is rooted in the misguided belief that women’s hockey is an amateur sport and therefore requires more protection.

The NWHL, a professional women’s hockey league, is clearly not an amateur league, but it still requires all of its players to wear full face masks. In contrast, leagues that do not require full face shields see more than double the amount of facial injuries than those that do.

One argument against face shields is that added padding will make the game more violent by encouraging aggression, as is a claim in football. However, the face shield is not designed to stop hits or any physical component of the game, but rather to stop sticks and pucks from knocking players’ teeth out. Ear guards provide some protection for the exposed area around the ear, and such safeguards may have saved Faizutdinov’s life.

In 1959, after being hit in the

face with a puck, Jacques Plante, then-goalie for the Montreal Canadiens, refused to return to the game without a face mask.

This move sparked a rule change allowing and eventually requiring goaltenders to wear masks during games. Hopefully, the tragic passing of Faizutdinov will expand conversations surrounding player safety and the use of ear guards and full-face shields.

Although the NHL did not even require helmets until 40 years ago, changing the rule that currently prohibits players from wearing fullface shields unless they are already injured could be a potential starting point. Still, players in the NHL make a salary from playing hockey, so if team owners want their players to wear a visor and thus increase player recognition, it is a risk associated with the job.

On the other hand, junior and college hockey players do not earn a significant salary and many do not continue beyond juniors or university. Adding protection to prevent permanent injuries can ensure players are able lead normal lives after their hockey careers come to an end.

The NHL drafts players from the NCAA at a much greater frequency than U Sports. While this

Timur Faizutdinov, a 19-year-old defenceman, was the captain of the HC Dinamo Saint Petersburg. (Getty Images) is in large part due to other factors such as scouting revenue, it is clear that the players are still able to develop into professional athletes behind the safety of a mask.

With a sport such as hockey, most players only compete for a relatively short period. However,

injuries to the face and head can cause trauma and neurological damage that can last for a lifetime.

These extra safety measures may be a minor inconvenience in the short term, but they can prevent permanent damage caused by significant head injuries.

In conversation with Dick Pound

Fairness in competition is integral to McGill alumnus Dick Pound Adam Burton Sports Editor Richard Pound is by far one of McGill’s most notable student-athlete alumni. During his time at McGill, Pound earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce and graduated on the Dean’s list, won the Canadian swimming freestyle championship four times, placed sixth representing team Canada at the 1960 Rome Olympics, and took home one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal at the 1962

British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

Since his graduation in 1962, Pound has served as vice-president of the International Olympic Committee and founded the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). As the former president of WADA, Pound has clashed with notable organizations, such as the NHL, the Russian Olympic Team, and even individuals, including Lance Armstrong, over their unlawful use of performance-enhancing drugs.

From his experiences as an Olympic

Dick Pound has dedicated his life to fighting performance enhancing drugs in professional sports.

(Canadian Olympic Commitee)

athlete and through his work with anti-doping organizations, Pound strongly believes in ensuring a competitive but level playing field for all athletes.

“It was important for me to do whatever I could to help the next generation enjoy the fun that I had as an athlete,” Pound said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

Since Pound’s days as a collegiate athlete, the world of competition has only intensified, with an expansion of collegiate and professional sports on an international level. The development track for student athletes has only become more fraught with complications.

“I would say that there’s a lot more money in the system now,” Pound said. “That means that you can actually carry on competing until you’re well into your thirties [....] Back when I was doing it, when you finished McGill, you had to go to work.”

The World Anti-Doping Agency has made major progress in the fight against large-scale doping since its founding in 1999.

High-profile cases, like the mass doping by the Russian Olympic team in the 2018 Winter Olympics and doping by professional cyclists in the early 2000s, resulted in independent investigations that confirmed their use of performance-enhancing drugs. The former ensued in Russia being banned from the next two Olympic games. Despite these strides toward fairness in sport, Pound emphasized that there is still much work to be done.

“People have asked me, ‘When do you

declare that you’ve won the fight against doping in sport?’” Pound said. “The answer to that is, you can’t change human nature.

There are always going to be people out there that do not care [about] what they promised.

They do not care what the rules are. But if you can get 99.9 per cent of the athletes not to do it because it’s dangerous, and because you are breaking a promise you’ve made to your fellow competitors, [you will] be doing [it] right.”

Following his years spent trail-blazing the fight against doping, Pound remained in Montreal, where he worked as a tax attorney and authored several books that reflect his time as president of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

When ruminating on his storied life, Pound attributes much of his work ethic to his time spent as a student athlete at McGill. “[Being a student-athlete] rounds out your academic progress and certainly teaches you to manage your time better,” Pound said. “I went through almost my entire first year at McGill at the age of 16. I was totally immature, socially and all that kind of stuff, but [...] I could compete and learn from folks that were all older than I was.”

Pound believes strongly in pursuing what is right—a value he was taught from a young age.

“A lesson I remember from school was, ‘if it’s wrong, it’s wrong, even if everybody’s doing it. If it’s right, it’s right, even if nobody’s doing it.’”