The McGill Tribune Vol. 41 Issue 15

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022 | VOL. 41 | ISSUE 15

Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

McGILLTRIBUNE.COM | @McGILLTRIBUNE

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

McGill’s rushed reopenings are reckless

Changing the narrative

Faculty of Science presents the 33rd edition of Soup and Science

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PGs. 8-9

PG. 13

(Brian Schatteman / The McGill Tribune)

Students release open letter calling for hybrid learning and stricter campus safety measures

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Wellness Hub staff drawn to overwhelmed Quebec hospitals amid COVID-19 surge, leaving limited student appointments Students seeking aid redirected to off-campus resources Ghazal Azizi Contributor The week of Jan. 3, Charlie*, U1 Medicine, said they contacted the Student Wellness Hub’s phone line every day

of the week in an attempt to book an appointment for their partner, who was suffering from a concussion. Instead of receiving support at the Wellness Hub, which would be fully covered under McGill’s insurance plan, they were redirected to a hospital emergency room where there can

Varsity Council speaks out against sports shutdown

be up-front costs for international students. According to Charlie, the operator informed them that all of the Wellness Hub’s medical staff had been reassigned to public hospitals as a result of the province’s surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations.

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Balaclavas: Where practicality and personality meet

McGill athletes left discouraged, bereft of another winter season

The garment is a canvas for individual expression

Sarah Farnand & Monty Weatherall Sports Editor & Contributor

Isabella González Staff Writer

Following the spike in COVID-19 cases associated with the Omicron variant, McGill varsity athletes have, for the third time, been forced to press pause on their seasons and their training. After an announcement from the RSEQ confirming the postponement of all sports due to

measures imposed by Quebec’s Ministry of Health, McGill Athletics announced on Jan. 6 that sports would be postponed indefinitely. Although in-person teaching is slated to start again on Jan. 24, there has been no definite date set for the resumption of extracurriculars, including sports. Further, once sports are given the go-ahead, teams will be given two full weeks to practice before they are able to compete.

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Balaclavas have recently stepped on the scene, taking the fashion world by storm. In the past year, the Google search “how to knit a balaclava” grew by five thousand per cent. What was once deemed

unfashionable has dramatically taken off.

Typically made out of wool or other kinds of yarn, balaclavas are meant to cover almost the entirety of your neck, head, and face. Clearly, the idle hands that took up crocheting and knitting during the pandemic are itching to create their own balaclava project.

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NEWS

news@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022

Wellness Hub staff drawn to overwhelmed Quebec hospitals amid COVID-19 surge, leaving limited student appointments Students seeking aid are redirected to off-campus resources Ghazal Azizi Contributor Continued from page 1. “[The Wellness Hub is] actually luring you into almost a false sense of security, ” Charlie said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “If I was a sick person who was getting worse day by day, I might avoid going to the ER because of the expense and instead [...] hope that I get an appointment the next day and then the next day [at the Wellness Hub] and get sicker [in the meantime].”

Frédérique Mazerolle, a McGill media relations officer, clarified that the hours physicians dedicate to the Wellness Hub are only ancillary, meaning they do not fulfil the Plans régionaux d’effectifs médicaux (PREM) or activités médicales particulières (AMP) requirements obligatory to practice medicine in Quebec.

“Our physicians are those who offer their time to us after fulfilling all these government-mandated

requirements,” Mazerolle wrote in an email to the Tribune. “It is important to note that while we do serve a large number of students [...], our services are not intended to serve as the primary care provider for our students.”

Charlie believes that the Wellness Hub should be more transparent with the student body, and should notify students when they are unable to meet demands or handle emergency situations. “[The Wellness Hub] is being untruthful in that they are not clearly telling people that they really don’t have any appointments,” Charlie said. “[Limited access to physicians] is still a problem for the university because they need to offer their students healthcare and not just the illusion of healthcare, plus a fee that you have to pay for that illusion of healthcare.”

Arwyn Regimbal, U1 Social Work, sees many of the Wellness Hub’s weaknesses as indicative of a larger institutional defect, and expressed frustration with the Wellness Hub’s reactive, rather than

proactive, mental health resources.

“If you just ignore minor health needs now, eventually they’ll be bigger health needs,” Regimbal said in an interview with the Tribune. “[The Wellness Hub’s counselling services] are very short term, i.e. crisis counselling, and I was told that long-term counselling isn’t really a thing [the Wellness Hub offers]. From the systemic view, I understand [that] mental health in Quebec is at a crisis point, but at the same time, keep.meSAFE is not an appropriate solution in the long term.”

The Wellness Hub has faced persistent criticism over its inaccessibility, prolonged wait times, and limited appointment availability.

Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Mental Health Commissioner Julia Caddy acknowledged that student mental health has reached a critical point in light of the fluctuating and uncertain public health situation. Caddy shared Regimbal’s view that the Wellness Hub offers limited mental

Telehealth services, like Maple and Dialogue, are now covered by the Blue Cross health care plan provided by McGill to international students.

(Brian Schatteman / The McGill Tribune) health services, but believes that SSMU can provide an alternative for students.

“One strategy is to meet students where they’re at by having more targeted initiatives and dropin sessions for students to unload [...] both as a social environment but also as support,” Caddy said

in an interview with the Tribune.

“If we can distribute people to the [options] that are actually relevant to them, it will decrease the demand and increase the capacity of the right services for the right people.” *Charlie’s name has been changed to preserve their anonymity.

Students release open letter calling for hybrid learning and stricter campus safety measures Letter garners around 22,000 signatures over the weekend

Juliet Morrison Staff Writer

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n open letter, written and published just hours after McGill’s Jan. 14 announcement that in-person learning would recommence on Jan. 24, has been circulating among the student body. The letter, titled “Open Letter to the McGill Administration – Return to in-person learning on January 24th,” denounces the administration’s decision to return on the 24th, contending that it ignores and dismisses the reality of the pandemic. As of Jan. 17, the petition has garnered close to 22,000 signatures.

Written and drafted by U1 Arts student Lavinia Auhoma and co-written by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) vice-president (VP) University Affairs Claire Downie, the letter calls on the administration to mandate hybrid learning strategies, regulate the supply of adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the community, and release a more detailed

Writers of the open letter plan to bring it to the next Board of Governors meeting on Feb. 10 for discussion.

(Brian Schatteman / The McGill Tribune)

plan for an eventual move to in-person learning. The writers also demand a comprehensive account of McGill’s contact tracing procedures and methodology, both on and off campus.

The letter has been signed by members of the McGill community—including students, faculty, and parents—along with faculty and staff from other Canadian universities, such as Concordia University and the University of Toronto.

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Auhoma noted that she was compelled to write the letter after reading McGill’s announcement which, in her view, dismissed and downplayed the reality of the ongoing pandemic.

“I think everyone knows someone else who has COVID, maybe right now,” Auhoma said. “As the situation developed so rapidly, and with how unpredictable it was, I found it quite reckless and a bit shocking of McGill to carry on with its decision to open up so promptly. I think we even see in the specific language of the email, ‘Despite the rising case count in Quebec,’ [that] there is a lot of language that downplays the severity of COVID.” Auhoma believes that McGill’s decision prioritizes students’ desire for a regular university experience, rather than public safety at large, noting that it ignores members of the McGill community who are immunocompromised or vulnerable.

“I think they’ve pushed forward with this in-person messaging to appease a big population of the student body who just want their university experience back,” Auhoma said. “I do want my university experience, but I don’t want it at the cost of people’s lives [....] And when McGill is dismissing that plea, because it wants to reflect the majority, I think the minority deserves to be heard too.”

McGill has followed through on its plan to resume inperson learning for most classes consisting of less than 200 people, despite the high case count in Quebec and the province’s limited testing capabilities. In a statement to the Tribune, McGill media relations officer Frédérique Mazerolle justified McGill’s

decision to move in-person, citing Quebec’s public health guidelines and the McGill community’s vaccination rate.

“McGill has an excellent track record in keeping our community safe,” wrote Mazerolle. “Although there have been cases on campus, safety measures have worked [....]

Nevertheless, our planning for Winter 2022 remains flexible and if the COVID-19 situation changes, we have contingency plans in place. We are monitoring the situation extremely closely and are prepared to act quickly in line with public health directives.”

In an interview with the Tribune, Downie questioned the university’s assertion that it would pivot to online if the situation worsens. The unclear case counts due to the lack of available tests in the province, coupled with McGill’s decision to move academics in-person amid rising hospitalizations, led her to question McGill’s metric for being able to return to campus.

“I have been asking this question of administration members, what metrics they would use to decide that things [...] aren’t going as well as they need them to be or what they’re willing to handle,” Downie said. “You can’t really get a PCR test in Quebec, unless you’re a member of a specific group. So I just assume that there will be outbreaks, but that there will be no real way for the university to confirm that they have occurred.”

While the letter has garnered much support, it has also been controversial. Some students, like Adam Menikefs, U2 Arts, are concerned that the letter does not take full account of the marked differences in this phase of the pandemic, notably the low hospitalizations, deaths, and vaccination rates among the 20-29 age group.

“I do not want to invalidate people’s concerns, [but] some students I believe have yet to treat the current situation to what it will become, an endemic,” Menikefs wrote in a message to the Tribune. “Obviously I do not agree that everyone should be forced back, and accommodations should be made for those who are immunocompromised or live with high risk individuals, but [I] also think it is difficult to assume that McGill can make an entire decision based on individual accommodations.”

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022

NEWS

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Federal government requires international students to be doubly vaccinated to enter Canada

Students call for university-wide vaccine mandates to protect community health Henry Olsen Contributor

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he rapid rise in cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has spurred the Canadian government to implement a restriction requiring all international students entering the country to be fully vaccinated, as of Jan. 15. The Quebec College of Physicians has also called on the government to enforce stricter vaccination requirements, such as mandating three doses of an accepted vaccine in order to hold a vaccine passport.

The Canadian government considers a person to be fully vaccinated if they have received two doses of an approved vaccine and it has been 14 days past their second

dose. Booster shots—a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine—became available in Canada on Jan. 4 and became available to those aged 18 and over in Quebec on Jan. 14. However, Dr.Theresa Tam informed Canadians that the government would not change the definition of a fully vaccinated person.

Frédérique Mazerolle, a McGill media relations officer, told The McGill Tribune in an email that the administration will respect the Quebec government’s evolving directives regarding the vaccine passport.

“At McGill, vaccination passports are required to access a wide range of nonessential activities on- and off-campus,” Mazerolle wrote. “[The] university intends to apply the passport to the fullest extent

Appointments for COVID-19 booster shots in Quebec opened for those aged 18 to 24 on Jan 14.

(PNAS)

possible under law to provide strong incentives for members of the McGill community to get vaccinated.”

Some international students, however, do not think McGill is doing enough to guide students through the changing safety measures. Anna Tripier, U1 Math and Biology, who is returning to Montreal from the United States, feels that the administration has shown a lack of concern for the wellbeing of its students.

“Though McGill has put a lot of effort into handling vaccination by following the Quebec laws, I’m actually disappointed with the lack of resources and effort McGill has shown toward helping its students and faculty feel safe,” Tripier told the Tribune.

To help rectify this, Tripier suggests that more testing sites should be made available, along with higher quality tests. More importantly, she believes a university-wide vaccine mandate would be an effective tool in combating COVID-19.

“I strongly support [a] decision to mandate vaccines,” Tripier said. “I think it’s the fastest way to slow the spread of COVID and reduce the amount of people heavily impacted by it.”

Lucille Applegate, a U1 Arts student from France, too, is in support of a campus-wide vaccine mandate. The ethics and legality of requiring vaccines has, however, been hotly debated at McGill, with professors from the faculty of Law warning the university of the liability

risk of not imposing a vaccine mandate.

Applegate believes that those hesitant about getting vaccinated should “trust science,” even if “it’s new and can be scary.”

Students’ discontent with McGill’s vaccination policies also extends to the federal government’s regulations. Tripier, for instance, has mixed feelings about the Canadian government’s new travel restriction because she worries some international students may not have access to vaccines. Applegate, on the other hand, feels this new rule is a natural progression in Canada’s regulations.

“I think this guideline is the only logical sequence of what Canada’s policy has been for the last few months, especially with the vaccine passport that has been in place,” Applegate remarked.

As of Jan. 13, the McGill COVID-19 Situation Dashboard reported that 96.3 per cent of students were “adequately vaccinated.” Statistics regarding faculty and staff were last updated on Dec. 9. At the time, McGill reported that 92.2 per cent of McGill faculty and staff were adequately vaccinated. The Quebec government considers “adequately vaccinated” people to be those who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, who caught COVID-19 in the last six months, or who caught COVID-19 more than six months ago and have received one dose of a COVID vaccine.

Students report loss of income and stressful working conditions amidst Omicron wave

Those with essential jobs are being asked to work overtime due to staffing shortages Juliet Morrison Staff Writer

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cGill students with on-campus jobs are facing new struggles since the latest COVID-19 case surge driven by the Omicron variant. The provincial lockdown closed many nonessential sites of employment on campus, from Gerts Student Bar to the Athletics and Recreation facility, leaving some student employees without income. For students with essential jobs, on the other hand, the surge in cases has meant pressures to work over-time amid staffing shortages.

Student jobs deemed essential include research employees working in Tier 1 activities and select student service positions offering in-person support, such as the Peer Health Ambassadors at the Student Wellness Hub. Students with jobs in McGill’s residences are also still working in person.

Non-essential campus jobs have moved to a virtual setting or closed altogether, a move that has impacted students like Sabrina Ahmed, U2 Arts, who works as an office assistant at the currently closed Athletics and Recreations facility. Ahmed’s shifts scheduled throughout January were cancelled following the lockdown, impacting her ability to support herself financially.

“All the income from my on-campus job went towards paying my rent,” wrote Ahmed. “Since I am an international student, the tuition fees I am required to pay are quite high, so my job was a way for me to contribute to my living expenses and reduce the burden on my parents. Now with no income of my own, it has definitely put more pressure on my parents to pay for my living costs on top of already high tuition fees.”

In an email to the Tribune, McGill media relations officer Frédérique Mazerolle listed some of McGill’s channels of financial support, including one specifically created for those dealing with a loss of income stemming from lockdown—the In-Course Financial Aid program.

“Since the pandemic began, the Scholarships & Student Aid Office has received tremendous support from the University, donors and the provincial government to assist students with unexpected financial barriers,” wrote Mazerolle. “Nearly $6-million in onetime funding has been used to provide student bursaries for COVID-related situations— including remote learning tools, quarantine and lost or interrupted employment.”

For some students in permitted oncampus positions, the spike in COVID-19 cases has made their jobs more strenuous.

According to Beatrice Robert, U2 Arts and a

Many student positions for the winter semester started remotely with the expectation of an eventual transition to in-person. (Elissa Dresdner / The McGill Tribune) floor fellow in multiple residences, there have been pressing staff shortages due to coworkers getting sick, resulting in frequent overtime work.

“I worked 50 plus hours [and] had to be called within 12 hours of a shift, because [another employee] was down for 10 days,” Robert said. “It’s just really tiring. But at the same time you try to be really flexible, because

you know, it’s hard for everyone. And if you are available, you do not want to say no.”

The lack of adequate personal protective equipment on campus is another issue facing essential student employees. Though McGill offers free procedural masks, there is no widespread access to N95s or KN95s, which are now deemed essential for proper protection against the Omicron variant.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022

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Omicron wave disrupts athletics programs and sports

Intramurals season delayed and expected to be shortened Eric Birzneck Contributor

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ll Athletics and Recreation programming at McGill came to a halt on Jan. 6, when the university suspended athletic activities—including both recreational and varsity sports—due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. In a Jan. 11 update, the university announced that a limited amount of individual athletics programming, such as running, would return on Jan. 17. Intramurals and sports clubs are to remain suspended.

In an email to The McGill Tribune, Zachary McRae, Athletics and Recreation’s communications officer, explained that the closure of the fitness centres and cancellation of sporting activities was in adherence to Quebec’s public health mandate. On Jan. 13, the government stipulated that the 10 p.m. curfew would be lifted on Jan. 17, but that gyms and indoor recreation facilities would remain closed.

“Athletics and Recreation [now] has permission to resume offering jogging, singles tennis, singles badminton, recreational skating and lap swimming,” McRae said. “Advanced bookings will be required to participate.”

Assistant Manager of Intramurals Ryne Bondy informed the Tribune in an email that there is no date planned for team intramurals to resume, as government restrictions

The McGill Naginata Club continues to practice and interact online in a limited capacity. (mcgillathletics.ca) continue to prohibit team sports. When the government eases these restrictions, Athletics and Recreation is considering implementing a shortened season, similar in format to Fall 2021, that would consist of only four games, rather than the typical six. Bondy explained that a plan is in place in the event that team intramurals are allowed to continue.

“We have everything ready to go and just need the green light to safely resume from public health,” Bondy wrote. “We had numerous protocols in place in the fall, increased buffer between matches, roster

limits, no fans, increased sanitation. These can easily be transferred to the winter season and won’t be new for our participants.”

The suspension of activities has also affected the operations of McGill’s many sports clubs. Mei Yang, an executive of McGill’s Naginata Club, explained in an email that the suspension of in-person activities has complicated the training process for members as partner drills like sparring are not possible.

“In the past, we have run online practices and other social activities, but the scope of techniques that we can teach beginners online

is drastically reduced,” Yang wrote. “Anything beyond the very basics is near impossible to properly teach without adequate space and inperson advising, so beginners tend to suffer the most during online practices.”

Akiko Nakagawa, another Naginata Club executive, agreed that the suspension has been difficult for athletics clubs because online training is not as effective in maintaining one’s physical fitness.

“Naginata is a very technical practice, so we can all definitely feel our skills getting rusty after not practicing for a few months,” Nakagawa wrote. “It’s also pretty decent aerobic exercise, so I’m definitely more out of shape now than I was when we were practicing in person.”

Yang explained that club activities serve as an important opportunity for social interaction. In lieu of in-person activities, the club plans to organize game nights, movie screenings, and online viewings of tournament videos.

“Normally we socialize during or after our in-person practices, but since that’s no longer possible under the suspension we plan to move our socialization online through platforms like Discord,” Yang wrote. “The Naginata Club is the one of the few places where I can consistently talk to people who I consider to be friends, and taking this opportunity away deprives all club members of much-needed human contact.”

Council members voice grievances about inadequate stipends at PGSS Legislative Council meeting Other discussions included allocation of extra funds for the return to campus on Jan. 24 Lowell Wolfe Arts & Entertainment Editor

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cGill’s Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) held its first virtual council meeting of the Winter 2022 semester on Jan. 12. Secretary-General Kristi Kouchakji announced the society’s efforts to improve COVID-19 safety standards for graduate students, such as distributing higher quality masks in graduate-student work areas. Councillors also discussed possible ways to distribute the pool of money from the now-defunct Legal Support Fund, and heard a presentation from the McGill Trainees’ Poverty Observatory on how to make the Faculty of Medicine’s harmonized stipend policy more equitable.

With the imminent return to on-campus learning on Jan. 24, Kouchakji noted that the PGSS

The AGSEM collective agreement is the contract negotiated between McGill and the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill, providing labour rights to both teaching assistants and exam invigilators.

(Brian Schatteman / The McGill Tribune)

is working closely with McGill facilities to add more mask dispensers in graduate school buildings and work areas.

“I’m also very excited to say that we are in the early stages of organizing access to some higher quality masks for our members,” Kouchakji said.

“N-95s, KN-95s, KN-94s, and any other maskrelated PPE that you might want to use on campus can be put in the recycling bins, so that’s very exciting.”

The requirements to enter buildings such as The PGSS Thomson House—which will soon require proof of three vaccine doses for entry— were also discussed. Councillors then spoke about the continuation of online extracurricular activities for the foreseeable future.

Financial Affairs Officer Sophie Osiecki held discussion with various councillors regarding best how to distribute the funds accrued from the Legal Support Fund. The society ceased collecting student fees for the fund as of Fall 2021. Osiecki advocated for putting the funds—which total approximately $125,000—toward McGill’s NeedBased Bursary Program. Councillors offered other suggestions, such as subsidizing the society’s legal protection plan, donating the money to the McGill Wellness Hub, or contributing it to the Society’s Special Projects Fund. In the end, they decided to postpone the verdict, encouraging members to send in their ideas via email for how they want the funds allocated.

The society’s final topic for the evening regarded a presentation by Morgan Maher, a third-year Philosophy PhD candidate, on behalf of the McGill Trainees’ Poverty Observatory—a

group of student trainees from various departments advocating against student poverty.

Maher’s presentation recounted a number of recommendations the Observatory has brought forward to the Faculty of Medicine regarding their Stipend Policy, including raising stipends.

This Stipend Policy is intended to provide complete tuition and fee coverages, standardized living allowances, and a standardized policy on scholarship Top-Up awards for all thesis-based graduate students in the Faculty of Medicine.

Maher acknowledged that the policy is a step in the right direction for improving living standards for graduate students, but that it fails to address student poverty. According to Maher, the Harmonized Stipend Policy does not account for inflation and increasing costs of living. Even in 2019, when the policy was originally written, the living stipends were insufficient in providing students with enough money to live above Quebec’s poverty line.

During the question period following Maher’s presentation, a representative from the McGill Biology Graduate Student Association (BGSA) detailed how Biology Graduate stipends can be deducted if students are also working as a teaching assistant (TA).

“It is written in the [Department of Biology’s] contracts [...] that TA pay can be deducted from stipends, meaning that, in some cases, you are actively punished for TA-ing,” the representative said. “It’s creating situations where some people working in the same lab are being paid drastically different amounts.”

Upon learning of the deducted TA wages,

Kouchakji announced, “I am really mad, and I am going to close my microphone and keep yelling at the walls now.”

MOMENT OF THE MEETING

Students from other departments, such as Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, aired frustrations about how their living stipends are inadequate for paying McGill’s tuition.

Kouchakji detailed how, in her program, Communication Studies, students begin to receive lower stipend payments after four years of graduate work at McGill, effectively penalizing them for continuing in the program and doing research under the McGill name.

SOUND BITE

“Deducting TA wages or [research assistant] wages from your funding is not acceptable, it is a form of wage theft,” said Kouchakji in response to the BGSA representative. “Doing it specifically with TA wages is actually a violation of the AGSEM collective agreement [….] This is not meant to be happening and the new funding letter template, when it was given out to [graduate program directors], made it explicitly clear that you cannot do this, as per the terms of the AGSEM collective agreement.”

opinion@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022

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EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Sequoia Kim editor@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Ruobing Chen rchen@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Kennedy McKee-Braide kmckee-braide@mcgilltribune.com Madison Mclauchlan mmclauchlan@mcgilltribune.com Maya Abuali mabuali@mcgilltribune.com

News Editors Lily Cason, Ella Fitzhugh & Madison Edward-Wright news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Matthew Molinaro & Sepideh Afshar opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editors Shafaq Nami & Youssef Wahba scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Life Editors Holly Wethey & Wendy Zhao studentlife@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Tasmin Chu features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Lowell Wolfe & Michelle Siegel arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Sarah Farnand sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Jinny Moon & Xiaotian Wang design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor Kate Addison photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editors Noah Vaton multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Abby de Gala webdev@mcgilltribune.com

The McGill Tribune Editorial Board

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n Jan. 6, just two days after the McGill School of Social Work announced that their classes would be held virtually until Feb. 24, the McGill administration sent a follow-up email stating that they had declined the plan.

The move came as a surprise to students, especially considering the policy that the McGill Senate passed Nov. 5—Course Delivery Parameter for the Winter 2022 Academic Term—that states it is ultimately up to individual faculties to choose whether or not to adapt to in-person learning.

Since then, McGill has confirmed that all faculties will resume inperson classes on Jan. 24, despite a sore lack of accommodations for immunocompromised and disabled students, and an unrealistic and inequitable demand that all students be back in Montreal by that date. This rushed, forced return to in-person instruction without proper accommodations or adequate consideration for faculties—especially those like

OFF THE BOARD Matthew Molinaro Opinion Editor

Social Media Editor Taneeshaa Pradhan socialmedia@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Joseph Abounohra business@mcgilltribune.com

TPS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STAFF Azwar Ali, Léa Bourget, Elissa Dresdner, Saumya Gogte, Bronte Grimmer, Arian Kamel, Louis Lussier-Piette, Adam Matthews-Kott, Abby McCormick, Adam Menikefs, Zoe Mineret, Juliet Morrison, Anoushka Oke, Juwel Rana, Mikaela Shadick, Corey Zhu

CONTRIBUTORS Ghazal Azizi, Eric Birzneck, Tillie Burlock, Drea Garcia, Sébastien Géroli, Signy Harnad, Charlotte Hayes, Rosie Kaissar, Zoe Karkossa, Paulina Kasak, Cyril Kazan, Jaea Kleinberg, Erika Mackenzie, Madhura Lotlikar, Michelle Marcus, Henry Olsen, Annika Pavlin, Catherine Plawutsky, Brian Schatteman, Kimaya Tekade, Monty Weatherall

TRIBUNE OFFICE Shatner University Centre, 3480 McTavish, Suite 110 Montreal, QC H3A 0E7 - T: 519.546.8263 The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Société de Publication de la Tribune, a student society of McGill University.

The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of The McGill Tribune and the Société de Publication de la Tribune, and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. Letters to the editor may be sent to editor@mcgilltribune.com and must include the contributor’s name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted only to the Tribune. Submissions judged by the Tribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or solely promotional in nature will not be published. The Tribune reserves the right to edit all contributions. Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board.

All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff.

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question that continues to trouble Black Lives Matter activists and organizers almost two years after the largest uprisings in recent history is how to disseminate powerful, transformative messages to those uninvolved, unaware, or uninterested in racial justice. To answer this question, critics pen a deluge of columns: Defund the police does not help real people, in-your-face activism hurts trans people, performative Instagram posts embolden “soft moralisers.” The list goes on and.

In short, progress remains far from reach as radical, divisive action keeps us behind. But, in dealing with these plentiful critiques, those interested in the pursuit of liberation should be cautious about the underlying messages these counterintuitive lines of argument send: To tailor interactions, demands, and

social work, whose students are directly involved in at-risk communities —is a mistake that McGill keeps repeating.

The return to in-person teaching was announced in an email that lacked both concrete details regarding safety measures and empathy for students and faculty. While a safe, gradual return to campus is possible, it has to be done with proper foresight: The plan should have given students and faculty the option to make decisions based on their needs, instead of pushing everyone into classrooms. With only a vague promise to communicate safety measures and address concerns in the coming days, students have been left in the dark about what exactly is being done to prevent outbreaks of the Omicron variant on campus.

All the while, there has been no clear explanation of the options in place for students or professors who are more vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19— whether due to underlying health conditions or age—or who live with people who are more vulnerable.

The university’s

choice to recommend the booster shot for concerned individuals ignores the possible dangers of contracting COVID-19 even with a third shot, the appointments for which are already difficult to snag.

It seems unlikely that the majority of the McGill community will be triple vaccinated by Jan. 24.

And even if those in the McGill community were completely protected themselves, going back to school will inevitably increase transmissions, putting the broader Montreal community more at risk.

While it is important to acknowledge the role the Quebec government plays in directing universities go back in person, other institutions such as Concordia have managed to push their return dates back by a week or two. McGill’s race to re-open has been a thoughtless one: Their refusal to respect the Faculty of Social Work’s decision to extend online learning, despite their own Senate decision, reveals a lack of consideration for students and faculty and for the communities and at-risk groups with whom they work. Students complete fieldwork programs, often working

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EDITORIAL

McGill’s rushed reopenings are reckless

Copy Editor Jackie Lee copy@mcgilltribune.com

Sequoia Kim, Reem Abdul Majid, Matthew Molinaro, Shafaq Nami, Joseph Abounohra, Namrata Rana, Shreya Rastogi

OPINION

with vulnerable communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic. In turn, being forced to return to classes risks serious harm to these groups. The importance of the work done by social workers throughout the pandemic cannot be understated––the mandated return to in-person learning potentially violates an ethical mandate social work students have to those communities who rely heavily on their support.

To everyone’s disappointment, McGill continues to make the same mistakes with their re-openings over and over again. Students, alongside The Students’ Society of McGill University vice-president University Affairs Claire Downie, have penned an open letter to the administration demanding the release of an extensive returnto-school framework, and have also worked with professors to create a document crowd-sourcing information about Winter 2022 classes.

Otherwise, McGill students must rally behind the School of Social Work as they fight to protect the health and safety of their students and those they work with.

A race for comfort movements to people’s comfort levels instead diminishes their credibility.

Beyond my own involvement in activist groups, in countless of my interpersonal encounters with white people, I notice a glaze when I speak about race. Perhaps I am doing something wrong––it is too early, too late, too political, too ‘heavy’ to discuss this topic. It is my fault for assuming they do not know, the person probably has good intentions, they disavow yet accept their “white guilt,”—perhaps I should be lucky that they’re listening. I know I am not alone in facing these thoughts that plague me; I am surely one of many Black individuals, among other people of colour, who feel this emotional, yet often essential, toll to educate. Carefully scripting my experience and my knowledge into palatable pieces for my interlocutor’s digestion exhausts my energy; I wonder what I will receive in return.

Without denying the shift in attitudes during racial discourse, there must be a turn toward embracing discomfort in conversation. In popular culture, activism, and in the workplace, ideas of civility, respectability, and safe spaces need to be enhanced to account for their limiting potential for engagement.

Civility and respectability politics uplift the already uplifted, placing socially constructed restrictions on what one can and cannot say above the justified emotions of racialized people. It may seem rude to make another person uncomfortable, but

confronting these uncomfortable realities is a risk necessary to mobilizing for justice. Articulating one’s experiences with white supremacy is something that transcends dialogue. Put simply, when the fleeting conversation ends, we go back into––if we ever left––the real, unequal world, we reenter unjust systems and institutions where we are unsafe. When I prioritize someone’s comfort over my experience, for instance to avoid triggering oppressive white tears, it is disrespectful to the both of us. This misrepresentation misses the mark, the discussion achieves nothing, and our chances for coming to mutual respect becomes merely a guise.

This formulation of discomfort is years in the making. In 1981, Black feminist Bernice Johnson Reagon argued that discomfort is a foundational aspect of coalitionbuilding and solidarity. Importantly, this applies across causes; as people begin to conceive of themselves as allies to different marginalized groups, Reagon suggests that allyship hinges on a profound sense of discomfort at our world. It, in fact, would be the only logical response to recognizing and combating how structural

injustice and oppression affect people’s lives not only in Canada, but around the globe. Likewise, political philosopher Iris Marion Young viewed communication across difference as a gift-giving process, and some trans activists of colour, like actress Alexandra Billings, urge cisgender people to listen silently as if underground, as a reflection of historically suppressed trans resistance. To learn later that Canada enslaved Black and Indigenous people, that Canada’s normalized anti-Asian racism goes back centuries, that Canada continues to commit cultural and colonial genocide of Indigenous peoples, is the gift of privilege. Rather than shy away, our discomfort should compel us to act not against the subject of these histories, but the system that perpetuates and erases these histories.

Though discourse alone will not save us, it is a valiant first step in intersectional fights for justice in Canada and around the world. By accepting discomfort as an integral component in conversation and activism, we take the risk of sharing our truest selves, transforming contrived comfort into communal courage to move to liberation for all.

ERRATA

An article in the January 11, 2022 issue titled “Next up: Top sports events to catch in 2022” incorrectly stated that Canada, the U.S., and Mexico have qualified for the FIFA World Cup. In fact, they are only potential qualifiers. The Tribune regrets this error.

An article in the January 11, 2022 issue titled “Principal Suzanne Fortier to step down on eve of Fall 2022 term” incorrectly attributed statements solely to Yelena Simine. In fact, Simine provided them on behalf of the MAUT. The Tribune regrets this error.

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OPINION

COMMENTARY

opinion@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022

There is a duty to right the wrongs of Quebec’s pre-pandemic long-term care policy

Michelle Marcus Contributor

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he Omicron wave is exposing and exacerbating a pre-existing crisis in Quebec: The failure to invest in long-term care (LTC). Throughout the pandemic, Quebec has seen disproportionately high COVID-19 death rates among its senior population, particularly those residing in long-term care and housing facilities (CHSLD), or LTC, facilities. During the pandemic’s first wave, Quebec reported nearly 4,000 deaths in CHSLDs, a figure constituting almost 70 per cent of all provincial deaths. Though the issues contributing to these outcomes pre-date the pandemic, with cases surging, the lack of regulation has become all the more clear. The alignment of public opinion and political pressure, combined with the emergence of the Omicron variant, make transformative approaches to policy possible and necessary. The Quebec government must seize this opportunity to reform the LTC sector and respond to demands for higher standards in CHSLD facilities.

Provincial funding debates and national healthcare commissions have continuously neglected long term care. The sector’s designation as an extended care service under the Canada Health Act has prevented sufficient data collection for tracking service practices and facility updates. Nevertheless, the fatal consequences of unchecked standards have surfaced throughout the pandemic:

As Omicron hits Quebec LTC facilities, nine homes report infection among at least 25 per cent of their residents. (Macleans)

COMMENTARY Hongkongers at McGill Contributors

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hen the Olympic flag rises in Beijing’s National Stadium this February, it will not be a moment of prestige or celebration. It will be a painful reminder that, in the eyes of the world, the horrors and abuses of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can be swept aside to make way for a flashy spectacle. To us Hongkongers fortunate enough to speak from the relative safety of Canada, the event symbolizes how the CCP has jailed or exiled an entire generation of young Hongkongers in its quest to crush dissent and manufacture a sanitized image of China for the world. McGill students must push their Members of Parliament to support a full boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

The human rights abuses of the Chinese state are more serious than ever before. In East Turkestan, the CCP’s ongoing genocide of Uyghur Muslims has resulted in

Outdated, overcrowded facilities are reporting the highest COVID-19 outbreaks and hospitalization rates, which experts trace to long waitlists for CHSLD accommodations and the province’s insufficient bed supply. The government has attempted to address this issue by creating makeshift rooms in private nursing homes, forcing families to pay for care out of pocket. However, these short-term arrangements compromise safety standards while shifting the burden of care disproportionately onto female relatives, as well as immigrants, who constitute one third of Canada’s personal support workers (PSWs). Premier François Legault has praised the valiant efforts of healthcare workers, but without a financially supported commitment to improve CHSLD conditions contributing to the virus’ transmission, his statements lack the sincerity and evidence needed to restore public faith in the LTC system.

As the province faces several large-scale issues such as the housing crisis and costly vaccination campaigns, LTC is just one of many areas demanding funding from a limited fiscal pool.

Nevertheless, with nine CHSLDs designated under Quebec’s red zone as of December 31, and with high Omicron infection rates among seniors, Quebec cannot afford to prolong momentous policy solutions.

Political pressure from the Bloc Quebecois is also stifling Quebec’s LTC policy reform. To address overcrowding and service negligence, policymakers across Canada have proposed viable options such as attaching an LTC benefit to national pension plans, establishing an infrastructure bank to challenge private sector monopolies, or creating an immigration stream dedicated to PSW recruitment. However, despite the province’s inability to independently fund the necessary changes, the adoption of policies emphasizing federal assistance is unlikely—Bloc Quebecois leader YvesFrançois Blanchet accused Ottawa of using the pandemic to strengthen its national grip over provincial jurisdictions. Quebec’s leaders must decide what to prioritize: The province’s suffering senior population or fabricated threats to provincial sovereignty.

The complex combination of factors fueling Quebec’s crisis makes immediate sector-wide revamps unrealistic. Still, Quebecers are justified in demanding that formal steps be taken to address LTC issues typically overlooked in provincial political agendas. Even if immediate infrastructure projects are unfeasible, Quebec could start by following B.C.’s approach, which restricts LTC workers to one residence to minimize infection transmission and gives all staff full-time public employee status rather than union worker status. Without confirmation of increased sector funding, and the public still awaiting a testimony on deaths within CHSLDs from Quebec’s Senior Minister, accusations of the government’s disregard for residents in the long term care system may be more warranted than Legault cares to admit.

Given Omicron’s rapid transmission rates, prohibiting family visits in CHSLDs is scientifically sound. However, when the same government has continuously refused to address long-standing, sector-wide issues contributing to preventable deaths, moral justifications for civil disobedience gain traction.

Setbacks caused by the Omicron variant demand faith in public institutions. If Quebec’s government fails to respond to cries for LTC policy reform in this critical moment, they can count their opportunity to learn from pre-pandemic mistakes wasted.

Blood in the stadium at least one million people locked up in concentration camps, where many suffer torture and forced sterilization. In Tibet, forced relocation, arbitrary arrest, and torture in police detention are all common tactics to prevent Tibetans from speaking up like they did against the 2008 Beijing Olympics. And in Hong Kong, over 10,000 protesters—many of whom are teenagers—have been arrested as a government crackdown on university unions and student activism charges on.

Despite the ever-worsening human rights situation in China, preparations are going ahead as planned for what some activists are now calling the “Genocide Games.” The world must not make the same mistake that it did in 1936: Despite a global “boycott” campaign against the Berlin “Nazi” Olympics, many countries ultimately still sent their athletes to the Games, which Hitler used to promote the Nazi regime. Consequently, an opportunity to censure his regime was lost. However,

Olympic boycotts have been effective in the past: In 1976, 22 African countries boycotted the Montreal Olympics in protest of the International Olympic Commitee’s indifference toward apartheid in South Africa, and as a result, Canada lost one million dollars—equivalent to nearly five million dollars today–– in hotel and ticket sales. A boycott of the Genocide Games would deny the CCP a chance to use media coverage of the Games to distract worldwide viewers from their various human rights atrocities.

Some counter that a boycott is detrimental to the well-being of the athletes—the Olympics only happen once every four years; a boycott would mean that athletes lose their chance at competing at one of the highest levels of sport. While this is true, it is important to keep in mind who pays the price for these Olympic dreams. For every young Canadian who receives a medal on the winner’s podium in Beijing, there are thousands of young Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Hongkongers who remain locked behind bars.

Thousands of athletes worldwide will still show up at Beijing to compete. (Time) Long after the medal-winners and foreign journalists have departed, the targets of the CCP’s ire, left behind in China, pay the price.

Politics and sports are inseparable; nowhere is this truer than in China, where political freedom is severely repressed. The recent case of Peng Shuai, a tennis star who vanished after daring to accuse a former senior Communist Party official of sexual assault, shows that even Olympians enjoy no special exemption in the eyes of the regime. In support of Peng, the Women’s Tennis Association has rightly

pulled out of China entirely—the equivalent of a full boycott of the country’s actions.

Those looking forward to the sights and spectacle of the Beijing Olympics should consider how many lives they would be okay sacrificing for the sake of a sporting event and its associated advertising revenue. Consider how many people will be silenced to appease a repressive dictatorship. While moral questions are rarely easy to answer, hopefully in this case, the human cost of business as usual with the Genocide Games is clear.

studentlife@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022

STUDENT LIFE

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Travelling with caution

How McGill students are navigating international exchanges during COVID-19 Erika MacKenzie Contributor

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fter cancelling the Fall 2021 exchange program and nearly cancelling the Winter 2022 exchange program, McGill announced in November 2021 that this semester’s exchange program would proceed as planned.

But with the ongoing pandemic causing travel disruptions worldwide, this year’s exchange program is not without its complications. Despite the rapid spread of the Omicron variant and Quebec’s latest lockdown, McGill students are still packing their bags for international destinations this winter.

The decision to reinstate the exchange program for Winter 2022 came after Global Affairs Canada lifted a travel advisory on all non-essential travel outside of Canada. However, as of Dec. 15, 2021, the COVID-19 Global travel advisory once again encouraged Canadians to avoid all nonessential international travel due to the Omicron variant. Nevertheless, McGill Abroad decided not to cancel this semester’s exchange, but is encouraging students to

proceed with caution.

Students planning to go on exchange this semester have had to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 developments, as well as mixed messages from McGill Abroad.

Molly Westrup, U3 Arts, is planning to attend Trinity College Dublin this semester. Westrup expressed to the Tribune that she had doubts about the COVID-19 situation while planning her exchange. “[O]f course I was nervous because everything’s so up in the air all the time,” Westrup said. “In early October it did get cancelled [because] of COVID. Westrup noted that while she had “made peace with it [being cancelled],” she “was happy when it got reinstated.”

Megan Waters, U3 Arts, explained that McGill’s lack of clarity on whether exchanges would happen this semester contributed to her anxiety.

“McGill added a lot to my anxiety during the whole process with the constant cancelling, reinstating, and properly cancelling,” Waters said. “So that made me nervous, not just because of COVID, but because of the lack

McGill’s mixed-messages on the winter exchange program have made it particularly difficult for students to make exchange plans. (Kimaya Tekade / The McGill Tribune) of clarity of what I will be doing in two, three months time.”

Waters was far from the only student frustrated with McGill’s communication about exchanges.

In an email to the Tribune, Henry Ceffalio, U2 Arts, highlighted how McGill’s decision to cancel and then reinstate the exchange made organizing his affairs abroad particularly challenging.

“McGill’s cancellation and later [reinstatement] of exchanges caused a lot of logistical challenges

for me,” Ceffalio wrote. “McGill cancelled exchanges on October 5th and didn’t confirm that my exchange was fully reinstated until November 11th. I didn’t receive my visa until just days before travelling and nearly all of the housing options offered by my university in France were filled by the time I applied.”

Ceffalio further explained that he would have been unprepared to stay in Montreal had the exchange been cancelled.

“I was blind-sided when

McGill initially cancelled exchanges,” Ceffalio wrote. “I had no backup plan for how I’d be able to live in Montreal and attend McGill in Winter 2022. I wasn’t signed up for Winter classes and didn’t have an apartment in Montreal. I had to scramble to figure those things out, only to be told that I could actually go abroad.”

Although students expressed frustration over the university’s poor communication with regards to the winter exchange program, many are excited to embark on their international adventure.

When asked whether she worried that COVID-19 regulations would taint her experience on exchange in Dublin, Westrup replied enthusiastically that she would make the best of the situation, while proceeding with caution.

“Technically I’m abroad right now [as an American],” Westrup said. “My second year was tainted

by COVID regulations […] but now I’m much more accustomed to what I’m comfortable with and [determining] what seems safe to me. So I think I’ll be able to have a really good experience on my own terms without having COVID take hold of it.”

Dance in the time of COVID-19

McGill dance community struggles with lack of support and recognition Brontë Grimmer Staff Writer

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cGill’s dance community is labouring under a lack of recognition and support in the COVID-19 era.

After fully online Zoom practices during the 2020-2021 school year, McGill dance troupes continued to struggle with restrictions on their practices and performances throughout the Fall 2021 semester.

Some members of the dance community,

including Urban Groove member Sophia Monahan, U1 History, said they felt unsupported and undervalued by the university, in comparison to intramural and varsity athletic teams.

“In the Fall 2021 semester, for some reason, we still weren’t allowed all 30+ of us in the room and we had to split up our rehearsals while sports and intramurals were allowed to gather to practice,” said Monahan.

“Our typical McGill facility access was denied or extremely challenging to get.”

While intramural and varsity sports teams practiced without masks and participated in games, dance teams—with their sport often seen as less serious —had to watch from the sidelines. (newyorker.com)

Isabel Heard, U3 Urban Studies and coordinator of multi-genre dance group Mosaica, shared similar sentiments.

“One unfortunate reality that the dance community at McGill has faced is the experience of being seen as subordinate to sports teams. Dance sits right on the border between arts and sports, and we are proud of occupying that space,” Heard said. “Throughout COVID, we sat back and witnessed intramural and varsity sports teams practice maskless and hold games while we were unable to rehearse together.”

As COVID-19 restrictions tightened over the winter break, and as McGill transitioned back to online learning for the beginning of the Winter 2022 semester, dance groups were forced to bring their practices back to Zoom, much like the 2020-21 school year.

Monahan expressed the frustrations and challenges of practicing online.

“I danced all throughout high school and never once felt that I didn’t want to go to dance,” Monahan said. “After doing dance online for several months, I found myself exhausted and almost annoyed to have to turn on Zoom again.”

In order to keep morale up and prevent dancers from abandoning their craft, many McGill dance groups significantly reduced their practice hours over Zoom. Alegria, McGill’s contemporary ballet company, cut its practices from six hours in person to two hours over Zoom per week.

Heard said Mosaica was also hit with the same frustrations that many dancers felt.

“A few members of Mosaica decided to pull out of the company once we went virtual, as virtual rehearsals can be unfulfilling and frustrating,” Heard said. “The barriers of learning original choreography without the company being in the same room is a huge hurdle for us. [It] has really limited our creative freedom, our opportunity to connect within our own community and provide the kind of support network we want to offer to our dancers.”

Not only were in-person practices cancelled for the Winter 2022 semester, but groups had to cancel performances they had been preparing all Fall 2021 semester for.

In compliance with COVID-19 restrictions, Urban Groove, McGill’s hip-hop dance troupe, cancelled its showcase planned for February.

“We had to readjust completely,” said Urban Groove coordinators Maya Baylis, U3 Social Work, and Lucie Russell-Kearns, U3 Arts and Science. “It was heartbreaking as we were really excited to finally perform together for an audience again.”

Alegria Contemporary Ballet Company’s co-presidents Hannah Dmowski, U2 Arts and Science, and Lillian Yoffe, U2 Science, shared similar disappointment as their guest performance at Urban Groove’s showcase was cancelled.

“For many of us, dancing is a huge part of our lives and our identities and serves as an important de-stressor,” Heard said.

“I personally felt like my life lost a lot of meaning.”

Changing the narrative Media representation beyond token characters and casual racism

Shafaq Nami, Science & Technology Editor

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have a go-to answer when someone asks how I speak English so well, despite it not being my mother tongue: “I consume a lot of Western media.” Despite the benefits of this habit, that short phrase also encompasses the constant struggle of disentangling my self-worth from the harmful messages I have absorbed from the screen.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in Pakistan largely surrounded by people who shared my culture and experiences.

Because I could see myself reflected in those around me, I was mostly protected from the prejudices built into Western media.

Things changed when, in 2019, I moved to Canada to attend McGill. Suddenly, I found myself in the “Western World” that I had idealized in my head, and I was met with an identity crisis: Where did I fit in?

It became painfully obvious that as a South Asian Muslim woman, I had never identified with anyone I had seen on-screen. Most of the people I interacted with here had preconceived notions of me that clashed with my self-identity and threatened to shake my notion of who I believed I was.

For better or worse, popular media has shaped my view of the world. Media plays an important role in society, acting not only as a source of information about the world but also as a reflection of social norms and attitudes.

On average, people around the world spend over 7.5 hours per day consuming media of some form, with American consumers tending to have a higher daily average than most.

However, the media we consume rarely reflects the diversity of its consumers.

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, almost 40 per cent of the U.S. population was non-white, yet in 2017 people of colour only made up 19.8 per cent of lead film actors, as per the UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report.

This disparity persists across multiple forms of media. A 2020 New York Times article revealed that only 11 per cent of books published in 2018 were written by people of colour. Similarly, a study conducted by Women in View that explored racial diversity in the Canadian film industry found that of all people given TV writing credits, only 6.3 per cent were Black, Indigenous, and women of colour.

These statistics paint a disturbing picture since so much of our worldview is shaped by the media, explained Marc Raboy, professor emeritus in the Department of Art History and Communication Studies at McGill.

“Most of the time, the only experience we have of the world, except for direct experience [...], comes from the media,” Raboy wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “So in the absence of alternatives, perception of others is largely mediated. That’s why it is so important to have a diversity of representations in the mediasphere.”

Systemic effects of misrepresentation In the past, media failures have created moral panics––public mass movements where small or isolated incidents are exaggerated as threats to society. These movements often scapegoat minorities, breeding an irrational fear within the eyes of the wider community.

The Salem Witch Trials in the 1700s were a direct consequence of Puritans claiming that anyone who didn’t follow their lifestyle was practising witchcraft. Today, media outlets such as Fox News propagate a fear of immigrants by referring to undocumented immigrants with dehumanizing words such as “aliens” or “illegals.”

Immigrants aren’t the only target: Black men are notoriously overrepresented as perpetrators of crime in news, and even in movies and television. The racist history of depicting Black men and youth as dangerous and out of control still plays a role in false criminal allegations launched against them, and even their murders.

Moral panics can also arise when tragic events are over exaggerated or mischaracterized. In the aftermath of 9/11, the way Arabs and Muslims were portrayed in Western media led to an increase in hate crimes and violence over the next two decades. For example, terrorists on television tend to be depicted as Muslim or Arab rather than white, even though many instances of terrorism in the US these days are perpetrated by white neo-Nazis and political extremists. In light of these kinds of stereotypes, minorities are often forced to carry the burden of representing their community, and are granted no room for imperfections—things their white counterparts can easily get away with.

Ingi El Shahid, U2 Bioengineering, knows this burden well, explaining that she feels the need to always appear friendly and eager to integrate into Quebecois culture.

“I just inherently accept that I always have to be very very nice [...] so that I’m never in a position where someone can attack me,” El Shahid said in an interview with the Tribune. “Even at work, for example, if there are people coming at my cash [register] and they are very white Quebecois people—I have to make sure that I seem very much like I’m an immigrant but I grew up here in Quebec, and I know how to speak French, and I know how to speak your French.”

Even in roles where Muslims are not portrayed as terrorists, their religion is still often misrepresented as backward or oppressive.

Take Elite, for example, where the Muslim main

character taking off her hijab is depicted as an act of empowerment: The show sends the harmful message that one’s identity is only acceptable when one doesn’t openly associate with it. These depictions have realworld consequences: They can lead people to think that all hijab-wearing women are oppressed and thus need to be “saved.” They also provide a framework for discriminatory policies, such as Quebec’s Bill 21 and France’s recent ban on the hijab—all policies based on longstanding prejudices against those who are “Othered” in society. Even in Canada, hijab-wearing Muslim women are at risk of harassment, death threats, and violence.

Individual effects of misrepresentation However, the effects of misrepresentation or stereotyping are not always easy to isolate; sometimes it can result in identity crises, negative body image, and low self-esteem instead.

In a world preoccupied with images, we are constantly looking f o r external positive representations of ourselves, and this is especially true with regards to media. When we don’t immediately find them, we perceive ourselves as the Other.

This is especially true for women, considering female characters are consistently defined by their

appearances. Even worse, Western beauty standards typically tend to favour Eurocentric features such as fair skin, straight hair, small noses, pink lips, and blue or green eyes.

These standards can alienate women who don’t conform to them––particularly women of colour, whose natural hair type, skin colour, and features often differ from these European ideals. When every onscreen love interest is depicted with Eurocentric features, one can begin to feel pressure to change their features to receive love and acceptance.

For some people of colour, the divide between real life and the screen can manifest as wanting to be “white.” For example, some people get nose jobs to achieve a more “Western” look, or use white washing creams to lighten their skin. In Korea and Japan, many women seek out double eyelid surgeries rather than embrace their natural monolids.

El Shahid notes that even in her country of origin, Egypt, beauty standards in the media are highly influenced by the West. “Beautiful” actresses usually look more European than Egyptian.

“It is highly, highly influenced by whatever is going on here,” El Shahid said. “Nobody wears their hair curly, everyone needs their hair to be straight or done similar to how it is shown in Hollywood. The actresses who are considered the prettiest are not the ones with the most Egyptian features.”

This dynamic makes it all the more frustrating when white people adopt and capitalize off of the same hairstyles, features, and fashion that BIPOC have been ostracized and punished for. An example of this is the fox-eye trend, in which non-Asians use makeup, tape, and even surgeries to attempt to obtain an almond-shaped eye shape.

Of course, these low self-esteem issues and negative body images are not limited to women. Racialized men are rarely cast on screen as love interests or male leads, relegated instead to minor roles, side characters, comic relief, or villains. Lighterskinned and mixed-race men are sometimes deemed more acceptable leading men, highlighting Hollywood’s Eurocentric view of diversity.

These representations not only impact how people think about themselves and others, but how they act and exist in the world.

“One of the problems with stereotypical representations is that they not only limit how we think about others, but also how we think about ourselves, what possibilities we can imagine for who we might become,” Bronwen Low, an associate professor in McGill’s Department of Integrated Studies in Education, wrote in an email to the Tribune.

Even worse, lack of representation can affect career aspirations. This may be one reason for reduced racial diversity in certain career fields, such as science, technology, e n g i n e e r i n g , mathematics, and medicine (STEMM).

Studies show that m e d i a – – especially TV shows and films–– can play an important role in shaping c a r e e r aspirations for

youth. However, BIPOC individuals are rarely portrayed as professionals, especially in STEMM fields. Instead, scientists in the media are often only shown as stoic white men, explained Jessica Ford, a biology PhD candidate and chair of STEMM Diversity @ McGill, a student-driven initiative of the Redpath Museum which spotlights underrepresented researchers.

“Girls and BIPOC youth have a disproportionately higher chance of giving up on their science aspirations compared to their white male peers, even before the age of 10,” Ford wrote in an email to the Tribune. “This is not only because of how people are portrayed in media, but who is portrayed in media. Children especially have a difficult time visualizing themselves in a role if they never see themselves represented in that role.”

Fortunately, this state of affairs might be changing for the better. Recently, more diverse superheroes have been added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe such as Miles Morales, Ms. Marvel, Shang-Chi and Ajak, allowing more BIPOC kids to visualize themselves as heroes and protagonists.

Misrepresentation, or no representation?

If misrepresentation is bad, then no representation can be even worse. Especially in rural communities, a lack of exposure to diverse cultures can lead to the erasure of certain voices.

This is especially true for some groups, such as Indigenous communities. The 2021 Hollywood Diversity Report showed that Indigenous representation in film is stagnant at 0.6 per cent. Unfortunately, this is also true behind the screen; very few Indigenous people were employed as writers and directors.

According to statistics published by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the number of children’s books portraying an Indigenous character actually decreased between 2002 and 2020.

This is a shame, since a lack of exposure to the realities of history breeds ignorance.

It’s easy to refute blame for stealing someone’s land if you don’t even know whose land you’re on. Even if people are aware of past injustices, persistent media exclusion means they may remain unversed in the full extent of the current crises many Indigenous communities still face, including poverty, homelessness, and malnutrition.

“Media consumption does not take place in a vacuum, but in a social environment,” Raboy wrote. “In today’s mediated world, existence itself is validated by representation.”

Social media: A double-edged sword In recent years, media consumption has shifted from traditional media such as TV to social media. On the surface, social media seems promising, as the creative power that was limited to only a few in traditional media is now more widely accessible.

But social media can be just as dangerous.

Much like traditional media, it retains the power to silence particular voices, as evidenced by Facebook, Twitter and Instagram’s shadowban on Palestinian content in May of 2021. Even the algorithms these conglomerates use can have hidden bias.

For instance, racialized creators, specifically Black creators, continuously find their content policed more by TikTok’s algorithm

as compared to white creators.

On the other hand, social media has also allowed a lot of otherwise underrepresented voices to take control of their narrative. For instance, exposure to the Black Lives Matter movement was greatly amplified by social media in 2020, during a time where gathering in person was made more difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The advantage of social media on an individual level is that it gives people greater freedom to seek out others who have the same lived experiences as themselves. In fact, being intentional with the media one consumes can reverse some of the harmful stereotypes that one has internalized from traditional media.

Stephanie Kirichu, U3 Engineering, has discovered many Black content creators and media featuring Black characters through TikTok. “Since I started being more intentional, I stopped minimizing my experience as a Black woman,” Kirichu wrote in an email to the Tribune. “When I was younger, I used to be so conscious of having my natural hair out and always had it straightened or in braids.

However, I now feel very confident and comfortable wearing my natural hair since it’s my hair and part of my identity.”

Going forward Though there has been an increase in diversity on screen in recent years, at the same time, many of these characters seem to be little more than a symbolic effort to appear “woke.” For some of these characters, their race is their only defining character trait. Most of the lead roles played by BIPOC tend to be in race-centric projects that typically receive lower investment both in terms of production and promotion, and focus on the suffering of racialized people. White saviour projects such as The Help and Green Book appear to be anti-racist, but further perpetuate harmful stereotypes.

One way to avoid this tokenism would be to increase representation off-screen–– behind the camera and in the writer’s room.

This includes amplifying more diverse voices and allowing BIPOC creators to share their stories.

These sorts of hiring practices should extend to newsrooms and media outlets as well.

Low and her colleagues recently published an op-ed following the poor coverage of the tragic murder of Jannai Dopwell-Bailey in media. In it, they recommend hiring reporters that have experiences with different communities in the city and encouraging collaboration with the communities being written about.

While proper representation still has a long way to go, there is some hope. In recent years, shows such as Reservation Dogs, Skam, and Never Have I Ever have shattered stereotypes and offered three-dimensional representation of mis- and underrepresented groups.

“It is particularly difficult to reverse misconceptions when they tap into deep cultural stereotypes,” Low wrote. “And one positive representation probably won’t change perception—but a multiplicity of diverse and complex representations of certain cultures can challenge what [Chimamanda Ngozi] Adichie calls the ‘single story’ of other groups.”

Designed by: Xiaotian Wang, Design Editor

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STUDENT LIFE

studentlife@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022

Six cures for winter workout blues

Zero-equipment, student-friendly exercises Rosie Kaissar Contributor

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emperatures dipping into the negative 20s. Streets covered in ice, snow, and grey slush. Gyms closed. In Montreal, getting exercise is more challenging now than in warmer—and not to mention pre-pandemic—times.

Even when considering indoor workouts, many students struggle with a lack of space and equipment, the presence of roommates, and stressful, busy schedules. Nevertheless, regular exercise is incredibly important as it improves mental and physical health, which can help with students’ academic performances and can also lead to the release of endorphins, which decrease the perception of pain.

Although exercise options may be limited because students are stuck indoors for most—if not all—of the day, it’s possible to still stay active. A survey that concluded in 2021 revealed that the start of the pandemic triggered the growth of home fitness app downloads by 46 per cent globally. From the comfort of home, or even in small shared spaces, there are always creative ways to reach your daily exercise goals.

1. Shadow boxing One type of workout to try is shadow boxing, a type of cardio. Specifically, it is a martial art training method and endurance workout that involves punching the air. While it may feel unnatural to some, shadow boxing is a great fullbody workout, and helps improve coordination, physique, and posture. Also, there is no need for punching bags, boxing gloves or headgear!

2. Apartment-friendly cardio Apartment-friendly cardio is not limited to boxing. Such types of exercises are great if you need to be mindful of

neighbours, roommates, or family members. There are shortbut-effective online workouts, like Zumba classes, that are fun and make people happy. Cardio is a beneficial form of exercise known for improving brain and joint health, promoting REM sleep, and increasing circulation, which helps to clear skin, aid digestion, and combat depression, all without the necessity of purchasing equipment.

3. Yoga and pilates Other types of popular indoor workouts include yoga and pilates. Both workouts aid stress management and relaxation, which can be beneficial for university students during a difficult semester. Yoga and pilates also help improve physical coordination, balance, and flexibility. While it may be helpful to invest in a yoga or pilates mat for comfort purposes, they are not necessary for completing the exercises.

they don’t take much time to complete, this kind of exercise increases metabolic rate for hours even after completion.

6. Taking a walk Last but not least, though it may be cold, slippery, and slushy, going outside and getting fresh air is still incredibly important for mental and physical health. Some benefits of going on walks include improved cardiovascular fitness, moods, cognition, memory, and sleep, as well as increased energy levels and stronger immune systems––take that, COVID! Walks can also help to reduce stress and tension. If you prefer your outdoor venture to be a bit more intense, try running at a slow pace that feels comfortable to you; this way, you won’t begin to see the exercise as a grueling task to avoid and will more likely stick to it in your fitness routine.

4. Strength training Strength training is another type of indoor workout that is a great way to keep bones strong and healthy, boost your metabolism, and reduce the risk of many diseases such as cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. Though strength training traditionally involves more equipment, calisthenics is one form that utilizes only your body mass; this type of workout can include exercises like jump squats, pushups, crunches, and plank.

5. High Intensity Interval Training High Intensity Interval Training, also known as HIIT, is another popular indoor training to try, as there are many HIIT videos to follow that are short and sweet––perfect for university students to use in between online classes. While

Although it may not seem the most demanding at a first glance, shadow boxing is an excellent way to work up a sweat with zero equipment needed. (Kate Addison / The McGill Tribune)

Balaclavas: Where practicality and personality meet The garment is a canvas for individual expression Isabella González Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

If you’ve been on TikTok these past few months, you might have encountered the accessory on your feed in a handmade variation, with commenters demanding tutorials and asking for stitch-types.

For frigidly cold places like Montreal, balaclavas are practical, explaining their quick rise in popularity. The necessity of face protection in our lives the past two years have definitely influenced what we find trendy as well as convenient, making the balaclava a perfect accessory that keeps users both comfortable and fashionable while donning our facial masks. Others simply might use it as a unique alternative to the beanie.

The original use of the balaclava leans into its practicality. The accessory’s roots can be traced back to the Crimean War in 1853. Its name comes specifically from the Battle of Balaclava fought during the war.

During the Battle of Balaclava, British troops were stuck in the port of Balaclava in the southern Crimea while on their way to siege the Crimean capital, Sevastopol, from the Russians. Supplies

were impossible to deliver to British troops because of the freezing weather, leaving many soldiers to starve or develop frostbite. Britain officials promptly supplied their troops with knitted headgear to keep them safe and warm in the subzero temperatures. The goal was to cover the entire head, the place where most heat is lost in the body.

Although the balaclava’s rise as a trend comes under less urgent circumstances, the accessory is certainly a testament to people’s turn to creative outlets with tangible results during the pandemic. Though neutral styles can be a staple for warmth, many have picked up crocheting or knitting to create balaclavas with their own sprinkle of individuality, especially as the project doesn’t take much yarn, or time.

“I’ve been eyeing them since last winter,” said recent balaclava purchaser and U3 Arts student Yu Xuan Zhao. “It’s a good way to support small businesses [....] If you ask to commission a piece or even DIY it, it can be even more unique and sentimental because you get to choose your own yarn.”

On a more immediate scope, the balaclava reflects an overarching trend in pandemic-era fashion: The desire for practicality and style. From bright

The balaclava reflects a turn in pandemic-era fashion to the comfy and practical. (standard.co.uk) athleisure to rubbery crocs to fluffy uggs, it seems most people are turning to comfortable, convenient styles that still leave room for individual expression.

For others, the accessory is tied to race, gender, and religious issues. The accessory resembles the hijab, a religious head scarf worn by Muslim women.

While some Muslim women hope that the trend can propel a more empathetic understanding of the hijab, others see it

as evidence of the freedom given to white femininity. In Quebec, a teacher was recently fired from her job for wearing a hijab after the school board determined she was in violation of Bill 21.

There’s no telling whether balaclavas might simply be another microtrend or an accessory that sticks around each wintertime, but like any fashion trend, the garment carries complex communal and individual significance for its wearer.

arts@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Rest in Peace, gold-hearted Betty White Television legend Betty White passed away on New Year’s Eve at 99 Louis Lussier-Piette Staff Writer

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elevision comedian and actress Betty White passed away on Dec. 31, just three weeks before her 100th birthday. Often nicknamed the “grandmother of America,” White had the rare quality of being beloved by all, regardless of generation or political stance. The actress leaves behind a spectacular legacy as a pioneer of television, with a career that spanned over eight decades, earning her the Guinness World Record for the longest TV career by a woman.

White first entered the spotlight as a radio host in the 1940s, until her television breakthrough in 1952 as the host of talk show The Betty White Show. Only one year later, she became the first woman to produce a TV show with Life with Elizabeth, which earned her the honorary title of “mayor of Hollywood.” After hosting and starring in various TV shows, White gained international success in 1973 with The Mary Tyler Moore Show. White’s brilliant performance as the sassy and salacious Sue Ann rapidly transformed her into a comedy icon. Ten years later, she joined the main cast of cult classic The Golden Girls as the sweet and naive Rose Nylund. She

As a lifelong advocate for social justice and animal welfare, Betty White’s legacy goes beyond her career in entertainment. (pagesix.com)

spent the last decades of her career proving that comedy has no age limit. White made history as Saturday Night Live’s oldest host in 2010, leading the show at 88 years old. Her appearance on SNL turned her into an internet sensation, allowing a new generation to discover the genius of her wit.

White’s impact on 1950s Hollywood makes her one of the most influential figures of contemporary entertainment. She had the bravery to dive headfirst into Hollywood’s misogynistic boy’s club as one of the first women to take on an executive role, breaking barriers for all women following her path.

As a performer and host, her wit and self-awareness pushed back against the stereotypical portrayal of women as compliant housewives in the media.

Beyond her unmatched humour, what made Betty White such an iconic figure was the time and effort she dedicated to social causes and animal rights activism offscreen. She possessed a combination of empathy, warmth, and talent that is rarely found in Hollywood.

White was a vocal advocate for gay rights, even in the 1980s, when holding such an opinion could have destroyed her career. As one of the first sitcoms to tackle issues related to the queer community, The Golden Girls is often dubbed as a classic of gay television. White has always supported her queer fans, both by being vocally supportive of the community and by dedicating herself to the fight against AIDS. Years before the United States legalized same-sex marriage, White never hesitated to assert her support for the cause. She was also a long-time supporter of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Trevor Project, among other 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations.

Another one of White’s lifelong causes was advocating for the welfare of all animals. The actress produced and hosted a talk show called The Pet Set, which showcased celebrities and their pets in the 1970s, also discussing wildlife conservation. The organization American Humane was always present on set to make sure their animal guests were treated fairly. White remained involved with the organization until her death.

Upon hearing of her death, fans launched the #BettyWhiteChallenge to encourage people to donate money to their local shelter for Betty White’s 100th birthday, which was on Jan. 17.

Poetry Matters: Reading by Spector lecturer Jeff Dolven McGill’s organization Poetry Matters is inviting all poetry fans to attend a poetry reading with Princeton University’s Professor Jeff Dolven.

Thursday, Jan. 20 at 5:30 PM On Zoom RSVP on www.mcgill.ca/poetrymatters/contact-us Free

Queer McGill’s open mic event Share your thoughts, read a poem, sing a song, or just sit back and enjoy the show at Queer McGill’s open mic event!

Saturday, Jan. 22 at 6:30 PM On Zoom Register on Queer McGill’s Facebook page Free

Writing & Creating for Community: Accessibilize Your Research

Attend a workshop on inclusivity in academia organized by CURE Concordia.

Tuesday, Jan. 25th at 3:30 PM. On Zoom Zoom link: https://concordia-ca.zoom. us/j/89835220326...

Free

Art exposition opening: Paul Hardy’s THIRD

The art exposition THIRD by artist Paul Hardy is described as an impossible meeting of dualities.

Come to the opening to meet Paul Hardy and experience an art exposition like no others.

Saturday, Jan. 22 between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM Galeries Roger Bellemare et Christian Lambert Attendance limited due to health restrictions Free

Where do I begin: ‘Hot Ones’

The secret sauce behind this beloved YouTube show Charlotte Hayes Contributor

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n the Internet’s depthless sea of celebrity interviews, YouTube series Hot Ones offers a refreshingly authentic look into the lives of celebrities. The secret? Feeding guests unbearably hot chicken wings.

Hosted by Sean Evans and produced

by First We Feast, the show draws audiences in with promises of, as Evans puts it, “hot questions and even hotter wings.”

In each episode, Evans sits down with a famous guest to eat 10 chicken wings, each one topped with a hot sauce that gets increasingly spicier than the last. As if doing it once isn’t enough of a challenge, Evans manages to finish all 10 wings in every episode. With hot sauces ranging in spiciness from 1,800 to over 2,000,000 Scoville units, it is not uncommon for guests to react with statements similar to Joey Diaz’s during Season 3: “That is fuckin’ hot, Jack.”

In between each wing, Evans asks guests questions about their personal life, public personas, and creative processes.

With such a simple concept, it’s miracu-

lous that the show is so popular. But after finishing its 16th season, the Hot Ones YouTube channel has garnered over 715 million views. On a platform flooded with content, the show manages to hold viewers’ attention by doing what no other show dares to do: Torture its guests.

The show’s brilliance lies in how it puts its guests in vulnerable positions, encouraging them to open up. As the wings

Gordon Ramsay sat down with host Sean Evans in the most viewed ‘Hot Ones’ episode. (theverge.com)

get progressively spicier, the questions become deeper and more personal. Although Evans’ interview style is seemingly laidback and casual, he lets the wings do the talking. As guests suffer and toil in the heat that lies on their own tongues, they tend to give honest, and often insightful answers.

Sometimes they even lose bowel control.

Currently, the most-watched Hot Ones episode features Evans’ interview with Gordon Ramsay, from the eighth season.

This episode gives us a private peek of a more soft-spoken Ramsay that directly conflicts with his belligerent TV persona.

With a glimpse into his training as a chef, personal reflections on past contestants of his hit reality show Master Chef Jr., and the recipe for the perfect burger, Ramsay’s appearance is a perfect example of what the show does best; it allows—or at times forces—celebrities to turn off the act and really connect with the host.

Possibly the most viral clip from the show is from “Paul Rudd Does a Historic Dab While Eating Spicy Wings.” Rudd reflects on the inauthentic nature of latenight talk shows and press junkets while offering insight on succeeding in show business for over 25 years. After finish-

ing off the final wing, Rudd remarks to Evans, “Hey, look at us…who would have thought?” Rudd’s statement has been clipped into a six-second audio clip dubbed the ‘#paulruddchallenge’ which has been viewed just under a million times on TikTok. A favourite episode of mine is the fourth episode of season nine: “Aubrey Plaza Snorts Milk While Eating Spicy Wings.” Like many things Plaza is known to do, this interview can only be described as unhinged. As the video title suggests, to cope with the pain of the hot sauce, Plaza decides to pour milk up her nose. When the pain of the hot only sauce gets worse, Plaza entertains the possibility that she may be hallucinating.

On a platform oversaturated with content, Hot Ones is a strange breath of fresh air. Evans’ interview style flawlessly rounds out the show’s unique format, cultivating original and light-hearted conversations that allow audiences to gain a new perspective on the guests. With its increasing popularity, Hot Ones has even released its own line of hot sauces so that fans of the show can play—or suffer—along at home.

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arts@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022

Pop Dialectic: The duality of dark teen dramas Fans have compared HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ to E4’s ‘Skins’ since it first premiered Content Warning: Mentions of drug addiction and sexual violence.

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ven for university students, TV shows that centre teenage characters in and around high school have widespread appeal. Skins, which premiered in 2007, and Euphoria, which premiered in 2019, stand apart from other shows for their brutal depictions of partying, drug use, sex, and mental illness. Although only the latter is still airing, The McGill Tribune weighs how each show marks the dark teen drama genre.

Skins: E4’s drama that transformed teen TV for good Signy Harnad, Contributor In 2007, audiences were introduced to a group of teenagers from Bristol who got high on drugs, had promiscuous sex, and swore like sailors.

The world would never be the same.

The British E4 network commissioned this television series, Skins, as their flagship show. Penned by fatherand-son writing duo Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain, it was set to be a “show about teenagers, but one that actually means something.” The series zeroes in on a group of mates in Bristol who sleep with each other, attend raucous house parties, and drink to excess.

More than 10 years later, it remains an authentic, wickedly funny, and indulgently offensive slice of late 2000s British teenage life.

For six seasons—and one final run we will not speak of—Skins veered from nightclub escapades to existential reflections on mortality, mental health issues, and smoking more “spliffs” than you know you ought to. It treated viewers to a gold rush of generationdefining characters, ranging from the rebellious to the quirky—I remember having a soft spot for Mike Bailey’s endearing Sid. And then there was the way the show was able to overhaul its image every two years by culling the entire cast across three generations of characters. This not only enabled viewers to meet a brand new group of teens every two seasons, but also served as a glaring reminder that no matter how immutable this time in our lives may seem, it does end—we grow up.

Perhaps what was most groundbreaking about Skins, though, was that the personal struggles of the characters were not simply the glossy dramas of adults transplanted onto teenagers—programming that dominated TV schedules in the early 2000s (think Gossip Girl, The O.C., and One Tree Hill). The stories were more raw, honest, and relatable.

Despite all its ups and downs and occasional missteps, Skins became symptomatic of a pre-Instagram, postindie era, providing an intimate snapshot of teen life in all its idealistic glory.

Granted, during certain over-the-top moments, such as when fan-favourite Freddie is clubbed to death by a rogue

psychiatrist, Skins really takes the I don’t remember that happening at my high school cake. Nevertheless, the show was never meant to depict anything but a state of sustained mayhem, much like adolescence itself.

Euphoria: HBO’s teen noir that 2022 needs Paulina Kasak, Contributor HBO’s Euphoria first premiered in June 2019. The series is an adaptation of an Israeli show of the same name, which first aired in 2012. This epic series continues to make a mark on teen pop culture, simultaneously mesmerizing and utterly shocking the viewer through scenes of drug abuse, sex, drinking, bullying, and more. It is this alluring taboo content that paints the perfect picture of chaotic and misguided teenhood.

The series’ title best encapsulates the internal goals of the show, which portrays the darkest moments, thoughts, and actions of a group of high school teens as they try to find joy by any means possible. Euphoria’s teenagers go to extreme lengths in search of what they hope will make them feel alive. The second season, which premiered on Jan. 9, focusses on Rue (Zendaya), who continues to struggle with drug addiction, while other beloved characters such as Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Maddy (Alexa Demie) deal with the vicious repercussions of being constantly ob-

Euphoria’s second season is currently airing, while Skins ran for seven seasons and featured three separate generations of cast members.

(Drea Garcia / The McGill Tribune) jectified by almost everyone around them. Though only two episodes have been released, season two seems to surpass the shock value of its predecessor in the best way possible.

There is something daring about placing teens at the centre of darkness and violence. Although it isn’t the first show to do this, Euphoria captures dark teen drama in a way that others do not—it inspires empathy for its characters, despite each of their fatal flaws. The viewer is often caught between the desire to watch on and feelings of overwhelming discomfort in watching teens experience such hardship. As appalling as Euphoria’s

characters and their actions can get, the series provides realistic commentary on the realities of contemporary American teenagers. It is the undeniable plausibility of these violent mental and physical experiences that make the series what it is.

The series also offers a captivating take on the rather melancholic lives of this group of teens, destigmatizing topics such as mental illness and abusive relationships, rather than romanticizing them as other TV predecessors have done. It is the series’ inclusivity and bravery, in all respects, that marks it as a must-watch unique to contemporary culture.

‘The Lost Daughter’ dares to grant nuance to mothers in film Gyllenhaal captures motherhood in a raw, uncompromising light Maya Abuali Managing Editor Warning: spoilers ahead

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aggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut The Lost Daughter, released on Netflix on Dec. 31, contains all the familiar ingredients of a substantial horror film: Dark omens, riveting tension, and a score that has the audience constantly bracing for impact. Despite the film’s mundane activity and warm setting, its chilling subtext leaves viewers clawing into their seats with anticipation. When it comes to evoking unsettling emotions, Gyllenhaal doesn’t settle for child’s play—pun intended. In lieu of demonic jumpscares or tales of twisted abuse, the film tackles a forbidden subversion of what is perceived as innate human nature: The begrudging mother.

Said mother, Leda Caruso (the brilliant Olivia Colman) is a 48-year-old professor of Italian literature on summer vacation on a fictional Greek island. Almost as soon as she arrives, dark bodements encroach, including a bowl of rotting fruit, a piercing cicada, and an obnoxiously loud Italian-American family who interfere with the quiet ambiance of the beach. Although these phenomena may seem like normal disruptions one would expect on

‘The Lost Daughter’ is based on the novel of the same name by Elena Ferrante.

(Shireen Aamir / The McGill Tribune) vacation, the shuddering tension imbued in the cinematography warns of something much more sinister.

Nina (Dakota Johnson), the enchanting and languid young mother of the American family, and her three-year-old daughter, immediately capture Leda’s attention. When Leda notices the child go briefly missing, spurring Nina into a maternal panic, she is flooded with memories. The audience then meets twenty-something Leda (now portrayed by Jessie Buckley) fraught and splashing about in search of her own daughter Bianca at that same beach. Alarm colours her voice enough to prepare the viewer for imminent tragedy— but it doesn’t come until far later in the film.

When the climactic reveal unearths itself in Leda’s dialogue with Nina, it is not at all as

harrowing as the viewer expects. The film sets viewers up for a stomach-churning revelation.

But instead, we learn that Leda, battered inside and in great need of respite, renounced her role as a mother and left her daughters with her husband (Jack Farthing) for three years. The plot reveal is still incredibly unnerving because of how transgressive Leda’s aversion to motherhood seems. It is often said that motherhood is a crucially enlightening stage in a woman’s self-actualization; that it gives women a key purpose. Whether in film or in life, mothers are expected to willingly forgo their identities and submit to their duties. Like the Virgin Mary, they are to be selfless child-bearers devoid of sensuality. And above all, they are to relish in these sacrifices.

Leda’s rejection of motherhood—however temporary—is deeply unsettling. Rarely is maternal defiance explored on screen, despite the much deeper sins that television has dared to portray. Of course, there have certainly been representations of anti-mother characters, as seen in Hereditary, Carrie, Cinderella. But almost always, if a mother character shows the slightest bit of resentment or dissatisfaction toward her role, she is immediately painted as a villain.

It is immensely refreshing to see a character like Leda, one with such rich complexity

that the audience simply cannot hate her, despite her selfish actions. Though the responsibilities of young parenthood seemed to weigh on her like a crushing burden, the film depicts Leda as anything but uncaring. In one scene, for instance, Leda takes a hairpin and combs it through the young mother Nina’s hair, securing it in her hat. Nina melts under Leda’s nurturing touch, closing her eyes to savour being looked after for once. Leda also often calls her now-grown children, smiling and at peace, and inquires about their lives, suggesting that her maternal relationship with them has become easier. In her flashbacks throughout the film, younger Leda can indeed be harsh and vengeful toward her children. But she can also be radiant, inquisitive, and at times even ardent with her daughters. Colman and Buckley’s stirring performances make it all the more impossible to condemn the character.

Leda’s absence, though undeniably selfish, was a desperate move for self-preservation. Women of her stock—who feel plundered by motherhood, not bolstered by it—do not only exist in fiction. Gyllenhaal does an excellent job introducing this insanely human posture to film. One can only hope that women continue to be portrayed as truly autonomous individuals rather than one-dimensional caregivers.

scitech@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

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Faculty of Science presents the 33rd edition of Soup and Science

McGill professors and students delve into antibiotic resistance, particle physics, and more

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he 33rd edition of Soup and Science, a popular Faculty of Science event showcasing the diversity of research being conducted at McGill, aims to provide students with an opportunity to interact directly with professors from different disciplines. Held remotely this semester, the mini-lecture series took place from Jan. 10 to 14. As always, we at the The McGill Tribune compiled some of the highlights of the week.

What can we learn about antibiotic resistance? A super close-up view of superbugs might help Madhura Lotlikar Contributor Since the first antibiotic was used on humans in 1910, antibiotics have saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Today, however, 700,000 people die every year due to antimicrobial drug resistance (AMR). The overuse of antibiotics in people, animals, and food agriculture has given bacteria the chance to evolve rapidly and produce proteins that make these antibiotics ineffective, thus leading to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

In his talk, Albert Berghuis, a professor in McGill’s Department of Biochemistry, explained how bacterial resistance arose against Plazomicin—a three-year-old drug that treats complicated urinary tract infections (UTI). Plazomicin attaches to ribosomes— the protein-making machineries of bacteria—and inhibits protein synthesis, eventually killing them.

Unfortunately, Plazomicin’s chemical structure resembles that of many naturally occurring antibiotics which, millions of years ago, many bacteria evolved to resist. Berghuis and their team discovered that the 3D atomic structures of Plazomicin bound to ribosomes. Within the bacteria that contributes to UTIs, they also discovered an enzyme that alters Plazomicin’s structure, rendering it ineffective.

Identifying these 3D structures is a huge leap forward in designing drugs that can evade antibiotic resistance. Berghuis’ next step is to tweak the structure of Plazomicin so that the drug will eliminate the binding site of drug-resistant enzymes while still being able to bind ribosomes, thus preserving its effectiveness.

Governments and private funders are budgeting millions of dollars to develop more antibiotics, curb AMR, and save lives.

The World Health Organization lists AMR under the top 10 pressing global health issues.

The Faculty of Science held Soup and Science in the Redpath Museum auditorium in pre-pandemic days. (Sébastien Géroli / The McGill Tribune)

Our universe as a particle physics experiment Adam Matthews-Kott Staff Writer

Computational and mathematical biology in health and disease

First discovered when the calculated mass of galaxies repeatedly failed to line up with the observed mass, dark matter has drawn interest and speculation from much of the scientific community. It was also the subject explored by Katelin Schutz, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics, in her talk.

“We have a huge amount of evidence for the existence of dark matter,” Schutz said. “We have evidence across nine orders of magnitude in length.”

Schutz went on to explain that dark matter is extremely pervasive in the universe, being five times more abundant than regular matter. This means that the majority of the universe is made up of a form of matter that humans still do not understand.

“We know how much of it there is by mass,” Schutz said.

“We know it’s cosmologically stable, […] but most of all, we know it to not be accounted for by known physics.”

With this nebulous concept being on the front lines of scientific discovery, Schutz’ talk successfully summarized a complex topic that humanity still knows little about.

Zoe Karkossa Contributor

From soils to the Great Lakes: Tracing phosphorus in the environment

It is possible to describe cellular and molecular processes in the human body using a wide array of modeling and computational approaches. Anmar Khadra, a professor in the Department of Physiology at McGill, uses quantitative techniques to investigate the dynamics of a variety of physiological and biological systems, from cellular receptors to neural connections.

“Typically we use quantitative methods to conduct this research [...] using two different avenues. One of them is developing mathematical models or biophysical models,” Khadra said. “Or we could develop computational techniques or algorithms that analyze the experimental data that we have, or even fit this experimental data to the mathematical models that we develop.”

An important theme of the work being conducted at Khadra’s lab is tuning into biological rhythms. For example, the recording and modeling of electrical activity of individual neurons allows for insight into the behaviour of ion channels. Rhythmic patterns can be detected through fluctuations in membrane voltage, interactions between different channels, and effects on hormone release.

“We do all of this type of computational work to make predictions, to validate mechanisms, generate hypotheses, test hypotheses, and […] generate the technological tools that could allow us to manipulate these systems,” Khadra said.

Jackie Lee Copy Editor Following World War II, the rate of fertilizer production rose dramatically, and has only continued to accelerate since. The same is true for the use of phosphorus, an element essential to all living organisms, which agricultural producers often apply to conventionally farmed fields—with a generous hand—to ensure high yields and food security.

However, this agricultural enhancement has proven to be a double-edged sword, explained Christian Von Sperber, a professor in McGill’sDepartment of Geography. Phosphate fertilizer inevitably seeps from the soil into freshwater bodies, wreaking havoc on ecosystems through eutrophication, a process whereby an excess of nutrients prompts toxic algal blooms. The algae chokes aquatic ecosystems of oxygen, exterminating entire fish populations and contaminating drinking water, among other ecological consequences. Wetland restoration may offer a solution.

“They actually retain phosphorus and other nutrients and contaminants in the solids and in the biomass,” Von Sperber said.

His team is currently mapping and quantifying sources and sinks of phosphorus in both natural and rehabilitated land. They also look specifically at the prairie pothole region in Manitoba, whose unique topography allows for thousands of shallow wetlands.

“We’re thinking that the restoration of wetlands might actually be a nature-based solution to the problem of eutrophication,” Von Sperber said.

Beyond the context of phosphorus, wetlands also sequester large amounts of CO2, and are integral to wildlife. “[Wetlands] provide a habitat for endangered species like waterfowl, or assistant professors and PhD students at McGill,” Von Sperber joked.

The cytoskeleton Madison McLauchlan Managing Editor Students may know Gary Brouhard, a professor in the Department of Biology, from his fascinating BIOL 201 (Cell Biology and Metabolism) lectures, where he introduces large swaths of biomedical undergraduates to the micro-workings of the cell.

In his brief talk, Brouhard gave a digestible overview of the main protein players in our cells and why it is so important that researchers investigate subcellular behaviour.

Brouhard started out with a simple question: If every cell in our body contains the same DNA, how is it capable of making cells with a myriad of different shapes, from the arborized structure of a neuron to the flat pancake of an epithelial cheek cell? Rather, what internal elements allow them to specialize and perform their functions so well?

“Just as the shape of an organism is determined by its skeleton, [...] cells have an internal skeleton underneath their plasma membrane that determines their shape,” Brouhard said. “We refer to this as the cytoskeleton.”

One component of the cytoskeleton are microtubules, cylinder-like polymers that flare out at the ends, assembled from individual proteins. They are constantly breaking down and reforming, lending these structures versatility in their function: Not only are they important for maintaining cell structure, but they also help form the mitotic spindle during cell division and even act as “cellular highways” to transport materials to key locations in the cell. “[Proteins] assemble like magic lego building block[s] into this long structure, and that is how cells can reorganize their microtubules,” Brouhard explained. “[Cells] can break these tubes down, and rebuild them in different places.”

Beyond the basic research importance of Brouhard’s lab work, this domain has implications for understanding human health. Malfunctions in key proteins linked to microtubules, like doublecortin, have been associated with diseases such as type 1 lissencephaly, or a condition called “smooth brain syndrome” where the cerebral cortex is missing folds. By observing the behaviour of microtubules in the lab, researchers can understand what patterns are leading to disease phenotypes.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

scitech@mcgilltribune.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022

Cutting-edge biomaterial for regenerative medicine

McGill researchers create a new injectable, porous, and resistant biomaterial Cyril Kazan Contributor

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egenerative medicine is an exciting and rapidly developing field that involves replacing or regenerating human tissues to re-establish their normal function. In the lab, scientists are trying to create and improve biomaterials to use for tissue repair.

For instance, vocal cords can be severely damaged in patients who suffer from laryngeal cancer. For these patients, as well as others with vocal cord damage, one promising therapy involves injecting a biomaterial into the affected folds to regenerate them. However, existing biomaterials for this procedure have significant limitations.

First, the implant should allow the cells of the damaged vocal cord to exchange nutrients and waste with their environment and to migrate into the implant for proper incorporation.

Therefore, the material needs to be porous.

Because a large invasive surgery to implant the biomaterial into the vocal cords could be detrimental to the patient, it needs to be injectable. Finally, given that the vocal cords are extremely dynamic due to their high vibrational frequency, the biomaterial needs to be resistant to high levels of mechanical stress.

With existing biomaterials for such procedures failing to exhibit these three crucial characteristics, patients often suffer the repercussions of unsuccessful implants and frequent re-injections.

Recently, a team of scientists in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McGill

Most people are familiar with hydrogels without knowing it. Ever eaten Jell-O? (GiroScience / shutterstock.com)

created a highly effective biomaterial made of hydrogel that respects all three requirements.

Hydrogel is a material made up of at least 10 per cent water, as well as large biomolecules called polymers. Its composition resembles the extracellular matrix found between the cells in our bodies, making it very biocompatible.

Jianyu Li, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McGill and the Canada Research Chair in Biomaterials and Musculoskeletal Health who co-led the study, explained the drawbacks of current hydrogel materials.

“The problem with injecting hydrogel is that it becomes condensed when it goes through the needle and therefore any pre-formed pores will collapse,” Li said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “We designed a hydrogel in which the pores form spontaneously post-injection.”

To acquire this special property, they used an ingredient they kept secret until the publication of their paper in //Advanced Science// in November 2021. It’s called chitosan, a natural polymer found in the shells of crabs, shrimps, and lobsters that is able to stay liquid in acidic solutions instead of solidifying right away.

Once it is injected into the human body—which has a neutral pH—phase separation occurs and the material solidifies, creating a rigid matrix with pores.

“In the previous materials, it would take a very long time for the cells to migrate, as the pores weren’t large enough,” said Guangyu Bao, a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineer-

ing and who co-author of led the study, in an interview with the //Tribune//. “The material would need to be degraded for the cells to infiltrate the implant. Our material has pores big enough to allow the nutrients to diffuse easily, and the cells to migrate into the hydrogel, effectively fusing it with the existing vocal cord.”

This biomaterial could also be used to repair other mechanically dynamic tissues such as the heart, the lungs, and musculoskeletal tissue, and even steady tissue, such as that of the kidney.

“No matter what kind of tissue you want to repair, you always need the material to be porous for the nutrients to be delivered and for the cells to survive, and you always want this minimally invasive approach, so, injectability,” Li said.

The team’s hydrogel can also be used for purposes outside of regenerative medicine, such as in the field of microfluidics. Microfluidic devices can be thought of as small chips with circuits of fluids. Their applications are vast: For example, they can be used to model biological systems. According to Bao, scientists are even using microfluidics to study how drug treatments against COVID-19 would work in the lungs.

“It’s mostly being done in 2D [on a chip],” Bao said. “With our biomaterial, we can form a 3D environment [with the fluid flowing throughout the porous hydrogel], which gives a better mimicry of the human tissue. It could possibly change the way people do microfluidics.” a better mimicry of the human tissue. It could possibly change the way people do microfluidics.”

Three-factor model predicts psychiatric illnesses with 90 per cent accuracy

Most mental health conditions can be linked to biology, behaviour and childhood trauma Madhura Lotlikar Contributor

R

emember the butterflies in your stomach and the tingling sensation that gives you shivers when you are just about to pitch an exciting project idea to your professor? Or when you finally deliver your handmade gift that you spent countless hours perfecting?

Last summer, Marco Leyton, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill, experienced a similar feeling. He and his research team spent months trying to find errors in their three-factor model that can predict a lifetime history of multiple mental illnesses by tapping into just three factors: Biology, behaviour, and childhood trauma.

“Not only did the three factors predict who had a psychiatric problem, but the strength of the effect was extraordinary,” Leyton wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

“We then spent the next few months searching for an error but couldn’t find one. It was an exciting summer.”

Fortunately, the model was accurate and could predict the participants’ lifetime history of psychiatric illnesses with 90 per cent accuracy based on incidences of childhood

trauma, temperamental traits, and midbrain dopamine regulation.

The 52 participants, who were followed since birth, showed various psychiatric illnesses such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mood and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders, and more. The fact that the three-factor model could predict a wide variety of psychiatric illnesses, Leyton argued, bolsters the notion that they may have common origins.

“Comorbidity is a norm: People who meet criteria for one disorder are also likely to meet criteria for other disorders either at the same time or in succession,” said Leyton, whose research focusses on finding causes of addiction-related psychiatric illnesses.

The striking strength of this model comes from the team’s ability to assess all three factors together for the first time.

“Childhood trauma is the most quintessential, unanimously known risk factor for every psychiatric disorder, unfortunately,” said Maisha Iqbal, the first author of the paper and a neuroscience master’s student at McGill.”

The team assessed childhood trauma from a self-report question-

naire that included questions about emotional and physical neglect and abuse. However, due to many contributing factors, including genetic predisposition, family history, resilient brains, and flexible coping skills, some people were able to live their adult lives relatively unscathed.

Thus, individual factors alone cannot accurately predict the onset of psychiatric illnesses.

Researchers combined this with scores obtained from another questionnaire assessing participants’ externalizing traits between the ages of 11 to 16.

These included their temperamental traits, aggression, and impulsivity.

Adding positron emission tomography scan data to the model revealed that poorly regulated dopamine increased the prediction accuracy of the model even further. Dopamine is a chemical produced in the brain that influences mood, and triggers feelings of reward, pleasure and motivation. It is the same chemical that makes people feel rewarded when someone likes their post on Instagram, or makes them feel punished when they get scolded. It is also involved in pathways regulating drug addiction and movement disorders. When misregulated, it affects one’s motivation, attention, emotional and behavioral responses to situations,

Fifty per cent of all lifetime mental illnesses start by the age of 14.

(Corey Zhu / The McGill Tribune) posing a biological risk for various attention and mood disorders.

Administering early diagnosis and intervention protocols for psychiatric illnesses has the potential to greatly improve patient well-being at various levels. Studies like this one may help convince policymakers to encourage the use of predictive algorithms, like the three-factor model, in clinics—which are often discredited due to the inaccuracy of the ones currently available.

Further complications arise if models include neuroimaging or biological analyses, because of their lo-

gistical limitations as well as a need for higher levels of expertise to run them. But with the emergence of new technologies aiming to make portable and cost-effective neuroimaging devices, this research still holds promise.

Note that this study establishes only a predictive, rather than a causal link between these factors and psychiatric illnesses. The team’s next steps are to replicate this effect in a larger and more diverse cohort of participants.

Seek access to mental health resources and assistance when needed.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022

sports@mcgilltribune.com

SPORTS

15

Varsity Council speaks out against sports shutdown McGill athletes left discouraged, bereft of another winter season Sarah Farnand & Monty Weatherall Sports Editor & Contributor Continued from page 1.

Many of those athletes who rely on their sport for structure and stress relief were disappointed by the announcement. Chloe Fleurent-Gregoire, a master’s student in nutritional science and member of the McGill Track and Field team, misses the support of her team and her sport. “[Being in] my final year of eligibility, it’s really disappointing to finish really abruptly and [it’s] very isolating without being surrounded by teammates,” Fleurent-Gregoire said. “Studies seem harder without daily, structured sport.”

With the ever-changing COVID-19 situation, FleurentGregoire is unsure when she and her teammates will be able to return to competition.

While McGill Athletics is closely monitoring the situation— sending out emails whenever they receive updates regarding governmental restrictions— athletes are becoming frustrated with what many view as overly restrictive policies.

However, one student group is standing up for both varsity athletes and other students: The McGill Varsity Sports Council. Composed entirely of students from a wide variety of varsity teams, including members from teams that recently saw their seasons axed, the group serves to represent the interests of McGill athletes to the university’s administration.

In a recent Instagram post, the council was disappointed with how the Quebec government has handled athletics and recreation

during the pandemic, especially the recent decision to postpone the seasons of many teams.

They expressed their despondency that the government appears to have no definite end goal for the suspension, and no plan for the long-term provision of safe sport for communities in Quebec. The council’s VP Communications and U3 student Owen Cumming expressed his distress at the “all or nothing” approach.

“Quebec needs to look for safer ways to keep things going,” Cumming said.

“Increasing social distance and reducing the amount of people training at once is still training. However, when shutdowns occur, we immediately go back to step one, [full cancellation]. The mindset is not to keep things going.”

The council was also confused by the decision to omit student athletes from the elite sport exemption, a rule which allows elite athletes to continue to practice, with increased safety measures, despite the public health restrictions. The council wishes for clarity in this choice, and wants answers from the Quebec government as to why university sport is sidelined. The council’s chairperson, Evelyn SilversonTokatlidis, a fifth-year student on the women’s rugby team, stressed that for many student athletes at McGill, sport is more than just a game.

“You have so many students [at McGill] trying to get recruited to take their sports to the next level,” said Silverson-Tokatlidis.

“But athletes who have been out of their sport for the last two years from schools in Canada can’t have the same stats or film as someone from the United States. There are

countless examples of peoples’ careers being impacted by these shutdowns.”

Cumming further noted that other provincial leagues, like the Quebec Junior Hockey League, are being allowed to continue despite the circumstances.

“The huge frustration is that university students are often coming to play high level sports, which is an equivalent thing,” Cumming said. “We [varsity sports] are not an amateur league.”

The council hopes that their message can start more conversations about athletics and wellness at the university, despite the measures imposed by the Quebec government.

“The goal of every team at McGill, as well as the council and the athletics administration, is how we get people to feel more pride for their school through athletics,” said Cumming. “Things will be slow to move, but we want to provide transparency and be the outlet for the voices of student athletes.”

The two council members also acknowledged the hard work done by the staff at McGill athletics to get sports started up again in Fall 2021, and highlighted that most legislative hurdles stem from the government, not from the university “We find that because of the constraints on McGill athletics administration imposed by the government, especially with how late cancellation decisions are made, the voices of athletes are rarely being considered,” said Cumming.

The group wrapped up by acknowledging that the closure of health and fitness facilities across the province is not only affecting student athletes, but the

The McGill volleyball team has gotten creative with ways to stay in touch during the sports shutdown.

(Matt Garies / McGill Athletics)

(Sarah Farnand / The McGill Tribune)

(Matt Garies / McGill Athletics) community as a whole. During freezing cold Quebec winters, gyms and fitness facilities are often the only option for many to stay active. Furthermore, the mental health benefits of exercise are enormous, especially for a student body that has spent two exhausting years schooling online.

“Two years ago, almost a quarter of the student body used McGill athletics facilities,” said Silverson-Tokatlidis. “There are so many people who love to run on the treadmill and lift weights and love that release from their day-today lives.”

Matthew Beaudet, U2 Engineering and member of the McGill Cross Country team, has found the transition to training outside and alone to be challenging.

“The most difficult thing was returning to training alone outside,” said Beaudet. “I’ve been doing pretty much all of it alone [....] But I’ve tried to focus on what I can control, so just continuing to train for when races resume,” said Beaudet.

While most track athletes have been training solo, other programs, like McGill women’s

volleyball, have been able to keep in touch through various virtual platforms. Third-year middle blocker Ramou Taal is grateful for the support of her teammates, but is anxious to get back on the court.

“Luckily, our team is a close group of girls and we have been in contact, whether that was through our Zoom sessions or through social media, but we have all been on the edge of our seats waiting for a return,” Taal said.

Although some teams like volleyball have been able to keep in touch virtually, the ability to train and compete with teammates in person is beneficial for the athletes’ mental and physical wellbeing.

“Beyond anything else, playing sports has such a huge value to people, no matter the level,” said Silverson-Tokatlidis.

“It hurts people to not be able to live their lives through the sports they choose, it hurts their physical and mental health.”

While students are returning to in-person classes on Jan. 24, it remains to be seen when varsity athletes and other McGillians who regularly use the athletics centre will see a glimpse of normalcy.

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 2022

sports@mcgilltribune.com

Know Your Athlete: Iman Ibrahim

Martlet’s point guard Iman Ibrahim reflects on her passion for basketball Zoé Mineret Staff Writer

M

ontreal native Iman Ibrahim has always preferred team sports—her time as a Martlet has only bolstered her love for basketball. The point guard joined the team after being scouted while playing for Dawson College during her CEGEP studies. After considering a few different schools, Ibrahim ultimately decided that McGill would be the best fit.

Ibrahim had already been considering McGill for a few years after meeting former coach Ryan Thorne in high school.

She credits Thorne for giving her a good impression of McGill and its team—an impression that ultimately helped consolidate her choice during CEGEP. Ibrahim started playing basketball when she was six years old, after her elementary school coach was impressed by her running skills during recess and asked her to try out for the team. Since those elementary days of shooting hoops, Ibrahim has never looked back.

Throughout her basketball career, Ibrahim has found that a large part of success in basketball hinges on team chemistry and effective communication.

“I’m social and open-minded, which is important for basketball as you spend time with a group and have to communicate with people,” Ibrahim said. “This communication reflects on game performance, which is why it is important to have a bond outside of the court.”

Through her many years on the court, Ibrahim says she has forged meaningful connections and friendships that she hopes to maintain for life.

“I still have friends from my old teams, I met some of my closest friends through basketball. I also met my boyfriend through the sport,” said Ibrahim. “It literally built my life.”

Beyond the camaraderie Ibrahim shares with her teammates, she also values her coaches, whom she credits with

helping improve her performance.

“The head coach used to be the assistant coach, so she knows what she’s doing. I regularly saw her in the bleachers at Dawson College,” said Ibrahim. “Associate coach Dianna Ros used to play with McGill and won during their strong era.

They are both people with experience that know what it takes to win.”

Like her coaches, Ibrahim has a solid winning mentality and has total faith in the Martlets’ ability to succeed. She explained how this year, the other teams had more experience playing together, so the Martlets had to work on strengthening their mental resilience. Once they gain the right experience and team cohesion, Ibrahim is confident that they will become unstoppable.

“People see us lose a lot, but you need to trust the process,” Ibrahim said. “I know that before [this year] they were super strong but we are young and trying to rebuild, and that is a process. We will come back even stronger.”

In addition to basketball, Ibrahim enjoys watching other McGill teams play. She has attended football, soccer, and rugby games, and follows all the team pages on Instagram. As both a viewer and athlete, Ibrahim has noticed disparities in attendance between the men’s and women’s games—an unfortunate reality that she has seen continue throughout her life.

“I think women’s basketball is really interesting and it should be followed by more people,” Ibrahim said. “I understand the NBA has more viewers than the WNBA. It would be intelligent if they had the women play before the men in an effort to bring more viewers who would tune in before the NBA game.”

Ibrahim has learned to deal with the pressure and commitment of basketball as it has been a part of her life for such a long time. Thanks to her drive and dedication, she has always managed to balance both her coursework and athletic commitments. However, if she gets overwhelmed, she knows that she has a solid support network she can reach out to.

“If I feel down, I discuss it with my friends or boyfriend,” Ibrahim said. “They also play the sport, so they are able to understand my feelings and know what to say.”

Her proudest moment as a player was when she won the

Ibrahim is a Montreal native but lived in France and the UK before the age of 6. (McGill Athletics) National Championship in Quebec after winning Provincials with Dawson College. The best part: She didn’t expect the victory, which made it all the more incredible.

Iman Ibrahim has the capabilities and drive to help push her team to achieve success. With her discipline, passion, and unparalleled skill, the Martlets can count on the point guard to give her all to bring victory back to McGill.

Enjoying exercise in the winter

Snowboarding and running are both great ways to stay positive when the temperatures go negative

Sarah Farnand & Jaea Kleinberg Sports Editor & Contributor

Snowboarding: A way to get through the dreaded McGill winter The winter season for McGill students can be extremely mentally taxing, from academic burnout to the sun setting before five in the afternoon to your coffee becoming cold by the time you get to the library. One way to break out

of the monotonous cycle of gloom is by taking advantage of the snow and cold temperatures to do something you enjoy—for me, that activity is snowboarding.

Being outside and breathing in the crisp mountain air, looking out at the sparkling snowcovered landscape, feeling that good burn in the legs and then getting a good night’s deep sleep are just some of the ways that snowboarding has and continues to help me get through the long McGill winter.

Air is drier in the wintertime, so water from the cells in our trachea compensates for this but creates the burning sensation in our chests when running or snowboarding.

(Adam Menikefs / The McGill Tribune)

Snowboarding has proven to be vital for my mental health, helping to relieve stress that has built up throughout the week and allowing me the freedom of getting out of the city for a while. When public health policies allow, there are many ways for McGill students who are interested in snowboarding and skiing to connect and take weekend trips together.

One way is by joining one of the various clubs at McGill such as SSMUski and the McGill Outdoors Club (MOC). Both groups are a great way to meet fellow riders and skiers of all skill levels who also want to plan trips. Other ways to find fellow skiers or snowboarders include joining McGill groups on social media such as the SSMUski or MOC Facebook pages, or even your entering class group chat. Having access to a car can be a bonus in terms of convenience, but it’s not a necessity as there are daily buses which service Sommet Saint-Sauveur, Sainte-Agathedes-Monts, and Mont Tremblant.

Overall, taking weekend trips can serve as a nice reward for getting through another tough week while also allowing you to meet and befriend fellow McGillians. If you’re looking for a way to have fun and make some good memories this winter, I highly recommend giving the mountain slopes a try!

Winter running: The cold doesn’t have to be your enemy Hear me out—there is no minimum temperature for running. While many runners take to the treadmill or other forms of exercise

during the winter, if you are dressed properly and have the right mindset, running can be a year-round activity.

A major difference between running in the summer and running in the winter is the air (duh): Colder air is harder to breathe.

This, in combination with the more precarious sidewalk conditions that accompany Montreal winters simply means one thing: Slow down!

And maybe invest in some Yaktrax.

As a former competitive runner, running slowly always made me feel inadequate. Even well after the days where my times actually mattered, I felt pressured to run quick splits and post my accomplishments on Strava for all three of my followers to see. The winter is a perfect excuse, or reminder, that going slow is not only allowed, but required. Take time to slow down, be in the moment, and try your damndest not to wipe out in the middle of the Y-intersection.

The McGill running community is vast: With both organized groups like McRun and casual groups of friends or classmates, it is easy for runners of any level to find buddies.

And even if you are like me and prefer the meditative effects of running alone, McRun posts challenges on Strava to keep the community feeling alive.

While Montreal boasts a plethora of activities to help one take full advantage of the winter season, snowboarding and running are two great ways to stay active, enjoy the outdoors, and relieve yourself of some academic stress!