The Tribune Vol. 43 Issue 18

The Tribune TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 2024 | VOL. 43 | ISSUE 18

Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

THETRIBUNE.CA | @THETRIBUNECA

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Canada needs to address systemic abuse in sports

A pigeon here, a pigeon there, a pigeon everywhere

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PG. 8-9

Experiencing your relationship through the roles of Cate Blanchett PG. 7

(Mason Bramadat / The Tribune)

Word on the Y: Awkward, sad, and cute romantic moments at McGill

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McGill holds roundtable to discuss the sustainability and design of New Vic Project

Mohawk Mothers attend separate screening of discussion, cite lack of care for ongoing investigation Jasjot Grewal & Zoe Lee News Editor & Contributor

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n Feb. 9, McGill held a virtual roundtable discussion on its New Vic Project, hosted by Provost and Executive Vice President (Academic) Christopher Manfredi. The New Vic Project is the subject

of an ongoing investigation prompted by a lawsuit that the Kanien’kehá:ka Kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers) filed against McGill, the Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI), the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH), the City of Montreal, and the Attorney General of Canada over concerns about potential unmarked Indigenous graves on the project site. Members of Settler Solidarity—a group

Martlets hockey clinch first homegame victory in thriller match against Ottawa Gee-Gees Senior salute match featured a hat-trick from firstyear Mia Giles Juliet Morrison Contributor

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oming back after a disappointing loss against third-inthe-standings Université de Montréal’s Carabins (13–9–

2) on Feb. 9, the Martlets returned to the ice against the University of Ottawa’s Gee-Gees (7–12–5) on Feb. 11. The physical game was also the senior salute, which gave graduating students a thrill going into their final

game against Carleton.

Before the game started, the graduating players were called to a red carpet in the middle of the ice to take photos with the Martlet hockey coaches and their parents.

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formed to support the Mohawk Mothers—held a simultaneous virtual screening of the university’s roundtable, with the Mothers present. After McGill’s event, the Mothers engaged in a discussion with the students and various stakeholders present at the Settler Solidarity screening, pointing out that McGill had cherrypicked the questions they answered.

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Brilliance on display: TEDxMcGill ‘Kaleidoscope’ brings together a variety of ‘ideas worth spreading’ Mia Helfrich Contributor

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eering into Le National on Feb. 4, one entered a world of spinning red and blue lights, mixing as they bounced off celebratory balloons. The audience in the antique theatre hushed as the TEDxMcGill event began. The one-day conference, dubbed

“Kaleidoscope,” was the latest showcase of the annual TEDx event initiated in 2009.

“With Kaleidoscope, we tried to put in really unique, personal perspectives to open the door for all kinds of interests. It’s meant to encourage a kaleidoscope of ideas, identities, and people,” Chelsea Wang, U3 Arts and TEDxMcGill Chair, said in an interview

with The Tribune.

The stories ranged from the importance of mental health to limiting greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting personal, global, and social issues. Each of the eight presenters connected their topic to the McGill community, empowering the audience to make small differences in their own lives.

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McGill holds roundtable to discuss the sustainability and design of New Vic Project Mohawk Mothers attend separate screening of discussion, cite lack of care for ongoing investigation Jasjot Grewal & Zoe Lee News Editor Contributor Continued from page 1.

McGill Director of Institutional Communications Michel Proulx moderated McGill’s presentation, which began with a brief land acknowledgment followed by an introduction to the speakers of the event: President Deep Saini; Christopher Buddle, Associate Provost, Teaching and Academic Planning and Academic Lead for the New Vic Project; Pierre Major, Executive Director of the New Vic Project; Bruce Lennox, Dean of the Faculty of Science and New Vic Academic Design Lead; and Viviane Yargeau, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering.

Saini welcomed the over 200 audience members, after which Major presented the project’s footprint and design. He shared that the building is both a historical meeting site for Indigenous peoples and an opportunity to tackle the space deficit problem at McGill. Major touched on the design of the project, saying that it is in line with McGill’s commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous communities. According to Major, there have been over 50 meetings with Indigenous stakeholders, several co-creation workshops, and roundtable sessions with Indigenous elders. These meetings resulted in several ideas for physical representations of Indigeneity in and around

the buildings, such as highlighting the idea of basket-weaving through the ceilings and incorporating Indigenous-designed sculptures. He then spoke about the concerns over the university’s handling of the ongoing investigation into the former Royal Victoria Hospital site.

“We have endeavoured to keep our community apprised of our methods and outcomes of this work and have maintained a comprehensive FAQs page on the New Vic project website and have provided regular updates via email,” Major said.

Major asserted that the court was right to hear McGill’s appeal of Justice Gregory

Moore’s Nov. 20 decision to reinstate the court-appointed archaeological panel that oversaw the investigation. He believes the panel’s mandate was carried out and, thus, the panel rightfully dissolved. McGill and SQI both appealed the Nov. decision because, in their view, the judgement had contained legal and palpable errors. He concluded by urging people to read their FAQs page for more information.

As the presentation concluded, the meeting entered a question and answer period, during which the speakers answered questions that audience members had submitted in advance. The questions pertained

The project is set to be completed by Dec. 2028. ( James Knechtel / The Tribune )

to pedestrian traffic, specific sustainability initiatives, consultations with Indigenous faculty, and accessibility.

After the discussion wrapped up, the Mothers shared their thoughts about the roundtable in the virtual meeting they had screened the roundtable. Mohawk Mother Kwetiio expressed that she found that there was no care given to the possibility of there being graves on the site. Additionally, Kwetiio pointed out that not all submitted questions had been answered, and that the administration had cherry-picked the questions they answered.

“They’re just talking about [the] Quebec restoration of that building. That’s what’s important to them,” Kwetiio said.

“So nothing there was talked about. So they’re not taking it seriously. There’s total denialism going on.”

Kwetiio additionally stressed the importance of the Mothers having an open forum discussion with students in order to present them with the facts of the case. Mohawk Mother Kahentinetha echoed this sentiment and pointed to the challenge students must take on to educate themselves on the realities of the case.

“We’re in court [...] but we would like you to stand with us. Stand with us by knowing the history, knowing what’s going on right now [....] And what is your reaction to what you’re finding out?,” Kahentientha said. “It is up to you to start looking around and finding out the truth.”

Melanie J. Newton delivers annual Black History Month Keynote Lecture on reparative justice and Afro-Indigenous histories UofT professor discusses the Afro-Indigenous Garifuna peoples’ struggle in their ancestral homeland Liam Murphy Contributor

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tudents, alumni, staff, and Montrealers congregated in the Elizabeth Wirth Music Building on Feb. 8 to attend McGill’s eighth annual Black History Month Keynote Lecture, featuring Melanie J. Newton, Associate Professor in the Department of History and Graduate Associate Chair at University of Toronto. The McGill alumna, Rhodes Scholar, and former Coordinating Editor of The McGill Daily delivered her speech titled “This Mess of a Colonial Legacy: Revolutionary Returns, Arrivant Statehood, and Afro-Indigenous Futures,” inspiring the audience to build a more equitable future by reinvigorating the possibilities of Afro-Indigenous solidarity denied by colonial rule.

Newton’s presentation centred around the Garifuna—an Afro-Indigenous people from the Lesser Antilles—and their experience of European colonialism, in which imperial systems of power intertwined their histories with those of the Black enslaved people violently relocated to their land. Newton explained that Afro-Indigenous communities experienced “colonial shatter,” where the management of identity obfuscates claims to land, enables genocide, and places Indigeneity and Blackness as diametrically opposed to one another.

Newton stressed that, to this day, Black nationalism within the Antilles continues to mobilize on the understanding that the people native to the land are extinct, just as they petition for direct recognition

of their right to land in Belize with the Indigenous Maya people.

“In Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, St. Vincent, and Belize, Indigenous and Afro-Indigenous communities have all fought, are engaged with legal battles against their national governments, who often do not have any constitutional or legislative recognition of Indigenous peoples within their jurisdictions,” Newton said.

However, Newton also affirmed that Caribbean states can act against this injustice through Caricom’s 10-point plan for reparatory justice—a plan that compels former colonial powers to apologize to African nations and provide them with sustainable development support and reparations. The plan seeks to create a future where Indigenous peoples like the Garifuna can return to their land through systems of reparative justice and coexist alongside their Black neighbours, a society that colonialism denied. Newton referred to this future structure as an “arrivant statehood,” through which Caribbean states must take decisive action for success.

During the question and answer portion of the event, Newton also spoke to how, as a student of German and British imperial history and eventually as a teacher, erasure so often operates through the classroom.

“I remember there was this one class I’ll never forget, this it was 2004, and there was this [...] Mohawk student, she always sat in the front, she was so keeen she was so interested,” Newton said. “But I had also learned all of those narratives about you

know sort of Indigenous people having all been Gill serves as an opportunity for community buildkilled and so on. When I first started teaching here ing in a fashion that work and academic environin Canada, I’d see my students writing using the ments do not offer. word ‘natives’ in their papers and I would circle it “I like being around other Black community and say ‘who’s native to the Caribbean, who’s In- members […] [to] see people that I know [….] It digenous in the Caribbean?’ Then I’m like ‘where does bring something to me that I can’t always get the hell are they getting this stuff from?’ and I’m outside of the nine-to-five, and other commitments, realizing, it’s coming from the stuff I’m teaching. I to even just be in this space where you can feel want to think about this differently.” comfortable,” Donalee said.

Inaara Ismail, a first-year master’s student in Newton ended her speech on a note recognizScience and Public Health, was intrigued by an op- ing adversity, but also possibility, saying, “There is portunity to reflect on her knowledge of colonialism a different future coming. What it looks like, I canfrom an Indigenous perspective. not say.”

“Hearing that from a different perspective and seeing what can be done to address barriers that still exist [....] Part of it was also in support of solidarity, being from an ethnic minority myself, wanting to support other people of colour,” Ismail said.

For other attendees, like Donalee, a McGill alum practicing social work who preferred to be referred to by only their first name, Newton’s speech was an Professor Newton emphasized the importance of professors affirmawaited moment of reprieve. ing the ambition and intelligence of their students, “especially Black Donalee emphasized that students,” explaining she would never have studied at Oxford had one Black History Month at Mc- of her professors not urged her to apply. (Abby Zhu / The Tribune )

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Divest McGill celebrates BoG’s divestment from CU200 after over a decade of activism

Students reflect on the future of climate justice activism at McGill Fabienne de Cartier Contributor

McGill, addressed the attendees in a speech. She highlighted that the decision came after a presentation the organization made to the BoG last fall, n Feb. 8, students, faculty, and alumni where Board members agreed to vote on divestjoined Divest McGill in the Arts Build- ment in December 2023. Following the vote, the ing to celebrate the McGill Board of BoG decided to adopt eight socially responsible Governors’ (BoG) decision to divest from all investing (SRI) measures, including divestment direct holdings in Carbon Underground 200 (CU from direct holdings in the CU200.

200) fossil fuel companies by 2025. Divest McAt the celebration, attendees enjoyed food Gill deliberately held the celebration in the Arts provided by Midnight Kitchen while sharing Building, where the organization had held an 11- stories about their involvement in Divest McGill day occupation just two years earlier, to call atten- over the years. David Summerhays, a former Dition to the years of student activism that led to the vest McGill member, spoke about his experience BoG’s decision. campaigning for divestment when he founded Lola Milder, U3 Arts, and member of Divest the organization in 2012 in an interview with The Tribune.

“I don’t know if I can communicate to you how small we felt when we started.

Nobody knew who we were,” Summerhays said. “[When] we knocked on a door, we never knew what they were going to say. [But] the answer kept being, ‘we support you.’”

Harlan Hutt, U2 Arts and President of the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE), spoke about his experience protesting with Divest McDivest McGill members attended Provost Christopher Manfredi’s open meeting on Feb. 9 to protest the New Vic Project, a campus Gill against the Royal Bank development project that is subject to an ongoing investigation for of Canada (RBC) in 2021 and how it impacted him as a potential unmarked graves on unceded Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) union leader. land. ( Abby Zhu / The Tribune )

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“The protest at RBC […] served as my introduction to student activism at McGill. I was able to connect with so many activists through this one protest, including people I still talk to, and who help inform my decisions as a union leader,” Hutt said.

Frédérique Mazerolle, a McGill media relations officer, provided The Tribune with a statement by email, stressing that the administration is open to discourse with student groups.

“Through the years, the University has had discussions with members of student clubs such as ESG McGill and the student-run club Divest McGill to discuss our strategy,” Mazerolle wrote.

Nonetheless, she maintained that the decision to divest was driven by the BoG. “The decision by McGill’s Board of Directors to divest from carbon-intensive investment […] is a culmination of a carefully considered strategy implemented over the past few years, driven by McGill’s commitment to sustainability and aligning our investments with our values and community concerns,” Mazerolle wrote.

After more than a decade of organizing, many Divest McGill speakers questioned why McGill did not promise to divest before Dec. 2023. Summerhays said that the BoG’s decision reflects years of “snowballing” student activism.

Milder thinks that although student activism played a role in the decision, the changing political climate was also influential.

“I believe that if it was profitable for them socially and economically, [McGill] would still be invested. And so I think student organizing is part of what has changed that socio-political con-

text and made [investments in fossil fuels] less feasible,” Milder said.

Milder also outlined some of Divest McGill’s concerns with the BoG’s SRI initiatives, noting that McGill has yet to commit to divestment from indirect holdings in fossil fuels. Further, she expressed some ambivalence towards the BoG’s commitment to allocate 10 per cent of the McGill Investment Pool (MIP) to investments aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which include broad objectives such as “end[ing] poverty in all its forms everywhere.”

“It is strategically vague, and students and faculty and other community members need to stay on McGill’s back to find out what those sustainable development investment goals are,” Milder said.

Others, including Tamara Ghandour, U2 Science, stated that it is not enough to only divest from fossil fuels and called on McGill to divest from Israeli companies complicit in the war in Gaza.

“So many issues are intersectional. Palestine is also an environmental issue. Environmental issues are also about violence and militarization and racism,” Ghandour told The Tribune. “There’s still so much divestment to be had.”

Milder echoed Ghandour’s sentiment about standing in solidarity with other student activist groups.

“As we get to feel a little bit of relief at the beginning of victory, we can also give support to our allies [....] This is a moment for expansion for climate justice organizing at McGill.”

Board of Governors discusses Saini’s meeting with Legault, EDI at McGill, and divestment from fossil fuels Office of Investments miscalculated percentage of MIP holdings in fossil fuels Lily Cason Managing Editor

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n Thursday, Feb. 8 the McGill Board of Governors (BoG) convened for one of its five regular meetings of the 2023-2024 academic year. The Board’s 27 members heard remarks from McGill President Deep Saini; a report from the McGill Senate; a report from the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee (EDIC); a report from the Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility (CSSR); and a presentation from the Dean of the Schulich School of Music.

During his remarks on university affairs, Saini explained that he had met with Quebec Premier François Legault earlier in the week.

“We had a frank discussion [....] A number of issues related to the tuition policy were discussed, including francisation, a lot of time was spent on francisation,” Saini said. “I would not say we made any significant progress [...] [but] the meeting was held in a very civilized manner. And that we’re talking at least, that’s progress. Anytime you talk to the government, it’s a good thing. And we will continue to use any opportunity to get through, to engage with government, because [at] the end of the day, McGill’s focus is on serving Quebec as well as we can.”

The President also touched on the fed-

eral government’s recent announcement that study permits for international students will be capped, but assured the Board that he thinks McGill will be largely unaffected.

After concluding his remarks, Saini then briefly presented the report from the Senate, which included a report from the Academic Policy Committee, a proposal for revisions to the Regulation on Conflict of Interest, a proposal for revisions to the Policy on the Ethical Conduct of Research Involving Human Participants, and six points of information. Both proposals were quickly approved by the Board without discussion.

Next, Inez Jabalpurwala, an Alumni Association representative on the Board and Co-Chair of the EDIC, shared updates from a Feb. 5 EDIC meeting. One of the updates concerned the development of an educational module on anti-Black racism. Jabalpurwala explained that while “there was some concern that it may counter the premier’s statements about not having systemic racism,” in the end the team “landed on [...] a very principled decision that we need to go forward.”

Alan Desnoyers, Vice-Chair of the CSSR, then presented several updates related to the committee’s work. Desnoyers explained that the Office of Investments had made a calculation error when reviewing the university’s investments in fossil fuels prior to

Moment of the Meeting Ferguson stressed that the Schulich School of Music is both unique and world-renowned throughout his presentation. Near the end, he played a minute-long recording of a student performance from last fall to replicate the experience of sitting in Schulich Hall for the members of the Board.

the Board of Governors’ decision to divest from top fossil fuel holdings in DeSoundbite cember 2023. The Office had calculated “Accessibility remains one of the more difficult issues to address that, as of December 2022, direct inon campus, we’ve had some challenges with making progress in this vestment in fossil fuels made up 0.5 per area.

And I think that with this strategy [...] we have a path forward. One cent of the McGill Investment Portfolio of the discussion items that came up during our conversation was the (MIP) and indirect investments made up whole area of neurodiversity and accessibility [....] And that does raise 0.4 per cent, which would total around even more challenges, but it’s clearly tied to the idea of how they feel that $17 million. In reality, however, direct they’re part of the McGill community, being included, and [...] access.” investments made up 1.0 per cent of the — Jabalpurwala on the McGill Accessibility Strategy.

MIP and indirect investments made up 0.7 per cent as of Dec. 2022, approximately $31 million.

“The calculation error, to be clear, does not compromise the viability of the university’s goal to divest completely from all direct investments in the [Carbon Underground] 200 by the year 2025,” Desnoyers said.

Finally, Sean Ferguson, the Dean of the Schulich School of Music, presented an overview of the School’s global standing, local impact, research, and initiatives.

“Forty-eight per cent of the members of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra are our former students or our teachers, and 51 per cent of the Orchestre Métropolitain,” Ferguson said. Consent items included approval of the minutes for the open After Ferguson’s presentation, many of session of the Dec. 14 BoG meeting, approval of the Report the meeting’s participants shared their own of the Nominating, Governance, and Ethics Committee, and experiences attending performances put on by two points of information related to the Report of the Executhe School of Music and expressed their appre- tive Committee and the Annual Report on the Investigation of Research Misconduct. (James Knechtel / The Tribune ) ciation for the school’s work.

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SSMU execs discuss deficit spending, bureaucratic inefficiency, and tuition hikes at GA President Ashkir highlights need for committee and governance reform Theodore Yohalem Shouse Copy Editor

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he Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held its biannual General Assembly (GA) in the University Centre Ballroom on Monday, Feb. 5. Around 25 people attended, meaning the meeting failed to meet a quorum of 350. This rendered the meeting merely a consultative forum; votes on motions were thus non-binding.

SSMU vice presidents (VPs) highlighted their work from the past semester, including the creation of a Senate ad-hoc committee on preferred names, support for progressive activism, the popularity of Gerts Café, and activities night, which, according to VP Student Life Nadia Dakdouki, attracted about 2,200 participants. Deficit spending and bureaucratic inefficiency are key issues facing SSMU. According to VP Finance Amina KudratiPlummer, its budget deficit for 2023-24 is over $726,000, nearly $500,000 less than the anticipated deficit.

President Alexandre Ashkir explained that he was trying to tackle bureaucratic inefficiency through his work this semester. Many committees have overlapping functions with similar or identical lines in their mandates.

One such line is to “confront historical inequities at the university.” This line appears in the mandate of the Equity Committee, the Gender and Sexuality Advocacy Committee,

and the Black Affairs Committee. According to Ashkir, this redundancy means that social justice efforts are spread out instead of being concentrated and effective. Ashkir believes that, as a result, “not much gets done” in confronting historical inequities. Along with reforming SSMU governance and committees, Ashkir wants to increase transparency and accountability to boost democratic participation in SSMU. “The Accountability Committee has not been functional for the past many years. This, of course, causes a lack of accountability,” Ashkir said.

Tuition hikes were the first item on the docket after the reports from SSMU officers.

Several students expressed frustration at SSMU for a lack of transparency and support for the strikes protesting tuition hikes. VP External Liam Gaither defended SSMU, arguing that it has encouraged student associations to strike.

“It is true that there hasn’t been a lot of transparency around it. But our initial tactic was to just speak directly with association executives who have [...] the power to call those general assemblies [....] A couple of days of strik[ing] is not much more than like a symbolic measure, it’s kind of a drop in the bucket. But the idea is to build towards a broader mobilization of (a) more students and (b) for a longer time,” Gaither said.

SSMU’s Legislative Council recently passed a motion to make a special commit-

Moment of the Meeting VP Sustainability and Operations Hassanatou Koulibaly presented minicourses offered by SSMU, including birdwatching, twerking, tarot card reading, and podcasting.

tee to explore the possibility of legal action against the tuition hikes.

The Tribune spoke to attendees after the meeting about the tuition hikes and student strikes. Alejandro Gonzalez, U1 Arts, exSoundbite pressed sympathy for SSMU. “COVID led to significant, significant “SSMU’s doing all it can. I think it’s surpluses [....] We used that additional COVID mostly up to the students now to rise up,” surplus to add new staff [and] new long-term Gonzalez said. operations, and we didn’t have the money to After the discussion on tuition hikes, back that up [....] so we’re now in a significant SSMU Athletics Councillor Melanie Renaud, deficit.”

U3 Arts, raised the issue of the moratorium on — VP Finance, Amina Kudratiancillary fees, which is preventing McGill’s Plummer athletics and recreation facilities from accessing funding. In 2019, the Legislative Council passed a motion submitted by Divest McGill to freeze ancillary fees until the McGill administration divested from fossil fuel companies, which it has promised to do by 2025. This moratorium is up for renewal in May. Renaud argued that the moratorium blocked fees necessary for McGill Athletics and Recreation to serve students. SSMU SSMU accrued a large surplus during the height of the COVID-19 views the moratorium pandemic and increased its operations. This funding has dried up, and as a means of pressurSSMU now has a significant budget deficit. (Mason Bramadat / The ing the administration Tribune ) to divest.

The Tribune Explains: Montreal’s drafted nightlife policy Policy is designed to balance a vibrant nightlife culture with domestic stability Esther Forbes Contributor

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n late January, the city of Montreal released a draft of a policy detailing plans designed to revitalize and strengthen Montreal’s nightlife. The policy was submitted to the Commission sur le développement économique et urbain et l’habitation—a committee that deals with urban planning, housing, and economic development in the city—for public consultations beginning on Feb. 13. The city’s Service du développement économique and Service de la culture began working on the policy in 2020 alongside community partners.

What are the policy’s objectives?

The draft policy has several objectives, including preserving residential peace through undisclosed sound diffusion practices and the promotion of cohabitation between businesses and their adjacent neighbourhoods. The policy is also designed to maintain a vibrant nightlife culture by improving workplace conditions. Finally, the policy will offer new business opportunities through the development of welcoming new districts that symbiotically support and benefit from previously established nightlife businesses.

The policy document also states that it is designed to cater to communities and demographics outside of nightlife regulars. For example, section 1.8 of the policy states that it will provide greater mobility for night-time workers through increased hours of public transportation, which many workers use to commute. The city believes that this will raise the appeal of these jobs by making them more

accessible. This new policy would include a higher concentration of public services and public spaces open during odd hours intended to provide Montrealers with safe, populated places to be at all hours.

Public participation in drafting the policy The policy prioritizes addressing the difficult balance between innovation and domestic stability.

It includes open-ended questions directed at readers surrounding issues that need to be considered and addressed before the policy can be launched.

In an email to The Tribune, City of Montreal spokesperson Sara-Eve Tremblay emphasized the importance of public participation in the upcoming stages of development and the need to balance the

contrasting needs of the Montreal population.

Tremblay explained that the city will hold a public consultation about the project on Feb. 13 to allow the public to weigh in on the proposed policy.

“It will then be possible for everyone to ask questions and make comments during the question period. It will also be possible to give one’s opinion on the Policy on the Réalisons Montréal website, through the suggestion box or by filling out the survey, or simply by submitting a written opinion by e-mail, by mail or in person at the Service du greffe. Finally, all individuals or groups will be able to present their opinion to the commission during the public hearings.” Tremblay wrote.

Following the public consultation period,

Montreal attracts 11.1 million tourists annually, with 22 per cent stating that nightlife was their travel motivation. (Mason Bramadat / The Tribune )

which will include a meeting and several revisions to the policy, the revised Policy will be presented to elected city representatives on May 13. Tremblay confirmed that the presented policy will then be adjusted as needed and adopted by elected officials before being set in motion.

Shortcomings of the policy Will Straw, Professor of Urban Media Studies at McGill, wrote in an email to The Tribune that he believed some of Montreal’s biggest difficulties with the policy will be in promoting nightlife culture in the city.

“The biggest obstacle is changing attitudes, entrenched within city government and people’s minds, which say that nightlife is a series of problems to be controlled instead of opportunities to be seized. This involves convincing people that a certain amount of late-night noise and activity comes with living in active parts of the city [...] noise complaints have been the greatest obstacle to nightlife in Montreal over the last decade. Fines and shutdowns have led to the closing of many nightlife venues,” Straw explained.

Straw noted that while he approved of the drafted policy at this stage of its development, he was less in favour of the focus on bar culture and, by extent, the sectors where there are more bars.

“I wish the question of nightlife was tied more directly to the problems of unhoused peoples, of people who work in hospitals and factories at night and other ‘night people.’ Still, I think the new proposals are a start and, after decades in which Montreal has bragged about its nightlife but done very little to support it, the night is finally getting some recognition,” Straw wrote.

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Editor-in-Chief Matthew Molinaro editor@thetribune.ca

Canada needs to address systemic abuse in sports

Creative Director Mika Drygas mdrygas@thetribune.ca

The Tribune Editorial Board

EDITORIAL BOARD

EDITORIAL

n the last few years, confrontations with histories of abuse have shaken the world of Canadian sports. Following the settlement of a case of sexual assault involving eight members of the Canadian Hockey League CHL in 2018, The Globe and Mail’s investigation that followed unveiled the existence of multiple slush funds exceeding $15 million intended to protect athletes from legal troubles regarding non-insurable offences such as sexual abuse. On Jan. 30 of this year, five players—four of whom are currently signed to contracts in the National Hockey League––were charged with sexual assault. The Hockey Canada scandal, however, reveals that systemic abuse pervades all elite competitive sports in Canada.

Given sports are a fundamental aspect of Canadian identity and influence abroad, federally funded sports organizations must address the structures of abuse that harm youth and professional leagues.

Abusive coaching practices are

central to the socialization of young children in sports. Coaches teach young athletes from the moment they enter sports to prioritize winning above all else. For this reason, hostile coaches are able to justify hitting children as a tool of motivation or verbal abuse in front of teammates as tactics to help the team win. The Standing Committee on the Status of Women delved into many abuse allegations in 2022, revealing stories of Gymnastics Canada coaches who fixated on players’ eating habits, publicly chastising them if they were seen to have gained weight. For many athletes, these damaging coaching practices also come in the form of ignoring dangerous hazing practices that often deteriorate into sexual abuse.

The fixation on performance trumps all other elements of an athlete’s well-being. The extreme emphasis on winning entrenches abuse even deeper into sports culture. Young athletes then struggle to identify abusive situations they are involved in, let alone speak out against them.

When parents make a considerable financial investment in their children’s athletic careers, this raises the stakes to perform well

Copy Editor Theodore Yohalem Shouse copy@thetribune.ca

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Slowing down with your Sims™

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Content Warning: Mentions of sexual abuse

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CONTRIBUTORS Megan Belrose, Sophie Block, Sylvie Bourque, Auxane Bussac, Fabienne de Cartier, Brian Chang, Peter James Cocks, Lily Dodson, Esther Forbes, Mia Helfrich, James Knechtel, Yejin Lee, Zoe Lee, Juliet Morrison, Liam Murphy, Sophie Naasz, Maïa Salhofer, Bianca Sugunasiri

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he Sims™, a life-simulation video game series created

by EA games in 2000, has content aplenty for dedicated players, whether you envision yourself roleplaying different lives or creating your architectural dreams (or nightmares, if that’s your vibe).

But while many of the game’s various traits, hobbies, and interests reflect real life, other aspects set The Sims™ apart. Unlike the game, we can never pause time to stop, think, and plan; we can never reset our choices if an unfortunate, random event occurs. And tragically, there aren’t really any cheat codes to get

rich in the real world.

All these concepts provide the Sims™ video game with the ourlives-but-infinitely-better quality.

Who wouldn’t want to pretend they live in a world where they can create their dream home on a whim, easily upgrade any skill, or try any career path? For this reason, many find the game relaxing, a brief respite from our busy lives. I, on the other hand, feel incredibly stressed while playing. But why? The game has limited consequences, infinite retries and replays, and all the money and resources in the Sims™ world. It should be the epitome of carefree gameplay.

However, with such limited days with your poor Sim™, the stress to level up begins the day they’re created. Sims™’ lifespans are typically around 130 days from birth to death, but since they are typically adults when you start a new world–– and every real second is one ingame minute––this means you only spend about 71 in-game days with your Sim™. Additionally, many great tragedies could befall them and further shorten their lifespans: Cooking fires and electrocutions are but a few of the possible ways your Sim™ could randomly encounter death itself (enter Grim Reaper).

Not to mention, maintaining their needs is exhausting when it’s

and exacerbates the pressure to ignore abuse.

With this reality in competitive sports, minority athletes are often even more vulnerable to abuse. In emphasizing diversifying sport through inclusion, institutions pay little attention to how marginalized individuals are treated by teammates, coaches, and fans after they are brought in. As such, practices of predatory inclusion in which sports include nonwhite players under exploitative premises continues to pervade the predominately white world of elite sport in Canada. Moreover, when it comes to speaking out, it is much more challenging for marginalized athletes to come forward as their inclusion remains conditional on the acceptance of white supremacy.

The reality of abuse in sports speaks to a larger culture of acquiescing to violence within Canadian institutions. The same strategies of protection and silencing are at play. Abusive authority figures are moved from institution to institution, while violent coaches are often transferred to teach at lower levels when their practices are called out. Canada continues to

OPINION

your responsibility to keep all your Sims™ alive (and preferably happy), but this eventually becomes habitual.

When food, housing, money, and basic needs are taken care of, much like in real life, skills and careers become the new focus.

With so much money and ability, there should be no excuse not to make your Sim™ the most talented, multifaceted individual they can be.

If you had the opportunity to master every skill, experience any job, and attempt any interaction without the worry of anything needing to be permanent, maximizing your gameplay efficiency and perfecting your Sim™ feels like the logical thing to do.

But then when you have too many hobbies, unfinished projects get ignored for job promotions.

Your Sim™’s artwork on the walls reminds you that they haven’t painted in a week (which, in their case, is three months). A halfwritten manuscript appears every time you click a Sim™’s computer, and when they play the dusty piano in the corner, their off-beat notes and clumsy playing make it painfully obvious that you’ve neglected this skill (among many others) in exchange for something you deemed more “useful”—perhaps it was a higher handiness level to

5

address this issue on an individual basis, instead of recognizing the overall systemic issues that both perpetuate and encourage abuse.

The three-person commission to investigate systemic abuse and human rights violations in Canadian sport announced by the federal government on Dec. 11 is simply not enough. Canada must launch a national inquiry—as many former athletes have called for—and implement a public database of coaches and athletes involved in abuse.

As the accusations of abuse at Western University show, university sports face the same endemic issues. Canadian universities, including McGill, lack a system of accountability to address abuse as athletes enter what are often the final stages of their playing career. At the university and in all other leagues, Canadian sports need to actively support victims who speak out to dismantle the system of abuse, both through better psychological care of athletes and steps toward accountability for perpetrators. Sports must come back to its roots of community and the passion for playing, rather than just owning the podium.

Mika Chud Drygas, A akov, nna and A Arian Ka me lys Mast sa Razavi l, ali ha ve heart my !! upgrade any house appliance or a better cooking skill so they stop setting the stove on fire (understandable, honestly).

While this game began as a distraction from everyday life, these aspects start to hit close to home.

Your once-captivating hobbies, like art and photography, are now pushed to the side for “more important” things, like your schoolwork or career; unfinished artwork on the floor makes your hands feel like they’ve forgotten how to hold a paintbrush, and they’re too afraid to try. And suddenly, even through the lens of a game where time, money, and resources are supposedly infinite, you’re reminded that even make-believe is limited by the passage of time.

My enthrallment with becoming the best version of my Sim™-self—without the constraints of money, time, and resources— takes away from the main focus of the game: Having the freedom to try anything, and finding happiness while doing so. I, for one, believe that instead of just turning off aging, a natural process in both realities, we should collectively ask EA to make each in-game minute last longer, and allow our Sims™ (and ourselves) to live a little more freely.

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OPINION

COMMENTARY

Gracia Kasoki Katahwa’s recent election proves that better financial resources for Black candidates can go a long way

Sophie Block Contributor

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hile Montreal is known for its diversity, government representation remains an issue for the city. On Feb. 1, Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, mayor of Côte-desNeiges– Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough and the first Black borough mayor in Montreal’s history, made history when she joined the city’s executive committee, responsible for human resources and combating racism. Katahwa wants her role to normalize the participation of minorities in power, proving that though it’s not easy, it can be done. To ensure continuous improvement in representing Black constituents, Montreal’s political parties must place more emphasis on providing the proper resources to Black candidates during their campaigns.

A 2023 report by the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (CDPDJ) showed that people of colour working for Quebec public organizations face barriers in both accessing jobs and being promoted to senior positions. In March 2022, the CDPDJ found that within the 338 public bodies irl am a g f examined, only 11.2 per e t p o ro best the fou to the cent of the workforce 3 < f o , ream ound consisted of visible micould d joy to be ar ea you ar e u forever norities. This percentage lov represented an increase of less than three per cent since

COMMENTARY Matthew Molinaro Editor-in-Chief

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arlier this year, the federal government announced that this Black History Month (BHM)’s theme would be “Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate; a Future to Build.” Almost thirty years after its adoption, BHM today signals a response to persistent problems in Canadian society—anti-Blackness as old as the country itself and the histories of enslavement, neo-colonial exploitation, and carcerality that devise the present. BHM comes to us today from decades-long collaborations of historians, organizers, activists, and politicians, including the first Black Canadian woman Member of Parliament (MP) Jean Augustine, who saw our historic contributions as valuable to the national story. Yet, when we consider the precarious history of Black Canadian life, we must recognize that many of these contributions were coercive—and we are still here.

Conceptualizations of Black excellence reorder the violence that Canada continues to perpetuate. As a counter-insurgent, elitist formulation, the term segments our people and alienates those who defy the norm. It is to say that despite history, structural racism, and ongo-

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 2024

opinion@thetribune.ca

2009, demonstrating slow growth in diversifying Quebec’s institutions. How can the interests of marginalized groups be truly promoted without representation in government? For effective changes to be made by the municipal government for minorities, change must be made within the provincial government’s own body, and at the local level.

The successful election of four Black women in the 2021 Montreal elections highlights the importance of the campaign process. Projet Montreal, a party started in 2004 that emphasizes environmental action, has been in power in the city for the last five years, and Guedwig Bernier, Project Montréal’s current president, joined the party in 2018. Emphasizing Montreal’s diversity, Bernier put more effort into ensuring that Black candidates were able to run and supporting them to become elected through properly funded and targeted campaigns. Without Bernier’s explicit emphasis on Black candidates and their campaigns, these women would have faced significantly more challenges in getting elected.

Bernier hopes that by breaking the boundaries of diversity within Montreal politics now, it will not be as significant of a barrier in future years.

Many activists and political leaders commended Katahwa on her momentous election, showing the enthusiasm of Black communities to be represented by someone like her. After her mayoral victory, Benoît-Pierre Laramée, Canada’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, applauded her victory as a historical

moment. If this wide recognition demonstrates the significance of her election, such celebration also testifies that this is too rare of an occasion.

Black representation and the election of minority groups should be much more achievable within society, and not an exceptional phenomenon.

Katahwa is not alone in her accomplishments, and other Black women made history in 2021. Dominique Ollivier is not only a member of the Montreal City Council, but also in 2021 became Montreal’s first Black executive committee president. Ollivier has ultimately come under fire for her use of tax-payer money and resigned—for which she received racist attacks–– but her election itself must not be ignored despite her faults. The election of Black executives and the increase in diversity in local government is essential for advancing the representation of Black Montrealers—as visible minorities make up more than a third of the city’s population. Diversity in councillors helps to mirror the makeup of the population and provide better representation, which needs to be followed with substantive policies promoting the interests of their Black constituents.

Now that Montreal’s government is beginning to truly represent its constituency, it has begun the journey of advancing the participation and inclusion of marginalized groups. As a government is meant to be a representation of its constituents, this progress is long overdue. Although monumental, Montreal leaders must continue to ensure that the city’s government creates path-

Katahwa is also a trained clinical nurse. (Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa) ways for candidates from marginalized groups to win elections. As Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa shows, her experiences have helped make her such a motivated leader and helped her push past the barriers stopping her. More diversity must be seen in local politics to help advance the positions of the minorities in Montreal. Serving as a crucial representation and an inspiration to younger generations, Montreal must continue to focus on increasing Black voices in government.

Liberation, not excellence, should be the focus of Black History Month ing oppression, you must be excellent and palatable to the majority.

Why should our gifts be recuperated by this nation? Has Canada not extracted enough from us? This theme erases not only longer freedom movements, but the everyday acts of resistance and refusal that Black Canadians practice; what we do quietly, for ourselves, and for our peace.

Our presence on these stolen lands marks survival, struggle, and strategy against state intervention.

The enslaved and formerly enslaved people who came North knew that in the empire, freedom is always dangerous and often conditional. The sleeping car porters and domestic workers who migrated in the nineteenth and twentieth century faced abuse, exploitation, and dehumanization. In the twentieth century, African Americans fled to the Prairies seeking a better life and during the era of decolonization, many Caribbean young people came to Canada in search of education, opportunity, and cross-border solidarity. From the 1950s and 1960s, McGill and Concordia (formerly Sir George Williams students) alums ignited a vibrant protest culture that Black students in Montreal inherit to this day. My grandfather was one of these students, and is the reason I chose to attend McGill—to com-

plete what he and his circle started.

This century, when the police killed Black and Indigenous peoples—unlawfully imprisoned Montrealer Nicous D’Andre Spring, teenaged Eishia Hudson, BlackUkrainian-Indigenous Torontonian Regis Korchinski Paquet, Black Bramptonian D’Andre Campbell, Tla-o-qui-aht woman Chantel Moore, Somali-Canadian Abdirahman Abdi, and Montrealer Bony Jean-Pierre, and far too many others—we organized, gathered together, and demanded life. In 2020, my white-majority hometown’s Black community mobilized, and we said the unspeakable: No justice, no peace, abolish the police. Say their names again.

Black excellence is not a fitting theme for what this month should be for our community. Almost four years after the murder of George Floyd, the global reckoning against policing, imperialism, and white supremacy led simply to discursive shifts rather than material transformation. Our Prime Minister paused for 21 seconds. MPs and political hopefuls came to protests. Year by year, police budgets in Montreal and Toronto increased drastically.

“Abolish” became “defund,” which became “reform,” which became “fund,” which became “expand.”

Instead of hearing our calls, officials

Free Pa lestine

In the 1990s, Black McGillians rallied for Africana Studies as a visionary expansion of African studies on campus—a radical interdisciplinary formation that would integrate the study of Africa, the Caribbean, and the Black diaspora.

(Drea Garcia Avila / The Tribune) once again sought to reconfigure anti-Blackness into forms acceptable to our uneven citizenship. What did it mean in 2020 that we could no longer accept Canada’s racism, yet policies across healthcare, education, and justice still marginalize us?

I have spent my last four years at McGill working through this paradigm. This generation entered our undergraduate degrees knowing our namesake James McGill’s history of enslaving Black and Indigenous people—thanks to Professor Charmaine Nelson, who left McGill due to institutional racism, and her

students, and the Black Students Network that circulated this history in popular media. Black students, staff, and faculty continue to speak out—in our ongoing revolt, the McGill we came to cannot be the same university that we will leave.

In an era of firsts, transformation and liberation can end this hyperfocus on the excellent individual. Beyond the federal government’s imposition, this month must be about recommitting ourselves to our ancestors’ radical imaginations for a free world. Refuse excellence.

Dream otherwise, of an anticolonial future.

arts@thetribune.ca

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 2024

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

7

Experiencing your relationship through the roles of Cate Blanchett

Gaining a new perspective on love in time for Valentine’s Day Maria Gheorghiu Staff Writer Spoiler warning for those who, unlike me, aren’t deeply entrenched in Cate Blanchett’s filmography.

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alentine’s Day is right around the corner.

For some, it’s a commercially well-defined opportunity to express their feelings to their loved ones; for others, it’s a bleak reminder of what could have been. Regardless of where you fall on the scale of romantic relationships, you can rest assured in the fact that beloved and award-winning actress Cate Blanchett has a role to match.

For when your relationship is internally conflicting: Carol Aird in Carol (2015) In Carol, Cate Blanchett’s titular character shows that love is not a linear path. While going through a divorce from her husband, Carol’s heart regains its beat for Therese (Rooney Mara), a department store clerk whose gaze she catches from across the room. But the pain of social persecution leaves Carol conflicted, blurring the channel of emotional communication. It seems that neither the viewer nor Carol herself know what’s going on in her head. Ultimately, she admits her feelings in what can only be an accumulation of unspoken passion. In Carol, love is intense and distressing, but it’s meant to be.

Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett shows what love could, or shouldn’t, be. ( themoviebd.org )

For when you can’t get over it: Jasmine French in Blue Jasmine (2013) If you’re struggling to get over a past relationship, Jasmine French gets it. In Blue Jasmine, Cate Blanchett’s character is left bewildered by the traumatic arrest and subsequent death of her husband, followed closely by the loss of her excessively pretentious life of wealth. Forced to move across the country to live with her sister and her disapproving boyfriend, Jasmine slowly spirals into obsession—she is unable to accept that she has lost everything. Cate Blanchett’s role in Blue Jasmine shows us that it’s neither okay nor healthy to grip onto the past.

For when your love life keeps throwing things at you: Jane Winslett-Richardson in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) While slightly more niche, you might relate to the predicament in which Cate Blanchett’s character finds herself in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Pregnant with a married man’s child, reporter Jane Winslett-Richardson distracts herself by documenting marine cinematographer Steve Zissou’s (Bill Murray) aquatic expedition.

While Zissou and his son, Ned (Owen Wilson), both develop feelings for Jane, neither relationship works out, thankfully and tragically. This causes additional problems for Jane, whose love life prior to the trip was complicated enough. Here, Cate Blanchett’s character offers a perspective on the painful complexity of relationships, perhaps helping you guide yourself through your own.

The best love songs for Valentine’s Day Mean Girls and queens, flowers and themes Bianca Sugunasiri Contributor

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alentine’s Day is not the time for chocolate or flowers or even love. It’s the time for playlists. Breakup playlists to scream at your ceiling, classy playlists for candlelight dinners, or salacious playlists for “late-night activities.” Whatever playlist you might be making, here are four great love songs to consider adding.

“Not My Fault” by Reneé Rapp and Megan Thee Stallion If you’re in the mood for an infectious serotonin boost and a delulu level of selfconfidence, this is the song you want on blast.

But beware: The song comes with an inescapable bout of sudden obsession for Reneé.

Apart from turning heads with her unique and modernized take on the classic character of Regina George, her performance of “Not My Fault” has been circulating on TikTok, inciting a truly terrifying wave of simping fans in the comments. The song encourages confidence, self-respect, and spontaneity in relationships.

Recommended for anyone who feels like the mess of relationships is hitting them too hard.

It will remind you not to take things so seriously…well, that and to “get her number [and] her name.” “a girl like me” by flowerovlove Joyce Cisse is the lead singer of flowerovlove and an up-and-coming Black artist. At

only 18 years old, she is becoming a popular lo-fi artist in Gen Z’s eyes. The overthinking that comes alongside the giddiness of a new crush is a universal experience—and this song encapsulates that uncertainty. Staring at the sent message on your phone, dissecting every word as you anxiously stare at the “read” symbol below it. Feeling the butterflies, but fearing that they might not feel the same way. flowerovlove captures the vulnerability present at the spark of every romantic connection. Fortunately, instead of overthinking your own crushes, you can simply put her song on repeat. floverovlove articulates both heterosexual and

Charles, I’m the luckiest to have met you - Sarah <3

queer relationships with the fluid switch of the lyrics—“would a boy like you like a girl like me”—to “would a girl like you like a girl like me” and “would a boy like you like a boy like me.” Through these subtle shifts, flowerovlove highlights the fluidity and complexity of relationships, while portraying the universal human experience of falling for someone new.

“You’re My Best Friend” by Queen We all know “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Another One Bites the Dust,” but with all the love in the air, we ought to give some recognition to Queen’s song “You’re My Best Friend.”

According to an article written in The Daily Illini, studies show that 67 per cent of lyrics in every song since the 60s are about love. (Brian Chang /The Tribune)

For when you feel like they’re being toxic: Lydia Tár in Tár (2022) Lydia Tár is not a good person. Pretentious and egotistical, she cannot comprehend that the people around her exist as their own individuals.

In Tár, Cate Blanchett exemplifies what a relationship should not be through the eyes of a misogynistic maestro. The film revolves around her relationship to the women who surround her, from her manipulation of and infidelity towards her wife, Sharon (Nina Hoss), to the way she physically appraises the women in her professional life to determine their value. Cate Blanchett’s role in Tár should not act as a model, unless you’re a power-hungry orchestral conductor.

For when you just want to be your own date: Lou Miller in Ocean’s 8 (2018) Valentine’s Day can feel aggravating if you’re not a relationship kind of person. Cate Blanchett is here to show you that that’s okay.

In Ocean’s 8, criminal mastermind Lou Miller is somewhat solitary, save for the company of Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) and five other crimeoriented women. Lou has no love interest nor ambiguous relationship, while still being a complex and multifaceted character. If you find yourself single this Valentine’s Day, Cate Blanchett’s character in Ocean’s 8 proves that a relationship with yourself is as good as any other. But if you take inspiration from here, perhaps opt out of organized crime.

ppy Viviatnin, he’sa Day n le Va y bestie for to m !! Xoxo, life ah Sar

Je t’aime autant que Haradoc aime le saucisson -Z

It’s easy to get caught up in relationships and romance. Good friendships can be hard to find, but when you do find those connections, they are often some of the most special relationships in your life. Often we forget to tell our friends how much we care for and appreciate them. So this Valentine’s Day, show your friends some love by blasting this classic Queen song. Who needs a date with that kind of plan?

P.S. I am well aware that the song was written with the intention of being a love song from John Deacon to his wife, so Queen superfans, don’t come for me.

“Almost (Sweet Music)” by Hozier Although on the surface this may not seem like a love song, it is a proponent of perhaps the most important type of love—appreciation for those who inspired you. Hozier wrote the song with the goal of paying homage to various jazz players who came before his time, honouring them and their songs through lyrical references.

In doing so, he portrays the love and reverence that we might have for those who inspire and pave the way for us. In another aspect, listeners of this song have taken away a different type of love. All across TikTok, people have sparked the sweetest trend from Hozier’s song, creating compilations of themselves during struggling moments and comparing them with how they are now—as happy as they were when they were in the innocence of childhood. Although this was perhaps not his intention, Hozier sparked a trend of internal affection, showcasing the self-love that everyone deserves.

A pigeon here, a pigeon there, a pigeon everywhere My journey to adapt my love sonnet to Nixon into a short film the lingering memory of being violently atWritten by Arian Kamel, Managing Editor tacked by a one-eyed, crooked-beaked pigeon Design by Zoe Dubin, Design Editor as a child? I’m not sure; it remains a complete mystery to me still. Yet I was determined to very serious person knows the impor- find an answer. I reached out to avid baseball tance of preparation. The simple act of card collector and my paterfamilias, Majid extensively accounting for every iota Kamel, for potential answers. of variability within one’s pursuits. Without In an interview with The Tribune, Kamel it, Napoleon would never have set Europe said, “What are you talking about? What piablaze, Genghis Khan’s conquest would not geon? Is this seriously how you’re spending have claimed the lives of millions, Pitbull your last semester? You have the MCATs in would never take on the moniker “Mr. World- three months, Arian.” wide.” It is with this mindset that I set out to The mystery continued. fulfill my lifelong dream, to make a low-budNonetheless, no matter its Freudian origet student film. gins, I know that I had a deeply powerful and moving story in hand, and that it was my rePart I. The Story sponsibility to create it.

This did not come easy. It’s practically common knowledge that the most important Part II. The Production factor for a filmmaker to make a great film, outside of a strong liver for their scotch Nixon, Mon Amour (Screenplay) consumption and an even stronger arm for Scene #14 throwing chairs at unpaid interns, lies in a INT. SPIRITUAL ROOM - NIGHT solid script.

My initial idea was a film about love The INCREDIBLY HANDSOME LEAD paces and glory, delving into friendships and hardnervously, addressing the ships, all through the adventures of a team SPIRIT MEDIUM. of brave, technologically advanced guinea INCREDIBLY HANDSOME LEAD pigs. To my horror, I quickly learned that Could you ask Nixon what I need to this film had already been brought to life in do to fix his reputation?

2009’s G-Force. So, once again, I returned It seems people are unaware or forto the drawing board. getful of all the great things he’s done, I don’t know what else I can My second idea, inspired by the touchdo to wake the masses up! ing vignette I had written the year prior about my childhood love for Richard NixSPIRIT MEDIUM on, was the tale of an underdog. A story (Contemplative) about a small child from Thunder Bay, Hmm…yes…the spirits seem to be saying that Nixon is Ontario, (a town with which I have no afmentioning “real estate speculafiliation) that decides to rebel against the tion in Cali” a lot, so maybe that’s system, changing the perception brought something. upon by the old guard and restoring Nixon’s reputation. And they know just how to INCREDIBLY HANDSOME LEAD (Confused) do it, by contacting Nixon’s ghost through He’s mentioning “real estate specua spiritual medium so that they can bathe lation in California”? in his wise words and put them into action.

I had a basic premise, but a script needs SPIRIT MEDIUM so much more: It required an antagonist.

(Nodding) Yeah, he seems to have a good feelFor reasons I can’t fully explain, the first ing about the current market. and only contender was… a pigeon. Following this, I needed a source of conflict INCREDIBLY HANDSOME LEAD and decided it would naturally be the aforeI don’t understand. mentioned pigeon. A vile and cruel creature Suddenly, a PIGEON breaks through hellbent against the restoration of Nixon’s the glass window, very intimidating image. Some might suggest the pigeon stuff. serves as a metaphor. Those people need to back off; the pigeon is all too real.

SPIRIT MEDIUM To this day, I’m still ambivalent about Your doubt has angered the spirits; they’ve taken a host. Relax spirit, which aspect of a pigeon’s nature makes it calm BOY, CALM. They come in peace; the perfect heel to my story. Is it their lightthey mean you no harm! weight skeletal structure, perfectly adaptable for flight? Perhaps it was their short, PIGEON bodies the medium (almost conical beaks, remarkably efficient for seed certain death); chaos ensues. and grain consumption? Or maybe, it was

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The next point of order for my magnum opus is tackling the actual production elements—the essential tools to turn my script into cinematic reality. However, I once again stumbled upon another bump in the road—: A complete lack of funding, resources, and technical skills.

A lesser filmmaker may let this stop them, but I had a secret weapon—humility.

I drew inspiration from the mantra, “Lights, Camera, Action” and figured that all I needed for my production were a few camW eras, some lighting equipment, a ing n couple batteries, perhaps one or sat d two CGI experts, around a dozen the h intimacy coordinators, and an exdra perienced pigeon tamer. The only and issue was, I had no idea where to find to bette them. next steps would Leveraging my higher-education critical thinking skills, I quickly turned to Goo- Interview Transcript w gle and typed in “‘McGill short film?”’

What exactly is TVM And there was my answer, like a beautiful quail perched upon a slightly less beautiful TVM is a filmma branch: the club known as Stuvides M dent Television at McGill s (TVM).

video-relate quests, even and short fil McGill

making program so having a space where students can meet other filmmakers, borrow equipment, access software, and generally learn how to create films—--even with no prior skill—is very important.

How much money do I get?

If you make something as a TVM project, we’’ll do our best to fund what your film requires. We provide equipment and assistance, and we’’ll make sure everyone gets fed.

Filmmaking can be a very expensive venture and while we don’t have an infinite budget, we do what we can to make sure it can be an accessible venture for McGill students.

Are my chances of getting TVM’s help decreasing as this interview continues?

Perhaps.

Wastno time, I quickly down and interviewed honourable Sofia Anade, president of TVM d my former subletter, ter understand what my be.

with Sofia Andrade M?

aking service that proMcGill students with the support and equipment to make any kind of video project.

You do student short films?

Why? Yeah! We do all sorts of projects.

Anything ed. We do service rent coverage, podcasts, lms. does not have a film-

TVM’s generosity meant that I had the equipment I needed, leaving the props as the final missing element for my shoot.

My lack of capital however did necessitate a certain dose of creativity.

Props List: - Gold Coins → Dollarama chocolate coins Cost: $1.25 - Unusually tall stool → Graciously beg Gerts bar manager to borrow stool Cost: Free?

- Richard Nixon T-Shirt → I actually already own three Cost: Parent’s pride - Spiritual Voodoo Table → Ikea table that I found on FacebBook Cost: $5.00 - Worn-out watch → I actually inherited a watch from my great-grandfather recently (don’t worry, he passed away peacefully in his sleep… while driving) Cost: family tragedy Part III. The Cast The final step of my preparation would be the most important. I needed to cast the right talent to portray the harrowing, dark, criminal depictions of human struggle and strife in my film. Luckily, with the abundance of Nixon clips available online, hiring a lookalike to reenact Nixon’s charming demeanor would be unnecessary and significantly reduce costuming costs.

This would be my sole consolation in this wretched journey called life.

Now, I wasn’t completely sure where to find the right actors: FaceBook, the streets, or approaching people donning scarves inside cafes? None of the options felt right.

I decided to do what all great directors before me have done; I resorted to pressuring my

Ari (Right) and Sadie (left) at work.

close friends to get involved. And I’m proud to report that after only two months of dignified begging, haggling, and more begging, I successfully rallied enough support to commence filming. For my dear readers who are, also aspiring to create their cinematic works and possibly doubting this approach, I spoke with one of the actors involved to highlight the specific talents and skills I was seeking.

In a discussion on her acting “method,”, Sadie Bryant, an actress and potential pigeon tamer, shared with The Tribune, “I know it’s controversial, but I find the scientific method always works best for me. You know, question, research, hypothesis. It prepares me for pretty much every project I take on.”

I was able to quickly fill the cast this way, except for one role, some would say the most important role: Pigeon. It makes sense:, To play a pigeon to its full potential, one would need real talent, mental fortitude, physical grace, and of course, a great intellect. This combination of qualities could not be found at McGill… yet. If you believe you or your loved one could fit his description, please get in touch. I don’t bite, on most occasions.

“Pigeons: They’ve got wings, but they walk a lot.”

-Karl Pilkington Part 4. The film Throughout my journey, I have been confronted by skepticism from those around me. “Are you writing about Nixon again?” “I don’t understand what the pigeon is for.” “Man you’re so talented and probably better than most at long division.” Some comments come up less than others.

Despite these doubts, I remain steadfast in my commitment to my vision. The upcoming weeks are crucial, as we will start filming and editing before submitting our work to the Cannes Film Festival. I’m not entirely sure what’s driven me to this moment, maybe ego, probably boredom, but I’m genuinely excited to spread my wings and walk towards a brighter tomorrow.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

arts@thetribune.ca

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 2024

GQ Magazine’s absorption of Pitchfork is devastating for diversity in music journalism HOT TAKE The news signals a major blow for women’s representation in the field Lily Dodson Contributor

covering mostly alternative and indie artists.

After the mass media conglomerate Condé Nast acquired Pitchfork back in 2015, they entlemen’s Quarterly (GQ), the expanded their coverage to include a much men’s fashion and lifestyle maga- wider range of music genres. They also began zine, has absorbed one of music’s focusing more on investigative journalism in most influential journalism outlets, Pitch- the music community, which paved the way fork. Condé Nast, the parent company of for their breaking coverage of sexual assault both GQ and Pitchfork, is the driving force allegations against Arcade Fire’s lead singer behind this move. Publicly announced on Win Butler in 2022.

Jan. 17, this move came as a shock to the Their fame, however, can be partially publication’s staff. With massive layoffs and accredited to their blunt review style and concerns of music as a hobby primarily for hyper-specific ratings; rather than using the men, as a result of GQ’s label as a men’s typical five-star scale, the outlet scores almagazine, this change will undoubtedly have bums on a decimal scale from 0.0 to 10.0. far-reaching consequences for the music Getting a perfect 10 on a Pitchfork review— journalism industry. which is almost impossible, unless you’re Pitchfork, which covers almost every- Radiohead—could absolutely change an artthing music-related, started as a small blog ist’s life through an album’s success thanks focused on reviewing, interviewing, and to Pitchfork’s platform and recognizability.

With GQ being a magazine mostly focused on kitschy style ideas for men, the absorption of Pitchfork raises fears that the music publication will lose its authenticity and edge. Part of Pitchfork’s charm is its unyielding honesty.

No Pitchfork article shies away from its author’s opinions, even when its pubThis move comes after Condé Nast announced major layoffs in early lication could be a November. (Mick Haupt /pexels.com) detriment to an art-

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ist’s career. Could GQ’s cookie-cutter image force Pitchfork to abandon its blunt style?

Will Pitchfork start being overly forgiving of the cheesy mall music that they usually trash?

The absorption also presents a major blow to the diversity Pitchfork previously brought to music journalism. Over the years, a large number of mostly women and non-binary editors at Pitchfork have worked hard to create a gender-inclusive magazine. This extends to both what they write about and within their staff, mirroring the broader music industry, which is far from homogenous. Additionally, they have made considerable efforts to hire people of colour, especially as the industry of both music and music journalism has been dominated by white men for years.

With Puja Patel being Pitchfork’s first female Editor-in-Chief, she paved the way not just for women in the industry, but especially for women of colour. Patel is the most notable of Pitchfork’s staffers to be laid off during this current move; though we may not be seeing it yet, the industry will feel the consequences of her layoff in the years to come.

The idea of Pitchfork becoming a magazine under the wing of a men’s lifestyle magazine reinforces the boys’ club mentality present in much of music and music journalism alike. Not only does this ignore that music is a universally appreciated art form, but it is also a major step backward for both the industry. This absorption reinforces antiquated ideas that music should only be for men. Former Pitchfork Features Editor Jill Mapes, who was also laid off with the announcement of GQ’s absorption, posted a

Put rom-coms back in theatres Charlotte Hayes Staff Writer

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ver the past year, it seems audiences have soured on big franchise entertainment, with comic book franchise movies garnering less and less attention with each new release. This has left some gaps in movies appealing to large audiences in theatres. The solution? Put rom-coms back in theaters and give date-night movie regulars something funny, romantic, and light-hearted to watch. Studios have relegated rom-coms to streaming services, and while it’s nice to have one appear on your Netflix home screen every now and again, first kisses are more passionate and meet-cutes more swoon-worthy when they’re experienced with a group in a theatre.

tweet on X, formerly Twitter, expressing her frustration with these exact issues: “After nearly 8 yrs, mass layoffs got me. glad we could spend that time trying to make it a less dude-ish place just for GQ to end up at the helm.” With Condé Nast laying off some of Pitchfork’s most prominent women editors, this is further proving that the move to GQ will remove the diverse interests of Pitchfork and transform it into a new variation of the men’s magazine.

At the Grammys, Black artists continue to go unrewarded in the major categories Jay-Z points out how Beyoncé has gone unrecognized in Album of the Year Sylvie Bourque Contributor

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very year, the Grammy Awards accompany the periodic discussion around their failure to celebrate Black artists, and this year is no exception. Jay-Z’s acceptance speech for the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award called out this disappointing pattern in the Grammys.

He noted how, despite Beyoncé being the most awarded artist in the Grammys’ history with 32 awards, she has consistently been snubbed for what is arguably the most prestigious and coveted award: Album of the Year (AOTY).

Throughout Beyoncé’s solo career, she has been nominated for AOTY four times. Most recently, she was nominated for Renaissance at last year’s awards, which lost to Harry Styles’ Harry’s House. Renaissance was by far the most deserving album, and arguably one of Beyoncé’s best albums to date. It served as a stunning homage to club culture that Black women and queer, trans-Black, Latinx people created as a safe place.

In 2016, Beyoncé was also snubbed in this category when Lemonade lost to Adele’s 25. Adele spent most of her acceptance speech saying how she felt that Beyoncé deserved to win and remarking on the album’s important message of empowering Black women. Lemonade was more than just great music—it uplifted a marginalized and

oppressed community.

However, the message of Jay-Z’s speech extends beyond Beyoncé. It highlights how the Grammys have continuously refused to celebrate Black excellence in the major categories: Song, Record, and AOTY. Altogether, only 11 Black artists have won AOTY, with only four of those awarded in the past 20 years. It has been 25 years since a Black woman won the award, with Lauryn Hill for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1999, which is only the third instance of AOTY being awarded to a Black woman. This lack of recognition emphasizes a systemic issue in the award process and its voting body.

While the Grammys have made some changes regarding this situation, such as renaming the Urban Contemporary category to Progressive R&B due to the racist history and connotations with the word “urban,” they have been unsuccessful at addressing the root of the issue.

SZA’s wins at this year’s awards stress how the Grammys still have a long way to go in properly addressing these problems.

SZA’s win in Best Progressive R&B Album highlights that the deeper problem with the category is its existence. In 2020, Tyler, the Creator described the issue perfectly when he said, “Why can’t we just be in pop?” This category pushes Black artists outside of the pop category and perpetuates the racist falsity that pop music is a

white genre. Rather, pop music—like so many ist Burna Boy’s performance. Performances by genres—is indebted to the work of Black artists.

SZA, Tracy Chapman, Stevie Wonder, Jon BaSZA’s win with Phoebe Bridgers for Best tiste, Travis Scott, and Fantasia Barrino’s tribute Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Ghost in the to Tina Turner were all great displays of Black Machine” shows that the Grammys will only rec- artists’ exceptional talents. If the Grammys want ognize SZA’s music as “pop” when it is attached to provide meaningful change to their treatment to whiteness. This treatment of Black artists in of Black artists, they must celebrate their excelpop music is ingrained in the genre’s history, in lence by awarding them for their work in the which white artists co-opted and then popular- major categories, not just the genre categories. ized sounds that Black artists pioneered. We see this today with other predominantly white genres like country, exemplified by the success of Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” Despite this disappointing trend, this year’s Grammys still had great moments that celebrated the contribution of Black artists to the music industry.

For instance, Best African Music Performance, a new category awarded to South African coloured artist Tyla, A report from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found showcases the international that Black artists only made up 26.7 per cent of the top Grammy impact of African music nominations, despite representing about 38 per cent of all artists on alongside Nigerian art- Billboard Hot 100. (Sylvie Bourque /The Tribune)

scitech@thetribune.ca

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 2024

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

11

What’s the matter with antimatter?

A look at cutting-edge research on the matter-antimatter asymmetry puzzle

Ella Paulin Science & Technology Editor

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ince the mid-1970s, the Standard Model of particle physics has, as the name suggests, served as the standard theory for what fundamental particles exist in the universe, and how they interact with each other. While a mountain of experimental evidence from the last 50 years supports the model, there are a couple of major phenomena that it doesn’t account for.

Among them, one of the biggest unexplained issues is called the “matter-antimatter asymmetry problem,” or put simply, why we live in a world dominated by matter.

Chloé Malbrunot, an adjunct professor in McGill’s physics department and a research scientist at TRIUMF, recently co-authored a paper published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, which outlines several of the newest experimental methods to push the boundaries of precision measurement and dig deeper into this puzzle.

Before looking at the experimental methods they discuss, it’ll help to define two key terms, “antimatter” and “CPT symmetry.”

To understand what antimatter is, we first need to look at what components make up “normal” matter. Inside each atom of matter, there are electrons, neutrons, and protons.

Electrons are considered “fundamental particles,” meaning that they can’t be split up into any smaller parts. Neutrons and protons, on the other hand, are composites made up of fundamental particles called quarks.

In the Standard Model, each fundamental particle has a corresponding antiparticle, which is essentially the same particle but with the opposite charge. For example, electrons, which have a negative charge, have corresponding antiparticles called positrons, which are positively charged. The same goes for quarks and the other types of fundamental particles.

Here’s the catch: When antimatter and matter come into contact, they annihilate each other instantly, destroying themselves and producing a burst of energy.

As Malbrunot explained, the Standard Model predicts that during the Big Bang, roughly equal amounts of antimatter and matter should have been created. Under the Standard Model, matter and antimatter should have annihilated themselves, leaving a universe full of radiation, with no matter or antimatter. Instead, some of the matter survived, leaving the universe as we know it today, with none of the “primordial” antimatter—antimatter atoms remaining from the Big Bag—left.

“For me, this is almost the most intriguing question,” Malbrunot said in an interview with The Tribune. “I mean, there are a lot of big questions, like ‘what is dark energy?’ and ‘what is dark matter?’ but matter-antimatter asymmetry—if things had been going the way the Standard Model says, we would just not be

here. We would just be a world of photons.”

Next, let’s take a look at CPT (charge, parity, and time) symmetry. The Standard Model says that if charge, parity, and time are all reversed, then the laws of physics should continue to function just the same as we predict they will now. Originally, physicists be-

and antimatter.

“The level of CP violation that we measure in the Standard Model is just not enough to account for this by nine orders of magnitude,” Malbrunot explained. “So, we are looking for more CP violations. Maybe there are processes that we did not take into account

Hydrogen and antihydrogen (Zoe Dubin / The Tribune) lieved that P (parity) symmetry was true on its own.

“It’s a bit more complex than this, but pretty much if you look at the physics through a mirror, you would expect the same result,” Malbrunot explained. “And that was believed to be true for a very long time, until it was discovered that it’s actually not true at all and it’s maximally violated in weak decays.”

Subsequently, physicists added C, meaning that if both charge and parity were reversed, symmetry would hold. This principle is called “CP symmetry.” As it turns out, this principle doesn’t hold in all cases, and accordingly, the Standard Model incorporates a small amount of CP violation.

Finally, T was added, forming the CPT symmetry principle found in frameworks like Quantum Field Theory.

“If you add time-reversal symmetry, so basically, if you rewind the time, then Quantum Field Theory is very, very strong in saying that CPT in the Standard Model should be conserved,” Malbrunot said. “And to date, there’s been no measurements that contradict this.”

Understanding CP and CPT symmetry is key to the matter-antimatter asymmetry puzzle because if there are violations of CP and CPT symmetry, it essentially means that matter and antimatter obey slightly different laws of physics. These differences could help to explain the discrepancy between matter and antimatter, or, in the case of CPT symmetry, point the way toward entirely new models of particle physics.

In fact, as CP violation is observed, this is one of the most promising explanations for the matter-antimatter puzzle. However, the CP violation observed so far is miniscule compared to the apparent discrepancy between matter

that are violating CP and that could explain how the universe developed into a matterdominated world.”

A promising place to find some CP violation would be in observing something called an “electric dipole moment” (EDM) of a fundamental particle like an electron. In simple terms, an EDM is the separation between a positive and negative electrical charge in an atom. While an occurrence of this in an elementary particle would violate CP symmetry, and thus be surprising under the Standard Model, there are several new physics scenarios that allow it. Given this, the observation of an EDM of a fundamental particle would provide evidence for new sources of CP violation, as predicted by some theories of physics that go beyond the Standard Model.

Experimentally, physicists have been searching for these EDMs using long-lived radioactive atoms like thorium and fafnium.

In the paper, the authors outline an emerging field using large, short-lived radioactive atoms instead. This is more difficult because the atoms have to be specially produced in radioactive ion beam facilities, such as the Isotope Separator and Accelerator facility at TRIUMF, but it offers several advantages. One of these advantages is that larger atoms are potentially useable, since the larger radioactive atoms tend to have shorter half-lives. These larger atoms produce more energy when undergoing an EDM, making it easier to measure.

Another new approach is to “freeze” the atoms into a solid matrix before attempting to measure an EDM. While the above experiments used atoms in a gas state, the denser solid would allow observation of more atoms at once, meaning it would be possible to get more sensitive measurements.

All of these experimental methods are

targeted at proving the existence of more CP violation than the Standard Model incorporates, but the paper also outlines the latest approaches attempting to test CPT symmetry.

To test CPT symmetry, one method is to measure the fundamental properties of matter particles, and compare them with their corresponding antiparticles. As the CPT theorem implies that matter and antimatter should behave exactly the same, any discrepancy observed between their fundamental properties would be evidence against the theory, and indicates that we need a new theoretical framework.

An ideal candidate for this is hydrogen, as antihydrogen is the only anti-atom that physicists can produce so far, and even this is very difficult. Hydrogen is also ideal because researchers have measured its properties using spectral imaging with extreme precision.

“This is one of the most precisely known transitions in nature,” Malbrunot explained.

“So if we could measure antihydrogen with the same precision, then we would have an extremely precise test of CPT.” With that in mind, most experiments in this field are aimed at achieving the highest possible precision, which involves creating atoms that are extremely cold and slow, allowing us to measure them with higher accuracy.

Once we have produced antihydrogen atoms that are cold enough—for example, using laser cooling—scientists hope to build on the precision by developing something called a fountain.

“Basically, you launch your particles, and so through gravity, they will slow down until at one point, they even stop and then come back down,” Malbrunot explained.

This combines the precision gained from using cold and slow atoms with the fact that they travel through the interaction region multiple times, as they rise and fall.

While fountains have been made for other atomic substances, hydrogen and antihydrogen are very difficult to cool to the necessary temperatures. However, recent research on cooling these atoms has proved promising, leading to the possibility of using these techniques in the future. If this was achieved, it would allow for spectral measurements of extremely high precision in antihydrogen.

Using the best techniques currently available, all of the measurements that researchers have observed in antihydrogen match those of hydrogen. However, new experiments are being developed to get even higher precision, with the hope that somewhere deep in the decimal places, there is actually a miniscule difference between them.

“That’s currently the fate all the precision Standard Model tests,” Malbrunot said. “Basically, [our measurements] agree with the Standard Model, and so the only thing you can do is go to higher precision and hope that somewhere, something will crack and you will find where our new physics is.”

12

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

scitech@thetribune.ca

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 2024

Melting permafrost in arctic ponds: An unfolding factor for climate change

Researchers investigate effects of global warming in Canada’s northern provinces

Yejin Lee Contributor

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limate change is a concept that we perceive as both intimately close and somewhat distant. We notice its effect through warmer winters and the sweltering heat of summer, but we easily get lost when trying to find tangible actions we can take to slow it down.

Peter Douglas, an assistant professor in McGill’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, and his team recently published a research paper on greenhouse gas emissions from tundra ponds in northern Canada, aiming to understand one of the most important environmental processes for predicting future climate shifts.

The study focuses on small ponds in the arctic that are formed by the thawing of permafrost—a permanently frozen layer under Earth’s surface. These ponds are known for emitting greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), but the specific sources of these gases remain poorly understood.

The researchers investigated how erosion caused by thawing per-

mafrost, especially at the edges of these ponds, influences greenhouse gas emissions. This cycle of thawing, erosion, and emission may form a positive feedback loop for climate warming, although this has yet to be studied thoroughly.

One of the Quebec research centres for Northern Studies’ (Centre d’études nordiques, CEN) field stations located in Nunavut served as the main source of data for the study.

The ice-rich conditions in Nunavut, coupled with ongoing climate change, demonstrates the increased thermokarst activity—the process of ground ice melting and leading to the collapse of solid land. This is consequently followed by a transfer of organic matter such as CO2 and CH4.

While permafrost is technically defined to be soil that remains frozen year-round, climate change is causing it to thaw. The arctic is warming about four times faster than the rest of the Earth, thus any feedback loop in the arctic is accelerated, making it easier to measure and evaluate.

“As the glacier covering the soil melts, the land sinks, thus the change in the natural aquatic environment is inevitable,” Douglas explained in an

interview with The Tribune.

The research findings suggest that when the shores of these ponds erode, it introduces more organic matter into the water by feeding microorganisms that produce greenhouse gases. This process also destabilizes the shoreline and contributes to the murkiness of the water. These changes create conditions that increase the emissions of greenhouse gases from these ponds. In the study, ponds with over 40 per cent of soil eroded along their shores showed emission rates four times higher than those with stable shores.

Furthermore, some of the carbon stocks contributing to greenhouse gas emissions are older and come from terrestrial sources. This suggests that as permafrost continues to thaw, older carbon stocks may become increasingly significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

“The continued erosion eases the carbon dioxide that had stayed locked under the ice to get released,” said Douglas.

Using his expertise in isotope geochemistry, Douglas analyzed the isotopic data of production and distribution of CO2 and CH4 from the

studied ponds. “Unfortunately the results had a high degree of uncertainties, but the investigation may benefit from validation with larger datasets or additional tracers,” Douglas said.

In Canada, over 40 per cent of land is occupied by permafrost, making this research critical to understand how Canadian land will affect global climate change. According to Douglas, the next step is further investigation on other tundra ponds from differ-

Le mie donne -Mady, Madison, Kennedy, Sydney

Exploring the era of transient astronomy

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n Feb. 7, 2024, the Trottier Space Institute hosted a public lecture on the mystery of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), fleeting blasts of cosmic energy that can outshine an entire galaxy, but only for a few milliseconds. They invited Duncan Lorimer, professor of Physics and Astronomy and Associate Dean for External Research Development at the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University. He, along with his colleagues Maura McLaughlin and Matthew Bailes, first discovered FRBs in 2007. Thanks to this discovery, Lorimer’s team received the Shaw Prize in Astronomy in 2023.

In the field of astronomy, researchers observe the universe with a multitude of telescopes that detect light activity well beyond the visible spectrum perceptible by the human eye. Lorimer, for example, uses radio telescopes to detect and transform radio waves, a type of radiation that has the longest wavelength on the spectrum, into signals available for analysis.

Lorimer’s research on FRBs, which has been his focus for over

17 years, is part of a trend toward transient astronomy—the study of astronomical phenomena that exhibit a limited duration. “[This is] when we talk about [...] the universe changing on time scales of seconds or minutes, whereas traditionally we think about the universe just being ephemeral, remaining unchanged,” Lorimer said in the lecture.

According to Lorimer, he initially set off his work looking for pulsars, the spinning relics of large, fatally compressed stars after a supernova implosion.

Along with many other radio astronomers, he was surveying for radio pulsars—a rapid pulsating signal picked up only by radio telescopes.

Subsequently, something strange happened: In an archival search of pulsar surveys, the researchers found an unexpected burst of energy from a 1.4-GHz survey of the Magellanic Clouds, recorded on Aug. 24, 2001, by the 64-metre diameter Parkes Radio Telescope, one of the largest single-dish radio telescopes in the southern hemisphere. The burst was unlike any consistent frequency they had collected. What’s

more, after an additional 90 hours of observation, no further bursts occurred.

“We took account of the fact that the telescope was only seeing a small part of the sky, then extrapolated and said that hundreds of these events would be going off every day,” Lorimer said. “So, what we were basically saying was that there is a new class of [energy] sources that are out there in the cosmos, of which we’ve only found one.”

Based on the calculations Lorimer and his team performed, it is unlikely that this energy burst originated from inside the Milky Way. “We came up to a staggering conclusion that this source was about three billion light years away, and we didn’t see a galaxy when we looked at that position in the sky,” Lorimer explained.

Fast forward to the year 2016, researchers finally found the first repeating source, a significant breakthrough moment since the initial discovery.

“Up until that point, we’d never seen one go off more than once. This source was suddenly starting to have these outbursts where we can see multiple pulses,”

ent regions to deduce whether a linkage to previous research can be found.

Although only a handful of tundra ponds have been studied thus far, the researchers plan on upscaling the research using mapping technology and satellite data to ultimately draw “the global picture” while integrating both micro- and macro-scale investigation.

Permafrost covers about a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching 22.8 million km2. (Mia Helfrich / The Tribune)

Demystifying the mysterious fast radio bursts Eliza Wang Staff Writer

Happy Douglass Day

Gamma-ray bursts in all their forms are a transient phenomenon. (Zarif Kader / Trottier Space Institute) Lorimer said. “It wasn’t something like a gigantic explosion; it was something that was building up over time and then releasing energy before starting again.”

With time, the research team was able to obtain a direct distance measurement of these FRBs. The calculated distance was approximately 2.3 billion light years away, providing strong confirmation that the sources of FRBs are indeed situated beyond the Milky Way.

FRBs show amazing promise as probes of the large-scale structure of the universe and provide a new window into the population of compact objects located at vast distances.

“Through FRBs, we can start to carry out radio observations, sampling the electron content along gigantic lines of sight across the universe in a way that simply wasn’t possible in the past,” Lorimer concluded.

studentlife@thetribune.ca

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 2024

STUDENT LIFE

13

Brilliance on display: TEDxMcGill ‘Kaleidoscope’ brings together a variety of ‘ideas worth spreading’ Mia Helfrich Contributor

Continued from page 1.

“We have a really strong speaker batch this year. You can tell that they are incredibly passionate about what they are talking about. Even if it’s topics that I wouldn’t even think were interesting, [after hearing them], I’m interested now,” Hanna Eik, U3 Arts and TEDxMcGill Memberships Coordinator, said in an interview with The Tribune before the event.

Many talks highlighted challenges that were particularly relevant to students.

Elaine Xiao, U2 Science and the first speaker of the day, shared her story about the consequences of burnout and emphasized how vital it is for students and young professionals to reevaluate their expense of time and energy.

Xiao noted that we all have spoons of energy to give, and if you “give away all your spoons, you will have none left for yourself.”

On another side of academia, McGill philosophy professor Oran Magal advocated for expanding the philosophical canon to recognize more Eastern philosophies, so we can teach diverse ideas and philosophies— like the TEDx event does.

Some speakers at the event focused on combating gender norms. Nicholas

reducing our environmental impact.

Walking and taking the metro, they say, are some of the best ways to lower our carbon footprint. While not affiliated with McGill, they came to inspire the McGill community to take action against the changing climate.

Bradley Crocker, PhD student and lecturer in Kinesiology, described using eye-tracking technology to measure how people consume health information. “[Crocker is] using his own research to explain how two people can be looking at the same website and interpret it very differently,” Eik noted.

The event also featured two performances from local artists: Kreation Montreal lit up the stage with an upbeat K-pop dance cover, and McGill students Desola Ogunlade and Lily Mason, both U3 Arts, delivered a heart-melting vocal performance.

Le National’s retro atmosphere brought the magic of TEDxMcGill to life. (Abby Zhu / The Tribune) According to Wang, applications to Chomsky, U0 Arts and Science, opened in the workplace to compete not only become a TEDxMcGill speaker for the up about how traditional masculinity has against their male colleagues but especially 2025 conference will open next fall. negatively impacted his mental health against other women. She broke down the “There isn’t really a profile that you and often prevents men from reaching perception that women must hide or amplify have to fit,” Wang explained. “It’s really out for help. He advocated for redefining their femininity for work and advocated just about the ideas you have and your masculinity to include the value of for a “gender-neutral workplace” to allow ability to relate it to a popular audience. discussing emotions openly. Chomsky also women an equitable way to advance That’s another thing that I think is really expressed the importance of creating safe professionally. wonderful about TEDx: Everyone that has spaces with friends and family to help break Ramiro Almeida and Ryan Chen, CEO something to say is equal on the stage.” down those barriers. and COO of TRAM Global Inc., a MiamiLily Mason is an editor at The Tribune.

Nithya Mahasenan, U1 Management, based technology company dedicated to She was not involved in the writing or discussed the pressure placed on women reducing carbon emissions, spoke about editing of this piece.

Word on the Y: Awkward, sad, and cute romantic moments at McGill McGill, where is the love?

Sophie Naasz Contributor

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ith chocolate boxes at every store, roses lining the windows of florists, and people blushing as their crushes awkwardly ask if they’re free on the 14th, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. To all those happy couples or new Valentines, I wish you a lovey-dovey day, but for those who are dreading this Wednesday or waiting for the discount chocolate boxes, maybe you’ll appreciate this mix of awkward, sad, and cute romantic moments at McGill. With the former two being the most popular responses I received, I have to ask: McGill, where is the love?

A Foiled Confession of Love “One of my best friends one day suggested I should study with her twin brother because he’s in the same program as me.

It wasn’t a setup or anything. I mean I wasn’t looking for love.

Before I knew it, I had a crush on him, which I proceeded to ignore. The thing is, finals season came and I couldn’t take it

anymore! Keeping the feelings in was adding too much to my stress, and this boy was making me unfocused. I needed to tell him and get over it, so I made a plan to tell him after class. My heart was racing and I had all this adrenaline and then right as I was about to tell him, my friend—his sister—came walking up to us, having finished a test early. Just like that all my mental psyching myself up and my plan went out the window. I was disappointed.

I mean, I said it eventually, but I think it’s funny how the timing played out.” — Alice Ferry, U3 Management The Happy Couple “I played a gig here in Montreal, actually, my first gig in that band, and my girlfriend brought me flowers and hid them until the end. It was one of the sweetest things someone’s ever done for me—of course, we met at McGill.”

— Wes Norton, U2 Arts A Short and Sweet Horror Story “One man was involved with both me and my best friend

at the same time and neither of us knew.” — Anonymous A Failed Case of Friends to Lovers “There was this guy I had been friends with for a while, since res, and this semester he started leaving hints, and his friends made it clear he was down. I didn’t know if I wanted to do anything about it, but after a month, I realized maybe I did feel that way and I should give it a chance. We started hanging out, and it was cute. We studied in the library a couple of times and got food together. A couple of weeks in when things didn’t progress, I expressed that I wasn’t looking for casual, and if that’s not what he wanted, we should end things. He spent the next 45 minutes convincing me he didn’t want casual but just wanted to take it slow. Sounds kind of romantic, right?

Yeah, until after a week of hanging out, he texts me, ‘Can we go for a walk?’ and proceeds to tell me on this walk that he doesn’t know what he wants so he can’t continue seeing me. As you can expect I didn’t take this

well. I mean I tried to break up with him a week before, but, no, he had convinced me he wanted more! I’m just upset he compromised a friendship, and now when we see each other at every friend event it’s awkward. The most annoying part is that he’s a nice guy who was simply confused. UGH—basically, don’t waste people’s time!”

— Anonymous Romantic Holidays “There was a guy I had been seeing casually, and I was texting him one day, and it came up that it was International

e staff To the Olde of Y hard Orc

Women’s Day. Later he asked to meet up and when I arrived, there he was with a bunch of flowers. I have to admit, it was sweet.” — Anonymous

t mos e h t , rt hloé sma To c utiful, ing girl bea amaz ist x and o ever e t

i love you scouty <3 thanks for being my rock. your smile is infectious and i love the way you make me laugh. i can’t wait to keep growing with you.

14

STUDENT LIFE

studentlife@thetribune.ca

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 2024

Love-themed recipes to celebrate Valentine’s Day

Love-themed recipes to celebrate Valentine’s Day Auxane Bussac Contributor

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ith Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we are about to be constantly surrounded by love. This holiday is about celebrating romance and what is more romantic than sharing a nice home-made dinner?

So, The Tribune has gathered a selection of recipes to create a complete love-themed meal.

For amateurs of artsy drinks: Raspberry Crush Want to replace the usual wine glass or the basic soda with something more? This tasty pink cocktail—or mocktail—is your answer!

Ingredients (for one drink): • 10 raspberries • 15 mL of lemon juice • 1 tsp of sugar • 1 shot of vodka (optional) • 4 ice cubes • Soda water Steps: 1. In a glass, add the raspberries, lemon juice, and sugar.

2. Mash until it becomes a purée.

3. Add a shot of vodka (optional).

4. Add the ice cubes.

5. Cover the glass and shake it until the ingredients blend.

6. Pour the blended mixture into your prettiest cocktail glass through a strainer.

7. Transfer the ice cubes and fill up the glass with soda water.

For the ardent romantics: Heart-Shaped Pizza Offer your heart to your valentine with this delicious heart-shaped pizza. This classic is quick and easy to prepare, but definitely not overrated.

Ingredients: • Your favourite pizza dough (try Sally’s Homemade pizza dough recipe) • Tomato sauce • Your choice of cheese • Your choice of toppings

Steps: 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F (230° C).

2. Grab a ball of pizza dough and put it on baking paper.

3. Flatten the dough first into a circle. If the dough doesn’t hold its shape, let it sit for a few minutes and then try again.

4. Once the dough is flat, pinch and pull the bottom of the circle to form a point which will be the tip of the heart.

5. Take a finger to the top middle of the circle and push down toward the center of the pizza. You can use a knife to facilitate this step. Then shape the pizza until it looks like the kind of heart you like best.

6. Add the tomato sauce, cheese, and other toppings you chose.

7. Start checking at eight minutes. Let it sit in the oven until the crust is as crispy as desired.

For sugar lovers: Red Velvet Brownies What better way to end this Valentine’s Day meal than with a succulent red velvet brownie? Its soft texture and sweet taste will make you fall in love all over again.

Ingredients: • 1 ¼ cup of all-purpose flour • 3 tbsp of cocoa powder • 1 tbsp of cornstarch or cornflour • ¼ tsp of salt • ¾ cup of unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly • 1 ¼ cup of granulated sugar • 2 large eggs (room temperature) Cupid’s arrow, more like Cupid’s oven! These recipes are sure to fill your • 1 tsp of vanilla ex- heart and stomach this Valentine’s Day. (Maïa Salhofer / The Tribune) tract • 1 tbsp of red food colouring gel or liquid and you no longer see pieces of egg. (choose the amount depending on the co- 5. Gently stir the flour mixture into the wet lour you want to obtain) ingredients by hand. Stop mixing when • 1 tsp of white vinegar you no longer see lumps of dry ingredients.

• 1 cup of white chocolate chips 6. Stir in the chocolate chips.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and Steps: bake for 28-32 minutes or until an insert1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C) and ed knife or toothpick comes out (almost) line a pan (preferably 8x8 inch/20x20 clean. cm) with parchment paper so that there is 8. Cool the brownies in the pan until the pan an overhang around the edges. Or lightly is no longer warm to the touch. grease the pan.

9. Finally, lift the brownies out of the pan 2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, using the overhang of the parchment paper. cornstarch, and salt. Set it aside.

You can slice them in any shape you want, 3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the but hearts are cute and efficient. melted butter and the sugar until you no longer see the butter sitting on top of the These recipes were adapted from Alessandra’s sugar.

Raspberry Crush, Kitchen Treaty’s Heart4. Add the eggs, the red food colouring, va- shaped pizza, and Just So Tasty’s Red Velvet nilla extract, and vinegar until it is smooth Brownies.

The Tribune’s Valentine’s Day Crossword Abby McCormick Student Life Editor Across

Down

3. To hold dear

1. The God of love in Roman mythology

6. A place where you can get married on

2. Love that is not reciprocated

campus

4. The chocolate company that looks

10. The theme of Valentine’s Day

forward to Valentine’s Day every year

11. The person to whom you express your

5. A warm embrace

love on Valentine’s Day

7. A term of endearment

13. A symbol of love

8. Sincere and genuine

16. Eternally

9. Affectionate feelings toward someone

17. Juliet’s lover

12. Deep love and respect

18. Romantic outing

14. Traditional flowers given on

19. Asking someone to marry you

Valentine’s Day 15. Intense feeling of love

sports@thetribune.ca

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 2024

SPORTS

15

Martlets hockey clinch first home-game victory in thriller match against Ottawa Gee-Gees Quotable

Senior salute match featured a hat-trick from first-year Mia Giles Juliet Morrison Contributor Continued from page 1 The rest of the Martlets lined up to the side, tapping their sticks and cheering when each senior’s name was called.

Both teams were evenly matched in possession in the first 10 minutes. 11 minutes into the opening period, the Martlets took advantage of a power play to open the scoring with a clinical finish by first-year defenceman Meganne Chailler to open the scoring for the afternoon. Whoops and cheers filled through McConnell Arena. A minute and a half later, defenceman Mia Giles put another one through the net, making it 2-0 for McGill.

The Gee-Gees fought back aggressively in response. Six minutes into the period, defenceman Reece Mepham accidentally knocked down a referee. A commotion ensued as the referee team called for Mepham to be taken off for physical abuse of an official, which the Gee-Gees coaches contested. Yet the 5-minute match penalty was awarded as Mepham was evicted from the match.

Just as the power play ended, Giles encircled the Gee-Gees net again, giving the Martlets a 3-0 advantage with only two seconds left on the clock.

In the second period, the Gee-Gees dominated and played cleanly, scoring early to make McGill work to hang onto their lead. Ottawa even-

tually broke through 11 minutes in, with forward Arianne Gagnon scoring to make it 3-2. Despite letting a goal in, McGill goaltender Jade Rivard-Coulombe remained a brick wall, saving the numerous shots hurtled toward the net.

The tension became palpable in the arena during the third period.

Gee-Gees forward The match featured 12 penalties. (Brian Chang / The Tribune) Béatrice Bilodeau scored within the first 30 seconds from close range. bune about how the Martlets headed off Ottawa’s But the 3-2 win still seemed safe for the team. tenacity throughout the match.

However, in the last 20 seconds, the Gee-Gees “Ottawa’s an aggressive team and they don’t swarmed the McGill net again. Forward Katherine back off,” Cecere recounted. “We knew that was Birkby scored, tying the game 3-3. coming, but they gave us a good game and it was a As the game carried into overtime, the atmo- good game overall.” sphere was tense: The Martlets were pushing for Going into their last game, senior forward their first home win of the season. But the deadlock Meg Harley highlighted the significance of Sunwould not last long. With 45 seconds left, Giles day’s win. shot on the Gee-Gees from mid-range, swiftly “We got one more left, so it’s bittersweet, but landing it in the net and giving the Martlets a vic- I mean for us to win our first home game tonight tory. was really special,” Harley said. “We’re out of the Head coach Alyssa Cecere spoke to The Tri- playoffs now, but we still want to win and we still

A costly renovation of the Olympic Stadium benefits nobody Going once, going twice, sold! To taxpayers across Quebec.

Marco Zeppilli Staff Writer

If

Quebecers thought a $7 million handout for the Los Angeles Kings to play some preseason games in Quebec City was insulting, here comes the latest public sports subsidy fiasco. In an announcement on Feb. 5, Quebec tourism minister Caroline Proulx handed taxpayers an $870 million bill for the replacement of the Olympic Stadium’s roof and technical ring. This decision surely made the organizers of the next MonsterTruck Spectacular show breathe a sigh of relief. The costly renovation is deemed necessary, given that the Big O’s current roof has 20,000 holes and that three-centimetres worth of snow accumulation on the roof presents a safety concern so large that events must be cancelled. According to Proulx, the stadium could be forced to close permanently if action is not taken swiftly. An $870 million question remains: Who benefits from the renovation?

It will not be the Alouettes, Montreal’s Canadian Football League (CFL) team. The Big O has clipped the Alouettes’ wings more than once. During the Olympic Stadium’s time as the Alouettes’ home, the stadium’s high capacity made attendance seem sparse, creating a poor environment for players and fans alike.

Attendance declined and the Alouettes eventually folded in 1987. When the CFL returned to the Olympic Stadium in 1996, attendance issues continued to plague the team. As fate would have it, a U2 concert in 1997 forced the Alouettes to move a home game to Percival Molson Stadium. The team decided to move to McGill’s campus permanently starting in 1998, at which

point attendance numbers and interest in the team grew.

CF Montréal, the local Major League Soccer team, will not benefit from this decision either. In 2008, CF Montréal, then named the Montreal Impact, christened Stade Saputo, an intimate, outdoor, soccer-specific stadium just steps away from the Big O. The club is quite fond of its stadium; ownership is currently planning to winterize the venue, allowing for games to be played there during colder months à la Commonwealth Stadium and BMO Field.

It would be reasonable to expect that they would not be looking to renovate their facilities if they had any plans of playing in the concrete monstrosity within spitting distance of their current home.

This will also not help Montreal get a Major League Baseball (MLB) team back in town. That, however, was always a pipedream.

The stadium was never suited for baseball, despite the architects’ best efforts in the original design process. There is, however, a sad irony on the baseball front: In 1998, former Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard refused to provide government funding for a proposed downtown ballpark for the Expos. He argued that it would be unwise to commit public funds to the construction of a stadium when the healthcare system was stretched thin and he was being forced to close hospitals. This time around, the provincial government has decided to subsidize the overhaul of a stadium that does not have a primary tenant. At least the situation in hospitals has gotten better, right?

When public subsidies are discussed for professional sports teams, there seems to always

“It was just incredible. Our first period as a team was solid. I want to give kudos to the people who assisted the goals, because it wouldn’t have happened without them. But yeah, it was just really cool to put out a win today as a team [....] We stayed really disciplined and we were able to take the hits.”

– Defenceman Giles on the team’s victory in the tense match Moment of the Game The first 20 seconds of overtime were evenly matched, and then McGill took the puck. Chailler sprinted around the goal, drew in the Gee-Gee defenders, then passed it to Giles, who shot from mid-range, winning the game.

Stat corner The match featured eight power plays. The Martlets scored on two out of their five, while the Gee-gees scored on two out of their three.

want to upset these teams. To disappoint [the GeeGees] was very exciting for us and hopefully we will carry that on to next week.”

The Martlets (4–18–1) will be facing off against Carleton University’s Ravens (7–15–1), who are currently second to last in the Réseaux du sport étudiant au Québec’s (RSEQ) ranking.

Hi sweet ness made my , you have li I love you fe complete, more tha anything n - love, Sc out

be a shouting match about whether governments should contribute to billionaire owners’ dreams cross our fingers for that sequence of for a shiny new facility. After all, when these events to unfold. In the meantime, please mind owners have the means to build these venues the falling concrete chunks in the parking lot. on their own, why should taxpayers foot the All figures mentioned are in CAD. bill? Then, the owner’s response is usually to threaten to relocate the team if local governments refuse to play ball. It’s a decades-old extortion tale. Of course, in the aforementioned scam, taxpayers at least get to catch a game after their government gets ripped off by the local team owner. In this case, Montrealers will have the unique privilege of being able to attend the Electric Vehicle Trade Show or the MonsterTruck Spectacular; events that could easily take place at Palais des congrès or the Bell Centre.

It would be difficult to put a price tag on that, but Caroline Proulx just did: It’s $870 million.

There is, of course, the possibility that the Olympic Stadium, once renovated, will be an appealing venue to our local sports teams. It’s possible that big-ticket acts such as Taylor Swift will want to perform there once a new roof is installed and the faulty acoustics are fixed. And it’s even possible that this new roof will be able to safely support more than three centimetres of snow. For the sake Quebec taxpayers are on the hook for a hefty sum to replace of the public’s tax money and our the roof of a stadium with no primary tenant. (Dana Prather / The Tribune) collective civic pride, let’s all

16

SPORTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 2024

sports@thetribune.ca

To all the sports I’ve loved before McGill athletes and sports fans share love letters to the sport they love most Tillie Burlock Managing Editor

Peter James Cocks Contributor

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Dear my darling football, ou have been by my side my entire life. I have known you since my first steps, darting through the kitchen whilst my mother tried marking me from threatening corners. You introduced me to my first friends with the evergreen pickup line “What team do you support?” followed by hours of kickabouts, pointless nattering and a lifetime of friendship. Even now, there are few friends I can point to who didn’t come my way via football. And no, America, the bludgeoned sport you play with an egg is not ‘football’.

Even your cold concrete terraces have kept me comfortable through all these years, standing shoulderto-shoulder with the legions watching loss after loss.

There’s a warmth in them, a fiery hope that one day we can return to the pub for a pint of lager to break the streak of consolation bitters. Even the deadened discussion over whether playing three at the back is outdated in today’s game gifts me an embracing escape from the monotony of life.

People say you’re unpredictable; I disagree.

I don’t know if I’ll go to my lectures; I don’t know when I’ll get around to doing my week’s shopping. But I sure as hell know when Chelsea is playing. Battling to find a video stream, to summon the energy for hope, to pray my mood is better in 90 minutes. To this day I can identify key moments of my life—anniversaries, hospital visits and deaths—by the football calendar encased in my brain. Call me a sad-case or obsessed, I simply do not care. You have been the one constant of my life, and I know I am not alone.

What other sport can entrance more than half the world for its finals, capture the audience of the UN General Assembly, command an army of die-hard lovers across every continent?

Football can, and always will be, the world’s sport.

All you need is two jumpers and a ball.

Love forever more, Peter James Cocks.

Dear baseball, y bat mitzvah was a week away. As my soft spoken tutor, Aaron, desperately tried to get me to focus on my D’var Torah, the speech I would be delivering before an audience of family members and bored preteens, Jose Bautista stepped up to the plate. I convinced Aaron that I could multitask; writing the speech while watching Game 5 of the American League Division Series between the Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers. I lied. As Aaron tried to draw me back to the kitchen table, I stood in the living room, riveted to the TV, watching as Bautista sent the Skydome into pure and utter chaos with the infamous bat-flip that would hook me on baseball for years to come.

In the eight years that followed, I struggled to find my way playing on all-boys teams, attempting to figure out exactly how I fit in. The seasons from eighth to 10th grade were marred by constant teasing, being left out of the team group chat, and the snide whispers of parents who couldn’t figure out why I was taking away playing time from their son, obviously destined to play professionally. But thirteen- and fourteen-year-old me didn’t care. No amount of being called a bitch to my face or behind my back diminished my love of the smell of wet grass at an early morning practice or the strange satisfaction of seeing the seams come up on a bruise from blocking a ball in the dirt.

Attending a high-performance school for sport when I was 16, I found myself in a situation where a coach twice my age pushed me out of a training facility that had once been my happy place. I suppose my flirty teenage personality led this coach to believe I was interested in him not as a coach, but as something more. The motivations of the coaches I had worked with quickly became blurred. When I turned 18, I was fair game, as they say, and coaches who I hadn’t heard from in years reached out, trying to connect in a way that felt so wrong, distorting my perception of what all those years of hard work had truly meant. As I matured, baseball quickly became a place of discomfort. I love you baseball, but not like that.

In 2022, my relationship to baseball changed again. That summer, I worked as a scout—a scouting intern as it were— and re-asserted myself in the very spaces that I felt alienated from when I was a younger girl. Occasionally, an older scout would ask my co-workers which one of them was sleeping with me, never letting me forget that my acceptance in baseball was conditional. I watched with jealousy as 16-year-old boys unselfconsciously fielded ground balls, free from the assumption that their presence on the field had anything to do with their gender or sexuality. My male co-workers looked on beside me, shielding me from the comments made just out of earshot, yet, watching from the place of comfort I longed to be part of.

Now, four years removed from my playing days, I wonder what my life may have been like if I had never fallen in love with you, baseball. Would I have made my way in a sport better equipped to accept women? Maybe one that does not employ an abundance of domestic abusers at its highest level?

Maybe one that would have been easier to love.

I still love you, baseball. In spite of the complexity, the diamond will always feel like home.

Yours, Tillie

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Suzanna Graham Arts & Entertainment Editor

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Dear Cross Country, miss you. I remember the first time we met—I was a naive girl in a dress running toward a chalk line in the dirt a half mile away. My legs held no muscle then (and my arms still don’t). I remember feeling the wind floating through what was left of my thin ponytail and I knew: You were the one, my one.

It’s been 16 years since that first meeting. We don’t talk every day anymore. I still love you. Maybe the timing wasn’t right, or maybe I got lost in my head, seeing you as a punishment rather than a gift. Sometimes I think we should talk more. But I still see your influence. I see you

To women who IJBOL

when I look at myself in the mirror. The strength in my thighs and calves. The way I fix my gaze at an obstacle, and beat it. The drive to win—if only to impress myself.

We haven’t always been exclusive. I’ve flirted with basketball, frisbee, and skiing. But during every other sport, I thought of you. Playing basketball, I thought of your shin splints, and iced my shins and knees after every game. In frisbee, I used your finishing kick to score the winning point. While skiing, I channeled your endurance that I’d finally earned, to push myself across kilometeres of vast snow. I’m not sure I always wanted you to be my forever. At this point, I don’t think I have a choice. It’s always been you.

I was five when I ran that first race in my dress, thinking I’d die after a cool half mile. I was fourteen when I competed at the state championship—and had qualified all on my own. I was seventeen when I left competitive cross country. Two days ago I was 21, running amid ice and snow for the sole purpose of fulfilling my own drive. I imagine myself at 60, with grey hair and new runners, running alongside a dog and hoping to avoid my family’s hereditary bad knees.

You’re always there––always.

Maybe our love isn’t a quick, fiery burn. Maybe our time isn’t up. Maybe they were right when they said love is a marathon not a sprint. Maybe I’m not sure who they are, but I know you. And I know that in the marathon of life, I’m still running. And you’ll be at the finish line, cheering me on.

All my love, Suzanna

Megan Belrose Contributor

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Dear Basketball, hen I was three years old, my parents bought my brothers and me a Little Tikes basketball net. The rest was history. You were the first sport I knew and loved. My dad is a huge fan—really, I think he has the largest collection of Golden State Warrior shirts on the planet—and he instilled a passion for the sport in me. Basketball became a way for me to spend time with my family, whether that be playing pickup in the back lane or just sitting down to watch an NBA game.

In high school, basketball was a welcome escape from the monotony of the classroom. Nothing quite compares to the atmosphere on the court when my team was fighting for a win. The feeling of community, the exhilaration when a basket falls, and the endless hours spent practicing in gyms are aspects of the game I’ll remember forever.

I helped coach intermediate girls teams at my high school, and despite the hard work, I never wanted to stop. I loved seeing the elation on a player’s face after they made their first basket of the season. It reminded me of how it felt to play when I was their age, when every degree of improvement made me feel like I was walking on clouds.

The professional sport is another level entirely.

I’ve been lucky enough to go to NBA games, and the physicality, drama, and passion are unmatched. There are moments of the game where you can’t help but hold your breath, knowing the fate of your team hinges on which way the basketball bounces. I love those moments more than anything.

Basketball is fun. I love every part of it, and the game has been and will continue to be an important part of my life.

Yours, Megan