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October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
Table of Contents 3 EDITORIAL Yes, the CAQ is Racist
CULTURE 12 Don’t Suffer for Your Art
4 NEWS 13th Annual Vigil for MMIWG2
13 SCI+TECH Brain Science
LGBTQI2+ History Month Manif Contre Le Racisme Photo Essay
ESSAY 7 NARRATIVE “My Brain is Trying to Kill Me”
10 COMMENTARY Seeing Myself on TV Who Gets to Talk About Assault?
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EDITORIAL
Volume 108 Issue 6
October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
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editorial board
2075 Robert Bourassa Bld., Rm. 500 Montreal, QC H3A 2L1 phone 514.398.6784 fax 514.398.8318 mcgilldaily.com
The McGill Daily is located on unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territory. coordinating editor
Lydia Bhattacharya
managing editor
Arno Pedram coordinating news editor
Yes, the CAQ is Racist
Claire Grenier news editor
Vacant
commentary + compendium! editor
Nellia Halimi Yasir Piracha culture editor
Panayot Gaidov Nadia El-Sherif features editor
Athina Khalid Eloise Albaret science + technology editor
Nabeela Jivraj sports editor
Vacant
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Vacant
illustrations editor
Nelly Wat
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contributors Bee Khaleeli, Yasna Khademian, Heather Lawson, Nadia El-Sherif, Panayot Gaidov, Nabeela Jivraj, Jude Khashman, Nelly Wat, Kathleen Charles, Jay VanPut, Angelika Solomon-Tibi, Nour Schumann, Gloria Francois, Claire Grenier, Greta Rainbow, Navneet Kaur le délit
Lara Benattar
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Published by the Daily Publications Society, a student society of McGill University. The views and opinions expressed in the Daily are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of McGill University. The McGill Daily is not affiliated with McGill University.
content warning: xenophobia, Islamophobia, racism
O
n October 7, thousands of people attended the Great Demonstration Against Racism, which was co-organized by multiple organizations, including the public group “Contre la Haine et le Racisme.” The event, initiated last year, was planned before the results of the Quebec elections came out. Following the electoral victory of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) on October 1, the march evolved into a protest against the party’s xenophobic rhetoric. Across the province, and at McGill, people have been debating whether or not the CAQ is racist. We believe that it is justified to call the CAQ racist, as the party propagates policies that are Islamophobic and xenophobic. The CAQ has proposed reducing immigration from 50,000 to 40,000 people per year and banning religious dress for public servants. Supporters, and even spome opponents, of the CAQ argue that it is not racist to want to limit immigration, framing anti-immigration measures as “self-protection.” This construes “outsiders” as a threat to a nationalist, white, Quebecois identity. More importantly, this logic scapegoats immigrants for systemic economic problems and perpetuates discrimination against largely racialized and low-income immigrant communities. The xenophobic rhetoric that the CAQ espouses has negative effects on the daily lives of immigrants in this province. For these reasons, it is justified to call the CAQ racist. Similarly, it is often argued that banning religious symbols is not racially motivated. Since the Quiet Revolution, which sparked a transition towards secularism in the province,
Quebec has actively engaged in separating the Church and state. However, unlike in the sixties, “secularism” today almost exclusively targets marginalized groups. People who wear overt religious symbols are mostly of Muslim, Jewish, or Sikh faiths. The policy proposed by the CAQ forces people to choose between expressing their faith or facing economic and social consequences. Given that people of these faiths are predominantly racialized, the consequences of this policy disproportionally affect people of colour. As such, labelling the CAQ as racist is justified. Far-right organizations and parties have shown support for the CAQ in multiple instances. A member of self-described “ultranationalist” group Storm Alliance defended the CAQ on former SSMU VP External Marina Cupido’s Facebook post, which condemned the party’s racist policies. Additionally, Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right party Rassemblement National in France, and La Meute, an explicitly anti-immigrant and Islamophobic Quebec-based organization, issued statements in support of the CAQ. Although the CAQ has tried to distance themselves from both organizations, it does not negate the fact that far-right groups endorse each other because of their similarly racist policies. To quote a spokesperson for La Meute addressing CAQ leader Francois Legault, “if La Meute is on the cusp of racism, then you are as well, Mr. Legault.” Defendants of the CAQ see “racist” as an insult. Calling a political party racist, however, is not an attack on their identity. It is a political statement that condemns the perpetuation of systemic injustice and oppression. To see a photo essay from the Demonstration, go to page 6.
Statement of Retraction: In the article published on September 4, 2018 called “Survivor-centric Approach Must Come First,” it was stated that “Ahmed Fekry Ibrahim [...] was accused of sexual assault this past July.” Despite rumours of sexual misconduct, Assistant Professor Ahmed Fekry Ibrahim has not been charged with sexual assault. At a time when language is vital to the understanding of the complexities of this case, we apologize for not using the correct wording in this article. The Daily deeply regrets any and all errors made, and apologizes to parties negatively affected by such errors.
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Julian Bonello-Stauch, Nouedyn Baspin, Leandre Barome, Tony Feng, Boris Shedov, Lara Benattar, Lydia Bhattacharya, Athina Khalid All contents © 2018 Daily Publications Society. All rights reserved. The content of this newspaper is the responsibility of The McGill Daily and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. Products or companies advertised in this newspaper are not necessarily endorsed by Daily staff. Printed by Imprimerie Transcontinental Transmag. Anjou, Quebec. ISSN 1192-4608.
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NEWS
October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
13th Annual Vigil for MMIWG2 Love, Rage, and Solidarity
Greta Rainbow News Writer
“
AGM &
Call for Candidates All members of the Daily Publications Society (DPS), publisher of The McGill Daily and Le Délit, are cordially invited to its Annual General Assembly:
Wednesday, October 24th @ 5:30 pm
2075 Robert-Bourassa, 5th Floor Common Room The presence of candidates to the Board of Directors is strongly advised.
I hope we don’t have these vigils anymore,” Jessica Quijano said to the crowd gathered at Cabot Square on Thursday, October 4, to march for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people. At the vigil called Love, Rage, and Solidarity, demonstrators held candles, and on the stage hung a red dress (a symbol of MMIWG2 created by Metis artist Jamie Black). Quijano is the project coordinator of the Iskweu Project at the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal. Her comments expressed a common sentiment among all the speakers and marchers. This was the 13th annual vigil for MMIWG2, which left many people wondering when there will be justice. Cabot Square is blocks away from Chez Doris, a daytime women’s shelter that also offers specific services for Indigenous women. Their services include an onsite caseworker who provides Inuit assistance, and
an Indigenous caseworker who addresses housing issues and ensuring housing stability. Open Door, a drop-in centre for homeless and low-income people, was previously located across the square, operating out of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church. As previously reported in the Daily, this summer, a condominium developer bought the building and Open Door was forced to vacate. Open Door is scheduled to relocate to Notre-Dame-de-laSalette in Milton Parc at the end of October. Quijano explained the importance of Open Door to Cabot Square, and her anger that they were “being pushed out.” She called for more shelters in Montreal, and specifically more “wet shelters” that provide services for homeless people who are intoxicated. Other spaces open to the city’s homeless and low-income population, like Atwater Library, also border the park. It is because of this resource hub that many Indigenous people in precarious housing situations congregate
“When I have a woman who is maybe a victim of violence, and who has been sexually assaulted, she does not want to go to police because she’s ticketed on a daily basis.” — Jessica Quijano
The DPS is currently accepting applications for its Board of Directors. Positions must be filled by McGill students, duly registered for the Fall 2018 and Winter 2019 semesters and able to serve until October 31st, 2019, as well as one Graduate Representative. Board members gather at least once a month to discuss the management of the newspapers and make important administrative decisions. To apply, please visit
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in Cabot Square. This summer, police began regularly patrolling the park and surrounding street corners, handing out tickets. Quijano spoke to the CBC in July, explaining that “when I have a woman who is maybe a victim of violence, and who has been sexually assaulted, she does not want to go to police because
Greta Rainbow | Photographer
she’s ticketed on a daily basis.” There is a great gap between Indigenous communities and the police force when it comes to reporting. According to the Montreal’s Native Women’s Shelter, police do not act fast enough on cases related to Indigenous persons, and most Indigenous people do not feel safe approaching police. With luxury condos soon to open over Cabot Square, there are concerns that Indigenous interests will be further breached, and their presence further suppressed. “[The Canadian government] still want[s] our land,” said Ellen Gabriel, also known as Katsi’tsakwas, a Mohawk activist and artist from the Kanehsatà:ke Nation. “Did you hear any specifics about us in the [Quebec election] campaigns? We were the last on the list.” Two women in the community of and around Cabot Square took the stage. “We get lost, stolen, betrayed,” they said. “I try to be heard… Everybody tries to be heard.” The demonstrators marched down Saint Catherine Street, led by a drumbeat courtesy of powwow performers, the Buffalo Hat Singers. Chanting “Break the silence, end the violence,” the crowd marched to Phillips Square, while holding candles.
NEWS
October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
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McGill LGBTQ2I+ History Month “Nobody Stops Being Gay on November 1st”
Claire Grenier The McGill Daily content warning: homophobic violence
M
cGill is currently celebrating its first LGBTQ2I+ History Month. The month is organized by the Social Equity and Diversity Education (SEDE) Office, Queer McGill, the Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies (IGSF), the Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support, and Education (OSVRSE), the Queer Grad Club, and other community groups. The events started on October 2 with a soirée featuring selected speakers at Thomson House. Throughout the month, there will be events highlighting queer communities and their histories. LGBTQ2I+ History Month began in 1994 in Missouri, at the initiative of a high school teacher hoping to raise awareness of queer histories and struggles. Many educational institutions across both the US and the UK celebrate the month, yet McGill is the first educational institution in Canada to host an LGBTQ2I+ History Month. Meryem Benslimane, the Equity Education Advisor for the Office of the Provost and VicePrincipal (Academic) and a chief organizer for the month told The Daily, “we’re really proud of doing that, but also kind of sad that we are the first to do so.” Eve Finley, one of the speakers and the Equity Facilitator at the Office of the Dean of Students had the same concerns, “it’s cool to be the first, but it’s also like, what? We’re the first? In 2018? That’s pretty wild!” Every speaker stressed the importance of having an LGBTQ2I+ history month at McGill and recognizing these histories in general. Angela Campbell, Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies), said in her speech, “[At McGill] our symbols and iconography, the luminaries and literary canons of our respective disciplines: none fully reflect the campus community in a way that accounts for all of our identities’ experiences.” Regarding representation and acceptance on campus, she said “we’re not where we need to be, and the road before us remains a long one [...] I don’t think any institution, McGill included will ever be in any position to be able to say that this work is fully done; it is necessarily ongoing.” Iain Blair, Vice President of the Archives Gaies du Québec (AGQ), a McGill alum and former coordinator of Gays and Lesbians McGill (GALM) spoke
Illustration retrieved from the Feb 28, 1991 McGill Daily archive. of the different attitudes towards queer people in the late 1980s. “I think it’s positive to note that the institutional environment has changed a great deal for LGBTQ people here,” he said. He recounted a story of a GALM film showing which was interrupted by engineering students wielding plastic guns filled with urine that they sprayed on the filmgoers, and physically assaulting a few participants. At that time, he said, there was no institutional support or action. “An event like this shows just how far we’ve come since those decades.” The Director of IGSF, and a speaker for the night, Alanna Thain, spoke to the Daily about the lasting queer history and culture at McGill. “[McGill’s queer community is] not new,” she said, “a great part of this project [has been] to go back and kind of find where those historical figures are at McGill [...] Sometimes we just need to find different ways to perceive something already there. That’s one thing that LGBTQ2I+ history does really effectively; it opens our eyes to differences [within
queer experiences].” Thain also emphasized the different ways McGill can add more queer content into its syllabi, calling for an increased hiring of tenure track staff at IGSF. Further, she believes that “[McGill has] the coolest IGSF faculty out there! [...] I actually really think that! If you look at the [kind of ] stuff that people are doing here [...] I know that people are doing amazing work - really innovative work that’s making real differences in people’s lives.” “I think it’s really important to look at history because it’s about creating better futures. We also think about this in terms of our students, [our faculty and our staff ] the people who are very much keeping this tradition alive,” she elaborated. Meryem Benslimane echoed these sentiments asking “if, in the curriculum, there is a mention of an LGBTQ2I+ historical figure, to not erase the sexual orientation or gender identity of the person, [and] also to highlight these pioneers of LGBTQ2I+ history. [...]Here at McGill, there are a few classes where you can talk about queer history, but
in general, in the education system here in Montreal, and in Quebec, queer history is often erased.” Benslimane went on, “LGBTQ2I+ students, staff, and faculty still have to navigate through discrimination, through sexual violence, they experience more harassment in environments, more depression; so it is still very important to talk and to highlight the history, and also the [current needs] of LGBTQ2I+ students, staff, and faculty.” Eve Finley, who also runs the Rez Project series, in-residence workshops that educate first year students on gender and sexuality issues, takes very concrete measures in her work to teach queer history. She explained, “in our workshop we start off with a queer history quiz now. [This] is a fun, interesting way to get people to challenge what people know about queer history,” Finley also mentioned the “other initiatives on campus that are trying to do that work,” and how “we just need to make sure that there is support [for their expansion] like [with] queer history month, Rez Project,
“The fact that this is a room full of 17-18 year olds, and 50 year olds is really fucking cool because we have so few spaces that are intergenerational.[...] I hope it continues to be [an intergenerational community gathering], and not just about history.” — Eve Finley, Equity Facilitator at the Office of the Dean of Students
IGSF, and other things.” The difficulty of actually discovering LGBTQ2I+ histories was also a topical theme of the night. Iain Blair mentioned the constant erasure of queerness in history, and how the recovery of identities came from grassroots movements. “In the earlier days of the movement, community organizations began gathering magazines, brochures, documents, and many other materials which were purposefully ignored, if not destroyed by a lot of the official institutions of memory.” Thain told a particular anecdote about erasure in her remarks to the audience. Thain teaches a film called Forbidden Love: the True Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives, which details the real and fictional lives of queer women during the 1950s and 1960s and is available for free through the National Film Board of Canada. The film’s directors found most of their material not from organizations like AGQ, but from police archives. “It’s not just about knowing our histories, it’s about knowing how we get our hands on those histories as well,” she said. Thain further called attention to erasure both past and present, asking the audience to consider “the histories lost to the pressure of silence or conformity,” and “what stories are going untold right now.” Most were also hopeful about the future of this event and recognition of the LGBTQ2I+ community. Finley expressed her enthusiasm saying, “I hope it becomes a regular celebration. The number of people who showed up tonight, and the fact that this is a room full of 17-18 year olds, and 50 year olds, is really fucking cool because we have so few spaces that are intergenerational. [It’s so important] for people in these communities to actually be in the same space and be able to talk to each other [...] I hope it continues to be [an intergenerational community gathering], and not just about history.” Thain too expressed desire for the festivities and sentiments to extend beyond the one month currently allocated to LGBTQ2I+ history. “When you have a history month I always think the goal of it is not to end [on the last day of the month], but to make it a more present part of everyday life all year round. [...] No one stops being gay on November 1st.” LGBTQ2I+ History Month continues all through October, with more than 20 events planned. For a full schedule you can visit SEDE’s website. The interviews were edited for clarity.
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NEWS
October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
Manif contre le racisme Photo Essay by Navneet Kaur
NARRATIVE ESSAY
October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
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NARRATIVE ESSAY
October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
“MY BRAIN IS TRYING TO KILL ME” ON PSYCHIATRY, MALE VIOLENCE, AND BPD Art and Essay By
Bee Khaleeli
I
t’s late spring when a friend of mine informs me that my former clinician — let’s call him Doctor X — withheld a diagnosis from her when she was his patient. She learns this during a crisis appointment with a different psychiatrist, who flippantly mentions a note on her chart which simply states: “personality disorder, not otherwise specified.” A landmine documented in med school handwriting, still active even after two years of concealment. Unsurprisingly, she responds to this information with a panic attack. She is asked to leave the office, to “return when she has calmed down.” She submits complaints against the clinicians in question. Despite this, they both remain employed and continue to treat students.
...
McGill Psychiatric Services charges a dollar per page when photocopying a patient’s chart, with a maximum charge of $25. My request takes a week to be processed. I pick up the thick white envelope at the reception desk. Debit or credit, no cash. One of the first documents in my chart is a client evaluation form completed on February 9, 2017. Second semester of my second year. I came in for a crisis appointment. It is stated that I have “recurring nightmares about sexual violence.”
content warning: self harm, eating disorder, suicidal ideation, sexual assault It is stated that “[they] think [they were] assaulted.” One header on his page of notes is titled “PTSD(?).” His handwriting is difficult to decipher. My wait time for a follow-up appointment with a psychiatrist is four to six weeks. Five days later, I am hospitalized for self-mutilation. The notes from my medical consultations in the Psychiatric Emergencies Unit state first that I likely have an “unspecified personality disorder with borderline elements,” and then that “BPD is a probable diagnosis.” These notes are forwarded to Psychiatric Services, and then passed onto my soon-to-be-clinician, Doctor X, for follow-up. During a second crisis appointment on February 27, a psychiatric nurse underscores this, advising my future clinician to “rule out [whether I had] BPD or bipolar-II.” Borderline personality disorder, or BPD, is estimated to impact 1% of the general population, and 10% of those diagnosed will complete suicide. It is characterized by unstable interpersonal relationships, emotional dysregulation, and a shaky sense of self. BPD has a high rate of heritability, and is prevalent amongst individuals with traumatic childhood experiences, such as neglect, abandonment, and abuse. I meet with Doctor X the next day. He does not inform me of this
diagnosis, though he makes a small, brief note at the bottom of the page following our initial meeting: “BPD.” Antithetically, he states that my primary diagnosis is for generalized anxiety disorder. I express a desire to focus on my PTSD, which he rejects – it is the anxiety, he claims, which is impacting me most significantly. He gives me a script for escitalopram, an antidepressant. He recommends me to a cognitive behavioural therapy specialist. The first cylindrical plastic bottle of escitalopram costs me four dollars, thanks to my Studentcare coverage. The next two months are a dissociative blur. Despite my consistent complaints vis-à-vis the negative effects of the prescribed medication, Doctor X makes no note of my declining mental state. My dose is increased at whiplash-inducing rates. I am exhausted, paranoid, and emotionally labile. I am manic, irritable, impulsive. I have delusions about the supposed risk of leaving my apartment. I don’t eat, and I relish the feeling of my ribcage under shaky hands. There is less body left for me to drag around half-heartedly. I spend hours in bed, keeping track of the wall moulding’s intricacies. I buy potted plants and let them dry out on my bookshelf. Chipped mugs accumulate on my bedside table. Water glasses.
Bobby pins. At any given time, my body feels as though it is five feet away, uninhabited and superfluous. I dream about being violently assaulted and wake up in a cold sweat. The idea of pain — feeling anything again, regardless of how traumatizing — seems marvellous. Doctor X’s notes of our appointments rarely exceed five two-word-long lines, and tend towards illegibility. The tight, orderly structure of his writing is somewhat pleasing when it doesn’t sting. Briefly, he mentions the “question of bipolarity,” with no further details. He refers to me as “giggly.” He decreases my dose. On April 13, 2017, he quotes me as saying: “my brain is trying to kill me.” This is all that he writes. He increases my dose. Five days later, he reports that I am “fine now.” I remember that appointment clearly. I don’t remember much of that year, but I remember that appointment, because I cried for ten minutes straight while telling Doctor X about how much I wanted to kill myself. He seemed at a loss, unmoving in the face of my sadness. Our appointments – booked for an hour-long time slot, as they always are at Psychiatric Services — never exceeded ten minutes. I would always cry. He would usher me out at the ten-minute mark. I was not fine.
Less than a week later, I am hospitalized for the second time. One assessment documents the following: “patient sitting on bed. Appears well groomed, wearing appropriate clothing. Short hair, large glasses. Thin. Multiple fresh cuts on forearms (~30 on left, ~3 on right). Facing window. Increased level of psychomotor activity (running hands through hair, moving fingers). No eye contact. Cooperative but seemed frustrated at having to repeat [their] story... Anxious, labile... Depersonalization: ‘does not know how to make [their] body feel real.’ Good insight.” And then another: “self-harm with strong BPD traits.” I am described as “help-rejecting,” likely for having stated that I am uncomfortable speaking to a male doctor. “Keep overnight for safety (voluntary).” Nobody offers to clean off my forearms. The next morning, I wake up to flakes of dried blood on my standardissue sheets. “I believe the main diagnosis is BPD, along with PTSD. Affect is fully reactive. Smiles. Has sense of humour, engages well. Copy of chart to be faxed to McGill.” At this point, they inform me of my personality disorder diagnosis. I eat breakfast with a plastic fork and knife. Too volatile for real cutlery. A slice of bacon stares at me, dripping grease onto Styrofoam. I don’t eat meat. A med student enters the room as I am changing out of my hospital robe, breasts exposed. “Did the seroquel help you sleep?” he asks. Given my friend’s experience with Doctor X, I consider receiving my diagnosis during this sojourn at Montreal General to be a godsend. He withheld it from me for two months, but what if I hadn’t been hospitalized a second time? Would I have waited two years? Would I have never been informed of my diagnosis, never been referred to the life-saving practitioners that I’ve been lucky enough, insured enough,
NARRATIVE ESSAY
unthreatening enough to patronize? The reality of my situation is that suicide was a real possibility, as it is for countless individuals with BPD, especially in the absence of appropriate psychiatric treatment. How do you make sense of personhood after suicidality? I have never known how to picture myself in five years, but I know that I will carry that feeling of constant precarity forever. I was nineteen and I was ready to die. I could have been getting better. I should have been getting better. I repeatedly told Doctor X that his treatment plan was failing me, was hurting me. He didn’t listen. That a clinician could have denied me a chance at recovery should be seen as nothing less than a slap in the face to my autonomy and agency — as a patient, as a person. I begin to see a new clinician at Psychiatric Services. I am weaned off escitalopram. The withdrawal period is like pulling teeth. I am tired. I am irritable. I look up dialectical behavioural therapy practitioners. I am referred to the Personality Disorders Program at the Allan Memorial Institute. A week and a half passes, and my body has adjusted to life without SSRIs. Doctor X avoids eye contact with me in the lobby of the Brown Building. Sometimes I pass by his office and feel a swelling tide of dread, a visceral urge to vomit. In September of 2017, I meet with the coordinator of the Personality Disorders Program, let’s call him Doctor Y. He asks me about my eating habits, and I describe a consistent pattern of restricting my caloric intake. “I am unsure,” I say, “whether this actually counts as anorexia.”
He writes: “never had full anorexia, but keeps [them]self very slim.” My ribcage braces itself against taut skin, jutting through my T-shirt. His office is too cold. He does not document my disclosures of sexual violence. He writes: “considers [them]self a Muslim, and carries a bag with a statement against Islamophobia.” He writes: “mental status: tattoos, rings on the nose,” as though these could be meaningful markers of traumatic life experiences or neuroses. I do not discuss my sex life at length. I mention my bisexuality. I mention being in an open relationship. I mention my minor in gender studies, of all things. He writes: “very intellectual, justifying problems on ideological basis (e.g. [their] promiscuity, which is somewhat impulsive and desperate, is framed as polyamory).” I meet seven out of nine criteria for BPD. He tells me that my values and intellect will be the primary barrier to effective treatment. I wonder if he has ever said this to a man. Borderline personality disorder is stringently gendered. This is, in part, because of differential rates of accessing care — men, on average, seek psychiatric help more infrequently. However, there are other factors at play. Due to misogynistic perceptions of women’s symptomology, they are three times more likely than men to receive borderline diagnoses. Similarly, many psychiatrists have assumed the existence of a link between gender dysphoria and BPD. Additionally, childhood sexual abuse and violence — both of which are disproportionately experienced by
October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
girls and young queer and trans youth — are considered to be potential causal elements in the development of BPD. Misogyny is the thread which ties together this labyrinthine mess of psychiatric malpractice. I think of Doctor X suggesting that we focus on my anxiety, rather than my PTSD. Did he justify this, perhaps, with the assumption that my rape was neither traumatizing nor serious? I think of every note from a consultation or appointment where my survivorhood is not mentioned. What does it mean that Doctor Y saw a facial piercing, or the shape of my body, or a patch on my backpack as more noteworthy than rape? In “Cartographies of Silence,” the feminist poet Adrienne Rich writes: [Silence] is a presence it has a history a form do not confuse it with any kind of absence. Omission is telling. It may let us understand what an author has taken for granted in their creation
of a source. Why do we allow practitioners to dismiss rape as a reality in their patient’s lives? Where does that leave survivors? I ask my new therapist about the rationale behind withholding a BPD diagnosis. “The only real reason would be the risk of further destabilizing a patient who was already volatile.” I was asking for help, wasn’t I? I was asking in all of the ways that I could. I wanted medication that worked. I wanted therapy that worked. I wanted a psychiatrist to see my hurt, to say “you have been hurt,” and to act accordingly. In what world could that be read as volatility? I was asking as clearly and loudly as possible, but I was received by clinicians as a dumb, petulant little girl. A hysteric. “For what it’s worth,” he assures me, “that coordinator at the Allan has terrible reviews on RateMDs.” This is comforting for a split second, before I remember that
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McGill is probably still paying Doctor Y six figures a year. My therapist thinks that writing this article will be a good outlet. We switch topics. It is late summer now. I refill my prescriptions for sertraline and clonazepam at Jean Coutu. Little yellow capsules, flat white tablets. The pharmacist asks if I am pregnant or breastfeeding. “God, I hope not!” A joke. Affect is fully reactive. Smiles. Has sense of humour. My new psychiatrist says that I no longer meet enough diagnostic criteria to qualify for a BPD diagnosis — just “traits.” She weighed me at our first appointment, and immediately referred me to a dietitian for follow-up. I had a BMI of 16.2. Keeps [them]self very slim. My psychiatrist assigns me readings. I complete them without fail. Help-rejecting.
...
Months later, in the lobby of Psychiatric Services, I ask Doctor X why he withheld my BPD diagnosis. “I don’t recall doing that”. I tell him that I saw my chart. “I don’t recall you ever asking if you had this diagnosis.”
10
Commentary
October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
Seeing Myself on TV Destigmatizing Mental Illness in the Media
Yasna Khademian Commentary Writer
T
he media has a direct effect on our perceptions of people, especially when it comes to mental health — a topic that is often inaccurately portrayed in the news and entertainment. When mental illness is used as a joke or dramatic prop instead of a real issue that many people are facing, it reinforces the stigma surrounding mental illness in our society. There has definitely been an improvement in the portrayals of mental health in the media. I remember watching the show Glee when I was younger; looking back on Emma’s compulsions to clean, and her struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder, I strongly identify with her now. However, there were also scenes in the show where her OCD was used as a punchline, such as when someone throws up on her and she goes to the emergency room to have four decontamination showers. Such inaccurate depictions are pervasive and damage our perceptions of people with mental illness. This negative perception combined with a lack of information on mental health often leads to people going their whole life without being properly diagnosed or treated.
When mental illness is used as a joke or dramatic prop instead of a real issue that many people are facing, it reinforces the stigma surrounding mental illness. For years, I have struggled with intrusive thoughts and compulsions that I perform excessively, as well as extreme skin-picking. These habits, which I tried to control and desperately wanted to be rid of, consumed my life at times and contributed to my own insecurities and belief that I was a terrible person. Growing up, I never realized that these compulsions were actually symptoms of a mental illness. It was only recently that I received the help I needed and started the process of treating my obsessivecompulsive disorder.
Nelly Wat | The McGill Daily OCD is often only depicted in the media as liking neatness and orderliness — it is portrayed as a personality trait rather than a mental illness. While many with OCD do struggle with maintaining order, these compulsions are attempts at reducing anxiety and provide temporary relief until the compulsions comes back. Living with OCD means living with constant intrusive thoughts and rituals. If the media that we consume starts showing more honest and truthful stories, people with mental illness will be able to see their struggles portrayed in a real and relevant way. Furthermore, authentic portrayals can lead to meaningful conversations in communities and between family and friends, helping to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. To someone with a mental illness, an accurate portrayal of their struggles can be the start of recognizing they are not alone. The realization that your struggles are the manifestations of an illness can be very helpful and cathartic. When we portray sick people as fundamentally broken instead of as people who are suffering from an illness, we create a culture where people with mental illness are shunned from society. Western media has a tendency to sensationalize images of people with mental illness committing crimes, when
the vast majority obviously does not fit this stereotype. The same is done in movies, where storylines about mental illnesses are used for dramatic effect, despite the stigma they create. We must be open to further education and conversations about mental health, especially as we’re growing up, to ensure that people with mental illness can identify their experiences and get the treatment they need.
To someone with a mental illness, an accurate portrayal of their struggles can be the start of recognizing they are not alone. The realization that your struggles are the manifestations of an illness can be very helpful and cathartic.
However, it is important to keep in mind that treatment can come in many forms. In the context of mental illness, it can include medication, but also discussions with a professional, mindfulness, meditation, and various other forms of therapy tailored to each individual. An example of this harmful representation can be seen in YouTuber Shane Dawson’s portrayal of sociopathy. Dawson’s series on “The Mind of Jake Paul” is an in-depth, ongoing series about YouTuber Jake Paul’s life and motives. The second episode of the series discussed the possibility that Paul exhibits sociopathic tendencies. The term “sociopath” is not a recognized mental disorder, the mental illness he is referring to is known as antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). The video includes b-roll footage of a shadow of a person eating another person, with creepy background music creating the effect of a horror movie. Throughout the video, a therapist makes insensitive comments, at one point referring to people with ASPD as “really gross.” The video failed to provide a meaningful and accurate discussion of the illness, instead portraying everyone with ASPD as monsters incapable of emotion. There is a wide spectrum of people with ASPD, and creating a narrative where all people with ASPD should be feared is misinformative and harmful. It is essential that the
conversations about mental health are structured in a responsible way. While friends and family can notice symptoms, only professionals such as a psychiatrist or licensed therapist should diagnose a mental illness. All representation is not good representation, and this spreading of harmful stereotypes amongst an audience as young as Dawson’s is concerning. The way we pejoratively use mental illnesses in our day-today language is a direct result of inaccurate representations of mental health. Calling someone bipolar because their mood can be erratic, OCD because they like order, or a sociopath because you dislike them, is not only incredibly offensive but also discourages productive conversations. I do not think Shane Dawson, or many people who have used mental illnesses in a negative way, always come from a place of ill-intent; it often comes from a place of ignorance. There is little to no education in schools about mental health, and the negative perceptions of mental illness in the media further stigmatize it. This must change; it is essential that we continue to raise awareness about mental illness in order to create a society in which discussions of mental health are taken seriously, media representations of mental illness are accurate and honest, and people with mental illness can find the treatment they need.
commentary
October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
11
Who Gets to Talk about Assault? Kavanaugh Case Reveals Power Imbalances
Heather Lawson Commentary Writer content warning: sexual assault, sexual violence
“
Indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter.” This was the answer that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a professor of psychology at Palo Alto University, gave when asked about her strongest memory of her sexual assault. She was referring to the laughter of Brett Kavanaugh, recently confirmed US Supreme Court Justice, after he and his friend allegedly assaulted her at a party in 1982. Vehemently denied by Kavanaugh, this allegation, as well as several others, have been at the center of American debate in the past weeks. During Kavanaugh’s nomination period, debates surrounding his innocence or guilt and his ability to sit on the highest court in the United States quickly arose. The way these debates are conducted is directly linked to the way we envision free speech. In Western societies, free speech is akin to a free market economy. The ‘marketplace of ideas’ theory claims that the best path to establishing “truth” is to flood the market with as many ideas as possible. According to this theory, the best, truest, or most worthy idea will prevail. Yet this presumes that the ‘market’ is free of barriers, that everyone is equally free to produce an idea and be heard. It is essential to remember that the words we accept as true or false, the voices we hear, and the opinions we believe, are all informed by the axes of privilege that we live within. Having said that, two issues that influenced the Kavanaugh discussions need to be acknowledged; first, the need to speak freely about sexual assault assumes that people have the ability to speak freely. Second, that those arguing in support of Dr. Ford often already have an unequal influence in these debates. With the #MeToo movement, and the subsequent revelations of the sexual abuse powerful men have gotten away with for years, news related to sexual assault has been nearly impossible to avoid. People’s reactions to this news are influenced by their own perceptions and lived experiences. In this context, the pervasiveness of sexual assault seems to guarantee that many will relate to these stories on a more intimate and traumatic level as survivors. During Dr. Ford’s testimony, the rate of calls to the American National Sexual Assault Hotline spiked by 147 per cent. Interestingly, people supporting Dr.
Jude Khashman | Illustrator Ford often felt compelled to share their own experiences with sexual assault in order to gain credibility. It is then crucial to ask: what is at stake for those challenging sexual abusers? Why must credibility be asserted through sharing personal trauma? How does this resonate with other victims and survivors? Dr. Christine Blasey Ford made her allegation in a letter that was meant to be kept confidential. She credits her coming forward publically with the mounting pressure of reporters waiting outside her house and workplace. The first words of her testimony after introducing herself were “I am not here today because I want to be. I am terrified…” This reveals the injustice of the speech that surrounds sexual assault. The men who commit sexual abuse are systematically protected by the judicial system and the media whereas survivors are faced with constant harassment when they speak up about their assault. Survivors like Dr. Ford are forced to publicly share traumatic experiences for the world to dissect in order to explain why a man with multiple sexual assault and misconduct allegations should not get a lifetime Supreme Court position. Additionally, while Dr. Ford spoke calmly and recounted a coherent account of the assault, this same composure certainly cannot be ascribed to Kavanaugh during
his testimony. However, his loss of temper was not detrimental to his statement because his credibility was never questioned the way Dr. Ford’s was. To my mind, this is proof of the imbalance that exists around voices relating to sexual assault. We need to ensure that we do not trivialize or dismiss those who criticize Kavanaugh, especially because such criticism takes an important emotional toll on survivors. The FBI investigation into Kavanaugh produced no corroborative evidence about Dr. Ford’s account, however, it failed to interview her. Similarly, a number of witnesses who came forward saying they had information relevant to an allegation of sexual misconduct made by Deborah Ramirez against Kavanaugh were also not contacted by the FBI. This evidence suggests that the investigation was not conducted thoroughly, and that it was completely dismissive of survivors’ voices.
Susan Collins, one of the instrumental senators in confirming Brett Kavanaugh, said in an interview: “the one silver lining that I hope will come from this is that more women will press charges now when they are assaulted.” This incredibly insensitive statement trivializes the contribution of Dr. Ford as a woman who did step forward only to be met with apathy and disregard from the senators who voted ‘yes’ to the confirmation and from a vast part of the general public. It also ignores the power dynamics and privileges that surround sexual assault allegations. Dr. Ford is an educated white woman with a PhD. These systemic advantages often unfairly help survivors in making cases against their abusers. Dr. Ford is not a ‘better’ victim than someone else but it is important to recognize that, even with the privileges associated with her race and social class, her claim was still not enough to stop Kavanaugh’s nomination. In light of this outcome,
The men who commit sexual abuse are systematically protected by the judicial system and the media whereas survivors are faced with constant harassment when they speak up about their assault.
we must wonder why women of colour, queer people, and those who face even more prejudice in the legal system would ever come forward. For Collins to suggest that this event will make all survivors more comfortable seeking justice is outrageous. What from these senate hearings and their result would compel anybody to put themselves in Dr. Ford’s position? “Indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter,” Dr. Blasey Ford says, and I can hear the echoes of that laughter in my own memories. I can hear the laughter of a drunk high school boy having fun at the expense of a young girl echoing in a Mississippi amphitheatre where the president of the United States openly mocks this testimony. This kind of offensive behaviour strengthens already privileged voices, making them clearer and more confident about speaking on an issue they know nothing about. The freedom to debate such an emotionally charged and personal issue appears as a right for powerful men like the President and a privilege for survivors. The irony, of course, is that in most circumstances, people with firsthand knowledge of a topic would be given authority. In the case of sexual assault, however, we ascribe authority to the likely perpetrators, giving them the benefit of the doubt, while survivors face disbelief and watch their abusers be rewarded with job positions and public support.
12
culture
October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
Don’t Suffer for Your Art
Nadia El-Sherif & Panayot Gaidov The McGill Daily
Critiquing The Myth of the Tortured Artist
T
he theme of suffering is common across the arts: from the morbid musings of writers like Edgar Allan Poe, to the themes of loneliness and struggle underlying much of Frida Kahlo and Vincent van Gogh’s work, the creative field has been marred by anguish for centuries. Pain and loneliness are universal and integral to being human, and we, as mass consumers, celebrate artists when they turn the ugly side of humanity into something beautiful. Yet, rarely do we ask ourselves at what price this is done. The price of an artwork consists of much more than a time commitment; the emotional investment often consumes artists in ways that other types of work do not. The myth of the tortured artist – the mysterious creative genius who suffers but creates beautiful work – is a troublingly seductive story to believe in, insofar as it implies that pain is beneficial if it is productive. However, it is an actively harmful stereotype to those who create and consume art. The romanticization of mental illness and the way in which an artist’s mental health is seen as collateral damage in the warpath to creating “good” art is extremely common; struggling is often seen as a necessary step to achieving greatness in the creative field. Have we, and do we still, condone the destructive behavior of artists who struggle with mental illness? Do the rose-tinted lenses through which we view art play a part in dooming artists to seek and tolerate pain in order to be productive?
toxic paint in what was allegedly an attempt to poison himself, but the cult belief still remains that he ate the paint because yellow was a ‘happy colour,’ and he wanted to ‘feel happy, too.’ His destructive and dangerous behaviour is misconstrued by the public to fit the myth of artists who ‘suffer for their work.’ Other artists, however, have channelled their struggles in ways that showcase their artistic mastery and deftness. Frida Kahlo suffered from depression throughout her adult life. She also struggled with various severe physical disabilities. One of her most popular paintings, “The Two Fridas,” shows two depictions of herself holding hands; both have visible hearts on their chests, one of them broken. She has said, “my painting carries with it the message of pain.” Similarly, part of the selfaggrandizing mission of the Romantics was to establish the artist as a greater being and to attach a sense of heroism and divinity to all things which were deemed poetic. Solitude and isolation were seen as necessary features of making artists good at their craft; self-destructive attitudes were seen as empowering. Vincent van Gogh is, among The opening lines to Poe’s story proudly declare other things, known for his “Eleonora” love for the colour yellow. He is madness as being the “loftiest believed to have consumed the intelligence,” and that “all that is
The romanticization of mental illness is extremely common; struggling is often seen as a necessary step to achieving greatness in the creative field.
Nelly Wat | The McGill Daily profound spring[s] from the disease of thought.” Romantic artists, such as Poe, themselves perpetuated the myth that having a mental illness equals a greater creative output. They did so to cope with problems like addiction and depression as well as to advance the mission of Romanticism of portraying artists as transcendent superhumans. However, the values attached to being “poetic” are prevalent in contemporary society, too. We rationalize suffering because it furthers our notion of the tortured artist, which puts pressure on artists themselves to self-destruct in order to create. In a more modern example, Amy Winehouse also channels her experiences into her art. She struggled with addiction and mental health issues. In one of her most popular songs, “Rehab,” Winehouse sings about her experiences with rehab and conflicts she had about the value of rehab for her wellbeing. The concepts of addiction and rehab that she sings about are commonly romanticized and disassociated from their painful contexts in reality. Much like other artists, her personal trauma led to her material success and while she struggled openly, the media still romanticized her experiences and public persona. At the time of her death, an album of her most popular songs was released – showing that
even in death, her experiences were exploited under the guise of appreciating her art. This has been a continuous trend when valuing the work of artists with mental illnesses – the public has capitalized on their pain and struggles during their lives and after their deaths.
When we fail to recognize the circumstances under which the art was created, we are complicit in placing the work of the artist before their wellbeing. Perhaps this is the reason the myth of the tortured artist is continuously upheld – because of the great art suffering is believed to have produced. Van Gogh, Kahlo, Poe, and Winehouse are all artists whose work has outlived them. In that sense, as the legacies of great artists come to have a life of their own, the artists themselves become
dehumanized. While this has no direct repercussions for artists who have already died, it does have an effect on the ones actively striving to leave a legacy. Oftentimes, we consume art in an uncritical way, and we detach the artist from the art piece. This, in turn, plays into the continued disregard for the mental health of artists and the romanticization of their illnesses. In detaching the art from the artist and simply appreciating the latter, we are accepting – and in the eyes of those struggling with mental illness, even welcoming – Poe’s alcoholism and the deterioration of his mental health as necessary casualties to his work. In doing so, we are placing more value on his work than on his life. When we fail to recognize the circumstances under which the art was created, we are complicit in placing the work of the artist before their wellbeing. Artists deserve treatment for their mental illnesses whether or not they are able to articulate their pain through their work. The myth of the tortured artist becomes most dangerous when it identifies a person’s pain as a source of creativity, rather than acknowledging it as harmful. Turning an artist’s pain into marketable art is not a consolation prize for struggling with untreated mental illness.
sci+tech
October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
13
Brain Science
A Brief Primer on Antidepressants Nabeela Jivraj The McGill Daily content warning: mental illness
DRUG CLASS
DRUG NAME
FUNCTION
SIDE EFFECTS
TYPICAL USES
I
t’s no secret: in the age of big pharmaceuticals, biochemical approaches to mental health management are more common and readily accessible than talk therapies for many people. For a variety of mental health concerns, rapid advances in neuroscience have allowed for low-maintenance and effective symptom management. As university students, many of us can attest to long wait times to see mental health professionals as much as we can attest to leaving our first visits with prescriptions in hand. The most commonly used prescription medications for young people in Canada aged 15-24 (apart from female hormonal contraceptives) are antidepressants; they are now often one of the first lines of treatment in the management of symptoms of anxiety and depression. Canadian census data indicated that between 2007- 2011, 2.2 per cent of males and 12.3 per cent of females aged 15-24 used prescription antidepressants (StatsCan, 2015). Between 2010-2013 alone, studies indicated adolescent antidepressant use increased an additional 63 per cent. Within a multifaceted approach to health, these medications are viewed as effective in the majority of the population. Despite how prevalent the use of medication is, it can still be difficult to discuss their use and their side effects. Starting or stopping medications can be overwhelming, so The McGill Daily Sci+Tech presents a brief primer on what you need to know about antidepressants to better support yourself and those closest to you. THE BASICS In a separate class from antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and mood stabilizers, most antidepressants work by preventing the chemical breakdown of key neurotransmitters, the molecules responsible for communication in the brain. Neurotransmitters are believed to be responsible for changes in mood and behavior. By increasing levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, these chemicals act to treat imbalances in these neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are endogenous chemical messengers, which means they are synthesized in the brain itself. You couldn’t simply “take more serotonin” if you needed to – the body
NABEELA JIVRAJ | The McGill Daily must break down chemicals before they can pass through the bloodbrain barrier, a very sensitive filter. Though the mechanism of action for many of these chemicals is not fully known, it is known that all neurotransmitters activate some target cell to produce a response before being reabsorbed by the body. Most antidepressants increase the duration of important neurotransmitters by delaying this process of reabsorption. Key Neurotransmitters: ACETYLCHOLINE- responsible for muscle movement, considered to play a role in memory, mood, and learning. SEROTONIN- has a function in sleep, memory, appetite, and mood. DOPAMINE- plays a role in attention, memory, reward, sleep, cognition, and movement. NOREPINEPHRINE- works to regulate organ function, blood pressure, and heart rate. The chart above outlines the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, in decreasing order of prevalence, and the associated side effects for each. It is important to note that certain medications can increase suicidal thoughts or ideation. Though not common, in some
individuals, increases in energy caused by medication can provide impetus to act on these thoughts, or cause increased anxiety. It is important to be honest with your healthcare provider if this is the case, so they can work with you to create a treatment plan that’s better for you. It’s equally important to make sure you know what support systems are available to you before starting any medication, and that you’re able to communicate with these people should you need to. STARTING & STOPPING Typically, when starting a new medication, the first week is reserved to assess whether you experience any side effects from the medication. Following this week, you will likely be prescribed a full dosage for an extended period to gauge whether the medication is effective in symptom management for you. This might mean changing medications or dosages. Usually, people taking prescription antidepressants take them for at least six months to a year to effectively manage symptoms. People who experience depression may need to take them for longer. If the medication’s symptom management is effective, you may decide you want to reduce
your dose of a medication or stop altogether. Changes in dosages can greatly alter mood or cause mood episodes, so consider all the other facets of your mental health and the support available to you before you change your dose. Speak to your healthcare provider for their opinion, and if you don’t agree, consider seeking a second opinion. If you and your healthcare provider decide it is best to stop taking a certain antidepressant, it’s important to remember that though they are not addictive, they do cause withdrawal symptoms. Like any other drug, your body adjusts to the presence of the chemicals and has to readjust if you stop taking the drug. Symptoms of withdrawal can include chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and headache. It is easiest for your body to slowly decrease its dose intake rather than stopping suddenly. It is typically recommended to reduce dosages 10 percent at a time – it may take several months to fully cut down a dose. If you start to feel unwell while changing your dose, speak to a professional who will be able to assist you in determining whether you are experiencing withdrawal effects or returning symptoms.
The high frequency of prescription for antidepressants can make it seem as though they are the only viable therapy. Though medications are an effective method for many people, they may not be right for you. Other therapies, such as psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), are also effective ways to manage symptoms of anxiety and depression. Though it may seem that talk therapies and medications are “either/or,” a holistic plan might use both. Talk to a professional to get more information and find an approach to your health that works best for you, and don’t feel pressured to stick with one type of therapy if it isn’t working for you. Resources: McGill Student Health Centre (mcgill.ca/studenthealth) McGill Mental Health Hub (mcgillmentalhealthhub.ca) Face a Face Listening and Intervention Centre ( faceafacemontreal.org) Head & Hands (headandhands.org) Quebec Wellness Centre (sante/ gouv.qc.ca) *Information and Infographic created using information from the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH)
14
cocoa butter
October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
On SLĀV songs D
Kathleen Charles The McGill Daily
o you not like to see me happy? When faced with the beauty we’ve created despite the beastly nature of our trauma, do you feel uncomfortable? Do I make you angry when I smile? Do I make you jealous when I sing the songs that were passed down to me through the deep waters of the gulf of Mexico, into the thick, murky, landscapes of Louisiana swamps, Just to reach the blood in my veins? As I stand here today Free and unchained Just like their wildest dreams told them I would be, Can you not accept that some stories are not yours to tell? Not all stories will be yours to tell Not all songs are yours to use Recreate and dismember as you choose Don’t take away my chance to represent the women who fought for me Because Slavs never sang our African slave songs Don’t tell me that you don’t see colour Because the world still colours me black even though I know I’m more than that Would you walk into your grandmother’s home, see her 400-year-old curtains, cut them up to make a dress without even including her in your creative process? Don’t you think she would be devastated to see Something she cared so much for re-appropriated so violently By someone who didn’t really try to research and understand the true story Behind grandmother’s curtains? But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself So allow me to take you on a journey to discover the story Behind my grandmother’s songs My great-great-grandmother held me in her bosom before I was even formed. She knew the pain I would have to face one day, just like the pain she faced in her lifetime. So, she did all she could do. She used her voice, the only thing she could use She sang me a song. It seeped deep into her body, split cracks through her bones. It sank and settled deep inside. It crossed time and space to reach me. She sang me a song. A promise that she’d always be there, like a faint call in the air, to sing me her lessons of despair Softly braiding, sneaking lullabies of wisdom into my hair. Whispering “don’t you cry for me child” because she’d never leave me lonely. That I would always have her song in my heart to soothe me She sang me a song So that I could keep it safe for her in the new world she believed would come. Refused to let them beat it out of her Even though they tried … to beat
Gloria François | The McGill Daily it out of her till she was numb She sang me a song That crossed hills, valleys and unknown countries, poured it into herself like a fountain, and nestled it deep into the safe soil of her body She sang me a song And now you... you come along And think it’s ok to re-appropriate a sound so pure, so strong Vous avez dit vouloir vous approprier ces chansons... Vous avez dit vouloir vous approprier nos chansons? Well you can’t play theatre with our stories You can’t play theatre with our pain My great-great-grandmother didn’t sing
those songs in sugar cane, cotton fields Send them to me through the ears and hearts of generations for you to use them in a way that does not feature my voice In a way that does not feature my body, the only instrument that can sing her song true, Because… My grandmother looked like me and not like you Harriet Tubman looked like me and not like you I may have held my tongue as children pipelined into prison chains after graduation I may have lost my words when a racist president was named for my nation I may have simply shed a tear while
my brothers and sisters were (and still are) being shot like quarry But I will not hold back my poetry as privilege is used to twist, turn, tell, retell this story … our stories That can only be carried by our bodies, for only our bodies have been living them, carrying them through time and space So, if you stumble upon a song and naively decide to make it your own without questioning the history, the present implications, and the journey of hardship that song went through before it reached your ears… please consult and converse with the only bodies that know how to sing it with authenticity and honour… because only we truly remember how She sang us a song.
Financial Statements April 30, 2018
Independent Auditor's Report To the Directors of Daily Publications Society / Société de Publication du Daily We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Daily Publications Society / Société de Publication du Daily, which comprise the statement of financial position as at April 30, 2018, and the statements of operations, changes in net assets and cash flows for the year then ended, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information. Management's Responsibility for the Financial Statements Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations, and for such internal control as management determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. Auditor's Responsibility Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Those standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement. An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor's judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity's preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity's internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion. Opinion In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Daily Publications Society / Société de Publication du Daily as at April 30, 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations.
Montréal, Quebec October 2, 2018 auditor, CA, public accountancy permit No. A112505
(14,146)
278,810
Daily Publications Society / Société de Publication du Daily Statement of Operations For the Year Ended April 30, 2018
44,527
292,956 56,506
(11,979)
RICHTER.CA
2018 $
2017 $
Advertising Students' fees Other
9,283
(2,167)
11,450
Revenues 74,589 304,233 391
67,986 298,687 -
379,213
366,673
81,591 126,935 166,179 2,037
81,479 132,542 166,143 2,148
376,742
382,312
Selling General and administrative Printing and production Financial
Excess (deficiency) of revenues over expenses See accompanying notes and additional information
See accompanying notes
-
Excess (deficiency) of revenues over expenses from operations before interest income Interest income
150,000 Balance - end of year
Balance - beginning of year
150,000
-3-
75,000
-
75,000
Expenses
Deficiency of revenues over expenses
Unrestricted $ Invested in capital assets $ Operations reserve $ Emergency reserve $
44,808 12,463
2017 Total $
200 South Wacker Dr., #3100 Chicago, IL 60606 312.828.0800
282,271
CHICAGO
181 Bay St., #3320 Bay Wellington Tower Toronto ON M5J 2T3 416.488.2345
75,000
3,461
278,810 44,527
281 3,180
9,283 75,000
-
150,000 Balance - beginning of year
Excess of revenues over expenses
2018 Total $ Unrestricted $ Invested in capital assets $ Operations reserve $ Emergency reserve $
Statement of Changes in Net Assets For the Year Ended April 30, 2018
Daily Publications Society / Société de Publication du Daily
TORONTO
150,000
MONTRÉAL 1981 McGill College Montréal QC H3A 0G6 514.934.3400
Balance - end of year
1CPA
2,471 990 3,461
(15,639) 1,493 (14,146)
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compendium!
October 15, 2018 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
Attend The Daily Publications Society’s Journalism School! The Daily Publications Society’s J-School offers free workshops and talks for people interested in getting into journalism! All skill-based classes are introductory unless specified otherwise. Illustrator
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Crossword
Nour Schumann, Angelika Solomons-Tibi, Jay VanPut Official Crossword Wizard Team Match your answers with the right ones posted on the website at: www.mcgilldaily.com/category/sections/commentary/ 44 – Short, laboured breaths 46 – Where pigs live, on a farm 47 – ___ de France 49 – abbr. sometimes used to say ‘attention’ 50 – Sunbather’s goal 53 – This building has a greenhouse on top of it 58 – Exams seniors take before applying to university 59 – A noble gas 60 – Last word of a hymn 61 – Worry and worry 62 – To turn inside out 63 – What Tarzan swings on 65 – Trials or experiments 66 – Congressional legislations
Down
Across
1 – After ‘tics’ 5 – Mamas’ counterparts 10 – TV sports letters 14 – “Were you __ __ it?” 15 – She went to Wonderland 16 – Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ daughter 17 – The Taj Mahal can be seen in this city
18 – Word that can go before panel or system 19 – Healing wound sign 20 – Smoking is now prohibited in front of the ____ ____ building 23 – Lou Gehrig’s disease 24 – The Princess and the __ 25 – Opposite of nays, in Congress 26 – Many earn these degrees every year at McGill
27 – Reds and blues 30 – Not before or during 33 – Room in a prison 34 – Dip bread in liquid, or oreos in milk 37 – This building is linked to 53 across by an underground tunnel 41 – Highest card in poker 42 – Astronomical spans 43 – Word before tower or Coast
1 – A princess often has one on her head 2 – Halo sporter 3 – Power lines 4 – Social network similar to Insta 5 – ctrl C copies and ctrl V ____ 6 – Hello, in Hawaii 7 – It can be a medication or a drug 8 – Trendy berry 9 – Neighbour of a Croat 10 – Assignments many students worry about during the year 11 – Sugar, in French 12 – What one usually does when saying 60-across
13 – Tip of a pen 21 – ‘I think we should spend some time ___’ 22 – Horned zodiac animal 26 – Actor Stiller or Affleck 27 – Many users of the e-cigarette Juul, controversially 28 – Tall, stately trees 29 – Brew that can be ‘golden’ or ‘pale’ 30 – Q&A session on Reddit 31 – Federal group mentioned by Eminem in one of his songs 32 – Suit and ___ (formal wear) 33 – Farm’s produce, or a word that can come before ‘top’ 34 – Dip bread in gravy, or Oreos in milk 35 – Rower’s tool 36 – Toilet paper is made of this 38 – Affirmative response 39 – Same 40 – One of the two names of Beyoncé’s daughter 44 – Person invited to dinner 45 – War during the late 1700s, inits. 46 – Person’s allotted periods of work 47 – Ruler in Russia, pre-USSR 48 – long, slim aquatic mammal 49 – Cancel, like NASA 50 – Humourous 51 – Either a spy or a chemical substance 52 – Amanda of “Syndey White” and “She’s The Man” 54 – Assist in a crime 55 – Roam, wonder 56 – Uno, dos, ___, quattro 57 – What a volcano spits out 58 – abbr. University in Vancouver, B.C.