The McGill Daily: Vol. 112, Issue 16

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The McGill Daily is located on unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territory

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Olivia Shan

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Zoe Lister

Robert Muroni

commentary + compendium! editors

Meena Thakur

culture editor

Eliana Freelund

features editor

Zach Cheung

science + technology editor

Vacant

sports editor Vacant

video editor

Vacant

photos editor

Genevieve Quinn

illustrations editor

Vacant

copy editor

Catey Fifield

design + production editor

Hyeyoon Cho

social media editor

Frida Morales Mora

radio editor

Vacant

cover design

Genevieve Quinn

contributors

Emma Bainbridge, Saylor Catlin, Catey Fifield, Zach Gaouad, Auriane Journet, Robert Muroni, Atta Wongsuchat

le délit Leonard Smith

21 Years of Guantanamo Bay

This January marks the 21st anniversary of the founding of Guantanamo Bay detention camp, an American military prison located within the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. The prison was intended as a permanent facility to consolidate and detain suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorists. Guantanamo Bay is globally known for its gross human rights violations, including the systematic use of torture, or what is euphemistically termed “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Over the course of 21 years, every American president (Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden) has either refused or been unable to close the prison. While Guantanamo Bay is principally recognized as an institution of unrelenting human rights violations, the prison facility has also served as an instrument for emboldening Islamophobia within the US. Initially built following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the camp has been used over the past 21 years to propagate the threat of terrorism and the “othering” of Muslim people. All of the 780 prisoners that have been held at Guantanamo Bay have been Muslim, and the discourse surrounding the necessity of possessing such a prison reinforces Islamophobic narratives deeply entrenched in the “War on Terror.”

An us-versus-them narrative ran deep within the Bush administration’s opposition toward two Muslimmajority countries – Iran and Iraq – that were members of the so-called “Axis of Evil.” Bush famously referred to the War on Terror as a “crusade,” framing it as a conflict between everyday Christians and Muslims as much as conflict between the US and a small number of terrorists. Characteristics like “civilized” and values like “freedom” and “liberty” were attributed to the US, while terrorist organizations were thought to maniacally wish to “impose the darkness of tyranny and terror upon the entire world.”

Guantanamo Bay functions to house Muslim militants and suspected terrorists captured by US forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other countries. While the naval base is under US control, it is technically American territory that the country rents from the Cuban government. Its murky legal status means that individuals held there are not entitled to certain rights guaranteed under US law, including the right to a fair and speedy trial. Typical human rights values that are championed by the US – freedom from torture, the right to due process, the presumption of innocence – are disregarded in relation to terrorist suspects.

The creation of Guantanamo Bay heightened, and continues to perpetuate, Islamophobia in the US. While campaigning in 2016, Donald Trump vowed to keep

the prison open and “load it up with some bad dudes.” Trump’s views on Guantanamo Bay are inextricably linked to his overt bigotry toward Muslim immigrants and his beliefs on terrorism that link religion to acts of terror. Similar to how Guantanamo Bay was an avenue for the Bush administration to convey its warmongering and muscular opposition to al-Qaeda and the Taliban, the prison for Trump was also a tool that further allowed him to spread his unconcealed Islamophobia. Yet, the prison has and still does receive support from Democrats as well, demonstrating that Islamophobic and xenophobic ideologies cross party lines. While Obama attempted to close the prison by executive order in 2009, Senate opposition from Republicans and Democrats alike failed to finance the closure. Even today, despite Biden’s promise to close the prison, 35 men remain imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. Guantanamo Bay is an inhumane detention facility that never should have existed. Yet, 35 prisoners – ten of whom are still awaiting trial and three of whom are held indefinitely without trial – remain detained there. Experts from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights have said that Guantanamo Bay stands as a symbol of the lack of accountability for the practice of torture, with an “unacceptable impunity” granted to those responsible. Further, both the Bush and Trump administrations’ use of Guantanamo Bay show us that there exists reasons in addition to the prison’s human rights violations for the facility to be shut down. The mere existence of Guantanamo Bay arms politicians with a potential tool that may be used to generate Islamophobia.

For our non-Muslim readers, it is important to educate oneself on how Islamophobic political dialogues may develop in the presence of oppressive institutions, in the US and beyond. Support organizations like Reprieve, Close Guantanamo, and Witness Against Torture, which fight to hold the US government responsible for the unlawful detention of the 780 prisoners that have been held at Guantanamo Bay. Add your name to the list of over 41,000 people in favour of shutting down the prison to demonstrate that the state-sponsored removal of human rights will never go unaccounted for. In Canada, anti-Muslim hate exists in laws like Bill 21. You can take action against institutionalized Islamophobia in Canada by, for instance, signing petitions that call on the Quebec government to oppose Bill 21. Support Canadian anti-Islamophobia organizations like the National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, and McGill Against Bill 21.

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Canada Promises $2.8 Billion in B.C. Day-Scholar Settlement

A long-awaited end to “unfinished business”

Catey Fifield Copy Editor

On January 21, the federal government announced an agreement of $2.8 billion to settle the remaining part of a class-action lawsuit brought by two British Columbia First Nations more than a decade ago. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller said the government signed the agreement with plaintiffs representing 325 nations.

The B.C. day-scholar lawsuit was filed by former shíshálh chief Garry Feschuk and former Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc chief Shane Gottfriedson. The two chiefs sought justice for “day scholars” – individuals who attended church- or governmentrun schools during the day but did not sleep there overnight –as well as descendents of those individuals. The day-scholar distinction rendered thousands of day school survivors ineligible for the Canadian government’s 2006 settlement for residential school survivors. Day scholars were also excluded from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission active from 2008 to 2015.

The initial suit involved three classes of complainants: a Survivors class, a Descendants class, and a Band class. In 2021, all parties agreed to separate the Survivor and Descendant classes from the Band class to ensure that aging day school survivors could receive compensation in their lifetimes. The settlement between Survivors, Descendants, and the Canadian government included $10,000 for each eligible day scholar (or their family or estate) as well as $50 million for a Day Scholars Revitalization Fund. As of December 23, 2022, there have been 11,453 claims made and 3,735 payments issued.

This month’s resolution of the Band class’ claims brings a longawaited end to the “unfinished business” of 2021, per Miller. As part of the Band class settlement, Canada has agreed to place $2.8

billion in a not-for-profit trust to “support healing, wellness, education, heritage, language, and commemoration activities.”

The trust, which will be independent of the government, is to be managed by a permanent board of nine Indigenous directors. It will be guided by the Four Pillars developed by Band class plaintiffs: revival and protection of Indigenous languages, revival and protection of Indigenous cultures, protection and promotion of heritage, and wellness for Indigenous communities and their members.

Gottfriedson explained that the settlement “allows our Indigenous nations to control this process … we will manage and distribute the funds, we will provide it to all 325 nations in a fair and objective manner.” Each nation will be able

to decide which of the Four Pillars to focus on and to develop a tenyear implementation plan. After the first decade, new ten-year plans will be developed to ensure that all funds are dispersed within 20 years.

The B.C. day-scholar settlement is only the latest in a series of billion-dollar settlements between Indigenous peoples and the Canadian government.

In June 2022, the Siksika First Nation in southern Alberta voted to accept a $1.3-billion payment to “right past wrongs dating back over a century”: in 1910, Canada broke its Blackfoot Treaty (Treaty 7) and wrongfully seized more than 115,000 acres of Siksika Nation’s reserve land. In July 2022, moreover, the federal government signed a $20-billion agreement to compensate First Nations children and families harmed by chronic underfunding of the on-reserve child welfare system – “the largest such deal in Canadian history.” In addition to the $20 billion for compensation, another $20 billion was set aside to reform the on-reserve child welfare system over five years.

In 2009, Garry McLean of Lake Manitoba First Nation filed a $15-billion lawsuit against the federal government seeking compensation, like Feschuk and Gottfriedson, for thousands of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children who attended federallyrun day schools. McLean’s class-action suit took ten years

to resolve, and by the time the federal government agreed to award between $10,000 and $200,000 to each claimant, McLean – who himself suffered “emotional, mental, physical, and sexual abuse” at the Dog Creek Day School – had already passed away. As of January 3, 2023, some 178,161 people have filed claims with the Indian Day Schools Class Action and 70 per cent of them had received payment.

“Many Canadians are aware of the tragic legacy of Indian residential schools,” said former Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett in 2019, “[but] a lot did not know, and most Canadians still do not know, that beginning in the 1920s, 200,000 students attended federally operated Indian day schools,” Bennett said.

The B.C. day-scholar settlement is unique in that it marks the first time Canada will compensate bands and communities collectively for harms related to residential or day schools.

“Reconciliation isn’t free. This is a lot of money,” Miller said. “Is it enough? I think only time will tell, but we know there’s a heck of a lot more to do.”

“This has never been done,” remarked Peter Grant, class counsel for the nations, at a news conference. “This is where the government is saying, ‘you take care and you’re in charge of how you wish to start to repair the damage.’”

Further information on the terms of the settlement will become publicly available over the next month. Before any funds can be transferred to the trust, a settlement approval hearing must be held between February 27 and March 1, followed by an appeal period.

The B.C. day-scholar settlement is unique in that it marks the first time Canada will compensate bands and communities collectively for harms related to residential or day schools.

Hyeyoon Cho | Design Editor

As part of the Band class settlement, Canada has agreed to place $2.8 billion in a notfor-profit trust to “support healing, wellness, education, heritage, language, and commemoration activities.”

Renting 101: Montreal Tenant’s Rights

How to know when it’s time to move

We all know Montreal is a wonderful place to live, but unfortunately, can be hard to live in as a renter. Between predatory landlords and decades old buildings, knowing what’s acceptable versus spotting red flags can be tricky to navigate – particularly if you’re a student renting around Milton-Parc and the Plateau. So... are you a first-time renter?

Looking to renew your lease? Fed up with shitty landlords? Confused as to why you keep getting shown apartments with “bedrooms” without windows? Look no further – the Daily has compiled a list to help guide new and seasoned renters as lease-signing season for May 1 approaches.

Apartment-hunting tips and red flags:

1 Dwelling Unit By-Laws: While dense, it might be a good idea to familiarize yourself with Montreal’s By-laws concerning the sanitation and maintenance of dwelling units to make sure the apartment you’re looking at is safe and adheres to these regulations.

2. Pests: If you can spot mouse traps, droppings, or other signifiers of pests, chances are those pests will still be there when you move in! While pests can be fairly common, it’s important to keep in mind, and might be important to ask the current tenants about the severity of the problem, and how their landlord has helped them. Landlords are required to take corrective action within 10 business days upon alert of the presence of vermin, harmful insects, rats, or mice.

3. Ventilation and mold: Old buildings –particularly those with poor ventilation – tend to be more susceptible to mold and other water damage related issues. When touring the apartment, the presence of mold can be indicated by spots in all colors (though often black or green) on walls, ceilings, carpets, around windows, in closets, etc. An earthy smell can also indicate the presence of mold, along with the presence of stains, buckling, peeling, or other signs of water seeping through walls or ceilings. When touring, notice if there is a build up of condensation on ceilings or windows, which could be a sign of poor ventilation. While exposure to damp and moldy

environments may not cause any adverse health effects, some people are particularly sensitive and can experience a reaction to a “mold allergy” – an overall unpleasant experience! According to the City of Montreal’s by-laws, there may be no accumulation of moisture causing damage to the structure of the building, nor may there be visible presence of molds. Furthermore, ensure that bathrooms are installed with a window or mechanical ventilation, in line with the city’s bylaws concerning sanitation and maintenance of dwelling unitsunit.

4. Heating, air conditioning, and insulation: With hot and humid summers and cold frigid winters, climate control is a crucial consideration to make when apartment-hunting. Notice if the apartment is properly insulated – are the windows double-paned? Do the walls feel thin? Can you feel a draft? Are there radiators, or another form of heating, throughout the apartment? The cost of hydro is also important to consider. Some landlords include the cost of heating and electricity in their rent, while others don’t. With the former option, you’d likely be paying a fixed cost month to month. With the latter, however, depending on the rate you pay with Hydro Quebec, you may be paying depending on your consumption for the months. In the winter, with the cost of heating this bill may go up significantly (which is why it’s especially important to make sure your apartment is wellinsulated!). Pro-tip: after having been subscribed to Hydro Quebec for one year, you can enroll in the Equal Payments Plan, wherein the invoice will be the same price month to month regardless of consumption. Whether or not you can control the heating is also an important consideration to make.

5. Light and Windows: Light and windows can be an overlooked yet very important factor to consider when looking for an apartment. A notso-fun fact is that in Montreal, landlords can rent apartments with “bedrooms” listed that do not have a window. Rather, in bedrooms in Montreal without windows are only required a partition that allows for “borrowed light” from another room.

What to look out for on the lease:

1. Repairs: Ensure that the landlord is assuming responsibility for all repairs in explicit terms, and not using coded language to slouch off responsibility. Considerations for repairs

should also extend to furniture as well, if the apartment is already furnished, considering that the furniture has likely been used by many tenants before you.

2. Payment: The lease should clearly specify an agreement on the terms and conditions for paying the rent. However, notably in Quebec it is illegal for landlords to require postdated checks and/or charge additional amounts in the form of a security deposit or other charges.

3. Rent: In Quebec, when a lease is signed, it is within your right to ask for a written notice stating the lowest rent paid in the 12 months before the start of the lease, or the rent set by the Tribunal Administratif Logement (TAL). However, this request must be made within 10 days of signing the lease.

4. Subletting: Are you going on exchange for a semester or want to go back home for the summer? Subletting your room or apartment allows for this flexibility without having to pay rent for a place you are not staying in. A lease cannot state that a tenant is not allowed to assign or sublet the unit.

Know and protect your rights:

1. Visiting rights: Have you ever had your landlord or repairman randomly knock on your door? You should know that landlords must give 24 hours notice before entering the apartment – whether that’s inspecting the dwelling, or doing minor repairs. The same rule of 24 hours notice applies to scheduling visits for future prospective tenants, which can only be scheduled between 9 AM and 9 PM.

2. Major repairs or renovations: Generally, major repairs or renovations must respect the tenant’s right to stay in their home – it is illegal for landlords to violate the “right to maintain occupancy.” If major work is being done, landlords must notify the tenant in writing at least 10 days before the work begins. This notice must include: the type of work being done, the date it will begin, an estimate as to how long it will take, and other conditions under which the work will be done. Also, work can also only be completed between 7 AM and 7 PM. Furthermore, tenants may ask to postpone the work and to reduce their rent while work is being done.

3. Heating: In an apartment wherein the heating is controlled by the landlord, the

landlord is legally required to maintain an appropriate room temperature regardless of the time of year. There is actually no law nor municipal bylaw that specifies a temperature apartments should be kept at, but it is generally accepted that around 21 degrees celsius is a comfortable temperature. If you find that your landlord is overheating your apartment, you can file an appeal with the TAL.

4. Rent increase: Landlords must notify you of rent increases within 3-6 months before the lease ends for leases of 12 months of more. For leases of less than a year, you must be notified within one or two months of the lease ending. Did you know, you can refuse a rent increase?

By notifying your landlord that you refuse a rent increase, they can either accept your refusal, try to enter a friendly negotiation, or contact the TAL to rule on the change of rent. Finally, it’s always good practice to keep a copy of your lease as well as dated proof of all communications with your landlord.

If you have any concerns or are wanting to appeal any changes your landlord has made, access the Tribunal administratif du logement where you have access to your rights as a tenant and can contact an informations clerk to aid in your applications and documents. You can also find resources with the Syndicat de locataires MTL; they meet biweekly every week on Saturdays at 3 PM, in person and over zoom. You can also consult educaloi. qc.ca, which has a useful guide for navigating housing and property law.

Saylor Catlin

Coordinating News Editor

Meena Thakur Commentary Editor

Meena Thakur | Commentary Editor

Capitalist Education Hates Introspection

Is this why we can’t cry?

I encountered more than once at school was, “Would you rather be rich or happy for the rest of your life?” The apathy that schools express towards the emotional realm unsurprisingly translates to our indifference when it comes to feeling, seemingly ignoring the craving felt from our bodies and hearts. This indifference may also permeate our decisions we make about the future: inability to self reflect leads us to jobs that make us unhappy. Hopefully, those of us who have had the privilege of schooling now understand that safe sex is good and making fun of people is bad, though selfexploration remains unexplored. This is perhaps why all 18 year old white kids flock to Bali to find themselves.

Introspection is difficult. Reflecting on how we are feeling, being honest about our emotions, and merely allowing ourselves to experience these emotions in the first place requires a lot of energy and practice. It is unsurprising that many of us aren’t accustomed to processing our emotions in healthy ways – our educational institutions have rarely taught us to value its importance. On the contrary, it seems as though they have discouraged us to spend time in the emotional realm. That’s why it makes sense for a lot of us to sweep so much of our emotions under a carpet that now no longer touches the floor. The consequence of your gross housekeeping habits can probably be seen in (combined with toxic masculinity, of course) all dads needing therapy, like, right now.

I don’t think feeling was meant to be coupled with a rigorous capitalistic education. Despite classes and readings not technically taking up all 24 hours of our days, the importance it claims over our lives allows it to be pervasive in all corners of our mind and being. Oftentimes, our brains have been working at such academic intensity that our means of relaxing need to be absolutely brainless. This might manifest in the form of drugs, Netflix, going out, or mindless scrolling. After these “relaxing” yet silently stimulating activities, reflecting on our day or week appears futile. There are no emotions or stresses at present, so there is nothing to reflect on. These activities seem to

act as means of detachment from the real world and its pressures, allowing us to briefly un-exist for the two hours watching Instagram reels while our eyes dry up into a crust. While that sounds like the type of break we need from a full day of thinking and working, it doesn’t provide us with rejuvenating, unadulterated rest that allows us to process emotions, or merely interactions, that we have experienced in our day. Instead, the feelings ignored end up under your mucky aforementioned carpet. It is questionable that educational institutions – subjects of authority that claim to teach us everything we must know – appear to ignore, or even discourage, this important exploration and processing of emotions.

Universities and schools assert that they maximise our wellness, though this claim overlooks the importance of students firstly addressing how they feel and how they can learn to truly feel. For example, our universities acknowledge the urgent requirement of mental health support for students; their effort is displayed by the mental health services stickers that often stare at me while I’m sat on the toilet. Yet, it seems as if some toxic ways of thinking that students aim to address through support (eg. unhealthy coping strategies) could have been initially prevented if it were addressed at its roots. Viewing this during our developmental years, schools do not explore introspective activities that encourage being honest about emotions and promote mindfulness, such as practicing

meditation or journaling –those that dive deeper than economically-driven aptitude and career tests. To argue that it is an activity we must explore on our own contradicts the 24/7 nature of school and its selfasserted authority. A school often claims to teach most things we should know: “anti-bullying week” is thinly echoed through school corridors while my gym teacher shows me how to put a condom onto a banana.

For the extremely privileged, our aptitude test results feed directly into higher education — one that claims high success and, therefore, high happiness. This trajectory appears to have placed us in autopilot mode wherein the end goal is graduation. On autopilot mode, any interventions that might divert this trajectory are raked to the side to promote a safe and efficient journey. With an ever increasing unemployment rate for graduates, the fear of stepping out of autopilot — a near-guaranteed state of monetary comfort — and coming face-to-face with an alternate, possibly happier, reality might be hampering this shift.

fit” — often disciplines that support less self-expression — is tangible. Schools have endorsed “valuable tools for life” through methods such as standardised tests and extreme penalties for deadlines. These methods not only emotionally and mentally threaten the general student population, but also disproportionately target those who are considered “lazy,” “slow learners,” and students with diagnosed and undiagnosed learning disabilities, almost as if to eliminate those unfit for the rigour of money-making through a mechanism of “academic natural selection.” While schools make certain efforts to accommodate the emotional and mental stress suffered by “the less ambitious” in a fast-paced world of “the gifted,” these efforts remain ineffective under a system like ours that perpetuates the admiration of acquiring academic success above all else.

The lack of importance placed on introspection and reflection may have led students to neglect its value. What a school asserts as “important” is enough for our entire childhood to be based around it. A school’s influence on our time and over our thoughts profoundly shapes our beliefs; the values it views as “preferable” are bound to influence what we as impressionable children judge to be desirable. The values we adopt as children are integral to what jobs we look for, which are also known as the jobs we hate the least that make the most money. It is unsurprising that a question

An important question to explore is: Why do academic institutions take part in this demonization of the emotional? Most institutions strive to be the best; they long to be considered prestigious, or to make it into the QS World University Rankings. To compete with other institutions, schools look to their students to compete with one another, searching for geniuses to plaster in their newsletter. To achieve this, the institutions’ environment must be stripped of fruitless distractions and replaced with logic, order, and discipline. At its core, many academic institutions merely convey its role in the betterment of society to mask its mechanical pursuit of profit. As an example, we can turn our heads to the mere cost of tuition at McGill, not to mention over $65 million of which has been invested in oil and gas. The characteristics of most educational institutions seem to mirror the values that underlie our capitalist mode of production: efficiency, development, and alienation. For example, the disparity between funding towards disciplines that are considered more and less “economically

The taboo of self-expression that schools foster for receptive, developmental minds to absorb produces implications for introspection and healthy emotional processing. The expression of emotion that departs from what schools deem acceptable is often punished, and attempts to understand these, perhaps “atypical,” expressions are rarely made. As we are disciplined to push through, to keep working, despite not feeling up to standard, it is plausible that our neuroplastic brains adapt to pushing negative emotions to the side in the name of success; pushed so far to the side that looking for them becomes a task in itself, let alone processing them. It appears that this would be less of a dilemma provided that therapy wasn’t $150 an hour and considered shameful in many cultures.

Though likely insufficient (without, in my opinion, a reform of the academic system), a potential way forward is for educational institutions to accept individuality and invite their students to look inwards to allow self-expression, self-reflection, and self-exploration during the developmental years of school. This would require a deliberation of the current disciplinary measures that claim to promote productivity and defeat laziness, which, in reality, only produce fear, anxiety, and stress in students; which, in turn, preserves a cycle of un-feeling. More fundamentally, this would require a reevaluation of exceedingly capitalist values of efficient development upheld by the institutions, as values are what seem to underlie action.

Atta Wongsuchat Commentary Contributor

The lack of importance placed on introspection and reflection may have led students to neglect its value.

Cam-Ly Nguyen | Illustrations Contributor

Feeling Blue After Watching Avatar?

The phenomenon of post-Avatar depression syndrome

Auriane Journet Culture Contributer

Back in 2009, director James Cameron released the first Avatar movie to great success. Avatar shook the film industry with its ambitious world-building and revolutionary 3D technology. More than a decade later, the release of the long-awaited sequel in December 2022 brought fans back to Pandora for an even more immersive experience. Avatar became the highest-grossing film of all time ($2.92 billion worldwide), followed by The Way of Water in seventh position (over $1.5 billion worldwide to this day). Although both films were generally well received by audiences, some viewers reported mixed feelings about their experience. As early as 2010, a topic thread called “Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible” on the forum site Avatar Forums received more than 1,000 replies from people experiencing so-called post-Avatar blues. This “postAvatar depression syndrome” (PADS) was then observed again after the release of TheWayofWater. So what is really so special about Avatar?

Although “post-Avatar depression syndrome” is not recognized as an official medical condition, the feelings of depression experienced by some viewers are genuine. Cameron’s groundbreaking movie transported his audiences to a place that had never been seen before: Pandora’s colourful and majestic world. The euphoria of being virtually immersed in the life of the Na’vi was followed by a gloomy reality check for some viewers. The earth seemed gray and dull, and humankind felt restrictive compared to the life experienced by Avatar’s blue humanoids. Although some of Pandora’s scenes were inspired by real locations, other aspects make it seem like an unreachable, fantastical paradise. The coexistence of three moons, bioluminescent wildlife, reduced gravity, and a treasure of natural resources all contribute to this world’s magic. Variety reports a fan’s experience after seeing Avatar for the first time: “I felt like that was an amazing dream, but now I had to wake up. I had to return to the doldrum of reality, trying to figure out what I was going to do with my adult life.”

The post-Avatar blues deeply affected this viewer, but he explains that finding a support network through an Avatar fans’ Discord server helped him recognize his mental health troubles. This shared feeling of disconnect from nature, dissatisfaction with modern life, and worries about our planet’s future could partially be explained by

the Avatar experience being a form of escapism, or mental diversion, from the unpleasant socioeconomic and environmental challenges of the 21st century. Following the 2008 recession, Avatar allowed people to find comfort in an imaginary and immersive experience. Similarly, The Way of Water was released after two years of consecutive lockdowns and restricted travel. Additionally, both films find themselves in the context of the climate crisis and amid widespread feelings of climate anxiety. The fast transition from our reality to such an idealized version of it could intensify the ensuing disillusionment, and thus partly explain the symptoms of depression experienced by some fans.

Dr. Quentzel, a New York psychiatrist, attempted to explain this phenomenon in 2010: “It has taken the best of our technology to create this virtual world, and real life will never be as utopian as it seems onscreen. It makes real life seem more imperfect.”

The first Avatar was the most ambitious filmmaking project of all time, and it revolutionized cinema through a unique 3D technology to create an immersive experience.

Cameron wrote his first script for Avatar in 1995, hoping to push the boundaries of cinematic digital effects. Although 3D shooting was still premature in 2009, his team developed

a new system called Fusion Camera to shoot features in stereoscopic 3D, trying to replicate what we see with our own eyes. It was also the first movie shot directly with 3D cameras. This was essential for Cameron, who reports:

“We experience the world through a stereoscopic system [...] visual system (we all have two eyes) and when you see stereo, it triggers regions in the brain that make you feel that you are really there. [...] We want to take you to Pandora and feel it and smell it so that you can go on a real journey, and 3D imaging helps with that. [...] People want to go to the cinema and have a full experience, not 90%, but 100%.”

For the first Avatar, Cameron also developed an original technique where dots were painted on the actors’ faces to allow motion capture to record their facial expressions. But Cameron’s ambitions were bigger, and technology was pushed even further in making The Way of Water. The sequel was shot in 3D using a high-frame rate (HFR), with major scenes playing at 48 frames per second and slower dialogue scenes at the industry standard of 24 frames per second. HFR creates 3D action scenes that feel incredibly immersive and can even make you forget that the vibrant wildlife of Pandora isn’t real.

Although Avatar’s technology allows its audience to fully enter Pandora and escape from reality for a few hours, the

contrasting aftermath can intensify preexisting feelings of climate anxiety among viewers and accelerate this Avatar blues. Ken Wu, the co-founder

Olivia Shan | Managing Editor

of Ancient Forest Alliance (a Canadianbased non-profit organization dedicated to protecting British Columbia’s old-growth forests), came up with a three-step cure for PADS: “Get out and experience nature, take action to defend nature and get others to do the same.” Fans have also started sharing tips on reducing consumption and engaging with the natural world. The Way of Water could also raise a wave of ocean-saving activism: Disney and Avatar launched a global “Keep Our Oceans Amazing” campaign to raise awareness of the challenges facing oceans and marine life and to support the work of The Nature Conservancy (Nature United in Canada). Avatar is thus a multi-faceted movie, providing

escapism to its audience and yet also relaying an important message about environmental urgency. Pop culture filmmaking has grown increasingly engaged, as political and economic upheavals surely precipitated American filmmaking. For instance, The Wizard of Oz was released in 1939 as an allegory of American politics in the aftermath of the Great Depression. Its fantasy allowed the audience to escape economic troubles and yet regain hope in the nation’s future.

Everyone gets to engage in a uniquely immersive and personalized experience with Cameron’s latest blockbuster. If you haven’t done so already, this is your sign to put on your 3D glasses and experience Avatar: The Way of Water yourself in theatres. Otherwise, the countdown has begun for Avatar3, to be released on December 20, 2024!

Avatar is this a multi-faceted movie, providing escapism to its audience and yet also relaying an important message about environmental urgency.

How Street Culture and Streetwear Can Flourish

in the Winter

The story of Laurant Larue, designer and creator of LARUECAPS

When you walk through Montreal in the winter, it is so difficult to differentiate yourself. Whatever outfit you pick, no matter how incredible, is most likely to be covered by a thick, generic winter coat. It is only indoors, once winter jackets have been taken off, that the glamour of one’s outfit can really shine. This begs the question: to what extent can there be street culture, or even streetwear, in a city whose blistering winters greatly reduce or altogether preclude any possibility for gathering outside?

To better answer this question, I spoke with a local Montreal man who has “street” embedded in his very name: Laurent Larue, the creator and designer behind the Montreal streetwear brand Larue. I started off by asking him to define what street culture meant to him, to which he responded: “It’s a bit of everything. It’s mainly art. It’s mainly rebellion.”

Associating street culture with “art” and “rebellion” reflects a pressing problem that many

young people, including myself, have today with the world we were born into; as we enter the corporate workforce for the first time, we often express consternation at the fact that we are made to continuously repress or completely reject our creativity. Walled-in office spaces and buildings constrict

ago. He told me: “You can have street culture in the winter too – you can see big brands like Stussy fit their brands for the winter temperature. There are more pieces, more beanies, more products you can do in the winter.”

For Laurent Larue, streetwear and street culture

– and why, as you scroll through his meticulously designed website, laaarue.com, there is an effect of snow falling throughout the screen. Therein lies Laurent Larue’s accurate reading of Montreal. He aligns his talented eye for beautiful designs with his artistic hand as he skillfully stitches the winter culture of Montreal into each item he sells. This stitching is figurative, but it is also literal in the sense that he often handstitches each item he sells.

be the main artist behind it.”

Laurent Larue dropped out of CEGEP, and just last year, he quit his job. He did all of this so that he could focus on his undying love for designing and DJing – to be “an artist first and foremost.”

our potential. By contrast, the street is at the interstice of labour and leisure, giving us a special opportunity to reclaim our creativity along with our individuality.

But, again, many of us avoid Montreal’s freezing streets in the winter. So, in light of this inevitable fact, how can street culture create a space for “art” and for “rebellion”?

Laurent Larue found his answer to this question a long time

are inextricably intertwined. A way in which both can survive in the winter is through donning headwear – balaclavas, ski masks, hats and beanies “with designs that you’ve never seen before.” There are often not many winter coats that can catch your eye – but a bright blue beanie with Larue’s magnificent designs, on the other hand, will.

This explains why Larue’s logo has snow fixed to its edges

Since 2017, Laurent Larue has languorously worked towards his ultimate goal: creating a huge “hatalog” of “winter hats, summer hats, every kind imaginable […] that’s my goal, you go to the website and you find a hat for you.” In the summer of 2022, following budding success, he was approached by Off the Hook, one of the biggest streetwear stores in Montreal – he sold out every piece he displayed.

It’s safe to say that, so far, Laurent Larue’s life has been a testament to the “rebellion” and to the “art” he mentions. One of his main aims is to maintain his individual role as the creative visionary behind his brand.

Larue promises, “I will always

I asked Laurent Larue what exactly he attributes his creative inspiration to, and whether or not he viewed his hats as a social product of all the experiences he has had right here in Montreal. To this end, he agreed that there was a certain element to this, and that “especially with all the diversity and mixture of people we have here, our culture is very large and so we can get inspired from a lot of cultures.” However, Laurent Larue made sure to propose that his inspiration goes beyond that, to cultural aspects that go beyond Montreal itself –namely, hip-hop.

Laurent Larue’s story and his brand, Larue, speak loud. They both go to show how immersing yourself in street culture –never letting go of creativity or of individuality – can lead to a worthwhile life.

Zachary Gaouad Culture Contributer

Laurant Larue | Photos Contributer

But, again, many of us avoid Montreal’s freezing streets in the winter. So, in light of this inevitable fact, how can street culture create a space for “art” and for

Blurring the Line Between Human and Machine AI’s potential raises questions about its role in academia

Robert Muroni News Editor

Since its global release on November 30, 2022, ChatGPT has experienced something of a meteoric rise. Indeed, just five days following its hard launch, the chatbot officially recorded more than one million users. In January, OpenAI, the developers behind the platform, revealed that they have even struggled with meeting capacity requirements at times due to such a large volume of users.

For those who have used ChatGPT before, the platform’s widespread adoption can’t have been much of a surprise. One quick glance at the platform often leaves new users marvelling at its capabilities. From being able to tell jokes, to being able to pen full-page articles all at the push of a button, ChatGPT is able to replicate tasks which, for decades, have seemed only achievable by humans. More impressive still, further in-depth testing of the platform’s capabilities have led to some truly remarkable results. On December 31, a paper published by Michael Bommarito and Daniel Katz, professors at the Chicago-Kent College of Law and Michigan State University of Law respectively, revealed that ChatGPT was even able to pass the bar exam, reporting that the chatbot’s top two and top three choices were “correct 71% and 88% of the time.”

At McGill, ChatGPT’s rapid rise to stardom is unsurprisingly becoming an increasingly prevalent topic of conversation in the classroom. In my experience as a student at the Desautels Faculty of Management, several of my professors have polled students about their knowledge of the platform. Some have gone even further, verbally committing to redesigning future assignments with the knowledge that students can use ChatGPT to help them answer questions. While such commitments mostly led to reactions of amusement by students in the classroom, there’s no doubt that ChatGPT’s capabilities have left many professors seriously worried about its broader academic implications. And for good reason; a mere two weeks after the platform made headlines about passing the bar exam, it once again made the news when professors at the Wharton School of Business, University of

Pennsylvania, announced that the chatbot was able to pass exams given to their MBA students. Here at Desautels, my Operations Management professor revealed to students that ChatGPT was able score 80 per cent (an A-) on the 2021 edition of his final exam.

Concerns about the rapid advancement of technology is nothing new – in 1942, Isaac Asimov famously published his three laws of robotics as a result of a fear that robots would eventually completely replace humans – but never before have machines been this close to actually fully replicating “human” thought. And while Asimov’s fears have yet to materialize, ChatGPT’s capabilities definitely do raise fears about humans being replaced by robots, at least in the sphere of academia.

AI looks to be improving at an increasingly fast rate. On January 23, Microsoft officially announced a new multi-billiondollar investment into ChatGPT, with a commitment to improving its capabilities beyond its current limits. These commitments, while undoubtedly exciting, also run contrary to the spirit of learning within the academic setting, raising broader questions about the role of AI in academia as a whole.

McGill has frequently taken measures to prevent widespread cheating and preserve academic integrity. Back in 2003, for example, the university responded to the rise of the internet by passing a Senate resolution designed to underscore that “all students must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures.” But while responses to “old” tech were more straightforward, responses to the rise of “new” adaptive tech like AI likely won’t be. Unlike websites such as Google, which actively seek and return existing web pages, AI creates them. This means that while Google can only simply return previously written papers, AI like ChatGPT can go one step further: creating new, neverbefore-seen papers for its users. With AI blurring the line between human and machine, blurred too becomes the line between what is and what is not academic integrity. For example, plagiarism is currently widely defined as presenting another person’s work as your own. But how does this definition extend to the use of AI, where a student doesn’t present “another

person’s,” but rather a machine’s, work as their own? Questions also arise about how the principles of academic integrity apply to those

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a step in the right direction in the long road to preserving academic integrity, it is exactly that: just a step.

who use AI simply to aid their work, rather than to replace it. For example, if a student uses AI to help teach them how to resolve a similarly – but not identically –worded question, or if a student requested AI feedback on an essay they wrote, are these instances of academic malpractice? These concerns are relatively widespread. Just two months after ChatGPT’s release, students took the first steps to combating the rise of AI in academia by releasing GPTZero – an AI software designed to red-flag AI-generated writing. While GPTZero is definitely

Ultimately, there’s no denying that platforms like ChatGPT, powered by fresh investments from many of the world’s tech giants, aren’t going anywhere. Nor can one deny that as AI continues to blur the line between human and machine, blurred too becomes the line between what is and what is not academic integrity. While we should definitely welcome the benefits that AI provides, we should equally look to resolve the very real threats that it poses. Only then will we actually be able to truly preserve the academic integrity we so clearly value.

Genevieve Quinn

Photos Editor

A paper published by Michael Bommarito and Daniel Katz [...] revealed that ChatGPT was even able to pass the bar exam, reporting that the chatbot’s top two and top three choices were “correct 71% and 88% of the time.”

The Dangers of Algorithmic Policing

The question of how artificial intelligence should be used by society has become increasingly prominent. One area of particular concern is the use of AI by law enforcement, a practice that is already widespread in the United States and the United Kingdom and continues to develop in Canada. However, experts have pointed out that AI exacerbates the existing problems with policing, leading to more surveillance of marginalized communities and encroaching on our privacy.

Algorithmic, or big data policing refers to “a range of technological practices used by law enforcement to gather and process surveillance data on people, places, and populations and to forecast where and when crime is likely to occur.”

A 2020 report from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab stated that “multiple law enforcement agencies across Canada have started to use, procure, develop, or test a variety of algorithmic policing methods.”

For example, the RCMP has long used facial recognition in human trafficking cases. The Edmonton

Police Service uses a software called NeoFace Reveal to compare faces to their mugshot database. The Toronto Police, among many other Canadian police departments, came under fire in 2020 for using facial recognition software without public knowledge. According to the Canadian Centre for Civil Liberties, “facial recognition technology has been deployed by police forces without notice, meaningful consultation, or public oversight and accountability.”

The report defined four types of algorithmic technology used by police forces: automated license plate readers (ALPRs) that can detect license plates and use them to find information about the vehicle in question; social media surveillance software that analyzes data from social media platforms; facial recognition technology to detect faces and compare them with a database to retrieve information about people; and social network analyses that use data to analyze relationships in a particular social organization. As people’s lives are increasingly online, this provides significant data about their lives that private companies or law enforcement can collect and use for surveillance.

Data-driven policing strategies have

many advantages for law enforcement. They promise increased efficiency by using algorithmic analysis to predict where crime will occur and decide which areas law enforcement should focus on. They allow law enforcement to easily find information about a person and use that data to predict whether that person is dangerous. Additionally, they’re able to collect data on general mobility patterns and social activities at a much larger scale than older strategies.

However, algorithmic policing strategies, especially facial recognition, are embedded with bias and can be very fallible. This produces concrete harm for marginalized people, something many critical AI experts have drawn attention to.

The Montreal Society and Artificial Intelligence Collective (MoSAIC) argues that data-driven policing technologies present an “extreme risk,” as they “can be used for intrusive mass surveillance, particularly when used in live settings.” Dr. Joy Buolamwini, founder of the Algorithmic Justice League and a researcher at MIT, has found that AI services have significant difficulty identifying darker-skinned and female faces. Data scientist Kelsey

Campbell from Gayta Science has similarly flagged the ways in which AI presents a danger to trans and nonbinary people. According to Campbell, AI is usually programmed based on binary conceptions of gender, ignoring the reality of transgender and nonbinary people. It automatically classifies people as either male or female based on arbitrary categories, namely body parts. If transgender or non-binary people are using AI technologies, they

may have to identify themselves as male or female, even when this choice doesn’t reflect their gender identity. Facial recognition also doesn’t account for a changing appearance, such as a transition, putting transgender people at an increased risk of being flagged as dangerous – or possibly outed. Even if the technology itself was not biased, it can enable or exacerbate existing biases within police forces by enhancing their capabilities of

Emma Bainbridge News Editor

Marina Djurdjevic| Illustrations Contributor

AI in Canada lacks proper regulation and oversight and should not be in the hands of law enforcement

The Montreal Society and Artificial Intelligence Collective (MoSAIC) argues that datadriven policing technologies present an “extreme risk,” as they “can be used for intrusive mass surveillance, particularly when used in live settings.”

surveillance and profiling. A 2021 report by the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security determined that systemic racism in policing “is a real and pressing problem to be urgently addressed.” If police officers already hold deep-seated racial bias, they’re unlikely to question it in the technology they’re using. In the United States, where facial recognition is even more widespread, Black people such as Nijeer Parks, Robert Williams, and Michael Oliver have been falsely arrested for crimes they didn’t commit because they were misidentified by facial recognition software. Although all three of these men were eventually cleared, the trauma from these false arrests had serious repercussions for their families and communities. Although police have targeted marginalized communities since long before AI was created, this technology allows them to conduct their operations more efficiently, leading to increased surveillance of marginalized groups. If certain people’s faces are less “legible” to AI, then there’s an increased risk that they will be flagged as dangerous or mistaken for someone else. If AI considers someone to be dangerous, it gives the police more justification to stop them on the street or arrest them, even if they have no other reason to suspect them of a crime.

Another concern is the lack of transparency regarding how police departments use this technology and where they acquire it. In January 2020, it was revealed that many Canadian police departments used facial recognition technology provided by Clearview AI without public knowledge. Clearview AI offers a large database of faces mostly scraped from the internet without consent from the websites or from those whose data was taken. By the time the collaboration came to light, Canadian police had already run 3,400 searches using 150 free trial accounts. In February 2021, Canadian authorities declared Clearview AI’s activities illegal as they were ‘mass surveillance.’ Another company, Palantir, which provides technology to the Calgary Police, was also used by ICE in the United States to plan raids and detain undocumented immigrants, receiving condemnation from Amnesty International.

A further issue with transparency is the lack of consultation with

is no AI-specific legislation in Canada to regulate the use of algorithmic policing technologies other than existing privacy and human rights legislation and the Directive on Automated Decision-Making. The Directive states that automated decision-making technologies have to pass a risk-assessment, and there should be opportunities for affected individuals to provide feedback and seek recourse. However, the Directive currently has no power over technologies developed at the provincial level or by private companies. Without a proper governance framework, it’s nearly impossible for the federal government to regulate the use of these technologies for either public institutions or private companies. And given the speed at which AI is developing, it will only become more difficult for policymakers to keep up.

the communities in which these technologies are deployed. For example, in 2021, the SPVM announced that they were installing nine new cameras in public spaces to tackle gun violence. They were subsequently criticized for not adequately consulting the communities affected. Surveilling people without consultation or informed consent takes away their agency in tackling issues within their own communities. Meaningful community consultations must be as accessible as possible, which means providing information in languages spoken by community members, advertising the consultation sessions through different mediums, and using accessible language to describe the technology and its impacts. MoSAIC argues that if a technology cannot be easily explained or interpreted to the communities affected, it is inherently high-risk.

Because the Canadian government currently lacks policies that effectively constrain the use of algorithmic policing technologies, there is also little accountability. At present, there

In order to mitigate the harms of AI in policing, many civil society groups are calling for a moratorium on the use of AI technology by law enforcement until proper regulation can be put in place. When Vermont became the first state to ban facial recognition in 2020, the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont stated that this ban “sends a clear message that instead of a discriminatory police state, Vermonters want to create communities where everyone can feel safe, regardless of what they look like, where they are from, or where they live.” Across the United States, states and cities have already banned the use of algorithmic and predictive policing technologies, especially facial recognition, by law enforcement. Many of these bans came into effect after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, when there emerged an increased national consciousness about systemic racism and bias in policing. In October 2022, in Canada, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics recommended a “national pause” on facial recognition technology until a substantive legal framework could be put in place.

The Citizen Lab report provides additional recommendations for the government to mitigate the harms of AI. They ask for a judicial inquiry into the use of police datasets in algorithmic policing technologies. They call for complete transparency surrounding which technologies are being developed, used, or procured by police departments, and for the government to establish requirements concerning reliability, necessity, and proportionality before a technology can be used. Provincial governments should also implement regulations for algorithmic policing technologies within their own provinces. Police departments should also obtain judicial authorization before deploying any of these technologies. Finally, governments and law enforcement should bring in external experts, including those from communities targeted by police violence, to design policies

for implementing technologies, developing regulation, and monitoring the effects of algorithmic policing technologies. While AI as a technology is still developing, there is concrete evidence that it can cause harm, especially in the hands of law enforcement. It’s concerning that institutions with documented problems of systemic racism are allowed to use these powerful technologies with little public oversight. Many studies have proven that these technologies are extremely fallible, especially when dealing with women, transgender people, and people of colour. The past few years have brought increased attention to police violence towards marginalized communities, and giving police departments more sophisticated tools to conduct their operations will only exacerbate this violence and discrimination.

Across the United States, states and cities have already banned the use of algorithmic and predictive policing technologies, especially facial recognition, by law enforcement. Many of these bans came into effect after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, when there emerged an increased national consciousness about systemic racism and bias in policing.

Without a proper governance framework, it’s nearly impossible for the federal government to regulate the use of these technologies for either public institutions or private companies. And given the speed at which AI is developing, it will only become more difficult for policymakers to keep up.

LUNAR NEW YEAR HOROSCOPES

Rabbit 2023, 2011, 1999,1987

In: red socks and lavish parties

OuT: orange pylons

horse

2026, 2014, 2002, 1990

In: greenhouses and diners

OuT: gambling

rooster

2017, 2005, 1993, 1981

In: nursing and green tea

OuT: oysters

rat

2020, 2008, 1996, 1984

In: playdates out: quinoa and tedtalks

snake

2025, 2013, 2001, 1990

dragon 2024, 2012, 2000, 1988

In: elbow patches on cardigans

OuT: law school

In: juice boxes and pudding

OuT: readings

Goat 2027, 2015, 2003, 1991

In: Goat milk & Goat cheese

OuT: rock concerts

monkey

2028, 2016, 2004, 1992

In: portable chargers

OuT: jumping on the bed

In: land parks

OuT: water parks

dog 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982

pig

2019, 2007, 1995, 1983

In: marimbas and crayons

OuT: muddy boots

ox 2021, 2009, 1997, 1985

tiger

2022, 2010, 1998, 1986

In: corduroy pants

In: sweater vests

OuT: yoga and sangria

last week’s

answers!

OuT: st. laurent street