The McGill Daily Vol. 112, Issue 5

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Trudeau’s Inaction Amid Rising Costs of Living

On September 20, 2021, Justin Trudeau of the Liberal Party won his third consecutive election, forming another minority government. In the subsequent Speech from the Throne, Governor General Mary Simon read out the Liberals’ agenda for the upcoming parliamentary session, announcing the Trudeau government’s promise to “keep tackling the rising cost of living.” One year later, the Liberal government has come nowhere close to honouring its pledge.

According to a survey conducted on August 22, 2022 by the Angus Reid Institute, 56 per cent of Canadians say that they cannot “keep pace” with the rising cost of living. An August EY survey found that 80 per cent of Canadians are “concerned about their finances amid rising cost-of-living,” with 69 per cent of respondents stating that they expect their living costs to “increase even further over the next six months.” This comes while the country is experiencing its worst bout of inflation since 1983, peaking at 7.7 per cent in July.

While global factors such as supply chain backlogs and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are partly responsible for inflation in Canada, a risk of inflation existed long before the pandemic. Economist Vivek Dehejia explains, “I think there was a certain amount of … complacency, because inflation has been so low for decades.” He further explains that inflationary pressures were obvious long before the war in Ukraine, fed by a combination of record-low interest rates, pandemic stimulus spending, and pent-up consumer demand. Trudeau has allowed his economy to overheat, causing prices to increase. Unable to raise taxes for fear of stagflation and unwilling to break campaign promises that have led to his success, Trudeau is stuck in a bind of his own creation. Yet rather than take action and take the political hit, Trudeau has dealt with the issue in a laissez-faire style, letting inflation spiral for the better part of seven months before unveiling his government’s plan to tackle inflation on September 13. While the federal government drags its heels, provincial governments have implemented various approaches to tackle inflation. For example, Ontario has temporarily suspended provincial fuel taxes, and Saskatchewan will begin sending out an “affordability cheque” to every resident this fall.

The Liberal government has failed to combat this cost of living crisis. Despite holding the third largest oil reserves in the world, Canadians pay the highest gasoline prices (as a percentage of income) in the G7. Yet Trudeau remains the only leader in the G7 that has not

offered some sort of relief on gas prices. Indeed, Canada has been reluctant to join the rest of the G7 in offering a temporary “holiday” on gas GST taxes, something that would help money-tight Canadians by lowering gas prices by five per cent, or eight cents per litre.

Furthermore, the Trudeau government has done nothing to combat the rising costs of natural gas, the single largest source of energy used in Canadian homes. These rising costs have affected those earning minimum wage and senior citizens in particular. Rising grocery and housing costs have caused seniors across the country to question if they need to postpone plans to retire. CBC reported that senior citizens have seen increases of up to $55 in their home heating bills this month. Lynda McCarthy, a 73-year-old living in Ontario, detailed how seniors are paying an additional $600 a year on heating alone – something that could force many to put off retirement plans. Similarly, the recent rise in inflation has rendered minimum wage workers unable to cover their rising costs of living. The economic situation has worsened so much so that Quebec’s recent minimum wage increase doesn’t even cover inflation. The Institut de Recherche et d’Informations Socioéconomiques calculated the living wage in Montreal to be $18 per hour – whereas the Quebec minimum wage is only $14.25. Canadians earning minimum wage – especially in provinces where it has not recently increased – aren’t earning enough to meet their needs in the current economic climate.

Over the summer, a coalition of 15 Quebec unions and organizations gathered to advocate for further increases to Quebec’s minimum wage. With continuing inflation, supporting community groups that advocate for further minimum wage increases, like the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) union and The Common Front, can be a first step toward easing the pain of inflation and increasing equity for all. You can also get involved with organizations like the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), an advocacy organization that looks to voice the concerns of retired senior citizens by appealing directly to the federal government. Finally, you can support proposals like the GST “holiday” on gas, which aims to alleviate the concerns of Canadians by reducing the amount we pay at the pumps. Social housing and housing cooperatives – such as the Milton Parc Housing Co-Op and the proposed project by the Saint-Urbain Community – provide alternative solutions to affordable housing amid rising costs of living.

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Climate Strikers Demand Government Action

Thousands of students have been skipping school in a globally coordinated movement

Matimekush-Lac John community to denounce the effect of climate change on their community, and the consequences of pollution on their lakes. In the front were students and young adults. Most shared a common dissatisfaction with the lack of initiative from the government and from big corporations. But, what brought them to the streets was also a strong hope in the future and the belief that individual actions matter: “I think we will be able to change things through protests and the mass effect, by putting pressure on the government and showing that the majority of people want political change,” said Alexia, a CEGEP biology teacher. Mathilde and Chloé, two CEGEP students, also decided to skip class and come to the strike to demonstrate their will to take action, for the current and for future generations. Despite being 17 years old, they emphasized the importance of going to the polls on October 3: “I think it’s good for eligible voters to go and vote intelligently for people who will take this matter in hand and consider the environment.”

Auriane Journet News Contributor

the initiative of the government. People are more likely to take individual actions if they know it is a group effort.”

September 23 marked another Friday of international mobilization for global climate action, as part of the The Fridays for Future youth movement. Thousands of protesters took the streets in a united call for climate and social reparations in over 450 locations across the world, including in Montreal.

This strike took place six weeks before COP27, and two weeks before Quebec’s general election. The protest is emblematic of the high stakes faced by political parties. Whereas Benoit Charette and CAQ representatives were escorted by the police to leave the march after being booed, some parties were absent, and others were actively engaging with their supporters. In a conversation with the Daily , Green Party leader Alex Tyrrel affirmed the need for drastic changes in government policies: “we have a government that is making long-term environmental sacrifices for some short-term economic gains. This shows a lack of consideration for the future, for young people, for the protection of biodiversity and for the fight against global warming.” He further emphasized the political urgency that led his party to develop an extensive agenda for social and political justice, expressing that “we must take systemic actions and implement societal changes through

Marie-Eve Leclerc, the mobilization manager at Equiterre, was also at the strike. Equiterre is a non-governmental organization that seeks to motivate citizens, organizations and governments to take action towards an ecological transition. Leclerc agreed on this need for political change: “climate change is happening now and it affects our daily lives, our health, our safety, and the economy as well, with all of the climatic disasters that will befall us. Vote for politicians and political parties who care about the environment and who will address the climate crisis in an ambitious, serious way.” Moreover, she highlighted the importance of political participation, and the role that Equiterre plays in this global cause: “we are asking the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt Quebec to climate change now, because we cannot stop it, but we can slow down the pace. There are 48 proposals on seven different subjects that our Green Coalition suggests and sends to politicians.”

For Shirley Barnea, CEGEP student and part of Pour le Futur Montreal, the climate urgency is strongly intertwined with social justice. The most pressing demands behind these movements are a mandate to end fossil fuel emissions by 2030 in Quebec and a wealth tax to invest in a social safety net.

She explained how those measures show the proximity between social and climate justice: “First, a lot of the oppression that many people are facing is caused by the same kind of mindset that’s causing the destruction of nature. For example, the mindset of domination - just like during colonialism. Then, wealthy countries are the ones that are greatly responsible for climate change. The

global north has historically emitted 92 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but the global south is suffering 90 per cent of the effect. That’s an injustice.” As the march began, she stressed the social nature of the movement by asking all present political parties to remain at the end of the group.

Leading the way were an Innu family, coming all the way from the

McGill students were also strongly present. The Daily met Aglae, a student in environmental science, who encouraged McGill University to further diversify its investments in environmental-friendly causes, while us students should ensure that we act as we can at our level. “I think this strike is important to show how we can act and that we can act for the climate,” she said.

Interviews conducted with the help of Titouan Le Ster

Auriane Journet | News Contributor

Auriane Journet | News Contributor

Annual Pow Wow Returns to McGill

The McGill community celebrates Indigenous peoples

Eden Saley News Contributor

On September 22, McGill hosted its 21st annual Pow Wow on campus – a resumption of the in-person gathering after it was held virtually for two years. A Pow Wow (sometimes written as powwow) is an Indigenous gathering where people can sing, play instruments, and dance. For Indigenous peoples, it is also an opportunity to honour their histories, reconnect with friends and family, and heal as a community. Many see this as a way of reasserting their identity; celebrations like Pow Wows were banned by the Indian Act in 1876, and they did not become officially legalized until 1951. McGill’s annual Pow Wow is the largest event organized by the First Peoples’ House. Since 2001, children, students, community members, and more have come together annually to celebrate Indigenous cultures.

The event began with speeches from the organizers, dancers, and the two masters of ceremony. Their words honoured and thanked the Creator for all things given to us, ending with a message of love and understanding: “I wish you all a good day, and peace and love in your hearts.”

After the speeches, the Grand Entry began, where all the dancers entered the circle while the host drum and singers performed a song. During the Grand Entry, the audience was asked to stand as a sign of respect and to refrain from taking any photos. Elders – along with veterans and retired police officers – were honoured throughout the day. Children were also supported throughout the dances and encouraged to participate in any way they could.

A highlight for many attendees was the intertribal dance. During this dance, everyone was invited to enter the circle regardless of nation and whether or not they were adorned in regalia. Many young people happily participated in the dance and shared in Indigenous culture. The event concluded with a gift giveaway and the retiring of the flags.

The Pow Wow was part of the Indigenous Awareness Weeks activities taking place at McGill from September 19 until Truth and Reconciliation Day on September 30. The goal of Indigenous Awareness

Weeks is to “provide a space to amplify Indigenous voices and perspectives on campus.”

Events included speeches, seminars, movie screenings, and more.

Many McGill groups who work with Indigenous students were at the event, including the Indigenous Students Alliance. Leah Louttit-Bunker from the ISA explained that the club is necessary at McGill to show Indigenous students they are supported and welcomed. The Indigenous Students Alliance

has the goal of bringing forward “a sense of community and to act as a home away from home.” It also offers “a welcoming and inclusive community for Indigenous students and allies.” LouttitBunker noted that Indigenous students and allies alike are always welcome to join the ISA or participate in any of their events.

The McGill men’s lacrosse team attended the event to show support and honour the creators of lacrosse. The McGill radio station CKUT was also tabling at the Pow Wow, and its representatives highlighted their two radio shows specifically focused on Indigenous peoples.

The All Kanien’kéha Show, rebroadcasted from Reviving Kanehsatà:ke Radio 101.7FM, is entirely in Kanien’kéha, the Mohawk language. The station also has a show broadcasted partially in Inuktitut and partially in English.

Representatives of the station emphasized the importance of uplifting voices that have been historically underrepresented.

McGill University has a long history of injustice towards Indigenous peoples. James McGill enslaved Indigenous and Black people, and his fortune was made through the colonial system, which inherently oppresses

Indigenous peoples. This history continues to impact all aspects of education at McGill University. Members of the McGill community have called for McGill to take further action.

After the Truth and Reconciliation Commission published its final report in 2015, McGill’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education created 52 calls to action. To date, only seven of the initiatives have been completed. The completed actions, among others, include changing the varsity sports team name, implementing a schoolwide land acknowledgement, and creating an Indigenous Studies minor program.

Delbert Sampson, a member of Secwepemc First Nation, was one of the dancers at the Pow Wow. He spoke of his love for Pow Wows and dancing: “I come to all the Pow Wows I can.” However, he noted that it’s not all about

enjoyment: “I dance for the residential school survivors and all the babies they have found.” The discovery of the remains of 215 children at Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia is particularly close to Sampson, as he attended that school for seven years. He now focuses on using his knowledge of his culture to help others, as, he says, “our people need to come back to our ceremonies.” Sampson also reflected on how nice it is to see younger people coming and sharing the culture. He said it makes him so happy to hear “grandpa, I want to dance.”

Sampson explained that, while events like the Pow Wow are great for the community, they do not take the place of real systemic change. When asked if McGill was taking the right steps forward, Sampson answered “it is important to see action instead of just words.”

“I come to all the Pow Wows I can.”

However, he noted that it’s not all about enjoyment: “I dance for the Residential School survivors and all the babies they have found.”

- Delbert Sampson

Eden Saley | The McGill Daily

Since 2001, children, students, community members and more have come together annually to celebrate Indigenous cultures.

Bill 96 Challenged in Court

New provisions for French language use will impact anglophone access to justice.

Eden Saley News Contributor

This past month, Doug Mitchell, along with a team of lawyers, challenged Bill 96 as being unconstitutional. Justice Chantal Corriveau heard their arguments and granted a stay on two sections of Bill 96. The stay, which is a legal pause, applies to two sections of the Bill: Section 9 and Section 208.6.

Adopted in May 2022 by Quebec’s National Assembly, Bill 96 is the province’s legislative effort to affirm French as the only official language of Quebec. It sets new requirements for the use of the French language in court proceedings, education, healthcare, and other sectors.

Éric Bélanger, a Professor of Political Science at McGill University, explained the logic behind the Bill in an interview with the Daily . “In general terms, there is the need to reinforce the language legislation in place due to the changing social fabric of Quebec. As the latest data from the Canadian Census revealed last month, the prominence of French in Quebec has been slowly but surely eroding over the past two decades.” He described that the government of Quebec could not just stand by as the French language declined. Bélanger also explained the potential impacts that the Bill could have on anglophones and allophones. “Most non-francophone communities are likely to face greater constraints integrating into Quebec society, especially given the relatively short

English and French, instead of either of the official languages.

The lawyers cited further concerns in Section 54.c over many regions of Quebec having a

In an official press release, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke stated that “it is pleased with a Quebec Superior Court Judge’s decision to suspend two provisions of Bill 96.” As a primarily English speaking community, the Kahnawà:ke would be negatively impacted by these regulations.

amount of time imposed by the government to comply with the Bill’s provisions,” he said.

While the Bill still allows pleas in English, Section 9 outlines that those attending court must attach a French translation prepared by a certified translator. In the application for judicial review, Mitchell argues that this places an even higher cost for those in court, causing the expenses to outweigh potential benefits and deterring people from seeking justice. The lawyers also argued that it was unconstitutional to be forced to access the court using both

lack of certified legal translators, something which they argued will cause unfair legal delays. In cases that require urgency, French must be used to avoid these delays, therefore removing the option to litigate in English. The lawyers thus argued that these provisions severely limit the ability of anglophone people in Quebec from accessing justice. Citing Section 133 of the Constitution Act (1867) which guarantees access to courts in English and French they concluded that the provision which effectively requires legal procedures to be entirely in French

is unconstitutional and violates the rights of Canadians. Justice Corriveau agreed that the conditions were met, and chose to suspend the aforementioned sections of the bill until the case could be heard by the Superior Court in November.

In an official press release, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke stated that “it is pleased with a Quebec Superior Court Judge’s decision to suspend two provisions of Bill 96.” As a primarily English speaking community, the Kahnawà:ke would be negatively impacted by these regulations. Indigenous people are already overrepresented in the Canadian penal system, so a law limiting language use would potentially pose more barriers to justice.

Human rights lawyer Julius Grey, has identified several other concerns with the Bill. In order to ensure that documents are actually in French, the Office Québécois de la Langue Française potentially has the right to search private documents that may be protected by attorney-client privilege. Grey highlighted this idea in his upcoming legal challenge to the Bill, arguing that these new regulations disadvantage people who have been charged criminally. Grey further describes that without the requirement for judges to be bilingual, anglophone participants may not be able to participate fully in the trial, as they may not be able to understand the general court proceedings nor be able to defend

themselves adequately.

When asked about the approximately 150 business leaders who have requested for the application of the Bill to be suspended, Quebec Premier Francois Legault explained in a press conference that there is a three year transition period built-in to the bill. He also highlighted the importance of maintaining French in Quebec businesses: “We have to be careful about the language of the people working.”

In the same press conference, a reporter questioned the necessity of “asking immigrants to learn French within six months.” Legault explained that the system doesn’t force citizens to learn French, it merely makes them access government services in the official language. He stated “most of the governments in the world, they start sending information in the language of the country. What we say is that we will make an exception for six months.”

However, future challenges to the Bill may be difficult, as Bill 96 proactively includes the notwithstanding clause to guard against arguments saying it does not follow the constitution. Dr. Dave Guénette, of the McGill Faculty of Law, explained in a Q&A session with the Centre for Constitutional Studies: “It is widely known that the notwithstanding clause can be used preemptively and that doing so does not require any form of

justification.” “It is important to recall that the notwithstanding clause, in its current form, was part of the compromise that made possible the constitutional agreement of November 1981.” However, Guénette cautioned against a potential political price to pay: “Overriding fundamental rights and freedoms is a major political decision and should be done only when it is an absolute necessity.”

Genevieve Quinn | Illustrations Contributor

In order to ensure that documents are actually in French, the Office québécois de la langue française potentially has the right to search private documents that may be protected by attorneyclient privilege.

Midnight Kitchen Returns

Providing an affordable food option for the McGill community

Eva Elbert News Contributor

On September 15, Midnight Kitchen held its first inperson free lunch service since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The program distributes 50 vegan and nut-free meals every other Thursday at 1:00 PM in the second-floor cafeteria of the University Centre.

Midnight Kitchen is a workerand volunteer-run collective that strives to combat food insecurity and provide food aid on McGill campus and beyond. Their larger goal is to serve as an alternative to oppressive, profit-driven systems of food production and work toward social and environmental justice, according to its mandate.

Midnight Kitchen has been forced to scale back their operations since March 2018, when renovations on the University Centre building began. As a SSMU service funded by student fees, the organization operates for free out of a kitchen in the SSMU building, but it had to pay to relocate to a smaller kitchen in St. Henri until the building reopened in September 2021. According to an article from 2019 in the Daily titled “Banking on Our Bellies,” Midnight Kitchen shifted from serving about 200 to 300 meals Monday through Thursday to serving about 300 meals for pickup weekly.

The free meal program was only further reduced by the pandemic. In an interview with the Daily, Midnight Kitchen staff member Delali described their early pandemic programming: “When the pandemic started, we paused for a bit and started a food bank instead as an emergency response to COVID alongside a different meal delivery service in partnership with several different groups.” Midnight Kitchen also received a grant to create a temporary emergency gift card program, which provided some students with one-time gift cards to grocery stores.

Midnight Kitchen’s free meal pickups were reinstated in the Fall 2021 semester with about 30 meals bi-weeekly, but these ended in the Winter 2022 semester.

There has been great demand since the return of the service in the Fall 2022 semester. Alina Shimizu, U1 Science, told the Daily about her experience at the free lunch service on September 29. She said that “there was a big lineup before it was even 1:00, so the people who actually got there on time didn’t even get meals [...] even though I

arrived five minutes early, by the time I got to the front, they just had one side left.”

When asked about increasing the number of meals they serve, Delali explained that Midnight Kitchen is “looking to expand but in a sustainable way. We pre-package our meals and try and make it so our staff don’t feel overworked and people don’t burn out.” In the case that staff members get sick, they “want to make it so that it’s still possible to meet the minimum that we said we’d serve, but we’re looking to slowly scale up a little bit through the semester.”

Delali noted that the free lunch services were “as busy as we expected considering there’s not a lot of great affordable food options on campus.” Another Midnight Kitchen staff member, Aishwarya, explained that, “the need is always greater than we can provide [...] as there are other obstacles to getting affordable meals near or on campus.”

Shimizu agreed that “food options on campus in general are overpriced, and now that I don’t have a meal plan, I don’t eat on campus because it’s financially smarter to make my own meals [...] More services like free lunches would be awesome.” She also added that “the fact the service was vegan was definitely really impressive

because some of the on-campus meal options don’t even have a vegan option, just vegetarian.”

These sentiments echo those described in “Banking on Our Bellies” three years ago. The authors pointed out the lack of affordable or diverse food options on campus, citing the 2014–2015 SSMU Student Experience Study that revealed that about 80 per cent of McGill students felt food options on campus were unaffordable. However, they argued that this hasn’t always been the case. In 2001, “nearly every faculty had their own student-run cafeteria or convenience store, the profits of which would help fund the faculty student association” that would serve food at a lower cost until 2000, when “McGill made moves to consolidate food services under the control of the university administration.” This privatization culminated in McGill’s 2004 exclusivity agreement with the Chartwells brand, which switched to Aramark and then back to the Compass Group, the company that operated Chartwells. The authors claimed that this privatization led to the decrease in diverse, affordable food options.

Midnight Kitchen has sought to fill the need for food security initiatives on campus since its inception in 2002, but, as Delali

put it, “as a single organization of five staff members, we’re not going to solve food insecurity on McGill campus and McGill does nothing to address it.” Aishwarya clarified that “McGill should make campus more accessible for people, but technically our formal relationship isn’t with McGill but the SSMU … there’s maybe something to be said about food security being a greater goal in their agenda if students feel like that’s a particular issue they want addressed.”

Midnight Kitchen is running a fee levy referendum in the winter in order to continue providing food aid to McGill students –and to potentially obtain more funding to expand their services to run more programming or hire another staff member.

They currently offer three other kinds of programming McGill students can take advantage of: discretionary funding for

Hyeyoon Cho | Design Editor

initiatives whose goals they support, solidarity servings (free catering for community organizations), and a garden to grow their own ingredients. Their community garden on the east side of Burnside Hall operates from May to October, and students are welcome to volunteer Mondays 3:30-4:30 PM, weather permitting.

When the garden closes at the end of October, Midnight Kitchen will begin serving meals weekly, depending on how busy their other programming is. The free packaged meal service schedule is posted on their website: https:// midnightkitchen.org/calendar.

If you are interested in seeing what Midnight Kitchen has to offer, their next free meal service will be held on October 13 at 1:00 PM. They ask students to wear a mask to keep the community healthy and the service running.

“The need is always greater than we can provide [...] as there are other obstacles to getting affordable meals near or on campus.” -

Aishwarya, Midnight Kitchen staff member

Mom! Dad! You’re Not Okay.

A generational exploration of mental illness

Elise N. Amédée Commentary Contributor

content warning: mentions of abuse, depression, alchohol abuse, suicidal thoughts

Growing up with a mentally ill parent, relative, or caregiver marks our childhood and sometimes deprives us of key moments for our own development. Furthermore, it shapes the relationship we have with others as well as with ourselves. I am no psychologist or therapist nor do I have any qualifications to understand the impacts of this phenomenon on a child. Nonetheless, I know people that have lived my struggles and today I want to discuss

this with them. This is a free dialogue, with friends and acquaintances. Some questions were written beforehand, but others may come up. The participants will not always answer the questions if they don’t feel comfortable or if it is irrelevant to them.

Thank you to all participants: Charlie (21), Agathe (19), Rosalie (19), Thomas (20). Their names have been altered for their privacy.

To anyone who has grown up with a mentally ill parent:

1. Short introduction. What is your relationship with this person? What are they suffering with? Do/did you live with them?

Charlie : I’ll be talking about my mother, who is not diagnosed, although she displays signs of depression, alcoholism, and potentially OCD. I lived with her my entire life until university. The longest I have not lived with her was three months. I have been living alone with my mom since I was 11.

Agathe : My dad was diagnosed and medicated with depression when I was 11. I have lived with him until university as well. He has never taken his medication seriously.

Rosalie : My mother and I lived together until I was six. Then again between eight and 11, and again from 16 to

18. During the gaps, I lived with my dad or my maternal grandmother. I don’t know if she has ever been diagnosed. My psychiatrist implied that she had a narcissistic personality disorder and probably depressive episodes.

Thomas : My dad suffers from bipolar disease type 1 (manic polarity) and started treatment at 30 years old, before my birth. I lived with him until I started university at 19 years old.

2. When did you understand that they were ill? What was your reaction to that understanding?

Charlie : When it most clicked was during the pandemic

Hyeyoon Cho | Design Editor

when I was seeing her constantly. She does not get out of bed in the morning, does not put effort into the things that need to be done such as getting a job. Big tasks and middle tasks will pile up on

When it most clicked was during the pandemic when I was seeing her constantly. - Charlie

her. I also realized she didn’t go a day without drinking, even when it negatively impacted everybody around her. Alcohol took priority over her relationships.

Agathe : My mom and my dad announced it on the first day of 8th grade. It came with his Parkinson’s diagnosis. From that day on, I understood that he would never be the man he was again. This is when he declared forfeit.

Charlie : My realization also has to do with maturity, online resources, and new information about mental health. During the pandemic, I saw with my own eyes what my mom was throughout the day.

Rosalie : I always knew that there was something wrong with her. She had very weird behaviours. Progressively, I looked up what it could be. I try not to justify her actions with mental illness because I think that’s really toxic. The thing with a personality disorder is that it’s continuous, it never stops. So, I didn’t have a “*click* oh! She has that.”

I try not to justify her actions with mental illness because I think that’s really toxic. The thing with a personality disorder is that it’s continuous, it never stops.

- Rosalie

Thomas : The first time

I witnessed my dad’s hospitalization was at 13 years old when our family trip to Egypt was cut short. When we arrived home, he stayed in a clinic for a month. It was a brutal realization. I remember visiting him: I could go home but not him. That was heartbreaking.

3. How does this illness affect your relationship with them?

Charlie : Her depression affects me less than her

alcoholism since I can empathize with it. It affected me growing up because she put the weight of her pain and her sadness on me constantly. However, her alcoholism has affected our relationship tremendously and I have a harder time understanding and sympathizing with it. While drunk, she is very brutal and talks to me very violently. Also, sometimes she is too drunk to even take care of herself and that’s when I must intervene and become her caregiver.

Agathe : My dad was very vocal about his suicidal thoughts. And I grew up thinking that one day, I would come home from school, and my dad would be hanging from the ceiling. This is how I had organized my life: ideally, there’s the first part when my dad is alive, and the second chapter is after his death.

Rosalie : My mother does not have a normal relationship with anyone. I hated all the things that her mental illness generated, like constant change. We moved fifteen times! She could not create a stable environment for me to grow up in.

Thomas : When he was sick, I saw him once a week, in a controlled environment. I didn’t recognize him. He talked about the Bible all the time, when he had never been a religious man . When he wasn’t in an institution, I would worry about him and about a potential new manic episode.

4. How does it affect your mental health?

Charlie : My mom’s conditions wreaked havoc on my mental health. Her mood shaped the way I felt for the rest of the day. When she went to sleep, I finally felt free of this. Her being drunk would lead to a lot of fighting, triggered by anything. I felt like I had to walk on eggshells in my own home because my worst fear was for her to blow up at me.

Agathe : I remember coming home from school at 4 pm and seeing my dad sleeping on the couch. Nothing was done. The curtains were still closed, and this morning’s breakfast was still on the table. Additionally, the way my dad’s depression was overlooked scared me to tell my mom that I wasn’t feeling well.

Rosalie : I had a severe crisis with my mental illness

because of my mother. She is an important factor in my anxiety. I remember that for a while, I used to throw up every morning when living with my mom and, coincidentally, whenever I stayed at my grandma’s, I wouldn’t throw up anymore.

Rosalie : People that knew our dynamic always told me that I was the mom in the relationship. I was also her therapist and her best friend. She would tell me about her sex life or about her moods when I was six, you know! I would be the one making very

said something to my dad, and he snapped at him! He violently told my younger brother to stop speaking. It is something that no one does in the family, including him: everybody is allowed to talk. That was concrete evidence that my dad was sick. He doesn’t look sick, but moments like this make you realize that he isn’t his normal self.

Thomas : My dad’s hospital stays would put me in the worst mood. I cried often and was constantly worried. It was hard for me to focus on school. Sometimes, I would think about his death or being deprived of my father for the rest of my life. It was triggering.

5. Did they get help? Did you have to ask them to get help?

Charlie : Nobody in my family calls my mom’s condition “alcoholism” except for my brother and I. We would use euphemisms such as “she drinks a lot,” “this situation.”

I have told her on multiple occasions to seek out therapy and medical help. I have also pointed out that people do get better and can stop drinking. However, she has no desire to stop drinking. She’d like to reduce her intake but not to stop.

Rosalie : My mom actually tried to seek out therapy, but she never did it seriously. She lied about her life, which to an extent is also part of her disorder. Whenever I asked her to get help, she would tell me that she already tried and that it didn’t work out, which was frustrating to me.

6. Were you in a situation where you became their caregiver?

Charlie : It happened on multiple occasions. I’d have to look out for her when she was passed out. Several times.

Agathe : I had to force my dad to take his medication. The alarm for it was on my phone. I also had to pick up my sister from preschool and go get groceries since he was usually too exhausted to get out of the couch.

intense life decisions and would blame me for “ordering her around.”

7. What is one thing you wish never happened?

Charlie : There were moments that were really bad but turned out to be truly eyeopening. One of the moments that played a key role in me realizing the consequences of alcoholism was at grandma’s house with my family. We are all waiting for my mom. And it turns out that she is parked outside but she is so drunk that she passed out at the steering wheel. From that night on, my brother insisted that I learn to drive in case, one day, my mom wouldn’t be able to drive us home.

Rosalie : I lived alone in a small apartment from 15 to 17 years old, before my dad had to rent out this place. I realized that I had to go live with my mother again. It set off a huge anxiety.

Thomas : We were eating dinner with my family and having a nice conversation. My eight-year-old brother

8. How do you see yourself as a parent?

Charlie: I’m really scared. I know that if I don’t unpack the issues of my upbringing, they will become cyclical. I also know that the way my mom raised me will impact the way I raise my child, even if I don’t want it to.

Thomas : My dad was a perfect dad. I dream of being like him later. He took care of me all my life since he wasn’t working. Similarly to what my parents told me, I will make it a priority that my kids don’t smoke weed or misuse other drugs. They can trigger the mental illnesses that run in my family such as bipolar disease or schizophrenia.

I’m really scared. I know that if I don’t unpack the issues of my upbringing, they will become cyclical. I also know that the way my mom raised me will impact the way I raise my child, even if I don’t want it to.

- Charlie

“My mom’s conditions wreaked havoc on my mental health. Her mood shaped the way I felt for the rest of the day. When she went to sleep, I finally felt free of this.”

- Charlie

People that knew our dynamic always told me that I was the mom in the relationship.

I was also her therapist and her best friend.

- Rosalie

The Forced “Gen-Zification” of Media

A Commentary on Do Revenge

her actions. This was addressed ineffectively in the movie.

For example, one scene at the beginning of the movie shows Max, the senior class president, giving a speech to the students and announcing the creation of the “Cis Hetero Men Championing Female-Identifying Students League.” The camera then pans to the crowd, who seems to support the idea. The camera then finds Drea, who gives a disbelieving and mocking look. The irony in this scene is clear, and the movie wants it to be clear. It wants the audience to say: “this could never happen in real life; no one could be this oblivious.” This type of irony is used throughout the movie. It is the movie’s main tool for critiquing the social dynamics of high school. The problem with this technique, however, is that it does not achieve what the writers intend for it to achieve.

Hyeyoon Cho | Design Editor

Yehia Anas Sabaa Culture Editor

content warning : sexual assault

Many movies and TV shows released in the past years have tried to capture the intricacies of the Gen Z high school dynamic. Euphoria (2019–) and Booksmart (2019) are two of the most famous examples of this phenomenon.

In Do Revenge, which premiered on Netflix on September 16, Drea (Camila Mendes) teams up with Eleanor (Maya Hawke) in order to “do each other’s revenge” after both are betrayed by their closest friends. As is the case with the two examples mentioned above, most of the cast of Do Revenge is in their mid-to-late twenties, and its director, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, is in her late thirties. Why is it, then, that movies are obsessed with representing Gen Z, especially when the creative teams of these projects rarely belong to this generation?

Do Revenge is peculiarly structured, which is the best thing about it in my opinion. The movie shatters the expectations of the viewer with every turn. Its interesting narrative structure and its creative plot will keep you on your toes throughout the movie. The movie also has strong performances from the main cast and a delightful supporting role

for Sarah Michelle Gellar as the headmaster. All of this results in an entertaining story, but Do Revenge does not offer much else.

In terms of plot, there is no apparent reason why Do Revenge had to take place in a high school setting. The movie’s instigating action is the release of Drea’s sex tape. Drea confronts her boyfriend Max (Austin Abrams) and accuses him of releasing the tape. Max denies the allegation and faces no consequences. Drea then meets Eleanor, who was also betrayed by a trusted friend. This story could have taken place in a university setting or even in a work environment – a choice that would have made sense given the ages of the actors involved.

Camilla Mendes, Maya Hawke, and Austin Abrams are 28, 24, and 26 years old respectively. There must be a thematic reason for the story’s setting.

Euphoria’s creators wanted to address the struggle of teenagers’ dependence on sex and drugs. Booksmart was a commentary

on the pressures that teenagers feel toward the end of their high school years. Do Revenge, for its part, is a commentary on the way status and identity shape the lives of teenagers. Looking at these stories thematically rather than narratively, it starts to make sense why the artists behind them have chosen high school as their setting. Do Revenge, however, fails to contribute a meaningful insight to the subject it attempts to address. It is instead an entertaining yet hollow teen-friendship movie that serves more as an homage to the ’90s classics of the genre than as a standalone piece of art.

Do Revenge doesn’t shy away from comparisons with other teen-friendship classics. In fact, it encourages them. Watching the movie, you may notice references to classic ’90s movies and tropes – the school uniforms inspired by Clueless (1995), the makeover montage and the newcomer being introduced to the high school cliques on a first-day tour. The movie also mentions “Glennergy”—

a reference to Glenn Close’s role in Fatal Attraction (1987). The selfreferential aura that surrounds the movie creates a disconnect between the viewer and the story. It doesn’t feel like you are watching teenagers face the challenges that the plot dictates for them, but rather adults role-playing as teenagers. The characters speak in the way adults think teenagers speak, but this is not how they actually talk to each other. In other words, the movie is a fantasy.

These elements might have been Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s artistic choice. She might have had no intention of creating a “realistic” portrayal of Gen Z but rather wanted to answer the question: what if one of those classic ’90s movies took place in the 2020s? Regardless of intention, however, I believe that Robinson still has to answer for the strange choices she makes as a co-screenwriter and as a director.

Drea is a woman of colour raised by a single parent. She goes to Rosehill, a renowned private high school, on an academic scholarship and has been struggling to fit in there her entire life. Her socioeconomic background affects many of her choices throughout the movie. Class struggle is therefore a focal point of the movie. Namely, the movie is responsible for examining and addressing the reasons Drea’s background affect

In his essay, E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction, David Foster Wallace states that “irony’s singularly unuseful when it comes to constructing anything to replace the hypocrisies it debunks.” This is exactly what happens in Do Revenge. Irony and nonchalance are used to mock and downplay many of the issues that this generation faces, but the film never offers a solution or a suggestion on how to overcome these issues. The movie is pointing a finger towards problems that we already know exist. Do Revenge has strong performances all around, especially from Maya Hawke, and features a creative structure and an entertaining plot. Unfortunately, it is another inauthentic representation of Gen Z that focuses more on mimicking the vocabulary and wardrobe of “Gen Z-ers” than on portraying the complex emotions that come with being a member of this generation.

“Irony’s singularly unuseful when it comes to constructing anything to replace the hypocrisies it debunks.”

David Foster Wallace

It doesn’t feel like you are watching teenagers face the challenges that the plot dicates for them, but rather adults role-playing as teenagers.

Randa Mohamed | Illustrations Contributor

An Open Letter to the Lebanese Oligarchy

Saf Hakawati Contributing Writer

Sometimes, I must step back and look at the countless reasons why I’d smile at each one’s funeral. Can you blame me? I almost had to attend several the days after August 4, 2020.

Let’s go back to the second grade and create a list together.

You see, the days after the murder were very critical and somewhat relieving, because none of you were there. My

Lebanese brothers and sisters would have gladly added you to 227 victims that lost their lives. I sometimes still wake up and see the faces of Elias Khoury (15 years old) and Alexandra Najjar (three years old).

Many might be wondering why I would be bringing this up two years later. Political pressure is targeting Tarek Bitar, the Lebanese judge in charge of the probe into the August 2020Beirut port blast. May I add that to the list as well? With your consent of course. It seems like nothing passes with your Majesties.

Join

Speaking of Majesty, the Lebanese people were too quick to search some of your years of birth to see how much you had to live. I mean, how much time we had till we start living. You see, I’m not sure if the embezzled billions of dollars blind you from reality.

List? Why not.

I’m sure you’ve gotten immune to the lack of electricity and water discourse. I’m 20 years old, I haven’t witnessed either for a period longer than six hours. One thing I would have loved to

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do before you kicked me out was sending you the bill. The bill for my weekly groceries rotted in the fridge and cost more than my rent.

List? Probably.

Two days ago, I had to explain to my Professor, Stanford, and Harvard graduate, all the good things you can afford: How to rob your own bank to retrieve your own savings.

Absurd? This is just the beginning. When some of you decide to

enlighten us with words worth a toilet seat in a public restroom, your loyal sheep use bullets to assert their presence. They never fail to vamp the windows of my car with a spider effect.

List? I’d say so.

Don’t take this the wrong way, I have saved just enough for a bottle of champagne to celebrate the end.

Do you blame me? You already did.

The Daily Publications Society is currently accepting applications for President of its Referendum Committee.

To

Email chair@ dailypublications.org

(1) Alumni Director; and · three (3) Student Directors. to sit on its DPS Board of Director s

To apply, submit a letter of intent of no more than 250 words to chair@ dailypublications.org.

Are you in love with the campus press, and would like to contribute to its continuity and improvement? Do you want to support the organizing effo rt of the existence referendum of student newspapers? Become President of the DPS Referendum Committee!

What is the DPS? The Daily Publications Society (DPS) is a fully independent, student-run, not-for-profi t organisation which publishes two student newspapers at McGill University : The McGill Daily and Le Délit.

The position would be for immediate hiring until midNovember 2022, that is the end of the referendum period. A stipend will be awarded to the PDRC to compensate them for their work and time investment.

For more information about the position, visit dailypublications.org

series.

2022 @

To apply, submit a letter of intent to chair@dailypublications.org.