The McGill Daily: Volume 113, Issue 2 by McGill Daily

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table of Contents

September 11, 2023 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Table of Contents 3

Editorial •

On Canada’s Wildfires

Culture •

4 News • Climate Change Burns Through •

Prémonitions : Les voix: Interview with Avery Suzuki

Canadian Housing AGSEM’s ‘No More Free Hours’ Campaign

10 Compendium! • Surviving McGill, From Student to Student 7

Commentary •

#SeAcabo: Sport Institutions Must Stop Protecting Abusers

•

Climate-Themed Crossword!

EDITORIAL

Volume 113 Issue 2

September 11, 2023 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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Canada’s Wildfires Are Deadly But Preventable

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Olivia Shan

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Emma Bainbridge Zoe Lister Robert Muroni India Mosca commentary + compendium! editors

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Eliana Freelund

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Emma Bainbridge, Catey Fifeild, Zoe Mineret, Eric Duivenvoorden, Chetna Misra, Abe Berglas, India Mosca, Mike Patten, Genevieve Quinn

Published by the Daily Publications Society, a student society of McGill University. The views and opinions expressed in the Daily are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of McGill University. The McGill Daily is not affiliated with McGill University.

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his summer has been particularly cruel to Canada’s forests. For months now, climate change-induced wildfires have raged across the country, burning down nearly five per cent of the country’s forested area. With smoke travelling beyond Canada’s borders, these fires have gone on to impact millions across the continent, including many McGill students. For example, on the afternoon of June 25, Montreal officially recorded the worst air quality in the world following fires in Quebec, only to be topped by Toronto just days later. Climate-induced wildfires are becoming an increasingly common occurrence. Fueled by human activity – which scientists suggest is the cause behind 84 per cent of all wildfires – Canada’s first major forest fire catastrophe took place in 2016 near Fort McMurray, when a blaze destroyed more than 1,600 homes. Since then, wildfires have also wreaked havoc in Lytton (2021) and throughout Alberta (2019). As this trend becomes impossible to ignore, it is remarkable just how ill-equipped the Canadian government is at preventing and tackling wildfires. One glaring issue is the absence of a national wildfirefighting service. Experts like Mike Flannigan, the British Columbia Innovation Research Chair in Predictive Services, Emergency Management and Fire Science, have repeatedly advocated for a national approach to fighting wildfires. Flannigan explains that “a national air fleet [...] can move resources ahead of time when we see those extreme fire episodes coming and [we will thus] be better positioned to deal with the fire load.” Despite these calls, Canada continues to cling to the notion that wildfire fighting should remain a “provincial” issue. The federal government has spoken out against the formation of a national service as recently as August. Provinces also consistently underspend on muchneeded proactive wildfire prevention. In recent years, both Ontario and Alberta have repeatedly cut large portions of their budgets allocated to preventing fires. Indeed, after setting aside $212 million to protect against wildfires in 2018–19, Ontario Premier Doug Ford perplexingly decided to cut spending to just $69.8 million in 2019–20. While funding for wildfire prevention has admittedly risen since then – back up to $237 million for 2022–23 – spending for 2023–24 is again expected to fall to $135 million, a reduction of almost 43 per cent. Even in the few cases where provinces were once well equipped to fight forest fires, bipartisan efforts to cut budgets have limited such capabilities. Since 2016, Alberta has repeatedly slashed its wildfire prevention spending: the NDP first cut $15 million from the budget seven years ago, and the United Conservative Party decided to increase these cuts just three years later. In turn, the province was forced to scrap its Rappel Attack

Program (RAP), a 40-year-old training program for firefighters, and to decommission 26 fire towers, one fifth of the province’s lookout detection program. This decision has proved costly over the years, but especially in the fight against the 591 reported wildfires the province has experienced this year. Members of RAP have spoken out against the decision as recently as this summer, expressing a belief that the slashed “rappel teams could have made the difference in the ongoing fire fight.” It is important to emphasize just how devastating these fires really are, particularly to marginalized communities. Since May, hundreds of wildfires across Canada have displaced more than 25,000 Indigenous peoples from BC to Nova Scotia. This stark reality underscores a profound and ongoing injustice, as the very communities with the knowledge and tools to mitigate wildfires are also the ones bearing the brunt of their devastating consequences. Throughout the United States, one of the most common wildfire prevention techniques is a “prescribed burn” – an intentional fire planned and managed by fire specialists. Indigenous groups across Canada historically relied on the technique, which they coined “cultural burns”, from at least the 16th century until colonial powers banned the practice in 1874. With the practice now legal and proven to be highly effective, one would expect Canada to rapidly embrace its use. But that has not been the case. While the United States has performed as many as 150,000 prescribed burns as recently as 2019, Canada performed just 23 this past year. In what can only be described as a perpetuation of Canada’s shameful colonial past, the country’s leadership continues to sideline Indigenous knowledge and expertise. So long as the climate crisis continues, extreme weather, including wildfires, is here to stay. Now more than ever, it is critical to support organizations that aid the unhoused and vulnerable, like The Open Door, Resilience Montreal, and Chez Doris. If you are able, you can also consider donating to the 2023 Canadian wildfire relief efforts. Canadahelps.org provides an extensive list of relevant charities across Canada, including groups that specifically serve Indigenous communities, such as The Odawa NFC. Additionally, Indigenous Climate Action has compiled a list of wildfire mutual aid funds in BC, the Northwest Territories, and Maui. Readers who live in or near areas where wildfires are prevalent are also encouraged to consult the Government of Canada’s Emergency Preparedness Guide.

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News

September 11, 2023 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Climate Change Burns Through Canadian Housing and Homelessness Crisis

Indigenous peoples disproportionately affected by fires

India Mosca News Editor

s summer draws to a close, we face the undeniable impacts of climate change, extending beyond disasters and encompassing social issues. This summer, Canada has suffered its most recordbreaking fires, fueled by months of hot and dry meteorological conditions. More than 15 million hectares have been scorched – representing a surface greater than Greece (13.19 million hectors) – breaking the previous record set in 1989 of 7.6 million hectares. Since January 2023, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre declares that there have been 6,118 wildfires, with six still ongoing in British Columbia, Ontario, and the Northwest Territories. This forced over 200,000 Canadians to be evacuated and caused 17 fatalities. The Donnie Creek wildfire began on May 12 and

Eric Duivenvoorden | Illustration Contributor became the largest fire ever recorded in BC, surpassing the size of Prince Edward Island. The wildfires have had a serious impact on air quality in Canada and the neighboring United States, with Air Quality Index (AQI) values often exceeding safe levels in the Midwest and Northeast United States, and in some cases approaching record levels. These natural disasters have been multiplying in number and intensity in the last decades, not only in Canada, but in the rest of the world. While statistics for 2023 have yet to be published, in 2022, the Emergency Event Database, EM-DAT, recorded 387 natural hazards and disasters worldwide resulting in the loss of 30,704 lives. On September 6, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported that the

period from June to August was the hottest on record, with an average global temperature of 16.77°C. This is well above the previous record set in 2019, set at 16.48°C . C3S’s Climate Change Service Director Carlo Buontempo declared that “ we are observing, not only new extremes but the persistence of these record-breaking conditions, and the impacts these have on both people and planet, are a clear consequence of the warming of the climate system.” Scientists explain that human-induced climate change is due to the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas, as well as a natural phenomenon known as El Niño, which is a temporary warming of certain parts of the Pacific Ocean that alters weather conditions worldwide. Furthermore, on August 22, the World Weather

Attribution published an in-depth scientific analysis proving that climate change more than doubled the risk of extreme weather conditions for fires in Canada. By focusing on “fire-weather indices” they were able to identify the role of human-induced climate change. In their findings, they noted that seasons with similar severity as the one we saw this summer are now at least seven times more likely to occur. Additionally, they found that the intensity of these seasons has risen by approximately 20 per cent due to humaninduced climate change. A crucial point highlighted in the report is that the wildfires disproportionately affected Indigenous communities. These groups faced heightened vulnerability because of limited access to services and challenges

in responding effectively to the fires. Indeed, climate change has significant impacts on ongoing social issues. The World Bank has linked climate change to global inequality patterns. In other words, climate change sheds light on deeply entrenched social vulnerabilities and imbalances. While they are those to least contribute to climate change, the most impacted social groups are female-headed households, children, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and ethnic minorities, landless tenants, migrant workers, displaced persons, sexual and gender minorities, older people, and other socially and economically marginalized groups. These disproportionate effects can be felt in terms of health consequences, food, water, and livelihood

News security, migration and forced displacement, loss of cultural identity, and other related risks. This is a reminder that climate change is not simply an environmental crisis, but also a social crisis and it should be reflected in the solutions offered. The recent forest fires in Canada serve as a clear illustration of this situation, as they have exacerbated existing problems like the housing and homelessness crisis and the vulnerability of Indigenous communities. To understand this phenomenon, it is first crucial to grasp the situation in Canada. In recent years, affordable housing has become increasingly rare. Indeed, Canada has some of the highest housing prices compared to income in the G7 countries. According to the 2023 Mercer Cost of Living Survey, Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal are the three most expensive cities in the country. Unaffordable housing can be explained by multiple factors including growing inflation rates – for the past ten years, inflation was between one and three per cent but in 2022, it reached 6.3 per cent – low supply clashed with a high demand of mainly foreign investors and shortterm rentals which contributed to increasing prices and housing shortages. In the last year, interest rates have also doubled. Finally, building materials have recently also been facing price increases. Overall, in Canada, housing has evolved into a genuine crisis, forcing a growing number of individuals into a state of economic vulnerability. Moreover, unaffordable housing is one of the leading causes of homelessness. The Homeless Hub has estimated that between 150,000 and 300,000 individuals experience homelessness each year in Canada. This is disproportionately affecting Indigenous populations. In one of their studies, the Homeless Hub estimated that in urban centers, one in fifteen Indigenous people experience homelessness, compared to one out of 128 for the general population. This is the result of centuries of economic exclusion and discriminatory policies. The study finds that different historical traumas including Canada’s colonization and exploitation of indigenous lands and populations, and policies such as the Doctrine of Discovery and the Indian Act forcibly putting Indigenous children into residential schools led to diverse issues such as familial dysfunction,

September 11, 2023 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily addictions, and social marginalization contributing to homelessness. Other factors include transitions from reserves to urban living in search of employment and increased opportunity, racism, landlord discrimination, high incarceration rates, compromised education opportunities and support, and unemployment. How does climate change contribute to these problems? Numerous articles have highlighted how climate change exacerbates pressures on housing, homelessness, and the vulnerability of Indigenous populations. With increasingly frequent and severe wildfires, we see a rise in destroyed homes, leading to greater displacement, delays in obtaining construction materials, increased housing insurance costs, and ultimately unaffordable housing, weighing most heavily on the most underserved communities. The UNHCR recently published a report addressing the climate crisis and the right to housing, stating that “the climate crisis is severely threatening the enjoyment of the right to adequate housing around the world. Marginalized groups and their homes are at particular risk and exposed to the impact of climate change and therefore need to be involved in climate responses at all levels.” Furthermore, not only are Indigenous populations more exposed to homelessness, but they are also more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Professor Amy Janzwood, from the Department of Political Science and Bieler School of the Environment at McGill, has been researching environmental politics and governance. In an email to the Daily , she recommended one of her recently published articles, coauthored with Professors Minh Do and Kristen Pue: “Multilevel governance, climate (in)justice, and settler colonialism— evidence from First Nations disaster evacuations in socalled Canada”. The article, published in the Critical Policy, Studies Journal explains how Indigenous populations in Canada are disproportionately affected by climate change because “disaster management reproduces settler-colonial dynamics of displacement in socalled Canada.” In other words, through an analysis of policies and priority setting during the recent wildfires, their research asserts that because of the refusal of the federal and provincial governments to take into account the position of Indigenous

governments and their unique vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, a colonial framework of governance is perpetuated at the expense of Indigenous peoples. Despite the federal government’s recent acknowledgment that First Nations, the Métis Nation, and Inuit peoples experience disproportionate impacts from climate change, the article underscores that “Indigenous peoples’ strategies to address climate change issues continue to be systematically excluded from the development and implementation of climate policies.” Indeed, by analyzing data from Indigenous Services Canada, they found that “First Nations are disproportionately affected by largely climaterelated disasters, evacuating at a higher frequency – 328 times higher, on average.” The article later expands on how emergency management is supposed to be a shared responsibility between the different levels of government concerned with the event. In addition, as stipulated by the Indian Act (1876), the current paradigm of reconciliation between the state and

Indigenous populations recognizes the jurisdictional authority and self-autonomy of Indigenous governments. However recent events seem to be showing that effective coordination between the different levels of government and Indigenous governments is missing. Furthermore, they highlight that the Indigenous government’s continued reliance on federal funding illustrates the perseverance of a hierarchical relationship between these levels of governance. However, the article concludes that better collaboration with Indigenous communities on evacuation procedures “has the potential to reduce the risk of these interventions compounding experiences of marginalization.” Once we acknowledge that human-induced climate change acts as a catalyst for the intensification and frequency of wildfires and other natural disasters, it is important to look beyond its material and quantitative effects. Indeed, these climate disasters don’t function in a fair and equal way. Not only does it

disproportionately weigh on the most marginalized, acting as a magnifying glass on issues such as Indigenous discrimination, it also reinforces economic inequality by amplifying the current housing and homelessness crisis, giving way to expressions such as “environmental racism”. This term refers to the disproportionate exposure of marginalized communities, mainly low-income communities to environmental risks. This systemic form of discrimination perpetuates social and economic inequalities, including colonial frameworks, leaving vulnerable populations to bear the weight of climate change. As these events worsen and widen socio-economic disparities, it becomes imperative for governments to address housing issues and discrimination to ensure everyone can withstand the climate crisis.

AGA &

Call for Candidates All members of the Daily Publications Society (DPS), publisher of The McGill Daily and Le Délit, are cordially invited to its Annual General Assembly:

Wednesday, October 4th @ 6:00 pm McGill University Centre, 3480 Rue McTavish, Room 107

The general assembly will elect the DPS Board of Directors for the 2023-2024 year. DPS Directors meet at least once a month to discuss the management of both Le Délit and The McGill Daily and get to vote on important decisions related to the DPS’s activities. The annual financial statements and the report of the public accountant are available at the office of the DPS and any member may, on request, obtain a copy free of charge. Questions? Send email to: chair@dailypublications.org

September 11, 2023 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

News

AGSEM Launches ‘No More Free Hours’ Campaign

McGill steals millions of dollars in TA wages each year

Emma Bainbridge News Editor

n August 30, amidst the usual chaos of the first day of school, the lower part of McTavish was filled with tents and food trucks provided by the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM). This marked the launch of AGSEM’s ‘No More Free Hours’ campaign denouncing alleged wage theft by McGill and encouraging teaching assistants (TAs) to pledge to no longer work for free. “‘No More Free Hours’ is about TAs committing to not working for free, banding together to support each other, and saying that we’re simply not going to let McGill commit wage theft anymore,” explained Emma McKay, AGSEM’s Chief Delegate Mobilization. When TAs enter into a contract with the university, they’re paid to work a certain number of hours, which varies by department. However, McKay told the Daily that TAs often have to work more hours to complete all the work assigned to them. They say that in the most recent data they have, almost half of TAs worked over their allotted hours, with most not receiving extra compensation. “The way that this happens is that they’ve been shortening and culture that expects TAs to simply shortening the contract hours of get the job done.” TAs,” said McKay. “And there’s a As part of the campaign,

Emma Bainbridge | News Editor

Emma Bainbridge | News Editor AGSEM encourages TAs to track their hours properly and review their workload with their supervisor throughout the term. Per the collective agreement, it is mandatory for supervisors to meet with TAs and fill out a workload form during the semester, yet many supervisors may not be aware of this requirement. If a TA is working longer than their allotted hours, the department must provide them with additional funding as compensation. McKay said that many departments have told AGSEM that their hands are tied when it comes to providing additional hours. The loss of these wages has significant effects on TAs, many of whom are in financially precarious situations. A January 2023 report by the McGill Graduate Association of Physics Students showed that many of their members, of which 92.5 per cent work as TAs, are unable to save money, feel as if they are not living in dignity, and in some cases, are experiencing food insecurity. McKay added that AGSEM had seen similar trends among its members, such as having difficulty affording food, rent, or medical care because they don’t make enough money.

August 30 also marked the beginning of AGSEM’s bargaining period with the university to draft a new collective agreement, as their previous one expired in July. The union is currently waiting for a response from McGill to start negotiations, and expects to be at the table by mid-fall. Some of

Almost half [of TAs] worked over their allocated hours, with most not receiving extra compensation. the bargaining priorities include higher wages, health insurance and trans-specific healthcare, and improved protection from sexual violence in the workplace. The McGill Media Relations Office told the Daily that the university “will not make any comments regarding upcoming discussions and will let the negotiation process run its course.” This campaign is a ‘work-to-

rule’ action, meaning that by participating, TAs will not be breaking any laws. They will be exercising the rights that they have under Quebec labour law, but that are allegedly not being enforced. If McGill were to demand that TAs work more hours, McKay argues that they would be the ones breaking the law. “When TAs have worked their entire hours and McGill demands that they work for more, they will be publicly admitting that their course delivery depends on wage theft,” they explained. They say that the effects on course delivery may be quite pronounced in some departments, especially those where TAs are expected to do significantly more work than they’re paid for. In these cases, the TAs may stop working well before the end of the semester. “Our intent, of course, is not to interrupt education,” said McKay. “The fact is that we want to provide a better education. We want to preserve our own quality of life, be able to buy groceries, pay rent, and deliver the education that undergrads and graduate students deserve.”

September 11, 2023 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

COMMENTARY #SeAcabo: Sport Institutions Must Stop Protecting Abusers

Spanish women’s team has been denouncing abuse for years

Zoé Mineret Commentary Editor Ccontent warning: mention of sexual violence

n August 20, the Spanish women’s soccer team triumphed 1–0 over England and lifted the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in its history. This landmark victory is the second time Spain has won a World Cup since the men’s team’s victory in 2010. However, the women’s team’s victory was immediately overshadowed when the head of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, gave player Jenni Hermoso an unconsensual kiss when celebrating the team’s victory. Hermoso is the top goalscorer in the history of Spain’s women’s team and was a pillar in leading the team to victory. Following the outrage on social media and from media outlets, the RFEF immediately downplayed the gesture by quoting Hermoso, stating: “It was a completely spontaneous mutual gesture due to the immense joy of winning a World Cup. The president and I have a great relationship; his behavior towards all of us has been exemplary, and it was a natural expression of affection and gratitude.” Meanwhile, Rubiales was seen on video laughing about the gesture, saying that he would take the team to Ibiza to celebrate his wedding to Hermoso. The quote attributed to Hermoso by the RFEF is false. She has never stated that she consented to the gesture or that she was comfortable with Rubiales’s actions. Instead, Hermoso bravely published a statement on social media where she wrote that she felt disrespected and violated by Rubiales due to his violent and misogynistic act. Moreover, she declared that she had faced significant pressure from the RFEF to publish a statement condoning Rubiales’ actions. Hermoso also insisted in her statement that this incident is inscribed in a long list of abusive behaviours that players have been reporting for years. Hermoso received huge amounts of support from fellow Spanish players, with 81 players going on strike to protest the aggression she faced and also their working conditions. The players declared that they would not return to their teams unless

Chetna Misra | Illustrations Contributor there were significant changes in the leadership. Meanwhile, Rubiales has been suspended – but not dismissed from his functions by FIFA – because he publicly refused to resign while continuing to defend his gesture. Hermoso has lodged a formal complaint against Rubiales for sexual assault and he risks a criminal case. In the weeks since, Rubiales has received support from the women’s team coach, Jorge Vilda, and the men’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, who were both seen clapping during a speech in which he called his detractors “fake feminists.” The support that Rubiales has garnered from people within the RFEF and the organization itself isn’t surprising, as the organization has historically dismissed the concerns of its women players. Clearly, the RFEF is an organization that protects men in positions of power when they abuse women. In her statement, Hermoso wrote: “attitudes like these have been daily occurrences in our national team for years.” The women’s team victory hasn’t come without personal cost to the players. They have had to endure sexist and abusive behaviour from

coaches supported by the RFEF. Abuses of power seem to be commonplace in the Spanish Football Federation. In fact, the recently dismissed head coach, Jorge Vilda, was only appointed after the RFEF shamefully dismissed Ignacio Quereda. He had held the position for more than 27 years but was replaced due to players’ complaints of sexist, homophobic, and abusive behaviour. The players were able to have Quereda replaced, but only after speaking to the press about the abusive behavior they faced. When they complained internally to the RFEF, the federation’s ex-president, Angel Villar, dismissed their concerns and enabled Quereda’s behaviour. The RFEF continued to dismiss players’ concerns when 15 players spoke out against the management and coaching staff of the women’s team in 2022. They described feeling emotionally and physically overwhelmed and stressed that they would not return to the team unless some changes were made. Instead of supporting its players, the RFEF shamed them by making their private statement public and by declaring that the players could not return to the team unless they “asked for forgiveness.”

The federation also publicly declared its support for Vilda and condemned the “pressure” they faced from the players. By downplaying grave concerns about the mental and physical health of its players, the RFEF has continued to uphold an abusive and unsafe work environment. Over the years, the women’s team’s concerns have consistently been dismissed by the federation that is supposed to support and protect them. This situation proves that, once again, institutions would rather protect men who abuse their power than the women who suffer from their abuses. Spain in particular is a country that still has to reckon with its long-standing culture of machismo. Despite advancements in promoting equality and reforms to sexual assault laws, there are still significant cultural remnants of the Franco regime within the country. Women only regained the right to vote and have bank accounts in 1975, after enduring the “permiso marital” that legally made them their husband’s property. Rubiales’s refusal to resign and his reprehensible actions have opened a floodgate in Spain, where people are openly protesting against the RFEF.

Under the hashtag #SeAcabo, supporters of Hermoso are declaring that they are fed up with the culture of abuse and silence perpetuated by Spanish institutions and are calling for the complete removal of Rubiales from his responsibilities. Hermoso has also received support from multiple members of the government, who have expressed their dissatisfaction with Rubiales’s behaviour and the handling of the situation by the RFEF. The outpour of support Hermoso has received from the general public and her teammates has been inspiring because it demonstrates a shift in our culture where women’s voices are finally heard and are not dismissed as being irrational or exaggerated. However, the support that Rubiales has garnered from far-right parties and soccer executives showcases that men will stand together when they see other men being accused of abuse. Indeed, acknowledging that these behaviours are reprehensible implies a reflection on one’s behaviours that many men in positions of power are not ready to have.

Culture

September 11, 2023 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Prémonitions : Les voix

Exhibition review and interview with Avery Suzuki

Mike Patten | Photos Contributor Catey Fifield Managing Editor

eneath that giant metal structure lovingly referred to as “Montreal’s cock ring” and in the depths of the unnavigable Place Ville Marie has been installed a groundbreaking art project and social experiment. Prémonitions : Les voix is the brainchild of Nicolas Grenier, a transdisciplinary artist based in Tio’tia:ke / Montreal whose work explores themes of social order transformation, paradigm shifts, and power structures. Les voix, the second part of the twopart Prémonitions project, invites the public to converse with a Large

spoken back to them are decided not by the performer but by ChatGPT. The resulting dialogue between visitor and performer, or between visitor and AI, poses a central question: “when an AI speaks, whose voice is it?” There’s something intimidating about striking a conversation with an embodied AI. The usual social awkwardness of talking to a stranger is enhanced by the fact that this stranger is a performer reading from a script. Before any pleasantries can be exchanged and basic personal information shared, the visitor is expected to initiate a discussion on one of a host of complex topics. A guide provided by the artists

The resulting dialogue ... poses a central question: “when an AI speaks, whose voice is it?” Language Model (an AI application that can be trained to recognize, translate, predict, and generate text and other content) through a human interface – an embodied AI. The willing visitor speaks to a human performer, but the words

suggests: philosophy and ethics (e.g., “rights of robots”), technology (e.g., “the possible impact of generative AI on the future of employment”), and society (e.g., “the geopolitical roots of global inequality”), among others. My topic of choice was beauty.

When I asked its opinion on beauty, the AI responded mostly in dictionary-ready definitions and clichés, but I was impressed with the humanness of its speech. The AI didn’t pause or stutter, but its speech wasn’t otherwise different from that of you or me. Notably, the AI did struggle to answer my subsequent, more subjective questions: it couldn’t tell me whether one celebrity, in its opinion, was more attractive than another. There are some important things to keep in mind when you’re dealing with a Large Language Model. For one thing, like the ChatGPT we’re familiar with, the Model doesn’t know about anything that’s happened since 2021. (You can, however, inform it of a recent event and ask it to provide its own insights and analyses.) I also learned, during the course of my visit, about a phenomenon the artists call AI Brutalism. Because the AI is powered by giant datasets created by humans – naturally fraught with errors, preferences, and priorities – its speech can often sound more artificial than intelligent. Visitors should not be surprised to hear the AI combine expertise in a subject with basic errors, to hear it lie

with confidence, or to endure its exasperating politeness. Above all, my experience talking to an embodied AI was eye-opening.

research did you conduct for the artist? Avery Suzuki (AS): I started out as a research assistant, but my job has expanded to cover many aspects of the project. Mostly, my job was preliminary research on AI and art in historical examples. I also had to come up with ways that we could conceivably execute the project technologically, figuring out all the different things we’d need to procure to make it work – not to mention the people we’d need to hire to make it work. And then, finally, I was modifying GPT, using prompt engineering to give it specific personalities and create an It forced me, maybe for the first time, experience that’s a little different to seriously consider the paradigm- from interacting with a standard shifting possibilities AI affords. I GPT. discussed these possibilities – and What’s cool is that it was just the excitement and fear surrounding me and Nicolas doing it. And we them – with Avery Suzuki, assistant have absolutely no technological to Nicolas Grenier. experience. We’ve never coded *** before in our lives, and we didn’t Avery Suzuki (BFA ’23) is an really need to because to modify artist based in Tio’tia:ke / Montreal. GPT, you can now use prompts His work is inspired by folklore, that are super powerful. We did it spirituality, cultural artifacts, and through trial and error and using everyday life. plain English – and you can do a lot Catey Fifield for The McGill with just that. MD: Why has this project been Daily (MD): How are you involved with this project? What sort of installed in a shopping mall rather

There’s something intimidating about striking a conversation with an embodied AI.

Culture than in a traditional gallery? AS: I’m not the best person to ask this question because I didn’t make the decision to install it in a mall. But the funding for the project came from the Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain (CCMM) under this initiative called “I love working downtown.” The idea was to fund these art projects that would be installed in the downtown area to attract people there – so that’s why it’s downtown. And then Nicolas and MASSIVart, the production company, found this space and it worked for what we needed. Being installed here, it’s nice that there’s a lot of foot traffic and that we get a diverse mix of people – I don’t think we would get that in a traditional gallery.

September 11, 2023 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

everyone to see. And it gives a good idea of the mix of reactions that people have: some people are really confused by it and some people are really inspired by it and some people are scared. MD: What is it people are scared of? AS: It’s hard to say whether it’s about the technology or whether it’s about being asked to participate in an art installation and being asked to talk to a stranger – some people feel like they’ll mess up. But then other people go in and they treat it like a friend: they confide in it and they tell it stuff that maybe you wouldn’t tell an actual human. Some people tell it secrets and some people look to it for comfort. Which I think has to do with the fact that there’s a human with a compassionate voice who looks

“Some people tell it secrets and some people look to it for comfort. Which I think has to do with the Mike Patten | Photos Contributor fact that there’s a human with a to imitate any kind of linguistic GPT is helping you to generate new amalgamation of different people. MD: How has Prémonitions style or attitude or opinion that you ideas rather than hindering you from compassionate voice who looks influenced your opinion on AI? Do want it to. And without much strong exercising your own creativity? friendly in between them and the AI.” you feel excited about this technology intervention, you can kind of make AS: Definitely. It’s totally expanding -Avery Suzuki MD: How has the public reacted to Prémonitions? AS: There’s a diverse mix of people who come through, and everyone has a different experience level when it comes to interacting with AI. They all have different feelings about it, and they all have different levels of comfort – even just with talking to a stranger. One thing I really like that we’ve done is that on the website we have a place where people can leave anonymous comments. We don’t edit them at all. Good or bad or stupid or smart – we just put it all on there for

friendly in between them and the AI. MD: How many human interpreters do you have? And how did you choose them? AS: We have nine interpreters. We chose trained performers because we wanted people who would have a level of comfort interacting with the public or being seen publicly, and also people who were familiar with reading lines. But we tried to make it as diverse as we could from the applicants that applied. We wanted a diverse group because the show is called Les voix (“the voices”) – it’s supposed to be an

or threatened by it? AS: Both. Definitely both. I mean, it’s hard to feel one way or another about it because it’s just so broad. It’s like the internet in 1996 – try imagining all the ways that the internet could have affected our lives, say, 30 years ago. There’s no way to predict all the ways that AI will affect our lives, but I know it’ll be really deep and really change things from a societal level. MD: Has anything about this project or about your research surprised you? AS: The surprise has been how convincing it is as a sort of human entity. Even without the interpreters giving it a body and a voice, it’s able

it do whatever you want. It’s pretty shocking how accessible it is – that anyone can do this without much effort. MD: Has AI influenced your own work at all?

the potential of creative thinking. I think the big thing is speed. In the same way that doing research became so much faster when the internet came around, or when word processors started to outpace typewriters, AI is

“In the same way that doing research became so much faster when the internet came around, or when word processors started to outpace typewriters, AI is enabling a much faster workflow.” -Avery Suzuki

Mike Patten | Photos Contributor

AS: It’s hard to say because it’s so soon, but it’s definitely becoming a reflex. Whereas before I might Google something, I’m going to AI now. I’m using it to accomplish tasks – writing, translation, brainstorming. I use it for brainstorming a lot. Generally, at any sort of creative point in this project, Nicolas and I would use GPT as much as possible. We wanted the AI to take the lead on it. In that way, it’s kind of making me rethink the whole creative process and the very idea of originality. I think people look at GPT as something separate from themselves as a user – a sort of separate consciousness that makes its own decisions. But I think it’s more helpful to treat it like a collaborative tool that you can use to bounce ideas off of yourself, or off of each other – something that can help you to flesh out ideas in a more streamlined way. MD: Do you feel, by and large, that

enabling a much faster workflow. MD: Is there anything else you think readers of the Daily should know? AS: I think it would be cool to highlight the fact that this thing has a rolling memory. The interpreters keep this journal that the artists then interpret and feed back into the machine. And so the AI has these injected human memories that it then interprets further as a machine – which, as far as I can tell, is a very new idea in terms of Large Language Model processing. It’s a pretty unique aspect of the project that I think should be explored further. Prémonitions : Les voix is on display until September 16, open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Participation is free, but visitors are encouraged to book online to guarantee a conversation with the AI.

September 11, 2023 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

SCI+TECH

How-To: Surviving McGill University practices, student rights, and navigating the space in between

Abe Berglas Copy Editor

hrough orientation activities, emails from the Provost, and the circle of McGill web pages, students can become well acquainted with admin-approved tips and tricks. There’s another side to McGill though, once the novelty of a fresh year wears off, and the university proves its notorious “no handholding” reputation. Here’s a guide from a disillusioned student: a guide to self-advocacy, empowerment, and survival, practices that sometimes go against McGill’s interests. The information isn’t a secret, but comes from experience and patience reading the jargon of policies. 1. Students have a right to see their marks for assessments. This right is laid out clearly in the Charter of Student Rights, a document that every student should get well acquainted with. It can be found in the “Policies on Student Rights and Responsibilities” section on the “Student Rights and Responsibilities” web page. Note that there are some caveats to this right. The Charter states, “Students have a right to consult any written submission for which they have received a mark… provided the request is made within a reasonable time after notification of the grade, and subject to reasonable administrative arrangements.”

Genevieve Quinn | Photos Editor So if you’re looking to review an assessment, be prompt with your request. Note that you also have the right to an “impartial and competent review of any mark”, with the same limitations. 2. Security guards at McGill don’t have the authority to detain you. Quebec has a rich history of student protests. In 2012, Canada had the longest student strike in history when Quebec st u d e n t s fought a g a i n st increases in tuition. The right to peaceful demonstration is fundamental. However, direct action can create clashes between students and security personnel. It ’s important to know that the power of security versus police officers are different; security personnel can only touch you in situations of self-defense and are constrained by the same laws as any citizen. Otherwise, physical contact is considered assault. Furthermore, you can report inappropriate conduct by security personnel to the Bureau de la Sécurité Privée. That being said, disciplinary action can be taken against you if you are identified as violating the Code of Student Conduct. 3. The Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support,

and Education (OSVRSE) can be hard to get hold of. McGill likes to show off OSVRSE, but it’s not always accessible to students. Last year, it closed without warning due to staffing issues. At the time of writing, there are only two days in September to book appointments — there are two time slots on the 20th and the 26th. You’re not able to view times in October. The SSMU service SACOMSS is an alternative to OSVRSE in that it also acts to serve survivors of sexual violence. They’re easier to get timely support from. If you’re looking to bypass intermediaries, you can also report directly to the Office for Mediation and Reporting, which does have reasonable appointment availability. 4. Not all medical professionals can provide sufficient documentation to the Student Accessibility and Achievement (SAA) office. To register with the SAA, you need documentation that includes a diagnosis. Not all providers can give adequate documentation. According to their website, the medical professional must be recognized by the PL-21. The guide linked on the SAA website is in French. A report on the SAA, conducted by a special researcher hired by SSMU, has other

complaints about the service: respondents said they were given incorrect exam information and didn’t like how the SAA only provides the exam location and specific time a day in advance. 5. Choose your classes based on the syllabus, not just the content. The policies in a syllabus can reveal your professor’s attitudes about student rights, disability, and the kindness they think students deserve. Even if you’re not disabled, and don’t anticipate needing accommodations, life circumstances can change suddenly, so it’s in your best interest to favour classes with a professor who’s not uncompromising. Red flags on a syllabus include not accepting late work, mandatory attendance, and needing to buy an expensive textbook, especially one written by the professors themselves (shout-out to Prof. Vybihal). 6. There are several resources for complaints involving McGill. Issues with your professor can be brought to the chair or director of your “academic unit”, according to a graphic on the “Resolving Disputes” section of the “Student Rights and Responsibilities’’ page. Next, you can contact the director or associate dean in your faculty Student Affairs Office.

There’s also the Ombudsperson for Students — this is an office dedicated to giving information about navigating McGill and resolving grievances. If none of these paths lead to a satisfying conclusion, you can write to the chair of the Committee on Student Grievances. It’s worth noting that the information provided by McGill is far from comprehensive — a sentence on the bottom of the page says the website is “intended as an informal, unofficial guide”. It then refers you to a link titled, “The Handbook on Student Rights and Responsibilities” which brings you to a page of links that doesn’t include the Handbook, which was published in 2007. 7. If you’re a worker at McGill, you’re probably part of a union. There are 14 unions at McGill, and two non-unionized associations. These groups represent floor-fellow s, invigilators, support staff, teaching assistants, and more. Even if you’re not employed by McGill, everyone is affected by the quality of work conditions experienced by staff. It’s good to have these groups on your radar, especially when they are negotiating their collective agreement with McGill and could benefit from the support of the broader community.

September 11, 2023 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

compendium!

CLIMATE CROSSWORD

ACROSS

DOWN

3) Celebrity exposed as having the most private jet CO2 emissions in 2022

1) Famous book character that speaks for the trees

6) Oil rig responsible for the biggest oil spill to date

2) ______ footprint

8) Extreme concern about the environment and climate change

4) The burmese python, Lionfish, and the Zebra Mussel are what type of

10) What paper straws claim to be

species?

13) Most diverse group of plants on earth 17) Coral bleaching is caused by this process 18) Also known as the Red Data Book 19) The sixth mass extinction 20) Spending more time and money advertising as environmentally-friendly than actually being so

5) The layer in Earth’s atmosphere which absorbs most of the UV radiation 7) Julia Roberts portrays this paralegal who was instrumental in a case against PG&E for contaminating groundwater in Hinkley, California 9) Movement seeking to re-establish Indigenous Sovereignty 11) ____ trawling, a highly destructive method of fishing 12) Can be used as fertilizer for your garden 14) Famous Swedish climate activist 15) The gradient of biodiversity on our planet, which increases towards the equator, is thanks to this feature of Earth

September 11, 2023 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

THE MCGILL DAILY IS HIRING! DESIGN & PRODUCTION (1)

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SCI-TECH (1)

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All editorial positions are paid. We are also hiring volunteer staff writers for all sections. Any questions? Visit our website at mcgilldaily.com or attend our open house on Wednesday, September 20.