The McGill Daily: Volume 113, Issue 17

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

Volume 113, Issue 17 | Monday, February 12, 2024 | mcgilldaily.com mostly fire since 1911 Volume 113, Issue 9 | Monday, November 6, 2023 | mcgilldaily.com abandoned, desolate, derelict since 1911

Published by The Daily Publications Society, a student society of McGill University.

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table of Contents

February 12, 2024 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Table of Contents 3

Editorial •

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R THE MCGIL

L DAILY’S

BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPECIAL ISSU

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G WE’RE LOOKIN

News • • • • •

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Vote “YES” in the DPS Referendum

CONTRIBUTO R CALLOUT FO

Scholasticide in Gaza Student Walkout for Palestine SSMU Menstrual Health Project Eric Girard Visits McGill Amira Elghawaby on Islamophobia

OM BLACK ARTICLES FR ACK WRITERS NS FROM BL ILLUSTRATIO ARTISTS IGN TIST TO DES A BLACK AR AID) (P OUR COVER SUBMIT WO RK TO managing@ mcgilldaily.c om

BY FEBRUA RY 14

Culture • •

The Oscars Have Failed. Again Review of The Future and Interview with Catherine Leroux

11 Compendium!

• •

Lunar New Year Recipes Lunar New Year Horoscopes

DEPUIS 1967

Ca Café mp us

FOR:

EDITORIAL

Volume 113 Issue 17

February 12, 2024 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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editorial board

3480 McTavish St, Room 107 Montreal, QC, H3A 0E7 phone 514.398.6790 fax 514.398.8318 mcgilldaily.com

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Vote “YES” in the DPS Referendum

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The Daily and Le Délit need your support

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Published by the Daily Publications Society, a student society of McGill University.

The views and opinions expressed in the Daily are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of McGill University.

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3480 McTavish St, Room 107 Montreal, QC H3A 0E7 phone 514.398.690 fax 514.398.8318

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ow more than ever, print journalism needs our support to stay alive. In an age of increasingly digitized media and skyrocketing production costs, it takes a great effort for print newspapers to keep their operations going. This is especially the case for student publications, which, unlike large for-profit newspapers, do not have the luxury of accessing subsidized funding or professional marketing consultants. Keeping student newspapers like The McGill Daily and Le Délit afloat would not be possible without our loyal readers, passionate contributors, hard-working administrative staff, and the financial support of our fellow students. In order to ensure that these efforts can continue, we ask that the McGill student body vote “YES” on our upcoming Winter 2024 referendum.

From February 19 to February 26, students at McGill’s downtown campus will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed fee increase for the Daily Publications Society (DPS). The DPS is an independent, student-run, non-profit organization that oversees the publication of both The McGill Daily and Le Délit . A successful referendum would see an increase of $1.50 per term for undergraduate students (i.e., SSMU members), from $6.00 for $7.50, and of $1.00 per term for graduate students (i.e., PGSS members), from $3.35 to $4.45.

The DPS has not had a fee increase since 2008, despite inflation in Canada rising by approximately 39.72 per cent since then. To put this figure into perspective, the $6.00 McGill students were paying in 2008 would actually be equivalent to $8.39 in 2023. By not receiving an increase in fees to account for this hike in inflation, editors from The McGill Daily and Le Délit have had to redouble their efforts in order to keep their papers afloat. Yet, relying solely on the extra labour of the students involved in these organizations is not sustainable long-term; a fee increase is vital to ensuring the future of these two student publications.

Print journalism is an integral aspect of maintaining a democratic, socially-aware campus culture. The McGill Daily has been part of McGill’s legacy for over half of the university’s existence, adorning its newsstands since 1911. As McGill does not have a journalism department, student-run papers like the Daily provide a rare opportunity for students to exercise their reporting and investigative writing skills. Many of our alumni have gone on to pursue successful jobs in journalism, working for established Canadian publications such as the CBC and The Toronto Star , while several contributors, such as

Leonard Cohen and Irving Layton, have achieved thriving literary careers. Le Délit , McGill’s only French-language newspaper, has provided a space for francophone students to hone their writing and editing skills since 1977. It has received numerous awards in French-language student journalism, including le Prix du Devoir de la presse étudiante in 2016. The work of past and present generations of Daily and Délit contributors has culminated in an invaluable archive of student achievement, and it is imperative that we give future generations the chance to continue this work.

This proposed fee increase would come into effect at the start of the Fall 2024 semester, and the new fees would remain in place until Winter 2028.

Its success would open many doors for student journalism at McGill, and would be instrumental in combating many challenges, such as those posed by Bill C-18. Also known as the Online News Act , Bill C-18 has resulted in companies such as Google and Meta refusing to display links to Canadian news on their platforms. The Daily wrote about the impact of this bill in our first editorial of the school year, and unfortunately, its effects on our online presence have taken their toll since then. Now more so than ever, our presence in print form is paramount for our continued work as a publication.

Print journalism keeps the legacy of our talented student body alive, and it is vital that we honour their achievements by securing the future of McGill’s student press. If you have ever contributed to, read, or simply admired the artwork in The McGill Daily , we ask that you vote “YES” during the SSMU and PGSS referendums taking place from February 19 to 26. The ballot will ask if you are willing to “cover rising operational costs and ensure the long-term survival of the DPS” with this fee increase of $1.50 (or $1.00 for graduate students). Be on the lookout for posters, flyers, and announcements advertising this referendum, and make sure to spread the word any way you can. Finally, show your support for other upcoming referendums supporting studentrun media, such as that of McGill’s student radio station, CKUT.

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February 12, 2024 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Scholasticide in Gaza

News

An introduction to the term “scholasticide” in the wake of Israel’s recent bombing of Gaza’s last standing university Ainslie Yang News Contributor Content warning: murder, war crimes

genocide,

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n January 17, Palestinian scholars and global educators alike witnessed the destruction of the last standing university in Gaza as Al-Israa University was blown up by Israeli forces. Over the last couple of months, Israeli soldiers occupied the university campus and turned it into a military base camp.

Alongside the buildings affected by the blast, over 3000 rare artifacts were destroyed in a national museum established by the university.

The incident, captured on drone footage, joins the ongoing list of public buildings destroyed over the last three months of conflict in Gaza.

Birzeit University, located in the West Bank, has publicly replied to the bombing, saying the institution “reaffirms the fact that this crime is part of the Israeli occupation’s onslaught against the Palestinians. It’s all a part of the Israeli occupation’s goal to make Gaza uninhabitable; a continuation of the genocide being carried out in Gaza Strip.”

The toll of educational institutes in Gaza either destroyed or severely damaged by Israeli attacks has reached over 350 schools and numerous public libraries. This latest attack on the educational and cultural institutes of Gaza has reinvigorated discussions surrounding the term “scholasticide.”

The concept of scholasticide first appeared in 2009, in response to attacks by the Israeli military against the Ministry of Education and multiple schools in Gaza. The Guardian has defined scholasticide as “the systematic destruction

by Israeli forces of centres of education dear to Palestinian society.” For decades, schools in Gaza have been targeted by Israeli attacks, in addition to cultural institutions elsewhere such as the 1982 looting of the Palestinian Research Centre in Beirut and the accompanying destruction of historical archives.

Furthermore, centres of education replacing previously destroyed institutions have also been targeted, such as attacks in 2009 on the UN-established school in the Jabaliya refugee camp.

In light of Israel’s recent assault on Gaza, the idea of scholasticide has been supported by academics by three of Israel’s actions: the devastation of educational infrastructure, the continuous military assault on universities and schools, and the persecution of Palestinian scholars and dissenting scholars

India Mosca | News Editor at Israeli universities. The first and second actions have spoken for themselves over the course of the war since October, with the sheer amount of destruction across Gaza and the future of education remaining bleak for Palestinian children. Furthermore, many prominent Palestinian scholars were recently killed by Israeli strikes or offensives. The scientist, researcher and president of the Islamic University of Gaza, Sufyan Tayeh, specializing in theoretical physics and applied mathematics, was murdered along with his family in December.

Similarly, the renowned professor, writer, and poet Refaat Alareer was killed in air strikes in Gaza in the same month. Alareer was well known for writing about his Gazan experience, leaving behind the emotional poem “If I Die,” shortly before the airstrike that killed him and six members of his family. Their deaths, alongside the combined efforts to reduce educational infrastructure in Gaza to rubble, have outraged academics across the world and prompted the petition Scholars Against the War on Palestine (SAWP).

Scholars from institutes across Israel, such as Anat Matar, an Israeli philosopher and activist,

have joined the petition, along with a wide range of signatories from Stanford to the University of Amsterdam.

One such signatory of both the SAWP petition and the open letter “Support SSMU and the Palestine Solidarity Policy” published by the Daily in April 2022 is Michelle Hartman. A professor of Arabic literature at the McGill Institute of Islamic Studies, Professor Hartman, has been deeply involved in the Palestinian cause for over a decade.

“If the concept of scholasticide works to stop what is happening in Palestine, then I am all for it. We at universities around the world must respond to the systematic destruction of Palestinian education as loudly and forcefully as possible,” she stated in an email to the Daily.

“This is a comprehensive project to completely decimate physical infrastructure — bombarding schools and universities in Gaza — while deliberately targeting Palestinian professors and students for harassment, detention, and murder.”

The final element supporting the idea of scholasticide is the importance of academia in Palestinian culture and society.

In 2009, The Guardian wrote that “Palestinians are among the most

thoroughly educated people in the world…[and have] put a singular emphasis on learning.”

In the same article, Dr. Karma Nabulsi, a Professor of Politics and International Relations at Oxford University, stated that for many Palestinians, “education is the most important thing – it is part of the family life, part of your identity, and part of the rebellion.” The resilience of Palestinian culture and education is showcased by the country’s extremely high literacy rates. With a literacy rate of 97.7 per cent, Palestine ranks above countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Turkey. This achievement is a testament to the Palestinian commitment to education regardless of ongoing conflict and humanitarian crises.

Prof. Hartman continues along this vein.

“As scholars and as students, we must remind the world that the lives, thoughts, and work of our Palestinian peers are as worthy as our own. This is not because academia is more important than other spheres or academics are more important than other people.

But education is a central value in Palestinian society and the attack on education is meant to destroy not only buildings but the

aspirations, hope, and spirit of a people,” she wrote. “In an iconic poem, Mahmoud Darwish asks the colonizer, “Why not memorize a little poetry to stop the slaughter?”

We must listen to him, and other Palestinians, and defend their right to exist and thrive—the future poets, alongside everyone else.”

“We at universities around the world must respond to the systematic destruction of Palestinian education as loudly and forcefully as possible.”

- Professor Hartman

NEWS

February 12, 2024 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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Student Walkout for Palestine

On February 2, McGill, Concordia, UQAM, and UdeM students protested their institutions’ complicity in genocide

“The students united will never be defeated!”

« On n’est pas fatigué, on a Gaza à libérer! » Frida Sofia Morales Mora | Social Media Editor

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February 12, 2024 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

News

SSMU Menstrual Health Project Provides Free, Sustainable Period Products Project alleviates costs of menstrual products and environmental impacts of disposable period products

Enid Kohler News Staff Writer

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n estimated 500 million people do not have access to menstrual health products globally. This lack of access extends to high-income countries like Canada, where one in three Canadians who menstruate have experienced period poverty: the lack of access to menstrual products, education, hygiene facilities, waste management, and/ or a combination of these factors.

A survey conducted by Plan International Canada found that one in four menstruating women in the country have had to choose between buying period products or other essentials, such as food or rent. Moreover, women in Canada may spend up to $6,000 on menstrual supplies over their lifetimes. Period poverty specifically impacts young people in Canada – women between the ages of 18 and 24 feel that period products are too expensive and one in three women under 25 struggle to afford menstrual products.

In the face of these challenges, the SSMU Menstrual Health Project, launched in 2017, provides free and environmentally-friendly period products to all McGill students. The Daily spoke with Julia Miracle, Menstrual Health Commissioner with the Menstrual Health Project, on the team’s work.

As Commissioner, Miracle plays numerous roles within the

“A lot of what we are trying to do is also to destigmatize periods and normalize the conversation around them to increase accessibility and knowledge about it.”

- Julia Miracle

Menstrual Health team. Among other tasks, Miracle facilitates one of the team’s primary initiatives: the distribution of free period products, such as pads and tampons, in female and gender-neutral washrooms across McGill’s downtown campus.

Students can reference the SSMU Menstrual Health Free Product Locations document online to locate washrooms with free period products.

The Menstrual Health Project also focuses on sustainability.

Single-use, disposable period

products like tampons or pads can cause negative effects on the environment; conventional pads are estimated to add two grams of non-biodegradable plastic – the equivalent of four plastic bags – to the environment per use, taking an estimated 500 to 800 years to decompose. In the United States, approximately 20 billion disposable menstrual products are discarded each year, and according to a UK study conducted by the London Assembly Environment Committee, a person who menstruates will discard approximately 400 pounds of packaging from period products in their lifetime.

Reusable period products have been proven to be much more eco-friendly; menstrual cups, for example, are estimated to save a person who menstruates 2,400 pads or tampons in their lifetime, thus reducing the environmental impact of period products significantly. Aware of the environmental toll of standard period products, the Menstrual Health project actively works to provide sustainable products to McGill’s student body.

Miracle explained to the Daily that the team received a grant of $50,000 from the Sustainability Project Fund in 2023, which has helped them purchase period products like menstrual cups and period underwear from environmentally-conscious companies, such as Joni and Period

Emma Bainbridge | Coordinating News Editor Aisle. One of Period Aisle’s primary initiatives is increasing period products in universities across Canada, and McGill is one of their first partners. “It’s exciting to be one of the first universities that is working alongside them to propel this forward with other universities,” Miracle said.

The Menstrual Health Project organizes monthly pick-ups, where students can obtain free, sustainable period products such as menstrual cups, pads, tampons, and period underwear. Miracle told the Daily that the team holds pick-ups in different locations around campus at midday to reach the most students possible.

Miracle said that when the team first started, the pick-ups reached an average of 60-100 students each month. However, this year, they have averaged 200-300 students per pick-up.

“It is super exciting to see how much we have grown and hopefully keep reaching more and more people, because that’s always our goal,” she told the Daily.

The Menstrual Health Project also works to combat stigma surrounding periods. In Canada, one in five people think that menstruation should not be publicly discussed and that

menstrual products should be kept out of sight.

“A lot of what we are trying to do is also to destigmatize periods and normalize the conversation around them to increase accessibility and knowledge about it,” Miracle said.

You can visit the team’s Instagram page @ssmumenstrualhealthproject, their Facebook page, website.

You can also email the team at menstrualhealth@ssmu.ca to find out more about the monthly pickups for the winter term. The next period product pick-up will take place in the Leacock Lobby on February 23 between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Stop by to receive a free, environmentally-friendly period product and help destigmatize the conversation surrounding periods.

February 12, 2024 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

News

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Quebec’s Finance Minister Visits McGill

Eric Girard is aware tuition hikes are an “unpopular decision” Emma Bainbridge Coordinating News Editor

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n February 2, Quebec’s Minister of Finance and Minister Responsible for Relations with English-Speaking Quebecers, Eric Girard, visited McGill for a fireside chat with President Deep Saini. Girard’s visit has come at a time when many students at both McGill and Concordia are outraged over the tuition increases for outof-province and international students set to be implemented by the CAQ, the party to which Girard belongs. For the three days leading up to Girard’s visit, departments at McGill and Concordia representing about 10,000 students were striking in protest of this increase. In anticipation of the talk, student protestors gathered outside of the Bronfman building to denounce the CAQ’s tuition hikes, as well as Girard’s silence on the issue.

“I’m aware that this decision has been unpopular,” said Girard when talking to reporters from the Daily and Le Délit. “I think all the concerns that have been expressed

are legitimate.” He emphasized the need for the university and the government to sit down and find an “honest compromise.”

However, he believes reducing the tuition increase from $17,000 to $12,000 with mandatory French courses is an example of such an “honest compromise.” On the other hand, McGill President Deep Saini has said that these new measures “are expected to have an even more devastating effect on the University than the ones announced two months ago.”

Originally from Quebec City, Girard himself attended McGill from 1986 to 1989 to pursue a joint honours degree in Economics and Finance. He now represents the riding of Groulx in the Laurentides region of the province, and dreams of one day becoming the finance minister of Canada.

During the discussion with Saini, Girard defended the tuition hikes and mandatory French classes as a measure to combat the supposed decline of the French language in Quebec.

“The Quebec government needs to take measures to promote and protect French,” he explained.

“One measure is to make sure that citizens coming from outside of Quebec to study at McGill and Concordia will take some of the time in their curriculum to learn French, and therefore it will be easier for them to stay here after they graduate.”

In anticipation of the talk, student protestors gathered outside of the Bronfman building to denounce the CAQ’s tuition hikes, as well as Girard’s silence on the issue.

When asked about the concern that the tuition increase, currently projected to be 33 per cent, would price out lowerincome out-of-province and international students, including those who may be fluent French speakers, Girard replied that the university should address this concern. McGill has already created the Canada Award to offset the increased cost of tuition for out-of-province students, but the administration has warned that it would require significant financial sacrifices.

Girard also explained that while there is internal disagreement within the CAQ, they can only voice these disagreements in internal caucus discussions. Once their party comes out with an official position, members of Parliament have to follow the party line.

“Once the decision is public, if you contradict that decision, it’s your last day in office,” he said. “It’s the rule of the British Parliamentary system.”

Ultimately, Girard maintained that the decision to increase tuition does not fall under his portfolio as either Minister of

Finance or Minister Responsible for Relations with EnglishSpeaking Quebecers. He claimed that these decisions are entirely the responsibility of Pascale Déry, Minister of Higher Education, and would not be included in the 2024-2025 budget to be released in March.

When asked about his role as Minister for Relations with English-Speaking Quebecers, Girard was quick to point out that he’s “not a lobbyist” for anglophones. Instead, his role is to “make sure that the communication lines are open, [so] that their points of view are heard when we do legislation.”

As seen by the protesters gathering outside the Bronfman building in anticipation of this event, Girard’s visit has come at a time when many members of the McGill community and beyond remain unhappy with the CAQ’s policies toward language and education. Girard acknowledged that many people advised him not to come at a time like this, but said it was important for him to speak with finance students at McGill.

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February 12, 2024 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Amira Elghawaby on Islamophobia in Canada

News

Countering hate and promoting inclusion

Raphaëlle Muller-Feuga News Contributor

She repeated the declarations he McGill community of the widows, welcomed Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s first Special who urged her Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, on January 31 to “tell everyone to lead a bilingual French and English discussion on “Unpacking to not forget,” the Dynamics of Islamophobia in Canada, Challenges and emphasizing that Opportunities.” The awardwinning journalist and human “if we forget, rights advocate discussed her initiatives and efforts to counter we risk seeing hate, tackle Islamophobia, and promote inclusion. those types of Organized by the Institute of Islamic Studies, the talk hatred coming was part of a series of events on campus marking Muslim forward again.”

Content warning: Islamophobic violence

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Awareness Week, a yearly week of solidarity and exchanges.

This event was started as a response to the Quebec City mosque shooting on January 29, 2017, in which six men were killed and several seriously injured. Its sixth edition ran from January 25 to February 1 with the aim of promoting greater inclusion and equity while facing the challenges of Quebec’s pluralistic society.

Rise of Islamophobia in Canada The event began with a short introduction of Elghawaby’s role as one of the founding board members of the Canadian AntiHate Network; as a member of Canada’s National Security Transparency Advisory Group; and her appointment in January 2023 as Canada’s first Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia. She then reflected upon the commemoration of the shooting, which was the “firstever attack on a place of refuge in Canada.” She repeated the declarations of the widows, who urged her to “tell everyone to not forget,” emphasizing that “if we forget, we risk seeing those types of hatred coming forward again.” Elghawaby then expressed her “deep concern about Canada’s social fabric and democracy” in the wake of rising Islamophobia. A recent Senate report revealed Canada as the leading G7 country in the number of killings motivated

by Islamophobia, with Muslim women being primary targets for violence. Following the events of October 7, there was an increase in hate crimes,

and a regression to post 9/11 anti-Muslim rhetoric was witnessed as demonstrated by the numerous reports from students denouncing a hostile climate and censoring their voices. Elghawaby contrasted the current situation with the absence of Islamophobia in her upbringing in which “our differences were something to celebrate, something to share, something to welcome.” Despite multiculturalism being a central part of Canada’s identity, it did not prevent Islamophobia from becoming a core component of Canadian society and an integral part of her experience and that of Muslims after 9/11.

Elghawaby defined Islamophobia as “racism, stereotypes, prejudice, fear, and acts of hostility directed towards Muslims in general as well as the viewing and treating of Muslims as a greater threat at an institutional level.”

Arguing that the simple act of acknowledging the issue became politically contentious and was only enabled by the mosque shooting in 2017. This prompted her to challenge the audience, asking if more people need to die for serious action to be taken. She explored the various forms, both deadly and daily, in which Islamophobia manifests. Drawing particular attention to Islamophobia in policing, notably through racial profiling, she also dwelled on discrimination in employment, with the severe underemployment of Muslim women. In addition, a 2023 report by Islamic Relief Canada found that a high 67 per cent of Canadian workers have

reported having experienced a form of formal discrimination and an even higher 83 per cent have experienced a form of informal discrimination due to being Muslim. Elghawaby also raised the issue of intersectional Islamophobia, w h e re Is l a m o p h o b i a is heightened for Black Muslim women who face a combination of sources of discrimination, resentment, and hate. She urged for greater consideration of those experiences with the crucial need for an increased focus on these multifaceted forms of discrimination.

Islamophobia’s Root Causes Elghawaby explored the narratives fueling anti-Muslim sentiment, such as the notion of Muslims as the “other”, which spurred fear, radicalization, and white-supremacist ideas.

She drew upon various research and statistics, such as the Angus Reed survey which found that Canadians, especially in Quebec, were more likely to have an unfavorable opinion of Islam than of the four other major religions: Christianity, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Judaism.

Later Elghawaby stressed the role of online spaces in allowing Islamophobia to exist, spread, and facilitate the emergence of anti-Muslim groups with baseless rhetoric; the proliferation of fake news; and the harboring of theories like the “Great Replacement” theory. She denounced a system benefiting from users’ anger and algorithms consequently promoting polarizing divisive content. Despite a surge of solidarity after the 2017 mosque shooting, Islamophobic agitators and groups continued emerging, reaching out to other social issues to stay relevant and

Olivia Shan | Coordinating Editor upholding an anti-government narrative. Islamophobia is also severely exacerbated by global events, notably the October 7 attacks by Hamas. Elghawaby urged communities to come together, to work with an antiracist mindset, and to ensure that the rights and freedoms of all citizens are upheld. Ending on a hopeful note, she declared that “respect and compassion are values that drive my office to work even harder to find ways to build and rebuild divisions.”

Elghawaby urged communities to come together, to work with an antiracist mindset, and to ensure that the rights and freedoms of all citizens are upheld. Ending on a hopeful note, she declared that “respect and compassion are values that drive my office to work even harder to find ways to build and rebuild divisions.”

A Q&A Session Focused on Bill 21 Va r i o u s students and professors were able to ask questions, prompting her to discuss the advent of Bill 21 in Québec which she described as having “a discriminatory impact” on minorities, especially Muslim women who wear the hijab, and impacting their sense of belonging.

E l g h awa by re m i n d e d the audience that the law was said to be in violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which she described as the “North Star of our country, a promise to every citizen that they will be treated equally.” She also explored community-informed solutions and pilot projects aimed at improving Canada’s social fabric, such as one in Northern Ontario aimed at fostering religious literacy for municipal workers. Finally, s h e e n c o u ra g e d re s i l i e n c e in the face of challenges, especially those tied to being Muslim and being a woman, highlighting that it is essential t o e d u c a t e o u r s e l ve s a n d advocate for rights that should be guaranteed.

February 12, 2024 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Culture

9

The Oscars Have Failed. Again.

Isabella Roberti Culture Staff Writer

The 2024 Academy Award nominations are disapppointing, but unsurprising

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‘ell folks, it happened again. Instead of taking the opportunity to include the subversive and diverse films 2023 offered us, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences opted to continue salivating over the works of old white men. The three-hour epic by the white male director who has seen better days and clearly really wants another Oscars season dominated with films like Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon. But the bigger

Despite their “progress” in recent years, 2023 makes it clear that the Academy sees creative diversity as a quota to be met rather than an artistic achievement to be taken seriously. problem isn’t who was included, but rather who wasn’t. So many femaledirected projects could have easily been nominated (as per my last piece on the subject), but it feels as though the Oscars are far more concerned with the pedantic and pretentious cinema that only established, white male directors have the luxury of making. Despite their “progress” in recent years, 2023 makes it clear that the Academy sees creative diversity as a quota to be met rather than an artistic achievement to be taken seriously.

Let’s start with some of the positives, which are unfortunately also laced with negatives. Although Killers of the Flower Moon does not live up to how Indigenous people should be represented in film, it did give us an outstanding performance by Lily Gladstone. Not relying on the fact that her work will be automatically praised like her co-stars Leonardo Dicaprio and Robert DeNiro, Gladstone gave a layered performance that earned her a Best Actress nomination, making her the first Native American woman to do so. A win for her would be historic, and would hopefully create a space for more Native women in mainstream cinema – a space where they can tell their own stories, rather than having

white male directors like Martin Scorsese dictate the narrative.

Best Supporting Actress is probably the best major category overall, in terms of both inclusivity and merit.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph is the heavy favourite to win the award for her part in The Holdovers, and deservedly so.

She was a highlight in this funny and heartwarming film, rounding out a successful year for her overall, with her return to Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, and being arguably the only good thing about Abel Tesfaye (a.k.a.

The Weeknd) and Sam Levinson’s exploitative dumpster fire show that was The Idol. The rest of the category includes gems like America Ferrera for Barbie and Danielle Brooks for The Color Purple, making the nominees mostly women of colour, all of whom have been nominated for their work in musicals or comedies, genres which are often overlooked by the Oscars.

The Best Director category, on the other hand, was met by most with face palms. An opportunity to include more than one female director, as well as directors of colour, was practically spoonfed to the Academy, yet they still didn’t bite. The most talked about snub has been Greta Gerwig for Barbie, a film that also saw its lead Margot Robbie omitted from the Best Actress category. Many have dismissed the sexism of this slight with the logic that Gerwig was omitted because the Oscars generally do not take blockbuster comedies very seriously. While this is true, a film that did as well as Barbie would have a far greater chance of being considered were it directed by a man, and were it not aimed at female audiences. Just look at Poor Things, which was considered a comedy by the Golden Globes and also saw its director nominated at the Oscars.

Alas, this is not where the double standard ends. Many have pointed out that Gerwig will profit even if she wins in other categories, like Best Picture, hoping that the film “pulls an Argo” by taking this award as compensation.

But if that’s the case, why were Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, and Yorgos Lanthimos nominated for Best Picture when their films monopolized the other categories as well? While Gerwig is perhaps the most salient example, the directing category overall committed several egregious oversights in a year where diverse filmmakers proliferated.

Past Lives is probably the film that got the most royally screwed over this year, in Best Director and several other categories. Lord knows how long it’s been since a directorial debut was as revered as this one from Celine Song, who easily could have joined Justine

Eric Duivenvoorden | Visuals Editor Triet in the Best Director category.

In addition to creating an incredible artistic achievement, Song was also able to tell a semi-autobiographical story about moving from Korea to Canada and pursuing the arts, representing the shared experience of many Asian-American immigrants while maintaining a deeply intimate tone. The authentically beautiful star-crossed lovers story also saw an outstanding performance by Greta Lee, whose absence from Best Actress is nothing short of a travesty.

of intergenerational trauma among Asian immigrant families (like Past Lives), actually gave us a lot of hope for the Academy’s ability to recognize such stories. Unfortunately, with the absence of Song’s masterpiece from most major categories, it now feels like a one-off.

Certain incredibly deserving femaledirected films were nowhere to be found at all. While not as Oscar bait-y as some anticipated, Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn featured some deeply original screenwriting on behalf of the director,

The Best Director category, on the other hand, was met by most with face palms.

An opportunity to include more than one female director, as well as directors of colour, was practically spoonfed to the Academy, yet they still didn’t bite.

With these snubs, it feels as though the Academy is almost riding the wave of its Asian representation from last year with Everything Everywhere All at Once and its record-breaking cleanup.

The 2022 film took home almost all the major categories, including Best Editing, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best Actress, and Best Picture. The fact that Everything Everywhere was transgressive in both its themes and storytelling, managing to paint a deeply complex picture

and gave us an outlandishly disturbing performance from Barry Keoghan that easily could have been nominated. Yet the Oscar robberies this year extend to films that would typically be very well-received, such as the dramatic biopic. Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla featured an intimately told story that underlined the issues of Elvis Presley’s treatment of Priscilla Presley, without erasing Priscilla’s subjectivity or turning her into a polemical figure.

Priscilla also features breathtaking

costuming and set design, and two tour-de-force performances by Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi. Yet this was still not enough to appease the overwhelmingly white, male selection committee. For a deep dive into the film, you can read my review of it for the Daily published in November.

I could go on and on about my plights with the Oscar nominations this year. Where was Charles Melton in Best Supporting Actor for May December? Why was Hirokazu Koreeda’s Monster not nominated for Best International Feature? Why wasn’t The Boy and the Heron nominated in more categories outside of Best Animated Feature? The Academy has become an expert at crushing the hopes of film lovers who wish to see themselves and their stories celebrated at the most esteemed levels of cinema. Outrage, however, can facilitate change. Even if they still have a long way to go, the diversity of the selection committee has greatly expanded since 2014 when the average age of the members was 63, while 76 per cent were men and 94 per cent were white. While most of the known 2024 releases so far are set to be sequels and remakes, the diverse storytelling that began in 2022 and blossomed in 2023 will hopefully continue its momentum, and eventually break through the Academy’s pretentious, normative barriers.

February 12, 2024 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Culture

10

Writing The Future

Book review and interview with Catherine Leroux Catey Fifield Managing Editor

A

n elderly woman arrives in fictional Fort Détroit to search for her missing granddaughters. Her companions – a grieving neighbour, a retired musician, a dedicated nurse, and several greenhouse gardeners – aid her quest. In a city too unruly for the rule of law, where the buses have stopped running and the shelves of most stores have sat empty for months, if not years, the oldest residents of Fort Détroit must band together to keep their community safe.

On the outskirts of the city, at the other end of the spectrum of life, a pack of children have set up camp in the forest of Parc Rouge.

Some orphaned, some abandoned, and most of them forgotten, the children scrounge for food and supplies, seek shelter in tattered tents, and keep a careful watch for grown-ups. These may come in the form of drunks who wander into their camp, but the children also look out for blooming chests, deepening voices, and other signs of puberty in their own ranks – no adult is worthy of their trust.

The paths of old and young will converge in this city “so empty it is full, so broken it blossoms.” It is only at their intersection that the residents of Fort Détroit may begin to imagine a future more full of hope than despair, more full of dreams than nightmares.

*** The Future is Catherine Leroux’s fourth novel. First published as L’avenir in 2020, it was translated into English

by Susan Ouriou in 2023. Born in Rosemère, Quebec, and now based in Montreal, Leroux has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Prix France-Québec for her novel

Canada Reads debates, which will take place between March 4 and 7. Leroux’s words, expertly translated by Ouriou, seem to leap off the pages of this book to construct before readers’ very eyes the characters, settings, and mysterious goings-on she describes. I found it impossible to read this book without a pen in hand – there were too many beautiful passages to underline,

Leroux’s words, expertly translated by Ouriou, seem to leap off the pages of this book to construct before readers’ very eyes the characters, settings, and mysterious goings-on she describes.

Le mur mitoyen (2013) and the Prix Adrienne-Choquette for her short story collection Madame Victoria (2015). The Future was selected for the 2024 edition of Canada Reads, CBC’s annual “battle of the books” competition.

It will be championed by fellow Montreal writer and this year’s Mordecai Richler Writer-inResidence, Heather O’Neill.

I don’t believe O’Neill will have any difficulty defending The Future during this year’s

Courtesy of Biblioasis

too many sentences that read more like poetry than prose.

Leroux’s characters are unique in themselves – the children, especially, are endowed with such spirit and individuality as are rarely to be found outside of childhood – but it is when they come together that the magic of this book is most palpable. The bonds of trust forged by Gloria and Eunice, by Fiji and Bleach, in the city of old, and in the forest of youth testify to the possibility of finding, in Rihanna’s words, “love in a hopeless place.”

Earlier this month, following a book talk featuring Leroux and O’Neill, I had a chance to interview Leroux about The Future, her relationship with Montreal, and her approach to writing speculative fiction. I was especially curious about the book’s second chapter, written entirely from the perspectives of the Parc Rouge children. Leroux told me she was forced to throw away a first draft of this chapter because it was “too boring:” she had written this version as a mother, she said, instead of as a child. Once she learned to put aside her instinctual concerns for her characters’ safety and comfort and to make way for the infinitely more important demands of play, stuffed toys, inter-group rivalry, and bathroom humour, she was able to find the voices of Parc Rouge.

We also discussed Leroux’s close-to-home inspiration for Fort Détroit. This version of the city of Detroit was never surrendered to the Americans in the War of 1812, instead becoming a French-Canadian stronghold. At the time The Future takes place, however, Fort Détroit is no longer a stronghold

Courtesy of Biblioasis but a wasteland. Leroux was attracted to Detroit because of its similarities to Montreal: both cities experienced a surge in investment and production, either in the 19th century or the 20th, but now find themselves

I think, on account of the fact that no evil dictator has taken control of the city or imposed a rule of terror and totalitarianism on its residents. Instead, it is the cruel forces of “pollution, poverty, and the legacy of racism”

Leroux’s characters are unique in themselves – the children, especially, are endowed with such spirit and individuality as are rarely to be found outside of childhood – but it is when they come together that the magic of this book is most palpable. in economic decline. Economic decline, she said, has certainly taken its toll on the cities, but it has also provided ample fodder for artists and innovators with an interest in rebuilding. “People have had to be creative in order to survive,” Leroux explained.

Certainly, Fort Détroit is a dystopia as desolate as the rest of them. It is all the more terrifying,

that threaten the survival of Fort Détroit – or rather, what’s left of it. Leroux’s future is as factual as it is fictional, and the strength, creativity, and humour with which her characters weather each storm that comes their way are truly inspiring.

February 12, 2024 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

compendium!

11

THE DRAGON’S KITCHEN DUMPLINGS (2 PORTIONS)

Start off the Year of the Dragon with this quick and delicious dumpling recipe! They’re steaming hot and accompany just about any meal.

Stuff a few with strawberries: whoever sinks their teeth into those will be blessed with luck from the Jade Emperor himself. Versatile and perfect for all occasions, family meals and quick snacks alike.

Cut cabbage, green and yellow onions into small pieces. Add with carrots to a large bowl with ground chicken. Add salt, pepper, You will need: and ginger powder and mix well. Take a (Filling) dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand • 1 cup cabbage and add a dollop of filling in the centre • 1 cup ground chicken using a small spoon. Wet the edges of the • 2/3 cup grated carrots wrapper and fold in half over the filling, • 2 sprigs green onion pinching along the edges. Bring water to a • 1/3 bulb yellow onion boil. Add dumplings, then cover and simmer • 1 ½ tsp salt on medium heat until boiling once more.

• ¾ tsp pepper Remove lid and simmer for another three • 1 tsp ginger powder minutes. Mix vinegar and sesame oil in a small dish. Remove dumplings from pot, and (Dipping sauce) serve hot.

• 8 parts dark vinegar • 1 part sesame oil Tip: “Dumpling soup” can be made in the pot after the dumplings are removed – the residual flavour in the boiled water can suffice for a side dish of its own!

Tofu Stir Fry (3 portions) In need of a last minute hot meal? Have guests coming for dinner, and no idea what to cook? This simple, tasty tofu stirfry will be ready for serving in under half an hour. The tofu’s firm, rich texture compliments the sweet, spicy vegetables and can be customizable with any number of garnishes and side dishes.

You will need: (Ingredients) • 1 carrot • ½ head of cauliflower • 1 cup of frozen corn • Tofu, firm • 3 spoons of vegetable oil

Oil your pan, add soy sauce, and set the stove to high heat. Dice tofu and fry in the pan, stirring until light brown. Oil the bottom of your pot. Crush and dice the garlic and onions, then add to the pot with the ginger. Slice the pepper into thin rings, without de-seeding, and also add into (Seasoning) the pot. Add the remaining seasonings, • Sea salt and turn the stove to medium heat. Wait • Soy sauce until the onion starts to turn golden. Dice • Peppercorns, whole the carrot, and cut the cauliflower into • 1 cayenne or jalapeno pepper small, bite-size chunks. Add the carrots • Anise to the pot, then the corn and finally the • Coriander seeds cauliflower. Set the stove to medium-high • 1 teaspoon of ginger heat and stir until the cauliflower and • 3 garlic cloves carrot are tender, and the corn starts to • ½ onion bulb caramelize. Take off the stove. Season with • Cream (optional) sesame oil and serve hot with steamed rice.

• Sesame oil (for seasoning)

Elaine Yang, Andrei Li | Features, Sci+Tech Editors

February 12, 2024 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

compendium!

12

LUNAR NEW YEAR HOROSCOPES! Rabbit

snake

2023, 2011, 1999,1987

2025, 2013, 2001, 1990

dragon 2024, 2012, 2000, 1988 NOW’S THE TIME TO INVEST IN NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES. ACTUALLY, MORE LIKE YESTERDAY.

horse 2026, 2014, 2002, 1990

Anything is Possible in the year of the dragon. Scaling for Practicality, of course.

Finally, there’s light at the end of the tunnel...or is it another lantern?

Goat 2027, 2015, 2003, 1991

monkey 2028, 2016, 2004, 1992 Are you seeing sparklers outside the window or do second chance for new year’s resolutions! get to it! you just need sleep?

rooster 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981 the new year’s money you’d get from your grandparents would be really helpful right now...

dog 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982 It really does take a village.

To fInish everything at the new year’s dinner, that is.

ask for your next paycheque in a red envelope so you can feel like a child again.

pig 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983 hot take: the word “dumpling” is obviously a gerund.

rat

ox

tiger

2020, 2008, 1996, 1984

2021, 2009, 1997, 1985

2022, 2010, 1998, 1986

Gregorian calendar? I barely know her!

is something leaving a bad taste in your mouth? Check the vinegar.

LOoks like it’s your turn to host the family gathering this year! and the next... and the next...